Gravity-Driven Listric Growth Fault and Sedimentation in the Lagoa do Peixe, Rio Grande do Sul Coastal Plain, Brazil

High frequency, high resolution GPR surveys are successfully applied to investigate near-surface stratification architecture of sedimentary units in coastal plains and to define their depositional conditions. However, low frequency GPR surveys to investigate fault-related depositional systems at greater depths are scarce. This survey was designed investigate a > 100 km long linear escarpment that controls the northwest margin of the Lagoa do Peixe, an important lagoon in Rio Grande do Sul Coastal Plain (RGSCP, Brazil). The traditional approach points that RGSCP was developed by juxtaposition of four lagoons/barrier systems as consequence of sea level changes;no deformational structure is admitted to exist before. The low frequency GPR (50 MHz, RTA antenna) and geological surveys carried out in the RGSCP showed the existence of a large, gravity-driven listric growth fault controlling the Lagoa do Peixe escarpment and hangingwall sedimentation. The radargrams in four subareas along the Lagoa do Peixe Growth Fault could be interpreted following the seismic expression of rift-related depositional systems. The radargrams enabled to distinguish three main lagoonal deposition radarfacies. The lower lagoonal radarfacies is a convex upward unit, thicker close to growth fault;the radarfacies geometry indicates that fault displacement rate surpasses the sedimentation rate, and its upper stratum is aged ~3500 l4C years BP. The second lagoonal radarfacies is a triangular wedge restricted to the lagoon depocenter, whose geometry indicates that fault displacement and the sedimentation rates kept pace. The upper lagoonal radarfacies is being deposited since 1060 ± 70 l4C years BP, under sedimentation rate higher than fault displacement rate. The results indicate that low frequency GPR surveys can help in investigating fault-related depositional systems in coastal zones. They also point to a new approach in dealing with RGSCP stratigraphy.

Volume-averaged modeling of multiphase solidification with equiaxed crystal sedimentation in a steel ingot

Macrosegregation is a critical factor that limits the mechanical properties of materials.The impact of equiaxed crystal sedimentation on macrosegregation has been extensively studied,as it plays a significant role in determining the distribution of alloying elements and impurities within a material.To improve macrosegregation in steel connecting shafts,a multiphase solidification model that couples melt flow,heat transfer,microstructure evolution,and solute transport was established based on the volume-averaged Eulerian-Eulerian approach.In this model,the effects of liquid phase,equiaxed crystals,columnar dendrites,and columnar-to-equiaxed transition(CET)during solidification and evolution of microstructure can be considered simultaneously.The sedimentation of equiaxed crystals contributes to negative macrosegregation,where regions between columnar dendrites and equiaxed crystals undergo significant A-type positive macrosegregation due to the CET.Additionally,noticeable positive macrosegregation occurs in the area of final solidification in the ingot.The improvement in macrosegregation is beneficial for enhancing the mechanical properties of connecting shafts.To mitigate the thermal convection of molten steel resulting from excessive superheating,reducing the superheating during casting without employing external fields or altering the design of the ingot mold is indeed an effective approach to control macrosegregation.

Numerical simulation on sand sedimentation and erosion characteristics around HDPE sheet sand barrier under different wind angles

For the safety of railroad operations,sand barriers are utilized to mitigate wind-sand disaster effects.These disasters,characterized by multi-directional wind patterns,result in diverse angles among the barriers.In this study,using numerical simulations,we examined the behavior of High Density Polyethylene(HDPE)sheet sand barriers under different wind angles,focusing on flow field distribution,windproof efficiency,and sedimentation erosion dynamics.This study discovered that at a steady wind speed,airflow velocity varies as the angle between the airflow and the HDPE barrier changes.Specifically,a 90°angle results in the widest low-speed airflow area on the barrier’s downwind side.If the airflow is not perpendicular to the barrier,it prompts a lateral airflow movement which decreases as the angle expands.The windproof efficiency correlates directly with this angle but inversely with the wind’s speed.Notably,with a wind angle of 90°,wind speed drops by 81%.The minimum wind speed is found at 5.1H(the sand barrier height)on the barrier’s downwind side.As the angle grows,the barrier’s windproof efficiency improves,extending its protective reach.Sedimentation is most prominent on the barrier’s downwind side,as the wind angle shifts from 30°to 90°,the sand sedimentation area on the barrier’s downwind side enlarges by 14.8H.As the angle grows,sedimentation intensifies,eventually overtakes the forward erosion and enlarges the sedimentation area.

