Performance of Mortar and Chemical Grout Injection into Surrounding Soil When Slurry Pipe-jacking Method is Used

Small-diameter shallow tunnels are often being built by using the slurry pipe-jacking method. This system involves the pushing or thrusting of a drivage machine and concrete pipes into the ground. Chemical grout injection into the surrounding soil around the tunnel is carried out after the drivage and pushing processes are finished. The purpose of the chemical grout injection is to maintain permanent stability of the surrounding soil. However, the behavior of the chemical grouting material in the surrounding soil around the tunnel and the amount of optimum injection is not clearly understood. From these points of view, this paper discusses the performance of the chemical grouting material, when it is injected into the surrounding soil around the tunnel, by means of 2-D Eulerian–Lagrangian seepage analysis. Moreover, the effectiveness of the chemical grout injection was evaluated by using the non-linear finite element method. This investigation show when the range of the grouted zone is designed; it is necessary that the relationship between Young’s modulus of the soil/grouted zone and the confining stress be taken into consideration in order to establish effective, economical and safe chemical grout injection system. Understanding the performance of the seepage/dispersion behavior of the chemical grout and the characteristics of soil/ grouted zone is also important.     

Monitoring of Over Cutting Area and Lubrication Distribution in a Large Slurry Pipe Jacking Operation

Slurry pipe jacking was firmly established as a special method for the non-disruptive construction of the underground pipelines of sewage systems. Pipe jacking, in its traditional form, has occasionally been used for short railways, roads, rivers, and other projects. Basically the system involves the pushing or thrusting of concrete pipes into the ground by a number of jacks. In slurry pipe jacking, during the pushing process, mud slurry and lubricant are injected into the face and the over cutting area that is between the concrete pipes and the surrounding soil. Next, the slurry fills voids and the soil stabilizes due to the created slurry cake around the pipes. Fillings also reduce the jacking force or thrust during operation. When the drivage and pushing processes are finished, a mortar injection into the over cutting area is carried out in order to maintain permanent stability of the surrounding soil and the over cutting area. Successful lubrication around the pipes is extremely important in a large diameter slurry pipe jacking operation. Control of lubrication and gaps between pipes and soil can prevent hazards such as surface settlement and increases in thrust. Also, to find voids around the pipes after the jacking process, in order to inject mortar for permanent stabilizing, an investigation around the pipes is necessary. To meet these aims, this paper is concerned with the utilization of known methods such as the GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) system and borehole camera to maintain control of the over cutting area and lubricant distribution around the pipes during a site investigation. From this point of view, experiments were carried out during a tunnel construction using one of the largest cases of slurry pipe jacking in Fujisawa city, Japan. The advantages and disadvantages of each system were clarified during the tests.     

Spatial partitioning between species of the phytoplankton-feeding guild on an estuarine intertidal sand flat and its implication on habitat carrying capacity

The fishery yield of Manila clams, Ruditapes philippinarum, increased considerably in the 1970s but has decreased rapidly since the middle 1980s on extensive intertidal sand flats in Ariake Sound (Kyushu, Japan). A survey conducted in 2004 on a 3.4-km² sand flat located in the central part of the Sound (Shirakawa sand flat) revealed four dominant species: two thalassinidean shrimps (Upogebia major and Nihonotrypaea japonica), which are deep-reaching burrow dwellers with strong bioturbation activities, and two bivalves (Mactra veneriformis and R. philippinarum). All four species belong to a phytoplankton (diatom)-feeding guild. In the late 1970s, the Manila clam population prevailed in high densities over the entire sand flat, whereas its distribution was restricted to the lowest quarter of the shore in 2004. In contrast, the population sizes and zones of occurrence of the other phytoplankton feeders have expanded in the absence of R. philippinarum, perhaps an indication of competitive release. After establishment, effects of the thalassinidean shrimps on sediment stability appear to have further reduced clam abundances. Across the sand flat in 2004, wet weight population biomass estimates for N. japonica, U. major, M. veneriformis, and R. philippinarum (whole body for shrimps and soft tissue for bivalves) were 304, 111, 378, and 234 tonnes, respectively. Based on Manila clam fishery yield records from Shirakawa, the carrying capacity of the Shirakawa sand flat in the late 1970s was estimated to be two times greater than the sum value for the whole phytoplankton-feeding guild in 2004. It is hypothesized that (1) the amount of phytoplankton determines the carrying capacity for the benthic community on the Shirakawa sand flat, with both phytoplankton and benthic biomass at maxima in the late 1970s, and (2) the subsequent increases in competition for space have caused further declines in the Manila clam population biomass to approximately one-eighth of its past value.     

