Sedimentary Characteristics,Ages,and Environmental Significance of Gravel Deposits and Loess in Shandong,Eastern China:Regional Response to Global Change Since the Last Glacial Period

Investigation of rarely studied gravel layers found in the loess in Shandong Province,eastern China,reveals the fabric characteristics of two gravel layers(G1,G2)and the sedimentary characteristics of loess at the typical and well-preserved Heiyu section(HY),where,to determine the paleoclimatic changes during Marine Isotope Stage 3a.Optically stimulated luminescence dates of the HY formation range from 0.26±0.02 ka to 39.00±2.00 ka.In addition,the ages of G1 and G2 were estimated using the Bayesian model to be 39.60-40.50 and 29.00-29.50 ka.G1 and G2 are mainly composed of fine and medium gravel,both of which were subangular to subrounded limestone,with gravel directions to NE and E.The average flow velocity,average depth,and flood peak flow of G1 are 1.10 m/s,0.49 m,and 37.04 m^(3)/s,respectively,calculated using the flow energy method,whereas those of G2 are 0.98 m/s,0.38 m,and 18.38 m^(3)/s,respectively.Analysis of climate proxy indices show that the sedimentary environment of the gravel and loess in HY might be a regional response to global change.

Experimental and numerical investigation on alternatives to sandy gravel

The NATO agreement STANAG 4569 defines the protection levels for the occupants of logistic and light armored vehicle.The Allied Engineering Publication,AEP-55,Volume 2 document outlines the test conditions for underbelly improvised explosive device(IEDs),which must be buried in water-saturated sandy gravel.The use of sandy gravel has some drawbacks,for instance reproducibility,time consumption,and cost.This paper focuses on the investigation of four alternatives to sandy gravel,which could produce similar specific and cumulative impulses:a concrete pot filled with water,a concrete pot filled with quartz sand,a steel pot without filling and a concrete pot filled with glass spheres(diameter 200μm—300μm)and different water contents.The impulses are measured with a ring technology developed at the Fraunhofer EMI.A numerical soil model based on the work of Marrs,2014 and Fi serov a,2006 and considering the soil moisture was used to simulate the experiments with glass spheres at different water contents,showing much better agreement with the experiments than the classical Laine&Sandvik model,even for high saturation levels.These results can be used to create new test conditions at original scale that are more cost-effective,more reproducible and simpler to manage in comparison to the current tests carried out with STANAG sandy gravel.

Effects of gravel on the water absorption characteristics and hydraulic parameters of stony soil

The eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains in China are a typical mountainous region of soil and gravel,where gravel could affect the water movement process in the soil.This study focused on the effects of different gravel contents on the water absorption characteristics and hydraulic parameters of stony soil.The stony soil samples were collected from the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains in April 2023 and used as the experimental materials to conduct a one-dimensional horizontal soil column absorption experiment.Six experimental groups with gravel contents of 0%,10%,20%,30%,40%,and 50%were established to determine the saturated hydraulic conductivity(K_(s)),saturated water content(θ_(s)),initial water content(θ_(i)),and retention water content(θ_(r)),and explore the changes in the wetting front depth and cumulative absorption volume during the absorption experiment.The Philip model was used to fit the soil absorption process and determine the soil water absorption rate.Then the length of the characteristic wetting front depth,shape coefficient,empirical parameter,inverse intake suction and soil water suction were derived from the van Genuchten model.Finally,the hydraulic parameters mentioned above were used to fit the soil water characteristic curves,unsaturated hydraulic conductivity(K_(θ))and specific water capacity(C(h)).The results showed that the wetting front depth and cumulative absorption volume of each treatment gradually decreased with increasing gravel content.Compared with control check treatment with gravel content of 0%,soil water absorption rates in the treatments with gravel contents of 10%,20%,30%,40%,and 50%decreased by 11.47%,17.97%,25.24%,29.83%,and 42.45%,respectively.As the gravel content increased,inverse intake suction gradually increased,and shape coefficient,K_(s),θ_(s),andθ_(r)gradually decreased.For the same soil water content,soil water suction and K_(θ)gradually decreased with increasing gravel content.At the same soil water suction,C(h)decreased with increasing gravel content,and the water use efficiency worsened.Overall,the water holding capacity,hydraulic conductivity,and water use efficiency of stony soil in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains decreased with increasing gravel content.This study could provide data support for improving soil water use efficiency in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains and other similar rocky mountainous areas.