Investigation of the Clinical Diagnostic Significance of the T-Cell Test for Tuberculosis combined with Erythrocyte Sedimentation Test in Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Objective:To investigate the clinical diagnostic significance of peripheral blood T-cell test(T-spot test)for tuberculosis(TB)infection combined with erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR)in pulmonary TB.Methods:41 patients with a clinical diagnosis of TB during hospitalization from January 2020 to April 2023 in our hospital were selected as the experimental group,and 45 patients without TB(bronchopneumonia patients)were selected as the control group.The diagnostic specificity,sensitivity,and accuracy of the T-spot TB test,ESR test,and the combined test of the two were calculated respectively.Results:The sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of the T-spot TB test combined with ESR for the diagnosis of TB in the experimental group were significantly higher than the individual results of the T-spot TB test and ESR test alone(P<0.05).Conclusion:The T-spot TB test combined with the ESR test for TB diagnosis has greater clinical value than carrying out the tests individually.

Effects of sand sedimentation and wind erosion around sand barrier:Numerical simulation and wind tunnel test studies

Based on numerical simulations,this study highlights the sedimentation and erosion problems around a sand barrier through the relationship between the shear stress of the surface around the sand barrier and the critical shear stress of sand grains.The numerical simulation results were verified using data measured by the wind tunnel test.The results showed that when the porosity was the same,the size and position of the vortex on the leeward side of the sand barrier were related to the inlet wind speed.As the wind speed increased,the vortex volume increased and the positions of the separation and reattachment points moved toward the leeward side.When the porosity of the sand barrier was 30%,the strength of the acceleration zone above the sand barrier was the highest,and the strength of the acceleration zone was negatively correlated with the porosity.Sand erosion and sedimentation distance were related to wind speed.With an increase in wind speed,the sand grain forward erosion or reverse erosion areas on the leeward side of the sand barrier gradually replaced the sedimentation area.With an increase in porosity,the sand sedimentation distance on the leeward side of the sand barrier gradually shortened,and the sand erosion area gradually disappeared.The sand sedimentation distance on the leeward side of the sand barrier with 30%porosity was the longest.The numerical simulation results were in good agreement with the wind tunnel test results.Based on the sand erosion and sedimentation results of the numerical simulation and wind tunnel test,when the porosity was 30%,the protection effect of the High Density Polyethylene(HDPE)board sand barrier was best.

Provenance and depositional setting of the Late MiocenePleistocene clastic sediments in the eastern Arabian Peninsula and western Iraq using rare earth elements geochemistry

The sandstones of the Late miocene–Pliocene Dibdibba Formation in the Najaf–Karbala Plateau and Basra were examined to determine their source rocks and origin. The rare earth elements(REE) and trace elements(Sc, Co, V, and Th) concentrations in these sandstones revealed that they likely derived from a single source. The steep light rare earth elements(LREE) and flat, heavy rare earth element(HREE) patterns, negative Eu anomaly, and high ΣREE contents in sandstones suggest its derivation from a suggests that a passive continental margin environment and originated from felsic source rocks. The average concentration of ΣREE is 93.5 ppm, which is lower than that of the average crustal compositions like Upper Continental Crust and Post Archean Australian Shale. The higher proportion of LREE compared to HREE implies that these sandstones were recycled and derived from a distal source. The Th/Co, Th/Sc, La/Sc, La/Co, Eu/Eu*and(La/Lu)cn elemental ratios indicated that these Late Miocene–Pliocene sandstones were derived from felsic rocks located in the marginal region of the Arabian Shield.

