Brian S. Bruckno, C. Watts, G. Stephenson, Christopher Mau
Natural Bridge, in Rockbridge County, Virginia, is a geological arch carrying U.S. Route 11 over Cedar Creek. The area has significant historical and cultural importance; it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Virginia Historic Landmark. Until 2015, the arch and area below were privately owned and operated, with only the pavement structure of U.S. Route 11 held by the Virginia Department of Transportation. Since then, the arch and area below have been leased to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, potentially transferring liability to the Commonwealth. As part of the Commonwealth's due diligence and to help ensure that the arch is preserved for future generations, the Department of Transportation, in partnership with Radford University, completed a comprehensive, non-invasive geological and geotechnical investigation in 2017 and 2018. A complementary variety of geophysical, laser, optical, seismic, and traditional geological methods of study were used to allow for integrated data analysis. The investigation revealed potential risks to the integrity of the arch, which may eventually reduce its suitability for use as a transportation corridor. The investigation methodology allowed planning for protection of the environment, cultural resources, and local economies while avoiding any potential damage to the arch. As of the date of this article, plans are under way to relocate U.S. Route 11 onto an alternate alignment entirely, thereby helping to preserve this valuable cultural, historical, and geological asset.
{"title":"Natural Bridge, Virginia: Complementary Geotechnical Investigation and Analysis Methods for Mobility Planning","authors":"Brian S. Bruckno, C. Watts, G. Stephenson, Christopher Mau","doi":"10.2113/eeg-2305","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2113/eeg-2305","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Natural Bridge, in Rockbridge County, Virginia, is a geological arch carrying U.S. Route 11 over Cedar Creek. The area has significant historical and cultural importance; it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Virginia Historic Landmark. Until 2015, the arch and area below were privately owned and operated, with only the pavement structure of U.S. Route 11 held by the Virginia Department of Transportation. Since then, the arch and area below have been leased to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, potentially transferring liability to the Commonwealth. As part of the Commonwealth's due diligence and to help ensure that the arch is preserved for future generations, the Department of Transportation, in partnership with Radford University, completed a comprehensive, non-invasive geological and geotechnical investigation in 2017 and 2018. A complementary variety of geophysical, laser, optical, seismic, and traditional geological methods of study were used to allow for integrated data analysis. The investigation revealed potential risks to the integrity of the arch, which may eventually reduce its suitability for use as a transportation corridor. The investigation methodology allowed planning for protection of the environment, cultural resources, and local economies while avoiding any potential damage to the arch. As of the date of this article, plans are under way to relocate U.S. Route 11 onto an alternate alignment entirely, thereby helping to preserve this valuable cultural, historical, and geological asset.","PeriodicalId":138906,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Engineering Geoscience","volume":"28 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127585827","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
F. Torrijo, S. Alija, J. Garzón-Roca, M. Quinta-Ferreira
{"title":"Geological and Geotechnical Characterization of the Terrateig Dam in Valencia, Spain","authors":"F. Torrijo, S. Alija, J. Garzón-Roca, M. Quinta-Ferreira","doi":"10.2113/EEG-1998","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2113/EEG-1998","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":138906,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Engineering Geoscience","volume":"60 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130009455","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study investigated the effects of active tectonism on the construction of hydraulic structures. Apart from the effect of dynamic loads, active tectonism can cause permeability problems. The focus of this study was on overcoming the permeability problems considering the economic yield in terms of grout curtain design and optimum dam axis location. The ground permeability of dam locations is one of the decisive factors affecting the feasibility and economic yield of dam construction. Techniques (such as grouting) for ensuring ground permeability reduction are generally expensive and time-consuming; the experience at the first location of the Turgutlu Dam is a case in point. Construction of the first location of Turgutlu Dam was planned on a fault terrace that is part of the North Anatolian Fault Zone, which is the most important active tectonic feature in Turkey. A grout curtain was planned to provide permeability reduction and ground treatment for the terrace material. However, the base elevation of the adjacent valley is deeper, and thus potential leakage to this valley was expected. In spite of its big reservoir area, the Turgutlu Dam Project became infeasible in terms of economic yield due to the ground remediation (construction of grout curtain) costs for this location. To solve this problem, the dam was relocated downstream to avoid the fault terrace, choosing an optimum grout curtain to minimize cost and improve water retention of the reservoir, and increase economic yield of the dam.