Microscopic Analysis of Cementitious Sand and Gravel Damming Materia

The mechanical properties of cementitious sand and gravel damming material have been experimentally determined by means of microscopic SEM(Scanning Electron Microscopy)image analysis.The results show that the combination of fly ash and water can fill the voids in cemented sand and gravel test blocks because of the presence of hydrated calcium silicate and other substances;thereby,the compactness and mechanical properties of these materials can be greatly improved.For every 10 kg/m^(3) increase in the amount of cementitious material,the density increases by about 2%,and the water content decreases by 0.2%.The amount of cementitious material used in the sand and gravel in these tests was 80-110 kg/m^(3),the water-binder ratio was 1-1.50.Moreover,the splitting tensile strength was 1/10 of the compressive strength,and the maximum strength was 7.42 MPa at 90 d.The optimal mix ratio has been found to be 50 kg of cement,60 kg of fly ash and 120 kg of water(C50F60W120).The related dry density was 2.6 g/cm^(3),the water content was 6%,and the water-binder ratio was 1.09.

Three-dimensional(3D)parametric measurements of individual gravels in the Gobi region using point cloud technique

Gobi spans a large area of China,surpassing the combined expanse of mobile dunes and semi-fixed dunes.Its presence significantly influences the movement of sand and dust.However,the complex origins and diverse materials constituting the Gobi result in notable differences in saltation processes across various Gobi surfaces.It is challenging to describe these processes according to a uniform morphology.Therefore,it becomes imperative to articulate surface characteristics through parameters such as the three-dimensional(3D)size and shape of gravel.Collecting morphology information for Gobi gravels is essential for studying its genesis and sand saltation.To enhance the efficiency and information yield of gravel parameter measurements,this study conducted field experiments in the Gobi region across Dunhuang City,Guazhou County,and Yumen City(administrated by Jiuquan City),Gansu Province,China in March 2023.A research framework and methodology for measuring 3D parameters of gravel using point cloud were developed,alongside improved calculation formulas for 3D parameters including gravel grain size,volume,flatness,roundness,sphericity,and equivalent grain size.Leveraging multi-view geometry technology for 3D reconstruction allowed for establishing an optimal data acquisition scheme characterized by high point cloud reconstruction efficiency and clear quality.Additionally,the proposed methodology incorporated point cloud clustering,segmentation,and filtering techniques to isolate individual gravel point clouds.Advanced point cloud algorithms,including the Oriented Bounding Box(OBB),point cloud slicing method,and point cloud triangulation,were then deployed to calculate the 3D parameters of individual gravels.These systematic processes allow precise and detailed characterization of individual gravels.For gravel grain size and volume,the correlation coefficients between point cloud and manual measurements all exceeded 0.9000,confirming the feasibility of the proposed methodology for measuring 3D parameters of individual gravels.The proposed workflow yields accurate calculations of relevant parameters for Gobi gravels,providing essential data support for subsequent studies on Gobi environments.

Characterization and Geotechnical Classification of Soils and Lateritic Gravelly Materials along the Songololo-Lufu Road Axis (Kongo Central Province, DR Congo)

