过刊目录

  • 2024年, 21卷, 第01期
    刊出日期:2024-06-19
      

  • 全选
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  • NIU Hewen, CHEN Mengxue, KANG Shichang, SHUKLA Tanuj, QIN Huili, GAO Wanni, HUANG Shihai, ZHANG Fu
    2024, 21(01): 1-19.
    Investigating the characteristics and transformation of water-soluble carbonaceous matter in the cryosphere regions is important for understanding biogeochemical process in the earth system. Water-soluble carbonaceous matter is a heterogeneous mixture of organic compounds that is soluble in aquatic environments. Despite its importance, we still lack systematic understanding for dissolved organic carbon(DOC) in several aspects including exact chemical composition and physical interactions with microorganisms, glacier meltwater. This review presents the chemical composition and physical properties of glacier DOC deposited through anthropogenic emission, terrestrial, and biogenic sources. We present the molecular composition of DOC and its effect over snow albedo and associated radiative forcings. Results indicate that DOC in snow/ice is made up of aromatic protein-like species, fulvic acid-like materials, and humic acid-like materials. Light-absorbing impurities in surface snow and glacier ice cause considerable albedo reduction and the associated radiative forcing is definitely positive. Water-soluble carbonaceous matter dominated the carbon transport in the high-altitude glacial area. Owing to prevailing global warming and projected increase in carbon emission, the glacial DOC is expected to release, which will have strong underlying impacts on cryosphere ecosystem. The results of this work have profound implications for better understanding the carbon cycle in high altitude cryosphere regions. A new compilation of globally distributed work is required, including large-scale measurements of glacial DOC over high-altitude cryosphere regions, to overcome and address the scientific challenges to constrain climate impacts of light-absorbing impurities related processes in Earth system and climate models.
  • Mery L.SUNI, Giovana P.VADILLO, César ARANA, Enoc JARA-PE?A, Letty SALINAS, M.Estela PONCE, Paul M.RAMSAY
    2024, 21(01): 20-32.
    A large fire of 233 ha in Huascarán National Park in Peru provided an opportunity to compare plant and bird responses in burned and nearby unburned zones of the puna. Heights and live diameters of flagship Puya raimondii rosettes(assigned to four broad developmental phases), plant communities(66 species in 24 families and nine growth forms) and bird communities(77 species in six trophic guilds) were monitored after the fire. Although no mortality was observed, Puya raimondii plants were affected by the fire, losing approximately 60% of their photosynthetic area across all developmental phases, but recovered quickly during the first two years after fire. The comparison of Puya rosette recovery after fire was complicated by the changes in live rosette diameter for unburned plants, which showed plasticity of photosynthetic area linked to seasonal and annual fluctuations in precipitation in this relatively dry environment(decreased by 26% for mature adult plants over the study period). Fire caused an immediate change in the density, biomass and composition of vegetation. Although the species present remained similar, their abundances changed significantly immediately after the fire, with notable reductions in dominant tussock grasses. This provided opportunities for other plants, resulting in higher postfire diversity of plant species, genera, families and growth forms. In turn, the changes in vegetation after fire affected the composition of birds according to their trophic guild. Granivores largely disappeared,generalists were mostly unaffected, and other guilds showed a more complex response. As the vegetation recovered, most displaced birds returned within approximately one year.
  • Francis Levi A.DURANO, Jon Marx SARMIENTO, Larry N.DIGAL, Pedro A.ALVIOLA IV
    2024, 21(01): 33-48.
    Elevation is one of many components that influence agriculture, and this in turn affects the level of both inputs and outputs of farmers. This article focuses on the productivity and technical efficiency of 100 cocoa farms using cross-sectional data from areas ranging from 190 to 1021 m above sea level which were classified as low, medium, and high elevation in Davao City, considered as the chocolate capital of the Philippines. Using stochastic frontier analysis, the results showed that the cost of inputs per ha and the number of cocoa trees per ha significantly increase yield. Farms at high elevations were less technically efficient, as this entails lower temperatures and increased rainfall, and cocoa farming in those areas and conditions can be more challenging, especially with changes in farming practices, terrain, and distance to markets. Other significant variables were age of cocoa farms, married farmers, and age of the farmers. Older farms may be more developed, farmers who are married benefit from their spouses being able to readily contribute as farm labor, and lastly, older farmers' inefficiency may likely stem from nonadaptation of newer farming practices. With an average technical efficiency of 0.61, 0.63, and 0.26 in low, medium, and high elevation areas, respectively, farmers therefore have an incentive to improve farm practices and consider topographical variations found in high elevation areas. Recommendations for the improvement of technical efficiency of cocoa farms are better connectivity to markets, enhancing farm practices, and continuation and improvement of government programs on cocoa with an added emphasis on research. For farmers in high elevation areas, mitigating solutions such as sustainable agriculture practices and ecolabelling are key to improving efficiency and minimizing the potential negative impact on upland farming systems. Moreover, such adaptation measures may also contribute to sustainability of cocoa farming in high elevation areas.