{"title":"Selection of Suitable Dam Axis Location Considering Permeability and Grout Curtain Optimization","authors":"M. C. Canoglu","doi":"10.2113/EEG-2054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2113/EEG-2054","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 This study investigated the effects of active tectonism on the construction of hydraulic structures. Apart from the effect of dynamic loads, active tectonism can cause permeability problems. The focus of this study was on overcoming the permeability problems considering the economic yield in terms of grout curtain design and optimum dam axis location. The ground permeability of dam locations is one of the decisive factors affecting the feasibility and economic yield of dam construction. Techniques (such as grouting) for ensuring ground permeability reduction are generally expensive and time-consuming; the experience at the first location of the Turgutlu Dam is a case in point. Construction of the first location of Turgutlu Dam was planned on a fault terrace that is part of the North Anatolian Fault Zone, which is the most important active tectonic feature in Turkey. A grout curtain was planned to provide permeability reduction and ground treatment for the terrace material. However, the base elevation of the adjacent valley is deeper, and thus potential leakage to this valley was expected. In spite of its big reservoir area, the Turgutlu Dam Project became infeasible in terms of economic yield due to the ground remediation (construction of grout curtain) costs for this location. To solve this problem, the dam was relocated downstream to avoid the fault terrace, choosing an optimum grout curtain to minimize cost and improve water retention of the reservoir, and increase economic yield of the dam.","PeriodicalId":138906,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Engineering Geoscience","volume":"20 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115111045","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R. Gray, B. H. Greene, Ryan W. Fandray, R. J. Turka
The City of Pittsburgh, PA is located west of the Appalachian Mountains in the Appalachian Plateaus Province. The relatively flat surface of the plateau is dissected by drainage from the three principal rivers of the region, the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio. The formation of Pittsburgh’s three rivers and drainages has a long history dating back to before the Pleistocene Epoch, linked closely to the advance and retreat of continental glaciation.Western Pennsylvania is associated with the westernmost formation of the Appalachian Mountain chain with deformation in the form of a series of nearly flat-lying, gently warped Paleozoic sedimentary rocks. Rocks cropping out in the region range in age from Devonian to Permian. Pennsylvanian strata are dominated by thin cyclic sequences of sandstone, shale, claystone, coal, and limestone. Most of the geologic hazards present in the region include slope instability, expansive shales and slags, mine subsidence, acid mine drainage, pyritic acid rock and flooding. The region also has an abundance of natural resources including coal, natural gas, oil, salt, limestone, sand and gravel and water.Pittsburgh's strategic location helped shape westward expansion during the formation of the Nation, largely because of the rivers, which served as an inexpensive, yet efficient means of transportation. Infrastructure was always significant in Pittsburgh. However, the existing aging infrastructure are deteriorating. Today, Pittsburgh has transcended the legacy name, “Steel City” and has revitalized itself with nationally-recognized universities and medical centers and a resurgence in natural gas exploration. However, many environmental legacy issues still burden the area.
{"title":"Engineering Geology, History and Geography of the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Area","authors":"R. Gray, B. H. Greene, Ryan W. Fandray, R. J. Turka","doi":"10.2113/EEG-1830","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2113/EEG-1830","url":null,"abstract":"The City of Pittsburgh, PA is located west of the Appalachian Mountains in the Appalachian Plateaus Province. The relatively flat surface of the plateau is dissected by drainage from the three principal rivers of the region, the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio. The formation of Pittsburgh’s three rivers and drainages has a long history dating back to before the Pleistocene Epoch, linked closely to the advance and retreat of continental glaciation.Western Pennsylvania is associated with the westernmost formation of the Appalachian Mountain chain with deformation in the form of a series of nearly flat-lying, gently warped Paleozoic sedimentary rocks. Rocks cropping out in the region range in age from Devonian to Permian. Pennsylvanian strata are dominated by thin cyclic sequences of sandstone, shale, claystone, coal, and limestone. Most of the geologic hazards present in the region include slope instability, expansive shales and slags, mine subsidence, acid mine drainage, pyritic acid rock and flooding. The region also has an abundance of natural resources including coal, natural gas, oil, salt, limestone, sand and gravel and water.Pittsburgh's strategic location helped shape westward expansion during the formation of the Nation, largely because of the rivers, which served as an inexpensive, yet efficient means of transportation. Infrastructure was always significant in Pittsburgh. However, the existing aging infrastructure are deteriorating. Today, Pittsburgh has transcended the legacy name, “Steel City” and has revitalized itself with nationally-recognized universities and medical centers and a resurgence in natural gas exploration. However, many environmental legacy issues still burden the area.","PeriodicalId":138906,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Engineering Geoscience","volume":"8 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"117035209","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Hürlimann, R. Oorthuis, C. Abancó, L. Carleo, J. Moya
