Rock mechanical characteristics and landscape evolutionary mechanism of the slit-type Danxia landform on the Chinese Loess Plateau

Since 2015,the newly discovered slit-type Danxia landform on the Chinese Loess Plateau has become a hot topic in the field of geomorphology worldwide.However,the relationships among its formation,evolutionary mechanism,and mechanical characteristics of its strata and rocks are not clear.In this paper,the Ganquan canyon group is used as the research object.Basic physical and mechanical indices of sandstone in the Ganquan canyon group were measured through field investigation and indoor experiments,and the deterioration trends for the mechanical parameters of sandstone in this area under the action of infiltration,acid dry-wet cycles,and freeze-thaw cycles were revealed.Lastly,the formation and evolutionary mechanism of the slit-type Danxia landform were discussed.The results showed that:(1)The sandstone in the canyon group had a low cementation degree and weak cohesive force,which was easily weakened under the action of water,resulting in a decrease in compressive strength and elastic modulus.(2)Acidic dry-wet cycles caused the mineral composition of the sandstone to be dissolved,and the micropores continued to grow and develop until new cracks were produced.Macroscopically,the compressive strength and elastic modulus of sandstone were greatly reduced,and this damage was cumulative and staged.The greater the acidity,the greater the damage.(3)As the number of freeze-thaw cycles increased,the uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus of the sandstone decreased continuously.During the freeze-thaw cycle process,the growth and development of cracks were primarily in fracture mode and usually developed along parallel bedding positions.(4)The interaction of tectonic activity and lithology with different weathering processes was a key factor in the formation and evolution of the slit-type Danxia landform.In conclusion,the intricate process of weathering influenced by historical climatic fluctuations has been pivotal in shaping the topography of Danxia landform.

Extraction of Soil Organic Matter Information by Multi-spectral Remote Sensing Based on Diverse Landforms

Based on diverse landforms, the correlation between soil organic matter content and multi-spectral band of remote sensing image was analyzed in this pa- per. In addition, the inversion models were built for the soil organic matter content in different landforms. The results showed that the spectral reflectance was nega- tively related to soil organic matter content; linear regression analysis of remove was performed throughout the bands using SPSS. When the inversion models were built based on all the bands, better fitting effect was obtained. The precision of in- version models built based on different landforms was higher than those built re- gardless landforms. Compared with the actual value, the identification level of soil organic matter content was 91 65% under the allowable error was 7%. It indicated that the extraction of soil organic matter with inversion model that was built based on different landforrrs was feasible with higher precision.

Automatic recognition of loess landforms using Random Forest method

The automatic recognition of landforms is regarded as one of the most important procedures to classify landforms and deepen the understanding on the morphology of the earth. However, landform types are rather complex and gradual changes often occur in these landforms, thus increasing the difficulty in automatically recognizing and classifying landforms. In this study, small-scale watersheds, which are regarded as natural geomorphological elements, were extracted and selected as basic analysis and recognition units based on the data of SRTM DEM. In addition, datasets integrated with terrain derivatives(e.g., average slope gradient, and elevation range) and texture derivatives(e.g., slope gradient contrast and elevation variance) were constructed to quantify the topographical characteristics of watersheds. Finally, Random Forest(RF) method was employed to automatically select features and classify landforms based on their topographical characteristics. The proposed method was applied and validated in seven case areas in the Northern Shaanxi Loess Plateau for its complex andgradual changed landforms. Experimental results show that the highest recognition accuracy based on the selected derivations is 92.06%. During the recognition procedure, the contributions of terrain derivations were higher than that of texture derivations within selected derivative datasets. Loess terrace and loess mid-mountain obtained the highest accuracy among the seven typical loess landforms. However, the recognition precision of loess hill, loess hill–ridge, and loess sloping ridge is relatively low. The experiment also shows that watershed-based strategy could achieve better results than object-based strategy, and the method of RF could effectively extract and recognize the feature of landforms.

Quaternary glacio-erosional landforms in Laoshan Mountain and their constraints on the origin of Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao, east of China

A field investigation on Quaternary glacial landforms in Laoshan Motmtain has discovered many glacial potholes, scouring grooves on top of granite ridges, and large boulders. These erosional landforms were formed by the meltwater from the overlying ice cap, suggesting that there was at least an ice cap covering Laoshan Mountain and the surrounding areas or even a continental ice sheet over the vast area of Shandong Province in the Late Pleistocene. The ice sheet was obstructed by the Laoshan Mountain, Dazhu Mountain and Xiaozhu Mountain in the coastal areas as it moved toward the Yellow Sea. The ice flows eroded the bedrock and carved the weak intersection of the fault systems in the NE and NW directions into a deep channel, which gradually formed a fjord in the area of the Jiaozhou Bay basin by 20.00 ka BE The seawater gradually invaded the fjord from the beginning of the Holocene （11.00 ka BP） and Jiaozhou Bay was eventually formed. Similar fjords are easily found along the east of China and they share a similar origin because of the Quaternary glaciation in the region.

