Apollo rocks, fines and soil cores

Science.gov (United States)

Allton, J.; Bevill, T.

Apollo rocks and soils not only established basic lunar properties and ground truth for global remote sensing, they also provided important lessons for planetary protection (Adv. Space Res ., 1998, v. 22, no. 3 pp. 373-382). The six Apollo missions returned 2196 samples weighing 381.7 kg, comprised of rocks, fines, soil cores and 2 gas samples. By examining which samples were allocated for scientific investigations, information was obtained on usefulness of sampling strategy, sampling devices and containers, sample types and diversity, and on size of sample needed by various disciplines. Diversity was increased by using rakes to gather small rocks on the Moon and by removing fragments >1 mm from soils by sieving in the laboratory. Breccias and soil cores are diverse internally. Per unit weight these samples were more often allocated for research. Apollo investigators became adept at wringing information from very small sample sizes. By pushing the analytical limits, the main concern was adequate size for representative sampling. Typical allocations for trace element analyses were 750 mg for rocks, 300 mg for fines and 70 mg for core subsamples. Age-dating and isotope systematics allocations were typically 1 g for rocks and fines, but only 10% of that amount for core depth subsamples. Historically, allocations for organics and microbiology were 4 g (10% for cores). Modern allocations for biomarker detection are 100mg. Other disciplines supported have been cosmogenic nuclides, rock and soil petrology, sedimentary volatiles, reflectance, magnetics, and biohazard studies . Highly applicable to future sample return missions was the Apollo experience with organic contamination, estimated to be from 1 to 5 ng/g sample for Apollo 11 (Simonheit &Flory, 1970; Apollo 11, 12 &13 Organic contamination Monitoring History, U.C. Berkeley; Burlingame et al., 1970, Apollo 11 LSC , pp. 1779-1792). Eleven sources of contaminants, of which 7 are applicable to robotic missions, were

Organic acid enhanced electrodialytic extraction of lead from contaminated soil fines in suspension

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Pernille Erland; Ahring, Birgitte Kiær; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.

2007-01-01

for decontamination of the sludge was investigated. The ability of 11 organic acids to extract Pb from the fine fraction of contaminated soil (grains soil fines in suspension......The implementation of soil washing technology for the treatment of heavy metal contaminated soils is limited by the toxicity and unwieldiness of the remaining heavy metal contaminated sludge. In this work, the feasibility of combining electrodialytic remediation with heterotrophic leaching...... was tested. Five of the acids showed the ability to extract Ph from the soil fines in excess of the effect caused solely by pH changes. Addition of the acids, however, severely impeded EDR, hence promotion of EDR by combination with heterotrophic leaching was rejected. In contrast, enhancement of EDR...

Prediction of spatial patterns of collapsed pipes in loess-derived soils in a temperate humid climate using logistic regression

Science.gov (United States)

Verachtert, E.; Den Eeckhaut, M. Van; Poesen, J.; Govers, G.; Deckers, J.

2011-07-01

Soil piping (tunnel erosion) has been recognised as an important erosion process in collapsible loess-derived soils of temperate humid climates, which can cause collapse of the topsoil and formation of discontinuous gullies. Information about the spatial patterns of collapsed pipes and regional models describing these patterns is still limited. Therefore, this study aims at better understanding the factors controlling the spatial distribution and predicting pipe collapse. A dataset with parcels suffering from collapsed pipes (n = 560) and parcels without collapsed pipes was obtained through a regional survey in a 236 km² study area in the Flemish Ardennes (Belgium). Logistic regression was applied to find the best model describing the relationship between the presence/absence of a collapsed pipe and a set of independent explanatory variables (i.e. slope gradient, drainage area, distance-to-thalweg, curvature, aspect, soil type and lithology). Special attention was paid to the selection procedure of the grid cells without collapsed pipes. Apart from the first piping susceptibility map created by logistic regression modelling, a second map was made based on topographical thresholds of slope gradient and upslope drainage area. The logistic regression model allowed identification of the most important factors controlling pipe collapse. Pipes are much more likely to occur when a topographical threshold depending on both slope gradient and upslope area is exceeded in zones with a sufficient water supply (due to topographical convergence and/or the presence of a clay-rich lithology). On the other hand, the use of slope-area thresholds only results in reasonable predictions of piping susceptibility, with minimum information.

Migration of cesium-137 through sandy soil layer effect of fine silt on migration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohnuki, Toshihiko; Wadachi, Yoshiki

1983-01-01

The migration of 137 Cs through sandy soil layer was studied with consideration of the migration of fine silt by column method. It was found that a portion of fine silt migrated through the soil layer accompanying with 137 Cs. The mathematical migration model of 137 Cs involved the migration of fine silt through such soil layer was presented. This model gave a good accordance between calculated concentration distribution curve in sandy soil layer and effluent curve and observed those. So, this model seems to be advanced one for evaluating migration of 137 Cs in sandy soil layer with silt. (author)

Heavy metal accumulation and phytostabilisation potential of tree fine roots in a contaminated soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brunner, Ivano; Luster, Joerg; Guenthardt-Goerg, Madeleine S.; Frey, Beat

2008-01-01

Root systems of Norway spruce (Picea abies) and poplar (Populus tremula) were long-term exposed to metal-contaminated soils in open-top chambers to investigate the accumulation of the heavy metals in the fine roots and to assess the plants suitability for phytostabilisation. The heavy metals from the contaminated soil accumulated in the fine roots about 10-20 times more than in the controls. The capacity to bind heavy metals already reached its maximum after the first vegetation period. Fine roots of spruce tend to accumulate more heavy metals than poplar. Copper and Zinc were mainly detected in the cell walls with larger values in the epidermis than in the cortex. The heavy metals accumulated in the fine roots made up 0.03-0.2% of the total amount in the soils. We conclude that tree fine roots adapt well to conditions with heavy metal contamination, but their phytostabilisation capabilities seem to be very low. - Long-term exposed fine roots of trees are well adapted to soils with high heavy metal contents, but their phytostabilisation capabilities are rather low

SHEAR STRENGTH, COLLAPSIBILITY AND COMPRESSIBILITY CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPACTED BAIJI DUNE SOILS

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ABBAS JAWAD AL-TAIE

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Baiji city is a vital industrial centre in Iraq since it has the biggest oil refinery. Therefore, Baiji has become an attractive site for strategic construction projects. Dune sand covers about 220 km2 of the area of Baiji city. However, few researches had attempted to study its behaviour. In this study laboratory tests were conducted to determine the shear strength, collapsibility and compressibility of the dune sand at its natural and compacted status. The effect of dry unit weight, moisture content, relative density and soaking on mechanical properties of dune soil was investigated. The results demonstrated that dry and soaked dune specimens tested at their in-situ condition exhibited similar volume changes during shear and identical friction angles. The results of shear tests of both of compacted soaked and unsoaked samples were identical. The collapse potential of dune soil is inversely proportional with the relative density. The minimum axial strain is observed when the samples are compacted to modified effort. The compression index of the compacted specimens is affected by moulding water content, while the rebound index is less sensitive.

A global analysis of fine root production as affected by soil nitrogen and phosphorus.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Z Y; Chen, Han Y H

2012-09-22

Fine root production is the largest component of belowground production and plays substantial roles in the biogeochemical cycles of terrestrial ecosystems. The increasing availability of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) due to human activities is expected to increase aboveground net primary production (ANNP), but the response of fine root production to N and P remains unclear. If roots respond to nutrients as ANNP, fine root production is anticipated to increase with increasing soil N and P. Here, by synthesizing data along the nutrient gradient from 410 natural habitats and from 469 N and/or P addition experiments, we showed that fine root production increased in terrestrial ecosystems with an average increase along the natural N gradient of up to 0.5 per cent with increasing soil N. Fine root production also increased with soil P in natural conditions, particularly at P production increased by a global average of 27, 21 and 40 per cent, respectively. However, its responses differed among ecosystems and soil types. The global average increases in fine root production are lower than those of ANNP, indicating that above- and belowground counterparts are coupled, but production allocation shifts more to aboveground with higher soil nutrients. Our results suggest that the increasing fertilizer use and combined N deposition at present and in the future will stimulate fine root production, together with ANPP, probably providing a significant influence on atmospheric CO(2) emissions.

Experimental Study on the Utilization of Fine Steel Slag on Stabilizing High Plastic Subgrade Soil

OpenAIRE

Hussien Aldeeky; Omar Al Hattamleh

2017-01-01

The three major steel manufacturing factories in Jordan dump their byproduct, steel slag, randomly in open areas, which causes many environmental hazardous problems. This study intended to explore the effectiveness of using fine steel slag aggregate (FSSA) in improving the geotechnical properties of high plastic subgrade soil. First soil and fine steel slag mechanical and engineering properties were evaluating. Then 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% dry weight of soil of fine steel slag (FSSA) w...

The effect of mycorrhizal inoculation on hybrid poplar fine root dynamics in hydrocarbon contaminated soils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gunderson, J.; Knight, J.D.; Van Rees, K.C.J. [Saskatchewan Univ., Saskatoon, SK (Canada). Dept. of Soil Science

2006-07-01

The biological remediation of contaminated soils using plants was discussed. Hybrid poplars are good candidates for phytoremediation because they root deeply, cycle large amounts of water and grow quickly. Their fine root system is pivotal in nutrient and water acquisition. Therefore, in order to maximize the phytoremediation potential, it is important to understand the response of the fine root system. In addition to degrading organic chemicals, ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi provide the host with greater access to nutrients. This study determined the relationship between residual soil hydrocarbons and soil properties at a field site. The effects of residual contamination on hybrid poplar fine root dynamics was also examined along with the effect of ectomycorrhizal colonization on hybrid poplar fine root dynamics when grown in diesel contaminated soil under controlled conditions. A minirhizotron camera inside a growth chamber captured images of mycorrhizal inoculation on hybrid poplar fine root production. Walker hybrid poplar seedlings were grown for 12 weeks in a control soil and also in a diesel contaminated soil. Seedlings were also grown in control and diesel contaminated, ectomycorrhizal inoculated soils. The inoculum was a mycorrhizal mix containing Pisolithus tinctorius and Rhizopogon spp. The images showed that colonization by ECM fungi increased hybrid poplar fine root production and aboveground biomass in a diesel contaminated soil compared to non-colonized trees in the same soil. Root:shoot ratios were much higher in the diesel contaminated/non-inoculated treatment than in either of the control soil treatments. Results of phytoremediation in diesel contaminated soil were better in the non-colonized treatment than in the colonized treatment. Both treatments removed more contaminants from the soil than the unplanted control. Much higher quantities of hydrocarbons were found sequestered in the roots from the inoculated treatment than from the non

Modelling Soil-Landscapes in Coastal California Hills Using Fine Scale Terrestrial Lidar

Science.gov (United States)

Prentice, S.; Bookhagen, B.; Kyriakidis, P. C.; Chadwick, O.

2013-12-01

Digital elevation models (DEMs) are the dominant input to spatially explicit digital soil mapping (DSM) efforts due to their increasing availability and the tight coupling between topography and soil variability. Accurate characterization of this coupling is dependent on DEM spatial resolution and soil sampling density, both of which may limit analyses. For example, DEM resolution may be too coarse to accurately reflect scale-dependent soil properties yet downscaling introduces artifactual uncertainty unrelated to deterministic or stochastic soil processes. We tackle these limitations through a DSM effort that couples moderately high density soil sampling with a very fine scale terrestrial lidar dataset (20 cm) implemented in a semiarid rolling hillslope domain where terrain variables change rapidly but smoothly over short distances. Our guiding hypothesis is that in this diffusion-dominated landscape, soil thickness is readily predicted by continuous terrain attributes coupled with catenary hillslope segmentation. We choose soil thickness as our keystone dependent variable for its geomorphic and hydrologic significance, and its tendency to be a primary input to synthetic ecosystem models. In defining catenary hillslope position we adapt a logical rule-set approach that parses common terrain derivatives of curvature and specific catchment area into discrete landform elements (LE). Variograms and curvature-area plots are used to distill domain-scale terrain thresholds from short range order noise characteristic of very fine-scale spatial data. The revealed spatial thresholds are used to condition LE rule-set inputs, rendering a catenary LE map that leverages the robustness of fine-scale terrain data to create a generalized interpretation of soil geomorphic domains. Preliminary regressions show that continuous terrain variables alone (curvature, specific catchment area) only partially explain soil thickness, and only in a subset of soils. For example, at spatial

Acclimation of fine root respiration to soil warming involves starch deposition in very fine and fine roots: a case study in Fagus sylvatica saplings.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Iorio, Antonino; Giacomuzzi, Valentino; Chiatante, Donato

2016-03-01

Root activities in terms of respiration and non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) storage and mobilization have been suggested as major physiological roles in fine root lifespan. As more frequent heat waves and drought periods within the next decades are expected, to what extent does thermal acclimation in fine roots represent a mechanism to cope with such upcoming climatic conditions? In this study, the possible changes in very fine (diameter respiration rate and NSC [soluble sugars (SS) and starch] concentrations, were investigated on 2-year-old Fagus sylvatica saplings subjected to a simulated long-lasting heat wave event and to co-occurring soil drying. For both very fine and fine roots, soil temperature (ST) resulted inversely correlated with specific root length, respiration rates and SSs concentration, but directly correlated with root mass, root tissue density and starch concentration. In particular, starch concentration increased under 28 °C for successively decreasing under 21 °C ST. These findings showed that thermal acclimation in very fine and fine roots due to 24 days exposure to high ST (∼ 28 °C), induced starch accumulation. Such 'carbon-savings strategy' should bear the maintenance costs associated to the recovery process in case of restored favorable environmental conditions, such as those occurring at the end of a heat wave event. Drought condition seems to affect the fine root vitality much more under moderate than high temperature condition, making the temporary exposure to high ST less threatening to root vitality than expected. © 2015 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

Fine roots in stands of Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies along a gradient of soil acidification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braun, Sabine; Cantaluppi, Leonardo; Flueckiger, Walter

2005-01-01

Root length of naturally grown young beech trees (Fagus sylvatica L.) was investigated in 26 forest plots of differing base saturation and nitrogen deposition. The relative length of finest roots (<0.25 mm) was found to decrease in soils with low base saturation. A similar reduction of finest roots in plots with high nitrogen deposition was masked by the effect of base saturation. The formation of adventitious roots was enhanced in acidic soils. The analysis of 128 soil profiles for fine roots of all species present in stands of either Fagus sylvatica L., Picea abies [Karst.] L. or both showed a decreased rooting depth in soils with ≤20% base saturation and in hydromorphic soils. For base rich, well drained soils an average rooting depth of 108 cm was found. This decreased by 28 cm on acidic, well drained soils. The results suggest an effect of the current soil acidification in Switzerland and possibly also of nitrogen deposition on the fine root systems of forest trees. - Fine root length of Fagus sylvatica and fine root depth in stands of Fagus sylvatica and/or Picea abies were impaired in soils with low base saturation

Occurrence of organic pollutants in recovered soil fines from construction and demolition waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Y C; Townsend, T G

2001-01-01

The objective of this study was to characterize recovered soil fines from construction and demolition (C&D) waste recycling facilities for trace organic pollutants. Over a period of 18 months, five sampling trips were made to 14 C&D waste recycling facilities in Florida. Screened soil fines were collected from older stockpiles and newly generated piles at the sites. The samples were analyzed for the total concentration (mg/kg) of a series of volatile organic compound (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (semi-VOCs). The synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP) test was also performed to evaluate the leachability of the trace organic chemicals. During the total analysis only a few volatile organic compounds were commonly found in the samples (trichlorofluoromethane, toluene, 4-isopropyltoluene, trimethylbenzene, xylenes, and methylene chloride). A total of nine VOCs were detected in the leaching test. Toluene showed the highest leachability among the compounds (61.3-92.0%), while trichlorofluoromethane, the most commonly detected compound from both the total and leaching tests, resulted in the lowest leachability (1.4-39.9%). For the semi-VOC analysis, three base-neutral semi-VOC compounds (bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, butyl benzyl phthalate, and di-n-butyl phthalate) and several PAHs (acenaphthene, pyrene, fluoranthene, and phenanthrene) were commonly detected in C&D fines samples. These compounds also leached during the SPLP leaching test (0.1-25%). No acid extractable compounds, pesticides, or PCBs were detected. The results of this study were further investigated to assess risk from land applied recovered soil fines by comparing total and leaching concentrations of recovered soil fines samples to risk-based standards. The results of this indicate that the organic chemicals in recovered soil fines from C&D debris recycling facilities were not of a major concern in terms of human risk and leaching risk to groundwater under reuse and contact scenarios.

Effect of percentage of low plastic fines on the unsaturated shear strength of compacted gravel soil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamal Mohamed Hafez Ismail Ibrahim

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Low plastic fines in gravel soils affect its unsaturated shear strength due to the contribution of matric suction that arises in micro and macro pores found within and between aggregates. The shear strength of five different types of prepared gravel soils is measured and is compared with a theoretical model (Fredlund et al., 1978 to predict the unsaturated shear strength. The results are consistent to a great extent except the case of dry clayey gravel soil. It is also found that on inundation of gravel soils containing plastic fines greater than 12% a considerable reduction in both the strength and the stiffness modulus is noticed. This 12% percentage is close to the accepted 15% percentage of fines given by ASTM D4318 (American society for testing material. The angle of internal friction that arises due to matric suction decreases with the increase of degree of saturation of soil. The hysteresis of some tested gravel soils is measured and found that it increases by increasing the percentage of fines.

Electrosmotic conductivity in fine grained soils; Permeabilita' elettroosmotica in terreni a grana fine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fava, G.; Giaco' , A.; Pasqualini, E.; Sani, D. [Ancona Univ., Ancona (Italy). Dipt. di Scienze dei Materiali e della Terra

1999-10-01

In this work, aspects relating to the process of mass and energy flows in fine grained soil under an electrical field are considered. A suitable apparatus for the study of electrokinetic phenomena and the measure of electrosmotic conductivity coefficients is projected and constructed. The obtained results are reliable and in accord with the common literature data. The values of the electrosmotic conductivity obtained depend on the cation exchange capacity of utilised soils and on the effective porosity of investigated samples. [Italian] Nel presente lavoro sono presi in esame gli aspetti generali relativi ai processi che regolano i flussi di materia e di energia nei terreni a grana fine in presenza di un campo elettrico. Vengono presentati i risultati di una sperimentazione su di un dispositivo appositamente progettato e realizzato per la misura della permeabilita' elettroosmotica e lo studio del trasporto elettrocinetico. I dati ottenuti sono risultati ripetibili e confrontabili con valori di letteratura consolidati. E' stato riscontrato che i coefficienti di permeabilita' elettroosmotica dipendono dalla capacita' di scambio cationico del terreno selezionato e dalla porosita' efficace dei campioni.

Networks Depicting the Fine-Scale Co-Occurrences of Fungi in Soil Horizons.

Science.gov (United States)

Toju, Hirokazu; Kishida, Osamu; Katayama, Noboru; Takagi, Kentaro

2016-01-01

Fungi in soil play pivotal roles in nutrient cycling, pest controls, and plant community succession in terrestrial ecosystems. Despite the ecosystem functions provided by soil fungi, our knowledge of the assembly processes of belowground fungi has been limited. In particular, we still have limited knowledge of how diverse functional groups of fungi interact with each other in facilitative and competitive ways in soil. Based on the high-throughput sequencing data of fungi in a cool-temperate forest in northern Japan, we analyzed how taxonomically and functionally diverse fungi showed correlated fine-scale distributions in soil. By uncovering pairs of fungi that frequently co-occurred in the same soil samples, networks depicting fine-scale co-occurrences of fungi were inferred at the O (organic matter) and A (surface soil) horizons. The results then led to the working hypothesis that mycorrhizal, endophytic, saprotrophic, and pathogenic fungi could form compartmentalized (modular) networks of facilitative, antagonistic, and/or competitive interactions in belowground ecosystems. Overall, this study provides a research basis for further understanding how interspecific interactions, along with sharing of niches among fungi, drive the dynamics of poorly explored biospheres in soil.

Nanomodified compositions based on finely dispersed binders for soil reinforcement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alimov Lev

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Theoretical prerequisites on the possibility of improvement of physical and mechanical properties of soils at underground space development, their stability at different aggressive actions by means of their structure impregnation with nanomodified suspensions on the basis of especially finely dispersed mineral binders are developed. The features of influence of plasticizers on penetration ability and sedimentation stability of suspensions are revealed. Soil body reinforcement after its impregnation may achieve considerable values, which is related to the features of interaction of components of impregnating composition with extended surface of soil pore space.

Impact of chemical leaching on permeability and cadmium removal from fine-grained soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Zhongbing; Zhang, Renduo; Huang, Shuang; Wang, Kang

2017-08-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of chemical leaching on permeability and Cd removal from fine-grained polluted soils. Column leaching experiments were conducted using two types of soils (i.e., artificially Cd-polluted loam and historically polluted silty loam). Chemical agents of CaCl 2 , FeCl 3 , citric acid, EDTA, rhamnolipid, and deionized water were used to leach Cd from the soils. Results showed that organic agents reduced permeability of both soils, and FeCl 3 reduced permeability of loam soil, compared with inorganic agents and deionized water. Entrapment and deposition of colloids generated from the organic agents and FeCl 3 treatments reduced the soil permeability. The peak Cd effluence from the artificially polluted loam columns was retarded. For the artificially polluted soils treated with EDTA and the historically polluted soils with FeCl 3 , Cd precipitates were observed at the bottom after chemical leaching. When Cd was associated with large colloid particles, the reduction of soil permeability caused Cd accumulation in deeper soil. In addition, the slow process of disintegration of soil clay during chemical leaching might result in the retardation of peak Cd effluence. These results suggest the need for caution when using chemical-leaching agents for Cd removal in fine-grained soils.

Reducing the risk of the collapse of the soil by macro system modeling the slopes stability of the quarries

Science.gov (United States)

Klimova, E. V.; Semeykin, A. Yu

2018-01-01

The urgent task of modern production is to reduce the risks of man-made disasters and, as a consequence, preserve the life and health of workers, material properties and natural environment. In the mining industry, one of the reasons for the high level of injuries and accidents is the collapse of the soil. Macro system modelling of slopes stability of the quarries is based on the compliance with the conditions of physical and mathematical correctness of the application of the model of a continuous medium. This type of modelling allows to choose the safe parameters of the slopes of the quarries and to reduce the risk of collapse of the soil.

Do soil tests help forecast nitrogen response in first-year corn following alfalfa on fine-textured soils?

Science.gov (United States)

Improved methods of predicting grain yield response to fertilizer N for first-year corn (Zea mays L.) following alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) on fine-textured soils are needed. Data from 21 site-years in the North Central Region were used to (i) determine how Illinois soil nitrogen test (ISNT) and pr...

Effects of fines content on hydraulic conductivity and morphology of laterite soil as hydraulic barrier

Science.gov (United States)

Bello Yamusa, Yamusa; Yunus, Nor Zurairahetty Mohd; Ahmad, Kamarudin; Rahman, Norhan Abd; Sa'ari, Radzuan

2018-03-01

Laterite soil was investigated to find out the effects of fines content and to identify the micro-structural and molecular characteristics to evaluate its potentiality as a compacted soil landfill liner material. Tests were carried out on natural soil and reconstituted soil by dry weight of soil samples to determine the physical and engineering properties of the soil. All tests were carried out on the samples by adopting the British Standard 1377:1990. The possible mechanisms that contributed to the clay mineralogy were analyzed using spectroscopic and microscopic techniques such as field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The laterite soil was found to contain kaolinite as the major clay minerals. A minimum of 50% fines content of laterite soil met the required result for hydraulic barriers in waste containment facilities.

Dielectric constant and electrical conductivity of contaminated fine-grained soils and barrier materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaya, A.; Fang, H.Y.; Inyang, H.I.

1997-01-01

Characterization of contaminated fine-grained soils and tracking of contaminant migration within barriers have been challenging because current methods and/or procedures are labor and time-intensive, and destructive. To demonstrate the effective use of both dielectric constant and electrical conductivity in the characterization of contaminated fine-grained soils, pore fluids were prepared at different ionic strengths, and were used as permeates for kaolinite, bentonite and a local soil. Then, both dielectric constant and electrical conductivity of the soils were measured by means of a capacitor over a wide range of frequencies and moisture content. It was observed that although each soil has its unique dielectric constant and electrical conductivity at a given moisture content, increases in ionic strength cause a decrease in the dielectric constant of the system at very high frequencies (MHZ), whereas the dielectric constant increases at low frequencies (kHz). Electrical conductivity of a soil-water system is independent of frequency. However, it is a function of ionic strength of the pore fluid. It is clearly demonstrated that dielectric constant and electrical conductivity of soils are functions of both moisture content and ionic strength, and can be used to characterize the spatial and temporal levels of contamination. This method/procedure can be used in estimating the level of contamination as well as the direction of contaminant movement in the subsurface without the use of extensive laboratory testing. Based on obtained results, it was concluded that the proposed method/procedure is promising because it is non-destructive and provides a quick means of assessing the spatial distribution of contaminants in fine-grained soils and barriers

Skeleton versus fine earth: what information is stored in the mobile extracellular soil DNA fraction?

Science.gov (United States)

Ascher, Judith; Ceccherini, Maria Teresa; Agnelli, Alberto; Corti, Guiseppe; Pietramellara, Giacomo

2010-05-01

The soil genome consists of an intracellular and an extracellular fraction. Recently, soil extracellular DNA (eDNA) has been shown to be quantitatively relevant, with a high survival capacity and mobility, playing a crucial role in the gene transfer by transformation, in the formation of bacterial biofilm and as a source of nutrients for soil microorganisms. The eDNA fraction can be discriminated and classified by its interaction with clay minerals, humic acids and Al/Fe oxihydroxides, resulting in differently mobile components. The eDNA extractable in water, classified as DNA free in the extracellular soil environment or adsorbed on soil colloids (eDNAfree/adsorbed), is hypothesized to be the most mobile DNA in soil. Challenging to assess the information stored in this DNA fraction, eDNAfree/adsorbed was recovered from fine earth (gel electrophoresis), and qualitative analysis in terms of the composition and distribution of fungal and bacterial communities (Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis- fingerprinting). The mobile soil eDNA, extracted from each horizon, was characterised by low molecular weight (result of the movement of eDNA along the soil profile and from fine earth to skeleton. The molecular characterization provided information about the autochthonous microflora inhabiting skeleton and fine earth as well as information about the fate of soil DNA in terms of presence, persistence and movement of eDNA and the stored genetic information.

Experimental Study on the Utilization of Fine Steel Slag on Stabilizing High Plastic Subgrade Soil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hussien Aldeeky

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The three major steel manufacturing factories in Jordan dump their byproduct, steel slag, randomly in open areas, which causes many environmental hazardous problems. This study intended to explore the effectiveness of using fine steel slag aggregate (FSSA in improving the geotechnical properties of high plastic subgrade soil. First soil and fine steel slag mechanical and engineering properties were evaluating. Then 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% dry weight of soil of fine steel slag (FSSA were added and mixed into the prepared soil samples. The effectiveness of the FSSA was judged by the improvement in consistency limits, compaction, free swell, unconfined compression strength, and California bearing ratio (CBR. From the test results, it is observed that 20% FSSA additives will reduce plasticity index and free swell by 26.3% and 58.3%, respectively. Furthermore, 20% FSSA additives will increase the unconfined compressive strength, maximum dry density, and CBR value by 100%, 6.9%, and 154%. By conclusion FSSA had a positive effect on the geotechnical properties of the soil and it can be used as admixture in proving geotechnical characteristics of subgrade soil, not only solving the waste disposal problem.

Constitutive modelling of the undrained shear strength of fine grained soils containing gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grozic, J.L.H. [Calgary Univ., AB (Canada); Nadim, F.; Kvalstad, T.J. [Norwegian Geotechnical Inst., Oslo (Norway)

2002-07-01

The behaviour of fine grained gassy soils was studied in order to develop a technique to quantitatively evaluate geohazards. Gas can occur in seabeds either in solution in pore water, undissolved in the form of gas filled voids, or as gas hydrates. In offshore soils, the degree of saturation is generally greater than 90 per cent, resulting in a soil structure with a continuous water phase and a discontinuous gas phase. The presence of methane gas will impact the strength of the soil, which alters its resistance to submarine sliding. This paper presents a constitutive model for determining the undrained shear strength of fine-grained gassy soils to assess the stability of deep water marine slopes for offshore developments. Methane gas is shown to have a beneficial effect on the soil strength in compressive loading, but the peak strength is achieved at larger deformations. The increased strength is a result of compression and solution gas which cause partial drainage and reduced pore pressures. The undrained shear strength of gassy soils was shown to increase with increasing initial consolidation stress, increasing volumetric coefficient of solubility, and increasing initial void ratio. 9 refs., 3 tabs., 6 figs.

A Constitutive Relationship for Gravelly Soil Considering Fine Particle Suffusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yuning; Chen, Yulong

2017-10-23

Suffusion erosion may occur in sandy gravel dam foundations that use suspended cutoff walls. This erosion causes a loss of fine particles, degrades the soil strength and deformation moduli, and adversely impacts the cutoff walls of the dam foundation, as well as the overlying dam body. A comprehensive evaluation of these effects requires models that quantitatively describe the effects of fine particle losses on the stress-strain relationships of sandy gravels. In this work, we propose an experimental scheme for studying these types of models, and then perform triaxial and confined compression tests to determine the effects of particle losses on the stress-strain relationships. Considering the Duncan-Chang E-B model, quantitative expressions describing the relationship between the parameters of the model and the particle losses were derived. The results show that particle losses did not alter the qualitative stress-strain characteristics of the soils; however, the soil strength and deformation moduli were degraded. By establishing the relationship between the parameters of the model and the losses, the same model can then be used to describe the relationship between sandy gravels and erosion levels that vary in both time and space.

A Constitutive Relationship for Gravelly Soil Considering Fine Particle Suffusion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuning Zhang

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Suffusion erosion may occur in sandy gravel dam foundations that use suspended cutoff walls. This erosion causes a loss of fine particles, degrades the soil strength and deformation moduli, and adversely impacts the cutoff walls of the dam foundation, as well as the overlying dam body. A comprehensive evaluation of these effects requires models that quantitatively describe the effects of fine particle losses on the stress-strain relationships of sandy gravels. In this work, we propose an experimental scheme for studying these types of models, and then perform triaxial and confined compression tests to determine the effects of particle losses on the stress-strain relationships. Considering the Duncan-Chang E-B model, quantitative expressions describing the relationship between the parameters of the model and the particle losses were derived. The results show that particle losses did not alter the qualitative stress-strain characteristics of the soils; however, the soil strength and deformation moduli were degraded. By establishing the relationship between the parameters of the model and the losses, the same model can then be used to describe the relationship between sandy gravels and erosion levels that vary in both time and space.

Kinetics of electrodialytic extraction of Pb and soil cations from a slurry of contaminated soil fines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Pernille Erland; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.; Ferreira, Célia

2006-01-01

-removal was obtained. During the first phase dissolution of carbonates was the prevailing process, resulting in a corresponding loss of soil-mass. During this phase, the investigated ions accounted for the major current transfer, while, as remediation proceeded hydrogen-ions increasingly dominated the transfer. During......The objective of this work was to investigate the kinetics of Pb removal from soil-fines during electrodialytic remediation in suspension, and study the simultaneous dissolution of common soil cations (Al, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, Na and K). This was done to evaluate the possibilities within control...

DNA analysis of soil extracts can be used to investigate fine root depth distribution of trees

Science.gov (United States)

Bithell, Sean L.; Tran-Nguyen, Lucy T. T.; Hearnden, Mark N.; Hartley, Diana M.

2015-01-01

Understanding the root distribution of trees by soil coring is time-consuming as it requires the separation of roots from soil and classification of roots into particular size classes. This labour-intensive process can limit sample throughput and therefore sampling intensity. We investigated the use of quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) on soil DNA extractions to determine live fine root DNA density (RDD, mg DNA m−2) for mango (Mangifera indica) trees. The specificity of the qPCR was tested against DNA extracted from 10 mango cultivars and 14 weed species. All mango cultivars and no weeds were detected. Mango DNA was successfully quantified from control soil spiked with mango roots and weed species. The DNA yield of mango root sections stored in moist soil at 23–28 °C declined after 15 days to low concentrations as roots decayed, indicating that dead root materials in moist soil would not cause false-positive results. To separate large roots from samples, a root separation method for field samples was used to target the root fragments remaining in sieved (minimum 2 mm aperture) soil for RDD comparisons. Using this method we compared the seasonal RDD values of fine roots for five mango rootstock cultivars in a field trial. The mean cultivar DNA yields by depth from root fragments in the sieved soil samples had the strongest relationship (adjusted multiple R2 = 0.9307, P < 0.001) with the dry matter (g m−2) of fine (diameter <0.64 mm) roots removed from the soil by sieving. This method provides a species-specific and rapid means of comparing the distribution and concentration of live fine roots of trees in orchards using soil samples up to 500 g. PMID:25552675

Adenylate control contributes to thermal acclimation of sugar maple fine-root respiration in experimentally warmed soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Jarvi, Mickey P; Burton, Andrew J

2018-03-01

We investigated the occurrence of and mechanisms responsible for acclimation of fine-root respiration of mature sugar maple (Acer saccharum) after 3+ years of experimental soil warming (+4 to 5 °C) in a factorial combination with soil moisture addition. Potential mechanisms for thermal respiratory acclimation included changes in enzymatic capacity, as indicated by root N concentration; substrate limitation, assessed by examining nonstructural carbohydrates and effects of exogenous sugar additions; and adenylate control, examined as responses of root respiration to a respiratory uncoupling agent. Partial acclimation of fine-root respiration occurred in response to soil warming, causing specific root respiration to increase to a much lesser degree (14% to 26%) than would be expected for a 4 to 5 °C temperature increase (approximately 55%). Acclimation was greatest when ambient soil temperature was warmer or soil moisture availability was low. We found no evidence that enzyme or substrate limitation caused acclimation but did find evidence supporting adenylate control. The uncoupling agent caused a 1.4 times greater stimulation of respiration in roots from warmed soil. Sugar maple fine-root respiration in warmed soil was at least partially constrained by adenylate use, helping constrain respiration to that needed to support work being performed by the roots. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Fine-scale spatial distribution of plants and resources on a sandy soil in the Sahel

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rietkerk, M.G.; Ouedraogo, T.; Kumar, L.; Sanou, S.; Langevelde, F. van; Kiema, A.; Koppel, J. van de; Andel, J. van; Hearne, J.; Skidmore, A.K.; Ridder, N. de; Stroosnijder, L.; Prins, H.H.T.

2002-01-01

We studied fine-scale spatial plant distribution in relation to the spatial distribution of erodible soil particles, organic matter, nutrients and soil water on a sandy to sandy loam soil in the Sahel. We hypothesized that the distribution of annual plants would be highly spatially autocorrelated

How to Perform Precise Soil and Sediment Sampling? One solution: The Fine Increment Soil Collector (FISC)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mabit, L.; Toloza, A. [Soil and Water Management and Crop Nutrition Laboratory, IAEA, Seibersdorf (Austria); Meusburger, K.; Alewell, C. [Environmental Geosciences, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel (Switzerland); Iurian, A-R. [Babes-Bolyai University, Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Cluj-Napoca (Romania); Owens, P. N. [Environmental Science Program and Quesnel River Research Centre, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia (Canada)

2014-07-15

Soil and sediment related research for terrestrial agrienvironmental assessments requires accurate depth incremental sampling to perform detailed analysis of physical, geochemical and biological properties of soil and exposed sediment profiles. Existing equipment does not allow collecting soil/sediment increments at millimetre resolution. The Fine Increment Soil Collector (FISC), developed by the SWMCN Laboratory, allows much greater precision in incremental soil/sediment sampling. It facilitates the easy recovery of collected material by using a simple screw-thread extraction system (see Figure 1). The FISC has been designed specifically to enable standardized scientific investigation of shallow soil/sediment samples. In particular, applications have been developed in two IAEA Coordinated Research Projects (CRPs): CRP D1.20.11 on “Integrated Isotopic Approaches for an Area-wide Precision Conservation to Control the Impacts of Agricultural Practices on Land Degradation and Soil Erosion” and CRP D1.50.15 on “Response to Nuclear Emergencies Affecting Food and Agriculture.”.

How to Perform Precise Soil and Sediment Sampling? One solution: The Fine Increment Soil Collector (FISC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mabit, L.; Toloza, A.; Meusburger, K.; Alewell, C.; Iurian, A-R.; Owens, P.N.

2014-01-01

Soil and sediment related research for terrestrial agrienvironmental assessments requires accurate depth incremental sampling to perform detailed analysis of physical, geochemical and biological properties of soil and exposed sediment profiles. Existing equipment does not allow collecting soil/sediment increments at millimetre resolution. The Fine Increment Soil Collector (FISC), developed by the SWMCN Laboratory, allows much greater precision in incremental soil/sediment sampling. It facilitates the easy recovery of collected material by using a simple screw-thread extraction system (see Figure 1). The FISC has been designed specifically to enable standardized scientific investigation of shallow soil/sediment samples. In particular, applications have been developed in two IAEA Coordinated Research Projects (CRPs): CRP D1.20.11 on “Integrated Isotopic Approaches for an Area-wide Precision Conservation to Control the Impacts of Agricultural Practices on Land Degradation and Soil Erosion” and CRP D1.50.15 on “Response to Nuclear Emergencies Affecting Food and Agriculture.”

Community composition and cold tolerance of soil Collembola in a collapse karst doline with strong microclimate inversion

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Raschmanová, N.; Miklisová, D.; Kováč, L.; Šustr, Vladimír

2015-01-01

Roč. 70, č. 6 (2015), s. 802-811 ISSN 0006-3088 Grant - others:VEGA(SK) 1/0199/14; VEGA(SK) 1/3267/06 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : cold tolerance * collapse doline * karst landform * microclimatic gradient * soil Collembola Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 0.719, year: 2015

The Laboratory Study of Shear Strength of the Overconsolidated and Quasi - Overconsolidated Fine - Grained Soil

Science.gov (United States)

Strozyk, Joanna

2017-12-01

The paper presents results of laboratory shear strength test conducted on fine-grained soil samples with different grain size distribution and with different geological age and stress history. The Triaxial Isotopic Consolidation Undrained Tests (TXCIU) were performed under different consolidation stress in normal and overconsolidadion stress state on the samples with natural structure. Soil samples were selected from soil series of different age and geological origins: overconsolidated sensu stricto Miopliocene silty clay (siCl) and quasi overconsolidated Pleistocene clayey silt (clSi). Paper pointed out that overconsolidated sensu stricto and quasi overconsolidated fine-grained soil in same stress and environmental condition could show almost similar behaviour, and in other condition could behave significantly different. The correct evaluation of geotechnical parameters, the possibility of predicting their time-correct ability is only possible with appropriately recognized geological past and past processes that accompanied the soil formation.

Karst collapse in cities and mining areas, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jian Chen

1988-01-01

Karst collapse is a dynamic geological phenomenon, in which the rock mass or deposits overlying the karstified zone subsides down along the karst cavity, resulting in a collapse pit or sinkhole. After discussing the typical examples of collapse emerging in the karst cities and mines in provinces and regions of South China, such as Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Zhejiang, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Jiangxi, it is considered that human activities of economy and production have become a major effect in causing karst collapse. Man-made collapses make 66.4 percent of the total, whereas natural ones 33.6 percent. Most of the collapses occurred to the area with soil overburden (96.7 percent), only a few in areas of bedrock overburden (3.3 percent). The karst collapses have a close relationship with the extent of karst development, the character and the thickness of overburden, and the dynamic condition of underground water. Collapse usually occurs in those parts of an area that are more intensely karstified, with soil thickness less than 5 m and a high amplitude of water table fluctuation. Many kinds of mechanical effects are caused by pumping or draining on the over-burden and destroying its equilibrium, leading to the collapse. These effects included the support loss and load-added effect, penetrating suffusion, gas explosion, water-hammer, suction pressure erosion, and liquefaction effects. The collapses are the result of varied comprehensive effects, particularly the support loss and load-added, and penetrating suffusion

INJECTING FASTENING LOESS SOILS GROZNY FINE PARTICULATE MATTER SUCH AS «MIKRODUR»

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S-A. Y. Murtazaev

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The paper is devoted to the actual problem of development and implementation of effective ways to increase the bearing capacity of foundations of buildings and structures by impregnating the soil very finely dispersed binders such as "Mikrodur", turning it into a constructive element of the structure.The article shows that the use of a fine binder improves impervious properties strengthened by arrays, resistance to aggressive influences, hardening in a negative temperature, the strength development, etc. 

Effect of reinforcement fibers on the collapse potential of clayey sands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adjabi Souhila

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The collapse of soils under wetting is a major problem in Geotechnical engineering. The erection of structures on these types of soils, located in arid and semi-arid zones, needs careful treatment of these soils. Soil reinforcement techniques have been rapidly increased during these two decades because of their effectiveness in geotechnical engineering. The aim of this experimental work is to investigate the collapsible soil behaviour in order to improve its characteristics. To achieve this goal, Polyethylene fibers, and Sisal fibers were used as Polyethylene fibers content in mass are varied from 0% (unreinforced samples to 15%; and Sisal fibers content from 0.5% to 1%. The fiber reinforcement is combined with other processing procedures such as compaction and the addition of CPA cement to decrease the collapse potential.

Contribution of fine tree roots to the silicon cycle in a temperate forest ecosystem developed on three soil types

Science.gov (United States)

Turpault, Marie-Pierre; Calvaruso, Christophe; Kirchen, Gil; Redon, Paul-Olivier; Cochet, Carine

2018-04-01

The role of forest vegetation in the silicon (Si) cycle has been widely examined. However, to date, little is known about the specific role of fine roots. The main objective of our study was to assess the influence of fine roots on the Si cycle in a temperate forest in north-eastern France. Silicon pools and fluxes in vegetal solid and solution phases were quantified within each ecosystem compartment, i.e. in the atmosphere, above-ground and below-ground tree tissues, forest floor and different soil layers, on three plots, each with different soil types, i.e. Dystric Cambisol (DC), Eutric Cambisol (EC) and Rendzic Leptosol (RL). In this study, we took advantage of a natural soil gradient, from shallow calcic soil to deep moderately acidic soil, with similar climates, atmospheric depositions, species compositions and management. Soil solutions were measured monthly for 4 years to study the seasonal dynamics of Si fluxes. A budget of dissolved Si (DSi) was also determined for the forest floor and soil layers. Our study highlighted the major role of fine roots in the Si cycle in forest ecosystems for all soil types. Due to the abundance of fine roots mainly in the superficial soil layers, their high Si concentration (equivalent to that of leaves and 2 orders higher than that of coarse roots) and their rapid turnover rate (approximately 1 year), the mean annual Si fluxes in fine roots in the three plots were 68 and 110 kg ha-1 yr-1 for the RL and the DC, respectively. The turnover rates of fine roots and leaves were approximately 71 and 28 % of the total Si taken up by trees each year, demonstrating the importance of biological recycling in the Si cycle in forests. Less than 1 % of the Si taken up by trees each year accumulated in the perennial tissues. This study also demonstrated the influence of soil type on the concentration of Si in the annual tissues and therefore on the Si fluxes in forests. The concentrations of Si in leaves and fine roots were approximately 1

Nitrogen and Carbon Leaching in Repacked Sandy Soil with Added Fine Particulate Biochar

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bruun, Esben W.; Petersen, Carsten; Strobel, Bjarne W.

2012-01-01

Biochar amendment to soil may affect N turnover and retention, and may cause translocation of dissolved and particulate C. We investigated effects of three fine particulate biochars made of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) straw (one by slow pyrolysis and two by fast pyrolysis) on N and C leaching from...... repacked sandy soil columns (length: 51 cm). Biochar (2 wt%), ammonium fertilizer (NH4+, amount corresponding to 300 kg N ha-1) and an inert tracer (bromide) were added to a 3-cm top layer of sandy loam, and the columns were then irrigated with constant rate (36 mm d-1) for 15 d. The total amount...... of leachate came to about 3.0 water filled pore volumes (WFPVs). Our study revealed a high mobility of labile C components originating from the fine particulate fast pyrolysis biochar. This finding highlights a potential risk of C leaching coupled with the use of fast pyrolysis biochars for soil amendment...

Field Experiment on Soaking Characteristics of Collapsible Loess

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhichao Wang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In collapsible loess area, migration of soil moisture often causes the temporal discontinuity and spatial nonuniformity of collapsibility, which leads to great damage for infrastructures. Therefore, the research on water infiltration is the key to solving the problem of collapsibility. The aim of this paper is to investigate the spatiotemporal evolution of infiltration characteristics of collapsible loess. A field soaking experiment was conducted on collapsible loess in western China, in which a soaking pool with diameter of 15 m was built. Time-Domain-Reflectometry (TDR system and soil sampling were employed to measure the water content within the depth of 12 m. Then the saturation isograms were drawn for visualization of the process of infiltration. Also, a pilot tunnel was excavated to investigate how the free face can affect the infiltration behaviors. The experimental results revealed the characteristics of infiltration in both horizontal and vertical directions. Moreover, the response of free face on infiltration behaviors was also found. These findings of research could provide the data for the infiltration laws of unsaturated loess and thereby provide the basis for integrated treatment of collapsible loess.

Dynamics of soil exploration by fine roots down to a depth of 10 m throughout the entire rotation in Eucalyptus grandis plantations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean-Paul eLaclau

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Although highly weathered soils cover considerable areas in tropical regions, little is known about exploration by roots in deep soil layers. Intensively managed Eucalyptus plantations are simple forest ecosystems that can provide an insight into the belowground growth strategy of fast-growing tropical trees. Fast exploration of deep soil layers by eucalypt fine roots may contribute to achieving a gross primary production (GPP that is among the highest in the world for forests. Soil exploration by fine roots down to a depth of 10 m was studied throughout the complete cycle of Eucalyptus plantations. Intersects of fine roots, less than 1 mm in diameter, and medium-sized roots, 1-3 mm in diameter, were counted on trench walls in a chronosequence of 1-, 2-, 3.5- and 6-year-old plantations on a sandy soil, as well as in an adjacent 6-year-old stand growing in a clayey soil. Two soil profiles were studied down to a depth of 10 m in each stand (down to 6 m at ages 1 and 2 years. The root intersects were counted on 224 m2 of trench walls in 15 pits. Monitoring the soil water content showed that, after clear-cutting, almost all the available water stored down to a depth of 7 m was taken up by tree roots within 1.1 year of planting. The soil space was explored intensively by fine roots down to a depth of 3 m from 1 year after planting, with an increase in anisotropy in the upper layers throughout the stand cycle. About 60% of fine root intersects were found at a depth of more than 1 m, irrespective of stand age. The root distribution was isotropic in deep soil layers and kriged maps showed fine root clumping. The results showed that a considerable volume of soil was explored by fine roots in eucalypt plantations on deep tropical soils, which might prevent water and nutrient losses by deep drainage after canopy closure and contribute to maximizing resource uses.

Climate, soil texture, and soil types affect the contributions of fine-fraction-stabilized carbon to total soil organic carbon in different land uses across China.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Andong; Feng, Wenting; Zhang, Wenju; Xu, Minggang

2016-05-01

Mineral-associated organic carbon (MOC), that is stabilized by fine soil particles (i.e., silt plus clay, organic carbon (SOC) persistence and sequestration, due to its large contribution to total SOC (TSOC) and long turnover time. Our objectives were to investigate how climate, soil type, soil texture, and agricultural managements affect MOC contributions to TSOC in China. We created a dataset from 103 published papers, including 1106 data points pairing MOC and TSOC across three major land use types: cropland, grassland, and forest. Overall, the MOC/TSOC ratio ranged from 0.27 to 0.80 and varied significantly among soil groups in cropland, grassland, and forest. Croplands and forest exhibited significantly higher median MOC/TSOC ratios than in grassland. Moreover, forest and grassland soils in temperate regions had higher MOC/TSOC ratios than in subtropical regions. Furthermore, the MOC/TSOC ratio was much higher in ultisol, compared with the other soil types. Both the MOC content and MOC/TSOC ratio were positively correlated with the amount of fine fraction (silt plus clay) in soil, highlighting the importance of soil texture in stabilizing organic carbon across various climate zones. In cropland, different fertilization practices and land uses (e.g., upland, paddy, and upland-paddy rotation) significantly altered MOC/TSOC ratios, but not in cropping systems (e.g., mono- and double-cropping) characterized by climatic differences. This study demonstrates that the MOC/TSOC ratio is mainly driven by soil texture, soil types, and related climate and land uses, and thus the variations in MOC/TSOC ratios should be taken into account when quantitatively estimating soil C sequestration potential of silt plus clay particles on a large scale. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strip-drains for in situ clean up of contaminated fine-grained soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bowders, J.J.; Gabr, M.A.

1995-01-01

Methods for in situ remediation of contaminated soils, such as bioremediation, vacuum/air stripping and soil flushing have been found to be less effective under fine-grained soil conditions. To enhance the performance of these techniques, it was proposed that strip-drains or wick drains also known as prefabricated vertical (PV) drains be used. The research objective was to determine the feasibility of using PV drains to enhance the soil flushing process. Bench top and intermediate-scale laboratory experiments were conducted. An overview of the work, results and future considerations were presented. Results indicated that the technology is feasible. A preliminary model for the technology to be used in any field situation was developed. The model is currently being tested with data from physical experiments on both intermediate and field tests. 5 figs

The heavy metal partition in size-fractions of the fine particles in agricultural soils contaminated by waste water and smelter dust

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Haibo, E-mail: hbzhang@yic.ac.cn [Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003 (China); Luo, Yongming, E-mail: ymluo@yic.ac.cn [Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003 (China); Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China); Makino, Tomoyuki [National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, Tsukuba 3058604 (Japan); Wu, Longhua [Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China); Nanzyo, Masami [Tohoku University, Sendai 9808576 (Japan)

2013-03-15

Highlights: ► A continuous flow ultra-centrifugation method has been developed to obtain fine particles from polluted agricultural soil. ► Pollution source affected the heavy metal fractionation in size-fractions by changing soil particle properties. ► The iron oxides affected the distribution of lead species more than other metals in the smelter dust polluted particles. -- Abstract: The partitioning of pollutant in the size-fractions of fine particles is particularly important to its migration and bioavailability in soil environment. However, the impact of pollution sources on the partitioning was seldom addressed in the previous studies. In this study, the method of continuous flow ultra-centrifugation was developed to separate three size fractions (<1 μm, <0.6 μm and <0.2 μm) of the submicron particles from the soil polluted by wastewater and smelter dust respectively. The mineralogy and physicochemical properties of each size-fraction were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope etc. Total content of the polluted metals and their chemical speciation were measured. A higher enrichment factor of the metals in the fractions of <1 μm or less were observed in the soil contaminated by wastewater than by smelter dust. The organic substance in the wastewater and calcite from lime application were assumed to play an important role in the metal accumulation in the fine particles of the wastewater polluted soil. While the metal accumulation in the fine particles of the smelter dust polluted soil is mainly associated with Mn oxides. Cadmium speciation in both soils is dominated by dilute acid soluble form and lead speciation in the smelter dust polluted soil is dominated by reducible form in all particles. This implied that the polluted soils might be a high risk to human health and ecosystem due to the high bioaccessblity of the metals as well as the mobility of the fine particles in soil.