  • Ecmel ERLAT, Fulya AYDIN-KANDEM?R
    2024, 21(01): 49-67.
    The snow cover over the Taurus Mountains affects water supply, agriculture, and hydropower generation in the region. In this study, we analyzed the monthly Snow Cover Extent(SCE) from November to April in the Central Taurus Mountains(Bolkar, Alada?lar, Tahtal? and Binbo?a Mountains) from 1981 to 2021. Linear trends of snow cover season(November to April) over the last 41 years showed decreases in SCE primarily at lower elevations. The downward trend in SCE was found to be more pronounced and statistically significant for only November and March. SCE in the Central Taurus Mountains has declined about-6.3% per decade for 2500-3000 m in November and about-6.0% per decade for 1000-1500 m and 3000+ m in March over the last 41 years. The loss of SCE has become evident since the 2000s, and the lowest negative anomalies in SCE have been observed in 2014, 2001, and 2007 in the last 41 years, which are consistent with an increase in air temperature and decreased precipitation. SCE was correlated with both mean temperature and precipitation, with temperature having a greater relative importance at all elevated gradients. Results showed that there is a strong linear relationship between SCE and the mean air temperature(r =-0.80) and precipitation(r = 0.44) for all elevated gradients during the snow season. The Arctic Oscillation(AO), the North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO), and the Mediterranean Oscillation(MO) winter indices were used to explain the year-to-year variability in SCE over the Central Taurus Mountains. The results showed that the inter-annual variability observed in the winter SCE on the Central Taurus Mountains was positively correlated with the phases of the winter AO, NAO and MO, especially below 2000 m elevation.
  • LI Qingpeng, LIU Wenhui, LIU Hairui, ZHOU Guanghao, SONG Xianteng, LI Qing, LUO Bingnan, SONG Bangxu, ZHANG Qi
    2024, 21(01): 68-83.
    In recent years, lakes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have become more responsive to climate change. In September 2011, Zonag Lake in Hoh Xil experienced sudden drainage, the water eventually flowed into Yanhu Lake, which caused Yanhu Lake to continue to expand. The potential collapse of Yanhu Lake could directly threaten the operational safety of the adjacent Qinghai-Tibet Highway, Qinghai-Tibet Railway. To explore the implications of expanding lakes on the surrounding permafrost, we selected Hoh Xil Yanhu Lake on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to study the effect of lake expansion on permafrost degradation. The permafrost degradation in the Yanhu Lake basin from October 2017 to December 2022 was inverted using Sentinel-1 satellite image data and small baseline subset interferometry synthetic aperture radar(SBAS-In SAR) technology. Additionally, permafrost degradation from February 2007 and February 2010 was analyzed using advanced land observing satellite phased array-type L-band synthetic aperture radar(ALOS PALSAR) satellite images and differential interferometric synthetic aperture radar(D-In SAR) technique. The results showed that the permafrost around Yanhu Lake experienced accelerated degradation. Prior to the expansion of Yanhu Lake, the average annual deformation rate along the line of sight(LOS) direction was 6.7 mm/yr. After the expansion, the rate increased to 20.9 mm/yr. The integration of spatial-temporal distribution maps of surface subsidence, Wudaoliang borehole geothermal data, meteorological data, Yanhu Lake surface area changes, and water level changes supports the assertion that the intensified permafrost degradation could be attributed to lake expansion rather than the rising air temperature. Furthermore, permafrost degradation around Yanhu Lake could impact vital infrastructure such as the adjacent Qinghai-Tibet Highway and Qinghai-Tibet Railway.
  • QIN Zipeng, TIAN Yan, GAO Siyuan, ZHOU Jianfen, HE Xiaohui, HE Weizhong, GAO Jingquan
    2024, 21(01): 84-99.
