Three-dimensional stochastic seepage field for embankment engineering

Owing to the complexity of geo-engineering seepage problems influenced by different random factors, three-dimensional simulation and analysis of the stochastic seepage field plays an important role in engineering applications. A three-dimensional anisotropic heterogeneous steady random seepage model was developed on the basis of the finite element method. A statistical analysis of the distribution characteristics of soil parameters sampled from the main embankment of the Yangtze River in the Southern Jingzhou zone of China was conducted. The Kolomogorov-Smirnov test verified the statistical hypothesis that the permeability coefficient tensor has a Gaussian distribution. With the help of numerical analysis of the stochastic seepage field using the developed model, various statistical and random characteristics of the stochastic seepage field of the main embankment of the Yangtze River in the Southern Jingzhou zone of China were investigated. The model was also examined with statistical testing. Through the introduction of random variation of the upstream and downstream water levels into the model, the effects of the boundary randomness due to variation of the downstream and upstream water levels on the variation of simulated results presented with a vector series of the random seepage field were analyzed. Furthermore, the combined influence of the variation of the soil permeability coefficient and such seepage resistance measures as the cut-off wall and relief ditch on the hydraulic head distribution was analyzed and compared with the results obtained by determinate analysis. Meanwhile, sensitivities of the hydraulic gradient and downstream exit height to the variation of boundary water level were studied. The validity of the simulated results was verified by stochastic testing and measured data. The developed model provides more detail and a full stochastic algorithm to characterize and analyze three-dimensional stochastic seepage field problems.

In-situ study on nutrient release fluxes from shallow lake sediments under wind-driven waves

An in-situ benthic device to measure nutrient fluxes across the sediment-water interface has been developed and successfully used to study both static and dynamic fluxes of nutrients in Dianshan Lake, China. The result shows that the surface sediments of Dianshan Lake were resuspended under wind-driven waves. DOC entered into overlying water only when sediments were resuspended. The average DOC flux was 105.78 mg/（mEd）, while the static and dynamic POC fluxes were 48.22 mg/（mEd） and 10 273.20 mg/（m2d）, respectively. Ammonia and nitrate had no significant release, and the dynamic flux of TN was 87.11 mg/（m2d）. The release of phosphorus was the most evident, and the dynamic fluxes of SRP and DTP were 20.22 mg/（m2d） and 21.78 mg/（mEd）, 2.2 and 2.0 times higher than the static fluxes, respectively. Dissolved phosphorus was released mainly as SRP, and phosphorus release from the sediments in Dianshan Lake cannot be ignored.