The instrumental monitoring of torrential catchments is a fundamental research task that provides necessary information to improve our understanding of the mechanisms of debris flows. While most monitoring sites include meteorological sensors and analyze the critical rainfall conditions, very few contain soil moisture measurements. In our monitoring site, the Rebaixader catchment, 11 debris flows and 24 debris floods were detected during the last 9 years. Herein, the initiation mechanisms of these torrential flows were analyzed, focusing on the critical rainfall conditions and the soil water dynamics. Comparing the temporal distribution of both rainfall episodes and torrential flows, the Kernel density plots showed maximum values for rainfalls at the beginning of June, while the peak for torrential flows is on July 20. Thus, the antecedent rainfall, and especially the soil moisture conditions, may influence the triggering of torrential flows. In a second step, a new updated rainfall threshold was proposed that included total rainfall duration and mean intensity. The analysis of soil moisture data was more complicated, and no clear trends were observed in the data set. Therefore, additional data have to be recorded in order to quantitatively analyze the role of soil moisture on the triggering of torrential flows and for the definition of thresholds. Some preliminary results show that the soil moisture at the beginning of a rainfall event affects the maximum increase of soil moisture, while a slight trend was visible comparing the initial soil moisture with the necessary rainfall amount to trigger a torrential flow.
{"title":"Monitoring of Rainfall and Soil Moisture at the Rebaixader Catchment (Central Pyrenees)","authors":"M. Hürlimann, R. Oorthuis, C. Abancó, L. Carleo, J. Moya","doi":"10.25676/11124/173227","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25676/11124/173227","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The instrumental monitoring of torrential catchments is a fundamental research task that provides necessary information to improve our understanding of the mechanisms of debris flows. While most monitoring sites include meteorological sensors and analyze the critical rainfall conditions, very few contain soil moisture measurements. In our monitoring site, the Rebaixader catchment, 11 debris flows and 24 debris floods were detected during the last 9 years. Herein, the initiation mechanisms of these torrential flows were analyzed, focusing on the critical rainfall conditions and the soil water dynamics. Comparing the temporal distribution of both rainfall episodes and torrential flows, the Kernel density plots showed maximum values for rainfalls at the beginning of June, while the peak for torrential flows is on July 20. Thus, the antecedent rainfall, and especially the soil moisture conditions, may influence the triggering of torrential flows. In a second step, a new updated rainfall threshold was proposed that included total rainfall duration and mean intensity. The analysis of soil moisture data was more complicated, and no clear trends were observed in the data set. Therefore, additional data have to be recorded in order to quantitatively analyze the role of soil moisture on the triggering of torrential flows and for the definition of thresholds. Some preliminary results show that the soil moisture at the beginning of a rainfall event affects the maximum increase of soil moisture, while a slight trend was visible comparing the initial soil moisture with the necessary rainfall amount to trigger a torrential flow.","PeriodicalId":138906,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Engineering Geoscience","volume":"101 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127072918","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-11-07DOI: 10.1130/abs/2018am-320962
Joshua M. Barna
Understanding how karst aquifers store and transmit water and contaminants is an ongoing problem in hydrogeology. Multiple flow paths and recharge heterogeneity contribute to the complexity of these systems. This study explored karst-conduit connectivity and water-chemistry variability within the Houzhai catchment in Guizhou Province, China. Artificial tracer tests were conducted during both the monsoon and dry seasons to understand temporal variability in connectivity and water velocity between karst features. Multiple flow paths through the catchment were activated during the monsoon season and partially abandoned during the dry season. Additionally, gradient reversals during monsoonal high-flow events and as a result of pumping were observed. Synoptic water samples from several karst features taken during both monsoon and dry seasons elucidated spatial and temporal variability within the catchment. Water residence time was generally longer during the dry season, and flow within the Houzhai catchment was determined to be temporally dependent. Time-series sampling at the outlet spring following a monsoonal storm event captured chemical variability and identified multiple flow paths. Overall, this study refines widely applicable methods for studying karst systems to this catchment and provides a foundation for future studies in similar settings.