Radiometric Zircon Ages of a Tuff Sample from the Baishantou Member of Wuyun Formation,Jiayin: A Contribution to the Search for the K‐T Boundary in Heilongjian River Area,China

The existence of the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K/T) boundary in the non-marine succession is expected at Jiayin in the Heilongjiang River area, China. Zircons from a tuff sample from the Baishantou Member of Wuyun Formation in Jiayin were analyzed by the laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) U-Pb dating and fission-track dating methods. Ages of 64.1±0.7 Ma (U-Pb) and 61.7±1.8 Ma (fission-track dating) were obtained, which allow re-evaluation of a previously reported late Maastrichian age for the tuff layer that was in conflict with the paleontological evidence. These results confirm the Danian age of the section in agreement with the paleontological evidence.     

Difference in the prevailing periods of internal tides between Sagami and Suruga Bays: Numerical experiments

Current measurements in the surface layer in Sagami and Suruga Bays showed existence of significant tidal currents which are considered to be mainly due to internal tides (Inaba, 1982; Ohwaki,ea al., 1991). In addition, the prevailing period of the tidal currents is semidiurnal in Sagami Bay, but diurnal in Suruga Bay. To explain this difference in the prevailing, periods, numerical experiments were carried out using a two layer model. The internal tides are generated on the Izu Ridge outside the two bays. The semidiurnal internal tide propagates into Sagami Bay having characteristics of an internal inertia-gravity wave, while it propagates into Suruga Bay having characteristics of either an internal inertia-gravity wave or an internal Kelvin wave. The diurnal internal tide behaves only as an internal Kelvin wave, because the diurnal period is longer than the inertia period. Thus, the diurnal internal tide generated on the Izu Ridge can be propagated into Suruga Bay, while it cannot propagate into the inner region of Sagami Bay, though it is trapped around Oshima Island, which is located at the mouth of Sagami Bay. The difference in the propagation characteristics between the semidiurnal and diurnal internal tides can give a mechanism to explain the difference in the prevailing periods of the internal tides between Sagami and Suruga Bays.     

TheKyucho in Sukumo Bay induced by Kuroshio warm filament intrusion

Surface temperature data obtained in and out of the bay all year round from March 1990 through February 1991, except from July through October 1990 were analyzed to investigate seasonal variability of theKyucho in Sukumo Bay, southwest of Shikoku, Japan. TheKyucho periodically occurs in the bay during both the warming period of March through June and the cooding period of November through February. The onset period of theKyucho is 8–15 days during the warming period and 4–14 days during the cooling period, giving an average of about 10 and 8 days, respectively. The position of the Kuroshio axis offshore in the south of Cape Ashizuri-misaki is a significant factor with theKyucho in the bay. Thermal infrared images taken by the NOAA-11 in the sea off east of Kyushu were also analyzed during the two observation periods. It is clearly found that a warm filament derived from the Kuroshio (KWF) advects northeast to Cape Ashizurimisaki along the Kuroshio, then encounters the southwest coast of Shikoku, followed by inducing theKyucho in the bay by the warm water intrusion. The alongshelf dimension of the KWFs is approximately 50–100 km, and the cross-shelf distance from the western edge of the KWFs to that of the body of the east Kuroshio is about 30–50 km. The KWF sometimes closely approaches to the east coast of Kyushu. An onshore meander of the Kuroshio front around Cape Toimisaki might grow into a KWF in the sea off east of Kyushu.     