Removal Effect of Coagulating Sedimentation Method on Polyethylene Microplastics in Water

Microplastic is a new kind of pollutant.It exists widely in the aquatic environment and seriously endangers the aquatic ecosystem.In this study,the coagulating sedimentation method was used to remove microplastics in water.Polyethylene(PE)was selected as the representative of microplastics,polyferric sulfate(PFS),polyaluminum chloride(PAC)and aluminum sulfate(AS)were used as coagulant,and polyacrylamide(PAM)was used as coagulant aid to study the effects of pH,coagulant concentration and sedimentation time on the removal of PE by single and composite coagulant.The results showed that when the dosage of PFS was 0.5 g/L and pH was 5.0,the removal rate could reach 82.14%,which was better than PAC and AS,indicating that PFS had better coagulation and sedimentation performance for PE;the composite coagulant of PFS+PAC+AS(1 g/L+0.2 g/L+0.2 g/L,pH was 5.0)had the highest removal rate of PE,reaching 96.06%;the removal rate of PE increased with the increase in sedimentation time,but considering that the longer sedimentation time has less contribution to the improvement of removal rate,it is recommended that 4 h is appropriate.

The control of astronomical cycles on lacustrine fine-grained event Sedimentation——A case study of the Chunshang sub-member of the upper Es_(4) in the Dongying Sag

Fine-grained lacustrine sedimentation controlled by astronomical cycles remains a research weakness in sedimentology studies,as most studies have concentrated on how astronomical cycles affect the normal lacustrine fine-grained sedimentation,but how they affect the lacustrine fine-grained event sedimen-tation has been rarely studied.Therefore,this work researched the characteristics of event sedimentation by systematically observing the cores from 30 cored wells in the Shahejie Formation of the Dongying Sag at a depth of over 1800 m,with more than 4000 thin sections being authenticated and over 1000 whole rocks being analyzed by X-ray diffraction(XRD).The research object was the Chunshang Sub-member of Upper Es_(4) in the Fanye 1 well,as it had the most comprehensive analysis data and underwent the most continuous coring.We divided astronomical cycles into different orders and made corresponding curves using the gamma-ray(GR)curve,spectral analysis,power spectrum estimation,and module extreme values,there were 6 long eccentricity periods,22 short eccentricity periods,65.5 obliquity cycles,and 110.5 precession cycles in this sub-member.On this basis,this study analyzed the control of astronomical cycles on the lacustrine fine-grained event sedimentation,and the research shows deposits were developed by slide-slump,turbidities,hyperpycnites,and tempestites in the Chunshang Sub-member of the Upper Es_(4),with higher long eccentricity,the monsoon climate contributes to the formation of storm currents,while with lower long eccentricity,the surface deposits are severely eroded by rivers and rainfalls,thus developing the slide-slump,turbidities,and hyperpycnites.The relationship between the lacustrine fine-grained event sedimentation and astronomical cycles was studied in this case study,which can promote research on fine-grained sedimentary rocks in genetic dynamics and boost the theoretical and disciplinary development in fine-grained sedimentology.

Cycles of fine-grained sedimentation and their influences on organic matter distribution in the second member of Paleogene Kongdian Formation in Cangdong Sag,Bohai Bay Basin,East China

According to the theory of sequence stratigraphy based on continental transgressive-regressive(T-R)cycles,a 500 m continuous core taken from the second member of Kongdian Formation(Kong 2 Member)of Paleogene in Well G108-8 in the Cangdong Sag,Bohai Bay Basin,was tested and analyzed to clarify the high-frequency cycles of deep-water fine-grained sedimentary rocks in lacustrine basins.A logging vectorgraph in red pattern was plotted,and then a sequence stratigraphic framework with five-order high-frequency cycles was formed for the fine-grained sedimentary rocks in the Kong 2 Member.The high-frequency cycles of fine-grained sedimentary rocks were characterized by using different methods and at different scales.It is found that the fifth-order T cycles record a high content of terrigenous clastic minerals,a low paleosalinity,a relatively humid paleoclimate and a high density of laminae,while the fifth-order R cycles display a high content of carbonate minerals,a high paleosalinity,a dry paleoclimate and a low density of laminae.The changes in high-frequency cycles controlled the abundance and type of organic matter.The T cycles exhibit relatively high TOC and abundant endogenous organic matters in water in addition to terrigenous organic matters,implying a high primary productivity of lake for the generation and enrichment of shale oil.