This study aims to characterize from a geotechnical point of view, the soils as well as the lateritic gravels along the Songololo-Lufu road route in the Kongo Central Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Ten soil samples and eight lateritic gravel samples were analysed and tested in the laboratory. For each sample, identification parameters were determined such as particle size analysis, natural water content, Atterberg limits (plasticity index and consistency index), but also compaction and lift parameters such as optimal water content, maximum dry density and CBR lift index. All materials and soils have been classified according to the Congolese Road Standard (NRC) and according to the American HRB classification. The test results show us that clay soils almost always contain between 70% and 90% fine fraction;the grained fraction represents less than 30% in clay samples. For lateritic gravels soils, the percentage of fine elements varies between 35% and 15%;in sand around 20%;the gravelly fraction represents a little more than 50% of the soil. The majority of soil facies encountered define a plasticity index lower than 15. As for the consistency index, we obtained values greater than 1, both for clayey soils and for gravelly soils. The classification according to NRC defined for these soils the types Ae1 and Ae2 for the clayey facies and the types GL1 and GL2 for the gravelly soils, while that of the HRB identified the classes and subclasses A-6 and A-7-6 for clayey soils, and subclass A-2-6 for gravelly soils. The optimal water content values obtained range between 10.2% and 23.10%;the maximum dry densities are between 1.66 and 2.07 t/m3 and the CBR index is between 6 and 26. As for the lateritic gravels materials of the Songololo region, the percentage of fine elements generally remains between 12% and 31%;the plasticity index is between 8 and 18;the optimal dry density is around 2 t/m3;the optimal water content is between 9.8% and 14.5% and the CBR index is between 27 and 82. The Songololo-Lufu lateritic gravels are characteristic of laterites in the savannah region, with a high gravel fraction at the expense of the fine fraction, but low parameters such as the liquid limit and plasticity index.

Architectural Model of a Dryland Gravel Braided River,based on 3D UAV Oblique Photogrammetric Data:A Case Study of West Dalongkou River in Eastern Xinjiang,China

Three-dimensional unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)oblique photogrammetric data were used to infer mountainous gravel braided river lithofacies,lithofacies associations and architectural elements.Hierarchical architecture and lithofacies associations with detailed lithofacies characterizations were comprehensively described to document the architectural model,architectural element scale and gravel particle scale.(1)Nine lithofacies(i.e.,Gmm,Gcm,Gcc,Gci,Gcl,Ss,Sm,Fsm and Fl)were identified and classified as gravel,sand and fine matrix deposits.These are typical depositional features of a mountainous dryland gravel-braided river.(2)Three architectural elements were identified,including channel(CH),gravel bar(GB)and overbank(OB).CH can be further divided into flow channel and abandoned channel,while GB consists of Central Gravel bar(CGB)and Margin Gravel bar(MGB).(3)The gravel bar is the key architectural element of the gravel braided river,with its geological attributes.The dimensions of GBs and their particles are various,but exhibit good relationships with each other.The grain size of GB decreases downstream,but the dimensions of GB do not.The bank erosion affects the GB dimensions,whereas channel incision and water flow velocity influence the grain size of GB.The conclusions can be applied to the dryland gravel braided river studies in tectonically active areas.

Numerical simulation on the impact characteristics between rockfalls of different shapes and gravel cushions

The shape of rockfalls significantly affects the performance of the impact cushion,which is manifested by the difference in the impact force and the penetration depth of the rockfall during the collision.In this study,we built the collision numerical model between rockfalls and cushions based on the results from previous studies,and simulated the collision process of rockfalls with four different shapes(cylindrical,cuboid,spherical,and cubic)and different cushions.Essential parameters when rockfalls impact cushions are calculated,including the maximum impact forces on the surface and bottom of the cushions and the maximum penetration depth of the rockfall.The results showed that the maximum impact force on the surface and the bottom of the cushions varies with the rockfall shapes.The maximum impact force on the cushion surface caused by cylindrical rockfall is the smallest,followed by the cuboid rockfall,the cube rockfall,and the spherical rockfall.The maximum impact force at the cushion bottom also follows this trend.However,the penetration depth of cuboid rockfall is the smallest,followed by the cylindrical rockfall,the cubic rockfall,and the spherical rockfall.The results of this study provide more extensive theoretical support for rockfall disaster prevention using gravel cushions.