The heavy metal partition in size-fractions of the fine particles in agricultural soils contaminated by waste water and smelter dust

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Haibo; Luo, Yongming; Makino, Tomoyuki; Wu, Longhua; Nanzyo, Masami

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► A continuous flow ultra-centrifugation method has been developed to obtain fine particles from polluted agricultural soil. ► Pollution source affected the heavy metal fractionation in size-fractions by changing soil particle properties. ► The iron oxides affected the distribution of lead species more than other metals in the smelter dust polluted particles. -- Abstract: The partitioning of pollutant in the size-fractions of fine particles is particularly important to its migration and bioavailability in soil environment. However, the impact of pollution sources on the partitioning was seldom addressed in the previous studies. In this study, the method of continuous flow ultra-centrifugation was developed to separate three size fractions (<1 μm, <0.6 μm and <0.2 μm) of the submicron particles from the soil polluted by wastewater and smelter dust respectively. The mineralogy and physicochemical properties of each size-fraction were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope etc. Total content of the polluted metals and their chemical speciation were measured. A higher enrichment factor of the metals in the fractions of <1 μm or less were observed in the soil contaminated by wastewater than by smelter dust. The organic substance in the wastewater and calcite from lime application were assumed to play an important role in the metal accumulation in the fine particles of the wastewater polluted soil. While the metal accumulation in the fine particles of the smelter dust polluted soil is mainly associated with Mn oxides. Cadmium speciation in both soils is dominated by dilute acid soluble form and lead speciation in the smelter dust polluted soil is dominated by reducible form in all particles. This implied that the polluted soils might be a high risk to human health and ecosystem due to the high bioaccessblity of the metals as well as the mobility of the fine particles in soil

Geophysical Assessment of Two Collapsed and Concealed Septic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... m and depth of about 2.9 m. The delineated clayey soils at shallow depths suggest that there could be seasonal soil swelling and shrinkages due to seasonal variation in moisture content of the clay. These most likely led to annual ground movements, cumulative soil creep and the subsequent collapse of the septic tanks.

Response of the Fine Root Production, Phenology, and Turnover Rate of Six Shrub Species from a Subtropical Forest to a Soil Moisture Gradient and Shading

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, X.; Dai, X.; Wang, H.

2015-12-01

Knowledge of the fine root dynamics of different life forms in forest ecosystems is critical to understanding how the overall belowground carbon cycling is affected by climate change. However, our current knowledge regarding how endogenous or exogenous factors regulate the root dynamics of understory vegetation is limited. We selected a suite of study sites representing different habitats with gradients of soil moisture and solar radiation (shading or no shading). We assessed the fine root production phenology, the total fine root production, and the turnover among six understory shrub species in a subtropical climate, and examined the responses of the fine root dynamics to gradients in the soil moisture and solar radiation. The shrubs included three evergreen species, Loropetalum chinense, Vaccinium bracteatum, and Adinandra millettii, and three deciduous species, Serissa serissoides, Rubus corchorifolius, and Lespedeza davidii. We observed that variations in the annual fine root production and turnover among species were significant in the deciduous group but not in the evergreen group. Notably, V. bracteatum and S. serissoides presented the greatest responses in terms of root phenology to gradients in the soil moisture and shading: high-moisture habitat led to a decrease and shade led to an increase in fine root production during spring. Species with smaller fine roots of the 1st+2nd-order diameter presented more sensitive responses in terms of fine root phenology to a soil moisture gradient. Species with a higher fine root nitrogen-to -carbon ratio exhibited more sensitive responses in terms of fine root annual production to shading. Soil moisture and shading did not change the annual fine root production as much as the turnover rate. The fine root dynamics of some understory shrubs varied significantly with soil moisture and solar radiation status and may be different from tree species. Our results emphasize the need to study the understory fine root dynamics

Dynamics And Remediation Of Fine Textured Soils And Ground Water Contaminated With Salts And Chlorinated Organic Compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Murata, Alison; Naeth, M. Anne

2017-04-01

Soil and ground water are frequently contaminated by industrial activities, posing a potential risk to human and environmental health and limiting land use. Proper site management and remediation treatments can return contaminated areas to safe and useful states. Most remediation research focuses on single contaminants in coarse and medium textured soils. Contaminant mixtures are common and make remediation efforts complex due to differing chemical properties. Remediation in fine textured soils is difficult since their low hydraulic conductivities hinder addition of amendments into and removal of contaminated media out of the impacted zone. The objective of this research is to assess contaminant dynamics and potential remediation techniques for fine textured soil and ground water impacted by multiple contaminants in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The University of Alberta's Ellerslie Waste Management Facility was used to process liquid laboratory waste from 1972 to 2007. A waste water pond leak prior to 1984 resulted in salt and chlorinated organic compound contamination. An extensive annual ground water monitoring data set for the site is available since 1988. Analytical parameters include pH, electrical conductivity, major ions, volatile organic compounds, and metals. Data have been compared to Alberta Tier 1 Soil and Groundwater Remediation Guidelines to identify exceedances. The parameters of greatest concern, based on magnitude and frequency of detection, are electrical conductivity, sodium, chloride, chloroform, and dichloromethane. Spatial analyses of the data show that the contamination is focused in and down gradient of the former waste water pond. Temporal analyses show different trends depending on monitoring well location. Laboratory column experiments were used to assess leaching as a potential treatment for salt contamination in fine textured soils. Saturated hydraulic conductivity was measured for seven soils from two depth intervals with or without

The Role of Fine Sediment Content on Soil Consolidation and Debris Flows Development after Earthquake

Science.gov (United States)

Lyu, L.; Xu, M., III; Wang, Z.

2017-12-01

Fine sediment has been identified as an important factor determining the critical runoff that initiates debris flows because its contribution to shear strength through consolidation. Especially, owing to the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China enormous of loose sediment with different fractions of fine particles was eroded and supplied as materials for debris flows. The loose materials are gradually consolidated along with time, and therefore stronger rainfall is required to overcome the shear strength and to initiate debris flows. In this study, flume experiments were performed to explore soil consolidation and shear strength on mass failure and debris flow initiation under the conditions that different fractions of fine sediment were contained in the materials. Under the low content of fine sediment conditions (mass percentages: 0-10%), the debris flows formed with large pores and low shear strength and thus fine particles were too few to fill up the pores among the coarse particles. The consolidation rate was mostly influenced by the content of the fine particles. Consolidation of fine particles caused an increase of the shear strength and decrease of the rainfall infiltration, and therefore, debris flow initiation required stronger rainfall as the consolidation of the fine particles developed.

Norway spruce fine root dynamics and carbon input into soil in relation to environmental factors

OpenAIRE

Leppälammi-Kujansuu, Jaana

2014-01-01

Knowledge of the quantity of belowground litter carbon (C) input is scarce but highly valued in C budget calculations. Specifically, the turnover rate of fine roots is considered to be one of the most important parameters in the estimation of changes in soil C stock. In this thesis Norway spruce (Picea abies L. (Karst.)) fine root lifespan and litter production and their responses to nutrient availability and temperature were examined. Aboveground foliage and understory litter C inputs were a...

Effect of pore-size distribution on the collapse behaviour of anthropogenic sandy soil deposits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baille Wiebke

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In the former open-pit mines of the Lusatian region in Germany, several liquefaction events have occurred during the recent years in the anthropogenic deposits made of very loose sandy soils. These events are related to the rising ground water table after the stop of controlled ground water lowering. The very loose state is due to the formation of sand aggregates (pseudo-grains during the deposition process. The pseudo-grains enclose larger voids of dimension greater than the single sand grain. Wetting induced collapse of the pseudo-grains is presumed to be one of the possible mechanisms triggering liquefaction. In the present study, the effect of larger voids on the wetting induced deformation behaviour of sandy soils is experimentally investigated by laboratory box tests. The deformation field in the sample during wetting was measured using Digital Image Correlation (DIC technique. The results show that the observed deformations are affected by the pore size distribution, thus the amount of voids between the pseudo-grains (macro-void ratio and the voids inside the pseudo-grains (matrix void ratio. The global void ratio of a sandy soil is not sufficient as single state parameter, but the pore size distribution has to be taken into account, experimentally as well as in modelling.

Fine and coarse root parameters from mature black spruce displaying genetic x soil moisture interaction in growth

Science.gov (United States)

John E. Major; Kurt H. Johnsen; Debby C. Barsi; Moira Campbell

2012-01-01

Fine and coarse root biomass, C, and N mass parameters were assessed by root size and soil depths from soil cores in plots of 32-year-old black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.) from four full-sib families studied previously for drought tolerance and differential productivity on a dry and wet...

Did mud contribute to freeway collapse?

Science.gov (United States)

Hough, Susan E.; Friberg, Paul A.; Busby, Robert; Field, Edward F.; Jacob, Klaus H.; Borcherdt, Roger D.

At least 41 people were killed October 17 when the upper tier of the Nimitz Freeway in Oakland, Calif., collapsed during the Ms = 7.1 Loma Prieta earthquake. Seismologists studying aftershocks concluded that soil conditions and resulting ground motion amplification were important in the failure of the structure and should be considered in the reconstruction of the highway.Structural design weaknesses in the two-tiered freeway, known as the Cypress structure, had been identified before the tragedy. The seismologists, from Lamont Doherty Geological Observatory in Palisades, N.Y., and the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, Calif., found that the collapsed section was built on fill over Bay mud. A southern section of the Cypress structure built on alluvium of Quaternary age did not collapse (see Figure 1).

Liquefaction susceptibility of fine-grained soils: preliminary study report. Final report, September 1985-March 1986

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, N.Y.

1987-09-01

Soil liquefaction, a hazardous ground failure induced by strong motion earthquakes, can cause catastrophic damage to structures such as dams, bridges, power plants, and water-front structures and may involve great losses of life. Examples of liquefaction and resulting damage were observed during the Alaska (1964), Niigata, Japan (1964), and Tangshan, China (1976), earthquakes. Ground failure due to earthquake-induced soil liquefaction may manifest itself as excessive settlement, loss of bearing capacity, sand boiling, and flow slides. The liquefaction potential of clean sands has been studied extensively for the last two decades. However, case histories revealed that liquefied sands were seldom clean. They may contain various percentages of silt or clay or both. In fact, the Chinese observation in the Tansghan earthquake indicated that some cohesive soils may have liquefied. If this indeed had happened, then structures underlain by fine-grained soils, with a marginal safety factor based on the liquefaction criteria normally applied to sands, may actually be unsafe. Thus there is an urgent need for establishing new criteria for the liquefaction susceptibility of soils to include those identified as fine-grained. The author, Professor N.Y. Chang of the University of Colorado at Denver, visited several Chinese agencies and and universities in and near Beijing, China, in the summer of 1985 in an attempt to investigate and verify reported data on the liquefaction of cohesive soils during the Tangshan earthquake of 1976 and to negotiate cooperative research into the problem. This report presents the result of supportive literature review and the findings of the China trip.

Responses of fine roots and soil N availability to short-term nitrogen fertilization in a broad-leaved Korean pine mixed forest in northeastern China.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cunguo Wang

Full Text Available Knowledge of the responses of soil nitrogen (N availability, fine root mass, production and turnover rates to atmospheric N deposition is crucial for understanding fine root dynamics and functioning in forest ecosystems. Fine root biomass and necromass, production and turnover rates, and soil nitrate-N and ammonium-N in relation to N fertilization (50 kg N ha(-1 year(-1 were investigated in a temperate forest over the growing season of 2010, using sequential soil cores and ingrowth cores methods. N fertilization increased soil nitrate-N by 16% (P<0.001 and ammonium-N by 6% (P<0.01 compared to control plots. Fine root biomass and necromass in 0-20 cm soil were 13% (4.61 vs. 5.23 Mg ha(-1, P<0.001 and 34% (1.39 vs. 1.86 Mg ha(-1, P<0.001 less in N fertilization plots than those in control plots. The fine root mass was significantly negatively correlated with soil N availability and nitrate-N contents, especially in 0-10 cm soil layer. Both fine root production and turnover rates increased with N fertilization, indicating a rapid underground carbon cycling in environment with high nitrogen levels. Although high N supply has been widely recognized to promote aboveground growth rates, the present study suggests that high levels of nitrogen supply may reduce the pool size of the underground carbon. Hence, we conclude that high levels of atmospheric N deposition will stimulate the belowground carbon cycling, leading to changes in the carbon balance between aboveground and underground storage. The implications of the present study suggest that carbon model and prediction need to take the effects of nitrogen deposition on underground system into account.

Statistical evidence against simple forms of wavefunction collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Page, Don N.

2013-01-01

If the initial quantum state of the universe is a multiverse superposition over many different sets of values of the effective coupling ‘constants’ of physics, and if this quantum state collapses to an eigenstate of the set of coupling ‘constants’ with a probability purely proportional to the absolute square of the amplitude (with no additional factor for something like life or consciousness), then one should not expect that the coupling ‘constants’ would be so biophilic as they are observed to be. Therefore, the observed biophilic values (apparent fine tuning) of the coupling ‘constants’ is statistical evidence against such simple forms of wavefunction collapse

Statistical evidence against simple forms of wavefunction collapse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Page, Don N., E-mail: profdonpage@gmail.com [Theoretical Physics Institute, Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Room 238 CEB, 11322-89 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G7 (Canada)

2013-02-26

If the initial quantum state of the universe is a multiverse superposition over many different sets of values of the effective coupling ‘constants’ of physics, and if this quantum state collapses to an eigenstate of the set of coupling ‘constants’ with a probability purely proportional to the absolute square of the amplitude (with no additional factor for something like life or consciousness), then one should not expect that the coupling ‘constants’ would be so biophilic as they are observed to be. Therefore, the observed biophilic values (apparent fine tuning) of the coupling ‘constants’ is statistical evidence against such simple forms of wavefunction collapse.

Model of the fine-grain component of martian soil based on Viking lander data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nussinov, M.D.; Chernyak, Y.B.; Ettinger, J.L.

1978-01-01

A model of the fine-grain component of the Martian soil is proposed. The model is based on well-known physical phenomena, and enables an explanation of the evolution of the gases released in the GEX (gas exchange experiments) and GCMS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometer experiments) of the Viking landers. (author)

Development of centrifuge modeling for evaluating the mechanisms of collapse above underground openings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davis, B.C.; Kutter, B.L.; Chang, J.D.L.

1988-01-01

Improved prediction of surface collapse above an underground cavity is important in many LLNL programs, including Nuclear Test. To improve the predictive capability, LLNL must better understand the mechanisms involved in the process of collapse. The research aims to develop the centrifuge technique for modeling mechanisms of underground collapse in soil. The authors will also evaluate the adequacy of existing constitutive or flow models of soils for modeling underground collapse. During FY 86, using the centrifuge at University of California, Davis, the authors developed the basic centrifugal modeling technique, conducted experiments, and modeled the process on a computer. In FY 87, they continued to develop the experimental method and analyze results. Results to date have shown that the model dimensions are not necessarily the critical dimensions (i.e., those determining the adequacy of the model). Rather, the critical dimension is the diameter of the chimney above the opening that develops during collapse

Deriving temporally continuous soil moisture estimations at fine resolution by downscaling remotely sensed product

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Yan; Ge, Yong; Wang, Jianghao; Heuvelink, Gerard B. M.

2018-06-01

Land surface soil moisture (SSM) has important roles in the energy balance of the land surface and in the water cycle. Downscaling of coarse-resolution SSM remote sensing products is an efficient way for producing fine-resolution data. However, the downscaling methods used most widely require full-coverage visible/infrared satellite data as ancillary information. These methods are restricted to cloud-free days, making them unsuitable for continuous monitoring. The purpose of this study is to overcome this limitation to obtain temporally continuous fine-resolution SSM estimations. The local spatial heterogeneities of SSM and multiscale ancillary variables were considered in the downscaling process both to solve the problem of the strong variability of SSM and to benefit from the fusion of ancillary information. The generation of continuous downscaled remote sensing data was achieved via two principal steps. For cloud-free days, a stepwise hybrid geostatistical downscaling approach, based on geographically weighted area-to-area regression kriging (GWATARK), was employed by combining multiscale ancillary variables with passive microwave remote sensing data. Then, the GWATARK-estimated SSM and China Soil Moisture Dataset from Microwave Data Assimilation SSM data were combined to estimate fine-resolution data for cloudy days. The developed methodology was validated by application to the 25-km resolution daily AMSR-E SSM product to produce continuous SSM estimations at 1-km resolution over the Tibetan Plateau. In comparison with ground-based observations, the downscaled estimations showed correlation (R ≥ 0.7) for both ascending and descending overpasses. The analysis indicated the high potential of the proposed approach for producing a temporally continuous SSM product at fine spatial resolution.

Soil Plasticity Model for Analysis of Collapse Load on Layers Soil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Md Nujid Masyitah

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Natural soil consist of soil deposits which is a soil layer overlying a thick stratum of another soil. The bearing capacity of layered soil studies have been conducted using different approach whether theoretical, experimental and combination of both. Numerical method in computer programme has become a powerful tool in solving complex geotechnical problems. Thus in numerical modelling, stress-strain soil behaviour is well predicted, design and interpreted using appropriate soil model. It is also important to identify parameters and soil model involve in prediction real soil problem. The sand layer overlaid clay layer soil is modelled with Mohr-Coulomb and Drucker-Prager criterion. The bearing capacity in loaddisplacement analysis from COMSOL Multiphysics is obtained and presented. In addition the stress distribution and evolution of plastic strain for each thickness ratio below centre of footing are investigated. The results indicate the linear relation on load-displacement which have similar trend for both soil models while stress and plastic strain increase as thickness ratio increase.

Incorporation of 13C labeled Pinus ponderosa needle and fine root litter into soil organic matter measured by Py-GC/MS-C-IRMS

Science.gov (United States)

Mambelli, S.; Gleixner, G.; Dawson, T. E.; Bird, J. A.; Torn, M. S.

2006-12-01

Developing effective strategies for enhancing C storage in soils requires understanding the influence of plant C quality. In turn, plant C quality impacts the decay continuum between plant residue and humified, stable SOM. This remains one of the least understood aspects of soil biogeochemistry. We investigated the initial phase of incorporation of 13C labeled Pinus ponderosa needle and fine root litter into SOM. The two litter types were placed in separate microcosms in the A horizon in a temperate conifer soil. Curie-point pyrolysis-gas chromatography coupled with on-line mass spectrometry and isotope ratio mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS-C- IRMS) were used to determine the identity and the 13C enrichment of pyrolysis products (fragments of carbohydrates, lignin, proteins and lipids). We compared the two initial litter types, needles and fine roots, to samples of the bulk soil (A horizon, < 2mm) and soil humin fraction (from chemical solubility) obtained from each microcosm 1.5y after litter addition. Pyrolysis of plant material and SOM produced 56 suitable products for isotopic analysis; of them, 15 occurred in both the litter and bulk soil, 7 in both the litter and the humin fraction and 9 in both bulk soil and the humin fraction. The pyrolysis products found in common in the plant and soil were related either to polysaccharides or were non-specific and could have originated from various precursors. The data suggest that the majority of plant inputs, both from needles or fine roots, were degraded very rapidly. In the humin fraction, the most recalcitrant pool of C in soil, with a measured turnover time of 260y (this soil), only products from the fragmentation of polysaccharides and alkyl-benzene compounds were found. Comparisons of the enrichment normalized by input level suggest little difference between the incorporation of C from needles versus fine roots into SOM. The most enriched fragments in the humin fraction were products from polysaccharides degradation

NPP planning based on analysis of ground vibration caused by collapse of large-scale cooling towers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Feng; Ji, Hongkui [Department of Structural Engineering, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092 (China); Gu, Xianglin, E-mail: gxl@tongji.edu.cn [Department of Structural Engineering, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092 (China); Li, Yi [Department of Structural Engineering, Tongji University, No. 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092 (China); Wang, Mingreng; Lin, Tao [East China Electric Power Design Institute Co., Ltd, No. 409 Wuning Road, Shanghai 200063 (China)

2015-12-15

Highlights: • New recommendations for NPP planning were addressed taking into account collapse-induced ground vibration. • Critical factors influencing the collapse-induced ground vibration were investigated. • Comprehensive approach was presented to describe the initiation and propagation of collapse-induced disaster. - Abstract: Ground vibration induced by collapse of large-scale cooling towers can detrimentally influence the safe operation of adjacent nuclear-related facilities. To prevent and mitigate these hazards, new planning methods for nuclear power plants (NPPs) were studied considering the influence of these hazards. First, a “cooling tower-soil” model was developed, verified, and used as a numerical means to investigate ground vibration. Afterwards, five critical factors influencing collapse-induced ground vibration were analyzed in-depth. These influencing factors included the height and weight of the towers, accidental loads, soil properties, overlying soil, and isolation trench. Finally, recommendations relating to the control and mitigation of collapse-induced ground vibration in NPP planning were proposed, which addressed five issues, i.e., appropriate spacing between a cooling tower and the nuclear island, control of collapse modes, sitting of a cooling tower and the nuclear island, application of vibration reduction techniques, and the influence of tower collapse on surroundings.

Probabilistic Modeling of Landfill Subsidence Introduced by Buried Structure Collapse - 13229

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foye, Kevin; Soong, Te-Yang

2013-01-01

The long-term reliability of land disposal facility final cover systems - and therefore the overall waste containment - depends on the distortions imposed on these systems by differential settlement/subsidence. The evaluation of differential settlement is challenging because of the heterogeneity of the waste mass and buried structure placement. Deterministic approaches to long-term final cover settlement prediction are not able to capture the spatial variability in the waste mass and sub-grade properties, especially discontinuous inclusions, which control differential settlement. An alternative is to use a probabilistic model to capture the non-uniform collapse of cover soils and buried structures and the subsequent effect of that collapse on the final cover system. Both techniques are applied to the problem of two side-by-side waste trenches with collapsible voids. The results show how this analytical technique can be used to connect a metric of final cover performance (inundation area) to the susceptibility of the sub-grade to collapse and the effective thickness of the cover soils. This approach allows designers to specify cover thickness, reinforcement, and slope to meet the demands imposed by the settlement of the underlying waste trenches. (authors)

effect of fines content on the engineering properties of reconstituted

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2012-11-03

Nov 3, 2012 ... Reconstitution of the natural soil (0% fines content) yielded soil samples having fines content between ... action to different stabilizing agents are better under- .... tion cracking, whereas clay soils with too low plastic limit (PL) ...

Removal of tetrachloroethylene from fine-grained soils by electrokinetic processes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steger, H.; Zorn, R.; Haus, R.; Czurda, K. [Dept. of Applied Geology, Karlsruhe Univ. (Germany)

2001-07-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the mobilization of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) by a bench scale experiment in a naturally contaminated, undisturbed soil core of a fine-grained valley deposit, which was taken on a factory site in Germany. In order to regard the physico-chemical properties of PCE the experiment was carried out in an especially developed laboratory cell. In the beginning of the bench scale test natural in situ temperature conditions of 9 C were simulated in the sample by using an external, infinitely variable cooling. After 6 days the cooling was switched off. During the cooling period the electroosmotic permeability was about 1.5-2 times lower than under laboratory conditions. After 3.5 displaced pore volumes almost all PCE was removed out of the soil. Furthermore, no significant degradation reaction of PCE to trichloroethylene (TCE), cis-1,2-dichloroethene, trans-1,2 dichloroethene and 1,1 dichloroethene took place. A variation in the mineralogical composition was determined, due to the production of hydronium ions and hydroxide ions by electrolyse reactions at the electrodes. At the anode region carbonate was dissolved and at the cathode region calcium and magnesium hydroxide precipitated. (orig.)

New Experiences in Dike Construction with Soil-Ash Composites and Fine-Grained Dredged Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duszyński Remigiusz

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The supporting structure inside a coastal dike is often made of dredged non-uniform sand with good compaction properties. Due to the shortage of natural construction material for both coastal and river dikes and the surplus of different processed materials, new experiments were made with sand-ash mixtures and fine-grained dredged materials to replace both dike core and dike cover materials resulting in economical, environmentally friendly and sustainable dikes. Ash from EC Gdańsk and dredged sand from the Vistula river were mixed to form an engineering material used for dike construction. The optimum sand-ash composites were applied at a field test site to build a large-scale research dike. Fine-grained dredged materials from Germany were chosen to be applied in a second full-scale research dike in Rostock. All materials were investigated according to the standards for soil mechanical analysis. This includes basic soil properties, mechanical characteristics, such as grain-size distribution, compaction parameters, compressibility, shear strength, and water permeability. In the field, the infiltration of water into the dike body as well as the erosion resistance of the cover material against overflowing water was determined. Results of both laboratory and field testing are discussed in this paper. In conclusion, the mixing of bottom ash with mineral soil, such as relatively uniform dredged sand, fairly improves the geotechnical parameters of the composite, compared to the constituents. Depending on the composite, the materials may be suitable to build a dike core or an erosion-resistant dike cover.

New Experiences in Dike Construction with Soil-Ash Composites and Fine-Grained Dredged Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Duszyński, Remigiusz; Duszyńska, Angelika; Cantré, Stefan

2017-12-01

The supporting structure inside a coastal dike is often made of dredged non-uniform sand with good compaction properties. Due to the shortage of natural construction material for both coastal and river dikes and the surplus of different processed materials, new experiments were made with sand-ash mixtures and fine-grained dredged materials to replace both dike core and dike cover materials resulting in economical, environmentally friendly and sustainable dikes. Ash from EC Gdańsk and dredged sand from the Vistula river were mixed to form an engineering material used for dike construction. The optimum sand-ash composites were applied at a field test site to build a large-scale research dike. Fine-grained dredged materials from Germany were chosen to be applied in a second full-scale research dike in Rostock. All materials were investigated according to the standards for soil mechanical analysis. This includes basic soil properties, mechanical characteristics, such as grain-size distribution, compaction parameters, compressibility, shear strength, and water permeability. In the field, the infiltration of water into the dike body as well as the erosion resistance of the cover material against overflowing water was determined. Results of both laboratory and field testing are discussed in this paper. In conclusion, the mixing of bottom ash with mineral soil, such as relatively uniform dredged sand, fairly improves the geotechnical parameters of the composite, compared to the constituents. Depending on the composite, the materials may be suitable to build a dike core or an erosion-resistant dike cover.

Differential effects of fine root morphology on water dynamics in the root-soil interface

Science.gov (United States)

DeCarlo, K. F.; Bilheux, H.; Warren, J.

2017-12-01

Soil water uptake form plants, particularly in the rhizosphere, is a poorly understood question in the plant and soil sciences. Our study analyzed the role of belowground plant morphology on soil structural and water dynamics of 5 different plant species (juniper, grape, maize, poplar, maple), grown in sandy soils. Of these, the poplar system was extended to capture drying dynamics. Neutron radiography was used to characterize in-situ dynamics of the soil-water-plant system. A joint map of root morphology and soil moisture was created for the plant systems using digital image processing, where soil pixels were connected to associated root structures via minimum distance transforms. Results show interspecies emergent behavior - a sigmoidal relationship was observed between root diameter and bulk/rhizosphere soil water content difference. Extending this as a proxy for extent of rhizosphere development with root age, we observed a logistic growth pattern for the rhizosphere: minimal development in the early stages is superceded by rapid onset of rhizosphere formation, which then stabilizes/decays with the likely root suberization. Dynamics analysis of water content differences between the root/rhizosphere, and rhizosphere/bulk soil interface highlight the persistently higher water content in the root at all water content and root size ranges. At the rhizosphere/bulk soil interface, we observe a shift in soil water dynamics by root size: in super fine roots, we observe that water content is primarily lower in the rhizosphere under wetter conditions, which then gradually increases to a relatively higher water content under drier conditions. This shifts to a persistently higher rhizosphere water content relative to bulk soil in both wet/dry conditions with increased root size, suggesting that, by size, the finest root structures may contribute the most to total soil water uptake in plants.

FINELY DISPERSED COMPOSITE BINDER FOR REINFORCING SOILS BY INJECTION METHOD

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Kharchenko Igor Yakovlevich

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Subject: we consider the problem of supplying the construction industry, in particular underground construction, with mineral binder for diluted aqueous suspensions that meet the requirements for reinforcement of low-strength sand and clastic soils by injections into the reinforced soil mass. Research objectives: substantiating possibility of using amorphous biosilica in combination with carbide sludge, whose particles size does not exceed 10 mm on average, as a binder for aqueous suspensions being injected. Materials and methods: as raw materials we used: common construction hydrated lime from “Stroimaterialy” JSC, Belgorod, hydrated lime in the form of carbide sludge from the dumps of Protvino plant (carbide sludge, hereafter, active mineral admixture biosilica from the group of companies “DIAMIX” and a plasticizer Sika viscocrete 5 new. Test methods are in accordance with applicable standards. To obtain samples of impregnated soils, a specially developed technique was used in the form of a unidirectional model. Results: properties of the composite binder prepared with different compositions are presented. The optimal component ratios are determined. The following properties of aqueous suspensions are studied: conditional viscosity, sedimentation and penetrating ability. Conditional viscosity is no more than 40 sec on average. Sedimentation does not exceed 1.2 %. Soil-concrete obtained by injection of a dilute aqueous suspension based on this composite binder has a compressive strength in the range from 4.44 to 12.5 MPa. Conclusions: utilization of finely dispersed composite mineral binder, which is based on interaction of amorphous silica with calcium hydroxide, as a binder for high penetration aqueous suspensions has been substantiated. This binder is not inferior to foreign analogues in terms of its strength and technological parameters and can be used for reinforcement of loose and low-strength soils. In case of using carbide

Effect of class F fly ash on fine sand compaction through soil stabilization.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahvash, Siavash; López-Querol, Susana; Bahadori-Jahromi, Ali

2017-03-01

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation carried out to evaluate the effect of fly ash (FA) on fine sand compaction and its suitability as a material for embankments. The literature review demonstrates the lack of research on stabilization of sandy material using FA. The study is concerned with the role of FA content in stabilized soil physical characteristics. The main aim of this paper is to determine the optimum quantity of FA content for stabilization of this type of soil. This is achieved through particle size distribution and compaction (standard proctor) tests. The sand was stabilized with three proportions of FA (5%, 10% and 15%) and constant cement content of 3% was used as an activator. For better comparison, the sand was also stabilized by 3% cement only so that the effect of FA could be observed more clearly. The results were in line with the literature for other types of soil, i.e. as the % of FA increases, reduction in maximum dry density and higher optimum moisture content were observed.

Effect of class F fly ash on fine sand compaction through soil stabilization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siavash Mahvash

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation carried out to evaluate the effect of fly ash (FA on fine sand compaction and its suitability as a material for embankments. The literature review demonstrates the lack of research on stabilization of sandy material using FA. The study is concerned with the role of FA content in stabilized soil physical characteristics. The main aim of this paper is to determine the optimum quantity of FA content for stabilization of this type of soil. This is achieved through particle size distribution and compaction (standard proctor tests. The sand was stabilized with three proportions of FA (5%, 10% and 15% and constant cement content of 3% was used as an activator. For better comparison, the sand was also stabilized by 3% cement only so that the effect of FA could be observed more clearly. The results were in line with the literature for other types of soil, i.e. as the % of FA increases, reduction in maximum dry density and higher optimum moisture content were observed.

Physical properties and collapse force of according to the z-position of poly-Si pattern using nano-tribology.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Soo In; Lee, Chang Woo

2011-02-01

Nowadays, many researchers try to measure the collapse force of fine pattern. However, most of the researches use LFM to gauge it indirectly and LFM can measure not for collapse force directly but only limited for horizontal force. Thus, nano-scratch is suggested to measure the collapse force possibly. We used poly-Si pattern on Si plate and changed the z-location of the pattern. From these experiments, the stiffness was decease as depth increase from surface and well fitted with negative exponential curve. Also, the elastic modulus was decreased. From the results, the collapse force of poly-Si nano-patterns was decreased as the depth increased over than 30% from the surface and the maximum collapse force was 26.91 microN and pattern was collapsed between poly-Si and plate.

Comparative study of engineering properties of two-lime waste tire particle soil and soil with lime/loess ratio of 3:7

Science.gov (United States)

Tiecheng, Yan; Xingyuan, Zhang; Hongping, Yang

2018-03-01

This study describes an analytical comparison of the engineering characteristics of two-lime waste tire particle soil and soil with lime/loess ratio of 3:7 using density measurements, results of indoor consolidation tests, and direct shear tests to examine the strength and deformation characteristics. It investigates the engineering performance of collapsible loess treated with waste tire particles and lime. The results indicate that (1) the shear strength of the two-lime waste tire particle soils increases continuously with soil age; and (2) the two-lime waste tire particle soils are light-weight, strong, and low-deformation soils, and can be applied primarily to improve the foundation soil conditions in areas with collapsible loess soils. This could address the problem of used tire disposal, while providing a new method to consider and manage collapsible loess soils.

Supercooled interfacial water in fine-grained soils probed by dielectric spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Lorek

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Water substantially affects nearly all physical, chemical and biological processes on the Earth. Recent Mars observations as well as laboratory investigations suggest that water is a key factor of current physical and chemical processes on the Martian surface, e.g. rheological phenomena. Therefore it is of particular interest to get information about the liquid-like state of water on Martian analogue soils for temperatures below 0 °C. To this end, a parallel plate capacitor has been developed to obtain isothermal dielectric spectra of fine-grained soils in the frequency range from 10 Hz to 1.1 MHz at Martian-like temperatures down to −70 °C. Two Martian analogue soils have been investigated: a Ca-bentonite (specific surface of 237 m2 g−1, up to 9.4% w / w gravimetric water content and JSC Mars 1, a volcanic ash (specific surface of 146 m2 g−1, up to 7.4% w / w. Three soil-specific relaxation processes are observed in the investigated frequency–temperature range: two weak high-frequency processes (bound or hydrated water as well as ice and a strong low-frequency process due to counter-ion relaxation and the Maxwell–Wagner effect. To characterize the dielectric relaxation behaviour, a generalized fractional dielectric relaxation model was applied assuming three active relaxation processes with relaxation time of the ith process modelled with an Eyring equation. The real part of effective complex soil permittivity at 350 kHz was used to determine ice and liquid-like water content by means of the Birchak or CRIM equation. There are evidence that bentonite down to −70 °C has a liquid-like water content of 1.17 monolayers and JSC Mars 1 a liquid-like water content of 1.96 monolayers.

Fines Classification Based on Sensitivity to Pore-Fluid Chemistry

KAUST Repository

Jang, Junbong

2015-12-28

The 75-μm particle size is used to discriminate between fine and coarse grains. Further analysis of fine grains is typically based on the plasticity chart. Whereas pore-fluid-chemistry-dependent soil response is a salient and distinguishing characteristic of fine grains, pore-fluid chemistry is not addressed in current classification systems. Liquid limits obtained with electrically contrasting pore fluids (deionized water, 2-M NaCl brine, and kerosene) are combined to define the soil "electrical sensitivity." Liquid limit and electrical sensitivity can be effectively used to classify fine grains according to their fluid-soil response into no-, low-, intermediate-, or high-plasticity fine grains of low, intermediate, or high electrical sensitivity. The proposed methodology benefits from the accumulated experience with liquid limit in the field and addresses the needs of a broader range of geotechnical engineering problems. © ASCE.

Fines classification based on sensitivity to pore-fluid chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Junbong; Santamarina, J. Carlos

2016-01-01

The 75-μm particle size is used to discriminate between fine and coarse grains. Further analysis of fine grains is typically based on the plasticity chart. Whereas pore-fluid-chemistry-dependent soil response is a salient and distinguishing characteristic of fine grains, pore-fluid chemistry is not addressed in current classification systems. Liquid limits obtained with electrically contrasting pore fluids (deionized water, 2-M NaCl brine, and kerosene) are combined to define the soil “electrical sensitivity.” Liquid limit and electrical sensitivity can be effectively used to classify fine grains according to their fluid-soil response into no-, low-, intermediate-, or high-plasticity fine grains of low, intermediate, or high electrical sensitivity. The proposed methodology benefits from the accumulated experience with liquid limit in the field and addresses the needs of a broader range of geotechnical engineering problems.

The role of fluid viscosity in an immersed granular collapse

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Geng Chao; Kwok, Chung Yee; Sobral, Yuri Dumaresq

2017-06-01

Instabilities of immersed slopes and cliffs can lead to catastrophic events that involve a sudden release of huge soil mass. The scaled deposit height and runout distance are found to follow simple power laws when a granular column collapses on a horizontal plane. However, if the granular column is submerged in a fluid, the mobility of the granular collapse due to high inertia effects will be reduced by fluid-particle interactions. In this study, the effects of fluid viscosity on granular collapse is investigated qualitatively by adopting a numerical approach based on the coupled lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) and discrete element method (DEM). It is found that the granular collapse can be dramatically slowed down due to the presence of viscous fluids. For the considered granular configuration, when the fluid viscosity increases. the runout distance decreases and the final deposition shows a larger deposit angle.

The role of fluid viscosity in an immersed granular collapse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Geng Chao

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Instabilities of immersed slopes and cliffs can lead to catastrophic events that involve a sudden release of huge soil mass. The scaled deposit height and runout distance are found to follow simple power laws when a granular column collapses on a horizontal plane. However, if the granular column is submerged in a fluid, the mobility of the granular collapse due to high inertia effects will be reduced by fluid-particle interactions. In this study, the effects of fluid viscosity on granular collapse is investigated qualitatively by adopting a numerical approach based on the coupled lattice Boltzmann method (LBM and discrete element method (DEM. It is found that the granular collapse can be dramatically slowed down due to the presence of viscous fluids. For the considered granular configuration, when the fluid viscosity increases. the runout distance decreases and the final deposition shows a larger deposit angle.

Fine-scale spatial distribution of orchid mycorrhizal fungi in the soil of host-rich grasslands.

Science.gov (United States)

Voyron, Samuele; Ercole, Enrico; Ghignone, Stefano; Perotto, Silvia; Girlanda, Mariangela

2017-02-01

Mycorrhizal fungi are essential for the survival of orchid seedlings under natural conditions. The distribution of these fungi in soil can constrain the establishment and resulting spatial arrangement of orchids at the local scale, but the actual extent of occurrence and spatial patterns of orchid mycorrhizal (OrM) fungi in soil remain largely unknown. We addressed the fine-scale spatial distribution of OrM fungi in two orchid-rich Mediterranean grasslands by means of high-throughput sequencing of fungal ITS2 amplicons, obtained from soil samples collected either directly beneath or at a distance from adult Anacamptis morio and Ophrys sphegodes plants. Like ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycobionts, OrM fungi (tulasnelloid, ceratobasidioid, sebacinoid and pezizoid fungi) exhibited significant horizontal spatial autocorrelation in soil. However, OrM fungal read numbers did not correlate with distance from adult orchid plants, and several of these fungi were extremely sporadic or undetected even in the soil samples containing the orchid roots. Orchid mycorrhizal 'rhizoctonias' are commonly regarded as unspecialized saprotrophs. The sporadic occurrence of mycobionts of grassland orchids in host-rich stands questions the view of these mycorrhizal fungi as capable of sustained growth in soil. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

Electrodialytic remediation of suspended soil – Comparison of two different soil fractions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sun, Tian Ran; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.; Jensen, Pernille Erland

2012-01-01

Electrodialytic remediation (EDR) can be used for removal of heavy metals from suspended soil, which allows for the soil remediation to be a continuous process. The present paper focused on the processing parameters for remediation of a soil polluted with Cu and As from wood preservation. Six...... electrodialytic treatments lasting from 5 to 22 days with different liquid to solid ratio (L/S) and current intensity were conducted. Among treatments, the highest removal was obtained from the soil fines with 5mA current at L/S 3.5 after 22 days where 96% of Cu and 64% of As were removed. Comparing the removal...... from the original soil and the soil fines in experiments with identical charge transportation, higher removal efficiency was observed from the soil fines. Constant current with 5mA could be maintained at L/S 3.5 for the soil fines while not for the original soil. Doubling current to 10mA could...

Influence of Fines Content on Consolidation and Compressibility Characteristics of Granular Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Lipiński, Mirosław J.; Wdowska, Małgorzata K.; Jaroń, Łukasz

2017-10-01

Various behaviour of soil under loading results to large extent from kind of soil considered. There is a lot of literature concerning pure sand or plastic clays, while little is known about materials, which are from classification point of view, between those soils. These materials can be considered as cohesionless soils with various fines content. The paper present results of tests carried out in large consolidometer on three kinds of soil, containing 10, 36 and 97% of fines content. Consolidation, permeability and compressibility characteristics were determined. Analysis of the test results allowed to formulate conclusion concerning change in soil behaviour resulting from fines content.

Performance of

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naema A. Ali

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Soil collapse occurs when increased moisture causes chemical or physical bonds between the soil particles to weaken, which allows the structure of the soil to collapse. Collapsible soils are generally low-density, fine-grained combinations of clay and sand left by mudflows that have dried, leaving tiny air pockets. When the soil is dry, the cemented materials are strong enough to bond the sand particles together. When natural soil becomes wet, moisture alters the cementation structure and the soil’s strength is compromised, causing collapse or subsidence. Based on soil type and density, the potential for encountering collapsible soils throughout most of the project alignment is low. Conditions in arid and semi-arid climates like Borg El Arab, near Alexandria Egypt favor the formation of the most problematic collapsible soils. The behavior and performance of compacted sand replacement over treated collapsible soil by pre-wetting and compaction are investigated in the current study. Field investigation was performed in the form of plate loading tests conducted on compacted sand replacement over improved collapsible soil. Field plate load tests program was developed to explore the effect of compacted sand replacement thickness on collapsibility potential. Treated collapsible soil was replaced with imported cohesionless soil with variable thickness up to footing width. Results proved that the improvement of collapsible soils by sand/crushed stone replacement is possible to control/mitigate their risk potentials against sudden settlement when exposed to water. Replacement soil increases the rate and reduces the amount of footing settlement. For compacted collapsible soils, partial replacement by compacted sand/crushed stone layers decreases collapsibility potential risk. Results also, introduce the development of practical, economical and environmentally safe geochemical methods for collapsible soil stabilization and collapsible risk mitigation.

Few group collapsing of covariance matrix data based on a conservation principle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiruta, H.; Palmiotti, G.; Salvatores, M.; Arcilla, R. Jr.; Oblozinsky, P.; McKnight, R.D.

2008-01-01

A new algorithm for a rigorous collapsing of covariance data is proposed, derived, implemented, and tested. The method is based on a conservation principle that allows preserving at a broad energy group structure the uncertainty calculated in a fine group energy structure for a specific integral parameter, using as weights the associated sensitivity coefficients

Comparison of two occurrence risk assessment methods for collapse gully erosion ——A case study in Guangdong province

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, K.; Cheng, D. B.; He, J. J.; Zhao, Y. L.

2018-02-01

Collapse gully erosion is a specific type of soil erosion in the red soil region of southern China, and early warning and prevention of the occurrence of collapse gully erosion is very important. Based on the idea of risk assessment, this research, taking Guangdong province as an example, adopt the information acquisition analysis and the logistic regression analysis, to discuss the feasibility for collapse gully erosion risk assessment in regional scale, and compare the applicability of the different risk assessment methods. The results show that in the Guangdong province, the risk degree of collapse gully erosion occurrence is high in northeastern and western area, and relatively low in southwestern and central part. The comparing analysis of the different risk assessment methods on collapse gully also indicated that the risk distribution patterns from the different methods were basically consistent. However, the accuracy of risk map from the information acquisition analysis method was slightly better than that from the logistic regression analysis method.

Permafrost collapse alters soil carbon stocks, respiration, CH4 , and N2O in upland tundra.

Science.gov (United States)

Abbott, Benjamin W; Jones, Jeremy B

2015-12-01

Release of greenhouse gases from thawing permafrost is potentially the largest terrestrial feedback to climate change and one of the most likely to occur; however, estimates of its strength vary by a factor of thirty. Some of this uncertainty stems from abrupt thaw processes known as thermokarst (permafrost collapse due to ground ice melt), which alter controls on carbon and nitrogen cycling and expose organic matter from meters below the surface. Thermokarst may affect 20-50% of tundra uplands by the end of the century; however, little is known about the effect of different thermokarst morphologies on carbon and nitrogen release. We measured soil organic matter displacement, ecosystem respiration, and soil gas concentrations at 26 upland thermokarst features on the North Slope of Alaska. Features included the three most common upland thermokarst morphologies: active-layer detachment slides, thermo-erosion gullies, and retrogressive thaw slumps. We found that thermokarst morphology interacted with landscape parameters to determine both the initial displacement of organic matter and subsequent carbon and nitrogen cycling. The large proportion of ecosystem carbon exported off-site by slumps and slides resulted in decreased ecosystem respiration postfailure, while gullies removed a smaller portion of ecosystem carbon but strongly increased respiration and N2 O concentration. Elevated N2 O in gully soils persisted through most of the growing season, indicating sustained nitrification and denitrification in disturbed soils, representing a potential noncarbon permafrost climate feedback. While upland thermokarst formation did not substantially alter redox conditions within features, it redistributed organic matter into both oxic and anoxic environments. Across morphologies, residual organic matter cover, and predisturbance respiration explained 83% of the variation in respiration response. Consistent differences between upland thermokarst types may contribute to the

Improving predictions of large scale soil carbon dynamics: Integration of fine-scale hydrological and biogeochemical processes, scaling, and benchmarking

Science.gov (United States)

Riley, W. J.; Dwivedi, D.; Ghimire, B.; Hoffman, F. M.; Pau, G. S. H.; Randerson, J. T.; Shen, C.; Tang, J.; Zhu, Q.

2015-12-01

Numerical model representations of decadal- to centennial-scale soil-carbon dynamics are a dominant cause of uncertainty in climate change predictions. Recent attempts by some Earth System Model (ESM) teams to integrate previously unrepresented soil processes (e.g., explicit microbial processes, abiotic interactions with mineral surfaces, vertical transport), poor performance of many ESM land models against large-scale and experimental manipulation observations, and complexities associated with spatial heterogeneity highlight the nascent nature of our community's ability to accurately predict future soil carbon dynamics. I will present recent work from our group to develop a modeling framework to integrate pore-, column-, watershed-, and global-scale soil process representations into an ESM (ACME), and apply the International Land Model Benchmarking (ILAMB) package for evaluation. At the column scale and across a wide range of sites, observed depth-resolved carbon stocks and their 14C derived turnover times can be explained by a model with explicit representation of two microbial populations, a simple representation of mineralogy, and vertical transport. Integrating soil and plant dynamics requires a 'process-scaling' approach, since all aspects of the multi-nutrient system cannot be explicitly resolved at ESM scales. I will show that one approach, the Equilibrium Chemistry Approximation, improves predictions of forest nitrogen and phosphorus experimental manipulations and leads to very different global soil carbon predictions. Translating model representations from the site- to ESM-scale requires a spatial scaling approach that either explicitly resolves the relevant processes, or more practically, accounts for fine-resolution dynamics at coarser scales. To that end, I will present recent watershed-scale modeling work that applies reduced order model methods to accurately scale fine-resolution soil carbon dynamics to coarse-resolution simulations. Finally, we

Effects of fine root length density and root biomass on soil preferential flow in forest ecosystems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yinghu Zhang

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Aim of study: The study was conducted to characterize the impacts of plant roots systems (e.g., root length density and root biomass on soil preferential flow in forest ecosystems. Area of study: The study was carried out in Jiufeng National Forest Park, Beijing, China. Material and methods: The flow patterns were measured by field dye tracing experiments. Different species (Sophora japonica Linn,Platycladus orientalis Franco, Quercus dentata Thunbwere quantified in two replicates, and 12 soil depth were applied. Plant roots were sampled in the sieving methods. Root length density and root biomass were measured by WinRHIZO. Dye coverage was implied in the image analysis, and maximum depth of dye infiltration by direct measurement. Main results: Root length density and root biomass decreased with the increasing distance from soil surface, and root length density was 81.6% higher in preferential pathways than in soil matrix, and 66.7% for root biomass with respect to all experimental plots. Plant roots were densely distributed in the upper soil layers. Dye coverage was almost 100% in the upper 5-10 cm, but then decreased rapidly with soil depth. Root length density and root biomass were different from species: Platycladus orientalis Franco > Quercus dentata Thunb > Sophora japonica Linn. Research highlights: The results indicated that fine roots systems had strong effects on soil preferential flow, particularly root channels enhancing nutrition transport across soil profiles in forest dynamics.

Grey water treatment by the slanted soil system with unsorted soil media.

Science.gov (United States)

Ushijima, Ken; Tanaka, Erina; Suzuki, Laís Yuko; Hijikata, Nowaki; Funamizu, Naoyuki; Ito, Ryusei

2015-01-01

This study evaluated the performance of unsorted soil media in the slanted soil treatment system, in terms of removal efficiency in suspended solids (SS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), linear alkylbenzene sulphonate (LAS) and Escherichia coli, and lifetime until clogging occurs. Unsorted soil performed longer lifetime until clogging than sorted fine soil. Removal of SS, COD, and LAS also performed same or better level in unsorted soil than fine soil. As reaction coefficients of COD and LAS were described as a function of the hydraulic loading rate, we can design a slanted soil system according to the expected hydraulic loading rate and the targeted level of COD or LAS in effluent. Regarding bacteria removal, unsorted soil performed sufficient reduction of E. coli for 5 weeks; however, the removal process occurred throughout all four chambers, while that of fine soil occurred in one to two chambers.

CT of lobar collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suh, D. C.; Im, J. G.; Park, J. H.; Han, M. C.