MXene Sediment-Based Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Sodium Alginate Aerogel Evaporator with Vertically Aligned Channels for Highly Efficient Solar Steam Generation

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation from seawater is considered an effective way to alleviate the emerging freshwater crisis because of its green and environmentally friendly characteristics.However,developing an evaporator with high efficiency,stability,and salt resistance remains a key challenge.MXene,with an internal photothermal conversion efficiency of 100%,has received tremendous research interest as a photothermal material.However,the process to prepare the MXene with monolayer is inefficient and generates a large amount of“waste”MXene sediments(MS).Here,MXene sediments is selected as the photothermal material,and a three-dimensional MXene sediments/poly(vinyl alcohol)/sodium alginate aerogel evaporator with vertically aligned pores by directional freezing method is innovatively designed.The vertical porous structure enables the evaporator to improve water transport,light capture,and high evaporation rate.Cotton swabs and polypropylene are used as the water channel and support,respectively,thus fabricating a self-floating evaporator.The evaporator exhibits an evaporation rate of 3.6 kg m^(-2)h^(-1)under one-sun illumination,and 18.37 kg m^(-2)of freshwater is collected in the condensation collection device after 7 h of outdoor sun irradiation.The evaporator also displays excellent oil and salt resistance.This research fully utilizes“waste”MS,enabling a self-floating evaporation device for freshwater collection.

Microplastics in sediment of the Three Gorges Reservoir:abundance and characteristics under different environmental conditions

Freshwater microplastic pollution is an urgent issue of global concern,and research on the distribution in reservoirs is lacking.We investigated the microplastic pollution levels in wet sediments collected from the Three Gorges Reservoir,the largest reservoir of China.Results show that microplastics were ubiquitous in the sediments of the Three Gorges Reservoir,and their abundance ranged from 59 to 276 pp/kg(plastic particles per kg,dry weight).Economic development and total population were important factors affecting the spatial heterogeneity of microplastic abundance,and the contribution of large cities along the reservoir to microplastic pollution should be paid with more attention.Fibrous microplastics were the most abundant type of microplastic particles in reservoir sediments,whereas polystyrene,polypropylene,and polyamide were the main types of polymers.The apparent spatial heterogeneity in morphology and color of microplastics is attributed to different anthropogenic or landbased pollution sources.Moreover,the accumulation of microplastics near the inlet of tributaries reflects the role of potential contributors of tributaries.More importantly,multiple bisphenols(BPs)and heavy metals detected at the microplastic surfaces indicate that microplastics can act as carriers of these pollutants in the environment in the same way as sediments did,which may alter the environmental fate and toxicity of these pollutants.Therefore,we conclude that the Three Gorges Reservoir had been contaminated with microplastics,which posed a stress risk for organisms who ingest them along with their associated pollutants(BPs,heavy metals).

Microplastic and Heavy Metals Distributions in Urban Rivers Sediments,China

This study investigated the distribution of microplastics and heavy metals,along with the interaction between the two in the sediments of urban rivers in China.Results showed that the abundance of microplastics ranged from 2412±187.5 to 7638±1312items kg^(-1)dry sediment across different survey stations,with an average abundance at(4388±713)items kg^(-1)dry sediment.Upon further categorization,it was found that transparent fragments were the primary color and type of microplastics present.The potential ecological risk index(RI)of heavy metals in sediments suggested a low level of ecological risk within a majority of the urban rivers studied.Cd was identified as the main potential ecological risk factor in the sediments of the studied areas.There was a relatively good significant linear relationship between the RI of heavy metals and the abundance of microplastics,bolstering the linkage between these two environmental pollutants.However,the concentrations of heavy metals in microplastics were not dependent on their corresponding contents in sediments.In fact,the concentration of Cu,Cd,and As in microplastics were higher than those in the sediments.This finding confirmed that microplastics could serve as carriers of heavy metals and introduce potential risks to aquatic wildlife and human through the food chain.