{"title":"Variability in Groundwater Flow and Chemistry in the Houzhai Karst Basin, Guizhou Province, China","authors":"Joshua M. Barna","doi":"10.1130/abs/2018am-320962","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1130/abs/2018am-320962","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Understanding how karst aquifers store and transmit water and contaminants is an ongoing problem in hydrogeology. Multiple flow paths and recharge heterogeneity contribute to the complexity of these systems. This study explored karst-conduit connectivity and water-chemistry variability within the Houzhai catchment in Guizhou Province, China. Artificial tracer tests were conducted during both the monsoon and dry seasons to understand temporal variability in connectivity and water velocity between karst features. Multiple flow paths through the catchment were activated during the monsoon season and partially abandoned during the dry season. Additionally, gradient reversals during monsoonal high-flow events and as a result of pumping were observed. Synoptic water samples from several karst features taken during both monsoon and dry seasons elucidated spatial and temporal variability within the catchment. Water residence time was generally longer during the dry season, and flow within the Houzhai catchment was determined to be temporally dependent. Time-series sampling at the outlet spring following a monsoonal storm event captured chemical variability and identified multiple flow paths. Overall, this study refines widely applicable methods for studying karst systems to this catchment and provides a foundation for future studies in similar settings.","PeriodicalId":138906,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Engineering Geoscience","volume":"28 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126313293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Geostatistical methods based on two-point spatial-bivariate statistics have been used to model heterogeneity within computational studies of the dispersion of contaminants in groundwater reservoirs and the trapping of CO2 in geosequestration reservoirs. The ability of these methods to represent fluvial architecture, commonly occurring in such reservoirs, has been questioned. We challenged a widely used two-point spatial-bivariate statistical method to represent fluvial heterogeneity in the context of representing how reservoir heterogeneity affects residual trapping of CO2 injected for geosequestration. A more rigorous model for fluvial architecture was used as the benchmark in these studies. Both the geostatistically generated model and the benchmark model were interrogated, and metrics for the connectivity of high-permeability preferential flow pathways were quantified. Computational simulations of CO2 injection were performed, and metrics for CO2 dynamics and trapping were quantified. All metrics were similar between the two models. The percentage of high-permeability cells in spanning connected clusters (percolating clusters) was similar because percolation is strongly dependent upon proportions, and the same proportion of higher permeability cross-strata was specified in generating both models. The CO2 plume dynamics and residual trapping metrics were similar because they are largely controlled by the occurrence of percolating clusters. The benchmark model represented more features of the fluvial architecture and, depending on context, representing those features may be quite important, but the simpler geostatistical model was able to adequately represent fluvial reservoir architecture within the context and within the scope of the parameters represented here.
{"title":"Challenging Geostatistical Methods To Represent Heterogeneity in CO2 Reservoirs Under Residual Trapping","authors":"J. Damico, R. Ritzi, N. Gershenzon, Roland Okwen","doi":"10.2113/EEG-2116","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2113/EEG-2116","url":null,"abstract":"Geostatistical methods based on two-point spatial-bivariate statistics have been used to model heterogeneity within computational studies of the dispersion of contaminants in groundwater reservoirs and the trapping of CO2 in geosequestration reservoirs. The ability of these methods to represent fluvial architecture, commonly occurring in such reservoirs, has been questioned. We challenged a widely used two-point spatial-bivariate statistical method to represent fluvial heterogeneity in the context of representing how reservoir heterogeneity affects residual trapping of CO2 injected for geosequestration. A more rigorous model for fluvial architecture was used as the benchmark in these studies. Both the geostatistically generated model and the benchmark model were interrogated, and metrics for the connectivity of high-permeability preferential flow pathways were quantified. Computational simulations of CO2 injection were performed, and metrics for CO2 dynamics and trapping were quantified. All metrics were similar between the two models. The percentage of high-permeability cells in spanning connected clusters (percolating clusters) was similar because percolation is strongly dependent upon proportions, and the same proportion of higher permeability cross-strata was specified in generating both models. The CO2 plume dynamics and residual trapping metrics were similar because they are largely controlled by the occurrence of percolating clusters. The benchmark model represented more features of the fluvial architecture and, depending on context, representing those features may be quite important, but the simpler geostatistical model was able to adequately represent fluvial reservoir architecture within the context and within the scope of the parameters represented here.","PeriodicalId":138906,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Engineering Geoscience","volume":"129 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122757990","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Environmental pollution with heavy metals is a global disaster. This study investigated metal-accumulating ability of plants growing in a lead and zinc mine area located in Hamedan, Iran. Three dominant plants, including Conium maculatum, Stachys inflata, and Reseda lutea, were collected, and the concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn in the aerial parts of the plants and in the soils, collected from the mine area and out of the mine, were measured via atomic absorption spectrometry. The concentrations of all the metals in the soil of the mine were greater than the control area (1 km out of mine area); Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cd were 120, 17, 17, 2.6, and 40 times higher than in the control area, respectively. In the studied plants, Pb and Zn were the highest in C. maculatum (1,200 and 820 mg kg−1, respectively). The highest concentrations of Cu, Ni, and Cd were in S. inflata (140, 96, and 20 mg kg−1, respectively). Phytoremediation tests were done using experimental pots, and results indicate that the plant species are effective accumulator plants for the phytoremediation of heavy metal–polluted soils. Specifically, C. maculatum was effective in removing Pb and Zn, S. inflata was effective in reducing Ni, and R. lutea was effective in reducing Cu.