1987-01-01

The computed tomographic (CT) findings of labor collapse are analysed in an attempt to evaluate the patterns of labor collapse and to get the helpful signs in differentiation between benign and malignant causes of collapse. 43 cases of labor collapse with or without endobronchial obstruction were reviewed. In 29 of 43 cases the collapses were caused by lung cancer. Benign causes of labor collapse included tuberculosis(10), broncholith(2), organizing pneumonia(1) and hamartoma(1). The helpful signs favoring malignant cause of the labor collapse were proximal bulging of the collapsed lobe, low density mass within the collapsed lung, and endobronchial lesion. Above described differential findings were especially applicable in cases of upper lobe collapse

Parameterization of radiocaesium soil-plant transfer using soil characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konoplev, A. V.; Drissner, J.; Klemt, E.; Konopleva, I. V.; Zibold, G.

1996-01-01

A model of radionuclide soil-plant transfer is proposed to parameterize the transfer factor by soil and soil solution characteristics. The model is tested with experimental data on the aggregated transfer factor T ag and soil parameters for 8 forest sites in Baden-Wuerttemberg. It is shown that the integral soil-plant transfer factor can be parameterized through radiocaesium exchangeability, capacity of selective sorption sites and ion composition of the soil solution or the water extract. A modified technique of (FES) measurement for soils with interlayer collapse is proposed. (author)

Development of IoT-based Urban Sinkhole and Road Collapse Monitoring System

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, B.; Bang, E.; Lee, H. J.; Jeong, S. W.; Ryu, D.; Kim, S. W.; Kim, B. K.; Yum, B. W.; Lee, I. H.

2015-12-01

The consortium of Korean government-funded research institutes is developing IoT- (Internet of things) based underground safety monitoring and alerting system to manage risks arisen from land subsidence and road collapses in metropolitan areas in South Korea. The system consists of four major functional units: subsurface monitoring sensors sending data directly through the internet, centralized servers capable of collecting and processing big data, computational modules providing physical and statistical models for predicting high-risk areas, and geologic information service platforms visualizing underground safety maps for the public. The target urban area will be regionally covered by multi-sensors monitoring soil and groundwater conditions, and by high resolution satellite InSAR images filtering vertical land movements in a centimeter scale. Integrity of buried water supply and sewer lines are also monitored for the possibility of underground cavity formation. Once high-risk area is predicted, more tangible surveying methods such as ground penetrating radar (GPR) and resistivity survey can be applied for locating the cavities. Additionally, laboratory and field experiments are performed to understand overall road collapsing mechanism from the initial cavity creation to its progressive development depending on soil types, degree of compaction, and groundwater condition. Acquired results will update existing fully-coupled hydromechanical models for more accurate prediction of the collapsing-vulnerable area. Preliminary laboratory experiments show that the upward propagation of subsurface cavity is closely related to the soil properties, such as sand-clay ratios and moisture contents, and groundwater dynamics.

Acclimation and soil moisture constrain sugar maple root respiration in experimentally warmed soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Jarvi, Mickey P; Burton, Andrew J

2013-09-01

The response of root respiration to warmer soil can affect ecosystem carbon (C) allocation and the strength of positive feedbacks between climatic warming and soil CO2 efflux. This study sought to determine whether fine-root (maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.)-dominated northern hardwood forest would adjust to experimentally warmed soil, reducing C return to the atmosphere at the ecosystem scale to levels lower than that would be expected using an exponential temperature response function. Infrared heating lamps were used to warm the soil (+4 to +5 °C) in a mature sugar maple forest in a fully factorial design, including water additions used to offset the effects of warming-induced dry soil. Fine-root-specific respiration rates, root biomass, root nitrogen (N) concentration, soil temperature and soil moisture were measured from 2009 to 2011, with experimental treatments conducted from late 2010 to 2011. Partial acclimation of fine-root respiration to soil warming occurred, with soil moisture deficit further constraining specific respiration rates in heated plots. Fine-root biomass and N concentration remained unchanged. Over the 2011 growing season, ecosystem root respiration was not significantly greater in warmed soil. This result would not be predicted by models that allow respiration to increase exponentially with temperature and do not directly reduce root respiration in drier soil.

Geochemical soil sampling for deeply-buried mineralized breccia pipes, northwestern Arizona

Science.gov (United States)

Wenrich, K.J.; Aumente-Modreski, R. M.

1994-01-01

Thousands of solution-collapse breccia pipes crop out in the canyons and on the plateaus of northwestern Arizona; some host high-grade uranium deposits. The mineralized pipes are enriched in Ag, As, Ba, Co, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, V and Zn. These breccia pipes formed as sedimentary strata collapsed into solution caverns within the underlying Mississippian Redwall Limestone. A typical pipe is approximately 100 m (300 ft) in diameter and extends upward from the Redwall Limestone as much as 1000 m (3000 ft). Unmineralized gypsum and limestone collapses rooted in the Lower Permian Kaibab Limestone or Toroweap Formation also occur throughout this area. Hence, development of geochemical tools that can distinguish these unmineralized collapse structures, as well as unmineralized breccia pipes, from mineralized breccia pipes could significantly reduce drilling costs for these orebodies commonly buried 300-360 m (1000-1200 ft) below the plateau surface. Design and interpretation of soil sampling surveys over breccia pipes are plagued with several complications. (1) The plateau-capping Kaibab Limestone and Moenkopi Formation are made up of diverse lithologies. Thus, because different breccia pipes are capped by different lithologies, each pipe needs to be treated as a separate geochemical survey with its own background samples. (2) Ascertaining true background is difficult because of uncertainties in locations of poorly-exposed collapse cones and ring fracture zones that surround the pipes. Soil geochemical surveys were completed on 50 collapse structures, three of which are known mineralized breccia pipes. Each collapse structure was treated as an independent geochemical survey. Geochemical data from each collapse feature were plotted on single-element geochemical maps and processed by multivariate factor analysis. To contrast the results between geochemical surveys (collapse structures), a means of quantifying the anomalousness of elements at each site was developed. This

Computational models of stellar collapse and core-collapse supernovae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ott, Christian D; O'Connor, Evan; Schnetter, Erik; Loeffler, Frank; Burrows, Adam; Livne, Eli

2009-01-01

Core-collapse supernovae are among Nature's most energetic events. They mark the end of massive star evolution and pollute the interstellar medium with the life-enabling ashes of thermonuclear burning. Despite their importance for the evolution of galaxies and life in the universe, the details of the core-collapse supernova explosion mechanism remain in the dark and pose a daunting computational challenge. We outline the multi-dimensional, multi-scale, and multi-physics nature of the core-collapse supernova problem and discuss computational strategies and requirements for its solution. Specifically, we highlight the axisymmetric (2D) radiation-MHD code VULCAN/2D and present results obtained from the first full-2D angle-dependent neutrino radiation-hydrodynamics simulations of the post-core-bounce supernova evolution. We then go on to discuss the new code Zelmani which is based on the open-source HPC Cactus framework and provides a scalable AMR approach for 3D fully general-relativistic modeling of stellar collapse, core-collapse supernovae and black hole formation on current and future massively-parallel HPC systems. We show Zelmani's scaling properties to more than 16,000 compute cores and discuss first 3D general-relativistic core-collapse results.

Computational models of stellar collapse and core-collapse supernovae

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ott, Christian D; O' Connor, Evan [TAPIR, Mailcode 350-17, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States); Schnetter, Erik; Loeffler, Frank [Center for Computation and Technology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA (United States); Burrows, Adam [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States); Livne, Eli, E-mail: cott@tapir.caltech.ed [Racah Institute of Physics, Hebrew University, Jerusalem (Israel)

2009-07-01

Core-collapse supernovae are among Nature's most energetic events. They mark the end of massive star evolution and pollute the interstellar medium with the life-enabling ashes of thermonuclear burning. Despite their importance for the evolution of galaxies and life in the universe, the details of the core-collapse supernova explosion mechanism remain in the dark and pose a daunting computational challenge. We outline the multi-dimensional, multi-scale, and multi-physics nature of the core-collapse supernova problem and discuss computational strategies and requirements for its solution. Specifically, we highlight the axisymmetric (2D) radiation-MHD code VULCAN/2D and present results obtained from the first full-2D angle-dependent neutrino radiation-hydrodynamics simulations of the post-core-bounce supernova evolution. We then go on to discuss the new code Zelmani which is based on the open-source HPC Cactus framework and provides a scalable AMR approach for 3D fully general-relativistic modeling of stellar collapse, core-collapse supernovae and black hole formation on current and future massively-parallel HPC systems. We show Zelmani's scaling properties to more than 16,000 compute cores and discuss first 3D general-relativistic core-collapse results.

Soil acidification effects on fine root growth of Douglas-fir on sandy soils

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Olsthoorn, A.F.M.

1998-01-01

The ammonium sulphate deposited in forest ecosystems in the Netherlands as a result of air pollution currently exceeds 80 kg N ha ^-1yr ^-1locally. To study the influence of this air pollution on fine root density and its dynamics, fine root

Chemical compositions and sources of organic matter in fine particles of soils and sands from the vicinity of Kuwait city.

Science.gov (United States)

Rushdi, Ahmed I; Al-Zarban, Sheikha; Simoneit, Bernd R T

2006-09-01

Fine particles in the atmosphere from soil and sand resuspension contain a variety of organic compounds from natural biogenic and anthropogenic matter. Soil and sand samples from various sites near Kuwait city were collected, sieved to retain the fine particles, and extracted with a mixture of dichloromethane and methanol. The extracts were derivatized and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in order to characterize the chemical compositions and sources of the organic components. The major inputs of organic compounds were from both natural biogenic and anthropogenic sources in these samples. Vegetation was the major natural source of organic compounds and included n-alkanols, n-alkanoic acids, n-alkanes, sterols and triterpenoids. Saccharides had high concentrations (31-43%) in the sand dune and seafront samples, indicating sources from decomposed vegation materials and/or the presence of viable microbiota such as bacteria and fungi. Vehicular emission products, leakage of lubricating oils, discarded plastics and emissions from cooking operations were the major anthropogenic inputs in the samples from the urban areas. This input was mainly UCM, n-alkanes, hopanes, plasticizers and cholesterol, respectively.

Genesis and classification of soils developed on gabbro in the high reliefs of Maroua region, North Cameroon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Désiré Tsozué

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this work was to examine the genesis, properties and classification of soils resulting from the weathering of gabbro rock in the high reliefs of Maroua in the Far North Region of Cameroon. The studied soils were ~ 2 m thick, made of four horizons which consisted of coarse saprolite, fine saprolite, loose loamy clayey horizon and humiferous horizon. From petrographical view point, at the bottom of the soil profile, the preservation of the bedrock structure was marked by numerous remnants of altered plagioclases shapes. The groundmass was characterized by a double spaced fine, ranging to equal, enaulic c/f related distribution pattern. It was yellowish, characterized by weakly separated granular microstructure in the fine saprolite and had a speckled and cloudy limpidity in the loose loamy clayey horizon. Secondary minerals consisted of montmorilonite, kaolinite, goethite, quartz, gibbsite, lepidocrocite, sepiolite, feldspar and calcite. Globally, Si/Al ratio ranged between 2.85 and 3.24. The chemical index of alteration ranged from 50.95 to 55.27 % while the mineralogical index of alteration values were between 1.90 and 10.54 %. Physicochemically, soil pH varied from slightly acidic to slightly above neutral. Soil organic carbon contents were low to very low. Exchangeable bases contents were high, mostly represented by Ca2+ and Mg2+. The CEC of soils and the CEC of clay were also high, ranging respectively between 53.68 and 82.88 cmol(+.kg-1, and 116.80 and 181.38 cmol(+.kg-1. The studied soils were classified as dystric haplustepts clayey isohyperthermic. They were developed in situ by the collapse of primary mineral structures from the bottom of the coarse saprolite, due to leaching as a result of bisiallitisation and monosiallitisation. This is accompanied by a progressive ferruginization of materials, confirmed by the densification under the microscope of goethitic brown veil from the base to the loamy clay horizon and the

Types of collapse calderas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aguirre-Diaz, Gerardo J [Centro de Geociencias, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Campus Juriquilla, Queretaro, Qro., 76230 (Mexico)], E-mail: ger@geociencias.unam.mx

2008-10-01

Three main types of collapse calderas can be defined, 1) summit caldera: those formed at the top of large volcanoes, 2) classic caldera: semi-circular to irregular-shaped large structures, several km in diameter and related to relatively large-volume pyroclastic products, and 3) graben caldera: explosive volcano-tectonic collapse structures from which large-volume, ignimbrite-forming eruptions occurred through several fissural vents along the graben master faults and the intra-graben block faults. These in turn can collapse at least with three styles: 1) Piston: when the collapse occurs as a single crustal block; 2) Trap-door: when collapse occurs unevenly along one side while the opposite side remains with no collapse; 3) Piece-meal: when collapse occurs as broken pieces of the crust on top of the magma chamber.

Fines Classification Based on Sensitivity to Pore-Fluid Chemistry

KAUST Repository

Jang, Junbong; Santamarina, Carlos

2015-01-01

The 75-μm particle size is used to discriminate between fine and coarse grains. Further analysis of fine grains is typically based on the plasticity chart. Whereas pore-fluid-chemistry-dependent soil response is a salient and distinguishing

Effect of heavy store dressing with rock phosphate on a fine sand soil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Armi Kaila

1969-05-01

Full Text Available Results are reported of a long-term field trial on acid fine sand soil in which the effects of store dressing with rock phosphate in amounts of 0, 4000, 8000, or 12000 kg/ha was studied comparing them with an annual application of 200 kg/ha of superphosphate using the split plot technique. In the first four years, more thoroughly studied, the response to the store dressing with rock phosphate was distinct both in the dry matter yields and the phosphorus content of the cereal and the red clover-timothy hay. The differences between the various rates of rock phosphate treatments were not statistically significant, though there was some tendency to higher results with larger amounts of rock phosphate. The annual applications of superphosphate as surface dressing to the ley did not brought about any significant increase in the dry matter yield of the rock phosphate plots, and although they tended to increase the phosphorus content of hay, the increase was statistically significant only in a few cases. No effect was found on the phosphorus content of barley grain and straw in the ninth experimental year. No differences were found in the calcium, magnesium, or potassium content of the plant samples from the variously treated plots. Nitrogen content of clover and timothy was increased by both rock phosphate and superphosphate, particularly in the first year ley. In this soil, 4000 kg/ha of rock phosphate was effective enough to produce higher dry matter yields of hay, with equal phosphorus content, than the annual application of 200 kg/ha of superphosphate. Soil analyses indicated that this soil represented the extreme pattern of phosphorus retention in which applied phosphate is almost completely retained as aluminium bound forms of the fluoride soluble fraction supposed to be fairly available. It was suggested that in soils which retain the slowly dissolving rock phosphate phosphorus mainly as less available iron bound forms, heavy applications of

Fine Root Abundance and Dynamics of Stone Pine (Pinus cembra) at the Alpine Treeline Is Not Impaired by Self-shading.

Science.gov (United States)

Kubisch, Petra; Leuschner, Christoph; Coners, Heinz; Gruber, Andreas; Hertel, Dietrich

2017-01-01

Low temperatures are crucial for the formation of the alpine treeline worldwide. Since soil temperature in the shade of tree canopies is lower than in open sites, it was assumed that self-shading may impair the trees' root growth performance. While experiments with tree saplings demonstrate root growth impairment at soil temperatures below 5-7°C, field studies exploring the soil temperature - root growth relationship at the treeline are missing. We recorded soil temperature and fine root abundance and dynamics in shaded and sun-exposed areas under canopies of isolated Pinus cembra trees at the alpine treeline. In contrast to the mentioned assumption, we found more fine root biomass and higher fine root growth in colder than in warmer soil areas. Moreover, colder areas showed higher fine root turnover and thus lower root lifespan than warmer places. We conclude that P. cembra balances enhanced fine root mortality in cold soils with higher fine root activity and by maintaining higher fine root biomass, most likely as a response to shortage in soil resource supply. The results from our study highlight the importance of in situ measurements on mature trees to understand the fine root response and carbon allocation pattern to the thermal growth conditions at the alpine treeline.

Removal of contaminants from fine grained soils using electrokinetic (EK) flushing. Final report, September 30, 1987--June 30, 1993

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reed, B.E.; Berg, M.T.

1993-10-01

Recently, attention has focused on developing cost effective techniques to remove inorganic contaminants from soils in-situ. For most in-situ techniques hydraulic pressure is used to disperse the chemical additives and collect the contaminated groundwater. In-situ treatment technologies have had success at sites containing sandy soils but have not shown much promise for soils with large amounts of clay and silt. This is due primarily to difficulty in transporting groundwater, contaminants, and chemical additives through the subsurface. Unfortunately, soils high in clay and silt are known to sequester large quantities of inorganic and organic contaminants. Thus, soils having low hydraulic conductivity`s are generally efficient in sequestering pollutants but are resistant to standard in-situ remediation techniques because of the difficulty in transporting groundwater and contaminants. A candidate technology for the in-situ remediation of low permeability soils is electrokinetic (EK) soil flushing. In EK soil flushing, groundwater and contaminants are transported under an a plied voltage. The transport of groundwater electroosmotically does not depend directly on the soil`s hydraulic conductivity. Thus, soils that would otherwise require excavation and treatment can be remediated in-situ if electrokinetics is used as the driving force for liquid and contaminant transport. This report details the results from work conducted on the use of EK soil flushing to remediate a fine grained soil contaminated with lead. The first portion of the experimental work entailed soil collection and characterization, soil adsorption and desorption of lead, and EK reactor construction and testing. The second phase of the research consisted of investigating the efficacy of using EK soil flushing on an actual soil using bench-scale EK reactors. For the second phase of the research the affect of initial conditions on the efficiency of EK soil flushing was studied.

[Effects of tree species diversity on fine-root biomass and morphological characteristics in subtropical Castanopsis carlesii forests].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wei-Wei; Huang, Jin-Xue; Chen, Feng; Xiong, De-Cheng; Lu, Zheng-Li; Huang, Chao-Chao; Yang, Zhi-Jie; Chen, Guang-Shui

2014-02-01

Fine roots in the Castanopsis carlesii plantation forest (MZ), the secondary forest of C. carlesii through natural regeneration with anthropogenic promotion (AR), and the secondary forest of C. carlesii through natural regeneration (NR) in Sanming City, Fujian Province, were estimated by soil core method to determine the influence of tree species diversity on biomass, vertical distribution and morphological characteristics of fine roots. The results showed that fine root biomass for the 0-80 cm soil layer in the MZ, AR and NR were (182.46 +/- 10.81), (242.73 +/- 17.85) and (353.11 +/- 16.46) g x m(-2), respectively, showing an increased tendency with increasing tree species diversity. In the three forests, fine root biomass was significantly influenced by soil depth, and fine roots at the 0-10 cm soil layer accounted for more than 35% of the total fine root biomass. However, the interaction of stand type and soil depth on fine-root distribution was not significant, indicating no influence of tree species diversity on spatial niche segregation in fine roots. Root surface area density and root length density were the highest in NR and lowest in the MZ. Specific root length was in the order of AR > MZ > NR, while specific root surface area was in the order of NR > MZ > AR. There was no significant interaction of stand type and soil depth on specific root length and specific root surface area. Fine root morphological plasticity at the stand level had no significant response to tree species diversity.

Functional Catastrophe Analysis of Collapse Mechanism for Shallow Tunnels with Considering Settlement

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Rui Zhang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Limit analysis is a practical and meaningful method to predict the stability of geomechanical properties. This work investigates the pore water effect on new collapse mechanisms and possible collapsing block shapes of shallow tunnels with considering the effects of surface settlement. The analysis is performed within the framework of upper bound theorem. Furthermore, the NL nonlinear failure criterion is used to examine the influence of different factors on the collapsing shape and the minimum supporting pressure in shallow tunnels. Analytical solutions derived by functional catastrophe theory for the two different shape curves which describe the distinct characteristics of falling blocks up and down the water level are obtained by virtual work equations under the variational principle. By considering that the mechanical properties of soil are not affected by the presence of underground water, the strength parameters in NL failure criterion can be taken to be the same under and above the water table. According to the numerical results in this work, the influences on the size of collapsing block different parameters have are presented in the tables and the upper bounds on the loads required to resist collapse are derived and illustrated in the form of supporting forces graphs that account for the variation of the embedded depth and other factors.

Chemical composition of Martian fines

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, B. C.; Baird, A. K.; Weldon, R. J.; Tsusaki, D. M.; Schnabel, L.; Candelaria, M. P.

1982-01-01

Of the 21 samples acquired for the Viking X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, 17 were analyzed to high precision. Compared to typical terrestrial continental soils and lunar mare fines, the Martian fines are lower in Al, higher in Fe, and much higher in S and Cl concentrations. Protected fines at the two lander sites are almost indistinguishable, but concentration of the element S is somewhat higher at Utopia. Duricrust fragments, successfully acquired only at the Chryse site, invariably contained about 50% higher S than fines. No elements correlate positively with S, except Cl and possibly Mg. A sympathetic variation is found among the triad Si, Al, Ca; positive correlation occurs between Ti and Fe. Sample variabilities are as great within a few meters as between lander locations (4500 km apart), implying the existence of a universal Martian regolith component of constant average composition. The nature of the source materials for the regolith fines must be mafic to ultramafic.

The Chemistry and Mineralogy of Atacama Desert soils: A Possible Analog for Mars Soils

Science.gov (United States)

Sutter, B.; Amundson, R.; Ewing, S.; Rhodes, K. W.; McKay, C.

2002-12-01

The Atacama Desert of northern Chile is the driest desert in the world, having experienced its present hyper-arid climate since the Miocene. While Mars is vastly more dry and cold than the Atacama, the Atacama environment may be one of the best terrestrial Mars analog environments accessible to researchers. Because of the long-term hyperaridity, the soils retain atmospherically-derived elements, which accumulate to economically valuable quantities. The objective of this work was to examine physical and chemical evolution of the soils of the hyper-arid Atacama Desert to provide insight as to what soil properties may be found on Mars. Three soils were excavated and examined on widely representative landforms along a south to north transect (Copiapo > Altimira > Yungay) that coincides with decreasing moisture levels (~15mm to ~2 mm yr-1, south to north). Total chemical analyses were used to calculate strain (i.e. volume change) and elemental gains or losses (\\tau). Relative to parent material values, the Yungay and Altimira soils have expanded over 400% in certain horizons, while the Copiapo soil has collapsed by as much as 48%. The expansions are driven by elemental gains; the collapse by weathering losses. Calculations of \\tau indicate a 380 000% enrichment in Cl (halite) in the lower horizons, and S enrichments (anhydrite, gypsum) as high as 50 000% in the upper horizons, of the Yungay soil. The Altimira soil had a 110 000% enrichment of S (gypsum) and a 16,000% enrichment of carbonate, reflecting the higher precipitation and the relative solubility of salts. The southern, higher rainfall Copiapo soil had small \\tau values for S (283%) and Cl (63%) in the middle horizons, but significant gains of CaCO3 (\\tau values as high as 4 000% in certain horizons). In general, the type and depth of Cl, S, and CaCO3 enrichment in the soils varied predictably with rainfall. The results of this work, which document enormous atmospherically-derived elemental gains and

Discrete Ordinates Method-Like Computation with Group Condensation and Angle Collapsing in Transport Theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Won, Jong Hyuck; Cho, Nam Zin

2010-01-01

In group condensation for transport method, it is well-known that angle-dependent total cross section is generated. To remove this difficulty on angledependent total cross section, we normally perform the group condensation on total cross section by using scalar flux weight as used in neutron diffusion method. In this study, angle-dependent total cross section is directly applied to the discrete ordinates method. In addition, angle collapsing concept is introduced based on equivalence to reduce calculational burden of transport computation. We also show numerical results for a heterogeneous 1-D slab problem with local/global iteration, in which fine-group discrete ordinates calculation is used in local problem while few-group angle collapsed discrete ordinates calculation is used in global problem iteratively

Fine root dynamics of mature European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) as influenced by elevated ozone concentrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mainiero, Raphael; Kazda, Marian; Haeberle, Karl-Heinz; Nikolova, Petia Simeonova; Matyssek, Rainer

2009-01-01

Fine root dynamics (diameter < 1 mm) in mature Fagus sylvatica, with the canopies exposed to ambient or twice-ambient ozone concentrations, were investigated throughout 2004. The focus was on the seasonal timing and extent of fine root dynamics (growth, mortality) in relation to the soil environment (water content, temperature). Under ambient ozone concentrations, a significant relationship was found between fine root turnover and soil environmental changes indicating accelerated fine root turnover under favourable soil conditions. In contrast, under elevated ozone, this relationship vanished as the result of an altered temporal pattern of fine root growth. Fine root survival and turnover rate did not differ significantly between the different ozone regimes, although a delay in current-year fine root shedding was found under the elevated ozone concentrations. The data indicate that increasing tropospheric ozone levels can alter the timing of fine root turnover in mature F. sylvatica but do not affect the turnover rate. - Doubling of ozone concentrations in mature European beech affected the seasonal timing of fine root turnover rather than the turnover rate.

Nitrogen Alters Initial Growth, Fine-Root Biomass and Soil Organic Matter Properties of a Eucalyptus dunnii Maiden Plantation in a Recently Afforested Grassland in Southern Brazil

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Gabriel W. D. Ferreira

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Nitrogen (N fertilization effects on Eucalyptus growth and soil carbon (C stocks are still controversial. We set up an N fertilization experiment in southern Brazil to evaluate initial tree growth and changes in soil organic matter (SOM. Four N levels (24–Reference, 36, 48 and 108 kg ha−1 of N were tested and tree growth was assessed during the first two years. Afterwards, representative trees were chosen to evaluate fine-root biomass (FRB and its spatial distribution. Soil was sampled to a 40-cm depth and SOM was fractionated in Particulate (POM and Mineral-Associated Organic Matter (MAOM for C and N content, and δ13C determination. Positive N effect on tree growth was seen only for tree height. N addition resulted in higher FRB. Changes in SOM were more expressive in top-soil layers. Overall, afforestation had positive effects on soil C. Increasing reference N dose resulted in higher C and N content in both SOM fractions. C and N dynamics were tightly correlated, especially in MAOM. Eucalypt-derived C was on average three-fold higher in POM. In summary, we showed that N fertilization may have positive but limited effects on tree growth, nevertheless it enhances fine-root biomass and C and N accumulation in SOM pools.

HEAVY METALS IN RECOVERED FINES FOR CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION DEBRIS RECYCLING FACILITIES IN FLORIDA

Science.gov (United States)

A major product recovered from the processing and recycling of construction and demolition (C&D) debris is screened soil, also referred to as fines. A proposed reuse option for C&D debris fines is fill material, typically in construction projects as a substitute for natural soil....

Hydrogeologic Characterization of the U-3bl Collapse Zone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

NSTec Geotechnical Services

2006-01-01

The U-3bl collapse crater was formed by an underground nuclear test in August 1962. This crater and the adjoining U-3ax crater were subsequently developed and used as a bulk low-level radioactive waste disposal cell (U-3ax/bl), which is part of the Area 3 Radioactive Waste Management Site at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Various investigations have been conducted to assess the hydrogeologic characteristics and properties in the vicinity of the U-3ax/bl waste disposal cell. This report presents data from one of these investigations, conducted in 1996. Also included in this report is a review of pertinent nuclear testing records, which shows that the testing operations and hydrogeologic setting of the U-3ax/bl site were typical for the period and location of testing. Borehole U-3bl-D2 is a 45-degree-angle hole drilled from the edge of the crater under the waste cell to intercept the U-3bl collapse zone, the disturbed alluvium between the crater (surface collapse sink) and the nuclear test cavity. A casing-advance system with an air percussion hammer was used to drill the borehole, and air was used as the drilling fluid. Properties of the U-3bl crater collapse zone were determined from cores collected within the interval, 42.1 to 96.6 meters (138 to 317 feet) below the ground surface. Selected core samples were analyzed for particle density, particle size, bulk density, water retention, hydraulic conductivity, water content, water potential, chloride, carbonate, stable isotopes, and tritium. Physical and hydraulic properties were typical of alluvial valley sediments at the NTS. No visual evidence of preferential pathways for water transport was observed in the core samples. Soil parameters showed no trends with depth. Volumetric water content values ranged from 0.08 to 0.20 cubic meters per cubic meter, and tended to increase with depth. Water-retention relations were typical for soils of similar texture. Water potentials ranged from -1.9 MegaPascals at a depth of 42

Prevention of gravitational collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moffat, J.W.; Taylor, J.G.

1981-01-01

We apply a new theory of gravitation to the question of gravitational collapse to show that collapse is prevented in this theory under very reasonable conditions. This result also extends to prevent ultimate collapse of the Universe. (orig.)

Wet Oxidation of Fine Soil Contaminated with Petroleum Hydrocarbons: A Way towards a Remediation Cycle

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Maria Cristina Collivignarelli

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this experimental study was to assess the feasibility of using a wet oxidation (WO process for treating fine soil with a high level of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs. Two samples of soil were spiked with two different contaminants (motor oil, and motor oil + diesel. The samples were subjected to a WO bench plant test, where the effect of the main process parameters (i.e., temperature and reaction time on the removal of TPHs was investigated. Results show that the WO process is effective for the decontamination of hydrocarbons, and a strong reduction (>85% can be obtained with the typical working conditions of a full-scale plant (temperature = 250 °C, reaction time = 30 min. The solid residue resulting from the WO process was characterized in order to evaluate the recovery options. In terms of chemical characterization, the contents of the pollutants comply with the Italian regulations for commercial and industrial site use. Moreover, the results of the leaching test suggested that these residues could be reused for ceramic and brick manufacturing processes.

Gravitational Waves from Gravitational Collapse

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Chris L. Fryer

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Gravitational-wave emission from stellar collapse has been studied for nearly four decades. Current state-of-the-art numerical investigations of collapse include those that use progenitors with more realistic angular momentum profiles, properly treat microphysics issues, account for general relativity, and examine non-axisymmetric effects in three dimensions. Such simulations predict that gravitational waves from various phenomena associated with gravitational collapse could be detectable with ground-based and space-based interferometric observatories. This review covers the entire range of stellar collapse sources of gravitational waves: from the accretion-induced collapse of a white dwarf through the collapse down to neutron stars or black holes of massive stars to the collapse of supermassive stars.

Gravitational waves from gravitational collapse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fryer, Christopher L [Los Alamos National Laboratory; New, Kimberly C [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2008-01-01

Gravitational wave emission from stellar collapse has been studied for nearly four decades. Current state-of-the-art numerical investigations of collapse include those that use progenitors with more realistic angular momentum profiles, properly treat microphysics issues, account for general relativity, and examine non-axisymmetric effects in three dimensions. Such simulations predict that gravitational waves from various phenomena associated with gravitational collapse could be detectable with ground-based and space-based interferometric observatories. This review covers the entire range of stellar collapse sources of gravitational waves: from the accretion induced collapse of a white dwarf through the collapse down to neutron stars or black holes of massive stars to the collapse of supermassive stars.

Geotechnical characteristics of some Iraqi gypseous soils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schanz Tom

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In Iraq, especially in the last three decades, extensive developments have been evidenced in the regions of gypseous soils due to the need of construction of many numbers of strategic projects. Failure of different structures constructed on gypseous soil in various regions in Iraq have been noticed. For this purpose, three areas in northern Iraq were selected (Samarra, Tikrit and Baiji to study their geotechnical characteristics due to their high gypsum contents as well as many engineering problems are faced due to dissolution of gypsum. The experimental work involves testing of many properties such as: scanning electron microscopy (SEM, XRD, chemical, physical, compressibility, collapsibility, shear strength and suction. At low stress level, the test results revealed that, higher collapse potential (CP is recorded for Tikrit soil. While at low stress level, higher CP is obtained for Baiji soil indicating the increase in CP with decreasing gypsum content. Furthermore, the CP significantly increases with increasing stress level and soaking period at a particular stress level. According to severity classification of the collapse potential, Baiji soil is considered as moderate trouble to slight, while Tikrit soil is considered as trouble to moderate. After soaking, both soils become trouble. As well as, the results showed a reduction in Tikrit soil shear parameters ( φ and c after soaking period of 6 and 24 hrs as 12.2 to 9.2% in the internal friction angle and 91.5 to 94.2% in cohesion, respectively with respect to dry condition. Maximum total suction is measured for low consistency soils (liquid limit < 30% represented by Tikrit soil.

Collapse of tall granular columns in fluid

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Krishna; Soga, Kenichi; Delenne, Jean-Yves

2017-06-01

Avalanches, landslides, and debris flows are geophysical hazards, which involve rapid mass movement of granular solids, water, and air as a multi-phase system. In order to describe the mechanism of immersed granular flows, it is important to consider both the dynamics of the solid phase and the role of the ambient fluid. In the present study, the collapse of a granular column in fluid is studied using 2D LBM - DEM. The flow kinematics are compared with the dry and buoyant granular collapse to understand the influence of hydrodynamic forces and lubrication on the run-out. In the case of tall columns, the amount of material destabilised above the failure plane is larger than that of short columns. Therefore, the surface area of the mobilised mass that interacts with the surrounding fluid in tall columns is significantly higher than the short columns. This increase in the area of soil - fluid interaction results in an increase in the formation of turbulent vortices thereby altering the deposit morphology. It is observed that the vortices result in the formation of heaps that significantly affects the distribution of mass in the flow. In order to understand the behaviour of tall columns, the run-out behaviour of a dense granular column with an initial aspect ratio of 6 is studied. The collapse behaviour is analysed for different slope angles: 0°, 2.5°, 5° and 7.5°.

Gravitational Waves from Gravitational Collapse.

Science.gov (United States)

Fryer, Chris L; New, Kimberly C B

2011-01-01

Gravitational-wave emission from stellar collapse has been studied for nearly four decades. Current state-of-the-art numerical investigations of collapse include those that use progenitors with more realistic angular momentum profiles, properly treat microphysics issues, account for general relativity, and examine non-axisymmetric effects in three dimensions. Such simulations predict that gravitational waves from various phenomena associated with gravitational collapse could be detectable with ground-based and space-based interferometric observatories. This review covers the entire range of stellar collapse sources of gravitational waves: from the accretion-induced collapse of a white dwarf through the collapse down to neutron stars or black holes of massive stars to the collapse of supermassive stars. Supplementary material is available for this article at 10.12942/lrr-2011-1.

Evaluation of a Non-Nuclear Soil Density Gauge on Fine-Grained Soils

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-01

U.S. STANDARD SIEVE NUMBERS HYDROMETER fY, in o/. in. 318 in #140 6 in. 3 in. 2 in. 1 in. ’A in #4 ’" #20 #30 #40 ឬ #100 #200 100 J I ’ I I I I I...1 3-20 31 C L-2 U.S. SIEVE OPENING IN INCHES U.S. STANDARD SIEVE NUMBERS HYDROMETER 1Y,in. ’/.in Un~/8 in #140 6 in 3 in. 2 in. 1in. " #4...Particle Size Distribution Reoort Fine PL 14 HYDROMETER %Fines Silt -------,---- PI Project Non-Nuclear Gau_ge Proiect 27 Area Boring No. 3 Date

Growth dynamics of fine roots in a coniferous fern forest site close to Forsmark in the central part of Sweden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Persson, Hans; Stadenberg, Ingela (SLU, Dept. of Ecology and Environmental Research, Uppsala (Sweden))

2007-12-15

The seasonal growth dynamics of live and dead roots for trees and the field layer species (g/m2, varying diameter fractions) and live/dead ratios were analysed at a fresh/moist coniferous fern forest site close to the nuclear power plant at Forsmark in the central eastern parts of Sweden. The changes in depth distribution of fine roots were observed at depth intervals of the top humus horizon down to 40 cm in the mineral soil profile. The bulk of living fine roots of trees (< 1 mm in diameter) were found in the mineral soil horizon the total profile down to 40 cm of the mineral soil, where 89, 82, 83 and 89% of the total amount in the whole profile were found. The upper 2.5 cm part of the humus layer contained 83, 81, 100 and 100% of all roots of the humus layer on the four different sampling occasions. High amounts of living fine roots were found in the upper 10 cm of the mineral soil horizon viz. 84, 76, 91 and 69% of the total mineral soil layer. Consequently, both the top soil horizons of the humus and the mineral soil layers were heavily penetrated by living fine roots. The highest proportion of living fine roots was found in the top 2.5 cm of the humus layer. Accordingly, the live/dead ratio of fine roots (< 1 mm in diameter) decreased from the top of the humus layer to the lower part of mineral soil horizon from 8.0-0.3, 0.8-0.2, 4.4-0.4 and 3.3-0.7 (g g-1) for the four sampling occasions, respectively. We concluded that the decrease in the live/ dead ratio was related to decreased vitality with depth of the fine roots in the soil profile. The highest live/dead ratio was found in the upper 2.5 cm of the humus layer for both the tree and field-layer species. This distribution pattern was most evident for tree fine roots < 1 mm in diameter. The mean fine-root biomass (live tissue < 1 mm in diameter) of tree species for the total profile varied on the four sampling occasions between 317, 113, 139 and 248 g m-2. The related fine root necromass (dead tissue

Soil physical properties affecting soil erosion in tropical soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lobo Lujan, D.

2004-01-01

detachment. Studies on necessary kinetic energy to detach one kilogram of sediments by raindrop impact have shown that the minimum energy is required for particles of 0.125 mm. Particles between 0.063 to 0.250 mm are the most vulnerable to detachment. This means that soils with high content of particles into vulnerable range, for example silty loam, loamy, fine sandy, and sandy loam are the most susceptible soils to detachment. Many aspects of soil behaviour in the field such as hydraulic conductivity water retention, soil crusting, soil compaction, and workability are influenced strongly by the primary particles. In tropical soils also a negative relation between structure stability and particles of silt, fine sand and very fine sand has been found, this is attributed to low cohesiveness of these particles. The ability of a structure to persist is known as its stability. There are two principal types of stability: the ability of the soil to retain its structure under the action of water, and the ability of the soil to retain its structure under the action of external mechanical stresses. (e.g. by wheels). Both types of stability are related with susceptibility to erosion

Soil carbon sequestration potential of permanent pasture and continuous cropping soils in New Zealand.

Science.gov (United States)

McNally, Sam R; Beare, Mike H; Curtin, Denis; Meenken, Esther D; Kelliher, Francis M; Calvelo Pereira, Roberto; Shen, Qinhua; Baldock, Jeff

2017-11-01

Understanding soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration is important to develop strategies to increase the SOC stock and, thereby, offset some of the increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide. Although the capacity of soils to store SOC in a stable form is commonly attributed to the fine (clay + fine silt) fraction, the properties of the fine fraction that determine the SOC stabilization capacity are poorly known. The aim of this study was to develop an improved model to estimate the SOC stabilization capacity of Allophanic (Andisols) and non-Allophanic topsoils (0-15 cm) and, as a case study, to apply the model to predict the sequestration potential of pastoral soils across New Zealand. A quantile (90th) regression model, based on the specific surface area and extractable aluminium (pyrophosphate) content of soils, provided the best prediction of the upper limit of fine fraction carbon (FFC) (i.e. the stabilization capacity), but with different coefficients for Allophanic and non-Allophanic soils. The carbon (C) saturation deficit was estimated as the difference between the stabilization capacity of individual soils and their current C concentration. For long-term pastures, the mean saturation deficit of Allophanic soils (20.3 mg C g -1 ) was greater than that of non-Allophanic soils (16.3 mg C g -1 ). The saturation deficit of cropped soils was 1.14-1.89 times that of pasture soils. The sequestration potential of pasture soils ranged from 10 t C ha -1 (Ultic soils) to 42 t C ha -1 (Melanic soils). Although meeting the estimated national soil C sequestration potential (124 Mt C) is unrealistic, improved management practices targeted to those soils with the greatest sequestration potential could contribute significantly to off-setting New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions. As the first national-scale estimate of SOC sequestration potential that encompasses both Allophanic and non-Allophanic soils, this serves as an informative case study for the international

Texture collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prokopec, T.; Sornborger, A.; Brandenberger, R.H.

1992-01-01

We study single-texture collapse using a leapfrog discretization method on a 30x30x30 spatial lattice. We investigate the influence of boundary conditions, physical size of the lattice, type of space-time background (flat, i.e., nonexpanding, vs radiation-dominated and matter-dominated universes), and spatial distribution of the initial texture configuration on collapse time and critical winding. For a spherically symmetric initial configuration of size equal to the horizon size on a lattice containing 12 (30) horizon volumes, the critical winding is found to be 0.621±0.001 (0.602±0.003) (flat case), 0.624±0.002 (0.604±0.005) (radiation era), 0.628±0.002 (0.612±0.003) (matter era). The larger the physical size of the lattice (in units of the horizon size), the smaller is the critical winding, and in the limit of an infinite lattice, we argue that the critical winding approaches 0.5. For radially asymmetric cases, contraction of one axis ( /Ipancake case) slightly reduces collapse time and critical winding, and contraction of two axes (d/Icigar case) reduces collapse time and critical winding significantly

Defoliation and Soil Compaction Jointly Drive Large-Herbivore Grazing Effects on Plants and Soil Arthropods on Clay Soil

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Klink, R.; Schrama, M.; Nolte, S.; Bakker, J. P.; WallisDeVries, M. F.; Berg, M. P.

In addition to the well-studied impacts of defecation and defoliation, large herbivores also affect plant and arthropod communities through trampling, and the associated soil compaction. Soil compaction can be expected to be particularly important on wet, fine-textured soils. Therefore, we

Defoliation and Soil Compaction Jointly Drive Large-Herbivore Grazing Effects on Plants and Soil Arthropods on Clay Soil

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Klink, R.; Schrama, M.; Nolte, S.; Bakker, Jan P.; WallisDeVries, M.F.; Berg, M.P.

2015-01-01

In addition to the well-studied impacts of defecation and defoliation, large herbivores also affect plant and arthropod communities through trampling, and the associated soil compaction. Soil compaction can be expected to be particularly important on wet, fine-textured soils. Therefore, we

Micromorphological features of the fine earth and skeletal fractions of soils of West Antarctica in the areas of Russian Antarctic stations

Science.gov (United States)

Abakumov, E. V.; Gagarina, E. I.; Sapega, V. F.; Vlasov, D. Yu.

2013-12-01

Micromorphological features of the fine earth and skeletal fractions of soils of West Antarctica forming under different conditions of pedogenesis have been studied in the areas of Russian Antarctic stations. The processes of mineral weathering and alteration of rock fragments are more pronounced in the Subantarctic soils with better developed humification and immobilization of iron compounds under conditions of surface overmoistening. The biogenic accumulative processes in the soils of King George Island result in the appearance of initial forms of humic plasma that have not been detected in the Antarctic soils in the areas of the Russkaya and Leningradskaya stations. Humus films on mineral grains are present in the soils of King George Island, and organic plasmic material is present in the ornithogenic soils under penguin guano on Lindsey Island. High-latitude Antarctic soils may contain surface concentrations of organic matter; rock fragments are covered by iron oxides and soluble salts. The formation of amorphous organic plasma takes place in the ornithogenic soils of Lindsey Island. The microprobe analysis indicates the presence of local concentrations of organic matter and pedogenic compounds not only on the surface of rock fragments but also in the fissures inside them. This analysis has also proved the translocation of guano-derived organic substances inside rock fragments through a system of fissures in the soils of Lindsey Island and the development of a network of pores inside rock fragments in the soils of King George Island.

Relationship between soil texture and soil organic matter content on mined-out lands in Berau, East Kalimantan, Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

WAHJUNI HARTATI

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract. Hartati, Sudarmadji T. 2016. Relationship between soil texture and soil organic matter content on mined-out lands in Berau, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Nusantara Bioscience 8: 83-88. Post open pit mining may in most cases leave unarable and degraded lands due to heavy soil disturbances and therefore reclamation efforts of such area should be addressed on the revitalization of the soil functions for plant growth. The capability of tropical humid soils, including post open pit mining soils, to support plant growth is largely determined by their organic matter content-nutrient pool, soil aggregation, microbial activity, etc. However, soil organic matter content is, to large extent, governed by the soil clay content which is most likely permanent. This may imply that the soil texture couple with soil organic matter content could be a sound measurement to assess the recovery stages of the mined-out lands in term of soil functions for plant growth. This research was conducted in three sites of reclamation area in Berau, East Kalimantan. Soil texture varied from moderately fine (35-40% clay to fine (40-50% clay and very fine (>50% clay for the BMO, SMO and LMO sites respectively. Soil clay eluviations were found in both of SMO (8 years old revegetation and BMO (>12 years old revegetation sites but not in LMO site. Soil organic matter content ranged from very low (12 and 8 years old revegetation when the organic matter content reaching its maximum. The very fine soil texture does not show clay eluviations process until > 12 years old revegetation even containing the highest organic C content and reaches its maximum at 8-10 years old revegetation.

Decomposition of organic carbon in fine soil particles is likely more sensitive to warming than in coarse particles: an incubation study with temperate grassland and forest soils in northern China.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Fan; Huang, Yao; Sun, Wenjuan; Jiang, Guangfu; Chen, Yue

2014-01-01

It is widely recognized that global warming promotes soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition, and soils thus emit more CO2 into the atmosphere because of the warming; however, the response of SOC decomposition to this warming in different soil textures is unclear. This lack of knowledge limits our projection of SOC turnover and CO2 emission from soils after future warming. To investigate the CO2 emission from soils with different textures, we conducted a 107-day incubation experiment. The soils were sampled from temperate forest and grassland in northern China. The incubation was conducted over three short-term cycles of changing temperature from 5°C to 30°C, with an interval of 5°C. Our results indicated that CO2 emissions from sand (>50 µm), silt (2-50 µm), and clay (soils. The temperature sensitivity of the CO2 emission from soil particles, which is expressed as Q10, decreased in the order clay>silt>sand. Our study also found that nitrogen availability in the soil facilitated the temperature dependence of SOC decomposition. A further analysis of the incubation data indicated a power-law decrease of Q10 with increasing temperature. Our results suggested that the decomposition of organic carbon in fine-textured soils that are rich in clay or silt could be more sensitive to warming than those in coarse sandy soils and that SOC might be more vulnerable in boreal and temperate regions than in subtropical and tropical regions under future warming.

Fine root biomass, necromass and chemistry during seven years of elevated aluminium concentrations in the soil solution of a middle-aged Picea abies stand.

Science.gov (United States)

Eldhuset, Toril D; Lange, Holger; de Wit, Helene A

2006-10-01

Toxic effects of aluminium (Al) on Picea abies (L.) Karst. (Norway spruce) trees are well documented in laboratory-scale experiments, but field-based evidence is scarce. This paper presents results on fine root growth and chemistry from a field manipulation experiment in a P. abies stand that was 45 years old when the experiment started in 1996. Different amounts of dissolved aluminium were added as AlCl3 by means of periodic irrigation during the growing season in the period 1997-2002. Potentially toxic concentrations of Al in the soil solution were obtained. Fine roots were studied from direct cores (1996) and sequential root ingrowth cores (1999, 2001, 2002) in the mineral soil (0-40 cm). We tested two hypotheses: (1) elevated concentration of Al in the root zone leads to significant changes in root biomass, partitioning into fine, coarse, living or dead fractions, and distribution with depth; (2) elevated Al concentration leads to a noticeable uptake of Al and reduced uptake of Ca and Mg; this results in Ca and Mg depletion in roots. Hypothesis 1 was only marginally supported, as just a few significant treatment effects on biomass were found. Hypothesis 2 was supported in part; Al addition led to increased root concentrations of Al in 1999 and 2002 and reduced Mg/Al in 1999. Comparison of roots from subsequent root samplings showed a decrease in Al and S over time. The results illustrated that 7 years of elevated Al(tot) concentrations in the soil solution up to 200 microM are not likely to affect root growth. We also discuss possible improvements of the experimental approach.

Mechanism of the 2016 giant twin glacier collapse in Aru range, Tibet

Science.gov (United States)

Gilbert, A.; Leinss, S.; Kääb, A.; Kargel, J. S.; Yao, T.; Gascoin, S.; Leonard, G. J.; Berthier, E.; Karki, A.

2017-12-01

In northwestern Tibet (34.0°N, 82.2°E) near lake Aru Co, the entire ablation area of two unnamed glaciers (Aru-1 and Aru-2) suddenly collapsed on 17 July 2016 and 21 September 2016 and transformed into a mass flow that ran out over a distance of over several km, killing nine people. These two events are unique and defined a new kind of glacier behavior almost never observed before. The only similar event currently documented is the 2002 Kolka Glacier mass flow (Caucasus Mountains). Using remote sensing observations and 3D thermo-mechanical modeling of the two glaciers, we reconstructed glacier thermal regime, thickness, basal friction evolution and ice damaging state prior to the collapse. We show that frictional change leading to the collapse occurred in the temperate areas of a polythermal structure that is likely close to equilibrium with the local climate. The collapses were driven by a fast and sustained friction change in the temperate part of the glacier for which the glacier shape was not able to adjust due to the cold-based parts providing strong resisting force to sliding. This led to high stresses on the cold margins of the glacier where ice deformation became partially accommodated by fracturing until the final collapse occurred. Field investigations reveal that those two glaciers are flowing on a soft and fine-grained sedimentary lithology prone to landslide activity in the presence of water. This suggests that fast friction change in the temperate part of the glacier is linked to shear strength weakening in the sediment and till underneath the glacier in response to increasing water pore pressure at the glacier base. The Kolka Glacier mass flow also occurred on pyroclastic rocks well known for their landslide activities. This suggests that the three gigantic glacier collapses documented to date involve specific bedrock lithology where failure is driven by shear strength weakening in the glacier till in a landslide-like process. Contrary to a

The f electron collapse revisited

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bennett, B.I.

1987-03-01

A reexamination of the collapse of 4f and 5f electrons in the lanthanide and actinide series is presented. The calculations show the well-known collapse of the f electron density at the thresholds of these series along with an f 2 collapse between thorium and protactinium. The collapse is sensitive to the choice of model for the exchange-correlation potential and the behavior of the potential at large radius

The Influence of Soil Particle on Soil Condensation Water

OpenAIRE

Hou Xinwei; Chen Hao; Li Xiangquan; Cui Xiaomei; Liu Lingxia; Wang Zhenxing

2013-01-01

The experiment results showed that the indoor experiment formed from the volume of soil hygroscopic water increased gradually with decreasing size of soil particles. In the outdoor experiments, the results showed that the formed condensation water in medium sand was greater than it was in fine sand; the soil hot condensation water was mainly formed in the top layer of soil between 0-5 cm. We also found that covering the soil surface with stones can increase the volume of formed soil condensat...