Effects of Different Cations on the Flocculation and Sedimentation of Static Fine-Grained

Natural water bodies mostly contain cations,and the type and content of these cations are the main factors affecting the flocculation of fine-grained cohesive sediments and the floc sedimentation rate at the interface between clear and turbid water.From the microscopic aspect,this study examined the changing patterns of porosity and the fractal dimension of the flocs of fine-grained cohesive sediments.Sedimentation experiments under different sediment contents and electrolyte conditions were conducted,and microscopic images of the flocs were analysed using Image-Pro Plus(IPP)and MATLAB based on the fractal theory.From the macroscopic aspect,this study experimentally investigated the flocculation and sedimentation of fine-grained cohesive sediments and proposed a sedimentation rate equation by introducing an ion concentration-related parameter into an existing sedimentation rate equation(stagnation zone)based on the adsorption isotherm equation.The equation proposed in this study was validated with measured data.The calculated values were in good agreement with the measured values,with a relative error of 16%.The findings of this study provide a reference for further research on the flocculation and sedimentation of fine-grained cohesive sediments in different water bodies.

Tracing suspended and bed sediments during high and low water periods using geochemical characteristics-Case study:Vazrood watershed,northern Iran

Complete and comprehensive information about sediment dynamic and identification of hotspots of sediment production and transport are necessary for understanding the erosion processes and increasing the efficiency of soil and water conservation practices.Numerous studies used the sediment fingerprint techniques to investigate the contribution of different sources in suspended and bed sediment yield of the watersheds.However,the contribution of various land use/land covers in suspended and bed sediment yield for the great Caspian Sea basin is in an aura of ambiguity and the present study was conducted to gather information about an important part of this area in northern Iran,where rangelands are located upstream of Hyrcanian forests and dense agricultural lands are located downstream.The surface soil of different land use/land covers including forest,rangeland,agriculture and streambank lands were sampled in 30 points.Suspended and bed sediments were sampled in the watershed outlet in two high and low water periods.Geochemical characteristics of soil and sediment samples containing 59 elements were measured using ICP-OES GBC Integra.The reliable and suitable tracers from 59 elements were then selected using Range test,Kruskal-Wallis and Discriminant Function Analysis,respectively,in FingerPro package of R software.The results showed that for suspended sediment,streambank and rangeland had the highest contributions of 86.2%and 47.5%,respectively,in two high and low water periods.For bed sediment,in two high and low water periods,rangeland and streambank had the highest contributions of 73.8%and 84.4%,respectively.Land use change and especially human activities such as agriculture,road construction and development of residential areas along the main river riparian zone has led to a significant increase in suspended and bed sediments.

Diversity, Ecology, and Environmental Significance of Foraminifera in Al Hamama and Susah Coastal Regions, Northeastern Libya: Insights from Holocene Sediments

This research initiative, conducted along the coastal zones of Al Hamama and Susah in northeastern Libya, aimed to enhance our understanding of Holocene benthic foraminifera assemblages and the paleoenvironmental parameters in the region. We meticulously gathered five sediment samples to analyze the composition of foraminifera populations within the unconsolidated sedimentary deposits adjacent to these locations. We successfully identified nine distinct benthic foraminifera species, including Amphistegina lobifera, Eliphidium crispum, Sigmoilinita tenuis, Sorites orbiculus, Stomatorbina concentrica, Peneroplis planatus, Pseudotriloculina rotunda, Pyrgoella sphaera, and Triloculina schreberiana. Notably, Eliphidium crispum and Amphistegina lobifera emerged as the most prevalent species. These foraminifera species exhibited distinct ecological preferences, shedding light on paleoenvironmental conditions and climatic fluctuations during the Quaternary Period in the Susah and Al Hamama coastal regions. The presence of Orbulina universa, a planktonic foraminifera species, further enriched our understanding of the paleoenvironment by providing insights into specific water depths and temperature ranges. This research significantly contributes to paleoceanography and environmental reconstruction, highlighting the invaluable use of foraminifera as proxies for exploring past environmental changes. Additionally, the study investigated the impacts of anthropogenic influences on benthic ecosystems in the Al Hamama and Susah coastal areas. These influences included reworked foraminifera specimens and the effects of karst formations, acid rain, and eutrophication. Notably, human-induced factors have visibly affected biogenic fauna and ecosystem dynamics in the study area. Consequently, this research provides valuable insights into paleoenvironmental conditions and ecological dynamics within the Susah and Al Hamama coastal regions, emphasizing the crucial role of foraminifera in reconstructing historical environmental fluctuations.

