Beaver dam analogues drive heterogeneous groundwater–surface water interactions

Beaver dam analogues (BDAs) are a cost-effective stream restoration approach that leverages the recognized environmental benefits of natural beaver dams on channel stability and local hydrology. Although natural beaver dams are known to exert considerable influence on the hydrologic conditions of a stream system by mediating geomorphic processes, nutrient cycling, and groundwater–surface water interactions, the impacts of beaver-derived restoration methods on groundwater–surface water exchange are poorly characterized. To address this deficit, we monitored hyporheic exchange fluxes and streambed porewater biogeochemistry across a sequence of BDAs installed along a central Wyoming stream during the summer of 2019. Streambed fluxes were quantified by heat tracing methods and vertical hydraulic gradients. Biogeochemical activity was evaluated using major ion porewater chemistry and principal component analysis. Vertical fluxes of approximately 1.0 m/day were observed around the BDAs, as was the development of spatially heterogeneous zones of nitrate production, groundwater upwelling, and anaerobic reduction. Strong contrasts in hyporheic zone processes were observed across BDAs of differing sizes. This suggests that structures may function with size-dependent behaviour, only altering groundwater–surface water interactions after a threshold hydraulic step height is exceeded. Patterns of hyporheic exchange and biogeochemical cycling around the studied BDAs resemble those around natural beaver dams, suggesting that BDAs may provide comparable benefits to channel complexity and near-stream function over a 1-year period.     

Generation of random waves in time-dependent extended mild-slope equations using a source function method

We develop techniques of numerical wave generation in the time-dependent extended mild-slope equations of Suh et al. [1997. Time-dependent equations for wave propagation on rapidly varying topography. Coastal Engineering 32, 91–117] and Lee et al. [2003. Extended mild-slope equation for random waves. Coastal Engineering 48, 277–287] for random waves using a source function method. Numerical results for both regular and irregular waves in one and two horizontal dimensions show that the wave heights and the frequency spectra are properly reproduced. The waves that pass through the wave generation region do not cause any numerical disturbances, showing usefulness of the source function method in avoiding re-reflection problems at the offshore boundary.     

Influence of large-diameter pipe pile driving on surrounding marine soils and adjacent submarine pipelines

Abstract

With the large-scale development and utilization of ocean resources and space, it is inevitable to encounter existing submarine facilities in pile driving areas, which necessitates a safety assessment. In this article, by referring to a wharf renovation project as a reference, the surrounding soil response and buried pipe deformation during pile driving in a near-shore submarine environment are investigated by three-dimensional (3D) numerical models that consider the pore water effect. Numerical studies are carried out in two different series: one is a case of a single pile focusing on the effect of the minimum plane distance of the pile–pipe, and the other is a case of double piles focusing on the effect of the pile spacing.     

Planning for source water protection in Ontario

Ontario began developing a drinking water source protection planning process in 2000, after a rural community's water supply was contaminated by pathogens from agricultural runoff. An expert committee report has recommended legislating a new source protection “sphere of jurisdiction” for municipalities; however, no specific new municipal tools or authorities have been proposed as yet. This paper reports findings from an evaluation of the extent to which existing institutional arrangements for land use planning and water management facilitate or constrain source protection by municipalities. A case study of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo suggests there is the potential to link land use planning more strongly to water management through creative use of existing tools, forgoing the need for major institutional changes.     

南北地震带强震复发间隔的估计

通过对南北地震带各主要断裂带历史强震的时空特点研究 ,试图寻找出带内各主要构造带强震的复发和填充特征 ,并在此基础上研究其差异性 ,对未来各带发生强震的危险性作出估计     

浅析湘南地区锰矿矿源物质来源

简述湘南地区表生氧化锰矿矿源层的分布及岩性特征，讨论矿源层与构造及岩相古地理的关系。     

Comparison of the Langrangian Footprint

We compare flux and concentration footprint estimates of athree-dimensional Lagrangian stochastic dispersion modelapplying backward trajectories with the results of ananalytical footprint model by Kormann and Meixner.The comparison is performed for varying stability regimesof the surface layer as well as for different measurementheights. In general, excellent correspondence is found.     

New geochemical data from the Nigerian sector of the Chad basin: implications on hydrocarbon prospectivity

Organic geochemical studies have been carried out to assess the qualities of source rocks penetrated by four wells (Kemar-1, Murshe-1, Tuma-1 and Ziye-1) in the Nigerian sector of the Chad basin. The Chad basin is a large intracratonic basin in Central West Africa. Commercial hydrocarbon accumulations have been discovered in some sectors of the basin outside the Nigerian border in a structurally related contiguous basin. Fair to poor quality source rocks are inherent in the sequences penetrated by the studied wells. About 80% of all samples have their total organic carbon (TOC) contents more than 0.5 wt.%, the minimum limit for hydrocarbon generation. Juxtaposition of the hydrogen indices against the TOC and T_max indicates that the source rocks are entirely gas-prone. However, biomarker chromatograms and extract vs. TOC plots indicate the presence of oil shows in Ziye-1 well at a depth of 1210 m. Although generated hydrocarbons (wherever they have accumulated) would be overwhelmingly gaseous, gas is the energy of the future. The gas resources of this part of Nigeria's inland basins can be economically exploited through policies that will increase the tempo of gas-utilization projects and the construction of a national grid of gas pipelines with nodal points of input and output.     

Land degradation in the source region of the Yellow River, northeast Qinghai-Xizang Plateau: classification and evaluation

Land degradation imposes a great threat to the world. It is not merely an environmental issue, but also a social and economic problem. Land desertification is among the main aspects of environment changes in the source region of the Yellow River. Previous studies focused on water resource utilization and soil erosion, but land degradation in the source region of the Yellow River even the whole Qinghai-Xizang Plateau received little attention. Based on the data obtained by field investigation and TM satellite images of 2000, this study provides the classification and evaluation information of the land degradation in the source region of the Yellow River. There are six types of land degradation in this region: water erosion in the northern mountains around the Gonghe Basin, sandy desertification in the Gonghe Basin and Upland Plain Area, aridization in the lower reaches, salinization in the Gonghe Basin, vegetation degradation in the intramontance basin and freezing and thawing erosion in the high mountains. The total degraded area is 34,429.6 km², making up 37.5% of the land in the study area. Finally, land degradation in the source region of the Yellow River was evaluated according to changes in the physical structure and chemical component of soils, land productivity, secondary soil salt and water conditions.     

长江、黄河源区高寒湿地动态变化研究

长江、黄河源区是中国湿地分布面积最大的地区之一,近年来湿地面积减少、功能退化引起了严重的区域生态环境问题。为了定量分析湿地退化过程,利用1986年的TM和2000年的ETM 卫星遥感数据,在GIS软件支持下,用景观格局指数对长江、黄河源区15a来湿地的分布和变化进行了研究。结果表明,15a间,长江、黄河源区湿地面积减少了2744.77km2,平均减少率为1.2%/a。长江源湿地的退化比黄河源明显。湿地主要是由高寒沼泽草甸湿地向高寒草甸湿地、裸岩裸土地和高寒草原演变,以及由水域向滩地转变。各湿地景观类型斑块数增加,破碎度和分维数提高,优势度降低,湿地景观空间结构趋于复杂,景观异质性增加。15a间研究区湿地生态服务价值降低了37.86×108元。气候干暖化是造成源区湿地变化的主要因素,人类活动加剧了这一进程。