Influence of climate and tectonic movements on granite landforms in China

Present granite landform characteristics and distribution are the integrated result of climate, tectonics and lithology. Various types of granite landforms in China signify climate zonality and differential vertical movement of earth surface, while published research results on Chinese granite landforms are very rare, especially in international journals. Based on the process analysis of chemical weathering and physical disintegration, four granite landform regions in China are classified according to the present climate regime. On the Tibetan Plateau, the cold and freezing climate induced periglacial landscapes; the northeast region is characterized by physical disintegration and low round mounds are widespread; in the northwest region controlled by arid climate, wind-carved minor landscapes are extremely prominent. The most spectacular granite landscapes in China are presented in southeast as a result of Iongtime chemical weathering under humid and warm conditions, as well as the differential uplift after Neogene. Correlating the weathering crust in southern China, Tibetan Plateau and India, a possible unified planation surface in Neogene is proposed. With corestones as indicators of original weathering front, the differential uplift extent of dissected planation surfaces can be estimated. At least three landforms implying uplift can be identified in southeastern China, with elevations of 300-400 m, 2000 m and 3600 m above the sea level respectively.

Developmetn stage threshold of watershed Landforms in Loess Plateau and separation of erosion mechanism

Threshold is a limit and marginal point when a qualitative change takes place. Since threshold principle was firstly used in landform research by S.A.Schumm in the 1970s, the quantitative research on watershed landform development stage has come true. Davis proposed a three-stage model on landform evolution: young, mature and old stages. Thereafter Strahler quantified this model by hypsometric analysis method. The authors thought that the material movement stage cannot be expressed by hypsometric method in watershed landform at development stage, because of the uncertainty on stage delimitation. To meet this shortcoming, this paper presents an integral erosion value method. A clear delimitation on landform development stage in the Loess Plateau region has been tested by this method. The result shows that gullied loessial hilly area is at the mature stage, and gullied loessial tableland area is at the young stage. It is estimated that from the point of erosion related sediment yield, natural erosion accounts for 70% of the total erosion amount, and artificial accelerating erosion is 30%. Therefore soil and water conservation is very crucial for the Loess Plateau.

Comparative studies of Danxia landforms in China

Danxia geomorphology originates fi＇om China. This paper studies the spatial distribution and differences in characteristics of Danxia landforms. Based on relevant research and investigations, three congregated areas of Danxia landform in China are discussed in this paper. They are the southeast area （including Jiangxi, Fujian, Zhejiang, Hunan and Guangxi provinces）, the southwest area （the transitional zone of Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and Sichuan Basin） and the northwest area （including Longshan mountain and along the banks of the Huanghe River and its anabranches）. Not only the conditions of geology and geography of the three areas but also the differences of Danxia landforms of the three areas are analyzed. The Danxia landscape, characterized by upright-shaped peaks, Danxia mesa, stone wall, cave and vertical cave, ＂Danxia natural bridge＂, ＂a narrow strip of sky＂ and so on, often presents in the southeast area. The landscape of southwest area is characterized by Danxia escarpment faces and waterfalls. In the northwest area, the Danxia landscape has the traits of arid areas simultaneously, for example, mud-coating type, columniation type, board type, moreover, it is greatly different between these environmental factors such as the microclimate, water, wind, and the loess cover. Finally it explores the causes which lead differences in landform and also explains the landform formation process and its mechanism with reference to the rates of crustal uplift, the tectonic red-basin, and the external processes including working of running water, weathering, biogenic, gravity in each area of Danxia Landforms in China.

Numerical modeling of deep-seated landslides interacting with man-made structures

This paper describes the interaction between deep-seated landslides and man-made structures such as dams, penstocks, viaducts, and tunnels. Selected case studies are reported first with the intent to gain insights into the complexities associated with the interaction of these structures with deep-seated landslides(generally referred to as deep-seated gravity slope deformations, DSGSDs). The main features, which characterize these landslides, are mentioned together with the interaction problems encountered in each case. Given the main objective of this paper, the numerical modeling methods adopted are outlined as means for increase in the understanding of the interaction problems being investigated. With the above in mind, the attention moves to an important and unique case history dealing with the interaction of a large-size twin-tunnel excavated with an earth pressure balance(EPB)tunnel boring machine(TBM) and a deep-seated landslide, which was reactivated due to the stress changes induced by tunnel excavation in landslide shear zone. The geological and geotechnical conditions are described together with the available monitoring data on the landslide movements, based on the advanced and conventional monitoring tools used. Numerical modeling is illustrated as an aid to back-analyze the monitored surface and subsurface deformations and to assist in finding the appropriate engineering solution for putting the tunnel into service and as a follow-up means for future understanding and control of the interaction problems. The simulation is based on a novel time-dependent model representing the landslide behavior.