Assessment of Selenium Contamination in Sediments of the Aby and Tendo Lagoons in Côte d’Ivoire

Selenium is a trace element that can have both beneficial and harmful effects on aquatic life. The Aby Lagoon is a coastal environment in Côte d’Ivoire that receives selenium inputs from various natural and anthropogenic sources. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of selenium in the sediments of the Aby Lagoon and its tributaries, the Tanoe River and the Tendo Lagoon, and to examine the spatial and seasonal variations of selenium concentrations. Sediment samples were collected from different sites and seasons, and selenium concentrations were measured by atomic fluorescence spectrometry. The results showed that the average concentration of selenium in the sediments of the Aby Lagoon was 0.82 mg/kg, indicating moderate contamination. The concentration of selenium varied between sites and seasons, with higher values in the channel of the Tendo Lagoon and during the dry season. The study highlighted the complexity of selenium dynamics in aquatic ecosystems, and the need to take into account seasonal and spatial variability as well as interactions between environmental factors. The study also suggested potential ecotoxicological risks for some sensitive organisms in certain areas of the lagoon. This study contributes to the knowledge of the dynamics of selenium in lagoon ecosystems and to the assessment of the environmental risks associated with its presence.

Learning Discriminatory Information for Object Detection on Urine Sediment Image

In clinical practice,the microscopic examination of urine sediment is considered an important in vitro examination with many broad applications.Measuring the amount of each type of urine sediment allows for screening,diagnosis and evaluation of kidney and urinary tract disease,providing insight into the specific type and severity.However,manual urine sediment examination is labor-intensive,time-consuming,and subjective.Traditional machine learning based object detection methods require hand-crafted features for localization and classification,which have poor generalization capabilities and are difficult to quickly and accurately detect the number of urine sediments.Deep learning based object detection methods have the potential to address the challenges mentioned above,but these methods require access to large urine sediment image datasets.Unfortunately,only a limited number of publicly available urine sediment datasets are currently available.To alleviate the lack of urine sediment datasets in medical image analysis,we propose a new dataset named UriSed2K,which contains 2465 high-quality images annotated with expert guidance.Two main challenges are associated with our dataset:a large number of small objects and the occlusion between these small objects.Our manuscript focuses on applying deep learning object detection methods to the urine sediment dataset and addressing the challenges presented by this dataset.Specifically,our goal is to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the detection algorithm and,in doing so,provide medical professionals with an automatic detector that saves time and effort.We propose an improved lightweight one-stage object detection algorithm called Discriminatory-YOLO.The proposed algorithm comprises a local context attention module and a global background suppression module,which aid the detector in distinguishing urine sediment features in the image.The local context attention module captures context information beyond the object region,while the global background suppression module emphasizes objects in uninformative backgrounds.We comprehensively evaluate our method on the UriSed2K dataset,which includes seven categories of urine sediments,such as erythrocytes(red blood cells),leukocytes(white blood cells),epithelial cells,crystals,mycetes,broken erythrocytes,and broken leukocytes,achieving the best average precision(AP)of 95.3%while taking only 10 ms per image.The source code and dataset are available at https://github.com/binghuiwu98/discriminatoryyolov5.