    The stability of the ancient flood control levees is mainly influenced by water level fluctuations, groundwater concentration and rainfalls. This paper takes the Lanxi ancient levee as a research object to study the evolution laws of its seepage, displacement and stability before and after reinforcement with the upside-down hanging wells and grouting curtain through numerical simulation methods combined with experiments and observations. The study results indicate that the filled soil is less affected by water level fluctuations and groundwater concentration after reinforcement. A high groundwater level is detrimental to the levee's long-term stability, and the drainage issues need to be fully considered. The deformation of the reinforced levee is effectively controlled since the fill deformation is mainly borne by the upside-down hanging wells. The safety factors of the levee before reinforcement vary significantly with the water level. The minimum value of the safety factors is 0.886 during the water level decreasing period, indicating a very high risk of the instability. While it reached 1.478 after reinforcement, the stability of the ancient levee is improved by a large margin.
  • MA Jie, CHU Lijuan, SUN Jing, WANG Shenglan, GE Miao, DENG Li
    2024, 21(01): 100-112.
    This study aimed to investigate the pollution characteristics, source apportionment, and health risks associated with trace metal(loid)s(TMs) in the major agricultural producing areas in Chongqing, China. We analyzed the source apportionment and assessed the health risk of TMs in agricultural soils by using positive matrix factorization(PMF) model and health risk assessment(HRA) model based on Monte Carlo simulation. Meanwhile, we combined PMF and HRA models to explore the health risks of TMs in agricultural soils by different pollution sources to determine the priority control factors. Results showed that the average contents of cadmium(Cd), arsenic (As), lead(Pb), chromium(Cr), copper(Cu), nickel(Ni), and zinc(Zn) in the soil were found to be 0.26, 5.93, 27.14, 61.32, 23.81, 32.45, and 78.65 mg/kg, respectively. Spatial analysis and source apportionment analysis revealed that urban and industrial sources, agricultural sources, and natural sources accounted for 33.0%, 27.7%, and 39.3% of TM accumulation in the soil, respectively. In the HRA model based on Monte Carlo simulation, noncarcinogenic risks were deemed negligible(hazard index <1), the carcinogenic risks were at acceptable level(10-6
  • ZHANG Kai, ZHANG Hailong, TIAN Jianjin, QU Jianjun, ZHANG Xingxin, WANG Zhenghui, XIAO jianhua
    2024, 21(01): 113-130.
    Wind and sand hazards are serious in the Milan Gobi area of the Xinjiang section of the Korla Railway. In order to ensure the safe operation of railroads, there is a need for wind and sand protection in heavily sandy areas. The wind and sand flow in the region is notably bi-directional. To shield railroads from sand, a unique sand fence made of folded linear high-density polyethylene(HDPE) is used, aligning with the principle that the dominant wind direction is perpendicular to the fence. This study employed field observations and numerical simulations to investigate the effectiveness of these HDPE sand fences in altering flow field distribution and offering protection. It also explored how these fences affect the deposition and erosion of sand particles. Findings revealed a significant reduction in wind speed near the fence corner; the minimum horizontal wind speed on the leeward side of the first sand fence(LSF) decreased dramatically from 3 m/s to 0.64 m/s. The vortex area on the LSF markedly impacted horizontal wind speeds. Within the LSF, sand deposition was a primary occurrence. As wind speeds increased, the deposition zone shrank, whereas the positive erosion zone expanded. Close to the folded corners of the HDPE sand fence, there was a notable shift from the positive erosion zone to a deposition zone. Field tests and numerical simulations confirmed the high windproof efficiency(WE) and sand resistance efficiency(SE) in the HDPE sand fence. Folded linear HDPE sheet sand fence can effectively slow down the incoming flow and reduce the sand content, thus achieving good wind and sand protection. This study provides essential theoretical guidance for the design and improvement of wind and sand protection systems in railroad engineering.
  • YANG Xiaoliu, LI Yungang, GAO Lu
    2024, 21(01): 131-145.
    The China-Myanmar Economic Corridor(CMEC) is an important part of China's Belt and Road Initiative and an important area for global ecology and biodiversity. In this study, the annual and seasonal spatiotemporal patterns of temperature and precipitation in the CMEC over the past century were investigated using linear tendency estimation, the Mann-Kendall mutation test, the T-test, and wavelet analysis based on the monthly mean climatic data from 1901 to 2018 released by the Climatic Research Unit(CRU) of the University of East Anglia, UK. The results show that the CMEC demonstrated a trend of warming and drying over the past 100 years, and the rate of change in Myanmar was stronger than that in Yunnan Province of China. The warming rate was 0.039 °C/10a. Precipitation decreased at a rate of -6.1 mm/10a. From the perspective of spatial distribution, temperature was high in the central and southern, low in the north of the CMEC, and the high-temperature centers were mainly distributed in the southern plain and river valley. Precipitation decreased from west to east and from south to north of the CMEC. From the perspective of the rate of change, warming was stronger in central and northern CMEC than in southern and northeastern CMEC. The rate of precipitation decline was stronger in the central and western regions than in the eastern region. This study provides a scientific reference for the CMEC to address climate change and ensure sustainable social and economic development and ecological security.