Fine root dynamics in lodgepole pine and white spruce stands along productivity gradients in reclaimed oil sands sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Jamro, Ghulam Murtaza; Chang, Scott X; Naeth, M Anne; Duan, Min; House, Jason

2015-10-01

Open-pit mining activities in the oil sands region of Alberta, Canada, create disturbed lands that, by law, must be reclaimed to a land capability equivalent to that existed before the disturbance. Re-establishment of forest cover will be affected by the production and turnover rate of fine roots. However, the relationship between fine root dynamics and tree growth has not been studied in reclaimed oil sands sites. Fine root properties (root length density, mean surface area, total root biomass, and rates of root production, turnover, and decomposition) were assessed from May to October 2011 and 2012 using sequential coring and ingrowth core methods in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl.) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench.) Voss) stands. The pine and spruce stands were planted on peat mineral soil mix placed over tailings sand and overburden substrates, respectively, in reclaimed oil sands sites in Alberta. We selected stands that form a productivity gradient (low, medium, and high productivities) of each tree species based on differences in tree height and diameter at breast height (DBH) increments. In lodgepole pine stands, fine root length density and fine root production, and turnover rates were in the order of high > medium > low productivity sites and were positively correlated with tree height and DBH and negatively correlated with soil salinity (P < 0.05). In white spruce stands, fine root surface area was the only parameter that increased along the productivity gradient and was negatively correlated with soil compaction. In conclusion, fine root dynamics along the stand productivity gradients were closely linked to stand productivity and were affected by limiting soil properties related to the specific substrate used for reconstructing the reclaimed soil. Understanding the impact of soil properties on fine root dynamics and overall stand productivity will help improve land reclamation outcomes.

Effects of long-term temperature and nutrient manipulation on Norway spruce fine roots and mycelia production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leppälammi-Kujansuu, J.; Ostonen, I.; Strömgren, M.

2013-01-01

Aims and methods The effects of changing climate on ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fine roots were studied in northern Sweden by manipulating soil temperature for 14 years and/or by fertilizing for 22 years. Fine root biomass, necromass, EcM root tip biomass, morphology and number as well as mycelia...... production were determined from soil cores and mesh bags. Results and conclusions The fine root biomass and necromass were highest in the fertilized plots, following similar trends in the above-ground biomass, whereas the EcM root tip biomass per basal area decreased by 22 % in the fertilized plots compared...... to the control. Warming increased the fine root biomass, live/dead-ratio and the number of EcM root tips in the mineral soil and tended to increase the production of EcM mycelia. Greater fine root biomass meant more EcM root tips, although the tip frequency was not affected by fertilization or warming...

Distinct Element modeling of geophysical signatures during sinkhole collapse

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Halbouni, Djamil; Holohan, Eoghan P.; Taheri, Abbas; Dahm, Torsten

2017-04-01

A sinkhole forms due to the collapse of rocks or soil near the Earth's surface into an underground cavity. Such cavities represent large secondary pore spaces derived by dissolution and subrosion in the underground. By changing the stress field in the surrounding material, the growth of cavities can lead to a positive feedback, in which expansion and mechanical instability in the surrounding material increases or generates new secondary pore space (e.g. by fracturing), which in turn increases the cavity size, etc. A sinkhole forms due to the eventual subsidence or collapse of the overburden that becomes destabilized and fails all the way to the Earth's surface. Both natural processes like (sub)surface water movement and earthquakes, and human activities, such as mining, construction and groundwater extraction, intensify such feedbacks. The development of models for the mechanical interaction of a growing cavity and fracturing of its surrounding material, thus capturing related precursory geophysical signatures, has been limited, however. Here we report on the advances of a general, simplified approach to simulating cavity growth and sinkhole formation by using 2D Distinct Element Modeling (DEM) PFC5.0 software and thereby constraining pre-, syn- and post-collapse geophysical and geodetic signatures. This physically realistic approach allows for spontaneous cavity development and dislocation of rock mass to be simulated by bonded particle formulation of DEM. First, we present calibration and validation of our model. Surface subsidence above an instantaneously excavated circular cavity is tracked and compared with an incrementally increasing dissolution zone both for purely elastic and non-elastic material.This validation is important for the optimal choice of model dimensions and particles size with respect to simulation time. Second, a cavity growth approach is presented and compared to a well-documented case study, the deliberately intensified sinkhole collapse at

Comparative assessment of fungal augmentation treatments of a fine-textured and historically oil-contaminated soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Covino, Stefano; Stella, Tatiana; D'Annibale, Alessandro; Lladó, Salvador; Baldrian, Petr; Čvančarová, Monika; Cajthaml, Tomas; Petruccioli, Maurizio

2016-10-01

The removal of aged hydrophobic contaminants from fine-textured soils is a challenging issue in remediation. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of augmentation treatments to that of biostimulation in terms of total aliphatic hydrocarbon (TAH) and toxicity removal from a historically contaminated clay soil and to assess their impact on the resident microbial community. To this aim, Pleurotus ostreatus, Botryosphaeria rhodina and a combination of both were used as the inoculants while the addition of a sterilized lignocellulose mixture to soil (1:5, w/w) was used as a biostimulation approach. As opposed to the non-amended control soil, where no changes in TAH concentration and residual toxicity were observed after 60days, the activation of specialized bacteria was found in the biostimulated microcosms resulting in significant TAH removal (79.8%). The bacterial community structure in B. rhodina-augmented microcosms did not differ from the biostimulated microcosms due to the inability of the fungus to be retained within the resident microbiota. Best TAH removals were observed in microcosms inoculated with P. ostreatus alone (Po) and in binary consortium with B. rhodina (BC) (86.8 and 88.2%, respectively). In these microcosms, contaminant degradation exceeded their bioavailability thresholds determined by sequential supercritical CO2 extraction. Illumina metabarcoding of 16S rRNA gene showed that the augmentation with Po and BC led to lower relative abundances of Gram(+) taxa, Actinobacteria in particular, than those in biostimulated microcosms. Best detoxification, with respect to the non-amended incubation control, was found in Po microcosms where a drop in collembola mortality (from 90 to 22%) occurred. At the end of incubation, in both Po and BC, the relative abundances of P. ostreatus sequences were higher than 60% thus showing the suitability of this fungus in bioaugmentation-based remediation applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All

Experiment Study on Determination of Surface Area of Finegrained Soils by Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, X. Q.; Zhou, C. Y.; Fang, Y. G.; Lin, L. S.

2017-12-01

The specific surface area (SSA) has a great influence on the physical and chemical properties of fine-grained soils. Determination of specific surface area is an important content for fine-grained soils micro-meso analysis and characteristic research. In this paper, mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) was adopted to determine the SSA of fine-grained soils including quartz, kaolinite, bentonite and natural Shenzhen soft clay. The test results show that the average values of SSA obtained by MIP are 0.78m2/g, 11.31m2/g, 57.28m2/g and 27.15m2/g respectively for very fine-grained quartz, kaolin, bentonite and natural Shenzhen soft clay, and that it is feasible to apply MIP to obtain the SSA of fine-grained soils through statistical analysis of 97 samples. Through discussion, it is necessary to consider the state of fine-grained soils such as pore ratio when the SSA of fine-grained soils is determined by MIP.

Factors controlling the spatial distribution of soil piping erosion on loess-derived soils: A case study from central Belgium

Science.gov (United States)

Verachtert, E.; Van Den Eeckhaut, M.; Poesen, J.; Deckers, J.

2010-06-01

Collapsible loess-derived soils are prone to soil piping erosion, where enlargement of macropores may lead to a subsurface pipe network and eventually to soil collapse and gully development. This study aims at understanding the main factors controlling spatial patterns of piping in loess-derived soils under a temperate climate. To map the spatial distribution of piping and identify the environmental controls on its distribution, a regional survey was carried out in a 236 km 2 study area in the Flemish Ardennes (Belgium). Orthophotos taken at optimal field conditions (winter) were analyzed to detect piping in open landscapes and ground thruthing was systematically done through field surveys. In total, 137 parcels having 560 collapsed pipes were mapped. Dimensions of the sinkholes and local slope gradient were measured in the field and topographical variables were derived from LiDAR data. Land use plays an important role as 97% of the sites with piping are found under pasture. The probability of piping increases rapidly on hillslopes with gradients exceeding 8% and with a concave profile and plan curvature, enhancing subsurface flow concentration. The zones with soil profiles on shallow loess over a relatively thin layer of homogeneous blue massive clays (Aalbeke Member) are most prone to piping. Soil characteristics are of less importance to explain piping occurrence. Furthermore, the topographical threshold line indicating the critical slope gradient for a given contributing drainage area was determined. This threshold line (negative power relation) is similar to the threshold line for shallow gully initiation.

Long range transport of fine particle windblown soils and coal fired power station emissions into Hanoi between 2001 to 2008

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cohen, D.D.; Crawford, J.; Stelcer, E.; Vuong, T.B. [Australian Nuclear Science & Technology Organisation, Kirrawee DC, NSW (Australia)

2010-10-15

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5), source fingerprints and their contributions have been measured and reported previously at Hanoi, Vietnam, from 25 April 2001 to 31 December 2008. In this study back trajectories are used to identify long range transport into Hanoi for two of these sources, namely, windblown dust (Soil) from 12 major deserts in China and emissions from 33 coal fired power plants (Coal) in Vietnam and China. There were 28 days of extreme Soil events with concentrations greater than 6 {mu} g m{sup -3} and 25 days of extreme Coal with concentrations greater than 30 {mu} g m{sup -3} from a total of 748 sampling days during the study period. Through the use of back trajectories it was found that long range transport of soil from the Taklamakan and Gobi desert regions (more than 3000 km to the north west) accounted for 76% of the extreme events for Soil. The three local Vietnamese power stations contributed to 15% of the extreme Coal events, while four Chinese power stations between 300 km and 1700 km to the north-east of Hanoi contributed 50% of the total extreme Coal events measured at the Hanoi sampling site.

Characteristics of fine and coarse particles of natural and urban aerosols of Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orsini, C.M.Q.; Tabacniks, M.H.; Artaxo Netto, P.E.; Andrade, M.F.; Kerr, A.

1986-02-01

Fine and coarse particles have been sampled from 1982 to 1985 in one natural forest seacoast site (Jureia) and five urban-industrial cities (Vitoria, Salvador, Porto Alegre, Sao Paulo, and Belo Horizonte). The time variations of concentrations in air and the relative elemental compositions of fine and coarse particle fractions, sampled by Nuclepore stacked filter units (SFU), have been determined gravimetrically and by PIXE analysis, respectively. Enrichment factors and correlation coefficients of the trace elements measured lead to unambiguous characterization of soil dust and sea salt, both major aerosol sources that emit coarse particles, and soil dust is also a significant source of fine particles. (Author) [pt

Spatial downscaling of soil prediction models based on weighted generalized additive models in smallholder farm settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Yiming; Smith, Scot E; Grunwald, Sabine; Abd-Elrahman, Amr; Wani, Suhas P; Nair, Vimala D

2017-09-11

Digital soil mapping (DSM) is gaining momentum as a technique to help smallholder farmers secure soil security and food security in developing regions. However, communications of the digital soil mapping information between diverse audiences become problematic due to the inconsistent scale of DSM information. Spatial downscaling can make use of accessible soil information at relatively coarse spatial resolution to provide valuable soil information at relatively fine spatial resolution. The objective of this research was to disaggregate the coarse spatial resolution soil exchangeable potassium (K ex ) and soil total nitrogen (TN) base map into fine spatial resolution soil downscaled map using weighted generalized additive models (GAMs) in two smallholder villages in South India. By incorporating fine spatial resolution spectral indices in the downscaling process, the soil downscaled maps not only conserve the spatial information of coarse spatial resolution soil maps but also depict the spatial details of soil properties at fine spatial resolution. The results of this study demonstrated difference between the fine spatial resolution downscaled maps and fine spatial resolution base maps is smaller than the difference between coarse spatial resolution base maps and fine spatial resolution base maps. The appropriate and economical strategy to promote the DSM technique in smallholder farms is to develop the relatively coarse spatial resolution soil prediction maps or utilize available coarse spatial resolution soil maps at the regional scale and to disaggregate these maps to the fine spatial resolution downscaled soil maps at farm scale.

The role of bank collapse on tidal creek ontogeny: A novel process-based model for bank retreat

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Zheng; Zhao, Kun; Zhang, Changkuan; Dai, Weiqi; Coco, Giovanni; Zhou, Zeng

2018-06-01

Bank retreat in coastal tidal flats plays a primary role on the planimetric shape of tidal creeks and is commonly driven by both flow-induced bank erosion and gravity-induced bank collapse. However, existing modelling studies largely focus on bank erosion and overlook bank collapse. We build a bank retreat model coupling hydrodynamics, bank erosion and bank collapse. To simulate the process of bank collapse, a stress-deformation model is utilized to calculate the stress variation of bank soil after bank erosion, and the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion is then applied to evaluate the stability of the tidal creek bank. Results show that the bank failure process can be categorized into three stages, i.e., shear failure at the bank toe (stage I), tensile failure on the bank top (stage II), and sectional cracking from the bank top to the toe (stage III). With only bank erosion, the planimetric shapes of tidal creeks are funneled due to the gradually seaward increasing discharge. In contrast to bank erosion, bank collapse is discontinuous, and the contribution of bank collapse to bank retreat can reach 85%, highlighting that the expansion of tidal creeks can be dominated by bank collapse process. The planimetric shapes of tidal creeks are funneled with a much faster expansion rate when bank collapse is considered. Overall, this study makes a further step toward more physical and realistic simulation of bank retreat in estuarine and coastal settings and the developed bank collapse module can be readily included in other morphodynamic models.

Prediction of the Soil Water Characteristic from Soil Particle Volume Fractions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Naveed, Muhammad; Møldrup, Per; Tuller, Markus

2012-01-01

Modelling water distribution and flow in partially saturated soils requires knowledge of the soil-water characteristic (SWC). However, measurement of the SWC is challenging and time-consuming, and in some cases not feasible. This study introduces two predictive models (Xw-model and Xw......*-model) for the SWC, derived from readily available soil properties such as texture and bulk density. A total of 46 soils from different horizons at 15 locations across Denmark were used for models evaluation. The Xw-model predicts the volumetric water content as a function of volumetric fines content (organic matter...... (organic matter, clay, silt, fine and coarse sand), variably included in the model depending on the pF value. The volumetric content of a particular soil particle size fraction was included in the model if it was assumed to contribute to the pore size fraction still occupied with water at the given p...

Mechanisms of cascade collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz de la Rubia, T.; Smalinskas, K.; Averback, R.S.; Robertson, I.M.; Hseih, H.; Benedek, R.

1988-12-01

The spontaneous collapse of energetic displacement cascades in metals into vacancy dislocation loops has been investigated by molecular dynamics (MD) computer simulation and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Simulations of 5 keV recoil events in Cu and Ni provide the following scenario of cascade collapse: atoms are ejected from the central region of the cascade by replacement collision sequences; the central region subsequently melts; vacancies are driven to the center of the cascade during resolidification where they may collapse into loops. Whether or not collapse occurs depends critically on the melting temperature of the metal and the energy density and total energy in the cascade. Results of TEM are presented in support of this mechanism. 14 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab

Fine-Root Production in an Amazon Rain Forest: Deep Roots are an Important Component of Net Primary Productivity

Science.gov (United States)

Norby, R.; Cordeiro, A. L.; Oblitas, E.; Valverde-Barrantes, O.; Quesada, C. A.

2017-12-01

Fine-root production is a significant component of net primary production (NPP), but it is the most difficult of the major components to measure. Data on fine-root production are especially sparse from tropical forests, and therefore the estimates of tropical forest NPP may not be accurate. Many estimates of fine-root production are based on observations in the top 15 or 30 cm of soil, with the implicit assumption that this approach will capture most of the root distribution. We measured fine-root production in a 30-m tall, old-growth, terra firme rain forest near Manaus, Brazil, which is the site for a free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiment. Ten minirhizotrons were installed at a 45 degree angle to a depth of 1.1 meters; the tubes were installed 2 years before any measurements were made to allow the root systems to recover from disturbance. Images were collected biweekly, and measurements of root length per area of minirhizotron window were scaled up to grams of root per unit land area. Scaling up minirhizotron measurments is problematic, but our estimate of fine-root standing crop in the top 15 cm of soil (281 ± 37 g dry matter m-2) compares well with a direct measurement of fine roots in two nearby 15-cm soil cores (290 ± 37 g m-2). Although the largest fraction of the fine-root standing crop was in the upper soil horizons, 44% of the fine-root mass was deeper than 30 cm, and 17% was deeper than 60 cm. Annual fine-root production was 934 ± 234 g dry matter m-2 (453 ± 113 g C m-2), which was 35% of estimated NPP of the forest stand (1281 g C m-2). A previous estimate of NPP of the forest at this site was smaller (1010 g m-2), but that estimate relied on fine-root production measured elsewhere and only in the top 10 or 30 cm of soil; fine roots accounted for 21% of NPP in that analysis. Extending root observations deeper into the soil will improve estimates of the contribution of fine-root production to NPP, which will in turn improve estimates of ecosystem

Radiological and microanalytical studies of fine Melnik wines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tonev, Dimiter; Geleva, Elena; Damianova, Anna; Grigorov, Todor; Goutev, Nikolai; Protohristov, Hristo; Stoyanov, Chavdar; Bashev, Vladimir; Popov, Evgeni; Tringovska, Ivanka; Kostova, Dimitrina

2016-01-01

Nuclear methods and chemical fingerprinting can help in the process of determination of the year of production (vintage) and the geographical provenance or designation of origin of high quality wines. For the first time we report results obtained for fine Bulgarian wines from Melnik region, as well as, vineyard soil, vine stems and grape leaves. The gamma-ray activity of the radioisotope 137 Cs has been measured also for the first time in wines from different vintages using low background, high resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. The specific concentrations of 16 elements have been measured in samples from soil, vine stems, grape leaves and fine wines from the type Shiroka Melnishka, which are grown in typical Melnik vineyard by means of Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). The obtained radiological and chemical correlations can be used as initial data base in order to determinate the wine vintage back to 1986 and, eventually, as tool to establish the designation of origin of the Melnik fine wine and the quality of the wine

Evaluation of energy collapsing effect on reactor kinetics parameters by diffusion theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unesaki, Hironobu

1989-01-01

Reactor kinetics parameters play an important role as scaling factors between observed and calculated reactivities in the analysis of reactor physics experiments. In this report, energy collapsing errors in two kinetic parameters, the effective delayed neutron fraction and the neutron life time, are investigated by means of the diffusion theory. Coarse group calculations are made for various energy group structures. Cores of various moderator-to-fuel volume ratios are selected to investigate the influence of neutron spectrum changes on the energy collapsing error. The energy collapsing errors in the effective delayed neutron fraction and neutron life time are much larger than those in k eff . This might be because the former two parameters are functions of both the foward and adjoint flux, whereas the latter is a function of the forward flux alone. The use of coarse constants will cause errors in both fluxes, and the resulting errors in the former will be much more emphasized. As the effective delayed neutron fraction is sensitive to the treatment of an energy region in the vicinity of the fission spectrum peak, the coarse group error in it might differ between cores with different enrichment and composition. Inaccurate weighting of group constants leads to neutron spectra which do not conserve the fine group spectra, and those errors will be emphasized in calculated integral parameters. (N.K.)

Soil-Structure Interaction Effect on Fragility Curve of 3D Models of Concrete Moment-Resisting Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Anvarsamarin

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the probabilistic generation of collapse fragility curves for evaluating the performance of 3D, reinforced concrete (RC moment-resisting building models, considering soil-structure interaction (SSI by concentration on seismic uncertainties. It considers collapse as the loss of lateral load-resisting capacity of the building structures due to severe ground shaking and consequent large interstory drifts intensified by P-Δ effects as well as the strength and stiffness deterioration of their lateral load carrying systems. The estimation of the collapse performance of structures requires the relation between the intensity measure (IM and the probability of collapse that is determined using the generated collapse fragility curves. Considering a number of 6-, 12-, and 18-story, 3D, RC moment-resisting buildings, two scalar IMs are employed to estimate their collapse fragility curve. On the other hand, the effect of the site soil type on the collapse fragility curves was taken into account by considering the soil-structure interaction. According to the obtained results, adopting the average of spectral acceleration (Saavg intensity measure is more efficient in capturing the effect of the inherent uncertainties of the strong ground motions on the structural response parameters. In addition, considering the SSI for soil type D with shear-wave velocity of 180 m/s to 360 m/s reduces the median of intensity measure (IM = Sa(T1 of fragility curve in 6-, 12-, and 18-story buildings by 4.92%, 22.26%, and 23.03%, respectively.

Soil washing treatability testing for rad-waste material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leis, K.S.; Lear, P.R.

1997-01-01

Soil washing treatability testing was successfully completed on soil contaminated with Ra-226 and Th-232. The objective of the soil washing study was to determine if the radiologically contaminated fraction of the soil could be separated from the bulk of the soil material. The cleanup criteria was 38 microm) fraction was allowed to settle and was washed to separate it from the highly contaminated fine (< 38 microm) fraction. The clean coarse fraction comprised 85.7% of the total solids and had less than 15 pCi/g of Ra-226 and Th-232. This material was to be disposed at a RCRA Subtitle D disposal facility. The suspended fines were flocculated and dewatered to minimize the amount of highly contaminated material produced by the soil washing. The dewatered fines would require disposal at a low-level radiological disposal facility. Mass balance calculations were made to determine production rates and chemical and equipment requirements for the full-scale soil washing treatment

Effect of Binder and Mold parameters on Collapsibility and Surface Finish of Gray Cast Iron No-bake Sand Molds

Science.gov (United States)

Srinivasulu Reddy, K.; Venkata Reddy, Vajrala; Mandava, Ravi Kumar

2017-08-01

Chemically bonded no-bake molds and cores have good mechanical properties and produce dimensionally accurate castings compared to green sand molds. Poor collapsibility property of CO2 hardened sodium silicate bonded sand mold and phenolic urethane no-bake (PUN) binder system, made the reclamation of the sands more important. In the present work fine silica sand is mixed with phenolic urethane no-bake binder and the sand sets in a very short time within few minutes. In this paper it is focused on optimizing the process parameters of PUN binder based sand castings for better collapsibility and surface finish of gray cast iron using Taguchi design. The findings were successfully verified through experiments.

Spherical dust collapse in higher dimensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goswami, Rituparno; Joshi, Pankaj S.

2004-01-01

We consider here whether it is possible to recover cosmic censorship when a transition is made to higher-dimensional spacetimes, by studying the spherically symmetric dust collapse in an arbitrary higher spacetime dimension. It is pointed out that if only black holes are to result as the end state of a continual gravitational collapse, several conditions must be imposed on the collapsing configuration, some of which may appear to be restrictive, and we need to study carefully if these can be suitably motivated physically in a realistic collapse scenario. It would appear, that, in a generic higher-dimensional dust collapse, both black holes and naked singularities would develop as end states as indicated by the results here. The mathematical approach developed here generalizes and unifies the earlier available results on higher-dimensional dust collapse as we point out. Further, the dependence of black hole or naked singularity end states as collapse outcomes on the nature of the initial data from which the collapse develops is brought out explicitly and in a transparent manner as we show here. Our method also allows us to consider here in some detail the genericity and stability aspects related to the occurrence of naked singularities in gravitational collapse

Spherically symmetric radiation in gravitational collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bridy, D.J.

1983-01-01

This paper investigates a previously neglected mode by which a star may lose energy in the late stages of gravitational collapse to the black hole state. A model consisting of a Schwarzschild exterior matched to a Friedman interior of collapsing pressureless dust is studied. The matter of the collapsing star is taken as the source of a massive vector boson field and a detailed boundary value problem is carried out. Vector mesons are strongly coupled to all nucleons and will be radiated by ordinary matter during the collapse. The time dependent coupling between interior and exterior modes matched across the moving boundary of the collapsing star and the presence of the gravitational fields and their gradients in the field equations may give rise to a parametric amplification mechanism and permit the gravitational field to pump energy into the boson field, greatly enhancing the amount of boson radiation. The significance of a radiative mechanism driven by collapse is that it can react back upon the collapsing source and deprive it of some of the very mass that drives the collapse via its self gravitation. If the mass loss is great enough, this may provide a mechanism to slow or even halt gravitational collapse in some cases

Spherical Collapse in Chameleon Models

CERN Document Server

Brax, Ph; Steer, D A

2010-01-01

We study the gravitational collapse of an overdensity of nonrelativistic matter under the action of gravity and a chameleon scalar field. We show that the spherical collapse model is modified by the presence of a chameleon field. In particular, we find that even though the chameleon effects can be potentially large at small scales, for a large enough initial size of the inhomogeneity the collapsing region possesses a thin shell that shields the modification of gravity induced by the chameleon field, recovering the standard gravity results. We analyse the behaviour of a collapsing shell in a cosmological setting in the presence of a thin shell and find that, in contrast to the usual case, the critical density for collapse depends on the initial comoving size of the inhomogeneity.

Spherical collapse in chameleon models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brax, Ph. [Institut de Physique Théorique, CEA, IPhT, CNRS, URA 2306, F-91191Gif/Yvette Cedex (France); Rosenfeld, R. [Instituto de Física Teórica, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rua Dr. Bento T. Ferraz, 271, 01140-070, São Paulo (Brazil); Steer, D.A., E-mail: brax@spht.saclay.cea.fr, E-mail: rosenfel@ift.unesp.br, E-mail: daniele.steer@apc.univ-paris7.fr [APC, UMR 7164, CNRS, Université Paris 7, 10 rue Alice Domon et Léonie Duquet, 75205 Paris Cedex 13 (France)

2010-08-01

We study the gravitational collapse of an overdensity of nonrelativistic matter under the action of gravity and a chameleon scalar field. We show that the spherical collapse model is modified by the presence of a chameleon field. In particular, we find that even though the chameleon effects can be potentially large at small scales, for a large enough initial size of the inhomogeneity the collapsing region possesses a thin shell that shields the modification of gravity induced by the chameleon field, recovering the standard gravity results. We analyse the behaviour of a collapsing shell in a cosmological setting in the presence of a thin shell and find that, in contrast to the usual case, the critical density for collapse in principle depends on the initial comoving size of the inhomogeneity.

Spherical collapse in chameleon models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brax, Ph.; Rosenfeld, R.; Steer, D.A.

2010-01-01

We study the gravitational collapse of an overdensity of nonrelativistic matter under the action of gravity and a chameleon scalar field. We show that the spherical collapse model is modified by the presence of a chameleon field. In particular, we find that even though the chameleon effects can be potentially large at small scales, for a large enough initial size of the inhomogeneity the collapsing region possesses a thin shell that shields the modification of gravity induced by the chameleon field, recovering the standard gravity results. We analyse the behaviour of a collapsing shell in a cosmological setting in the presence of a thin shell and find that, in contrast to the usual case, the critical density for collapse in principle depends on the initial comoving size of the inhomogeneity

Fine root production at drained peatland sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Finer, L [Finnish Forest Research Inst. (Finland). Joensuu Research Station; Laine, J [Helsinki Univ. (Finland). Dept. of Forest Ecology

1997-12-31

The preliminary results of the Finnish project `Carbon balance of peatlands and climate change` show that fine roots play an important role in carbon cycling on peat soils. After drainage the roots of mire species are gradually replaced by the roots of trees and other forest species. Pine fine root biomass reaches a maximum level by the time of crown closure, some 20 years after drainage on pine mire. The aim of this study is to compare the results of the sequential coring method and the ingrowth bag method used for estimating fine root production on three drained peatland sites of different fertility. The results are preliminary and continuation to the work done in the study Pine root production on drained peatlands, which is part of the Finnish project `Carbon cycling on peatlands and climate change`. In this study the fine root biomass was greater on the poor site than on the rich sites. Pine fine root production increased with the decrease in fertility. Root turnover and the production of field layer species were greater on the rich sites than on the poor site. The results suggested that the in growth bag method measured more root activity than the magnitude of production. More than two growing seasons would have been needed to balance the root dynamics in the in growth bags with the surrounding soil. That time would probably have been longer on the poor site than on the rich ones and longer for pine and field layer consisting of dwarf shrubs than for field layer consisting of sedge like species and birch. (11 refs.)

Fine root production at drained peatland sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Finer, L. [Finnish Forest Research Inst. (Finland). Joensuu Research Station; Laine, J. [Helsinki Univ. (Finland). Dept. of Forest Ecology

1996-12-31

The preliminary results of the Finnish project `Carbon balance of peatlands and climate change` show that fine roots play an important role in carbon cycling on peat soils. After drainage the roots of mire species are gradually replaced by the roots of trees and other forest species. Pine fine root biomass reaches a maximum level by the time of crown closure, some 20 years after drainage on pine mire. The aim of this study is to compare the results of the sequential coring method and the ingrowth bag method used for estimating fine root production on three drained peatland sites of different fertility. The results are preliminary and continuation to the work done in the study Pine root production on drained peatlands, which is part of the Finnish project `Carbon cycling on peatlands and climate change`. In this study the fine root biomass was greater on the poor site than on the rich sites. Pine fine root production increased with the decrease in fertility. Root turnover and the production of field layer species were greater on the rich sites than on the poor site. The results suggested that the in growth bag method measured more root activity than the magnitude of production. More than two growing seasons would have been needed to balance the root dynamics in the in growth bags with the surrounding soil. That time would probably have been longer on the poor site than on the rich ones and longer for pine and field layer consisting of dwarf shrubs than for field layer consisting of sedge like species and birch. (11 refs.)

Tracheal collapse in two cats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hendricks, J.C.; O'Brien, J.A.

1985-01-01

Two cats examined bronchoscopically to discover the cause of tracheal collapse were found to have tracheal obstruction cranial to the collapse. Cats with this unusual sign should be examined bronchoscopically to ascertain whether there is an obstruction, as the cause in these 2 cats was distinct from the diffuse airway abnormality that causes tracheal collapse in dogs

Continuous data assimilation for downscaling large-footprint soil moisture retrievals

KAUST Repository

Altaf, M. U.

2016-09-01

Soil moisture is a crucial component of the hydrologic cycle, significantly influencing runoff, infiltration, recharge, evaporation and transpiration processes. Models characterizing these processes require soil moisture as an input, either directly or indirectly. Better characterization of the spatial variability of soil moisture leads to better predictions from hydrologic/climate models. In-situ measurements have fine resolution, but become impractical in terms of coverage over large extents. Remotely sensed data have excellent spatial coverage extents, but suffer from poorer spatial and temporal resolution. We present here an innovative approach to downscaling coarse resolution soil moisture data by combining data assimilation and physically based modeling. In this approach, we exploit the features of Continuous Data Assimilation (CDA). A nudging term, estimated as the misfit between interpolants of the assimilated coarse grid measurements and the fine grid model solution, is added to the model equations to constrain the model’s large scale variability by available measurements. Soil moisture fields generated at a fine resolution by a physically-based vadose zone model (e.g., HYDRUS) are subjected to data assimilation conditioned upon the coarse resolution observations. This enables nudging of the model outputs towards values that honor the coarse resolution dynamics while still being generated at the fine scale. The large scale features of the model output are constrained to the observations, and as a consequence, the misfit at the fine scale is reduced. The advantage of this approach is that fine resolution soil moisture maps can be generated across large spatial extents, given the coarse resolution data. The data assimilation approach also enables multi-scale data generation which is helpful to match the soil moisture input data to the corresponding modeling scale. Application of this approach is likely in generating fine and intermediate resolution soil

Massive collapse of two glaciers in western Tibet in 2016 after surge-like instability

Science.gov (United States)

Kääb, Andreas; Leinss, Silvan; Gilbert, Adrien; Bühler, Yves; Gascoin, Simon; Evans, Stephen G.; Bartelt, Perry; Berthier, Etienne; Brun, Fanny; Chao, Wei-An; Farinotti, Daniel; Gimbert, Florent; Guo, Wanqin; Huggel, Christian; Kargel, Jeffrey S.; Leonard, Gregory J.; Tian, Lide; Treichler, Désirée; Yao, Tandong

2018-02-01

Surges and glacier avalanches are expressions of glacier instability, and among the most dramatic phenomena in the mountain cryosphere. Until now, the catastrophic collapse of a glacier, combining the large volume of surges and mobility of ice avalanches, has been reported only for the 2002 130 × 106 m3 detachment of Kolka Glacier (Caucasus Mountains), which has been considered a globally singular event. Here, we report on the similar detachment of the entire lower parts of two adjacent glaciers in western Tibet in July and September 2016, leading to an unprecedented pair of giant low-angle ice avalanches with volumes of 68 ± 2 × 106 m3 and 83 ± 2 × 106 m3. On the basis of satellite remote sensing, numerical modelling and field investigations, we find that the twin collapses were caused by climate- and weather-driven external forcing, acting on specific polythermal and soft-bed glacier properties. These factors converged to produce surge-like enhancement of driving stresses and massively reduced basal friction connected to subglacial water and fine-grained bed lithology, to eventually exceed collapse thresholds in resisting forces of the tongues frozen to their bed. Our findings show that large catastrophic instabilities of low-angle glaciers can happen under rare circumstances without historical precedent.

Tillage-induced changes to soil structure and organic carbon fractions in New Zealand soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shepherd, T. G.; Saggar, S.; Ross, C. W.; Dando, J. L.; Newman, R. H.

2001-01-01

The effects of increasing cropping and soil compaction on aggregate stability and dry-sieved aggregate-size distribution, and their relationship to total organic C (TOC) and the major functional groups of soil organic carbon, were investigated on 5 soils of contrasting mineralogy. All soils except the allophanic soil showed a significant decline in aggregate stability under medium- to long-term cropping. Mica-rich, fine-textured mineral and humic soils showed the greatest increase in the mean weight diameter (MWD) of dry aggregates, while the oxide-rich soils, and particularly the allophanic soils, showed only a slight increase in the MWD after long-term cropping. On conversion back to pasture, the aggregate stability of the mica-rich soils increased and the MWD of the aggregate-size distribution decreased, with the humic soil showing the greatest recovery. Aggregate stability and dry aggregate-size distribution patterns show that soil resistance to structural degradation and soil resilience increased from fine-textured to coarse-textured to humic mica-rich soils to oxide-rich soils to allophanic soils. Coarse- and fine-textured mica-rich and oxide-rich soils under pasture contained medium amounts of TOC, hot-water soluble carbohydrate (WSC), and acid hydrolysable carbohydrate (AHC), all of which declined significantly under cropping. The rate of decline varied with soil type in the initial years of cropping, but was similar under medium- and long-term cropping. TOC was high in the humic mica-rich and allophanic soils, and levels did not decline appreciably under medium- and long-term cropping. 13 C-nuclear magnetic resonance evidence also indicates that all major functional groups of soil organic carbon declined under cropping, with O-alkyl C and alkyl C showing the fastest and slowest rate of decline, respectively. On conversion back to pasture, both WSC and AHC returned to levels originally present under long-term pasture. TOC recovered to original pasture

Permafrost collapse shifts alpine tundra to a carbon source but reduces N2O and CH4 release on the northern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Science.gov (United States)

Mu, C.

2017-12-01

Important unknowns remain about how abrupt permafrost collapse (thermokarst) affects carbon balance and greenhouse gas flux, limiting our ability to predict the magnitude and timing of the permafrost carbon feedback. We measured monthly, growing-season fluxes of CO2, CH4, and N2O at a large thermokarst feature in alpine tundra on the northern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Thermokarst formation disrupted plant growth and soil hydrology, shifting the ecosystem from a growing-season carbon sink to a weak source, but decreasing feature-level CH4 and N2O flux. Temperature-corrected ecosystem respiration from decomposing permafrost soil was 2.7 to 9.5-fold higher than in similar features from Arctic and Boreal regions, suggesting that warmer and dryer conditions on the northern QTP could accelerate carbon decomposition following permafrost collapse. N2O flux was similar to the highest values reported for Arctic ecosystems, and was 60% higher from exposed mineral soil on the feature floor, confirming Arctic observations of coupled nitrification and denitrification in collapsed soils. Q10 values for respiration were typically over 4, suggesting high temperature sensitivity of thawed carbon. Taken together, these results suggest that QTP permafrost carbon in alpine tundra is highly vulnerable to mineralization following thaw, and that N2O production could be an important non-carbon permafrost climate feedback.

Physical, chemical and mineralogical characteristics of some selected gardud soils of kordofan region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elgubshawi, Abdelmoneim Ahmed Ismail

1995-05-01

Recently much of the attention is given to gardud soil as the main alternative for the depleted marginal sandy soils. A lack of exact knowledge regarding these soils are evident. For studying gardud soil four sites were chosen according to the annual rainfall. Two pits were excavated in each site to represent the concaved and convexed locations plus composite samples to cover the area between two pits. Morphological, physical, chemical and mineralogical investigations were made. The results showed that the gardud soils were relatively differed within and between sites due to the climate and the topography. The dominant clay minerals are kaolinite, montmorillonite and illte. The chemical and physical characteristics were poor. Some of the restrictions limiting the use of these soils such as erosion, hardness, fertility, stoniness, drought and acidity. According to the American system of soil classification, the soils studied were given the following classification: (1) Bardab soil: (A) Kanhablic rhodustalf-fine clay, kaolinite, isohyperthermic (concaved). (B) Kandic paleustalf-very fine clay, kaolinite, isohyperthermic (convexed). (2) Sodari: (A) Typic comborthid-coarse loamy, mixed hyperthermic (concave). (B) Typic comborthid-coarse loamy, mixed hyperthermic (convexed). (3) Nihud (Rahad Elsilk): (A) Rhodic paleustalf-fine loamy, kaolinite isohyperthermic (concaved). (B) Aridic paleustalf-fine loamy kaolinite isohyperthermic (convexed). (4) Umgamalla: (A) Ustic hapustalf-fine loamy kaolinite isohyperthermic (concaved). (B)Ustic hapustalf-fine loamy kaolinite isohyperthermic (convexed). (Author)

Physical, chemical and mineralogical characteristics of some selected gardud soils of kordofan region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elgubshawi, Abdelmoneim Ahmed Ismail [Department of Biochemistry and Soil Science, Faculty of agriculture, University of Khartoum, Khartoum (Sudan)

1995-05-01

Recently much of the attention is given to gardud soil as the main alternative for the depleted marginal sandy soils. A lack of exact knowledge regarding these soils are evident. For studying gardud soil four sites were chosen according to the annual rainfall. Two pits were excavated in each site to represent the concaved and convexed locations plus composite samples to cover the area between two pits. Morphological, physical, chemical and mineralogical investigations were made. The results showed that the gardud soils were relatively differed within and between sites due to the climate and the topography. The dominant clay minerals are kaolinite, montmorillonite and illte. The chemical and physical characteristics were poor. Some of the restrictions limiting the use of these soils such as erosion, hardness, fertility, stoniness, drought and acidity. According to the American system of soil classification, the soils studied were given the following classification: (1) Bardab soil: (A) Kanhablic rhodustalf-fine clay, kaolinite, isohyperthermic (concaved). (B) Kandic paleustalf-very fine clay, kaolinite, isohyperthermic (convexed). (2) Sodari: (A) Typic comborthid-coarse loamy, mixed hyperthermic (concave). (B) Typic comborthid-coarse loamy, mixed hyperthermic (convexed). (3) Nihud (Rahad Elsilk): (A) Rhodic paleustalf-fine loamy, kaolinite isohyperthermic (concaved). (B) Aridic paleustalf-fine loamy kaolinite isohyperthermic (convexed). (4) Umgamalla: (A) Ustic hapustalf-fine loamy kaolinite isohyperthermic (concaved). (B)Ustic hapustalf-fine loamy kaolinite isohyperthermic (convexed). (Author) 39 refs. , 8 tabs. , 35 figs.

Elevated CO2 and O3 effects on fine-root survivorship in ponderosa pine mesocosms.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Donald L; Johnson, Mark G; Tingey, David T; Storm, Marjorie J

2009-07-01

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO(2)) and ozone (O(3)) concentrations are rising, which may have opposing effects on tree C balance and allocation to fine roots. More information is needed on interactive CO(2) and O(3) effects on roots, particularly fine-root life span, a critical demographic parameter and determinant of soil C and N pools and cycling rates. We conducted a study in which ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) seedlings were exposed to two levels of CO(2) and O(3) in sun-lit controlled-environment mesocosms for 3 years. Minirhizotrons were used to monitor individual fine roots in three soil horizons every 28 days. Proportional hazards regression was used to analyze effects of CO(2), O(3), diameter, depth, and season of root initiation on fine-root survivorship. More fine roots were produced in the elevated CO(2) treatment than in ambient CO(2). Elevated CO(2), increasing root diameter, and increasing root depth all significantly increased fine-root survivorship and median life span. Life span was slightly, but not significantly, lower in elevated O(3), and increased O(3) did not reduce the effect of elevated CO(2). Median life spans varied from 140 to 448 days depending on the season of root initiation. These results indicate the potential for elevated CO(2) to increase the number of fine roots and their residence time in the soil, which is also affected by root diameter, root depth, and phenology.

Collapse of large extra dimensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geddes, James

2002-01-01

In models of spacetime that are the product of a four-dimensional spacetime with an 'extra' dimension, there is the possibility that the extra dimension will collapse to zero size, forming a singularity. We ask whether this collapse is likely to destroy the spacetime. We argue, by an appeal to the four-dimensional cosmic censorship conjecture, that--at least in the case when the extra dimension is homogeneous--such a collapse will lead to a singularity hidden within a black string. We also construct explicit initial data for a spacetime in which such a collapse is guaranteed to occur and show how the formation of a naked singularity is likely avoided

Cylindrical collapse and gravitational waves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herrera, L [Escuela de FIsica, Faculdad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela (Venezuela); Santos, N O [Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, CNRS/FRE 2460 LERMA/ERGA, Tour 22-12, 4eme etage, BoIte 142, 4 place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05 (France); Laboratorio Nacional de Computacao Cientifica, 25651-070 Petropolis RJ (Brazil); Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas, 22290-180 Rio de Janeiro RJ (Brazil)

2005-06-21

We study the matching conditions for a collapsing anisotropic cylindrical perfect fluid, and we show that its radial pressure is non-zero on the surface of the cylinder and proportional to the time-dependent part of the field produced by the collapsing fluid. This result resembles the one that arises for the radiation-though non-gravitational-in the spherically symmetric collapsing dissipative fluid, in the diffusion approximation.

Collapse models with non-white noises

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adler, Stephen L; Bassi, Angelo

2007-01-01

We set up a general formalism for models of spontaneous wavefunction collapse with dynamics represented by a stochastic differential equation driven by general Gaussian noises, not necessarily white in time. In particular, we show that the non-Schroedinger terms of the equation induce the collapse of the wavefunction to one of the common eigenstates of the collapsing operators, and that the collapse occurs with the correct quantum probabilities. We also develop a perturbation expansion of the solution of the equation with respect to the parameter which sets the strength of the collapse process; such an approximation allows one to compute the leading-order terms for the deviations of the predictions of collapse models with respect to those of standard quantum mechanics. This analysis shows that to leading order, the 'imaginary noise' trick can be used for non-white Gaussian noise

Soil crusting regulator characteristics of some allic humid tropical soils from Colombia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arias, Dora M; Madero E E; Amezquita E

2001-01-01

It was collected soil samples within 5 cm of the surface from Amazonia soils in Caqueta (Macagual); Orinoquia in Meta (Carimagua), Casanare (Matazul) and Vichada (La Primavera); and in Andean region in Cauca (San Isidro) and Valle (CIAT, Palmira). In each of those sites, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) has many experiments to know the impact of land husbandry, leguminous associations and rotations and mulches on natural system. After evaluating weighed particle size, sand particle size, soil organic matter, iron, aluminum and silicon oxides, and fertility, it could cluster in three groups according to those characteristics and their importance in governing soil hazard crusting: la Primavera and Carimagua (high organic matter, oxides and fine sand but low in clay); Matazul and Macagual (low in organic matter, oxides and clay but variable sand values); and San Isidro (the greatest in Al 2 O 3 concentrations, high in Fe 2 O 3 clay and fine sand but the poorest in soil organic matter). Soil organic matter contents were significantly associated with the kind of management

Radionuclides deposition and fine sediment transport in a forested watershed, central Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Nam, S.; Gomi, T.; Kato, H.; Tesfaye, T.; Onda, Y.

2011-12-01

We investigated radionuclides deposition and fine sediment transport in a 13 ha headwater watershed, Tochigi prefecture, located in 98.94 km north of Tokyo. The study site was within Karasawa experimental forest, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. We conducted fingerprinting approach, based on the activities of fallout radionuclides, including caesium-134 (Cs-134) caesium-137 (Cs-137) and excess lead-210 (Pb-210ex). For indentifying specific sources of fine sediment, we sampled tree, soil on forested floor, soil on logging road surface, stream bed and stream banks. We investigated the radionuclides (i.e., as Cs-134, Cs-137 and Pb-210ex) deposition on tree after accident of nuclear power plants on March 11, 2011. We sampled fruits, leaves, branches, stems, barks on Japanese cedar (Sugi) and Japanese cypress (Hinoki). To analyze the samples, gammaray spectrometry was performed at a laboratory at the University of Tsukuba (Tsukuba City, Japan) using n-type coaxial low-energy HPGe gamma detectors (EGC-200-R and EGC25-195-R of EURYSIS Co., Lingolsheim, France) coupled with a multichannel analyzer. We also collected soil samples under the forest canopy in various soil depths from 2, 5, 10, 20, 30 cm along transect of hillslopes. Samples at forest road were collected road segments crossing on the middle section of monitoring watersheds. Fine sediment transport in the streams were collected at the outlet of 13 ha watersheds using integrated suspended sediment samplers. This study indicates the some portion of radio nuclide potentially remained on the tree surface. Part of the deposited radionuclides attached to soil particles and transported to the streams. Most of the fine sediment can be transported on road surface and/or near stream side (riparian zones).

High-resolution simulations of cylindrical void collapse in energetic materials: Effect of primary and secondary collapse on initiation thresholds

Science.gov (United States)

Rai, Nirmal Kumar; Schmidt, Martin J.; Udaykumar, H. S.

2017-04-01

Void collapse in energetic materials leads to hot spot formation and enhanced sensitivity. Much recent work has been directed towards simulation of collapse-generated reactive hot spots. The resolution of voids in calculations to date has varied as have the resulting predictions of hot spot intensity. Here we determine the required resolution for reliable cylindrical void collapse calculations leading to initiation of chemical reactions. High-resolution simulations of collapse provide new insights into the mechanism of hot spot generation. It is found that initiation can occur in two different modes depending on the loading intensity: Either the initiation occurs due to jet impact at the first collapse instant or it can occur at secondary lobes at the periphery of the collapsed void. A key observation is that secondary lobe collapse leads to large local temperatures that initiate reactions. This is due to a combination of a strong blast wave from the site of primary void collapse and strong colliding jets and vortical flows generated during the collapse of the secondary lobes. The secondary lobe collapse results in a significant lowering of the predicted threshold for ignition of the energetic material. The results suggest that mesoscale simulations of void fields may suffer from significant uncertainty in threshold predictions because unresolved calculations cannot capture the secondary lobe collapse phenomenon. The implications of this uncertainty for mesoscale simulations are discussed in this paper.

Potential collapse due to geological structures influence in Seropan Cave, Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Nugroho, B.; Pranantya, P. A.; Witjahjati, R.; Rofinus

2018-01-01

This study aims to estimate the potential collapse in the Seropan cave, based on the existing geological structure conditions in the cave. This is very necessary because in the Seropan cave will be built Microhydro installation for power plants. The electricity will be used to raise the underground river water in the cave to a barren soil surface, which can be used for surface irrigation. The method used is analysis the quality of rock mass along the cave. Analysis of rock mass quality using Geomechanical Classification or Rock Mass Rating (RMR), to determine the magnitude of the effect of geological structure on rock mass stability. The research path is divided into several sections and quality analysis is performed on each section. The results show that the influence of geological structure is very large and along the cave where the research there are several places that have the potential to collapse, so need to get serious attention in handling it. Nevertheless, the construction of this Microhydro installation can still be carried out by making a reinforcement on potentially collapsing parts

Predicting mining collapse: Superjerks and the appearance of record-breaking events in coal as collapse precursors

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Xiang; Liu, Hanlong; Main, Ian G.; Salje, Ekhard K. H.

2017-08-01

The quest for predictive indicators for the collapse of coal mines has led to a robust criterion from scale-model tests in the laboratory. Mechanical collapse under uniaxial stress forms avalanches with a power-law probability distribution function of radiated energy P ˜E-ɛ , with exponent ɛ =1.5 . Impending major collapse is preceded by a reduction of the energy exponent to the mean-field value ɛ =1.32 . Concurrently, the crackling noise increases in intensity and the waiting time between avalanches is reduced when the major collapse is approaching. These latter criteria were so-far deemed too unreliable for safety assessments in coal mines. We report a reassessment of previously collected extensive collapse data sets using "record-breaking analysis," based on the statistical appearance of "superjerks" within a smaller spectrum of collapse events. Superjerks are defined as avalanche signals with energies that surpass those of all previous events. The final major collapse is one such superjerk but other "near collapse" events equally qualify. In this way a very large data set of events is reduced to a sparse sequence of superjerks (21 in our coal sample). The main collapse can be anticipated from the sequence of energies and waiting times of superjerks, ignoring all weaker events. Superjerks are excellent indicators for the temporal evolution, and reveal clear nonstationarity of the crackling noise at constant loading rate, as well as self-similarity in the energy distribution of superjerks as a function of the number of events so far in the sequence Es j˜nδ with δ =1.79 . They are less robust in identifying the precise time of the final collapse, however, than the shift of the energy exponents in the whole data set which occurs only over a short time interval just before the major event. Nevertheless, they provide additional diagnostics that may increase the reliability of such forecasts.

Short-Term Effects of Low Intensity Thinning on the Fine Root Dynamics of Pinus massoniana Plantations in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yafei Shen

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Fine roots play an important role in plant growth as well as carbon (C and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Fine roots are important for understanding the contribution of forests to the global C cycle. Knowledge about this topic is still limited, especially regarding the effects of different forest management practices. This study investigated the seasonal dynamics of fine roots (<2 mm in masson pine (P. massoniana plantations for one year after low intensity thinning by using a sequential soil coring method. The fine roots showed pronounced seasonal dynamics, with a peak of fine root biomass (FRB occurring in September. Significant differences were noted in the seasonal dynamics of FRB for the different diameter size sub-classes (≤0.5 mm, 0.5–1 mm and 1–2 mm; also FRB was inversely related to soil depth. Moreover, the FRB (≤0.5 mm and 0.5–1 mm except 1–2 mm in the thinning plots was greater than that in the control only in the upper soil layer (0–10 cm. Furthermore, the FRB varied significantly with soil temperature, moisture and nutrients depended on the diameter sub-class considered. Significant differences in the soil temperature and moisture levels were noted between low-intensity thinned and control plots. Soil nutrient levels slightly decreased after low-intensity thinning. In addition, there was a more sensitive relationship between the very fine roots (diameter < 0.5 mm and soil nutrients. Our results showed an influence of low-intensity thinning on the fine root dynamics with a different magnitude according to fine root diameter sub-classes. These results provide a theoretical basis to promote the benefits of C cycling in the management of P. massoniana forests.