A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON QUATERNARY GLACIAL LANDFORMS IN MT.MA'AN

Mt.Ma'an (4288 m) is the highest mountain in the southwest edge of Sichuan Basin. It is situated to the south of the Dadu River. The geographic coordinates are: 28°58′N, 102°55′E. There are six peaks over 4000 m in elevation. Many quaternary glacial landforms in this mountain have been discovered. It's a typical example of fossil glacial landform in the east China. Its glacial stages are the last glaciation (Q 3 3) and the neoglaciation (Q 3 4). Mt. Ma'an and Mt. Luoji (4359 m) are similar in the fossil glacial landforms, but there are still some differences between them. For example, the ratio between the direct difference and the minus difference is different.

A study on neogene volcanic landforms of the middle Tanlu fault belt

The west block of the middle belt of TanLu fault belt is one of the areas where volcanic landforms are mainly distributed. This paper divides the volcanic landforms into four grades according to formation, morphology, and ingredient of matter. Lava cones are divided into two types based on the force of top-support and the fluid form of magma: the arc-projecting type and spring-spilling type. Furthermore, the courses of development of volcanic landforms are divided into three stages according to the form and strength of volcanic activities.

Aesthetic evaluation of yardang landforms landscape:the Dunhuang Yardang National Geo-park example

Dunhuang Yardang National Geo-park, situated in the Gansu Province of northwestern China （40°25′36″N-40°33′10″N, 93°00′00″E-93°13′30″E）, was chosen as a research locality of aesthetics evaluation of yardang landforms landscape. The yardang landforms landscape is a composite structural system of patch-corridor-matrix, with four landscape unit elements as dense group, sparse group, single body and remnant. The study of the landscape aesthetics spatial pattern of Dunhuang Yardang National Geo-park shows that yardang dense group, sparse group and single body provide the greatest contribution to the aesthetic value of yardang landforms landscape. Yardang bodies are scarce, unique, irreplaceable, and priceless resources in yardang landforms areas. However, they are easily destroyed under the influence of the natural and artificial factors. Therefore, when the tourism potential of yardang landforms landscape is exploited, the protection should be fully improved.

Danxia Landforms: Rosy Clouds on Earth

A Danxia landform is a red-bed landform characterized by steep cliffs. It was initially discovered and named by Chinese scholars. Although there are red-bed landforms in many parts of the world, China, with a special fondness for the color red, boasts the most widely distributed Danxia possessing unique characteristics. This is a mesmerizing natural formation and a special gift that nature has bestowed upon this country.

Ground fissure development regularity and formation mechanism of shallow buried coal seam mining with Karst landform in Jiaozi coal mine: a case study

A comprehensive study was undertaken at Jiaozi coal mine to investigate the development regularity of ground fissures in shallow buried coal seam mining with Karst landform,shedding light on the development type,geographical distribution,dynamic development process,and failure mechanism of these ground fissures by employing field monitoring,numerical simulation,and theoretical analysis.The findings demonstrate that ground fissure development has an obvious feature of subregion,and its geographical distribution is significantly affected by topography.Tensile type,open type,and stepped type are three different categories of ground fissure.Ground fissures emerge dynamically as the panel advances,and they typically develop with a distance of less than periodic weighting step distance in advance of panel advancing position.Ground fissures present the dynamic development feature,temporary fissure has the ability of self-healing.The dynamic development process of ground fissure with closed-distance coal seam repeated mining is expounded,and the development scale is a dynamic development stage of“closure→expansion→stabilized”on the basis of the original development scale.From the perspective of topsoil deformation,the computation model considering two points movement vectors towards two directions of the gob and the ground surface is established,the development criterion considering the critical deformation value of topsoil is obtained.The mechanical model of hinged structure of inclined body is proposed to clarify the ground fissure development,and the interaction between slope activity and ground fissure development is expounded.These research results fulfill the gap of ground fissures about development regularity and formation mechanism,and can contribute to ground fissure prevention and treatment with Karst landform.