Influence law of modified glutinous rice-based materials on gravel soil reinforcement and water erosion process

A large number of loose piles formed by mountain hazards are highly susceptible to hydraulic erosion under rainfall conditions.The use of ecological substrate materials for erosion control and ecological restoration of gravel soil slopes has become a current research hotspot and the study difficulty.The post-earthquake slump accumulation gravel soil in Jiuzhaigou was selected as the research object,and the self-developed modified glutinous rice-based material was used to reinforce the gravel soil.The variable slope flume erosion test and rainfall simulation test were carried out to study the water erosion resistance of the material reconstructed soil under the influence of runoff erosion and raindrop splash erosion.The results show that:As the material content reached 12.5%,the reconstructed soil did not disintegrate after 24 hours of immersion,the internal friction angle was increased by 42.26%,and the cohesion was increased by 235.5%,which played a significant reinforcement effect.In the process of slope erosion,the soil rill erodibility parameter Kr was only 3‰ of the gravel soil control group,the critical shear force τ increased by 272%,and the soil erosion resistance was significantly improved.In the process of rainfall and rainfall on the slope,the runoff intensity of the reconstructed soil was stable,and the ability to resist runoff erosion and raindrop splash erosion was enhanced.The maximum value of soil loss rate on different slope slopes is 0.02-0.10 g·m^(-2)s^(-1),which is significantly lower than that of the control group and has better erosion reduction effect.

Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Particle Migration and Patterning Behavior in a Gravel Pack

Due to its long lifespan and high sand-removal efficiency,gravel packing is one of the most applied sand control methods during the recovery of reservoirs with sanding problems.The blockage and retention of injected sand in a gravel pack is a complex process affected by multiple mechanisms.The majority of existing studies based on the phenomenological deep bed filtration(DBF)theory focused on the gravel pack’s overall permeability damage and failed to obtain the inner-pore particle distribution pattern.In this work,experiments and simulations were carried out to reveal the particle distribution in a gravel pack during flooding.In particular,through real-time monitoring of particle migration,the penetration depth and distribution pattern of invaded particles with different gravel-sand particle ratios,fluid viscosities and injection rates could be determined.By simplifying each unit bed element(UBE)into a pore-throat structure with four tunnels(two horizontals for discharge and two verticals for sedimentation),a new network simulation method,which combines deep bed filtration with a particle trajectory model,was implemented.Cross comparison of experimental and numerical results demonstrates the validity and accuracy of the model.

JOINT EFFORTS ON CLIMATE CHANGE URGENTLY NEEDED

The effects of climate change have in recen t years become more evident around the globe.According to the State of the Global Climate 2022 published by the World Meteorological organization this April,climate change continued its advance last year,and the global population was gravely impacted by hazardous climate and weather-related events.In this context,participants of the sub-forum themed"Extreme Weather Events and Climate change"exchanged opinions on the topic during the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2023.

A study on impacts of groundwater seepage on artificial freezing process of gravel strata

Purpose–This paper aims to study the impacts of groundwater seepage on artificial freezing process of gravel strata,the temperature field characteristics of the strata,and the strata process,closure time and thickness evolution mechanism of the frozen wall.Design/methodology/approach–In this paper several laboratory model tests were conducted,considering different groundwater seepage rate.Findings–The results show that there is a significant coupling effect between the cold diffusion of artificial freezing pipes and groundwater seepage;when there is no seepage,temperature fields upstream and downstream of the gravel strata are symmetrically distributed,and the thickness of the frozen soil column/frozen wall is consistent during artificial freezing;groundwater seepage causes significant asymmetry in the temperature fields upstream and downstream of the gravel strata,and the greater the seepage rate,the more obvious the asymmetry;the frozen wall closure time increases linearly with the increase in the groundwater seepage rate,and specifically,the time length under seepage rate of 5.00 m d
1 is 3.2 times longer than that under no seepage;due to the erosion from groundwater seepage,the thickness of the upstream frozen wall decreases linearly with the seepage velocity,while that of the downstream frozen wall increases linearly,resulting in a saddle-shaped frozen wall.Originality/value–The research results are beneficial to the optimum design and risk control of artificial freezing process in gravel strata.