Comparative effects of simulated acid rain of different ratios of SO42- to NO3- on fine root in subtropical plantation of China.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xin; Zhao, Wenrui; Meng, Miaojing; Fu, Zhiyuan; Xu, Linhao; Zha, Yan; Yue, Jianmin; Zhang, Shuifeng; Zhang, Jinchi

2018-03-15

The influence of acid rain on forest trees includes direct effects on foliage as well as indirect soil-mediated effects that cause a reduction in fine-root growth. In addition, the concentration of NO 3 - in acid rain increases with the rapidly growing of nitrogen deposition. In this study, we investigated the impact of simulated acid rain with different SO 4 2- /NO 3 - (S/N) ratios, which were 5:1 (S), 1:1 (SN) and 1:5 (N), on fine-root growth from March 2015 to February 2016. Results showed that fine roots were more sensitive to the effects of acid rain than soils in the short-term. Both soil pH and fine root biomass (FRB) significantly decreased as acid rain pH decreased, and also decreased with the percentage of NO 3 - increased in acid rain. Acid rain pH significantly influenced soil total carbon and available potassium in summer. Higher acidity level (pH=2.5), especially of the N treatments, had the strongest inhibitory impact on soil microbial activity after summer. The structural equation modelling results showed that acid rain S/N ratio and pH had stronger direct effects on FRB than indirect effects via changed soil and fine root properties. Fine-root element contents and antioxidant enzymes activities were significantly affected by acid rain S/N ratio and pH during most seasons. Fine-root Al ion content, Ca/Al, Mg/Al ratios and catalase activity were used as better indicators than soil parameters for evaluating the effects of different acid rain S/N ratios and pH on forests. Our results suggest that the ratio of SO 4 2- to NO 3 - in acid rain is an important factor which could affect fine-root growth in subtropical forests of China. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Fine root dynamics and trace gas fluxes in two lowland tropical forest soils.

Science.gov (United States)

WHENDEE L. SILVER; ANDREW W. THOMPSON; MEGAN E . MCGRODDY; RUTH K. VARNER; JADSON D. DIAS; HUDSON SILVA; CRILL PATRICK M.; MICHAEL KELLER

2005-01-01

Fine root dynamics have the potential to contribute significantly to ecosystem-scale biogeochemical cycling, including the production and emission of greenhouse gases. This is particularly true in tropical forests which are often characterized as having large fine root biomass and rapid rates of root production and decomposition. We examined patterns in fine root...

Stress evolution during caldera collapse

Science.gov (United States)

Holohan, E. P.; Schöpfer, M. P. J.; Walsh, J. J.

2015-07-01

The mechanics of caldera collapse are subject of long-running debate. Particular uncertainties concern how stresses around a magma reservoir relate to fracturing as the reservoir roof collapses, and how roof collapse in turn impacts upon the reservoir. We used two-dimensional Distinct Element Method models to characterise the evolution of stress around a depleting sub-surface magma body during gravity-driven collapse of its roof. These models illustrate how principal stress orientations rotate during progressive deformation so that roof fracturing transitions from initial reverse faulting to later normal faulting. They also reveal four end-member stress paths to fracture, each corresponding to a particular location within the roof. Analysis of these paths indicates that fractures associated with ultimate roof failure initiate in compression (i.e. as shear fractures). We also report on how mechanical and geometric conditions in the roof affect pre-failure unloading and post-failure reloading of the reservoir. In particular, the models show how residual friction within a failed roof could, without friction reduction mechanisms or fluid-derived counter-effects, inhibit a return to a lithostatically equilibrated pressure in the magma reservoir. Many of these findings should be transferable to other gravity-driven collapse processes, such as sinkhole formation, mine collapse and subsidence above hydrocarbon reservoirs.

Growth dynamics of fine roots in a coniferous fern forest site close to Forsmark in the central part of Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Persson, Hans; Stadenberg, Ingela

2007-12-01

The seasonal growth dynamics of live and dead roots for trees and the field layer species (g/m 2 , varying diameter fractions) and live/dead ratios were analysed at a fresh/moist coniferous fern forest site close to the nuclear power plant at Forsmark in the central eastern parts of Sweden. The changes in depth distribution of fine roots were observed at depth intervals of the top humus horizon down to 40 cm in the mineral soil profile. The bulk of living fine roots of trees ( 2 . The total quantity of fine roots (live + dead) amounted to 543, 434, 314 and 546 g/m 2 . Considerable quantities of fine roots (< 1 mm in diameter) were attributed to field-layer species (about 18% of the total biomass during the whole period of investigation). The turnover rate (the rate of construction of new roots) for tree fine roots < 1 mm in diameter amounted to at least the size of the average fine-root biomass. Our methods of estimating fine-root production and mortality, involved periodic measurements of live and dead dry weight of the fine roots from sequential core samples of the forest soil. The collected data give a proper and instant measure of the spatial and temporal distribution of fine roots in the undisturbed soil-profile. Data from other fine-root investigations suggest turnover rates in agreement with our present findings. Differences between root growth and turnover should be expected between trees of different age, tree species and different forest sites, but also between different years. Substantial variations in fine-root biomass, necromass and live/dead ratios are found in different forest sites. Correct methods for estimating the amount of live and dead fine-roots in the soil at regular time intervals are essential for any calculation of fine-root turnover. Definition of root vitality differs in literature, making it difficult to compare results from different root investigators. Our investigation clarifies the importance of using distinct morphological criteria

Fire-induced collapses of steel structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dondera, Alexandru; Giuliani, Luisa

Single-story steel buildings such as car parks and industrial halls are often characterised by stiff beams and flexible columns and may experience an outward (sway) collapse during a fire, endangering people and properties outside the building. It is therefore a current interest of the research...... to investigate the collapse behaviour of single-story steel frames and identify relevant structural characteristics that influence the collapse mode. In this paper, a parametric study on the collapse a steel beam-column assembly with beam hinged connection and fixed column support is carried out under...... on the beam. By means of those tables, a simple method for the assessment and the countermeasure of unsafe collapse mode of single-story steel buildings can be derived....

Granular Silo collapse: an experimental study

Science.gov (United States)

Clement, Eric; Gutierriez, Gustavo; Boltenhagen, Philippe; Lanuza, Jose

2008-03-01

We present an experimental work that develop some basic insight into the pre-buckling behavior and the buckling transition toward plastic collapse of a granular silo. We study different patterns of deformation generated on thin paper cylindrical shells during granular discharge. We study the collapse threshold for different bed height, flow rates and grain sizes. We compare the patterns that appear during the discharge of spherical beads, with those obtained in the axially compressed cylindrical shells. When the height of the granular column is close to the collapse threshold, we describe a ladder like pattern that rises around the cylinder surface in a spiral path of diamond shaped localizations, and develops into a plastic collapsing fold that grows around the collapsing silo.

Effect of molarity in geo polymer earth brick reinforced with fibrous coir wastes using sandy soil and quarry dust as fine aggregate. (Case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Palanisamy

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The studies are mainly carried out on strength development for various grades of geo-polymer mortar with varying molarity (M for producing geo-polymer earth brick (GPEB. The studies are focused on use of more sandy soil sieved from the raw earth available at site and quarry dust on replaced with river sand for making the un-burnt brick. The brick is reinforced with fibrous coir waste to increase shear strength and further pressed by hand compaction. Geo-polymer mortar is based on an inorganic alumina silicate binder system and it has more advantages of quick strength gain, negligence of water curing, best mechanical properties, eco-friendly, sustainable and alternate to ordinary Portland cement (OPC based mortar. Fly Ash (FA, Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag (GGBS, sandy soil sieved from earth and Quarry Dust (QD are mixed with alkaline solution in different molarities 6 M, 8 M and 10 M to prepare specimens. Specimens are tested against workability, compressive strength, and water absorption test, rate of water absorption, abraded test and also fiber content of the brick. The research found that the brick is made by FA & GGBS as binders and soil & quarry dust as fine aggregate in ratio of 0.5:0.5:1.75:0.25 with fibrous coir waste 1% and alkaline solution 10 M for preparing mortar to produce, excellent compressive strength, low water absorption, low rate of absorption, good abrasive resistance etc., The new brick is placed an alternate to compressed stabilized earth block, cement block and traditional burnt brick. Keywords: Fiber reinforced geo-polymer earth brick, Geo-polymer mortar using sandy soil and quarry dust as fine-aggregate, Nature fibrous coir wastes, Un-burnt brick, Alternate to compressed stabilized earth block

Geophysical observations at cavity collapse

Science.gov (United States)

Jousset, Philippe; Bazargan-Sabet, Behrooz; Lebert, François; Bernardie, Séverine; Gourry, Jean-Christophe

2010-05-01

In Lorraine region (France) salt layers at about 200 meters depth are exploited by Solvay using solution mining methodology which consists in extracting the salt by dissolution, collapsing the cavern overburden during the exploitation phase and finally reclaiming the landscape by creating a water area. In this process, one of the main challenges for the exploiting company is to control the initial 120-m diameter collapse so as to minimize possible damages. In order to detect potential precursors and understand processes associated with such collapses, a wide series of monitoring techniques including micro seismics, broad-band seismology, hydro-acoustic, electromagnetism, gas probing, automatic leveling, continuous GPS, continuous gravity and borehole extensometry was set-up in the frame of an in-situ study carried out by the "Research Group for the Impact and Safety of Underground Works" (GISOS, France). Equipments were set-up well before the final collapse, giving a unique opportunity to analyze a great deal of information prior to and during the collapse process which has been successfully achieved on February the 13th, 2009 by controlling the cavity internal pressure. In this work, we present the results of data recorded by a network of 3 broadband seismometers, 2 accelerometers, 2 tilt-meters and a continuously gravity meter. We relate the variations of the brine pumping rate with the evolutions of the induced geophysical signals and finally we propose a first mechanical model for describing the controlled collapse. Beyond the studied case, extrapolation of the results obtained might contribute to the understanding of uncontrolled cavity collapses, such as pit-craters or calderas at volcanoes.

Progress towards GlobalSoilMap.net soil database of Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Adhikari, Kabindra; Bou Kheir, Rania; Greve, Mogens Humlekrog

2012-01-01

Denmark is an agriculture-based country where intensive mechanized cultivation has been practiced continuously for years leading to serious threats to the soils. Proper use and management of Danish soil resources, modeling and soil research activities need very detailed soil information. This study...... presents recent advancements in Digital Soil Mapping (DSM) activities in Denmark with an example of soil clay mapping using regression-based DSM techniques. Several environmental covariates were used to build regression rules and national scale soil prediction was made at 30 m resolution. Spatial...... content mapping, the plans for future soil mapping activities in support to GlobalSoilMap.net project initiatives are also included in this paper. Our study thought to enrich and update Danish soil database and Soil information system with new fine resolution soil property maps....

Results of Integrated Investigation of Collapse Sinkhole in Sarkayevo Village

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. N. Kovin

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The integrated investigations of karstic collapse sinkhole were conducted at the area of Sarkayevo village. The obtained hydrogeologic data show the local concentration of underground water flow at the investigated site, and high sulfate ion content in the water samples that suggests that a sinkhole is karstic in nature. Geophysical investigations allowed determining basic parameters of the site geological structure, to reveal the depth distribution of the disturbed ground in vicinity of the sinkhole, and delineate zones of different soil compaction. The recommendations for detail site study, aimed to the mitigation of further karst development hazards, are presented.

The Effect of Soil Erosion on Europe's Crop Yields

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bakker, M.M.; Govers, G.; Jones, R.A.; Rounsevell, M.D.A.

2007-01-01

Soil erosion negatively affects crop yields and may have contributed to the collapse of ancient civilizations. Whether erosion may have such an impact on modern societies as well, is subject to debate. In this paper we quantify the relationship between crop yields and soil water available to plants,

Direct soil contact values for ecological receptors exposed to weathered petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) fraction 2.

Science.gov (United States)

Angell, Robin A; Kullman, Steve; Shrive, Emma; Stephenson, Gladys L; Tindal, Miles

2012-11-01

Ecological tier 1 Canada-wide standards (CWS) for petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) fraction 2 (F2; >nC10-C16) in soil were derived using ecotoxicological assessment endpoints (effective concentrations [ECs]/lethal concentrations [LCs]/inhibitory concentrations, 25% [IC25s]) with freshly spiked (fresh) fine- and coarse-grained soils. These soil standards might be needlessly conservative when applied to field samples with weathered hydrocarbons. The purpose of the present study was to assess the degradation and toxicity of weathered PHC F2 in a fine-grained soil and to derive direct soil contact values for ecological receptors. Fine-grained reference soils were spiked with distilled F2 and weathered for 183 d. Toxicity tests using plants and invertebrates were conducted with the weathered F2-spiked soils. Endpoint EC/IC25s were calculated and used to derive soil standards for weathered F2 in fine-grained soil protective of ecological receptors exposed via direct soil contact. The values derived for weathered F2 were less restrictive than current ecological tier 1 CWS for F2 in soil. Copyright © 2012 SETAC.

Unifying Research on Social-Ecological Resilience and Collapse.

Science.gov (United States)

Cumming, Graeme S; Peterson, Garry D

2017-09-01

Ecosystems influence human societies, leading people to manage ecosystems for human benefit. Poor environmental management can lead to reduced ecological resilience and social-ecological collapse. We review research on resilience and collapse across different systems and propose a unifying social-ecological framework based on (i) a clear definition of system identity; (ii) the use of quantitative thresholds to define collapse; (iii) relating collapse processes to system structure; and (iv) explicit comparison of alternative hypotheses and models of collapse. Analysis of 17 representative cases identified 14 mechanisms, in five classes, that explain social-ecological collapse. System structure influences the kind of collapse a system may experience. Mechanistic theories of collapse that unite structure and process can make fundamental contributions to solving global environmental problems. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Characterizations of Soil Collapsibility: Effect of Salts Dilution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

omar H Al Hattamleh

2015-03-01

It has been shown that brine additive has pronounced effect on the Atterberg’s limits; it is clearly shown that as the amount of brine increases both liquid limit and plastic limit decrease.  Compaction curve characteristics of soil were altered by the presence of brine, the maximum dry density, obtained using Harvard miniature device, increased as brine percentage increased, however, the optimum moisture content showed substantial decrease with increasing the amount of brine.

Heavy metals in recovered fines from construction and demolition debris recycling facilities in Florida.

Science.gov (United States)

Townsend, Timothy; Tolaymat, Thabet; Leo, Kevin; Jambeck, Jenna

2004-10-01

A major product recovered from the processing and recycling of construction and demolition (C&D) debris is screened soil, also referred to as fines. A proposed reuse option for C&D debris fines is fill material, typically in construction projects as a substitute for natural soil. Waste material that is reused in a manner similar to soil must first be characterized to examine potential risks to human health and the environment. In Florida, samples of C&D debris fines from 13 C&D debris recycling facilities were characterized for 11 total and leachable heavy metal concentrations. Total metal concentration results (mg/kg) were compared to existing data on background Florida soil concentrations and to Florida's risk-based soil cleanup target levels (SCTLs). All of the detected metals were found to be elevated with respect to background. The 95% upper confidence level of arsenic from 99 samples was 3.2 mg/kg; arsenic presented the greatest limitation to reuse when compared to the SCTLs. Lead was not found to pose a major problem, likely because of the relatively new building infrastructure in Florida, which results in less demolition debris and less material impacted by lead-based paint. The results of batch leaching tests conducted using simulated rainwater (mg/l) were compared directly to risk-based groundwater levels for Florida and were found not to pose a risk using existing risk assessment policies.

Spherically symmetric scalar field collapse

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2013-03-01

Mar 1, 2013 ... The very recent interest in scalar field collapse stems from a cosmological ... The objective of the present investigation is to explore the collapsing modes of a simple ..... The authors thank the BRNS (DAE) for financial support.

Progressive Collapse of High-Rise Buildings from Fire

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pershakov Valerii

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Considers ensuring the stability of structures of high-rise buildings against progressive collapse due to fire, proposed measures to ensure the stability of high-rise buildings due to progressive collapse. The analysis of large fires in high-rise buildings with progressive collapse and review of the literature on the issue of progressive collapse. The analysis of the Ukrainian normative documents on progressive collapse resistance.

Continuous data assimilation for downscaling large-footprint soil moisture retrievals

KAUST Repository

Altaf, Muhammad

2016-01-01

Soil moisture is a key component of the hydrologic cycle, influencing processes leading to runoff generation, infiltration and groundwater recharge, evaporation and transpiration. Generally, the measurement scale for soil moisture is found to be different from the modeling scales for these processes. Reducing this mismatch between observation and model scales in necessary for improved hydrological modeling. An innovative approach to downscaling coarse resolution soil moisture data by combining continuous data assimilation and physically based modeling is presented. In this approach, we exploit the features of Continuous Data Assimilation (CDA) which was initially designed for general dissipative dynamical systems and later tested numerically on the incompressible Navier-Stokes equation, and the Benard equation. A nudging term, estimated as the misfit between interpolants of the assimilated coarse grid measurements and the fine grid model solution, is added to the model equations to constrain the model\\'s large scale variability by available measurements. Soil moisture fields generated at a fine resolution by a physically-based vadose zone model (HYDRUS) are subjected to data assimilation conditioned upon coarse resolution observations. This enables nudging of the model outputs towards values that honor the coarse resolution dynamics while still being generated at the fine scale. Results show that the approach is feasible to generate fine scale soil moisture fields across large extents, based on coarse scale observations. Application of this approach is likely in generating fine and intermediate resolution soil moisture fields conditioned on the radiometerbased, coarse resolution products from remote sensing satellites.

Soil texture drives responses of soil respiration to precipitation pulses in the sonoran desert: Implications for climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Cable, J.M.; Ogle, K.; Williams, D.G.; Weltzin, J.F.; Huxman, T. E.

2008-01-01

Climate change predictions for the desert southwestern U.S. are for shifts in precipitation patterns. The impacts of climate change may be significant, because desert soil processes are strongly controlled by precipitation inputs ('pulses') via their effect on soil water availability. This study examined the response of soil respiration-an important biological process that affects soil carbon (C) storage-to variation in pulses representative of climate change scenarios for the Sonoran Desert. Because deserts are mosaics of different plant cover types and soil textures-which create patchiness in soil respiration-we examined how these landscape characteristics interact to affect the response of soil respiration to pulses. Pulses were applied to experimental plots of bare and vegetated soil on contrasting soil textures typical of Sonoran Desert grasslands. The data were analyzed within a Bayesian framework to: (1) determine pulse size and antecedent moisture (soil moisture prior to the pulse) effects on soil respiration, (2) quantify soil texture (coarse vs. fine) and cover type (bare vs. vegetated) effects on the response of soil respiration and its components (plant vs. microbial) to pulses, and (3) explore the relationship between long-term variation in pulse regimes and seasonal soil respiration. Regarding objective (1), larger pulses resulted in higher respiration rates, particularly from vegetated fine-textured soil, and dry antecedent conditions amplified respiration responses to pulses (wet antecedent conditions dampened the pulse response). Regarding (2), autotrophic (plant) activity was a significant source (???60%) of respiration and was more sensitive to pulses on coarse- versus fine-textured soils. The sensitivity of heterotrophic (microbial) respiration to pulses was highly dependent on antecedent soil water. Regarding (3), seasonal soil respiration was predicted to increase with both growing season precipitation and mean pulse size (but only for pulses

Sources of organic compounds in fine soil and sand particles during winter in the metropolitan area of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Science.gov (United States)

Rushdi, Ahmed I; Al-Mutlaq, Khalid; Simoneit, Bernd R T

2005-11-01

Major advances have been made in molecular marker analysis to distinguish between natural and anthropogenic organic matter inputs to the atmosphere. Resuspension of soil and sand by wind is one of the major mechanisms that produces particle dusts in the atmosphere. Soil and sand samples from the Riyadh area were collected in winter 2002, sieved to remove coarse particles and extracted with a mixture of dichloromethane and methanol (3:1, v:v). The total extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in order to characterize the contents and identify the potential sources of the organic components. The major organic compounds of these extracts were derived from natural biogenic and anthropogenic sources. Organic compounds from natural sources, mainly vegetation, were major in samples from outside the city of Riyadh and included n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids, n- alkanols, methyl alkanoates, and sterols. Anthropogenic inputs were significant in the fine particles of soil and sand samples collected from populated areas of the city. They consisted mainly of n-alkanes, hopanes, UCM (from vehicular emissions), and plasticizers (from discarded plastics, e.g., shopping bags). Carbohydrates had high concentrations in all samples and indicate sources from decomposed cellulose fibers and/or the presence of viable microbiota such as bacteria and fungi.

Variation in soil aggregate-size distribution affects the dissipation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in long-term field-contaminated soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Ran; Ni, Jinzhi; Chen, Weifeng; Yang, Yusheng

2017-10-01

Soil organic matter (SOM) is the main adsorbent for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the principal aggregating agent for soil aggregation that can affect PAH bioavailability and bioaccessibility in soils. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between PAH dissipation and variation in soil aggregate-size distribution in two field-contaminated soils with different soil organic C (SOC) content (Anthrosols, 1.41% SOC; Phaeozems, 8.51% SOC) in phytoremediation with alfalfa. The results showed that there were significant reductions of 10.2 and 15.4% of the total PAHs in unplanted and planted treatments, respectively, for Anthrosols. However, there was no significant reduction of total PAHs in either unplanted or planted treatment for Phaeozems. For Anthrosols, mass percentages of coarse sand and fine sand were significantly reduced while coarse silt and fine silt were significantly increased for the planted soil compared to the initial soil (p soil was slightly reduced. The main reason for the dissipation of PAHs in Anthrosols could be that macroaggregates were broken into microaggregates, which made some trapped PAHs become bioaccessible to soil microorganisms.

Visualization of soil structure and pore structure modifications by pioneering ground beetles (Cicindelidae) in surface sediments of an artificial catchment

Science.gov (United States)

Badorreck, Annika; Gerke, Horst H.; Weller, Ulrich; Vontobel, Peter

2010-05-01

An artificial catchment was constructed to study initial soil and ecosystem development. As a key process, the pore structure dynamics in the soil at the surface strongly influences erosion, infiltration, matter dynamics, and vegetation establishment. Little is known, however, about the first macropore formation in the very early stage. This presentation focuses on observations of soil pore geometry and its effect on water flow at the surface comparing samples from three sites in the catchment and in an adjacent "younger" site composed of comparable sediments. The surface soil was sampled in cylindrical plastic rings (10 cm³) down to 2 cm depth in three replicates each site and six where caves from pioneering ground-dwelling beetles Cicindelidae were found. The samples were scanned with micro-X-ray computed tomography (at UFZ-Halle, Germany) with a resolution of 0.084 mm. The infiltration dynamics were visualized with neutronradiography (at Paul-Scherer-Institute, Switzerland) on slab-type soil samples in 2D. The micro-tomographies exhibit formation of surface sealing whose thickness and intensity vary with silt and clay content. The CT images show several coarser- and finer-textured micro-layers at the sample surfaces that were formed as a consequence of repeated washing in of finer particles in underlying coarser sediment. In micro-depressions, the uppermost layers consist of sorted fine sand and silt due to wind erosion. Similar as for desert pavements, a vesicular pore structure developed in these sediments on top, but also scattered in fine sand- and silt-enriched micro-layers. The ground-dwelling activity of Cicindelidae beetles greatly modifies the soil structure through forming caves in the first centimetres of the soil. Older collapsed caves, which form isolated pores within mixed zones, were also found. The infiltration rates were severely affected both, by surface crusts and activity of ground-dwelling beetles. The observations demonstrate relatively

Black hole formation in perfect fluid collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goswami, Rituparno; Joshi, Pankaj S

2004-01-01

We construct here a special class of perfect fluid collapse models which generalizes the homogeneous dust collapse solution in order to include nonzero pressures and inhomogeneities into evolution. It is shown that a black hole is necessarily generated as the end product of continued gravitational collapse, rather than a naked singularity. We examine the nature of the central singularity forming as a result of endless collapse and it is shown that no nonspacelike trajectories can escape from the central singularity. Our results provide some insights into how the dynamical collapse works and into the possible formulations of the cosmic censorship hypothesis, which is as yet a major unsolved problem in black hole physics

High-power ultrasonic treatment of contaminated soils and sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collings, A.F.; Gwan, P.B.; Sosa Pintos, A.P.

2004-01-01

Full text: The propagation of high-power ultrasound through a liquid can initiate the phenomenon of cavitation. This occurs with the collapse of gas bubbles formed during the rarefaction phase of the ultrasonic wave either from the dissolution of air or vaporisation of the liquid. Bubble collapse can generate localised temperatures up to 5,000 K and pressures up to 1,000 atmospheres. Solid particles in slurry have been shown to act as foci for the nucleation and collapse of bubbles. Theory and experiment have confirmed that the rupture of a bubble on a solid surface generates a high speed jet directed towards the surface. In this case, the extreme conditions generated by the non-linear shock wave produced by bubble collapse are localised on the solid surface. Since Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are hydrophobic and are also readily absorbed on the surface of soil particles, the energy released by cavitation in a soil or sediment slurry is selectively directed towards them. The temperatures are sufficient to decompose these molecules. However, the extreme conditions are highly localised and the bulk solution temperature is essentially unaffected. Any decomposition products are immediately quenched and recombination reactions are avoided. Recent advances in ultrasound technology have produced commercial equipment capable of high power which has enabled us to remediate soils and sediments containing Organochlorine Pesticides (OCPs), Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs). With reductions greater than 80% within minutes, this technique shows great promise with advantages of on-site treatment and reduced operating and capital costs compared with conventional methods

Winter climate change and fine root biogenic silica in sugar maple trees (Acer saccharum): Implications for silica in the Anthropocene

Science.gov (United States)

Maguire, Timothy J.; Templer, Pamela H.; Battles, John J.; Fulweiler, Robinson W.

2017-03-01

Winter temperatures are projected to increase over the next century, leading to reductions in winter snowpack and increased frequency of soil freezing in many northern forest ecosystems. Here we examine biogenic silica (BSi) concentrations in sugar maple (Acer saccharum) fine roots collected from a snow manipulation experiment at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (New Hampshire, USA). Increased soil freezing significantly lowered the BSi content of sugar maple fine roots potentially decreasing their capacity to take up water and dissolved nutrients. The reduced silica uptake (8 ± 1 kmol silica km-2) by sugar maple fine roots is comparable to silica export from temperate forest watersheds. We estimate that fine roots account for 29% of sugar maple BSi, despite accounting for only 4% of their biomass. These results suggest that increased frequency of soil freezing will reduce silica uptake by temperate tree roots, thereby changing silica availability in downstream receiving waters.

Gravitational collapse and the vacuum energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campos, M

2014-01-01

To explain the accelerated expansion of the universe, models with interacting dark components (dark energy and dark matter) have been considered recently in the literature. Generally, the dark energy component is physically interpreted as the vacuum energy of the all fields that fill the universe. As the other side of the same coin, the influence of the vacuum energy on the gravitational collapse is of great interest. We study such collapse adopting different parameterizations for the evolution of the vacuum energy. We discuss the homogeneous collapsing star fluid, that interacts with a vacuum energy component, using the stiff matter case as example. We conclude this work with a discussion of the Cahill-McVittie mass for the collapsed object.

Simple Analytic Models of Gravitational Collapse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adler, R.

2005-02-09

Most general relativity textbooks devote considerable space to the simplest example of a black hole containing a singularity, the Schwarzschild geometry. However only a few discuss the dynamical process of gravitational collapse, by which black holes and singularities form. We present here two types of analytic models for this process, which we believe are the simplest available; the first involves collapsing spherical shells of light, analyzed mainly in Eddington-Finkelstein coordinates; the second involves collapsing spheres filled with a perfect fluid, analyzed mainly in Painleve-Gullstrand coordinates. Our main goal is pedagogical simplicity and algebraic completeness, but we also present some results that we believe are new, such as the collapse of a light shell in Kruskal-Szekeres coordinates.

Adsorption, immobilization, and activity of beta-glucosidase on different soil colloids.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Jinlong; Pan, Genxing; Li, Lianqing; Quan, Guixiang; Ding, Cheng; Luo, Ailan

2010-08-15

For a better understanding of enzyme stabilization and the subsequent catalytic process in a soil environment, the adsorption, immobilization, and activity of beta-glucosidase on various soil colloids from a paddy soil were studied. The calculated parameters maximum adsorption capacity (q(0)) for fine soil colloids ranged from 169.6 to 203.7 microg mg(-1), which was higher than coarse soil colloids in the range of 81.0-94.6 microg mg(-1), but the lower adsorption affinity (K(L)) was found on fine soil colloids. The percentages of beta-glucosidase desorbed from external surfaces of the coarse soil colloids (27.6-28.5%) were higher than those from the fine soil colloids (17.5-20.2%). Beta-glucosidase immobilized on the coarse inorganic and organic soil colloids retained 72.4% and 69.8% of activity, respectively, which indicated the facilitated effect of soil organic matter in the inhibition of enzyme activity. The residual activity for the fine soil clay is 79-81%. After 30 days of storage at 40 degrees C the free beta-glucosidase retained 66.2% of its initial activity, whereas the soil colloidal particle-immobilized enzyme retained 77.1-82.4% of its activity. The half-lives of free beta-glucosidase appeared to be 95.9 and 50.4 days at 25 and 40 degrees C. Immobilization of beta-glucosidase on various soil colloids enhanced the thermal stability at all temperatures, and the thermal stability was greatly affected by the affinity between the beta-glucosidase molecules and the surface of soil colloidal particles. Due to the protective effect of supports, soil colloidal particle-immobilized enzymes were less sensitive to pH and temperature changes than free enzymes. Data obtained in this study are helpful for further research on the enzymatic mechanisms in carbon cycling and soil carbon storage. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

On the Induced Gravitational Collapse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Becerra Laura

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The induced gravitational collapse (IGC paradigm has been applied to explain the long gamma ray burst (GRB associated with type Ic supernova, and recently the Xray flashes (XRFs. The progenitor is a binary systems of a carbon-oxygen core (CO and a neutron star (NS. The CO core collapses and undergoes a supernova explosion which triggers the hypercritical accretion onto the NS companion (up to 10-2 M⊙s-1. For the binary driven hypernova (BdHNe, the binary system is enough bound, the NS reach its critical mass, and collapse to a black hole (BH with a GRB emission characterized by an isotropic energy Eiso > 1052 erg. Otherwise, for binary systems with larger binary separations, the hypercritical accretion onto the NS is not sufficient to induced its gravitational collapse, a X-ray flash is produced with Eiso < 1052 erg. We’re going to focus in identify the binary parameters that limits the BdHNe systems with the XRFs systems.

Gravity induced wave function collapse

Science.gov (United States)

Gasbarri, G.; Toroš, M.; Donadi, S.; Bassi, A.

2017-11-01

Starting from an idea of S. L. Adler [in Quantum Nonlocality and Reality: 50 Years of Bell's Theorem, edited by M. Bell and S. Gao (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England 2016)], we develop a novel model of gravity induced spontaneous wave function collapse. The collapse is driven by complex stochastic fluctuations of the spacetime metric. After deriving the fundamental equations, we prove the collapse and amplification mechanism, the two most important features of a consistent collapse model. Under reasonable simplifying assumptions, we constrain the strength ξ of the complex metric fluctuations with available experimental data. We show that ξ ≥10-26 in order for the model to guarantee classicality of macro-objects, and at the same time ξ ≤10-20 in order not to contradict experimental evidence. As a comparison, in the recent discovery of gravitational waves in the frequency range 35 to 250 Hz, the (real) metric fluctuations reach a peak of ξ ˜10-21.

Sediment-induced amplification and the collapse of the Nimitz Freeway

Science.gov (United States)

Hough, S.E.; Friberg, P.A.; Busby, R.; Field, E.F.; Jacob, K.H.; Borcherdt, R.D.

1990-01-01

THE amplification of ground motion by low-seismic-velocity surface sediments is an important factor in determining the seismic hazard specific to a given site. The Ms = 7.1 Loma Prieta earthquake of 17 October 1989 was the largest event in the contiguous United States in 37 years, and yielded an unparalleled volume of seismic data from the main shock and aftershock sequence1. These data can be used to image the seismic source, to study detailed Earth structure, and to study the propagation of seismic waves both through bedrock at depth and through sediment layers near the surface. Near the edge of San Francisco Bay, site conditions vary considerably on scales of hundreds of metres. The collapsed section of the two-tiered Nimitz Freeway in Oakland was built on San Francisco Bay mud, whereas stiffer alluvial sediments underlie a southern section that was damaged but did not collapse. Here we analyse high-quality, digital aftershock recordings from several sites near the Nimitz Freeway, and conclude that soil conditions and resulting ground-motion amplification may have contributed significantly to the failure of the structure.

Nonlinear wave collapse and strong turbulence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, P.A.

1997-01-01

The theory and applications of wave self-focusing, collapse, and strongly nonlinear wave turbulence are reviewed. In the last decade, the theory of these phenomena and experimental realizations have progressed rapidly. Various nonlinear wave systems are discussed, but the simplest case of collapse and strong turbulence of Langmuir waves in an unmagnetized plasma is primarily used in explaining the theory and illustrating the main ideas. First, an overview of the basic physics of linear waves and nonlinear wave-wave interactions is given from an introductory perspective. Wave-wave processes are then considered in more detail. Next, an introductory overview of the physics of wave collapse and strong turbulence is provided, followed by a more detailed theoretical treatment. Later sections cover numerical simulations of Langmuir collapse and strong turbulence and experimental applications to space, ionospheric, and laboratory plasmas, including laser-plasma and beam-plasma interactions. Generalizations to self-focusing, collapse, and strong turbulence of waves in other systems are also discussed, including nonlinear optics, solid-state systems, magnetized auroral and astrophysical plasmas, and deep-water waves. The review ends with a summary of the main ideas of wave collapse and strong-turbulence theory, a collection of open questions in the field, and a brief discussion of possible future research directions. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

Soil desiccation cracks as a suction–contraction process

KAUST Repository

Cordero, J. A.; Useche, G.; Prat, P. C.; Ledesma, A.; Santamarina, Carlos

2017-01-01

Recent macro- and particle-scale advances in unsaturated soil behaviour have led to an enhanced understanding of the effects of moisture changes on soil response. This research examines desiccation cracks as a suction–contraction-coupled process using sand–clay mixtures. Suction–moisture measurements highlight the role of fines on suction potential even at low fines content; on the other hand, oedometer tests exhibit a marked transition from sand-controlled to clay-controlled compressibility. Time-lapse photography of desiccation tests in flat trays show the onset of crack initiation and the subsequent evolution in horizontal strains; concurrent gravimetric water content measurements relate crack nucleation to suction at air entry. Suction and compressibility increase with the soil-specific surface and have a compounded effect on desiccation-driven lateral contraction. Both layer thickness and its lateral extent affect the development of desiccation cracks. The recently proposed revised soil classification system properly anticipates the transitions in compressibility and capillary phenomena observed in this study (between 15 and 35% fines content).

Soil desiccation cracks as a suction–contraction process

KAUST Repository

Cordero, J. A.

2017-10-05

Recent macro- and particle-scale advances in unsaturated soil behaviour have led to an enhanced understanding of the effects of moisture changes on soil response. This research examines desiccation cracks as a suction–contraction-coupled process using sand–clay mixtures. Suction–moisture measurements highlight the role of fines on suction potential even at low fines content; on the other hand, oedometer tests exhibit a marked transition from sand-controlled to clay-controlled compressibility. Time-lapse photography of desiccation tests in flat trays show the onset of crack initiation and the subsequent evolution in horizontal strains; concurrent gravimetric water content measurements relate crack nucleation to suction at air entry. Suction and compressibility increase with the soil-specific surface and have a compounded effect on desiccation-driven lateral contraction. Both layer thickness and its lateral extent affect the development of desiccation cracks. The recently proposed revised soil classification system properly anticipates the transitions in compressibility and capillary phenomena observed in this study (between 15 and 35% fines content).

Neutrinos and supernova collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colgate, S.A.; Petschek, A.G.

1980-01-01

The neutrino emission resulting from stellar collapse and supernova formation is reviewed. The electron capture and consequent neutronization of the collapsing stellar matter at the end of evolution determines both the initial adiabat of core collapse as well as the trapped lepton fraction. The initial lepton fraction, Y/sub l/ = .48 supplies the pressure for neutral support of the star at the Chandrasekhar limit. High trapping values, Y/sub l/ = .4, lead to soft core collapses; low values to harder collapses. The value of Y/sub l/ is presently in dispute. The neutrino emission from initial electron capture is relatively small. A strong core-bounce shock releases both electron neutrino as well as thermal muon and tau neutrinos. Subsequent neutrino emission and cooling can sometimes lead to an unstable buoyancy gradient in the core in which case unstable core overturn is expected. Calculations have already shown the importance of the largest possible eddy or equivalently the lowest mode of overturn. Present models of low lepton trapping ratio lead to high entropy creation by the reflected shock and the stabilization of the core matter against overturn. In such cases the exterior matter must cool below an entropy of approximately s/k approx. = 2 to become unstable. This may require too long a time approximately one second for neutrino cooling from a neutrinosphere at rho approx. = 2 x 10 12 g cm -3 . On the other hand, high values of Y/sub l/ such as .4 lead to softer bounces at lower density and values of the critical stabilizing entropy of 3 or higher. Under such circumstances, core overturn can still occur

Indirect quantification of fine root production in a near tropical wet mountainous region

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, X.; Zhang, J.; Huang, C.

2016-12-01

The main functions of fine root (defined as diameter floristic) and external (environmental) factors into account, including litter production, canopy density (leaf area index), leaf nutrients (N, K, Ca, Mg, P), weather and/or soil physical conditions (air temperature, humidity, precipitation, solar radiation and soil moisture). The study was conducted in near tropical broadleaf (700 m asl) and conifer (1700 m asl) forests in northeastern Taiwan, generally receiving more than 4000 mm of precipitation per year. For each site, 16 50-cm long minirhizotron tubes were installed. Fine root images were acquired every three weeks. Growth and decline, newly presence and absence of fine roots were delineated by image processing algorithms to derive fine-root productivity through time. Aforementioned internal and external attributes were simultaneously collected as well. Some of these variables were highly correlated and were detrended using principal component analysis. We found that these transformed variables (mainly associated with litter production, precipitation and solar radiation) can delineate the spatiotemporal dynamics of root production well (r2 = 0.87, p = 0.443). In conclusion, this study demonstrated the feasibility of utilized aboveground variables to indirectly assess fine root growth, which could be further developed for the regional scale mapping with aid of remote sensing.

Heavy metals in recovered fines from construction and demolition debris recycling facilities in Florida

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Townsend, Timothy; Tolaymat, Thabet; Leo, Kevin; Jambeck, Jenna

2004-01-01

A major product recovered from the processing and recycling of construction and demolition (C and D) debris is screened soil, also referred to as fines. A proposed reuse option for C and D debris fines is fill material, typically in construction projects as a substitute for natural soil. Waste material that is reused in a manner similar to soil must first be characterized to examine potential risks to human health and the environment. In Florida, samples of C and D debris fines from 13 C and D debris recycling facilities were characterized for 11 total and leachable heavy metal concentrations. Total metal concentration results (mg/kg) were compared to existing data on background Florida soil concentrations and to Florida's risk-based soil cleanup target levels (SCTLs). All of the detected metals were found to be elevated with respect to background. The 95% upper confidence level of arsenic from 99 samples was 3.2 mg/kg; arsenic presented the greatest limitation to reuse when compared to the SCTLs. Lead was not found to pose a major problem, likely because of the relatively new building infrastructure in Florida, which results in less demolition debris and less material impacted by lead-based paint. The results of batch leaching tests conducted using simulated rainwater (mg/l) were compared directly to risk-based groundwater levels for Florida and were found not to pose a risk using existing risk assessment policies

Soil mechanics and analysis of soils overlying cavitose bedrock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drumm, E.C.

1987-08-01

The stability of the residual soils existing at the West Chestnut Ridge Site, Oak Ridge Reservation, Tennessee, was evaluated. The weathered bedrock below this residual soil contains numerous solution cavities, and several karst features were identified. The West Chestnut Ridge site was evaluated with respect to deformation and collapse of the residual soil into the bedrock cavities. A finite element analysis investigated the effects of bedrock cavity radius, thickness of soil overburden, and surface surcharge upon the deformational and stability characteristics of the residual soil. The results indicate that for small cavity radii, the thickness of the soil cover has little effect on the zone of yielded soil. For large cavity radii, a smaller zone of distressed soil occurs under thick soil cover than under thin soil cover. Dimensionless curves are presented to enable the prediction of the vertical extent of the zone of yielded soil for a range of site geometries. Although the thick soil deposits (100 feet or greater) typically found on the ridges result in high stresses adjacent to the cavity, the area of the distressed or yielded soil is small and unlikely to extend to the surface. In addition, the surface deformation or subsidence is expected to be minimal. Thus, the siting of waste facilities on the ridges where the overburden is maximum would tend to reduce the effects of deformation into the cavities. 29 refs., 37 figs., 7 tabs

Neutrinos from gravitational collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayle, R.; Wilson, J.R.; Schramm, D.N.

1986-05-01

Detailed calculations are made of the neutrino spectra emitted during gravitational collapse events (Type II supernovae). Those aspects of the neutrino signal which are relatively independent of the collapse model and those aspects which are sensitive to model details are discussed. The easier-to-detect high energy tail of the emitted neutrinos has been calculated using the Boltzmann equation which is compared with the result of the traditional multi-group flux limited diffusion calculations. 8 figs., 28 refs

Developing empirical collapse fragility functions for global building types

Science.gov (United States)

Jaiswal, K.; Wald, D.; D'Ayala, D.

2011-01-01

Building collapse is the dominant cause of casualties during earthquakes. In order to better predict human fatalities, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER) program requires collapse fragility functions for global building types. The collapse fragility is expressed as the probability of collapse at discrete levels of the input hazard defined in terms of macroseismic intensity. This article provides a simple procedure for quantifying collapse fragility using vulnerability criteria based on the European Macroseismic Scale (1998) for selected European building types. In addition, the collapse fragility functions are developed for global building types by fitting the beta distribution to the multiple experts’ estimates for the same building type (obtained from EERI’s World Housing Encyclopedia (WHE)-PAGER survey). Finally, using the collapse probability distributions at each shaking intensity level as a prior and field-based collapse-rate observations as likelihood, it is possible to update the collapse fragility functions for global building types using the Bayesian procedure.

Bioaccessibility of Ba, Cu, Pb, and Zn in urban garden and orchard soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai, Meifang; McBride, Murray B.; Li, Kaiming

2016-01-01

Exposure of young children to toxic metals in urban environments is largely due to soil and dust ingestion. Soil particle size distribution and concentrations of toxic metals in different particle sizes are important risk factors in addition to bioaccessibility of these metals in the particles. Analysis of particle size distribution and metals concentrations for 13 soils, 12 sampled from urban gardens and 1 from orchard found that fine particles (<105 μm) comprised from 22 to 66% by weight of the tested soils, with Ba, Cu, Pb and Zn generally at higher concentrations in the finer particles. However, metal bioaccessibility was generally lower in finer particles, a trend most pronounced for Ba and Pb. Gastric was higher than gastrointestinal bioaccessibility for all metals except Cu. The lower bioaccessibility of Pb in urban garden soils compared to orchard soil is attributable to the higher organic matter content of the garden soils. - Highlights: • The bioaccessibility of metals in urban garden and orchard soils was measured. • Ba, Cu, Pb, Zn were concentrated in fine particles of the soils. • Bioaccessibilities of Ba and Pb were generally lower in fine particles of soils. • Pb bioaccessibility was generally lower in soils with higher organic matter content. • Pb bioaccessibility was lower in urban garden soils than in an orchard soil. - Pb and other trace metals (Ba, Cu, Zn) were concentrated in fine particles of urban and orchard soils, but the bioaccessibility of Ba and Pb was generally lower in finer particles.

Four tails problems for dynamical collapse theories

Science.gov (United States)

McQueen, Kelvin J.

2015-02-01

The primary quantum mechanical equation of motion entails that measurements typically do not have determinate outcomes, but result in superpositions of all possible outcomes. Dynamical collapse theories (e.g. GRW) supplement this equation with a stochastic Gaussian collapse function, intended to collapse the superposition of outcomes into one outcome. But the Gaussian collapses are imperfect in a way that leaves the superpositions intact. This is the tails problem. There are several ways of making this problem more precise. But many authors dismiss the problem without considering the more severe formulations. Here I distinguish four distinct tails problems. The first (bare tails problem) and second (structured tails problem) exist in the literature. I argue that while the first is a pseudo-problem, the second has not been adequately addressed. The third (multiverse tails problem) reformulates the second to account for recently discovered dynamical consequences of collapse. Finally the fourth (tails problem dilemma) shows that solving the third by replacing the Gaussian with a non-Gaussian collapse function introduces new conflict with relativity theory.

Efficiency of Micro-fine Cement Grouting in Liquefiable Sand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirjalili, Mojtaba; Mirdamadi, Alireza; Ahmadi, Alireza

2008-01-01

In the presence of strong ground motion, liquefaction hazards are likely to occur in saturated cohesion-less soils. The risk of liquefaction and subsequent deformation can be reduced by various ground improvement methods including the cement grouting technique. The grouting method was proposed for non-disruptive mitigation of liquefaction risk at developed sites susceptible to liquefaction. In this research, a large-scale experiment was developed for assessment of micro-fine cement grouting effect on strength behavior and liquefaction potential of loose sand. Loose sand samples treated with micro-fine grout in multidirectional experimental model, were tested under cyclic and monotonic triaxial loading to investigate the influence of micro-fine grout on the deformation properties and pore pressure response. The behavior of pure sand was compared with the behavior of sand grouted with a micro-fine cement grout. The test results were shown that cement grouting with low concentrations significantly decreased the liquefaction potential of loose sand and related ground deformation

The collapse of interstellar gas clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McNally, D.; Settle, J.J.

1980-01-01

The stability of spherically symmetric free-fall collapse to small radial perturbations is examined for non-uniform clouds. It is concluded that fragmentation of the central region of a collapsing gas cloud is possible if: (a) the density distribution is sufficiently smooth; and (b) the collapse is nearly free fall. Generally, perturbations enjoy only finite amplification during the collapse, and the amplification tends to decrease with increasing distance from the centre of the cloud. Unlimited amplification occurs only for uniform density clouds. Fragmentation is therefore unlikely to result from dynamical instability in the outer parts of a non-uniform cloud. Isothermal clouds are also briefly considered and, while it is argued that an earlier suggestion of their instability to fragmentation is unfounded, no general conclusion on the instability of such clouds could be drawn. (author)

Creep collapse of TAPS fuel cladding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaudhry, S.M.; Anand, A.K.

1975-01-01

Densification of UO 2 can cause axial gaps between fuel pelets and cladding in unsupported (internally) at these regions. An analysis is carried out regarding the possibility of creep collapse in these regions. The analysis is based on Timoshenko's theory of collapse. At various times during the residence of fuel in reactor following parameters are calculated : (1) inelastic collapse of perfectly circular tubes (2) plastic instability in oval tubes (3) effect of creep on ovality. Creep is considered to be a non-linear combination of the following : (a) thermal creep (b) intresenic creep (c) stress aided radiation enhanced (d) stress free growth (4) Critical pressure ratio. The results obtained are compared with G.E. predictions. The results do not predict collapse of TAPS fuel cladding for five year residence time. (author)

Collapse of nonlinear Langmuir waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malkin, V.M.

1986-01-01

The dispersion of sufficiently intensive Langmuir waves is determined by intrinsic (electron) nonlinearity. During Langmuir collapse the wave energy density required for the appearance of electron nonlinearity is attained, generally speaking, prior to the development of dissipative processes. Up to now, the effect of electron nonlinearity on the collapse dynamics and spectrum of strong Langmuir turbulence ( which may be very appreciable ) has not been studied extensively because of the difficulty of describing nonlinear Langmuir waves. In the present paper the positive determinacy of the electron nonlinear hamiltonian is proven, the increment of modulation instability of a nonlinear Langmuir wave cluster localized in a cavity is calculated, and the universal law of their collapse is found

Texture and organic carbon contents do not impact amount of carbon protected in Malagasy soils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tantely Razafimbelo

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Soil organic carbon (SOC is usually said to be well correlated with soil texture and soil aggregation. These relations generally suggest a physical and physicochemical protection of SOC within soil aggregates and on soil fine particles, respectively. Because there are few experimental evidences of these relations on tropical soils, we tested the relations of soil variables (SOC and soil aggregate contents, and soil texture with the amount of SOC physically protected in aggregates on a set of 15 Malagasy soils. The soil texture, the SOC and water stable macroaggregate (MA contents and the amount of SOC physically protected inside aggregates, calculated as the difference of C mineralized by crushed and intact aggregates, were characterized. The relation between these variables was established. SOC content was significantly correlated with soil texture (clay+fine silt fraction and with soil MA amount while protected SOC content was not correlated with soil MA amount. This lack of correlation might be attributed to the highest importance of physicochemical protection of SOC which is demonstrated by the positive relation between SOC and clay+fine silt fraction.

Six collapses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, R.H.; Smith, B.F.

1979-01-01

The self-consistent dynamical development of six stellar systems, started from rotating spherical configurations, has been studied by means of a fully three-dimensional n-body integration. The six examples had different initial angular velocities and velocity dispersions. All settled down into prolate bars rotating about a short axis within two initial rotation periods. The bars are long-lived, robust, and stable. Bars are the natural form toward which rapidly rotating stellar dynamical systems develop, instead of the flattened axisymmetric disks that had been expected.The early stages of each collapse are reasonably well described by a theoretical model according to which a collapse passes through a sequence of rigidly rotating, uniform-density spheroids. The first significant departures from spheroidal form were axisymmetric in all cases. Rings formed in some examples, sheets in others, with transition cases between these extremes. Nonaxisymmetry forms developed from these intermediate stages

Collapsed Dark Matter Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Buckley, Matthew R.; DiFranzo, Anthony

2018-02-01

The distributions of dark matter and baryons in the Universe are known to be very different: The dark matter resides in extended halos, while a significant fraction of the baryons have radiated away much of their initial energy and fallen deep into the potential wells. This difference in morphology leads to the widely held conclusion that dark matter cannot cool and collapse on any scale. We revisit this assumption and show that a simple model where dark matter is charged under a "dark electromagnetism" can allow dark matter to form gravitationally collapsed objects with characteristic mass scales much smaller than that of a Milky-Way-type galaxy. Though the majority of the dark matter in spiral galaxies would remain in the halo, such a model opens the possibility that galaxies and their associated dark matter play host to a significant number of collapsed substructures. The observational signatures of such structures are not well explored but potentially interesting.