Evolution stage,spatial and temporal variabilities of granite landforms in the Mount Wugongshan in Jiangxi Province of South China

Granites of the Mesozoic Era are widespread in South China,and many of them have been shaped into spectacular landscapes with high tourism development values.However,the controlling factors and evolution stages of these granite landscapes were poorly understood.In this study,the Hypsometric Integral curves(HIc),and Hypsometric Integral(HI)values of the Mount Wugong were extracted from digital elevation model data in a geographic information system environment.The relationships between the HIc,HI values,and factors including the tectonism,lithology and climate of the study area were analyzed to determine the evolution of granite landscapes evolution in the main scenic areas of the Mount Wugongshan.The HI values on the northwestern and southeastern slopes of the Mount Wugongshan range from 0.223 to 0.415 and 0.385 to 0.465,respectively;the HIc are mainly concave on the northwestern slopes and irregularly‘Sshaped’on the southeastern slopes.The main ridge of the granite geomorphic scenic area of the Mount Wugongshan,where the alpine meadow geomorphic landscape is located,is in the youthful stage of geomorphic evolution,the Mt.Jinding-Mt.Wanlong and Mt.Mingyue-Wentang scenic areas are in the old stage,and the Yangshimu scenic area is in the mature stage.Differences in watershed scale may be the main reason for the variabilities in geomorphic evolution in the area,while the regular development of tectonic phenomena is a key factor shaping the spatial variability in the watersheds on both sides of the main ridge.

Landforms Evolution of Wadi Qudaid Area, West Central Arabian Shield, Saudi Arabia: An Example of the Role of the Geological Factors in the Urban Extensions

Wadi Qudaid is located in the west central part of Saudi Arabia. It about 135 km to the northeast of Jeddah city along Al Haramein highway and it represents the upstream of the very large alluvial plain along the Red Sea coast. It runs in NE direction parallel to many wadis of the west central part of Saudi Arabia i.e. Wadi Fatima, wadi Sitarah. The wadi floor is filled by Quaternary deposits which represent good groundwater aquifer. Geologically, the present-day residual landforms of Wadi Qudaid are composed mainly of Precambrian Arabia shield rocks overlained by Tertiary sedimentary rocks and finally harrat (Tertiary volcanic). The Precambrian rocks are represented by 1) a lower layered basic and intermediate volcanic and the intercalated volcaniclastics. This unit is correlatable with Samran Group, 2) an upper layered acidic volcanic and the intercalated acidic volcaniclastics. The Arabian shield rocks are intensively folded and dragged along the major NE faults. They are directly overlain by Tertiary basic volcanic (harrat) and the related volcanoclastic red beds). The main geomorphologic elements of the study area include plateau, scarps, and the wadi floor. The plateau is represented by the black basaltic sheet that contains some semi-rounded depressions filled with Quaternary eolian sands. The scarps of the main wadi and its tributaries are nearly steep and contain many asphaltic roads with some isolated cone hills detached from the scarps. Geomorphological, Wadi Qudaid represents the incomplete erosion cycle that begins with the formation of deep galleries and very steep and narrow wadies formed along the major NE faults and related fractures and folds. The progress of the erosion processes led to the formation of narrow interfluves as a result of pedimentation and sculpturing of the wadies sides by scarp retreat. The peniplanation stages of the erosion cycles are reached in the southwestern and the central part of the wadi where fast peniplained areas were formed. The results of this study revealed the role of the different geological processes (lithology, structural elements and climatic conditions) in the distribution of present-day human populations in urban extensions. Qudaid, Dhubaya-Jumah, Dabyah, Al Khamrah, Almansa and Al Massamah are the main villages of Wadi Qudaid area.

Considering and comparing regeneration in natural and man-made stands in northern Iran

In this study the regeneration diversity of Syahkal forests afforestated and natural stands in north of Iran was studied and compared from the point of view of evenness and diversity index. In order to accomplish this study two natural and man-made stands that almost are located in the same height above the sea level were chosen. The area of each stand was 30 ha and the inventory was done by the random-systematic method with a 5R land measurement （500 m2） selected. Also, in order to study the regeneration in the center of each sample piece 125 square meters micro plots were formed. The results show that regeneration diversity index in natural stands is more than that in man-made stands which in this case Mc-Arthur index with 2.41 has the most amount while Simpson index with 0.543 has the least amount. But the evenness indexes in man-made stands are more than that in natural stand which the main reason is the purity of the man-made stand.