  • HAO Aihua, LUO Zhengming, CHEN Xiaojiang
    2024, 21(01): 146-159.
    Climate warming profoundly affects plant biodiversity, community productivity, and soil properties in alpine and subalpine grassland ecosystems. However, these effects are poorly understood across elevational gradients in subalpine meadow ecosystems. To reveal the elevational patterns of warming effects on plant biodiversity, community structure, productivity, and soil properties, we conducted a warming experiment using open-top chambers from August 2019 to August 2022 at high(2764 m a. s. l.), medium(2631 m a. s. l.), and low(2544 m a. s. l.) elevational gradients on a subalpine meadow slope of Mount Wutai, Northern China. Our results showed that three years of warming significantly increased topsoil temperature but significantly decreased topsoil moisture at all elevations(P<0.05), and the percentage of increasing temperature and decreasing moisture both gradually raised with elevation lifting. Warming-induced decreasing proportions of soil organic carbon(SOC, by 19.24%), and total nitrogen(TN, by 24.56%) were the greatest at high elevational gradients. Experimental warming did not affect topsoil C: N, p H, NO_3~--N, or NH_4~+-N at the three elevational gradients. Warming significantly increased species richness(P<0.01) and Shannon-Weiner index(P<0.05) at low elevational gradients but significantly decreased belowground biomass(P<0.05) at a depth of 0–10 cm at three elevational gradients. Warming caused significant increases in the aboveground biomass in the three elevational plots. Warming significantly increased the aboveground biomass of graminoids in medium(by 92.47%) and low(by 98.25%) elevational gradients, that of sedges in high(by 72.44%) and medium(by 57.16%) elevational plots, and that of forbs in high(by 75.88%), medium(by 34.38%), and low(by 74.95%) elevational plots. Species richness had significant linear correlations with SOC, TN, and C: N(P<0.05), but significant nonlinear responses to soil temperature and soil moisture in the warmed treatment(P<0.05). The warmed aboveground biomass had a significant nonlinear response to soil temperature and significant linear responses to soil moisture(P<0.05). This study provided evidence that altitude is a factor in sensitivity to climate warming, and these different parameters(e.g., plant species richness, Shannon-Weiner index, soil temperature, soil moisture, SOC, and TN) can be used to measure this sensitivity.
  • GUO Changbao, LI Caihong, YANG Zhihua, NI Jiawei, ZHONG Ning, WANG Meng, YAN Yiqiu, SONG Deguang, ZHANG Yanan, ZHANG Xianbing, WU Ruian, CAO Shichao, SHAO Weiwei
    2024, 21(01): 160-181.
    On September 5, 2022, a magnitude Ms 6.8 earthquake occurred along the Moxi fault in the southern part of the Xianshuihe fault zone located in the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau,resulting in severe damage and substantial economic loss. In this study, we established a coseismic landslide database triggered by Luding Ms 6.8 earthquake, which includes 4794 landslides with a total area of 46.79 km~2. The coseismic landslides primarily consisted of medium and small-sized landslides, characterized by shallow surface sliding. Some exhibited characteristics of high-position initiation resulted in the obstruction or partial obstruction of rivers, leading to the formation of dammed lakes. Our research found that the coseismic landslides were predominantly observed on slopes ranging from 30° to 50°, occurring at between 1000 m and 2500 m, with slope aspects varying from 90° to 180°. Landslides were also highly developed in granitic bodies that had experienced structural fracturing and strong-tomoderate weathering. Coseismic landslides concentrated within a 6 km range on both sides of the Xianshuihe and Daduhe fault zones. The area and number of coseismic landslides exhibited a negative correlation with the distance to fault lines, road networks, and river systems, as they were influenced by fault activity, road excavation, and river erosion. The coseismic landslides were mainly distributed in the southeastern region of the epicenter, exhibiting relatively concentrated patterns within the IX-degree zones such as Moxi Town, Wandong River basin, Detuo Town to Wanggangping Township. Our research findings provide important data on the coseismic landslides triggered by the Luding Ms 6.8 earthquake and reveal the spatial distribution patterns of these landslides. These findings can serve as important references for risk mitigation, reconstruction planning, and regional earthquake disaster research in the earthquake-affected area.