Collapsed Dark Matter Structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Buckley, Matthew R; DiFranzo, Anthony

2018-02-02

The distributions of dark matter and baryons in the Universe are known to be very different: The dark matter resides in extended halos, while a significant fraction of the baryons have radiated away much of their initial energy and fallen deep into the potential wells. This difference in morphology leads to the widely held conclusion that dark matter cannot cool and collapse on any scale. We revisit this assumption and show that a simple model where dark matter is charged under a "dark electromagnetism" can allow dark matter to form gravitationally collapsed objects with characteristic mass scales much smaller than that of a Milky-Way-type galaxy. Though the majority of the dark matter in spiral galaxies would remain in the halo, such a model opens the possibility that galaxies and their associated dark matter play host to a significant number of collapsed substructures. The observational signatures of such structures are not well explored but potentially interesting.

Dynamic Control of Collapse in a Vortex Airy Beam

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Rui-Pin; Chew, Khian-Hooi; He, Sailing

2013-01-01

Here we study systematically the self-focusing dynamics and collapse of vortex Airy optical beams in a Kerr medium. The collapse is suppressed compared to a non-vortex Airy beam in a Kerr medium due to the existence of vortex fields. The locations of collapse depend sensitively on the initial power, vortex order, and modulation parameters. The collapse may occur in a position where the initial field is nearly zero, while no collapse appears in the region where the initial field is mainly distributed. Compared with a non-vortex Airy beam, the collapse of a vortex Airy beam can occur at a position away from the area of the initial field distribution. Our study shows the possibility of controlling and manipulating the collapse, especially the precise position of collapse, by purposely choosing appropriate initial power, vortex order or modulation parameters of a vortex Airy beam. PMID:23518858

Quantum Big Bang without fine-tuning in a toy-model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Znojil, Miloslav

2012-01-01

The question of possible physics before Big Bang (or after Big Crunch) is addressed via a schematic non-covariant simulation of the loss of observability of the Universe. Our model is drastically simplified by the reduction of its degrees of freedom to the mere finite number. The Hilbert space of states is then allowed time-dependent and singular at the critical time t = t c . This option circumvents several traditional theoretical difficulties in a way illustrated via solvable examples. In particular, the unitary evolution of our toy-model quantum Universe is shown interruptible, without any fine-tuning, at the instant of its bang or collapse t = t c .

Quantum Big Bang without fine-tuning in a toy-model

Science.gov (United States)

Znojil, Miloslav

2012-02-01

The question of possible physics before Big Bang (or after Big Crunch) is addressed via a schematic non-covariant simulation of the loss of observability of the Universe. Our model is drastically simplified by the reduction of its degrees of freedom to the mere finite number. The Hilbert space of states is then allowed time-dependent and singular at the critical time t = tc. This option circumvents several traditional theoretical difficulties in a way illustrated via solvable examples. In particular, the unitary evolution of our toy-model quantum Universe is shown interruptible, without any fine-tuning, at the instant of its bang or collapse t = tc.

Deformational mass transport and invasive processes in soil evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Brimhall, George H.; Chadwick, Oliver A.; Lewis, Chris J.; Compston, William; Williams, Ian S.; Danti, Kathy J.; Dietrich, William E.; Power, Mary E.; Hendricks, David; Bratt, James

1992-01-01

Channels left in soil by decayed roots and burrowing animals allow organic and inorganic precipitates and detritus to move through soil from above, to depths at which the minuteness of pores restricts further passage. Consecutive translocation-and-root-growth phases stir the soil, constituting an invasive, dilatational process which generates cumulative strains. Below the depths thus affected, mineral dissolution by descending organic acids leads to internal collapse; this softened/condensed precursor horizon is then transformed into soil via biological activity that mixes and expands the evolving residuum through root and micropore-network invasion.

Field-measured, hourly soil water evaporation stages in relation to reference evapotranspiration rate and soil to air temperature ratio

Science.gov (United States)

Soil water evaporation takes critical water supplies away from crops, especially in areas where both rainfall and irrigation water are limited. This study measured bare soil water evaporation from clay loam, silt loam, sandy loam, and fine sand soils. It found that on average almost half of the ir...

Sharper criteria for the wave collapse

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kuznetsov, E.A.; Juul Rasmussen, J.; Rypdal, K.

1995-01-01

Sharper criteria for three-dimensional wave collapse described by the Nonlinear Schrodinger Equation (NLSE) are derived. The collapse threshold corresponds to the ground state soliton which is known to be unstable. Thus, for nonprefocusing distributions this represents the separatrix between...

Collapsing dynamics of attractive Bose-Einstein condensates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bergé, L.; Juul Rasmussen, J.

2002-01-01

The self-similar collapse of 3D and quasi-2D atom condensates with negative scattering length is examined. 3D condensates are shown to blow up following the scenario of weak collapse, for which 3-body recombination weakly dissipates the atoms. In contrast, 2D condensates undergo a strong collapse......, that absorbs a significant amount of particles. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved....

Finite element analysis of the collapse and post-collapse behavior of steel pipes applications to the oil industry

CERN Document Server

Dvorkin, Eduardo N

2013-01-01

This book presents a detailed discussion of the models that were developed to simulate the collapse and post-collapse behavior of steel pipes. The finite element method offers to engineers the possibility of developing models to simulate the collapse behavior of casings inside oil wells and the collapse behavior of deepwater pipelines. However, if technological decisions are going to be reached from these model results, with implications for the economic success of industrial operations, for the occupational safety and health and for the environment, the engineering models need to be highly reliable. Using these models engineers can quantify the effect of manufacturing tolerances, wear, corrosion, etc. This book describes in great details the experimental programs that are developed to validate the numerical results.

Collapse of Electrostatic Waves in Magnetoplasmas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shukla, P. K.; Yu, M. Y.; Juul Rasmussen, Jens

1984-01-01

The two-fluid model is employed to investigate the collapse of electrostatic waves in magnetized plasmas. It is found that nonlinear interaction of ion cyclotron, upper-, and lower-hybrid waves with adiabatic particle motion along the external magnetic field can cause wave-field collapse....

Soils mediate the impact of fine woody debris on invasive and native grasses as whole trees are mechanically shredded into firebreaks in piñon-juniper woodlands

Science.gov (United States)

Aanderud, Zachary T.; Schoolmaster, Donald R.; Rigby, Deborah; Bybee, Jordon; Campbell, Tayte; Roundy, Bruce A.

2017-01-01

To stem wildfires, trees are being mechanically shredded into firebreaks with the resulting fine woody debris (FWD) potentially exerting immense control over soil and plants. We linked FWD-induced changes in microbial activity and nutrient availability to the frequency of Bromus tectorum and three native, perennial grasses across 31 piñon-juniper woodlands, UT, USA. Using a series of mixed models, we found that FWD increased the frequency of three of the four grasses by at least 12%. Deep, as opposed to shallow, soils mediated frequencies following FWD additions but only partially explained the variation in Bromus and Pseudoroegneria spicata. Although fertile areas associated with tree-islands elicited no response, FWD-induced increases in nitrogen mineralization in deep soils (15–17 cm) caused the frequency of the exotic and Pseudoroegneria to rise. Higher phosphorus availability in FWD-covered surface soils (0–2 cm) had no impact on grasses. FWD altered deep soil respiration, and deep and shallow microbial biomass structuring Pseudoroegneria frequencies, suggesting that microorganism themselves regulated Pseudoroegneria. The positive effects of FWD on grass frequencies intensified over time for natives but diminished for Bromus. Our results demonstrate that microorganisms in deeper soils helped mediate species-specific responses to disturbance both facilitating exotic invasion and promoting native establishment.

Gravitational radiation from stellar collapse: The initial burst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shapiro, S.L.

1977-01-01

The burst of gravitational radiation emitted during the initial collapse and rebound of a homogeneous, uniformly rotating spheroid with internal pressure is analyzed numerically. The surface of the collapsing spheroid is assumed to start at rest from infinity with negligible eccentricity (''zero-energy collapse''). The adopted internal pressure function is constant on self-similar spheroidal surfaces, and its central value is described by a polytropic law with index n< or =3. The Newtonian equations of motion are integrated numerically to follow the initial collapse and rebound of the configuration for the special case in which the collapse is time-reversal invariant about the moment of maximum compression, and the total energy and frequency spectrum of the emitted quadrupole radiation are computed. The results are employed to estimate the (approx.minimum) total energy and frequency distribution of the initial burst of gravitational radiation emitted during the formation of low-mass (Mapproximately-less-thanM/sub sun/) neutron stars and during the collapse of supermassive gas clouds

Stability numerical analysis of soil cave in karst area to drawdown of underground water level

Science.gov (United States)

Mo, Yizheng; Xiao, Rencheng; Deng, Zongwei

2018-05-01

With the underground water level falling, the reliable estimates of the stability and deformation characteristics of soil caves in karst region area are required for analysis used for engineering design. Aimed at this goal, combined with practical engineering and field geotechnical test, detail analysis on vertical maximum displacement of top, vertical maximum displacement of surface, maximum principal stress and maximum shear stress were conducted by finite element software, with an emphasis on two varying factors: the size and the depth of soil cave. The calculations on the soil cave show that, its stability of soil cave is affected by both the size and depth, and only when extending a certain limit, the collapse occurred along with the falling of underground water; Additionally, its maximum shear stress is in arch toes, and its deformation curve trend of maximum displacement is similar to the maximum shear stress, which further verified that the collapse of soil cave was mainly due to shear-failure.

Influence of physical and chemical properties of different soil types on optimal soil moisture for tillage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir Zebec

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Soil plasticity is the area of soil consistency, i.e. it represents a change in soil condition due to different soil moisture influenced by external forces activity. Consistency determines soil resistance in tillage, therefore, the aim of the research was to determine the optimum soil moisture condition for tillage and the influence of the chemical and physical properties of the arable land horizons on the soil plasticity on three different types of soil (fluvisol, luvisol and humic glaysol. Statistically significant differences were found between all examined soil types, such as the content of clay particles, the density of packaging and the actual and substitution acidity, the cation exchange capacity and the content of calcium. There were also statistically significant differences between the examined types of soil for the plasticity limit, liquid limit and the plasticity index. The average established value of plasticity limit as an important element for determining the optimal moment of soil tillage was 18.9% mass on fluvisol, 24.0% mass on luvisol and 28.6% mass on humic glaysol. Very significant positive direction correlation with plasticity limits was shown by organic matter, clay, fine silt, magnesium, sodium and calcium, while very significant negative direction correlation was shown by hydrolytic acidity, coarse sand, fine sand and coarse silt. Created regression models can estimate the optimal soil moisture condition for soil cultivation based on the basic soil properties. The model precision is significantly increased by introducing a greater number of agrochemical and agrophysical soil properties, and the additional precision of the model can be increased by soil type data.

Mycorrhizal Glomus spp. vary in their effects on the dynamics and turnover of fine alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) roots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ren, A.; Waly, N.; Chunhui, M.; Zhang, Q.; Liu, H.; Yang, J.

2016-01-01

The distribution of fine roots in the soil profile has important implications related to water and nutrient uptake. The Objective of this study was to compare the effects of different arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on the fine root dynamics of Medicago sativa L. cv. Sanditi. We used minirhizotrons to observe changes in fine root length density (FRLD, mm/cm2) and fine root surface area density (FRSAD, mm2/cm2) during the growing season. Fine root P concentrations and turnover rate were also measured. The colonization rate of fine roots varied depending on the AMF species. Colonization rates were highest when roots were inoculated with Glomus mosseae and lowest when roots were inoculated G. intraradices. Inoculation with AMF significantly increased both FRLD and FRSAD. G. versiforme increased FRLD and FRSAD most, whereas G. mosseae had the least effect. Inoculation with AMF also decreased fine root turnover rates. Inoculation with a mixture of AMF species increased fine root turnover and P concentrations more than inoculation with a single AMF species. Fine root length density increased to a maximum on Aug. 6 and then decreased. In comparison, FRSAD exhibited two peaks during the growing season. Overall, the Results indicated that inoculation with AMF can significantly promote fine root growth and P uptake by alfalfa growing on soil with low P availability. The AMF may preserve fine root function late in the growing season. (author)

Current status of relativistic core collapse simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Font, Jose A [Departamento de Astronomia y Astrofisica, Universidad de Valencia, Dr. Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot (Valencia) (Spain)

2007-05-15

With the first generation of ground-based gravitational wave laser interferometers already taking data, the availability of reliable waveform templates from astrophysical sources, which may help extract the signal from the anticipated noisy data, is urgently required. Gravitational stellar core collapse supernova has traditionally been considered among the most important astrophysical sources of potentially detectable gravitational radiation. Only very recently the first multidimensional simulations of relativistic rotational core collapse have been possible (albeit for models with simplified input physics), thanks to the use of conservative formulations of the hydrodynamics equations and advanced numerical methodology, as well as stable formulations of Einstein's equations. In this paper, the current status of relativistic core collapse simulations is discussed, with the emphasis given to the modelling of the collapse dynamics and to the computation of the gravitational radiation in the existing numerical approaches. Work employing the conformally-flat approximation (CFC) of the 3+1 Einstein's equations is reported, as well as extensions of this approximation (CFC+) and investigations within the framework of the so-called BSSN formulation of the 3+1 gravitational field equations (with no approximation for the spacetime dynamics). On the other hand, the incorporation of magnetic fields and the MHD equations in numerical codes to improve the realism of core collapse simulations in general relativity, is currently an emerging field where significant progress is bound to be soon achieved. The paper also contains a brief discussion of magneto-rotational simulations of core collapse, aiming at addressing the effects of magnetic fields on the collapse dynamics and on the gravitational waveforms.

Current status of relativistic core collapse simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Font, Jose A

2007-01-01

With the first generation of ground-based gravitational wave laser interferometers already taking data, the availability of reliable waveform templates from astrophysical sources, which may help extract the signal from the anticipated noisy data, is urgently required. Gravitational stellar core collapse supernova has traditionally been considered among the most important astrophysical sources of potentially detectable gravitational radiation. Only very recently the first multidimensional simulations of relativistic rotational core collapse have been possible (albeit for models with simplified input physics), thanks to the use of conservative formulations of the hydrodynamics equations and advanced numerical methodology, as well as stable formulations of Einstein's equations. In this paper, the current status of relativistic core collapse simulations is discussed, with the emphasis given to the modelling of the collapse dynamics and to the computation of the gravitational radiation in the existing numerical approaches. Work employing the conformally-flat approximation (CFC) of the 3+1 Einstein's equations is reported, as well as extensions of this approximation (CFC+) and investigations within the framework of the so-called BSSN formulation of the 3+1 gravitational field equations (with no approximation for the spacetime dynamics). On the other hand, the incorporation of magnetic fields and the MHD equations in numerical codes to improve the realism of core collapse simulations in general relativity, is currently an emerging field where significant progress is bound to be soon achieved. The paper also contains a brief discussion of magneto-rotational simulations of core collapse, aiming at addressing the effects of magnetic fields on the collapse dynamics and on the gravitational waveforms

Effect of soil compactness on the growth and quality of carrot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liisa Pietola

1995-05-01

Full Text Available Field experiments were performed in Southern Finland on three soil types: fine sand (1989-1991, clay (1989 and mull (1990-1991. The following soil mechanical treatments were applied to autumn ploughed land: soil loosening by ridge preparation (ridge distance 45 cm, rotary harrowing (to a depth of 20 cm, clay 15 cm, and soil compaction track by track by a tractor weighing 3 Mg (1 or 3 passes, wheel width 33 cm before seed bed preparation. One plot was untreated. These treatments were set up in April (on clay in May under moist soil conditions. Sprinkler irrigation (one application of 30 mm was applied to clay and fine sand when soil moisture in top soil had decreased to around 50% of plant-available water capacity. PVC cylinders (r = 15 cm, h = 60 cm were fixed in the experimental areas during the growing periods. At harvest, these cylinders were removed for specific analysis of tap and fibrous roots of carrot. Length and width of fibrous roots were quantified by image analysis in the USA. The impacts of soil loosening and partial compaction were determined by measuring soil physical parameters to a depth of 25 cm in mineral soils, and to greater depths in organic soil. Dry bulk densities of the plough layers increased with increasing tractor passes by 8%, 10% and 13% for fine sand, mull and clay soils, respectively. The lowest dry soil bulk density in the plough layer was obtained by rotary harrowing to a depth of 20 cm. Comparison of gamma ray transmission and gravimetric analysis indicated that dry soil bulk density was slightly lower when determined by gravimetric analysis. Increased soil bulk densities were reflected by increased water retention capacity (matric suction ≤ 10 kPa and greater penetrometer resistance. Relatively similar increases in bulk density increased the penetrometer resistance much less in mull than in fine sand. In contrast, greater bulk densities in the mull soil affected soil air composition adversely by decreasing

Remediation of Diesel Fuel Contaminated Sandy Soil using Ultrasonic Waves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wulandari P.S.

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Ultrasonic cleaning has been used in industry for some time, but the application of ultrasonic cleaning in contaminated soil is just recently received considerable attention, it is a very new technique, especially in Indonesia. An ultrasonic cleaner works mostly by energy released from the collapse of millions of microscopic cavitations near the dirty surface. This paper investigates the use of ultrasonic wave to enhance remediation of diesel fuel contaminated sandy soil considering the ultrasonic power, soil particle size, soil density, water flow rate, and duration of ultrasonic waves application.

Contagious cooperation, temptation, and ecosystem collapse

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Richter, A.; van Soest, D.P.; Grasman, J.

2013-01-01

Real world observations suggest that social norms of cooperation can be effective in overcoming social dilemmas such as the joint management of a common pool resource—but also that they can be subject to slow erosion and sudden collapse. We show that these patterns of erosion and collapse emerge

How summit calderas collapse on basaltic volcanoes: new insights from the April 2007 caldera collapse of Piton de la Fournaise volcano

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Michon, Laurent; Catry, Thibault; Merle, Olivier [Laboratoire GeoSciences Reunion, Universite de la Reunion, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, CNRS, UMR 7154 - Geologie des Systemes Volcaniques, 15 avenue Rene Cassin, 97715 Saint Denis (France); Villeneuve, Nicolas [Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement, US 140, BP172, 97492 Sainte-Clotilde cedex (France)], E-mail: laurent.michon@univ-reunion.fr

2008-10-01

In April 2007, Piton de la Fournaise volcano experienced a caldera collapse during its largest historical eruption. We present here the resulting deformation and a synthesis of the seismicity recorded during recent caldera collapses. It allows us to propose a unifying mechanism that explains the pulsating collapse dynamics.

HIERARCHICAL GRAVITATIONAL FRAGMENTATION. I. COLLAPSING CORES WITHIN COLLAPSING CLOUDS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naranjo-Romero, Raúl; Vázquez-Semadeni, Enrique; Loughnane, Robert M. [Instituto de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. Postal 3-72, Morelia, Michoacán, 58089, México (Mexico)

2015-11-20

We investigate the Hierarchical Gravitational Fragmentation scenario through numerical simulations of the prestellar stages of the collapse of a marginally gravitationally unstable isothermal sphere immersed in a strongly gravitationally unstable, uniform background medium. The core developes a Bonnor–Ebert (BE)-like density profile, while at the time of singularity (the protostar) formation the envelope approaches a singular-isothermal-sphere (SIS)-like r{sup −2} density profile. However, these structures are never hydrostatic. In this case, the central flat region is characterized by an infall speed, while the envelope is characterized by a uniform speed. This implies that the hydrostatic SIS initial condition leading to Shu's classical inside-out solution is not expected to occur, and therefore neither should the inside-out solution. Instead, the solution collapses from the outside-in, naturally explaining the observation of extended infall velocities. The core, defined by the radius at which it merges with the background, has a time-variable mass, and evolves along the locus of the ensemble of observed prestellar cores in a plot of M/M{sub BE} versus M, where M is the core's mass and M{sub BE} is the critical BE mass, spanning the range from the “stable” to the “unstable” regimes, even though it is collapsing at all times. We conclude that the presence of an unstable background allows a core to evolve dynamically from the time when it first appears, even when it resembles a pressure-confined, stable BE-sphere. The core can be thought of as a ram-pressure confined BE-sphere, with an increasing mass due to the accretion from the unstable background.

Characteristics and management options of crusting soils in a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... to control the crusting. The relationship between crust thickness and soil physical and chemical properties and management practices were assessed using stepwise regression analysis. Soil crusting was largely related to soil aggregation, infiltration, fine sand fraction, cotton monocropping and crop residue incorporation.

Timescales of isotropic and anisotropic cluster collapse

Science.gov (United States)

Bartelmann, M.; Ehlers, J.; Schneider, P.

1993-12-01

From a simple estimate for the formation time of galaxy clusters, Richstone et al. have recently concluded that the evidence for non-virialized structures in a large fraction of observed clusters points towards a high value for the cosmological density parameter Omega0. This conclusion was based on a study of the spherical collapse of density perturbations, assumed to follow a Gaussian probability distribution. In this paper, we extend their treatment in several respects: first, we argue that the collapse does not start from a comoving motion of the perturbation, but that the continuity equation requires an initial velocity perturbation directly related to the density perturbation. This requirement modifies the initial condition for the evolution equation and has the effect that the collapse proceeds faster than in the case where the initial velocity perturbation is set to zero; the timescale is reduced by a factor of up to approximately equal 0.5. Our results thus strengthens the conclusion of Richstone et al. for a high Omega0. In addition, we study the collapse of density fluctuations in the frame of the Zel'dovich approximation, using as starting condition the analytically known probability distribution of the eigenvalues of the deformation tensor, which depends only on the (Gaussian) width of the perturbation spectrum. Finally, we consider the anisotropic collapse of density perturbations dynamically, again with initial conditions drawn from the probability distribution of the deformation tensor. We find that in both cases of anisotropic collapse, in the Zel'dovich approximation and in the dynamical calculations, the resulting distribution of collapse times agrees remarkably well with the results from spherical collapse. We discuss this agreement and conclude that it is mainly due to the properties of the probability distribution for the eigenvalues of the Zel'dovich deformation tensor. Hence, the conclusions of Richstone et al. on the value of Omega0 can be

Thermal duality and gravitational collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hewitt, Michael

2015-01-01

Thermal duality is a relationship between the behaviour of heterotic string models of the E(8)×E(8) or SO(32) types at inversely related temperatures, a variant of T duality in the Euclidean regime. This duality would have consequences for the nature of the Hagedorn transition in these string models. We propose that the vacuum admits a family of deformations in situations where there are closed surfaces of constant area but high radial acceleration (a string regularized version of a Penrose trapped surface), such as would be formed in situations of extreme gravitational collapse. This would allow a radical resolution of the firewall paradox by allowing quantum effects to significantly modify the spacetime geometry around a collapsed object. A string bremsstrahlung process would convert the kinetic energy of infalling matter in extreme gravitational collapse to form a region of the deformed vacuum, which would be equivalent to forming a high temperature string phase. A heuristic criterion for the conversion process is presented, relating Newtonian gravity to the string tension, suggesting an upper limit to the strength of the gravitational interaction. This conversion process might have observable consequences for charged particles falling into a rotating collapsed object by producing high energy particles via a variant of the Penrose process. (paper)

Hydrogen-Poor Core-Collapse Supernovae

Science.gov (United States)

Pian, Elena; Mazzali, Paolo A.

Hydrogen-poor core-collapse supernovae (SNe) signal the explosive death of stars more massive than the progenitors of hydrogen-rich core-collapse supernovae, i.e., approximately in the range 15-50 M⊙ in main sequence. Since hydrogen-poor core-collapse supernovae include those that accompany gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), which were all rigorously identified with type Ic supernovae, their explosion energies cover almost two decades. The light curves and spectra are consequently very heterogeneous and often bear the signature of an asymmetric, i.e., aspherical, explosion. Asphericity is best traced by early-time (within days of the explosion) optical spectropolarimetry and by late-epoch (more than ˜ 100 days after explosion) low-resolution spectroscopy. While the relationship between hydrogen-poor core-collapse supernovae to hydrogen-poor super-luminous supernovae is not understood, a known case of association between an ultra-long gamma-ray burst and a very luminous hydrogen-poor supernova may help unraveling the connection. This is tantalizingly pointing to a magnetar powering source for both phenomena, although this scenario is still highly speculative. Host galaxies of hydrogen-poor supernovae are always star forming; in those of completely stripped supernovae and gamma-ray burst supernovae, the spatial distribution of the explosions follows the blue/ultraviolet light, with a correlation that is more than linear.

Is the “Ecological and Economic Approach for the Restoration of Collapsed Gullies” in Southern China Really Economic?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chengchao Wang

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Collapsed gully erosion constantly plagues the sustainability of rural areas in China. To control collapsed gully erosion, an ecological and economic approach, which uses tree plantation to gain economic benefits and control soil erosion, has been widely applied by local governments in Southern China. However, little is known about the economic feasibility of this new method. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness and economic benefits of the new method. Based on a case study in Changting County, Southeast China, two farms were selected to represent a timber tree plantation and a fruit tree plantation, respectively. The Annual Capital Capitalization Method and Return on Investment (ROI were selected to conduct cost-benefit analysis. In contrast to previous studies, we found that the new approach was far from economic. The value of the newly-built forestland in Sanzhou Village and Tufang Village is 2738 RMB ha−1 and 5477 RMB ha−1, respectively, which are extremely lower than the costs of ecological restoration. Meanwhile, the annual ROI is −3.60% and −8.90%, respectively, which is negative and also far poorer than the average value of forestry in China. The costs of conservation were substantially over the related economic benefits, and the investors would suffer from greater loss if they invested more in the conservation. Low-cost terraces with timber trees had less economic loss compared with the costly terraces with fruit tree plantation. Moreover, the cost efficiency of the new approaches in soil conservation was also greatly poorer than the conventional method. The costs of conserving one ton soil per year for conventional method, new method for planting timber trees, and planting fruit trees were 164 RMB, 696 RMB, and 11,664 RMB, respectively. Therefore, the new collapsed gully erosion control methods are uneconomic and unsuitable to be widely carried out in China in the near future.

Understanding Core-Collapse Supernovae

Science.gov (United States)

Hix, W. R.; Lentz, E. J.; Baird, M.; Messer, O. E. B.; Mezzacappa, A.; Lee, C.-T.; Bruenn, S. W.; Blondin, J. M.; Marronetti, P.

2010-03-01

Our understanding of core-collapse supernovae continues to improve as better microphysics is included in increasingly realistic neutrino-radiationhydrodynamic simulations. Recent multi-dimensional models with spectral neutrino transport, which slowly develop successful explosions for a range of progenitors between 12 and 25 solar mass, have motivated changes in our understanding of the neutrino reheating mechanism. In a similar fashion, improvements in nuclear physics, most notably explorations of weak interactions on nuclei and the nuclear equation of state, continue to refine our understanding of how supernovae explode. Recent progresses on both the macroscopic and microscopic effects that affect core-collapse supernovae are discussed.

Magnetic tension and gravitational collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsagas, Christos G

2006-01-01

The gravitational collapse of a magnetized medium is investigated by studying qualitatively the convergence of a timelike family of non-geodesic worldlines in the presence of a magnetic field. Focusing on the field's tension, we illustrate how the winding of the magnetic forcelines due to the fluid's rotation assists the collapse, while shear-like distortions in the distribution of the field's gradients resist contraction. We also show that the relativistic coupling between magnetism and geometry, together with the tension properties of the field, lead to a magneto-curvature stress that opposes the collapse. This tension stress grows stronger with increasing curvature distortion, which means that it could potentially dominate over the gravitational pull of the matter. If this happens, a converging family of non-geodesic worldlines can be prevented from focusing without violating the standard energy conditions

On the quantum corrected gravitational collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torres, Ramón; Fayos, Francesc

2015-01-01

Based on a previously found general class of quantum improved exact solutions composed of non-interacting (dust) particles, we model the gravitational collapse of stars. As the modeled star collapses a closed apparent 3-horizon is generated due to the consideration of quantum effects. The effect of the subsequent emission of Hawking radiation related to this horizon is taken into consideration. Our computations lead us to argue that a total evaporation could be reached. The inferred global picture of the spacetime corresponding to gravitational collapse is devoid of both event horizons and shell-focusing singularities. As a consequence, there is no information paradox and no need of firewalls

On the quantum corrected gravitational collapse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramón Torres

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Based on a previously found general class of quantum improved exact solutions composed of non-interacting (dust particles, we model the gravitational collapse of stars. As the modeled star collapses a closed apparent 3-horizon is generated due to the consideration of quantum effects. The effect of the subsequent emission of Hawking radiation related to this horizon is taken into consideration. Our computations lead us to argue that a total evaporation could be reached. The inferred global picture of the spacetime corresponding to gravitational collapse is devoid of both event horizons and shell-focusing singularities. As a consequence, there is no information paradox and no need of firewalls.

On the quantum corrected gravitational collapse

Science.gov (United States)

Torres, Ramón; Fayos, Francesc

2015-07-01

Based on a previously found general class of quantum improved exact solutions composed of non-interacting (dust) particles, we model the gravitational collapse of stars. As the modeled star collapses a closed apparent 3-horizon is generated due to the consideration of quantum effects. The effect of the subsequent emission of Hawking radiation related to this horizon is taken into consideration. Our computations lead us to argue that a total evaporation could be reached. The inferred global picture of the spacetime corresponding to gravitational collapse is devoid of both event horizons and shell-focusing singularities. As a consequence, there is no information paradox and no need of firewalls.

Climate, soil and plant functional types as drivers of global fine-root trait variation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Freschet, Grégoire T.; Valverde-Barrantes, Oscar J.; Tucker, Caroline M.; Craine, Joseph M.; McCormack, M. Luke; Violle, Cyrille; Fort, Florian; Blackwood, Christopher B.; Urban-Mead, Katherine R.; Iversen, Colleen M.; Bonis, Anne; Comas, Louise H.; Cornelissen, Johannes H.C.; Dong, Ming; Guo, Dali; Hobbie, Sarah E.; Holdaway, Robert J.; Kembel, Steven W.; Makita, Naoki; Onipchenko, Vladimir G.; Picon-Cochard, Catherine; Reich, Peter B.; de la Riva, Enrique G.; Smith, Stuart W.; Soudzilovskaia, Nadejda A.; Tjoelker, Mark G.; Wardle, David A.; Roumet, Catherine

2017-01-01

Ecosystem functioning relies heavily on below-ground processes, which are largely regulated by plant fine-roots and their functional traits. However, our knowledge of fine-root trait distribution relies to date on local- and regional-scale studies with limited numbers of species, growth forms and

[Fractal features of soil particle size in the process of desertification in desert grassland of Ningxia, China].

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Xin; An, Hui

2017-10-01

The variation of soil properties, the fractal dimension of soil particle size, and the relationships between fractal dimension of soil particle size and soil properties in the process of desertification in desert grassland of Ningxia were discussed. The results showed that the fractal dimension (D) at different desertification stages in desert grassland varied greatly, the value of D was between 1.69 and 2.62. Except for the 10-20 cm soil layer, the value of D gradually declined with increa sing desertification of desert grassland at 0-30 cm soil layer. In the process of desertification in de-sert grassland, the grassland had the highest values of D , the volume percentage of clay and silt, and the lowest values of the volume percentage of very fine sand and fine sand. However, the mobile dunes had the lowest value of D , the volume percentage of clay and silt, and the highest value of the volume percentage of very fine sand and fine sand. There was a significant positive correlation between the soil fractal dimension value and the volume percentage of soil particles 50 μm. The grain size of 50 μm was the critical value for deciding the relationship between the soil particle fractal dimension and the volume percentage. Soil organic matter (SOM) and total nitrogen (TN) decreased gradually with increasing desertification of desert grassland, but soil bulk density increased gradually. Qualitative change from fixed dunes to semi fixed dunes with the rapid decrease of the volume percentage of clay and silt, SOM, TN and the rapid increase of volume percentage of very fine sand and fine sand, soil bulk density. Fractal dimension was significantly correlated to SOM, TN and soil bulk density. Fractal dimension 2.58 was a critical value of fixed dunes and semi fixed dunes. So, the fractal dimension of 2.58 could be taken as the desertification indicator of desert grassland.

Changes in fine-root production, phenology and spatial distribution in response to N application in irrigated sweet cherry trees.

Science.gov (United States)

Artacho, Pamela; Bonomelli, Claudia

2016-05-01

Factors regulating fine-root growth are poorly understood, particularly in fruit tree species. In this context, the effects of N addition on the temporal and spatial distribution of fine-root growth and on the fine-root turnover were assessed in irrigated sweet cherry trees. The influence of other exogenous and endogenous factors was also examined. The rhizotron technique was used to measure the length-based fine-root growth in trees fertilized at two N rates (0 and 60 kg ha(-1)), and the above-ground growth, leaf net assimilation, and air and soil variables were simultaneously monitored. N fertilization exerted a basal effect throughout the season, changing the magnitude, temporal patterns and spatial distribution of fine-root production and mortality. Specifically, N addition enhanced the total fine-root production by increasing rates and extending the production period. On average, N-fertilized trees had a length-based production that was 110-180% higher than in control trees, depending on growing season. Mortality was proportional to production, but turnover rates were inconsistently affected. Root production and mortality was homogeneously distributed in the soil profile of N-fertilized trees while control trees had 70-80% of the total fine-root production and mortality concentrated below 50 cm depth. Root mortality rates were associated with soil temperature and water content. In contrast, root production rates were primarily under endogenous control, specifically through source-sink relationships, which in turn were affected by N supply through changes in leaf photosynthetic level. Therefore, exogenous and endogenous factors interacted to control the fine-root dynamics of irrigated sweet cherry trees. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Analysis of static and dynamic pile-soil-jacket behaviour

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Azadi, Mohammad Reza Emami

1998-12-31

In the offshore industry, recent extreme storms, severe earthquakes and subsidence of the foundation of jacket platforms have shown that new models and methods must take into account the jacket- pile-soil foundation interaction as well as the non-linear dynamic performance/loading effects. This thesis begins with a review of the state of art pile-soil interaction model, recognizing that most existing pile-soil models have been established based on large diameter pile tests on specific sites. The need for site independent and mechanistic pile-soil interaction models led to the development of new (t-z) and (p-y) disk models. These are validated using the available database from recent large diameter pile tests in the North Sea and Gulf of Mexico. The established static disk models are applied for non-linear static analysis of the jacket-pile-soil system under extreme wave loading. Dynamic pile-soil interaction is studied and a new disk-cone model is developed for the non-linear and non-homogeneous soils. This model is applied to both surface and embedded disks in a soil layer with non-linear properties. Simplified non-linear as well as more complex analysis methods are used to study the dynamic response of the jacket platform under extreme sea and seismic loading. Ductility spectra analysis is introduced and used to study the dynamic performance of the jacket systems near collapse. Case studies are used to illustrate the effects of structural, foundation failure characteristics as well as dynamic loading effects on the overall performance of the jacket-pile-soil systems near ultimate collapse. 175 refs., 429 figs., 70 tabs.

Shock-induced nanobubble collapse and its applications

Science.gov (United States)

Vedadi, Mohammad Hossein

The shock-induced collapse of nanobubbles in water is investigated using molecular dynamics simulations based on a reactive force field. Monitoring the collapse of a cavitation nanobubble, we observe a focused nanojet at the onset of bubble shrinkage and a water hammer shock wave upon bubble collapse. The nanojet length scales linearly with the nanobubble radius, as observed in experiments on micron-to-millimeter size bubbles. The shock induces dramatic structural changes, including an ice-VII-like structural motif at a particle velocity of approximately 1 km/s. The incipient ice VII formation and the calculated Hugoniot curve are in good agreement with experimental results. Moreover, a substantial number of positive and negative ions appear when the nanojet hits the distal side of the nanobubble and the water hammer shock forms. Furthermore, two promising applications of shock-induced nanobubble collapse have been explored. Our simulations of poration in lipid bilayers due to shock-induced collapse of nanobubbles reveal penetration of nanojets into lipid bilayers. The nanojet impact generates shear flow of water on bilayer leaflets and pressure gradients across them, which transiently enhance the bilayer permeability by creating nanopores through which water molecules translocate across the bilayer. The effects of nanobubble size and temperature on the porosity of lipid bilayers are examined. Finally, the shock-induced collapse of CO2-filled nanobubbles in water is investigated. The energetic nanojet and high-pressure water hammer shock formed during and after collapse of the nanobubble trigger mechano-chemical H2O-CO2 reactions, some of which lead to splitting of water molecules. The dominant pathways through which splitting of water molecules occur are identified.

Analogy between electrochemical behaviour of thick silicon granular electrodes for lithium batteries and fine soils micromechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, B.P.N.; Gaubicher, J.; Lestriez, B.

2014-01-01

In this paper we study the influence of the distribution and the shape of the carbon conductive additives on the cyclability of thick silicon based composite electrodes. Results pinpoint the influence of carbon additives is not only to play on the electronic conductivity but also to play on the micromechanics (stress distribution) of the composite films. The lack of correlation between electrochemical performance and the macroscopic electronic conductivity of the pristine electrodes and the observation of repeated drops and jumps in capacity during cycling brought us to make an analogy between the silicon composite electrodes and cohesive granular materials such as fine soils media. Considering the collective mechanical behavior of a stack of silicon particles upon repeated volume variations shed a novel understanding to the electrochemical behavior of composite electrodes based on silicon and alloying materials and tells us how critically important is the design at the different scales (the particle, a few particles, the composite electrode, the cell) to engineer the mechanical stress and strain and improve cycle life

Distribution of inert gases in fines from the Cayley-Descartes region

Science.gov (United States)

Walton, J. R.; Lakatos, S.; Heymann, D.

1973-01-01

The inert gases in 14 different fines and in one sample of 2 to 4 mm fines from Apollo 16 were measured by mass spectroscopy with respect to trapped solar wind gases, cosmogenic gases, and 'parentless' Ar-40. Such studies are helpful for the understanding of regolith evolution, of transport of regolith fines, and of the lunar atmosphere. The Apollo 16 soils are unique because they represent, after Luna 20, the second and much more extensive record from the lunar highlands. The landing site presents the problem of materials from the Cayley Formation vs those from the Descartes Formation. There are two large, relatively fresh craters in the area, North Ray and South Ray, whose ejecta patterns may be recognized in the inert-gas record.

Lung lobe collapse: pathophysiology and radiologic significance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lord, P.F.; Gomez, J.A.

1985-01-01

The radiographic changes caused by collapse of lung lobes in pulmonary disease, pneumothorax, and pleural effusion depend on the lobar recoiling force and local pleural pressure. Differences in the tendency of normal lung lobes or regions to collapse depend on the relative surface-to-volume ratio, determined by shape and size of the region or lobe. This ratio affects the physiologic parameters of pulmonary interdependence, compliance, and collateral air flow. Pulmonary surfactant increases compliance, particularly at low volumes, maintains alveolar stability, and assists in maintaining capillary patency and preventing pulmonary edema. Its loss due to lung injury increases collapsing forces. In the presence of pneumothorax or pleural effusion, diseases that cause lobar collapse produce localized air or fluid entrapment that is a diagnostic sign of the presence of the underlying pulmonary disease

Collapse and stability of single- and multi-wall carbon nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao, J; Liu, B; Huang, Y; Zuo, J; Hwang, K-C; Yu, M-F

2007-01-01

The collapse and stability of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have important implications for their synthesis and applications. While nanotube collapse has been observed experimentally, the conditions for the collapse, especially its dependence on tube structures, are not clear. We have studied the energetics of the collapse of single- and multi-wall CNTs via atomistic simulations. The collapse is governed by the number of walls and the radius of the inner-most wall. The collapsed structure is energetically favored about a certain diameter, which is 4.12, 4.96 and 5.76 nm for single-, double- and triple-wall CNTs, respectively. The CNT chirality also has a strong influence on the collapsed structure, leading to flat, warped and twisted CNTs, depending on the chiral angle

Evaluation of radiocaesium wash-off by soil erosion from various land uses using USLE plots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshimura, Kazuya; Onda, Yuichi; Kato, Hiroaki

2015-01-01

Radiocaesium wash-off associated with soil erosion in different land use was monitored using USLE plots in Kawamata, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. Parameters and factors relating to soil erosion and 137 Cs concentration in the eroded soil were evaluated based on the field monitoring and presented. The erosion of fine soil, which is defined as the fraction of soil overflowed along with discharged water from a sediment-trap tank, constituted a large proportion of the discharged radiocaesium. This indicated that the quantitative monitoring of fine soil erosion is greatly important for the accurate evaluation of radiocaesium wash-off. An exponential relationship was found between vegetation cover and the amount of eroded soil. Moreover, the radiocaesium concentrations in the discharged soil were greatly affected by the land use. These results indicate that radiocaesium wash-off related to vegetation cover and land use is crucially important in modelling radiocaesium migration. - Highlights: • Fine soil erosion showed large impact on radiocaesium wash-off. • Exponential relationship was found between vegetation cover and eroded soil. • Radiocaesium concentration in the discharged soil was depending on land use

The effect of limited availability of N or water on C allocation to fine roots and annual fine root turnover in Alnus incana and Salix viminalis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rytter, Rose-Marie

2013-09-01

The effect of limited nitrogen (N) or water availability on fine root growth and turnover was examined in two deciduous species, Alnus incana L. and Salix viminalis L., grown under three different regimes: (i) supply of N and water in amounts which would not hamper growth, (ii) limited N supply and (iii) limited water supply. Plants were grown outdoors during three seasons in covered and buried lysimeters placed in a stand structure and filled with quartz sand. Computer-controlled irrigation and fertilization were supplied through drip tubes. Production and turnover of fine roots were estimated by combining minirhizotron observations and core sampling, or by sequential core sampling. Annual turnover rates of fine roots water availability. Fine root production (treatments in Salix; i.e., absolute length and biomass production increased in the order: water limited treatment effects were detected for fine roots 1-2 mm. Proportionally more C was allocated to fine roots (≤2 mm) in N or water-limited Salix; 2.7 and 2.3 times the allocation to fine roots in the unlimited regime, respectively. Estimated input to soil organic carbon increased by ca. 20% at N limitation in Salix. However, future studies on fine root decomposition under various environmental conditions are required. Fine root growth responses to N or water limitation were less pronounced in Alnus, thus indicating species differences caused by N-fixing capacity and slower initial growth in Alnus, or higher fine root plasticity in Salix. A similar seasonal growth pattern across species and treatments suggested the influence of outer stimuli, such as temperature and light.

Enhanced desorption of cesium from collapsed interlayer regions in vermiculite by hydrothermal treatment with divalent cations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yin, Xiangbiao, E-mail: yin.x.aa@m.titech.ac.jp [Research Laboratory for Nuclear Reactors, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550 (Japan); Wang, Xinpeng [College of Resources and Metallurgy, Guangxi University, 100 Daxue East Road, Nanning 530004 (China); Wu, Hao; Ohnuki, Toshihiko; Takeshita, Kenji [Research Laboratory for Nuclear Reactors, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550 (Japan)

2017-03-15

Highlights: • Desorption of Cs{sup +} fixed in collapsed interlayer region of vermiculite was studied. • Monovalent cations readily induced interlayer collapse inhibiting Cs{sup +} desorption. • Larger hydrous ionic radii of divalent cations greatly prevented Cs{sup +} desorption. • Effect of divalent cation on Cs{sup +} desorption changes depending on thermal treatment. • ∼100% removal of saturated Cs{sup +} was achieved by hydrothermal treatment at 250 °C. - Abstract: Adsorption of cesium (Cs) on phyllosilicates has been intensively investigated because natural soils have strong ability of immobilizing Cs within clay minerals resulting in difficulty of decontamination. The objectives of present study are to clarify how Cs fixation on vermiculite is influenced by structure change caused by Cs sorption at different loading levels and how Cs desorption is affected by various replacing cations induced at different treating temperature. As a result, more than 80% of Cs was readily desorbed from vermiculite with loading amount of 2% saturated Cs (5.49 × 10{sup −3} mmol g{sup −1}) after four cycles of treatment of 0.01 M Mg{sup 2+}/Ca{sup 2+} at room temperature, but less than 20% of Cs was desorbed from saturated vermiculite. These distinct desorption patterns were attributed to inhibition of Cs desorption by interlayer collapse of vermiculite, especially at high Cs loadings. In contrast, elevated temperature significantly facilitated divalent cations to efficiently desorb Cs from collapsed regions. After five cycles of treatment at 250 °C with 0.01 M Mg{sup 2+}, ∼100% removal of saturated Cs was achieved. X-ray diffraction analysis results suggested that Cs desorption was completed through enhanced diffusion of Mg{sup 2+} cations into collapsed interlayer space under hydrothermal condition resulting in subsequent interlayer decollapse and readily release of Cs{sup +}.

Downscaling Coarse Scale Microwave Soil Moisture Product using Machine Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Abbaszadeh, P.; Moradkhani, H.; Yan, H.

2016-12-01

Soil moisture (SM) is a key variable in partitioning and examining the global water-energy cycle, agricultural planning, and water resource management. It is also strongly coupled with climate change, playing an important role in weather forecasting and drought monitoring and prediction, flood modeling and irrigation management. Although satellite retrievals can provide an unprecedented information of soil moisture at a global-scale, the products might be inadequate for basin scale study or regional assessment. To improve the spatial resolution of SM, this work presents a novel approach based on Machine Learning (ML) technique that allows for downscaling of the satellite soil moisture to fine resolution. For this purpose, the SMAP L-band radiometer SM products were used and conditioned on the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model prediction to describe the relationship between the coarse and fine scale soil moisture data. The proposed downscaling approach was applied to a western US basin and the products were compared against the available SM data from in-situ gauge stations. The obtained results indicated a great potential of the machine learning technique to derive the fine resolution soil moisture information that is currently used for land data assimilation applications.

Identification and stabilization methods for problematic silt soils : a laboratory evaluation of modification and stabilization additives.

Science.gov (United States)

2003-07-01

The instability and pumping response of non-plastic, high silt (and fine sand) soils was investigated. Common reagents, i.e., lime, lime-fly ash, Portland cement, and slag cement were included as admixtures with three high silt (and fine sand) soils....

Closed depression topography and Harps soil, revisited

Science.gov (United States)

The Harps soil (Fine-loamy, mixed superactive, mesic Typic Calciaquoll) developed around wetland depressions. The purpose of this study is 1) to delineate surface deposition of carbonates representing Harps soil which results from outward and upward flow around closed depressions, and 2) to relate t...

Fine root dynamics in moso bamboo and Japanese cedar forest by scanner method in central Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zhi-Wei; Lin, Po-Hsuan; Kume, Tomonori

2017-04-01

Phyllostachys pubescens is one of the most important economic plant in the world. Phyllostachys pubescens originates from China and it had been introduced to neighbor countries about three hundred ago due to its economic value. But substantial bamboo forests were abandoned due to declines in demand. These unmanaged bamboo forests have been expanding to adjacent original forests in northern Taiwan. This vegetation alternation may not only decrease the local biodiversity but also affect the carbon cycle. Fine roots are responsible for water and nutrients acquisition and forming the most active part of the whole root system. The characteristics of fine roots are non-woody, small diameter and short lifespan. When roots keep producing new roots and replacing old roots, carbon and nutrients was transported into soil. Consequently, fine root production is one of the important component to understand the below-ground carbon cycle. However, there is few studies about fine root production in moso bamboo forests. We still lack effective method to obtain quantitative and objective data in Taiwan. It severely limits us to understand the below-ground carbon dynamics there. Minirhizotrons method has been used to investigate fine root dynamics by inserting transparent tubes into soil and by comparing changes in root length in images taken by micro-camera. But this method has some shortcomings; i.e. Most of image analysis are conducted manually and time-consuming. And it is difficult to estimate the stand level fine root production from small observation view. A new method "scanner method", which collect A4-size image (bigger than minirhizotrons) can overcome some parts of the shortcoming of minirhizotrons. The transparent acrylic box with A4-box view is inserted into soil and the interface between soil and box is scanned by commercial scanner. We can monitor the total projected root area, growth and decomposition separately by series of images. The primary objective of this study

Correlated random walks induced by dynamical wavefunction collapse

Science.gov (United States)

Bedingham, Daniel

2015-03-01

Wavefunction collapse models modify Schrödinger's equation so that it describes the collapse of a superposition of macroscopically distinguishable states as a genuine physical process [PRA 42, 78 (1990)]. This provides a basis for the resolution of the quantum measurement problem. An additional generic consequence of the collapse mechanism is that it causes particles to exhibit a tiny random diffusive motion. Furthermore, the diffusions of two sufficiently nearby particles are positively correlated -- it is more likely that the particles diffuse in the same direction than would happen if they behaved independently [PRA 89, 032713 (2014)]. The use of this effect is proposed as an experimental test of wave function collapse models in which pairs of nanoparticles are simultaneously released from nearby traps and allowed a brief period of free fall. The random displacements of the particles are then measured. The experiment must be carried out at sufficiently low temperature and pressure for the collapse effects to dominate over the ambient environmental noise. It is argued that these constraints can be satisfied by current technologies for a large class of viable wavefunction collapse models. Work supported by the Templeton World Charity Foundation.

Cooperation, cheating, and collapse in biological populations

Science.gov (United States)

Gore, Jeff

2014-03-01

Natural populations can collapse suddenly in response to small changes in environmental conditions, and recovery from such a collapse can be difficult. We have used laboratory microbial ecosystems to directly measure theoretically proposed early warning signals of impending population collapse. Yeast cooperatively break down the sugar sucrose, meaning that below a critical size the population cannot sustain itself. We have demonstrated experimentally that changes in the fluctuations of the population size can serve as an early warning signal that the population is close to collapse. The cooperative nature of yeast growth on sucrose suggests that the population may be susceptible to ``cheater'' cells, which do not contribute to the public good and instead merely take advantage of the cooperative cells. We confirm this possibility experimentally and find that such social parasitism decreases the resilience of the population.