Analysis on the Relationship between Degree of Fragmentation and Production Profits of Arable Landscapes upon Varying Landforms——a Case Study of Xinjian County, Jiangxi Province

The research selected five indices to measure fragmentation degrees of three landforms with GIS and analyzed the relationship with production profits of arable lands. The results showed that fragmentation degree of arable lands tends to be volatile upon landforms, For example, the fragmentation degree of mountainous area reached 0.985, followed by hills of 0.705 and the fragmentation degree of plains was the least at 0.068. Production profits of arable lands were negatively correlated with arable landscape fragmentation. Hence, it is necessary to take measures to reduce landscape fragmentation as per specific local circumstances to imorove production Drofits.

Relationship between the characteristics of landforms and sediments as well as the plume front in the Hangzhou Bay

Sedimentary environments in the Hangzhou Bay are introduced by a three-subregional landform pattern and a sedimentation map with six major sedimentation types. The geographic setting, sediment transportation and sedimentation in different subregions are discussed with sediment grain parameters. Sedimentary basin suffering from effect of plume front can be identified by the fine sediments with median ( Mdφ ) 7φ-8φ, clay content 30% - 40% and silt 60% - 70%. Sediment transportation along the plume front seems not to be a direct effect on sedimentary formation of the shoals fringing the south coast of the Hangzhou Bay.

Ecology and Fish Biodiversity of Man-Made Lakes of Southern Benin (West Africa): Implications for Species Conservation and Fisheries Management

Man-made lakes are alternative and potential habitats for biodiversity conservation, fisheries and extensive aquaculture. We investigated the ecology and the fish community structure of two (2) sand-dragged man-made lakes, Lake Ahozon and Lake Bewacodji of Southern Benin, with implications for species conservation, fisheries management and aquaculture valorization. From August 2014 to July 2015, habitats conditions were evaluated and fishes were sampled monthly with seine, cast net, experimental gill net and hooks in the open water and aquatic vegetation habitats of both lakes. Overall, the water quality of Lake Ahozon was globally favorable for the growth and the survival of the fish resources whereas Lake Bewacodji exhibited a poor water quality indicated mainly by an acid pH (mean: 6.32 ± 0.58) and low dissolved oxygen concentrations (mean: 3.52 ± 1.25 mg/l) caused by dense floating plants, Nymphea sp mainly and huge daily dumping of domestic wastes. The study revealed low species richness, d = 5.89 and d = 3.87, and low species diversity, H’ = 0.76 and H’ = 0.48 for Lakes Ahozon and Bewacodji, respectively, with Lake Ahozon more diverse than Lake Bewacodji. The fish community of Lake Ahozon comprised six (6) species, 3 cichlids Sarotherodon galilaeus, Oreochromis niloticus and Tilapia guineensis, the silver catfish, Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus (Claroteidae), the African bonytongue, Heterotis niloticus (Osteoglossidae), and the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Clariidae). Numerically, S. galilaeus dominated Lake Ahozon and made 85.21% of the sample. In Lake Bewacodji, the fish composition comprised four (4) species, Sarotherodon galilaeus multifasciatus, the dominant species making numerically 91.58% of the total sample, T. guineensis, C. gariepinus and C. nigrodigitatus. With regard to trophic structure, the fish assemblages of both lakes were numerically dominated by planktinovores/ detritivores, mainly S. galilaeus, O. niloticus, T. guineensis and C. nigrodigitatus making together 99.46% of Lake Ahozon fish community, and S. galilaeus multifasciatus, T. guineensis and C. nigrodigitatus accounting together for about 98.59% of Lake Bewacodji. In Lake Ahozon, standard length (SL) frequencies histograms showed an unimodal size distribution for H. niloticus, the nile tilapia O. niloticus and C. gariepinus whereas the two cichlids, S. galilaeus and T. guineensis exhibited a bimodal size distribution. In Lake Bewacodji, S. galilaeus multifasciatus, C. nigrodigitatus and C. gariepinus exhibited an unimodal size distribution. A sustainable exploitation of both man-made lakes requires the implementation of an integrated management scheme which should include habitat restoration and protection plan, fisheries/aquacultural valorization, ecological sound agriculture/ecotourism and environmental monitoring.

The 25th CIMFC(Bengbu 2019):Exploring the future of the man-made fibers

The 25th China International Man-made Fiber Conference (Bengbu 2019)(hereinafter referred to as CIMFC 2019), themed on “Opening and Integaration for Interactive Development — Coordinated Progress of Global Man-Made Fiber Industry”, was convened in Bengbu City, Anhui Province. CIMFC 2019 was sponcored by China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC), organized by China Chemical Fibers Association, Chi-na Textile International Exchange Center, and China BBCA Group Corp., supported by Bengbu Municipal People’s Goverment, and co-organized by Bengbu Investment Promotion and Foreign cooperation Center, Bengbu Municipal Bureau of Commerce and Foreign Affairs, and Oerlikon Man-made Fiber.