Assessment of Radiological Hazards of Sedimentary, Igneous and Sediments Natural Rocks

Gamma-ray spectroscopy based on a 100% efficiency hyper-pure germanium detector was used to evaluate the activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K natural radionuclides in sedimentary, conglomerate, igneous and sedi-ments rock samples collected from four different locations in Eastern desert in Egypt. The obtained activity concentrations are used to evaluate the radi-ological hazards indices, absorbed dose rate, annual effective dose equivalent in air, radium equivalent, external and internal hazard index, radiation level index, annual gonadal dose equivalent, excess lifetime cancer risk and expo-sure rate. The results show that 1) the absorbed dose rate depends on the rock type, 2) the annual effective dose equivalent in air in 71% of sample below 20 mSvy-1 (permissible limit for workers), 3) the conglomerate rocks show low radioactivity level, 4) sedimentary rocks are rich in radium while igneous rocks are rich in thorium and the sediments rocks are rich in both radium and thorium.

Particle size characterization and sources of sediments in the Uzhumqin sand dunes

Sediment constitutes the fundamental basis for forming and evolving aeolian geomorphology.The characteristics of sediment particle size offer insights into the development and evolution of sandy terrain,making their study critical to understanding aeolian geomorphology and sand control.In this study,we combined high-density collection of surface sediments in the Uzhumqin sand dunes and GIS spatial analysis to analyze the particle size parameters and changes in the spatial distribution of surface sediments in this region.In addition,we used an end-member analysis to identify the potential sources of the sediments.The results showed that surface sediments in the Uzhumqin sand dunes had distinct spatial distributions.Medium and coarse grain sands dominated the sediments in the dunes,and the mean grain size and the sorting coefficient generally increased along the prevailing wind direction,with high values in individual areas related to factors such as material sources and vegetation cover.Skewness was strongly influenced by factors such as landform change and human activity,and spatial variability became more complex.Kurtosis and the soil fractal dimension showed generally decreasing trends along the prevailing wind direction.With dune fixation,the contents of clay and powder particles in the soil increased;the mean particle size,the sorting coefficient,and the fractal dimension of the soil gradually increased,and the skewness and kurtosis gradually decreased.The end-member analysis results indicated the existence of five end-members(EM)in the dune sediments.EM 1 was a mixed component of wind-deposited fine sands and nearby fluvial sediments.EM 2 was the main component of sediments in the study area and was the result of sorting lake sediments by wind action and by the local topography.EM 3 may be a product of river flood deposition.EM 4 and EM 5 had coarser grain sizes.EM 4 was a lake-phase sediment product influenced by topographic and vegetation cover factors,and EM 5 was primarily a river and lake sediment product modified by weathering.The sediment particle size results from the study area indicate that the sediment in the sandy region is generally coarse due to multiple factors,including topography,climate,hydrology,and human activity.Sandy material in the study area originated from nearby,with very little sand being transported from long distances.

Coupling effect of cement-stabilization and biopolymer-modification on the mechanical behavior of dredged sediment

Nowadays,biopolymer stabilization as a promising eco-friendly approach in soft ground improvement has attracted wide attentions.However,the feasibility of using biopolymer as a green additive of cementstabilized dredged sediment(CDS)with high water content is still unknown.In this study,guar gum(GG)and xanthan gum(XG)were adopted as typical biopolymers,and a series of unconfined compressive strength(UCS),splitting tensile strength(STS)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM)tests were performed to evaluate the mechanical and microstructural properties of XG-and GG-modified CDSs considering several factors including biopolymer modification,binderesoil ratio and wateresolid ratio.Furthermore,the micro-mechanisms revealing the evolutions of mechanical properties of biopolymermodified CDS were analyzed.The results indicate that the addition of XG can effectively improve the strength of CDS,while the GG has a side effect.The XG content of 9%was recommended,which can improve the 7 d-and 28 d-UCSs by 196%and 51.8%,together with the 7 d-and 28 d-STSs by 118.3%and 42.2%,respectively.Increasing the binderesoil ratio or decreasing the wateresolid ratio significantly improved the strength gaining but aggravated the brittleness characteristics of CDS.Adding XG to CDS contributed to the formation of microstructure with more compactness and higher cementation degrees of ordinary Portland cement(OPC)-XG-stabilized DS(CXDS).The micro-mechanism models revealing the interactions of multiple media including OPC cementation,biopolymer film bonding and bridging effects inside CXDS were proposed.The key findings confirm the feasibility of XG modification as a green and high-efficiency mean for improving the mechanical properties of CDS.