Copper deficiency in Guizhou semi-fine wool sheep on pasture in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

use

2011-11-23

Nov 23, 2011 ... The Guizhou semi-fine sheep in the Weining County, Guizhou province, south west China karst mountain area were affected by an ailment characterized by pica, emaciation, dyskinesia, depressed appetites, unsteady gait and anemia. We found that concentrations of copper (Cu) in soil and forage.

The onset of coherence collapse in DBR lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woodward, S.L.; Koch, T.L.; Koren, U.

1990-01-01

The authors investigate how the onset of coherence collapse depends on laser output power. The lasers were three-section multiquantum-well distributed-Bragg-reflector (MQW-DBR) lasers. The fraction of light reflected back into the lasing mode was varied, and the point at which the transition to coherence collapse occurred was measured. This feedback level varies approximately linearly with laser output power. For these lasers, when the output power is 1 mW, the transition to coherence collapse beings when the optical feedback into the lasing mode is below - 40 dBm; when the feedback power is - 35 dBm the laser line is completely collapsed

Galileon radiation from a spherical collapsing shell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martín-García, Javier [Instituto de Física Teórica UAM/CSIC,C/ Nicolás Cabrera 15, E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Vázquez-Mozo, Miguel Á. [Instituto Universitario de Física Fundamental y Matemáticas (IUFFyM),Universidad de Salamanca, Plaza de la Merced s/n, E-37008 Salamanca (Spain)

2017-01-17

Galileon radiation in the collapse of a thin spherical shell of matter is analyzed. In the framework of a cubic Galileon theory, we compute the field profile produced at large distances by a short collapse, finding that the radiated field has two peaks traveling ahead of light fronts. The total energy radiated during the collapse follows a power law scaling with the shell’s physical width and results from two competing effects: a Vainshtein suppression of the emission and an enhancement due to the thinness of the shell.

The collapse of acoustic waves in dispersive media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuznetsov, E.A.; Musher, S.L.; Shafarenko, A.V.

1983-01-01

The existence of the collapse of acoustic waves with a positive dispersion is demonstrated. A qualitative description of wave collapse, based on the analysis of invariants, is proposed. Through the use of a numerical simulation, it is established that, in the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili three-dimensional equation, collapse is accompanied by the formation of a weakly turbulent background by the wave radiation from the cavity

Homoclinic phenomena in the gravitational collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koiller, J.; Mello Neto, J.R.T. de; Soares, I.D.

1984-01-01

A class of Bianchi IX cosmological models is shown to have chaotic gravitational collapse, due to Poincare's homoclinic phenomena. Such models can be programmed so that for any given positive integer N (N=infinity included) the universe undergoes N non-periodic oscillations (each oscillation requiring a long time) before collapsing. For N=infinity the universe undergoes periodic oscillations. (Author) [pt

Non explosive collapse of white dwarfs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canal, R.; Schatzmann, E.

1976-01-01

We show that if a sufficiently cold carbon-oxygen white dwarf, close to the critical mass, accretes matter from a companion in a binary system, the time scale of collapse is long enough to allow neutronization before the onset of pycnonuclear reactions. This can possibly lead to the formation of X-ray sources by a non explosive collapse. (orig.) [de

Non-Spherical Gravitational Collapse of Strange Quark Matter

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Zade S S; Patil K D; Mulkalwar P N

2008-01-01

We study the non-spherical gravitational collapse of the strange quark null fluid.The interesting feature which emerges is that the non-spherical collapse of charged strange quark matter leads to a naked singularity whereas the gravitational collapse of neutral quark matter proceeds to form a black hole.We extend the earlier work of Harko and Cheng[Phys.Lett.A 266 (2000) 249]to the non-spherical case.

Resilient modulus of black cotton soil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K.H. Mamatha

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Resilient modulus (MR values of pavement layers are the basic input parameters for the design of pavements with multiple layers in the current mechanistic empirical pavement design guidelines. As the laboratory determination of resilient modulus is costly, time consuming and cumbersome, several empirical models are developed for the prediction of resilient modulus for different regions of the world based on the database of resilient modulus values of local soils. For use of these relationships there is a need to verify the suitability of these models for local conditions. Expansive clay called black cotton soil (BC soil is found in several parts of India and is characterized by low strength and high compressibility. This soil shows swell – shrink behaviour upon wetting and drying and are problematic. The BC soil shows collapse behaviour on soaking and therefore the strength of the soil needs to be improved. Additive stabilization is found to be very effective in stabilizing black cotton soils and generally lime is used to improve the strength and durability of the black cotton soil. In this paper, the results of repeated load tests on black cotton soil samples for the determination of MR under soaked and unsoaked conditions at a relative compaction levels of 100% and 95% of both standard and modified proctor conditions are reported. The results indicate that the black cotton soil fails to meet the density requirement of the subgrade soil and shows collapse behaviour under soaked condition. To overcome this, lime is added as an additive to improve the strength of black cotton soil and repeated load tests were performed as per AASHTO T 307 - 99 for MR determination. The results have shown that the samples are stable under modified proctor condition with MR values ranging from 36 MPa to 388 MPa for a lime content of 2.5% and curing period ranging from 7 to 28 days. Also, it is observed that, the CBR based resilient modulus is not in agreement

Characteristics and distribution of soil piping erosion in loess-derived soils of Belgium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verachtert, E.; Van Den Eeckhaut, M.; Poesen, J.; Deckers, J.

2009-01-01

Subsurface erosion (piping, tunnel erosion) in non-karstic landscapes has been considered of little importance compared to sheet and gully erosion for a long time. Although the basic factors responsible for piping in certain environments are well understood, there is still uncertainty about the topographic and soil properties inducing subsurface pipe development in loess-derived soils under temperate climate. Therefore, this research aims at understanding the factors controlling the occurrence of piping erosion in the loess-derived soils of the Flemish Ardennes (Belgium). Analysis of ortho photos as well as field surveys were conducted to detect the sites with piping in the study area. Enquiries among farmers and technical services were carried out. In total, 114 sites (parcels) with 301 collapsed soil pipes were found in a 170 kM 2 study area. For each site with piping, data was collected on possible controlling factors: topographic parameters, land use, lithology and soil type. Land use plays an important role as 94% of the sites with piping are found under pasture. (Author) 15 refs.

Characteristics and distribution of soil piping erosion in loess-derived soils of Belgium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verachtert, E.; Van Den Eeckhaut, M.; Poesen, J.; Deckers, J.

2009-07-01

Subsurface erosion (piping, tunnel erosion) in non-karstic landscapes has been considered of little importance compared to sheet and gully erosion for a long time. Although the basic factors responsible for piping in certain environments are well understood, there is still uncertainty about the topographic and soil properties inducing subsurface pipe development in loess-derived soils under temperate climate. Therefore, this research aims at understanding the factors controlling the occurrence of piping erosion in the loess-derived soils of the Flemish Ardennes (Belgium). Analysis of ortho photos as well as field surveys were conducted to detect the sites with piping in the study area. Enquiries among farmers and technical services were carried out. In total, 114 sites (parcels) with 301 collapsed soil pipes were found in a 170 kM{sup 2} study area. For each site with piping, data was collected on possible controlling factors: topographic parameters, land use, lithology and soil type. Land use plays an important role as 94% of the sites with piping are found under pasture. (Author) 15 refs.

General relativistic collapse of rotating stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, T.

1984-01-01

When a rotating star begins to collapse, the gravity becomes so strong that there appears a region from which even a photon cannot escape. After the distortion of space-time is radiated as gravitational waves, a Kerr black hole is formed finally. One of the main goals for numerical relativity is to simulate the collapse of a rotating star under realistic conditions. However, to know both the dynamics of matter and the propagation of gravitational radiation seems to be very difficult. Therefore, in this paper the problem is divided into 4 stages. They are: (1) The time evolution of pure gravitational waves is calculated in a 2-D code. (2) In this stage, the author tries to understand the dynamics of a collapsing, rotating star in 2D code. (3) Combining the techniques from stages 1, 2, the author tries to know both the dynamics of matter and the propagation of gravitational waves generated by the nonspherical motion of matter. (4) The author simulates the gravitational collapse of a rotating star to a black hole in 3D. 25 references, 12 figures, 1 table

Cardiopulmonary Collapse during Labour

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vasilis Sitras

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Cardiopulmonary collapse during labour is a catastrophic event caused by various medical, surgical and obstetrical conditions. It is an emergency that threatens the life of the mother and her unborn child. We present a case of a pregnant woman who suffered from preeclampsia and underwent induction of labour. Severe lung edema occurred early in labour that caused cardiopulmonary collapse. Advanced heart-lung resuscitation was established immediately and continued until an emergency cesarean section was performed few minutes later. The outcome was favourable for both mother and child. We further discuss some aspects of the pathophysiology and appropriate treatment of cardiorespiratory arrest during labour, which involves the coordinated action of the obstetric, pediatric and surgical ward personnel.

The covariant entropy bound in gravitational collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Sijie; Lemos, Jose P. S.

2004-01-01

We study the covariant entropy bound in the context of gravitational collapse. First, we discuss critically the heuristic arguments advanced by Bousso. Then we solve the problem through an exact model: a Tolman-Bondi dust shell collapsing into a Schwarzschild black hole. After the collapse, a new black hole with a larger mass is formed. The horizon, L, of the old black hole then terminates at the singularity. We show that the entropy crossing L does not exceed a quarter of the area of the old horizon. Therefore, the covariant entropy bound is satisfied in this process. (author)

Scalar field collapse in Gauss-Bonnet gravity

Science.gov (United States)

Banerjee, Narayan; Paul, Tanmoy

2018-02-01

We consider a "scalar-Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet" theory in four dimension, where the scalar field couples non-minimally with the Gauss-Bonnet (GB) term. This coupling with the scalar field ensures the non-topological character of the GB term. In this scenario, we examine the possibility for collapsing of the scalar field. Our result reveals that such a collapse is possible in the presence of Gauss-Bonnet gravity for suitable choices of parametric regions. The singularity formed as a result of the collapse is found to be a curvature singularity which is hidden from the exterior by an apparent horizon.

Self-similar Langmuir collapse at critical dimension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berge, L.; Dousseau, Ph.; Pelletier, G.; Pesme, D.

1991-01-01

Two spherically symmetric versions of a self-similar collapse are investigated within the framework of the Zakharov equations, namely, one relative to a vectorial electric field and the other corresponding to a scalar modeling of the Langmuir field. Singular solutions of both of them depend on a linear time contraction rate ξ(t) = V(t * -t), where t * and V = -ξ denote, respectively, the collapse time and the constant collapse velocity. It is shown that under certain conditions, only the scalar model admits self-similar solutions, varying regularly as a function of the control parameter V from the subsonic (V >1) regime. (author)

Core-Collapse Supernovae, Neutrinos, and Gravitational Waves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ott, C.D. [TAPIR, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California (United States); Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, Kashiwa, Chiba (Japan); O' Connor, E.P. [Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Gossan, S.; Abdikamalov, E.; Gamma, U.C.T. [TAPIR, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California (United States); Drasco, S. [Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa (United States); TAPIR, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California (United States)

2013-02-15

Core-collapse supernovae are among the most energetic cosmic cataclysms. They are prodigious emitters of neutrinos and quite likely strong galactic sources of gravitational waves. Observation of both neutrinos and gravitational waves from the next galactic or near extragalactic core-collapse supernova will yield a wealth of information on the explosion mechanism, but also on the structure and angular momentum of the progenitor star, and on aspects of fundamental physics such as the equation of state of nuclear matter at high densities and low entropies. In this contribution to the proceedings of the Neutrino 2012 conference, we summarize recent progress made in the theoretical understanding and modeling of core-collapse supernovae. In this, our emphasis is on multi-dimensional processes involved in the explosion mechanism such as neutrino-driven convection and the standing accretion shock instability. As an example of how supernova neutrinos can be used to probe fundamental physics, we discuss how the rise time of the electron antineutrino flux observed in detectors can be used to probe the neutrino mass hierarchy. Finally, we lay out aspects of the neutrino and gravitational-wave signature of core-collapse supernovae and discuss the power of combined analysis of neutrino and gravitational wave data from the next galactic core-collapse supernova.

Core-Collapse Supernovae, Neutrinos, and Gravitational Waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ott, C.D.; O'Connor, E.P.; Gossan, S.; Abdikamalov, E.; Gamma, U.C.T.; Drasco, S.

2013-01-01

Core-collapse supernovae are among the most energetic cosmic cataclysms. They are prodigious emitters of neutrinos and quite likely strong galactic sources of gravitational waves. Observation of both neutrinos and gravitational waves from the next galactic or near extragalactic core-collapse supernova will yield a wealth of information on the explosion mechanism, but also on the structure and angular momentum of the progenitor star, and on aspects of fundamental physics such as the equation of state of nuclear matter at high densities and low entropies. In this contribution to the proceedings of the Neutrino 2012 conference, we summarize recent progress made in the theoretical understanding and modeling of core-collapse supernovae. In this, our emphasis is on multi-dimensional processes involved in the explosion mechanism such as neutrino-driven convection and the standing accretion shock instability. As an example of how supernova neutrinos can be used to probe fundamental physics, we discuss how the rise time of the electron antineutrino flux observed in detectors can be used to probe the neutrino mass hierarchy. Finally, we lay out aspects of the neutrino and gravitational-wave signature of core-collapse supernovae and discuss the power of combined analysis of neutrino and gravitational wave data from the next galactic core-collapse supernova

Relocation of carbon from decomposition of {sup 14}C-labelled needle and fine root litter in peat soil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Domish, T; Laine, J; Laiho, R [Helsinki Univ. (Finland). Dept. of Forest Ecology; Finer, L [Finnish Forest Research Inst. (Finland). Joensuu Research Station; Karsisto, M [Finnish Forest Research Inst. (Finland). Dept. of Forest Ecology

1997-12-31

Drainage of peatlands promotes a shift of biomass and production from the ground vegetation to the trees. Thus, the above-ground (e.g. needles) and below-ground (roots) litter production of trees increases. Fine roots in particular are an important factor in the carbon and nutrient cycle in forest ecosystems. A major part of the annual net primary production of trees may be allocated below ground, the relative proportion being smaller on fertile sites than on less fertile ones. For modelling the carbon balance of drained peatlands, it is important to know the fate of carbon from newly introduced and decomposing litter. Newly added and fertilised tree litter material may be decomposed at a rate different than litter from the ground vegetation. The objectives of this study are to study the pathways of decomposing litter carbon in peat soil and to evaluate the use of the litterbag method in a controlled environment. (9 refs.)

Relocation of carbon from decomposition of {sup 14}C-labelled needle and fine root litter in peat soil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Domish, T.; Laine, J.; Laiho, R. [Helsinki Univ. (Finland). Dept. of Forest Ecology; Finer, L. [Finnish Forest Research Inst. (Finland). Joensuu Research Station; Karsisto, M. [Finnish Forest Research Inst. (Finland). Dept. of Forest Ecology

1996-12-31

Drainage of peatlands promotes a shift of biomass and production from the ground vegetation to the trees. Thus, the above-ground (e.g. needles) and below-ground (roots) litter production of trees increases. Fine roots in particular are an important factor in the carbon and nutrient cycle in forest ecosystems. A major part of the annual net primary production of trees may be allocated below ground, the relative proportion being smaller on fertile sites than on less fertile ones. For modelling the carbon balance of drained peatlands, it is important to know the fate of carbon from newly introduced and decomposing litter. Newly added and fertilised tree litter material may be decomposed at a rate different than litter from the ground vegetation. The objectives of this study are to study the pathways of decomposing litter carbon in peat soil and to evaluate the use of the litterbag method in a controlled environment. (9 refs.)

Physicochemical characteristics of geophagic clayey soils from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ONOS

2010-09-06

Sep 6, 2010 ... INTRODUCTION. The contamination of food with soil and clay materials .... These properties may dictate the inter-reactions between the ingested soil ... significant difference in the wt % of silt in geophagic .... Preference for these clayey ..... size on the flocculation behaviour of ultra-fine clays in salt solutions.

Collapse of the wave function models, ontology, origin, and implications

CERN Document Server

2018-01-01

This is the first single volume about the collapse theories of quantum mechanics, which is becoming a very active field of research in both physics and philosophy. In standard quantum mechanics, it is postulated that when the wave function of a quantum system is measured, it no longer follows the Schrödinger equation, but instantaneously and randomly collapses to one of the wave functions that correspond to definite measurement results. However, why and how a definite measurement result appears is unknown. A promising solution to this problem are collapse theories in which the collapse of the wave function is spontaneous and dynamical. Chapters written by distinguished physicists and philosophers of physics discuss the origin and implications of wave-function collapse, the controversies around collapse models and their ontologies, and new arguments for the reality of wave function collapse. This is an invaluable resource for students and researchers interested in the philosophy of physics and foundations of ...

Moduli destabilization via gravitational collapse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, Dong-il [Sogang Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of). Center for Quantum Spacetime; Pedro, Francisco G. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Hamburg (Germany). Theory Group; Yeom, Dong-han [Sogang Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of). Center for Quantum Spacetime; Kyoto Univ. (Japan). Yukawa Inst. for Theoretical Physics

2013-06-15

We examine the interplay between gravitational collapse and moduli stability in the context of black hole formation. We perform numerical simulations of the collapse using the double null formalism and show that the very dense regions one expects to find in the process of black hole formation are able to destabilize the volume modulus. We establish that the effects of the destabilization will be visible to an observer at infinity, opening up a window to a region in spacetime where standard model's couplings and masses can differ significantly from their background values.

Remontant erosion in desert soils of Tamaulipas, México.

Science.gov (United States)

Rivera-Ortiz, P.; Andrade-Limas, E.; De la Garza-Requena, F.; Castro-Meza, B.

2012-04-01

REMONTANT EROSION IN DESERT SOILS OF TAMAULIPAS MÉXICO Rivera-Ortiz, P.1; Andrade-Limas, E.1; De la Garza-Requena, F.1 and Castro-Meza, B.1 1Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, México The degradation of soil reduces the capacity of soils to produce food and sustain life. Erosion is one of the main types of soil degradation. Hydric erosion of remontant type can occur in soils located close to the channel of a river through the expansion of a gully that begins as a fluvial incision over the ravine of one side of the river. The incision takes place at the point of greatest flow of runoff from areas adjacent to empty into the river. The depth of the incision causes the growth of the gully by collapse to move their heads back, upstream. The soil loss by remontant erosion on land use in agriculture and livestock was estimated in order to understand the evolution of gullies formed by this type of erosion. Through measurements on satellite images and GPS (Global Positioning System) two gullies, developed on alluvial soils which drain into the river Chihue, were studied. The investigation was conducted during 2003 to 2010 period in the municipality of Jaumave, Tamaulipas, in northeastern Mexico. Soil loss in gullies developed by remontant erosion was large and it was caused by soil collapse and drag of soil on the headers. The estimated loss of soil by remontant erosion was 3500 t in the deeper gully during 2010 and nearly 1200 t per year in the period 2003-2009. New sections of gully of about 20 m length, with more than 3 m deep and up to 13 m wide, were formed each year. This degradation has significantly reduced the productive surface of soil that for many years has been used to the cultivation of maize (Zea mays) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) as well as pasture production.

mode of collapse of square single panel reinforced concrete space

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The models were loaded directly till collapse. The estimated and actual collapse loads of the five models were compared. The estimated collapse load for the slab was 35 kN/m2. Also, the numerical estimate of the collapse load for the beam was 10.2kN/m (with an equivalent slab load of 40.8kN/m2), while the shear capacity ...

Study of film boiling collapse behavior during vapor explosion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yagi, Masahiro; Yamano, Norihiro; Sugimoto, Jun; Abe, Yutaka; Adachi, Hiromichi; Kobayashi, Tomoyoshi.

1996-06-01

Possible large scale vapor explosions are safety concern in nuclear power plants during severe accident. In order to identify the occurrence of the vapor explosion and to estimate the magnitude of the induced pressure pulse, it is necessary to investigate the triggering condition for the vapor explosion. As a first step of this study, scooping analysis was conducted with a simulation code based on thermal detonation model. It was found that the pressure at the collapse of film boiling much affects the trigger condition of vapor explosion. Based on this analytical results, basic experiments were conducted to clarify the collapse conditions of film boiling on a high temperature solid ball surface. Film boiling condition was established by flooding water onto a high temperature stainless steel ball heated by a high frequency induction heater. After the film boiling was established, the pressure pulse generated by a shock tube was applied to collapse the steam film on the ball surface. As the experimental boundary conditions, materials and size of the balls, magnitude of pressure pulse and initial temperature of the carbon and stainless steel balls were varied. The transients of pressure and surface temperature were measured. It was found that the surface temperature on the balls sharply decreased when the pressure wave passed through the film on balls. Based on the surface temperature behavior, the film boiling collapse pattern was found to be categorized into several types. Especially, the pattern for stainless steel ball was categorized into three types; no collapse, collapse and reestablishment after collapse. It was thus clarified that the film boiling collapse behavior was identified by initial conditions and that the pressure required to collapse film boiling strongly depended on the initial surface temperature. The present results will provide a useful information for the analysis of vapor explosions based on the thermal detonation model. (J.P.N.)

Plastic collapse load of corroded steel plates

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Keywords. Corroded steel plate; plastic collapse; FEM; rough surface. ... The main aim of present work is to study plastic collapse load of corroded steel plates with irregular surfaces under tension. Non-linear finite element method ... Department of Ocean Engineering, AmirKabir University of Technology, 15914 Tehran, Iran ...

Quicklime (CaO) Stabilization of fine-grained marine sediments in low temperature areas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skels, Peteris; Ingeman-Nielsen, Thomas; Jørgensen, Anders Stuhr

2011-01-01

This study presents laboratory testing on quicklime (CaO) stabilization of fine-grained marine sediments in low temperature areas. The soil was sampled on the Fossil Plain in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, and analyzed in the laboratory at Technical University of Denmark (DTU). The optimum CaO content...... curing temperatures, comparing stabilization effectiveness between low and normal soil temperature conditions....... in a soil-CaO mixture was determined using a number of laboratory methods, such as pH test, consistency limit analysis, degree of compaction, and short term California Bearing Ratio (CBR) values. The study also numerically demonstrates a long term strength development of the soil-CaO mixture at 1°C and 10°C...

The use of coal fines fly ash for the improvement of soils in hydrophobic grounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janssen-Mommen, J.P.M.; Bestebroer, S.I.

1992-01-01

New NO x reducing combustion techniques result in a different physical and morphological quality of fly ash, which makes the use of fly ash less attractive for the building and road construction industries. Attention is paid to the possibility of using low-NO x fly ash for the improvement of the properties of hydrophobic agricultural land. Such an application also depends on the environmental impacts of the leaching of elements to the ground water and the accumulation of hazardous compounds in crops. A literature study of hydrophobic grounds was carried out. Also attention is paid to the legal aspects. No juridical constraints could be found in the Dutch legislation concerning the use of fly ash from coal powder, although it seems that the use of such fly ash is not in agreement with the tenor of possibly to be applied legislation. However, a small-scale investigation was carried out to gain insight into the environmental impacts. The uptake in lettuce and the leaching of the elements As, B, Mo and Se was studied by means of lysimeters. Hydrophobic soils with 5%, 10% and 15% coal fines fly ash were used. Also an experiment with the use of coal gasification slags was performed

Constraining quantum collapse inflationary models with CMB data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benetti, Micol; Alcaniz, Jailson S. [Departamento de Astronomia, Observatório Nacional, 20921-400, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Landau, Susana J., E-mail: micolbenetti@on.br, E-mail: slandau@df.uba.ar, E-mail: alcaniz@on.br [Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires and IFIBA, CONICET, Ciudad Universitaria, PabI, Buenos Aires 1428 (Argentina)

2016-12-01

The hypothesis of the self-induced collapse of the inflaton wave function was proposed as responsible for the emergence of inhomogeneity and anisotropy at all scales. This proposal was studied within an almost de Sitter space-time approximation for the background, which led to a perfect scale-invariant power spectrum, and also for a quasi-de Sitter background, which allows to distinguish departures from the standard approach due to the inclusion of the collapse hypothesis. In this work we perform a Bayesian model comparison for two different choices of the self-induced collapse in a full quasi-de Sitter expansion scenario. In particular, we analyze the possibility of detecting the imprint of these collapse schemes at low multipoles of the anisotropy temperature power spectrum of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) using the most recent data provided by the Planck Collaboration. Our results show that one of the two collapse schemes analyzed provides the same Bayesian evidence of the minimal standard cosmological model ΛCDM, while the other scenario is weakly disfavoured with respect to the standard cosmology.

Scalar field collapse in Gauss-Bonnet gravity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Banerjee, Narayan [Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Department of Physical Sciences, Nadia, West Bengal (India); Paul, Tanmoy [Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Department of Theoretical Physics, Kolkata (India)

2018-02-15

We consider a ''scalar-Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet'' theory in four dimension, where the scalar field couples non-minimally with the Gauss-Bonnet (GB) term. This coupling with the scalar field ensures the non-topological character of the GB term. In this scenario, we examine the possibility for collapsing of the scalar field. Our result reveals that such a collapse is possible in the presence of Gauss-Bonnet gravity for suitable choices of parametric regions. The singularity formed as a result of the collapse is found to be a curvature singularity which is hidden from the exterior by an apparent horizon. (orig.)

Static end-expiratory and dynamic forced expiratory tracheal collapse in COPD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Donnell, C.R.; Bankier, A.A.; O'Donnell, D.H.; Loring, S.H.; Boiselle, P.M.

2014-01-01

Aim: To determine the range of tracheal collapse at end-expiration among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and to compare the extent of tracheal collapse between static end-expiratory and dynamic forced-expiratory multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT). Materials and methods: After institutional review board approval and obtaining informed consent, 67 patients meeting the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)/World Health Organization (WHO) Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria for COPD were sequentially imaged using a 64-detector-row CT machine at end-inspiration, during forced expiration, and at end-expiration. Standardized respiratory coaching and spirometric monitoring were employed. Mean percentage tracheal collapse at end-expiration and forced expiration were compared using correlation analysis, and the power of end-expiratory cross-sectional area to predict excessive forced-expiratory tracheal collapse was computed following construction of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: Mean percentage expiratory collapse among COPD patients was 17 ± 18% at end-expiration compared to 62 ± 16% during forced expiration. Over the observed range of end-expiratory tracheal collapse (approximately 10–50%), the positive predictive value of end-expiratory collapse to predict excessive (≥80%) forced expiratory tracheal collapse was <0.3. Conclusion: COPD patients demonstrate a wide range of end-expiratory tracheal collapse. The magnitude of static end-expiratory tracheal collapse does not predict excessive dynamic expiratory tracheal collapse

Simulation of weak and strong Langmuir collapse regimes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hadzievski, L.R.; Skoric, M.M.; Kono, M.; Sato, T.

1998-01-01

In order to check the validity of the self-similar solutions and the existence of weak and strong collapse regimes, direct two dimensional simulation of the time evolution of a Langmuir soliton instability is performed. Simulation is based on the Zakharov model of strong Langmuir turbulence in a weakly magnetized plasma accounting for the full ion dynamics. For parameters considered, agreement with self-similar dynamics of the weak collapse type is found with no evidence of the strong Langmuir collapse. (author)

Performance of the discrete ordinates method-like neutron transport computation with equivalent group condensation and angle-collapsing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoo, Han Jong; Won, Jong Hyuck; Cho, Nam Zin

2011-01-01

In computational studies of neutron transport equations, the fine-group to few-group condensation procedure leads to equivalent total cross section that becomes angle dependent. The difficulty of this angle dependency has been traditionally treated by consistent P or extended transport approximation in the literature. In a previous study, we retained the angle dependency of the total cross section and applied directly to the discrete ordinates equation, with additional concept of angle-collapsing, and tested in a one-dimensional slab problem. In this study, we provide further results of this discrete ordinates-like method in comparison with the typical traditional methods. In addition, IRAM acceleration (based on Krylov subspace method) is tested for the purpose of further reducing the computational burden of few-group calculation. From the test results, it is ascertained that the angle-dependent total cross section with angle-collapsing gives excellent estimation of k_e_f_f and flux distribution and that IRAM acceleration effectively reduces the number of outer iterations. However, since IRAM requires sufficient convergence in inner iterations, speedup in total computer time is not significant for problems with upscattering. (author)

Collapse of Incoherent Light Beams in Inertial Bulk Kerr Media

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bang, Ole; Edmundson, Darran; Królikowski, Wieslaw

1999-01-01

We use the coherent density function theory to show that partially coherent beams are unstable and may collapse in inertial bulk Kerr media. The threshold power for collapse, and its dependence on the degree of coherence, is found analytically and checked-numerically. The internal dynamics of the...... of the walk-off modes is illustrated for collapsing and diffracting partially coherent beams.......We use the coherent density function theory to show that partially coherent beams are unstable and may collapse in inertial bulk Kerr media. The threshold power for collapse, and its dependence on the degree of coherence, is found analytically and checked-numerically. The internal dynamics...

Gravitational collapse from smooth initial data with vanishing radial pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahajan, Ashutosh; Goswami, Rituparno; Joshi, Pankaj S

2005-01-01

We study here the spherical gravitational collapse assuming initial data to be necessarily smooth, as motivated by requirements based on physical reasonableness. A tangential pressure model is constructed and analysed in order to understand the final fate of collapse explicitly in terms of the density and pressure parameters at the initial epoch from which the collapse develops. It is seen that both black holes and naked singularities are produced as collapse end states even when the initial data are smooth. We show that the outcome is decided entirely in terms of the initial data, as given by density, pressure and velocity profiles at the initial epoch, from which the collapse evolves

Saccharide Composition in Fine and Coarse Particulate Matter and Soils in Central Arizona and Use of Saccharides as Molecular Markers for Source Apportionment

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Y.; Clements, A.; Fraser, M.

2009-04-01

were analyzed in size segregated soil and ambient PM samples at Higley; intra- and inter- comparisons were made between the ambient PM and three types of soil dust samples (agricultural soil, native soil, road dust) based on the particle size (fine vs. coarse), seasonality, and relative composition of 12 saccharide compounds. Based on the ambient concentrations of major saccharides and a number of other specific compounds (including elemental and organic carbon, ions, metals, alkanes, organic acids, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) that are simultaneously resolved in Higley PM samples, a Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model was performed to determine the key contributors to PM10 and PM2.5 levels. Six distinct factors were isolated, with two factors dominated by the enrichment of saccharide compounds. There was not consistency between the source profiles of these two saccharide rich source factors with the saccharide composition of the local size-segregated soil samples, which implies that there may be other major sources contributing to ambient PM saccharides. One possible alternative is that PBAPs that are injected directly into the atmosphere instead of residing in the surface soil and being re-entrained through soil erosion or agricultural processing. To our knowledge, this study is the first of its kind to compare the saccharide composition between the fine and coarse fraction of different soils types in two seasons, and to relate the contribution from soil dust to ambient PM using saccharide species. REFERENCE [1] AirData: Access to Air Pollution data. [cited 2009 Jan 11, 2009]; Available from: http://www.epa.gov/air/data/index.html [2] Allergy and Asthma in the Southwestern United States. [cited 2009 Jan 11, 2009]; Available from: http://allergy.peds.arizona.edu/southwest/swpollen.html [3] Cox, C.S., Wathes, C.M., 1995. Bioaerosols Handbook, Lewis Publishers, NY [4] Simoneit, B.R.T., Elias, V.O., et al., 2004. "Sugars - Dominant water-soluble organic

The influence of stony soil properties on water dynamics modeled by the HYDRUS model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hlaváčiková Hana

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Stony soils are composed of two fractions (rock fragments and fine soil with different hydrophysical characteristics. Although stony soils are abundant in many catchments, their properties are still not well understood. This manuscript presents an application of the simple methodology for deriving water retention properties of stony soils, taking into account a correction for the soil stoniness. Variations in the water retention of the fine soil fraction and its impact on both the soil water storage and the bottom boundary fluxes are studied as well. The deterministic water flow model HYDRUS-1D is used in the study. The results indicate that the presence of rock fragments in a moderate-to-high stony soil can decrease the soil water storage by 23% or more and affect the soil water dynamics. Simulated bottom fluxes increased or decreased faster, and their maxima during the wet period were larger in the stony soil compared to the non-stony one.

Electron capture and stellar collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, K.C.

1979-01-01

In order, to investigate the function of electron capture in the phenomenon of pre-supernovae gravitacional collapse, an hydrodynamic caculation was carried out, coupling capture, decay and nuclear reaction equation system. A star simplified model (homogeneous model) was adopted using fermi ideal gas approximation for tthe sea of free electrons and neutrons. The non simplified treatment from quasi-static evolution to collapse is presented. The capture and beta decay rates, as wellas neutron delayed emission, were calculated by beta decay crude theory, while the other reaction rates were determined by usual theories. The preliminary results are presented. (M.C.K.) [pt

Laboratory and field methods for measurement of hyphal uptake of nutrients in soil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schweiger, P.F.; Jakobsen, I.

2000-01-01

Experimental systems for measuring nutrient transport by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in soil are described. The systems generally include two soil compartments that are separated by fine nylon mesh. Both roots and root-external hyphae grow in one compartment, but only hyphae are fine enough...... to grow through the mesh into the other compartment. Application of tracer isotopes to the soil of this hyphal compartment can be used to measure nutrient uptake by plants via AM fungal hyphae. Use of compartmented systems is discussed with particular reference to phosphorus, which is the mineral nutrient...

Collapse, environment, and society

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Historical collapse of ancient states poses intriguing social-ecological questions, as well as potential applications to global change and contemporary strategies for sustainability. Five Old World case studies are developed to identify interactive inputs, triggers, and feedbacks in devolution. Collapse is multicausal and rarely abrupt. Political simplification undermines traditional structures of authority to favor militarization, whereas disintegration is preconditioned or triggered by acute stress (insecurity, environmental or economic crises, famine), with breakdown accompanied or followed by demographic decline. Undue attention to stressors risks underestimating the intricate interplay of environmental, political, and sociocultural resilience in limiting the damages of collapse or in facilitating reconstruction. The conceptual model emphasizes resilience, as well as the historical roles of leaders, elites, and ideology. However, a historical model cannot simply be applied to contemporary problems of sustainability without adjustment for cumulative information and increasing possibilities for popular participation. Between the 14th and 18th centuries, Western Europe responded to environmental crises by innovation and intensification; such modernization was decentralized, protracted, flexible, and broadly based. Much of the current alarmist literature that claims to draw from historical experience is poorly focused, simplistic, and unhelpful. It fails to appreciate that resilience and readaptation depend on identified options, improved understanding, cultural solidarity, enlightened leadership, and opportunities for participation and fresh ideas. PMID:22371579

Leaching of arsenic, copper and chromium from thermally treated soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumpiene, Jurate; Nordmark, Désirée; Hamberg, Roger; Carabante, Ivan; Simanavičienė, Rūta; Aksamitauskas, Vladislovas Česlovas

2016-12-01

Thermal treatment, if properly performed, is an effective way of destroying organic compounds in contaminated soil, while impact on co-present inorganic contaminants varies depending on the element. Leaching of trace elements in thermally treated soil can be altered by co-combusting different types of materials. This study aimed at assessing changes in mobility of As, Cr and Cu in thermally treated soil as affected by addition of industrial by-products prior to soil combustion. Contaminated soil was mixed with either waste of gypsum boards, a steel processing residue (Fe 3 O 4 ), fly ash from wood and coal combustion or a steel abrasive (96.5% Fe 0 ). The mixes and unamended soil were thermally treated at 800 °C and divided into a fine fraction 0.125 mm to simulate particle separation occurring in thermal treatment plants. The impact of the treatment on element behaviour was assessed by a batch leaching test, X-ray absorption spectroscopy and dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The results suggest that thermal treatment is highly unfavourable for As contaminated soils as it increased both the As leaching in the fine particle size fraction and the mass of the fines (up to 92%). Soil amendment with Fe-containing compounds prior to the thermal treatment reduced As leaching to the levels acceptable for hazardous waste landfills, but only in the coarse fraction, which does not justify the usefulness of such treatment. Among the amendments used, gypsum most effectively reduced leaching of Cr and Cu in thermally treated soil and could be recommended for soils that do not contain As. Fly ash was the least effective amendment as it increased leaching of both Cr and As in majority of samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Laboratory test on maximum and minimum void ratio of tropical sand matrix soils

Science.gov (United States)

Othman, B. A.; Marto, A.

2018-04-01

Sand is generally known as loose granular material which has a grain size finer than gravel and coarser than silt and can be very angular to well-rounded in shape. The present of various amount of fines which also influence the loosest and densest state of sand in natural condition have been well known to contribute to the deformation and loss of shear strength of soil. This paper presents the effect of various range of fines content on minimum void ratio e min and maximum void ratio e max of sand matrix soils. Laboratory tests to determine e min and e max of sand matrix soil were conducted using non-standard method introduced by previous researcher. Clean sand was obtained from natural mining site at Johor, Malaysia. A set of 3 different sizes of sand (fine sand, medium sand, and coarse sand) were mixed with 0% to 40% by weight of low plasticity fine (kaolin). Results showed that generally e min and e max decreased with the increase of fines content up to a minimal value of 0% to 30%, and then increased back thereafter.

Gravitational wave generation by stellar core collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore, T.A.

1981-01-01

Stars which have masses greater than 5 to 8 solar masses are thought to undergo a stage of catastrophic core collapse and subsequent supernova explosion at the end of their lives. If the core is not spherically symmetric, the bounce which halts its collapse at transnuclear densities will generate a pulse of gravitational waves. This thesis presents a fully relativistic model of core collapse which treats deviations from spherical symmetry as small perturbations on a spherical background. This model may be used to predict qualitative and quantitative features of the gravitational radiation emitted by stellar cores with odd-parity, axisymmetric fluid perturbations, and represents a first step in the application of perturbative methods to more general asymmetries. The first chapter reviews the present consensus on the physics of core collapse and outlines the important features, assumptions, and limitations of the model. A series of model runs are presented and discussed. Finally, several proposals for future research are presented. Subsequent chapters explore in detail the mathematical features of the present model and its realization on the computer

Newton force from wave function collapse: speculation and test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diósi, Lajos

2014-01-01

The Diosi-Penrose model of quantum-classical boundary postulates gravity-related spontaneous wave function collapse of massive degrees of freedom. The decoherence effects of the collapses are in principle detectable if not masked by the overwhelming environmental decoherence. But the DP (or any other, like GRW, CSL) spontaneous collapses are not detectable themselves, they are merely the redundant formalism of spontaneous decoherence. To let DP collapses become testable physics, recently we extended the DP model and proposed that DP collapses are responsible for the emergence of the Newton gravitational force between massive objects. We identified the collapse rate, possibly of the order of 1/ms, with the rate of emergence of the Newton force. A simple heuristic emergence (delay) time was added to the Newton law of gravity. This non-relativistic delay is in peaceful coexistence with Einstein's relativistic theory of gravitation, at least no experimental evidence has so far surfaced against it. We derive new predictions of such a 'lazy' Newton law that will enable decisive laboratory tests with available technologies. The simple equation of 'lazy' Newton law deserves theoretical and experimental studies in itself, independently of the underlying quantum foundational considerations.

Mean Annual Temperature Drives Microbial Nitrogen Cycling and Fine Root Nutrient Foraging Across a Tropical Montane Wet Forest Elevation Gradient

Science.gov (United States)

Pierre, S.; Litton, C. L. M.; Giardina, C. P.; Sparks, J. P.; Groffman, P. M.; Hewson, I.; Fahey, T. J.

2017-12-01

Mean annual temperature (MAT) is positively correlated with rates of primary production and carbon (C) turnover in forests globally, but the underlying biotic drivers of these relationships remain poorly resolved. We hypothesized that (1) MAT increases nitrifier abundance and thereby nitrate (NO-) bioavailability in soils and (2) increased NO- bioavailability reduces fine root nitrogen (N) demand. We used an ecologically well-constrained natural elevation gradient (13˚C -18˚C) in a tropical wet motane forest on the Island of Hawaii to study to role of MAT in situ. Our previous work showed that MAT drives increased soil NO- bioavailability in situ (r²=0.79, P=0.003), and indicated that the abundance of ammonia oxidizing archaea is strongly and positively correlated with MAT in situ (r²=0.34, Preduce fine root foraging effort. Further, higher MAT and greater N fertility in soils may reduce the C limitation of AM fungal colonization. We conclude that MAT drives N-rich conditions, which allow for lower N foraging effort, but greater C investment in P acquisition through AM fine root colonization.

assessment of concentrations of trace and toxic heavy metals in soil

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Windows User

pump. The concentrations of heavy metals in soil and edible vegetables samples were analyzed using Energy ... Keywords: Soil, Vegetables, Manyoni Uranium Deposit, Toxic Elements, EDXRF. ... fine radioactive particles prone to wind and.

Noncrossing timelike singularities of irrotational dust collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang, E.P.T.

1979-01-01

Known naked singularities in spherical dust collapse are either due to shell-crossing or localized to the central world line. They will probably be destroyed by pressure gradients or blue-shift instabilities. To violate the cosmic censorship hypothesis in a more convincing and general context, collapse solutions with naked singularities that are at least nonshell-crossing and nonlocalized need to be constructed. Some results concerning the probable structure of a class of nonshellcrossing and nonlocalized timelike singularities are reviewed. The cylindrical dust model is considered but this model is not asymptotically flat. To make these noncrossing singularities viable counter examples to the cosmic censorship hypothesis, the occurrence of such singularities in asymptotically flat collapse needs to be demonstrated. (UK)

Steroid-associated hip joint collapse in bipedal emus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li-Zhen Zheng

Full Text Available In this study we established a bipedal animal model of steroid-associated hip joint collapse in emus for testing potential treatment protocols to be developed for prevention of steroid-associated joint collapse in preclinical settings. Five adult male emus were treated with a steroid-associated osteonecrosis (SAON induction protocol using combination of pulsed lipopolysaccharide (LPS and methylprednisolone (MPS. Additional three emus were used as normal control. Post-induction, emu gait was observed, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI was performed, and blood was collected for routine examination, including testing blood coagulation and lipid metabolism. Emus were sacrificed at week 24 post-induction, bilateral femora were collected for micro-computed tomography (micro-CT and histological analysis. Asymmetric limping gait and abnormal MRI signals were found in steroid-treated emus. SAON was found in all emus with a joint collapse incidence of 70%. The percentage of neutrophils (Neut % and parameters on lipid metabolism significantly increased after induction. Micro-CT revealed structure deterioration of subchondral trabecular bone. Histomorphometry showed larger fat cell fraction and size, thinning of subchondral plate and cartilage layer, smaller osteoblast perimeter percentage and less blood vessels distributed at collapsed region in SAON group as compared with the normal controls. Scanning electron microscope (SEM showed poor mineral matrix and more osteo-lacunae outline in the collapsed region in SAON group. The combination of pulsed LPS and MPS developed in the current study was safe and effective to induce SAON and deterioration of subchondral bone in bipedal emus with subsequent femoral head collapse, a typical clinical feature observed in patients under pulsed steroid treatment. In conclusion, bipedal emus could be used as an effective preclinical experimental model to evaluate potential treatment protocols to be developed for prevention of

Collapse Scenarios of High-Rise Buildings Using Plastic Limit Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Liu

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center (WTC in New York, USA collapsed on 11 September, 2001. The incident is regarded as the most severe disaster for high-rise buildings in history. Investigations into the collapse scenarios are still being conducted. Possible collapse scenarios assessed by local and international experts were reported. Another possible collapse scenario of the WTC based on two hypotheses was proposed in this paper, and the idea of plastic limit analysis was applied to evaluate the approximate limit load. According to the theory analysis and numerical calculations, a conclusion can be drawn that the large fires, aroused by the terrorist attack, play a significant role on the collapse of the WTC.

Final fate of spherically symmetric gravitational collapse of a dust cloud in Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maeda, Hideki

2006-01-01

We give a model of the higher-dimensional spherically symmetric gravitational collapse of a dust cloud including the perturbative effects of quantum gravity. The n(≥5)-dimensional action with the Gauss-Bonnet term for gravity is considered and a simple formulation of the basic equations is given for the spacetime M≅M 2 xK n-2 with a perfect fluid and a cosmological constant. This is a generalization of the Misner-Sharp formalism of the four-dimensional spherically symmetric spacetime with a perfect fluid in general relativity. The whole picture and the final fate of the gravitational collapse of a dust cloud differ greatly between the cases with n=5 and n≥6. There are two families of solutions, which we call plus-branch and the minus-branch solutions. A plus-branch solution can be attached to the outside vacuum region which is asymptotically anti-de Sitter in spite of the absence of a cosmological constant. Bounce inevitably occurs in the plus-branch solution for n≥6, and consequently singularities cannot be formed. Since there is no trapped surface in the plus-branch solution, the singularity formed in the case of n=5 must be naked. On the other hand, a minus-branch solution can be attached to the outside asymptotically flat vacuum region. We show that naked singularities are massless for n≥6, while massive naked singularities are possible for n=5. In the homogeneous collapse represented by the flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker solution, the singularity formed is spacelike for n≥6, while it is ingoing-null for n=5. In the inhomogeneous collapse with smooth initial data, the strong cosmic censorship hypothesis holds for n≥10 and for n=9 depending on the parameters in the initial data, while a naked singularity is always formed for 5≤n≤8. These naked singularities can be globally naked when the initial surface radius of the dust cloud is fine-tuned, and then the weak cosmic censorship hypothesis is violated

Basic exchangeable cations in Finnish mineral soils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Armi Kaila

1972-09-01

Full Text Available The content of exchangeable Ca, Mg, K and Na replaced by neutral ammonium acetate was determined in 470 samples of mineral soils from various parts of Finland, except from Lapland. The amount of all these cations tended to increase with an increase in the clay content, but variation within each textural class was large, and the ranges usually overlapped those of the other classes. The higher acidity of virgin surface soils was connected with a lower average degree of saturation by Ca as compared with the corresponding textural classes of cultivated soils. No significant difference in the respective contents of other cations was detected. The samples of various textural groups from deeper layers were usually poorer in exchangeable Ca and K than the corresponding groups of plough layer. The mean content of exchangeable Mg was equal or even higher in the samples from deeper layers than in the samples from plough layer, except in the group of sand soils. The percentage of Mg of the effective CEC increased, as an average, from 9 in the sand and fine sand soils of plough layer to 30 in the heavy clay soils; in the heavy clay soils from deeper layers its mean value was 38 ± 4 %. In the samples of plough layer, the mean ratio of Ca to Mg in sand and fine sand soils was about 9, in silt and loam soils about 6, in the coarser clay soils about 4, and in heavy clay about 2.

Collapse arresting in an inhomogeneous two-dimensional nonlinear Schrodinger model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schjødt-Eriksen, Jens; Gaididei, Yuri Borisovich; Christiansen, Peter Leth

2001-01-01

Collapse of (2 + 1)-dimensional beams in the inhomogeneous two-dimensional cubic nonlinear Schrodinger equation is analyzed numerically and analytically. It is shown that in the vicinity of a narrow attractive inhomogeneity, the collapse of beams that in a homogeneous medium would collapse may...

On the collapse of iron stellar cores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barkat, Z.; Rakavy, G.; Reiss, Y.; Wilson, J.R.

1975-01-01

The collapse of iron stellar cores is investigated to see whether the outward shock produced by the bounce at neutron star density is sufficient to burn appreciable amounts of the envelope around the iron core. Several models were tried, and in all cases no appreciable burn took place; hence no explosion results from the collapse of these models

The Collapse of the 'Celtic Tiger' Narrative

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Böss, Michael

2011-01-01

An account of the factors that led to the collapse of the 'Celtic Tiger' economy in 2008 and an explanation of the political effects and implications for Irish identity.......An account of the factors that led to the collapse of the 'Celtic Tiger' economy in 2008 and an explanation of the political effects and implications for Irish identity....

Adaptation of fine roots to annual fertilization and irrigation in a 13-year-old Pinus pinaster stand.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakker, M R; Jolicoeur, E; Trichet, P; Augusto, L; Plassard, C; Guinberteau, J; Loustau, D

2009-02-01

Effects of fertilization and irrigation on fine roots and fungal hyphae were studied in 13-year-old maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aït. in Soland), 7 years after the initiation of the treatments. The fertilization trials consisted of a phosphorus treatment, a complete fertilizer treatment (N, P, K, Ca and Mg), and an unfertilized treatment (control). Fertilizers were applied annually and were adjusted according to foliar target values. Two irrigation regimes (no irrigation and irrigation of a set amount each day) were applied from May to October. Root samples to depths of 120 cm were collected in summer of 2005, and the biomass of small roots (diameter 2-20 mm) and fine roots (diameter fine root morphology were assessed. Biomass and length of hyphae were studied by a mesh ingrowth bag technique. Total fine root biomass in the litter and in the 0-120 cm soil profile ranged between 111 and 296 g m(-2). Results derived from the measurements of biomass and root length, or root area, showed that both fertilizer treatments reduced the size of the fine root system, especially in the top soil layers, but did not affect small roots. Compared with control treatments, fine root morphology was affected by both fertilizer treatments with the fine roots having increased specific root length/area, and irrigation tended to reinforce this finer morphology. The amount of hyphae in the mesh ingrowth bags was higher in the fertilization and irrigation treatments than in the controls, suggesting further extension of the root system (ectomycorrhizal infection) and thus of the uptake system. Irrigation had no significant effect on the size of the fine root system, but resulted in a shallower rooting system. Total root to shoot ratios were unaffected by the treatments, but fine root mass:needle mass and fine root area index:leaf area index ratios decreased with increasing nutrient supply. Overall, compared with the control fine roots, increased nutrient supply resulted in a

Genesis Eco Systems, Inc. soil washing process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cena, R.J.