LARGE TIME BEHAVIOR OF SOLUTION TO NONLINEAR DIRAC EQUATION IN 1+1 DIMENSIONS

This paper studies the large time behavior of solution for a class of nonlinear massless Dirac equations in R^(1+1). It is shown that the solution will tend to travelling wave solution when time tends to infinity.

以水作为慢化体的多球中子谱仪模拟与解谱研究

中子能谱的测量是核辐射探测领域的一个重要研究课题,它在整个中子辐射防护检测中具有重要地位,与中子辐射剂量关系密切.多球中子谱仪是进行中子能谱测量的常见工具,具有非常多的优势,首先操作简单方便;其次功能强大,主要表现在测量范围上,相比较于其他类似设备来说要大许多;最后在灵敏性方面十分出色.本研究分别采用水和聚乙烯作为多球中子谱仪的慢化体,使用蒙特卡罗程序Geant4,计算了10-9~102 MeV能量范围中60个能量点的响应函数,并分析比较;利用Gravel少道解谱算法,对不同中子场中的水慢化体多球中子谱仪测量数据进行解谱,数据显示水可以用作慢化体在设备中使用.该研究为水用作慢化体在设备中使用提供了理论和模拟研究基础.

G(E)法与Gravel法处理能谱-剂量转换效果研究

为准确地得到γ射线的辐射剂量,对G(E)函数法和Gravel算法处理能谱-剂量的转换效果进行了研究。根据实际应用需求,采取蒙特卡罗方法模拟获取了?50 mm×50 mm NaI(Tl)探测器的Gravel法响应矩阵,并使用Matlab得到探测器的G(E)函数。使用NaI(Tl)探测器和多道谱仪系统测量标准源的能谱,分别使用G(E)法和Gravel法计算剂量值并与理论值进行比较,同时在计算过程中总结对比了两种方法的特点。

MC模拟解析快中子谱解谱方法评价

本文利用Geant4蒙特卡罗模拟并使用ROOT数据处理工具对基于TripleGEM探测器阴极耦合多层聚乙烯转化结构在不同快中子照射情况下进行了快中子解谱研究。通过模拟计算得到不同快中子源下相应的探测器响应函数,使用GRAVEL算法、极大似然(MLEM)算法和改进型极大似然(MLEM-D)方法进行了快中子解谱分析和比较,三种算法解谱的结果表明,三种解谱方法均适用于TripleGEM结构快中子探测器,且解谱结果与参考数据符合良好,采用中值降噪法改进的MLEM-D方法对多能中子能谱解谱效果最佳,谱线最为平滑。

Soil mulching can mitigate soil water defi ciency impacts on rainfed maize production in semiarid environments

Temporally irregular rainfall distribution and inefficient rainwater management create severe constraints on crop production in rainfed semiarid areas. Gravel and plastic film mulching are effective methods for improving agricultural productivity and water utilization. However, the effects of these mulching practices on soil water supply and plant water use associated with crop yield are not well understood. A 3-yr study was conducted to analyze the occurrence and distribution of dry spells in a semiarid region of Northwest China and to evaluate the effects of non-mulching （CK）, gravel mulching （GM） and plastic film mulching （FM） on the soil water supply, plant water use and maize （Zea mays L.） grain yield. Rainfall analysis showed that dry spells of ≥5 days occurred frequently in each of 3 yr, accounting for 59.9-69.2% of the maize growing periods. The 〉15-d dry spells during the jointing stage would expose maize plants to particularly severe water stress. Compared with the CK treatment, both the GM and FM treatments markedly increased soil water storage during the early growing season. In general, the total evapotranspiration （ET） was not significantly different among the three treatments, but the mulched treatments significantly increased the ratio of pre- to post-silking ET, which was closely associated with yield improvement. As a result, the grain yield significantly increased by 17.1, 70.3 and 16.7% for the GM treatment and by 28.3, 87.6 and 38.2% for the FM treatment in 2010, 2011 and 2012, respectively, compared with the CK treatment. It＇s concluded that both GM and FM are effective strategies for mitigating the impacts of water deficit and improving maize production in semiarid areas. However. FM is more effective than GM.