  • HUANG Beixiu, QIAO Sijia, CHEN Xulei, LI Lihui, QI Shengwen
    2024, 21(01): 182-199.
    The Sichuan-Tibet transportation corridor is prone to numerous active faults and frequent strong earthquakes. While extensive studies have individually explored the effect of active faults and strong earthquakes on different engineering structures, their combined effect remains unclear. This research employed multiple physical model tests to investigate the dynamic response of various engineering structures, including tunnels, bridges, and embankments, under the simultaneous influence of cumulative earthquakes and stick-slip misalignment of an active fault. The prototype selected for this study was the Kanding No. 2 tunnel, which crosses the Yunongxi fault zone within the Sichuan-Tibet transportation corridor. The results demonstrated that the tunnel, bridge, and embankment exhibited amplification in response to the input seismic wave, with the amplification effect gradually decreasing as the input peak ground acceleration(PGA) increased. The PGAs of different engineering structures were weakened by the fault rupture zone. Nevertheless, the misalignment of the active fault may decrease the overall stiffness of the engineering structure, leading to more severe damage, with a small contribution from seismic vibration. Additionally, the seismic vibration effect might be enlarged with the height of the engineering structure, and the tunnel is supposed to have a smaller PGA and lower dynamic earth pressure compared to bridges and embankments in strong earthquake zones crossing active faults. The findings contribute valuable insights for evaluating the dynamic response of various engineering structures crossing an active fault and provide an experimental reference for secure engineering design in the challenging conditions of the Sichuan-Tibet transportation corridor.
  • Hamza DAUD, Javed Iqbal TANOLI, Sardar Muhammad ASIF, Muhammad QASIM, Muhammad ALI, Junaid KHAN, Zahid Imran BHATTI, Ishtiaq Ahmad Khan JADOON
    2024, 21(01): 200-217.
    The geological and geographical position of the Northwest Himalayas makes it a vulnerable area for mass movements particularly landslides and debris flows. Mass movements have had a substantial impact on the study area which is extending along Karakorum Highway(KKH) from Besham to Chilas. Intense seismicity, deep gorges, steep terrain and extreme climatic events trigger multiple mountain hazards along the KKH, among which debris flow is recognized as the most destructive geohazard. This study aims to prepare a field-based debris flow inventory map at a regional scale along a 200 km stretch from Besham to Chilas. A total of 117 debris flows were identified in the field, and subsequently, a point-based debris-flow inventory and catchment delineation were performed through Arc GIS analysis. Regional scale debris flow susceptibility and propagation maps were prepared using Weighted Overlay Method(WOM) and Flow-R technique sequentially. Predisposing factors include slope, slope aspect, elevation, Topographic Roughness Index(TRI), Topographic Wetness Index(TWI), stream buffer, distance to faults, lithology rainfall, curvature, and collapsed material layer. The dataset was randomly divided into training data(75%) and validation data(25%). Results were validated through the Receiver Operator Characteristics(ROC) curve. Results show that Area Under the Curve(AUC) using WOM model is 79.2%. Flow-R propagation of debris flow shows that the 13.15%, 22.94%, and 63.91% areas are very high, high, and low susceptible to debris flow respectively. The propagation predicated by Flow-R validates the naturally occurring debris flow propagation as observed in the field surveys. The output of this research will provide valuable input to the decision makers for the site selection, designing of the prevention system, and for the protection of current infrastructure.
  • WANG Yumeng, DENG Qingchun, YANG Haiqing, LIU Hui, YANG Feng, ZHAO Yakai
    2024, 21(01): 218-235.