1994-01-01

The Genesis soil washing system is an integrated system of modular design allowing for maximum material handling capabilities, with optimized use of space for site mobility. The Surfactant Activated Bio-enhanced Remediation Equipment-Generation 1 (SABRE-1, Patent Applied For) modification was developed specifically for removing petroleum byproducts from contaminated soils. Scientifically formulated surfactants, introduced by high pressure spray nozzles, displace the contaminant from the surface of the soil particles into the process solution. Once the contaminant is dispersed into the liquid fraction of the process, it is either mechanically removed, chemically oxidized, or biologically oxidized. The contaminated process water is pumped through the Genesis Biosep (Patent Applied For) filtration system where the fines portion is flocculated, and the contaminant-rich liquid portion is combined with an activated mixture of nutrients and carefully selected bacteria to decompose the hydrocarbon fraction. The treated soil and dewatered fines are transferred to a bermed stockpile where bioremediation continues during drying. The process water is reclaimed, filtered, and recycled within the system

Sonographic Analysis of the Collapsed Gall Bladder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Sang Suk; Choi, Jae Young; Choi, Seok Jin; Eun, Chung Ki; Nam, Kyung Jin; Lee, Jeong Mi

1996-01-01

This study was done to find answers for further following questions in cases of the collapsed gallbladder (GB) : What is the probability of the presence of stone when stony echo is visible in GB area? What is the probability of the presence of stone when only acoustic shadow is visible from GB area? What are the associated GB pathologies except stone or cholecystitis in previously mentioned situations and is it possible to differentiate them? What are the underlying pathologies of GB collapse without stony echo or acoustic shadow and is it possible to differentiate them sonographic ally? What are the rate and causes of re-expansion of the collapsed GB on follow-up study? Prospective study was done in 157 cases of collapsed GB with no visible or nearly no visible bile filled lumen in recent 3 years. Sonographic analysis for GB lesions was done in 61 confirmed cases. Changing pattern of GB lumen on follow-up study and their underlying pathologies were analyzed in 28 cases. Initial sonographic examination was done with 3 or 3.5 MHz transducer. No other transducer was used in cases showing stony echo or acoustic shadow in GB area, but additional examination was done with 5 or 7-4 MHz transducer in cases without stony echo or acoustic shadow. Among 31 cases, which showed stony echo, stone was found in 30 cases and milk of calcium bile in one case. Stone was present in all of the 11 cases which showed only acoustic shadow from the collapsed GB without stony echo. GB cancer was accompanied in 2 cases among upper 42 cases, and its possibility could be suspected sonographic ally. Underlying pathologies of the 19cases without stony echo or acoustic shadow were as follows : GB stone (3), cholecystitis (6), GB cancer (1), bile plug syndrome (1), hepatitis (5), and ascites (3). And sonographic differentiation of the underlying causes for the collapse was possible in only 1 case of GB cancer. Among 28 cases of the follow-up study, 20 cases showed re-expansion of the GB lumen and

Collapse Mechanisms Of Masonry Structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuccaro, G.; Rauci, M.

2008-01-01

The paper outlines a possible approach to typology recognition, safety check analyses and/or damage measuring taking advantage by a multimedia tool (MEDEA), tracing a guided procedure useful for seismic safety check evaluation and post event macroseismic assessment. A list of the possible collapse mechanisms observed in the post event surveys on masonry structures and a complete abacus of the damages are provided in MEDEA. In this tool a possible combination between a set of damage typologies and each collapse mechanism is supplied in order to improve the homogeneity of the damages interpretation. On the other hand recent researches of one of the author have selected a number of possible typological vulnerability factors of masonry buildings, these are listed in the paper and combined with potential collapse mechanisms to be activated under seismic excitation. The procedure takes place from simple structural behavior models, derived from the Umbria-Marche earthquake observations, and tested after the San Giuliano di Puglia event; it provides the basis either for safety check analyses of the existing buildings or for post-event structural safety assessment and economic damage evaluation. In the paper taking advantage of MEDEA mechanisms analysis, mainly developed for the post event safety check surveyors training, a simple logic path is traced in order to approach the evaluation of the masonry building safety check. The procedure starts from the identification of the typological vulnerability factors to derive the potential collapse mechanisms and their collapse multipliers and finally addresses the simplest and cheapest strengthening techniques to reduce the original vulnerability. The procedure has been introduced in the Guide Lines of the Regione Campania for the professionals in charge of the safety check analyses and the buildings strengthening in application of the national mitigation campaign introduced by the Ordinance of the Central Government n. 3362

Applicability of optical scanner method for fine root dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Kume, Tomonori; Ohashi, Mizue; Makita, Naoki; Khoon Kho, Lip; Katayama, Ayumi; Matsumoto, Kazuho; Ikeno, Hidetoshi

2016-04-01

Fine root dynamics is one of the important components in forest carbon cycling, as ~60 % of tree photosynthetic production can be allocated to root growth and metabolic activities. Various techniques have been developed for monitoring fine root biomass, production, mortality in order to understand carbon pools and fluxes resulting from fine roots dynamics. The minirhizotron method is now a widely used technique, in which a transparent tube is inserted into the soil and researchers count an increase and decrease of roots along the tube using images taken by a minirhizotron camera or minirhizotron video camera inside the tube. This method allows us to observe root behavior directly without destruction, but has several weaknesses; e.g., the difficulty of scaling up the results to stand level because of the small observation windows. Also, most of the image analysis are performed manually, which may yield insufficient quantitative and objective data. Recently, scanner method has been proposed, which can produce much bigger-size images (A4-size) with lower cost than those of the minirhizotron methods. However, laborious and time-consuming image analysis still limits the applicability of this method. In this study, therefore, we aimed to develop a new protocol for scanner image analysis to extract root behavior in soil. We evaluated applicability of this method in two ways; 1) the impact of different observers including root-study professionals, semi- and non-professionals on the detected results of root dynamics such as abundance, growth, and decomposition, and 2) the impact of window size on the results using a random sampling basis exercise. We applied our new protocol to analyze temporal changes of root behavior from sequential scanner images derived from a Bornean tropical forests. The results detected by the six observers showed considerable concordance in temporal changes in the abundance and the growth of fine roots but less in the decomposition. We also examined

Electroosmotic transport in fine grained sediments with respect to pore throats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krauss, H.; Zorn, R.; Haus, R.; Czurda, K. [Dept. of Applied Geology, Univ. Karlsruhe (Germany)

2001-07-01

Electroosmotic experiments were performed with two different fine grained soils, which were consolidated in different ways. The electroosmotic permeability was calculated using the transported volume of water under a dc electric field. In addition to the pH-values prior and after the experiments near the anode and cathode the dominating pore throat-diameters of the samples were analysed by mercury porosimetry. The electroosmotic permeability can be correlated with the dominating pore throat-diameter. Not only chemical parameters like zeta-potential or ion-concentration but also the kind and structure of the soil particles characterize electroosmotic transport. (orig.)

Collapse above the world's largest potash mine (Ural, Russia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrejchuk Vjacheslav

2002-01-01

Full Text Available This paper reports the results of the study of a huge collapse that occurred in June 1986 within the area of the 3rd Berezniki potash mine (the Verkhnekamsky potash deposit, Ural. Processes that took place between the first appearance of a water inflow through the mine roof and the eventual collapse are reconstructed in detail. The origin and development of a cavity that induced the collapse are revealed. Two factors played a major role in the formation of the collapse: the presence of a tectonic fold/rupture zone with in both the salt sequence and the overburden (the zone of crush and enhanced permeability, and the ductile pillars mining system.

Overcoming soil compaction in surface mine reclamation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sweigard, R.J. (University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (USA). Dept. of Mining Engineering)

1991-01-01

Rubber-tyred soil reconstruction equipment causes compaction of soil and means surface mine operators cannot satisfy crop yield standards defined by the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act. Soil compaction can be overcome by either modifying the reconstruction process or alleviating the problem, for example by deep tillage, once it occurs. The Dept. of Mining Engineering at the Institute of Mining and Minerals Research is conducting a laboratory investigation into a method of injecting low density porous organic material into a bin containing soil at the same time as the soil is ripped. This should prevent voids collapsing when subjected to forces from farm equipment and natural sources. Soil analyses are performed before and after the injection. Ripping and injection with ground pecan shells had a residual effect on nuclear bulk density compared to the initially compacted case and also showed an improvement in hydraulic conductivity. Work is in progress on modifying the system to handle other injection material and should lead on to field tests on a prototype involving both soil analysis and crop yield determination. 1 fig.

Overcoming soil compaction in surface mine reclamation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sweigard, R.J.

1991-01-01

Rubber-tyred soil reconstruction equipment causes compaction of soil and means surface mine operators cannot satisfy crop yield standards defined by the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act. Soil compaction can be overcome by either modifying the reconstruction process or alleviating the problem, for example by deep tillage, once it occurs. The Dept. of Mining Engineering at the Institute of Mining and Minerals Research is conducting a laboratory investigation into a method of injecting low density porous organic material into a bin containing soil at the same time as the soil is ripped. This should prevent voids collapsing when subjected to forces from farm equipment and natural sources. Soil analyses are performed before and after the injection. Ripping and injection with ground pecan shells had a residual effect on nuclear bulk density compared to the initially compacted case and also showed an improvement in hydraulic conductivity. Work is in progress on modifying the system to handle other injection material and should lead on to field tests on a prototype involving both soil analysis and crop yield determination. 1 fig

Inertial collapse of bubble pairs near a solid surface

Science.gov (United States)

Alahyari Beig, Shahaboddin; Johnsen, Eric

2017-11-01

Cavitation occurs in a variety of applications ranging from naval structures to biomedical ultrasound. One important consequence is structural damage to neighboring surfaces following repeated inertial collapse of vapor bubbles. Although the mechanical loading produced by the collapse of a single bubble has been widely investigated, less is known about the detailed dynamics of the collapse of multiple bubbles. In such a problem, the bubble-bubble interactions typically affect the dynamics, e.g., by increasing the non-sphericity of the bubbles and amplifying/hindering the collapse intensity depending on the flow parameters. Here, we quantify the effects of bubble-bubble interactions on the bubble dynamics, as well as the pressures/temperatures produced by the collapse of a pair of gas bubbles near a rigid surface. We perform high-resolution simulations of this problem by solving the three-dimensional compressible Navier-Stokes equations for gas/liquid flows. The results are used to investigate the non-spherical bubble dynamics and characterize the pressure and temperature fields based on the relevant parameters entering the problem: stand-off distance, geometrical configuration (angle, relative size, distance), collapse strength. This research was supported in part by ONR Grant N00014-12-1-0751 and NSF Grant CBET 1253157.

The Collapse of Ecosystem Engineer Populations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José F. Fontanari

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Humans are the ultimate ecosystem engineers who have profoundly transformed the world’s landscapes in order to enhance their survival. Somewhat paradoxically, however, sometimes the unforeseen effect of this ecosystem engineering is the very collapse of the population it intended to protect. Here we use a spatial version of a standard population dynamics model of ecosystem engineers to study the colonization of unexplored virgin territories by a small settlement of engineers. We find that during the expansion phase the population density reaches values much higher than those the environment can support in the equilibrium situation. When the colonization front reaches the boundary of the available space, the population density plunges sharply and attains its equilibrium value. The collapse takes place without warning and happens just after the population reaches its peak number. We conclude that overpopulation and the consequent collapse of an expanding population of ecosystem engineers is a natural consequence of the nonlinear feedback between the population and environment variables.

Identification of fine-leaved species of genus Festuca by molecular methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stukonis, V.; Armoniene, R.; Kemesyte, V.

2015-01-01

Festuca (L.) is a taxonomically complex genus of family Poaceae. The fine-leaved species of fescue are well adapted to grow in sandy and dry habitats, therefore, they can be used for establishment of lawns of minimal maintenance as well as recultivations of damaged soils. Breeding for the new varieties to meet these purposes requires reliable methods for identification of the species. The discrimination of fine-leaved fescue species based on morphological features is rather difficult, therefore reliable molecular marker would greatly facilitate it and eliminate the need to wait till floral organs are fully formed. Seven fine-leaved species of genus Festuca collected in Lithuania, namely, F. ovina, F. trachyphylla, F. polesica, F. psammophila, F. sabulosa, F. pseudovina and F. wolgensis were investigated at the Institute of Agriculture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry. The ISSR markers, seed storage proteins and isozymes were tested for their ability to distinguish between the fine-leaved species of the genus Festuca. Seed storage protein and ISSR fingerprint profiles could be used to distinguish between fine-leaved species of Festuca, except for closely related F. sabulosa and F. polesica species. Isozyme fingerprints did not contain sufficient number of species specific bands and were not feasible to discriminate between species. (author)

Effect of Lime on characteristics of consolidation, strength, swelling and plasticity of fine grained soil

Science.gov (United States)

Estabragh, A. R.; Bordbar, A. T.; Parsaee, B.; Eskandari, Gh.

2009-04-01

Using Lime as an additive material to clayey soil is one of the best effective technique in building the soil structures to get some purposes such as soil stabilization, soil reinforcement and decreasing soil swelling. In this research the effect of Lime on geotechnical characteristics of a clayey soil was investigated. Soil specimen types used in this study were consisted of clayey soil as the control treatment and clay mixed with different weight fractions of lime, 4, 6, 8 & 10 percent. Some experiments such as CBR, atterburg limits, compaction, consolidation and swelling was conducted on specimens. Results revealed that adding lime to soil would change its physical and mechanical properties. Adding lime increase the compression strength and consolidation coefficient and decrease swelling potential and maximum dry density. According to the results, Atterburg experiments show that presence of lime in soil increase the liquid limit of low plasticity soil and decrease the liquid limit of high plasticity soil, but totally it decreases the plasticity index of soils. Key words: soil stabilization, lime, compression strength, swelling, atterburg limits, compaction

[Soil infiltration characteristics under main vegetation types in Anji County of Zhejiang Province].

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Dao-Ping; Chen, San-Xiong; Zhang, Jin-Chi; Xie, Li; Jiang, Jiang

2007-03-01

The study on the soil infiltration under different main vegetation types in Anji County of Zhejiang Province showed that the characteristics of soil infiltration differed significantly with land use type, and the test eight vegetation types could be classified into four groups, based on soil infiltration capability. The first group, deciduous broadleaved forest, had the strongest soil infiltration capability, and the second group with a stronger soil infiltration capability was composed of grass, pine forest, shrub community and tea bush. Bamboo and evergreen broadleaved forest were classified into the third group with a relatively strong soil infiltration capability, while bare land belonged to the fourth group because of the bad soil structure and poorest soil infiltration capability. The comprehensive parameters of soil infiltration (alpha) and root (beta) were obtained by principal component analysis, and the regression model of alpha and beta could be described as alpha = 0. 1708ebeta -0. 3122. Soil infiltration capability was greatly affected by soil physical and chemical characteristics and root system. Fine roots (soil physical and chemical properties, and the increase of soil infiltration capability was closely related to the amount of the fine roots.

Can a collapse of global civilization be avoided?

OpenAIRE

Ehrlich, Paul R.; Ehrlich, Anne H.

2013-01-01

Environmental problems have contributed to numerous collapses of civilizations in the past. Now, for the first time, a global collapse appears likely. Overpopulation, overconsumption by the rich and poor choices of technologies are major drivers; dramatic cultural change provides the main hope of averting calamity.

Can a collapse of global civilization be avoided?

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrlich, Paul R; Ehrlich, Anne H

2013-03-07

Environmental problems have contributed to numerous collapses of civilizations in the past. Now, for the first time, a global collapse appears likely. Overpopulation, overconsumption by the rich and poor choices of technologies are major drivers; dramatic cultural change provides the main hope of averting calamity.

Litter type control on soil C and N stabilization dynamics in a temperate forest.

Science.gov (United States)

Hatton, Pierre-Joseph; Castanha, Cristina; Torn, Margaret S; Bird, Jeffrey A

2015-03-01

While plant litters are the main source of soil organic matter (SOM) in forests, the controllers and pathways to stable SOM formation remain unclear. Here, we address how litter type ((13) C/(15) N-labeled needles vs. fine roots) and placement-depth (O vs. A horizon) affect in situ C and N dynamics in a temperate forest soil after 5 years. Litter type rather than placement-depth controlled soil C and N retention after 5 years in situ, with belowground fine root inputs greatly enhancing soil C (x1.4) and N (x1.2) retention compared with aboveground needles. While the proportions of added needle and fine root-derived C and N recovered into stable SOM fractions were similar, they followed different transformation pathways into stable SOM fractions: fine root transfer was slower than for needles, but proportionally more of the remaining needle-derived C and N was transferred into stable SOM fractions. The stoichiometry of litter-derived C vs. N within individual SOM fractions revealed the presence at least two pools of different turnover times (per SOM fraction) and emphasized the role of N-rich compounds for long-term persistence. Finally, a regression approach suggested that models may underestimate soil C retention from litter with fast decomposition rates. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Nonlinear Progressive Collapse Analysis Including Distributed Plasticity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed Osama Ahmed

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper demonstrates the effect of incorporating distributed plasticity in nonlinear analytical models used to assess the potential for progressive collapse of steel framed regular building structures. Emphasis on this paper is on the deformation response under the notionally removed column, in a typical Alternate Path (AP method. The AP method employed in this paper is based on the provisions of the Unified Facilities Criteria – Design of Buildings to Resist Progressive Collapse, developed and updated by the U.S. Department of Defense [1]. The AP method is often used for to assess the potential for progressive collapse of building structures that fall under Occupancy Category III or IV. A case study steel building is used to examine the effect of incorporating distributed plasticity, where moment frames were used on perimeter as well as the interior of the three dimensional structural system. It is concluded that the use of moment resisting frames within the structural system will enhance resistance to progressive collapse through ductile deformation response and that it is conserative to ignore the effects of distributed plasticity in determining peak displacement response under the notionally removed column.

Determination of resilient modulus values for typical plastic soils in Wisconsin.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-01

"The objectives of this research are to establish a resilient modulus test results database and to develop : correlations for estimating the resilient modulus of Wisconsin fine-grained soils from basic soil properties. A : laboratory testing program ...

Fine Root Growth and Vertical Distribution in Response to Elevated CO2, Warming and Drought in a Mixed Heathland–Grassland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arndal, Marie Frost; Tolver, Anders; Larsen, Klaus Steenberg

2018-01-01

in single-factor experiments. In a Danish heathland ecosystem, we investigated both individual and combined effects of elevated CO2, warming and drought on fine root length, net production and standing biomass by the use of minirhizotrons, ingrowth cores and soil coring. Warming increased the net root...... production from ingrowth cores, but decreased fine root number and length in minirhizotrons, whereas there were no significant main effects of drought. Across all treatments and soil depths, CO2 stimulated both the total fine root length (+44%) and the number of roots observed (+39%), with highest relative......Belowground plant responses have received much less attention in climate change experiments than aboveground plant responses, thus hampering a holistic understanding of climate change effects on plants and ecosystems. In addition, responses of plant roots to climate change have mostly been studied...

Static axisymmetric discs and gravitational collapse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chamorro, A.; Gregory, R.; Stewart, J.M.

1987-09-08

Regular static axisymmetric vacuum solutions of Einstein's field equations representing the exterior field of a finite thin disc are found. These are used to describe the slow collapse of a disc-like object. If no conditions are placed on the matter, a naked singularity is formed and the cosmic censorship hypothesis would be violated. Imposition of the weak energy condition, however, prevents slow collapse to a singularity and preserves the validity of this hypothesis. The validity of the hoop conjecture is also discussed.

Mapping Soil hydrologic features in a semi-arid irrigated area in Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Jiménez-Aguirre, M.° Teresa; Isidoro, Daniel; Usón, Asunción

2016-04-01

Haploxerept (C), Typic Xerorthent (D), and Typic Xerofluvent (E)] and six particle size families [Fine (1), Fine-silty (2), Fine-loamy (3), Coarse-loamy (4), Loamy Superficial (5) and Loamy-skeletal (6)]. Two great soil zones were defined: the more calcic glacis (A and B subgroups) dominated by coarse textures (4-6); and the more gypsic, fine textured valley floors (C, D and E) (1-2-3) with the exception of the superficial gypsic high lands (D5). In all the soils in VID Calcium Carbonate Equivalent (CCE) was high (though lower in the valleys) and silt was the main textural fraction. The coarser textured glacis had low Gypsum Content (GC), lower WHC and higher Ks while the valley bottoms had high GC, fine textures and lower Ks. The soil water retention properties (FC and WP) could be calculated from textural properties (clay, and fine silt fractions) and the Ks could be related to sand and GC by means of meaningful PTF's. The use of disaggregated soil information (combined with distributed irrigation data) may lead to improved water balance calculations and suggest management options for a better water use in VID.

A drilling mud for drilling wells in collapsing rocks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bochkarev, G P; Anderson, B A; Minkhayrov, K A; Sharipov, A U

1982-01-01

In a known drilling mud for drilling wells in collapsing rocks, which contains clay, sodium silicate and polyacrylamide (PAA), in order to increase its specific electrical resistance and to increase the strengthening properties, a silicoorganic liquid is additionally introduced into its composition with the following component ratio (percent): clay, 5 to 7; sodium silicate, 5 to 7; polyacrylamide, 0.3 to 0.5; silicoorganic liquid, GKZh-94, 0.5 to 1.5 and water, the remainder. The GKZh-94 is a chemical compound based on alkylphenylchlorsilanes and substituted ethers of orthosilicic acid, used for waterproofing fabrics and soils. The addition of GKZh-94 provides the required values of the specific electric resistance of the mud and does not distort the gas logging indications. The proposed mud has low water production (4 to 6 cubic centimeters), optimal viscosity (25 to 31 seconds) and high structural and mechanical properties. Its strengthening properties are substantially above those of the known mud.

Evaluation and field verification of strength and structural improvement of chemically stabilized subgrade soil.

Science.gov (United States)

2008-07-01

Often subgrade soils exhibit properties, particularly strength and/or volume change properties that limit their performance as a support element for pavements. : Typical problems include shrink-swell, settlement, collapse, erosion or simply insuffici...

Vapour and air bubble collapse analysis in viscous compressible water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gil Bazanini

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Numerical simulations of the collapse of bubbles (or cavities are shown, using the finite difference method, taking into account the compressibility of the liquid, expected to occur in the final stages of the collapse process. Results are compared with experimental and theoretical data for incompressible liquids, to see the influence of the compressibility of the water in the bubble collapse. Pressure fields values are calculated in an area of 800 x 800 mm, for the case of one bubble under the hypothesis of spherical symmetry. Results are shown as radius versus time curves for the collapse (to compare collapse times, and pressure curves in the plane, for pressure fields. Such calculations are new because of their general point of view, since the existing works do not take into account the existence of vapour in the bubble, neither show the pressure fields seen here. It is also expected to see the influence of the compressibility of the water in the collapse time, and in the pressure field, when comparing pressure values.

Bricks as indicators for an urban soil genesis

Science.gov (United States)

Nehls, Thomas; Rokia, Sarah; Schwartz, Christophe; Wessolek, Gerd

2013-04-01

Bricks can be considered as anthropogenic markers since they are regularly found in urban soils worldwide. They are among the most resistent residues of building materials, therefore are called technogenic substrates. They have been dumped to urban soils since more than 4000 years and can be dated back to their burning using thermoluminescence. In Berlin, bricks have been piled up to more than 37 rubble mountains in the city after WW II. The devils mountain, the most prominent of them is higher than 60m. However, bricks are known not to be isolated in the soil but to fulfill soil functions due to their porosity. Therefore, they are nice research objects for soil scientists. The purpose of this study is to investigate abundance and functions of bricks in urban soils, focusing on plant nutrition and contamination aspects. Three different Berlin urban soils have been studied for their brick contents in the coarse and fine earth fractions by endless hand sorting. Light and scanning electron microscopy was then employed to investigate the bricks for proofs of plant roots. Third, CEC, pH, EC, Corg, nutrient storage (XRF) and availability (2:1 extract, ion chromatography, AAS) of bricks and fine earth fractions of the corresponding soil horizons have been investigated. The fine earth fractions of the investigated soils contain 3 to 5% of bricks, while the coarse fractions contain up to 50%. We found roots entering brick pores or at least attached to brick surfaces. Therefore, plants can use the water and nutrients stored in bricks. The CEC of bricks is grain size dependent and reaches a maximum of 6 cmolc kg-1 for particles smaller than 0.063 mm. This dependency is not explained by a low pore connectivity. Rather, it is the result of the restricted diffusion into the brick pore system due to the short shaking time in the CEC analysis protocol. From the nutrient storage and availabilities we conclude that bricks can better supply plants with K, Mg, Ca and S than the bulk

Large-scale Instability during Gravitational Collapse with Neutrino Transport and a Core-Collapse Supernova

Science.gov (United States)

Aksenov, A. G.; Chechetkin, V. M.

2018-04-01

Most of the energy released in the gravitational collapse of the cores of massive stars is carried away by neutrinos. Neutrinos play a pivotal role in explaining core-collape supernovae. Currently, mathematical models of the gravitational collapse are based on multi-dimensional gas dynamics and thermonuclear reactions, while neutrino transport is considered in a simplified way. Multidimensional gas dynamics is used with neutrino transport in the flux-limited diffusion approximation to study the role of multi-dimensional effects. The possibility of large-scale convection is discussed, which is interesting both for explaining SN II and for setting up observations to register possible high-energy (≳10MeV) neutrinos from the supernova. A new multi-dimensional, multi-temperature gas dynamics method with neutrino transport is presented.

Update on the Chemical Composition Of Crystalline, Smectite, and Amorphous Components for Rocknest Soil and John Klein and Cumberland Mudstone Drill Fines at Gale Crater, Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, R. V.; Ming, D. W.; Gellert, R.; Vaniman, D. T.; Bish, D. L.; Blake, D. F.; Chipera, S. J.; Morrison, S. M.; Downs, R. T.; Rampe, E. B.;

Inflationary gravitational waves in collapse scheme models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mariani, Mauro, E-mail: mariani@carina.fcaglp.unlp.edu.ar [Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque S/N, 1900 La Plata (Argentina); Bengochea, Gabriel R., E-mail: gabriel@iafe.uba.ar [Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio (IAFE), UBA-CONICET, CC 67, Suc. 28, 1428 Buenos Aires (Argentina); León, Gabriel, E-mail: gleon@df.uba.ar [Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria – Pab. I, 1428 Buenos Aires (Argentina)

2016-01-10

The inflationary paradigm is an important cornerstone of the concordance cosmological model. However, standard inflation cannot fully address the transition from an early homogeneous and isotropic stage, to another one lacking such symmetries corresponding to our present universe. In previous works, a self-induced collapse of the wave function has been suggested as the missing ingredient of inflation. Most of the analysis regarding the collapse hypothesis has been solely focused on the characteristics of the spectrum associated to scalar perturbations, and within a semiclassical gravity framework. In this Letter, working in terms of a joint metric-matter quantization for inflation, we calculate, for the first time, the tensor power spectrum and the tensor-to-scalar ratio corresponding to the amplitude of primordial gravitational waves resulting from considering a generic self-induced collapse.

Self-Gravitating Stellar Collapse: Explicit Geodesics and Path Integration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balakrishna, Jayashree [Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Harris-Stowe State University, St. Louis, MO (United States); Bondarescu, Ruxandra [Department of Physics, University of Zurich, Zurich (Switzerland); Moran, Christine C., E-mail: corbett@tapir.caltech.edu [TAPIR, Department of Theoretical Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States)

2016-11-25

We extend the work of Oppenheimer and Synder to model the gravitational collapse of a star to a black hole by including quantum mechanical effects. We first derive closed-form solutions for classical paths followed by a particle on the surface of the collapsing star in Schwarzschild and Kruskal coordinates for space-like, time-like, and light-like geodesics. We next present an application of these paths to model the collapse of ultra-light dark matter particles, which necessitates incorporating quantum effects. To do so we treat a particle on the surface of the star as a wavepacket and integrate over all possible paths taken by the particle. The waveform is computed in Schwarzschild coordinates and found to exhibit an ingoing and an outgoing component, where the former contains the probability of collapse, while the latter contains the probability that the star will disperse. These calculations pave the way for investigating the possibility of quantum collapse that does not lead to black hole formation as well as for exploring the nature of the wavefunction inside r = 2M.

Self-Gravitating Stellar Collapse: Explicit Geodesics and Path Integration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balakrishna, Jayashree; Bondarescu, Ruxandra; Moran, Christine C.

2016-01-01

We extend the work of Oppenheimer and Synder to model the gravitational collapse of a star to a black hole by including quantum mechanical effects. We first derive closed-form solutions for classical paths followed by a particle on the surface of the collapsing star in Schwarzschild and Kruskal coordinates for space-like, time-like, and light-like geodesics. We next present an application of these paths to model the collapse of ultra-light dark matter particles, which necessitates incorporating quantum effects. To do so we treat a particle on the surface of the star as a wavepacket and integrate over all possible paths taken by the particle. The waveform is computed in Schwarzschild coordinates and found to exhibit an ingoing and an outgoing component, where the former contains the probability of collapse, while the latter contains the probability that the star will disperse. These calculations pave the way for investigating the possibility of quantum collapse that does not lead to black hole formation as well as for exploring the nature of the wavefunction inside r = 2M.

Intracapsular implant rupture: MR findings of incomplete shell collapse.

Science.gov (United States)

Soo, M S; Kornguth, P J; Walsh, R; Elenberger, C; Georgiade, G S; DeLong, D; Spritzer, C E

1997-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and significance of the MR findings of incomplete shell collapse for detecting implant rupture in a series of surgically removed breast prostheses. MR images of 86 breast implants in 44 patients were studied retrospectively and correlated with surgical findings at explantation. MR findings included (a) complete shell collapse (linguine sign), 21 implants; (b) incomplete shell collapse (subcapsular line sign, teardrop sign, and keyhole sign), 33 implants; (c) radial folds, 31 implants; and (d) normal, 1 implant. The subcapsular line sign was seen in 26 implants, the teardrop sign was seen in 27 implants, and the keyhole sign was seen in 23 implants. At surgery, 48 implants were found to be ruptured and 38 were intact. The MR findings of ruptured implants showed signs of incomplete collapse in 52% (n = 25), linguine sign in 44% (n = 21), and radial folds in 4% (n = 2). The linguine sign perfectly predicted implant rupture, but sensitivity was low. Findings of incomplete shell collapse improved sensitivity and negative predictive values, and the subcapsular line sign produced a significant incremental increase in predictive ability. MRI signs of incomplete shell collapse were more common than the linguine sign in ruptured implants and are significant contributors to the high sensitivity and negative predictive values of MRI for evaluating implant integrity.

Fine and coarse elemental components in the urban aerosol of Sao Paulo, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boueres, L.C.S.; Orsini, C.M.Q.

1981-01-01

Using cascade impactor sampling and PIXE analysis we have measured particle size distributions for approximately 15 elements in the Sao Paulo urban atmosphere. These elements, in our case, may be classified, according to their occurrence in fine or coarse aerosol log-normal modes, into three groups: (a) soil dust reference elements (coarse particle mode): Ti, Si and Ca; (b) anthropogenic fine particle mode: Zn, Br and Pb; and (c) mixed bimodal elements: S, K, V, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu and Fe. All of the soil dust reference elements show consistently the log-normal parameters MMAD approx. 5.5 μm and sigmasub(g) approx. 3.2 (mass median aerodynamic diameter and geometric standard deviation, respectively). Enrichment factor calculations for Ti, Si, Ca and K in the coarse particle fraction (> 2 μmad), relative to Fe and the standard crustal aerosol values of Lawson and Winchester, show that Ti and Si are mainly soil derived while Ca and K may have significant industrial components in this particle fraction (i.e. coarse mode). The fine mode parameters for the other elements show variations with element suggesting different air pollution sources (such as motor vehicles, resuspended dust, refuse burning, industrial activities, etc.) and/or different chemical pathways, which presumably could be identifiable. For example, the modal parameters for group (b) are: Zn, MMAD = 0.9 μm, sigmasub(g) = 2.2; Br, MMAD = 0.5 μm, sigmasub(g) = 4.0; Pb, MMAD = 0.6 μm, sigmasub(g) = 3.0; thus suggesting a common source (automotive) for Br and Pb, unrelated to the source of Zn (possibly refuse burning). (orig.)

Spherical top-hat collapse of a viscous unified dark fluid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Wei [Bohai University, Department of Physics, Jinzhou (China); Dalian University of Technology, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Dalian (China); Xu, Lixin [Dalian University of Technology, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Dalian (China)

2014-05-15

In this paper, we test the spherical collapse of a viscous unified dark fluid (VUDF) which has constant adiabatic sound speed and show the nonlinear collapse for VUDF, baryons, and darkmatter, which are important in forming the large-scale structure of our Universe. By varying the values of the model parameters α and ζ{sub 0}, we discuss their effects on the nonlinear collapse of the VUDF model, and we compare its result to the ΛCDM model. The results of the analysis show that, within the spherical top-hat collapse framework, larger values of α and smaller values of ζ{sub 0} make the structure formation earlier and faster, and the other collapse curves are almost distinguished with the curve of ΛCDM model if the bulk viscosity coefficient ζ{sub 0} is less than 10{sup -3}. (orig.)

Endograft Collapse After Endovascular Treatment for Thoracic Aortic Disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bandorski, Dirk; Brueck, Martin; Guenther, Hans-Ulrich; Manke, Christoph

2010-01-01

Endovascular treatment is an established therapy for thoracic aortic disease. Collapse of the endograft is a potentially fatal complication. We reviewed 16 patients with a thoracic endograft between 2001 and 2006. Medical records of the treated patients were studied. Data collected include age, gender, diagnosis, indication for endoluminal treatment, type of endograft, and time of follow up. All patients (n = 16; mean age, 61 years; range, 21-82 years) underwent computed tomography (CT) for location of the lesion and planning of the intervention. Time of follow-up with CT scan ranged from 1 to 61 months. Indications for endovascular treatment were degenerative aneurysm (n = 7; 44%), aortic dissection (n = 2; 12%), perforated aortic ulcer (n = 4; 25%), and traumatic aortic injury (n = 3; 19%). Three patients suffered from a collapse of the endograft (one patient distal, two patients proximal) between 3 and 8 days after endovascular treatment. These patients were younger (mean age, 37 ± 25 years vs. 67 ± 16 years; P 0.05]; distal, 45 ± 23.5% vs. 38 ± 21.7% [P > 0.05]). Proximal collapse was corrected by placing a bare stent. In conclusion, risk factors for stent-graft collapse are a small lumen of the aorta and a small radius of the aortic arch curvature (young patients), as well as oversizing, which is an important risk factor and is described for different types of endografts and protheses (Gore TAG and Cook Zenith). Dilatation of the collapsed stent-graft is not sufficient. Following therapy implantation of a second stent or surgery is necessary in patients with a proximal endograft collapse. Distal endograft collapse can possibly be treated conservatively under close follow-up.

Differentiating the relative importance of land cover change and geomorphic processes on fine sediment sequestration in a logged watershed

Science.gov (United States)

Kasprak, Alan; Magilligan, Francis J.; Nislow, Keith H.; Renshaw, Carl E.; Snyder, Noah P.; Dade, W. Brian

2013-03-01

Timber harvest often results in accelerated soil erosion and subsequent elevated fine (winnowing these fines from the channel bed. These results further suggest that under contemporary land use conditions, the geomorphic and geologic setting represents a first-order control on channel substrate and habitat suitability for salmonid fishes, including federally endangered Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), in coastal drainages of northeastern Maine.

Comparison of electrodialytic removal of Cu from spiked kaolinite, spiked soil and industrially polluted soil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ottosen, Lisbeth M.; Lepkova, Katarina; Kubal, Martin

2006-01-01

Electrokinetic remediation methods for removal of heavy metals from polluted soils have been subjected for quite intense research during the past years since these methods are well suitable for fine-grained soils where other remediation methods fail. Electrodialytic remediation is an electrokinetic...... remediation method which is based on applying an electric DC field and the use of ion exchange membranes that ensures the main transport of heavy metals to be out of the pollutes soil. An experimental investigation was made with electrodialytic removal of Cu from spiked kaolinite, spiked soil and industrially...... polluted soil under the same operational conditions (constant current density 0.2 mA/cm2 and duration 28 days). The results of the present paper show that caution must be taken when generalising results obtained in spiked kaolinite to remediation of industrially polluted soils, as it was shown...

Prediction of the soil water retention curve for structured soil from saturation to oven-dryness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karup, Dan; Møldrup, Per; Tuller, Markus

2017-01-01

. Independently measured SWRCs for 171 undisturbed soil samples with organic matter contents that ranged from 3 to 14% were used for model validation. The results indicate that consideration of the silt and organic matter fractions, in addition to the clay fraction, improved predictions for the dry-end SWRC......The soil water retention curve (SWRC) is the most fundamental soil hydraulic function required for modelling soil–plant–atmospheric water flow and transport processes. The SWRC is intimately linked to the distribution of the size of pores, the composition of the solid phase and the soil specific...... surface area. Detailed measurement of the SWRC is impractical in many cases because of the excessively long equilibration times inherent to most standard methods, especially for fine textured soil. Consequently, it is more efficient to predict the SWRCbased on easy-to-measure basic soil properties...

Control of lead solubility in soil contaminated with lead shot: Effect of soil pH

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rooney, Corinne P.; McLaren, Ronald G.; Condron, Leo M.

2007-01-01

An incubation experiment was carried out to assess the rate of oxidation of Pb shot and subsequent transfer of Pb to the soil under a range of soil pH conditions. Lead shot corrosion was rapid, so that soil solution and fine earth ( 3 (CO 3 ) 2 (OH) 2 ), developed in crusts surrounding individual Pb pellets. However, irrespective of pH, Pb 2+ activities in the soil solutions, modelled using WHAM 6, were much lower than would be the case if they were controlled by the solubility of the dominant Pb compounds present in the Pb shot crust material. In contrast, modelling of soil solid-solution phase distribution of Pb, again using WHAM 6, suggested that, at least during the 24 months of the study, soil solution Pb concentrations were more likely to be controlled by sorption of Pb by the soil solid phase. - Sorption processes control Pb 2+ ion activity in soils contaminated with Pb shot

Phytoremediation of high phosphorus soil by annual ryegrass and common bermudagrass harvest

Science.gov (United States)

Removal of soil phosphorus (P) in crop harvest is a remediation option for soils high in P. This four-year field-plot study determined P uptake by annual ryegrass (ARG, Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and common bermudagrass (CB, Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) from Ruston soil (fine-loamy, siliceous, thermic...

Shock waves from non-spherically collapsing cavitation bubbles

Science.gov (United States)

Supponen, Outi; Obreschkow, Danail; Farhat, Mohamed

2017-11-01

Combining simultaneous high-speed imaging and hydrophone measurements, we uncover details of the multiple shock wave emission from laser-induced cavitation bubbles collapsing in a non-spherical way. For strongly deformed bubbles collapsing near a free surface, we identify the distinct shock waves caused by the jet impact onto the opposite bubble wall and by the individual collapses of the remaining bubble segments. The energy carried by each of these shocks depends on the level of bubble deformation, quantified by the anisotropy parameter ζ, the dimensionless equivalent of the Kelvin impulse. For jetting bubbles, at ζ water hammer as ph = 0.45 (ρc2 Δp) 1 / 2ζ-1 .

Soil diversity and hydration as observed by ChemCam at Gale Crater, Mars

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meslin, P.-Y.; Gasnault, O.; Forni, O.; Schröder, S.; Cousin, A.; Berger, G.; Clegg, S.M.; Lasue, J.; Maurice, S.; Sautter, V.; Le Mouélic, S.; Wiens, R.C.; Fabre, C.; Goetz, W.; Bish, D.; Mangold, N.; Ehlmann, B.; Lanza, N.; Harri, A.-M.; Anderson, R.; Rampe, E.; McConnochie, T.H.; Pinet, P.; Blaney, D.; Léveillé, R.; Archer, D.; Barraclough, B.; Bender, S.; Blake, D.; Blank, J.G.; Bridges, N.; Clark, B.C.; DeFlores, L.; Delapp, D.; Dromart, G.; Dyar, M.D.; Fisk, M.; Gondet, B.; Grotzinger, J.; Herkenhoff, K.; Johnson, J.; Lacour, J.-L.; Langevin, Y.; Leshin, L.; Lewin, E.; Madsen, M.B.; Melikechi, N.; Mezzacappa, A.; Mischna, M.A.; Moores, J.E.; Newsom, H.; Ollila, A.; Perez, R.; Renno, N.; Sirven, J.-B.; Tokar, R.; De La Torre, M.; D'Uston, L.; Vaniman, D.; Yingst, A.; MSL Science Team, the

2013-01-01

The ChemCam instrument, which provides insight into martian soil chemistry at the submillimeter scale, identified two principal soil types along the Curiosity rover traverse: a fine-grained mafic type and a locally derived, coarse-grained felsic type. The mafic soil component is representative of

A novel animal model for hyperdynamic airway collapse.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsukada, Hisashi; O'Donnell, Carl R; Garland, Robert; Herth, Felix; Decamp, Malcolm; Ernst, Armin

2010-12-01

Tracheobronchomalacia (TBM) is increasingly recognized as a condition associated with significant pulmonary morbidity. However, treatment is invasive and complex, and because there is no appropriate animal model, novel diagnostic and treatment strategies are difficult to evaluate. We endeavored to develop a reliable airway model to simulate hyperdynamic airway collapse in humans. Seven 20-kg male sheep were enrolled in this study. Tracheomalacia was created by submucosal resection of > 50% of the circumference of 10 consecutive cervical tracheal cartilage rings through a midline cervical incision. A silicone stent was placed in the trachea to prevent airway collapse during recovery. Tracheal collapsibility was assessed at protocol-specific time points by bronchoscopy and multidetector CT imaging while temporarily removing the stent. Esophageal pressure and flow data were collected to assess flow limitation during spontaneous breathing. All animals tolerated the surgical procedure well and were stented without complications. One sheep died at 2 weeks because of respiratory failure related to stent migration. In all sheep, near-total forced inspiratory airway collapse was observed up to 3 months postprocedure. Esophageal manometry demonstrated flow limitation associated with large negative pleural pressure swings during rapid spontaneous inhalation. Hyperdynamic airway collapse can reliably be induced with this technique. It may serve as a model for evaluation of novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for TBM.

Langmuir field structures favored in wave collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, P.A.; Wouters, M.J.; Broderick, N.G.

1996-01-01

Study of Langmuir collapse thresholds shows that they have little polarization dependence and that moving packets have the lowest thresholds in the undamped case. However, incorporation of damping into the density response inhibits collapse of packets moving at more than a small fraction of the sound speed. Investigation of energy transfer to packets localized in density wells emdash the nucleation process emdash shows that at most a few trapped states can exist and that energy transfer is most effective when there is a single barely-trapped state. Coupled with an argument that closely packed wave packets have lower collapse thresholds, this argument yields an estimate of the number density of localized nucleating states in a turbulent plasma. It also leads to a simple and direct semiquantitative estimate of the collapse threshold. All these results are in accord with previous numerical simulations incorporating ion-sound damping, which show a preponderance of slow-moving or stationary packets with little or no intrinsic polarization dependence of thresholds. Likewise, the number densities obtained are in good agreement with simulation values, and the simple estimate of the threshold is semiquantitatively correct. The extent of the agreement supports the nucleation scenario with close-packed nucleation sites in the turbulent state. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

Search for stellar gravitational collapses with the MACRO detector

CERN Document Server

Ambrosio, M; Baldini, A; Barbarino, G C; Barish, B C; Battistoni, G; Bellotti, R; Bemporad, C; Bernardini, P; Bilokon, H; Bloise, C; Bower, C; Brigida, M; Bussino, S; Cafagna, F; Campana, D; Carboni, M; Cecchini, S; Cei, F; Chiarella, V; Choudhary, B C; Coutu, S; Cozzi, M; De Cataldo, G; De Marzo, C; De Mitri, I; De Vincenzi, M; Dekhissi, H; Derkaoui, J; Di Credico, A; Favuzzi, C; Forti, C; Fusco, P; Giacomelli, G; Giannini, G; Giglietto, N; Giorgini, M; Grassi, M; Grillo, A; Gustavino, C; Habig, A; Hanson, K; Heinz, R; Iarocci, E; Katsavounidis, E; Katsavounidis, I; Kearns, E; Kim, H; Kyriazopoulou, S; Lamanna, E; Lane, C; Levin, D S; Lipari, P; Longley, N P; Longo, M J; Loparco, F; Maaroufi, F; Mancarella, G; Mandrioli, G; Margiotta, A; Marini, A; Martello, D; Marzari-Chiesa, A; Mazziotta, M N; Michael, D G; Monacelli, P; Montaruli, T; Monteno, M; Mufson, S; Musser, J; Nicolò, D; Nolty, R; Orth, C; Osteria, G; Palamara, O; Patera, V; Patrizii, L; Pazzi, R; Peck, C W; Perrone, L; Petrera, S; Popa, V; Raino, J A; Reynoldson, J; Ronga, F; Satriano, C; Scapparone, E; Scholberg, K; Sciubba, A; Sioli, M; Sirri, G; Sitta, M; Spinelli, P; Spinetti, M; Spurio, M; Steinberg, R; Stone, J L; Sulak, L R; Surdo, A; Tarle, G; Togo, V; Vakili, M; Walter, C W; Webb, R; 10.1140/epjc/s2004-01981-3

2004-01-01

We present the final results of the search for stellar gravitational collapses obtained by the MACRO experiment. The detector was active for a stellar collapse search for more than 11 years and it was sensitive to collapses occurring all over in our galaxy for 8.6 years. A real time system for a prompt recognition of neutrino bursts was developed and was operating on-line for almost the whole life of the experiment. No signal compatible with a neutrino burst from a galactic supernova was observed.

Does the increased air humidity affect soil respiration and carbon stocks?

Science.gov (United States)

Kukumägi, Mai; Celi, Luisella; Said-Pullicino, Daniel; Kupper, Priit; Sõber, Jaak; Lõhmus, Krista; Kutti, Sander; Ostonen, Ivika

2013-04-01

Climate manipulation experiments at ecosystem-scale enable us to simulate, investigate and predict changes in carbon balance of forest ecosystems. Considering the predicted increase in air humidity and precipitation for northern latitudes, this work aimed at investigating the effect of increased air humidity on soil respiration, distribution of soil organic matter (SOM) among pools having different turnover times, and microbial, fine root and rhizome biomass. The study was carried out in silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) and hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. × P. tremuloides Michx.) stands in a Free Air Humidity Manipulation (FAHM) experimental facility containing three humidified (H; on average 7% above current ambient levels since 2008) and three control (C) plots. Soil respiration rates were measured monthly during the growing season using a closed dynamic chamber method. Density fractionation was adopted to separate SOM into two light fractions (free and aggregate-occluded particulate organic matter, fPOM and oPOM respectively), and one heavy fraction (mineral-associated organic matter, MOM). The fine root and rhizome biomass and microbial data are presented for silver birch stands only. In 2011, after 4 growing seasons of humidity manipulation soil organic carbon contents were significantly higher in C plots than H plot (13.5 and 12.5 g C kg-1, respectively), while soil respiration tended to be higher in the latter. Microbial biomass and basal respiration were 13 and 14% higher in H plots than in the C plots, respectively. Twice more fine roots of trees were estimated in H plots, while the total fine root and rhizome biomass (tree + understory) was similar in C and H plots. Fine root turnover was higher for both silver birch and understory roots in H plots. Labile SOM light fractions (fPOM and oPOM) were significantly smaller in H plots with respect to C plots (silver birch and hybrid aspen stands together), whereas no differences were observed in the

Effect of Soil Water Content on the Distribution of Diuron into Organomineral Aggregates of Highly Weathered Tropical Soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Regitano, Jussara B; Rocha, Wadson S D; Bonfleur, Eloana J; Milori, Debora; Alleoni, Luís R F

2016-05-25

We evaluated the effects of soil water content on the retention of diuron and its residual distribution into organomineral aggregates in four Brazilian oxisols. (14)C-Diuron was incubated for days at 25, 50, and 75% of maximum water-holding capacity for each soil. After 42 days, the physical fractionation method was used to obtain >150, 53-150, 20-53, 2-20, and retention increased with increasing soil water content for all soils. At lower soil water content, diuron's retention was higher in the sandier soil. It was mostly retained in the fine (retention was higher in the coarse aggregates (>53 μm). The sorption coefficients (Kd and Koc) generated by batch studies should be carefully used because they do not provide information about aggregation and diffusion effects on pesticides soil sorption.

Phosphorus saturation and mobilization in two typical Chinese greenhouse vegetable soils

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kianpoor Kalkhajeh, Yusef; Huang, Biao; Hu, Wenyou

2017-01-01

, with a mean of 3.43 mg L(-1), were found in the leachates from P rich Tongshan soils. In contrast, P leaching from fine-textured but less P rich Guli soils rarely exceeded the suggested environmental P threshold of 0.1 mg L(-1). Strong linear correlations were found between different soil test P measures...

Tracheal collapse diagnosed by multidetector computed tomography: evaluation of different image analysis methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nygaard, Mette; Bendstrup, Elisabeth; Dahl, Ronald

2017-01-01

diseases when using an expiratory collapse of = 50% as a threshold. The four methods were comparable with highly significant Pearsons correlation coefficients (0.764-0.856). However, the four methods identified different patients with collapse of = 50 There was no correlation between symptoms...... and the degree of collapse. Conclusion: The different methods identify tracheal collapse in different patients. Hence, the diagnosis of excessive tracheal collapse can not rely solely on MDCT images. Generally, there is a poor correlation between symptoms and the degree of collapse in the different methods....... However, when using the maximal collapse, there is some correlation with symptoms. When in doubt regarding the diagnosis, further investigations, such as bronchoscopy, should be carried out....

Rotating collapse of stellar iron cores in general relativity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ott, C D; Dimmelmeier, H; Marek, A; Janka, H-T; Zink, B; Hawke, I; Schnetter, E

2007-01-01

We present results from the first 2 + 1 and 3 + 1 simulations of the collapse of rotating stellar iron cores in general relativity employing a finite-temperature equation of state and an approximate treatment of deleptonization during collapse. We compare full 3 + 1 and conformally-flat spacetime evolution methods and find that the conformally-flat treatment is sufficiently accurate for the core-collapse supernova problem. We focus on the gravitational wave (GW) emission from rotating collapse, core bounce and early postbounce phases. Our results indicate that the GW signature of these phases is much more generic than previously estimated. In addition, we track the growth of a nonaxisymmetric instability of dominant m = 1 character in two of our models that leads to prolonged narrow-band GW emission at ∼920-930 Hz over several tens of milliseconds

Evaluation of radiocaesium wash-off by soil erosion from various land uses using USLE plots.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshimura, Kazuya; Onda, Yuichi; Kato, Hiroaki

2015-01-01

Radiocaesium wash-off associated with soil erosion in different land use was monitored using USLE plots in Kawamata, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. Parameters and factors relating to soil erosion and (137)Cs concentration in the eroded soil were evaluated based on the field monitoring and presented. The erosion of fine soil, which is defined as the fraction of soil overflowed along with discharged water from a sediment-trap tank, constituted a large proportion of the discharged radiocaesium. This indicated that the quantitative monitoring of fine soil erosion is greatly important for the accurate evaluation of radiocaesium wash-off. An exponential relationship was found between vegetation cover and the amount of eroded soil. Moreover, the radiocaesium concentrations in the discharged soil were greatly affected by the land use. These results indicate that radiocaesium wash-off related to vegetation cover and land use is crucially important in modelling radiocaesium migration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.