重金属环境污染是全球性的灾难。本研究对伊朗哈马丹某铅锌矿区植物的金属富集能力进行了研究。采用原子吸收光谱法测定了采自矿区和矿区外的3种优势植物黄斑锥(Conium maculatum)、膨松石竹(Stachys inflata)和芦笋(Reseda lutea)的地上部分和土壤中Cd、Cu、Pb、Ni和Zn的浓度。矿区土壤中所有金属的浓度均大于对照区(矿区外1 km);Pb、Zn、Cu、Ni和Cd分别比对照区高120倍、17倍、17倍、2.6倍和40倍。在所研究的植物中,铅和锌在黄斑藤中含量最高,分别为1200和820 mg kg - 1。铜、镍和镉的最高浓度分别为140、96和20 mg kg - 1。盆栽植物修复试验结果表明,该植物是重金属污染土壤修复的有效蓄积植物。其中,黄斑草对Pb和Zn的去除效果最好,膨胀草对Ni的还原效果最好,黄斑草对Cu的还原效果最好。
{"title":"Phytoremediation Ability of the New Heavy Metal Accumulator Plants","authors":"Fariba, Mohsenzadeh, Roghayeh, Mohammadzadeh","doi":"10.2113/EEG-2123","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2113/EEG-2123","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Environmental pollution with heavy metals is a global disaster. This study investigated metal-accumulating ability of plants growing in a lead and zinc mine area located in Hamedan, Iran. Three dominant plants, including Conium maculatum, Stachys inflata, and Reseda lutea, were collected, and the concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn in the aerial parts of the plants and in the soils, collected from the mine area and out of the mine, were measured via atomic absorption spectrometry. The concentrations of all the metals in the soil of the mine were greater than the control area (1 km out of mine area); Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cd were 120, 17, 17, 2.6, and 40 times higher than in the control area, respectively. In the studied plants, Pb and Zn were the highest in C. maculatum (1,200 and 820 mg kg−1, respectively). The highest concentrations of Cu, Ni, and Cd were in S. inflata (140, 96, and 20 mg kg−1, respectively). Phytoremediation tests were done using experimental pots, and results indicate that the plant species are effective accumulator plants for the phytoremediation of heavy metal–polluted soils. Specifically, C. maculatum was effective in removing Pb and Zn, S. inflata was effective in reducing Ni, and R. lutea was effective in reducing Cu.","PeriodicalId":138906,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Engineering Geoscience","volume":"12 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132020428","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Habitable buildings can be protected from surface fault rupture by establishing structure “setback zones” similar in purpose to legally mandated zones in California and Utah. But post-earthquake surveys of offset and warped linear cultural features, believed to have been straight prior to the event, demonstrate that potentially damaging inelastic strains or off-fault deformation can extend tens of meters beyond the principal slip zone of strike-slip surface fault ruptures. Setback zones designed to also mitigate off-fault deformation are likely to be prohibitively wide, indicating the need for structural and geotechnical engineering solutions to accommodate the potentially damaging strains within adequate design buffers. This study analyzes nine strike-slip surface fault ruptures between 1906 and 2014 and develops a simplified procedure to quantify off-fault deformation based on earthquake magnitude and distance from the principal slip zone of strike-slip faults.