Study of hydraulic fracture growth behavior in heterogeneous tight sandstone formations using CT scanning and acoustic emission monitoring

Tortuous hydraulic fractures(HFs) are likely to be created in heterogeneous formations such as conglomerates, which may cause sand plugging, ultimately resulting in poor stimulation efficiency. This study aims to explore HF growth behavior in conglomerate through laboratory fracturing experiments under true tri-axial stresses combined with computed tomography scanning and acoustic emission(AE) monitoring. The effects of gravel size, horizontal differential stress, and AE focal mechanisms were examined. Especially, the injection pressure and the AE response features during HF initiation and propagation in conglomerate were analyzed. Simple HFs with narrow microfractures are created in conglomerate when the gravels are considerably smaller than the specimen, whereas complex fractures are created when the gravels are similar in size to the specimen, even under high horizontal differential stresses. Breakdown pressure and AE rates are high when a HF is initiated from the high-strength gravel. A large pressure decline after the breakdown may indicate the creation of a planar and wide HF. Analyzing the focal mechanism indicates that the shear mechanism generally dominates with an increase in the HF complexity. Tensile events are likely to occur during HF initiation and are located around the wellbore. Shear events occur mainly around the nonplanar and complex matrix/gravel interfaces.

A comprehensive review of ultralow‑weight proppant technology

Proppant plays a critical role in the exploitation of oil and gas,especially in the development of nonconventional oil and gas resources.Proppants are small spheres that have adequate strength to withstand high closure stresses to keep cracks open;therefore,hydrocarbon fows smoothly into the wellbore.However,traditional proppants are prone to settling in hydraulic fracturing operations,which seriously afects the operation efect.To this end,ultralow-weight proppants have been extensively employed in the petroleum industry.One of the widespread forms of ultralow-weight proppant application in the oil and gas industry is related to light density.Ultralow-weight proppants will provide substantial fow paths with a considerably high propped surface area and remarkably reduce fne generation and scaling.This paper presents a comprehensive review of over 50 papers published in the past several decades on ultralow-weight proppants.The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the current ultralow-weight proppant development status in raw materials,manufacturing process,performance characteristics,hydrophobic and lipophilic capabilities,and feld application to promote the research of new ultralow-weight proppants.Lastly,this study analyzes the current challenges and emphasizes the development direction of fractured proppants.

Long-term effects of gravel―sand mulch on soil organic carbon and nitrogen in the Loess Plateau of northwestern China

Gravel-sand mulch has been used for centuries to conserve water in the Loess Plateau of north- western China. In this study, we assessed the influence of long-term （1996-2012） gravel-sand mulching of cultiv- ated soils on total organic carbon （TOC）, light fraction organic carbon （LFOC）, microbial biomass carbon （MBC）, total organic nitrogen （TON）, particulate organic carbon （POC）, mineral-associated organic carbon （MOC）, perma- nganate-oxidizable carbon （KMnO4-C）, and non-KMnO4-C at 0-60 cm depths. Mulching durations were 7, 11 and 16 years, with a non-mulched control. Compared to the control, there was no significant and consistently positive effect of the mulch on TOC, POC, MOC, KMnO4-C and non-KMnO4-C before 11 years of mulching, and these organic C fractions generally decreased significantly by 16 years. LFOC, TON and MBC to at a 0-20 cm depth in- creased with increasing mulching duration until 11 years, and then these fractions decreased significantly between 11 and 16 years, reaching values comparable to or lower than those in the control. KMnO4-C was most strongly correlated with the labile soil C fractions. Our findings suggest that although gravel-sand mulch may conserve soil moisture, it may also lead to long-term decreases in labile soil organic C fractions and total organic N in the study area. The addition of manure or composted manure would be a good choice to reverse the soil deterioration that occurs after 11 years by increasing the inputs of organic matter.