    Rural settlement is the basic spatial unit for compact communities in rural area. Scientific exploration of spatial-temporal differentiation and its influencing factors is the premise of spatial layout rationalization. Based on land use data of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture(hereinafter referred to as Liangshan Prefecture) in Sichuan Province, China from 1980 to 2020, compactness index, fractal dimension, imbalance index, location entropy and the optimal parameters-based geographical detector(OPGD) model are used to analyze the spatial-temporal evolution of the morphological characteristics of rural settlements, and to explore the influence of natural geographical factors, socioeconomic factors, and policy factors on the spatial differentiation of rural settlements. The results show that:(1) From 1980 to 2020, the rural settlements area in Liangshan Prefecture increased by 15.96 km~2. In space, the rural settlements are generally distributed in a local aggregation, dense in the middle and sparse around the periphery. In 2015, the spatial density and expansion index of rural settlements reached the peak.(2) From 1980 to 2020, the compactness index decreased from 0.7636 to 0.7496, the fractal dimension increased from 1.0283 to 1.0314, and the fragmentation index decreased from 0.1183 to 0.1047. The spatial morphological structure of rural settlements tended to be loose, the shape contour tended to be complex, the degree of fragmentation decreased, and the spatial distribution was significantly imbalanced.(3) The results of OPGD detection in 2015 show that the influence of each factor is slope(0.2371) > traffic accessibility(0.2098) > population(0.1403) > regional GDP(0.1325) > elevation(0.0987) > poverty alleviation(0). The results of OPGD detection in 2020 show that the influence of each factor is slope(0.2339) > traffic accessibility(0.2198) > population(0.1432) > regional GDP(0.1219) > poverty alleviation(0.0992) > elevation(0.093). Natural geographical factors(slope and elevation) are the basic factors affecting the spatial distribution of rural settlements, and rural settlements are widely distributed in the river valley plain and the second half mountain area. Socioeconomic factors(traffic accessibility, population, and regional GDP) have a greater impact on the spatial distribution of rural settlements, which is an important factor affecting the spatial distribution of rural settlements. Policy factors such as poverty alleviation relocation have an indispensable impact on the spatial distribution of rural settlements. The research results can provide decisionmaking basis for the spatial arrangement of rural settlements in Liangshan Prefecture, and optimize the implementation of rural revitalization policies.
  • SUN Xiaoming, WANG Jian, ZHAO Wenchao, MING Jiang, ZHANG Yong, LI Zhihu, MIAO Chengyu, GUO Zhibiao, HE Manchao
    2024, 21(01): 236-251.
    The angle α between the fault strike and the axial direction of the roadway produces different damage characteristics. In this paper, the research methodology includes theoretical analyses, numerical simulations and field experiments in the context of the Daqiang coal mine located in Shenyang, China. The stability control countermeasure of "pre-splitting cutting roof + NPR anchor cable"(PSCR-NPR) is simultaneously proposed. According to the different deformation characteristics of the roadway, the faults are innovatively classified into three types, with α of type I being 0°-30°, α of type II being 30°-60°, and α of type III being 60°-90°. The full-cycle stress evolution paths during mining roadway traverses across different types of faults are investigated by numerical simulation. Different pinch angles α lead to high stress concentration areas at different locations in the surrounding rock. The non-uniform stress field formed in the shallow surrounding rock is an important reason for the instability of the roadway. The pre-cracked cut top shifted the high stress region to the deep rock mass and formed a low stress region in the shallow rock mass. The high prestressing NPR anchor cable transforms the non-uniform stress field of the shallow surrounding rock into a uniform stress field. PSCR-NPR is applied in the fault-through roadway of Daqiang mine. The low stress area of the surrounding rock was enlarged by 3-7 times, and the cumulative convergence was reduced by 45%-50%. It provides a reference for the stability control of the deep fault-through mining roadway.
  • LI Tianguo, KONG Lingwei, GUO Aiguo, YAN Junbiao
    2024, 21(01): 252-270.
    Numerous engineering cases have demonstrated that the expansive soil channel slope remains susceptible to damage with the implementation of a rigid or closed protective structure. It is common for the protective structure to experience bulging failure due to excessive swelling pressure. To investigate the swelling pressure properties of expansive soil, the constant volume test was employed to study the influence of water content and reserved expansion deformation on the characteristics of swelling pressure in strong expansive soils, and also to explore the evolution mechanism of the swelling pressure. The findings demonstrate that the swelling pressure-time curve can be classified into swelling pressure-time softening and swelling pressure-time stability type. The swelling pressuretime curve of the specimen with low water content is the swelling pressure-time softening type, and the softening level will be weakened with increasing reserved expansion deformation. Besides, the maximum swelling pressure Psmax decreases with increasing water content and reserved expansion deformation, especially for expansion ratio η from 24% to 37%. The reserved deformation has little effect on reducing Psmax when it is beyond 7% of the expansion rate. The specimen with low water content has a more homogeneous structure due to the significant expansion-filling effect, and the fracture and reorganization of the aggregates in the specimens with low water content cause the swelling pressure-time softening behavior. In addition, the proposed swelling pressure-time curve prediction model has a good prediction on the test results. If necessary, a deformation space of about 7% expansion rate is recommended to be reserved in the engineering to reduce the swelling pressure except for keeping a stable water content.