{"title":"Off-fault Deformation Associated with Strike-slip Faults","authors":"Jeffrey A. Johnson","doi":"10.2113/EEG-2030","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2113/EEG-2030","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Habitable buildings can be protected from surface fault rupture by establishing structure “setback zones” similar in purpose to legally mandated zones in California and Utah. But post-earthquake surveys of offset and warped linear cultural features, believed to have been straight prior to the event, demonstrate that potentially damaging inelastic strains or off-fault deformation can extend tens of meters beyond the principal slip zone of strike-slip surface fault ruptures. Setback zones designed to also mitigate off-fault deformation are likely to be prohibitively wide, indicating the need for structural and geotechnical engineering solutions to accommodate the potentially damaging strains within adequate design buffers. This study analyzes nine strike-slip surface fault ruptures between 1906 and 2014 and develops a simplified procedure to quantify off-fault deformation based on earthquake magnitude and distance from the principal slip zone of strike-slip faults.","PeriodicalId":138906,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Engineering Geoscience","volume":"22 4","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114135101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jingyu Jiang, Weihua Yang, Yuanping Cheng, B. Lv, Kai Zhang, Ke Zhao
Hydraulic fracturing and waterjet slotting fracturing have been demonstrated to be effective in creating artificial fractures and stimulating gas production in hard coal seams. However, these methods are inefficient for soft-outburst coal seams because these created fractures are short and easy to close. To eliminate the outburst risk of soft coals, a novel enhanced coalbed methane under-panel cross-strata drainage technique via hydraulic flushing was proposed in this work. The hydraulic flushing effects of boreholes of different sizes in the coal seam were also pre-evaluated by a simulation approach. The modeling results indicate that as the radius of the borehole increases, the plastic and stress-decreasing zone expands. A field test was also conducted in the Minjin mine, China, that investigated the gas pressure variation between three monitoring boreholes at different distances from a hydraulic flushing borehole. Test results indicate that the effective influence radius of gas extraction is approximately 5.5 m. Based on the results of the field test and borehole camera observation, the unloaded coal quantity and the average diameter of the boreholes were estimated to be 8.0 t and 942 mm, respectively. The borehole diameter expanded up to 10 times larger than its original size. The average gas extraction concentration and gas flow rate increased by approximately 2 and 3.5 times, respectively, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed hydraulic flushing in improving the gas extraction efficiency. The hydraulic flushing technique therefore is proved to be efficient in eliminating the outburst risk of coal and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
{"title":"Application of Hydraulic Flushing in Coal Seams To Reduce Hazardous Outbursts in the Mengjin Mine, China","authors":"Jingyu Jiang, Weihua Yang, Yuanping Cheng, B. Lv, Kai Zhang, Ke Zhao","doi":"10.2113/EEG-2110","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2113/EEG-2110","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Hydraulic fracturing and waterjet slotting fracturing have been demonstrated to be effective in creating artificial fractures and stimulating gas production in hard coal seams. However, these methods are inefficient for soft-outburst coal seams because these created fractures are short and easy to close. To eliminate the outburst risk of soft coals, a novel enhanced coalbed methane under-panel cross-strata drainage technique via hydraulic flushing was proposed in this work. The hydraulic flushing effects of boreholes of different sizes in the coal seam were also pre-evaluated by a simulation approach. The modeling results indicate that as the radius of the borehole increases, the plastic and stress-decreasing zone expands. A field test was also conducted in the Minjin mine, China, that investigated the gas pressure variation between three monitoring boreholes at different distances from a hydraulic flushing borehole. Test results indicate that the effective influence radius of gas extraction is approximately 5.5 m. Based on the results of the field test and borehole camera observation, the unloaded coal quantity and the average diameter of the boreholes were estimated to be 8.0 t and 942 mm, respectively. The borehole diameter expanded up to 10 times larger than its original size. The average gas extraction concentration and gas flow rate increased by approximately 2 and 3.5 times, respectively, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed hydraulic flushing in improving the gas extraction efficiency. The hydraulic flushing technique therefore is proved to be efficient in eliminating the outburst risk of coal and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.","PeriodicalId":138906,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Engineering Geoscience","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129452182","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}