  • GARCíA-ARIAS Sergio, VELANDIA Francisco, ALVAREZ Angélica, SANABRIA-GóMEZ José D, TARAZONA Yessenia, VARGAS María Camila
    2024, 21(01): 271-291.
    This work applies stress tensors inversions and quantification of fracture patterns along the Mesa de Los Santos, in the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia, to better understand the potential fluid flow. It thus contributes to the conceptual hydrogeological model. The area was subdivided into three blocks, separated by the NW Potreros and the Los Santos faults, having minor inner faults of different orientations. This separation facilitates the analysis of the fractures measured in the field, which in general show high dip angles and a conjugate geometry in the northern block, tension fractures(Mode I) in the central block, and a random distribution in the southwestern block. WinTensor treatment of slickensides yielded a maximum horizontal stress(SHmax) of 111o, which coincides with the WNW-ESE tensor observed from the conjugate and tension joints. We then used Frac Pa Q to generate interpolation maps of fracture intensity and density. The maps show the highest values in the central block and the lowest in the northern block,where the precipitation is higher, causing intensive rock weathering and homogenization of the fracture planes. Although the highest values of connectivity by line are found to the south of the mesa, we suggest the possibility of greater flow from the recharge zone(NE) along bedding planes and open NW-SE fractures.
  • Shuvankar DAS, Debarghya CHAKRABORTY
    2024, 21(01): 292-312.
    This paper deals with the bearing capacity determination of strip footing on a rock mass in hilly area by considering the influence of inclined and eccentric loading. Applying the generalized HoekBrown failure criterion, the failure behavior of the rock mass is modeled with the help of the power cone programming in the lower bound finite element limit analysis framework. Using bearing capacity factor(Ns), the change in bearing capacity of the strip footing due to the occurrence of eccentrically inclined loading is presented. The variations of the magnitude of Ns are obtained by examining the effects of the Hoek-Brown rock mass strength parameters(uniaxial compressive strength(sci), disturbance factor(D), rock parameter(mi), and Geological Strength Index(GSI)) in the presence of different magnitudes of eccentricity(e) and inclination angle(λ) with respect to the vertical plane, and presented as design charts. Both the inclined loading modes, i.e., inclination towards the center of strip footing(+λ) and inclination away from the center of strip footing(-λ), are adopted to perform the investigation. In addition, the correlation between the input parameters and the corresponding output is developed by utilizing the artificial neural network(ANN). Additionally, from sensitivity analysis, it is observed that inclination angle(λ) is the most sensitive parameter. For practicing engineers, the obtained design equation and design charts can be beneficial to understand the bearing capacity variation in the existence of eccentrically inclined loading in mountain areas.
  • WANG Honglei, ZHANG Jianming, WEI Shoucai, SUN Zhizhong, ZHANG Hu
    2024, 21(01): 313-321.
    Affected by climate warming and anthropogenic disturbances, the thermo-mechanical stability of warm and ice-rich frozen ground along the Qinghai-Tibet engineering corridor(QTEC) is continuously decreased, which may delay the construction of major projects in the future. In this study, based on chemical stabilization of warm and icerich frozen ground, the soil-cement column(SCC) for ground improvement was recommended to reinforce the foundations in warm and ice-rich permafrost regions. To explore the validity of countermeasures mentioned above, both the original foundation and the composite foundation consisting of SCC with soil temperature of -1.0°C were prepared in the laboratory, and then the plate loading tests were carried out. The laboratory investigations indicated that the bearing capacity of composite foundation consisting of SCC was higher than that of original foundation, and the total deformation of original foundation was greater than that of composite foundation, meaning that overall stability of foundation with warm and ice-rich frozen soil can be improved by SCC installation. Meanwhile, a numerical model considering the interface interaction between frozen soil and SCC was established for interpretating the bearing mechanism of composite foundation. The numerical investigations revealed that the SCC within composite foundation was responsible for the more applied load, and the applied load can be delivered to deeper zone in depth due to the SCC installation, which was favorable for improving the bearing characteristic of composite foundation. The investigations provide the valuable guideline for the choice of engineering supporting techniques to major projects within the QTEC.
  • QIN Yanhui, MA Haoyuan, ZHANG Lele, YIN Jinshuai, ZHENG Xionghui, LI Shuo
    2024, 21(01): 322-334.
    The reasonable quantification of the concrete freezing environment on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau(QTP) is the primary issue in frost resistant concrete design, which is one of the challenges that the QTP engineering managers should take into account. In this paper, we propose a more realistic method to calculate the number of concrete freeze–thaw cycles(NFTCs) on the QTP. The calculated results show that the NFTCs increase as the altitude of the meteorological station increases with the average NFTCs being 208.7. Four machine learning methods, i.e., the random forest(RF) model, generalized boosting method(GBM), generalized linear model(GLM), and generalized additive model(GAM), are used to fit the NFTCs. The root mean square error(RMSE) values of the RF, GBM, GLM, and GAM are 32.3, 4.3, 247.9, and 161.3, respectively. The R~2 values of the RF, GBM, GLM, and GAM are 0.93, 0.99, 0.48, and 0.66, respectively. The GBM method performs the best compared to the other three methods, which was shown by the results of RMSE and R~2 values. The quantitative results from the GBM method indicate that the lowest, medium, and highest NFTC values are distributed in the northern, central, and southern parts of the QTP, respectively. The annual NFTCs in the QTP region are mainly concentrated at 160 and above, and the average NFTCs is 200 across the QTP. Our results can provide scientific guidance and a theoretical basis for the freezing resistance design of concrete in various projects on the QTP.
  • WANG Honglei, ZHANG Hu, ZHANG Jianming, ZHANG Qi, YIN Zhenhua
    2024, 21(01): 335-345.
    The warm and ice-rich frozen soil is characterized by high unfrozen water content, low shear strength and large compressibility, which is unreliable to meet the stability requirements of engineering infrastructures and foundations in permafrost regions. In this study, a novel approach for stabilizing the warm and ice-rich frozen soil with sulphoaluminate cement was proposed based on chemical stabilization. The mechanical behaviors of the stabilized soil, such as strength and stress-strain relationship, were investigated through a series of triaxial compression tests conducted at -1.0℃, and the mechanism of strength variations of the stabilized soil was also explained based on scanning electron microscope test. The investigations indicated that the strength of stabilized soil to resist failure has been improved, and the linear Mohr-Coulomb criteria can accurately reflect the shear strength of stabilized soil under various applied confining pressure. The increase in both curing age and cement mixing ratio were favorable to the growth of cohesion and internal friction angle. More importantly, the strength improvement mechanism of the stabilized soil is attributed to the formation of structural skeleton and the generation of cementitious hydration products within itself. Therefore, the investigations conducted in this study provide valuable references for chemical stabilization of warm and ice-rich frozen ground, thereby providing a basis for in-situ ground improvement for reinforcing warm and ice-rich permafrost foundations by soil-cement column installation.
  • DAS Ratul, DATTA Akash
    2024, 21(01): 346-360.
    Boulder spacing in mountain rivers and near-wake flow zones within the boulder array is very useful for fish habitat and growth of aquatic organisms. The present study aims to investigate how the boulder array and spacing influence the near-bed flow structures in a gravel-bed stream. Boulders are staggered over a gravel-bed stream with three different inter-boulder spacing namely(a) large(b) medium and(c) small spacing. An acoustic Doppler velocimeter was used for flow measurements in a rectangular channel and the results were compared with those acquired from numerical simulation. The time-averaged velocity profiles at the near-wake flow zones of boulders experience maximum flow retardation which is an outcome of the boulder-induced form roughness. The ratio of velocity differences associated to form and skin roughness and its positive magnitude reveals the dominance of form roughness closest to the boulders. Form roughness computed is 1.75 to 2 times higher than the skin roughness at the near-wake flow region. In particular, the collective immobile boulders placed at different inter-boulder spacings developed high and low bed shear stresses closest to the boulders. The low bed shear stresses characterised by a secondary peak developed at the trough location of the boulders is attributed to the skin shear stress. Further, the spatial averaging of time-averaged flow quantities gives additional impetus to present an improved illustration of fluid shear stresses. The formation of form-induced shear stress is estimated to be 17% to 23% of doubleaveraged Reynolds shear stress and partially compensates for the damping of time-averaged Reynolds shear stress in the interfacial sub-layer. The quadrant analysis of spatial velocity fluctuations depicts that the form-induced shear stresses are dominant in the interfacial sub-layer and have no significance above the gravel-bed surface.