Northward transport of pacific summer water along the Northwind Ridge in the Western Arctic Ocean

The recent sea-ice reduction in the Arctic Ocean is not spatially uniform, but is disproportionally large around the Northwind Ridge and Chukchi Plateau compared to elsewhere in the Canada Basin. In the Northwind Ridge region, Pacific Summer Water (PSW) delivered from the Bering Sea occupies the subsurface layer. The spatial distribution of warm PSW shows a quite similar pattern to the recent ice retreat, suggesting the influence of PSW on the sea-ice reduction. To understand the regionality of the recent ice retreat, we examine the dynamics and timing of the delivery of the PSW into this region. Here, we adopt a two-layer linearized potential vorticity equation to investigate the behavior of Rossby waves in the presence of a topographic discontinuity in the high latitude ocean. The analytical results show a quite different structure from those of mid-latitude basins due to the small value of β. Incident barotropic waves excited by the sea-ice motion with large annual variation can be scattered into both barotropic and baroclinic modes at the discontinuity. Since the scattered baroclinic Rossby wave with annual frequency cannot propagate freely, a strong baroclinic current near the topographic discontinuity is established. The seasonal variation of current near the topographic discontinuity would cause a kind of selective switching system for shelf water transport into the basin. In our simple analytical model, the enhanced northward transport of summer water and reduced northward transport of winter water are well demonstrated. The present study indicates that these basic dynamics imply that a strengthening of the surface forcing during winter in the Canada Basin could cause sea-ice reduction in the Western Arctic through the changes of underlying Pacific Summer Water.     

Dating of altered mafic intrusions by applying a zircon fission track thermochronometer to baked country rock,and implications for the timing of volcanic activity during the opening of the Japan Sea

Once a mafic intrusive rock has become altered, it is generally difficult to obtain a reliable intrusion age using conventional isotopic dating methods. To overcome this problem, this study used zircon fission track (ZFT) thermochronometry to determine the timing of crystallization of altered mafic intrusions. ZFT dating was carried out on samples of baked granite country rock adjacent to dolerite dikes (5–10 m thick) in the Takato area of central Japan. Three granite samples collected within 8 mm of a dike contact yielded consistent ZFT ages of 17–16 Ma, with confined track lengths indicative of the complete annealing of pre‐existing tracks by reheating due to dike intrusion. An older ZFT age was obtained for one granite sample collected within 20 mm of the contact, but confined track length measurements indicate that this is an incompletely reset age that lies between the ZFT age of the unbaked granitic country rocks (ca. 55 Ma) and the emplacement age of the dike. Petrographic examinations suggest that post‐intrusion hydrothermal activity did not influence the ZFT ages. We conclude that the 17–16 Ma ZFT age represents the emplacement age of the dikes. Our results show that ZFT dating of baked country rock is an effective tool for dating altered mafic intrusions, for which other dating techniques are not applicable. In the eastern part of Southwest Japan, dispersed volcanic activity occurred in the late Early to early Middle Miocene (18–15 Ma), and the volcanic belt extended into the forearc. This pulse of activity was possibly related to the injection of asthenospheric material into the trench‐side mantle wedge beneath the Japan arc. We also present young apatite fission track ages (ca. 4 Ma) that may reflect a Middle Miocene or later thermal event associated with local magmatic activity near the Takato area.     

Upwelling in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea: Atmospheric forcing and local versus non-local response

The spin up and relaxation of an autumn upwelling event on the Beaufort slope is investigated using a combination of oceanic and atmospheric data and numerical models. The event occurred in November 2002 and was driven by an Aleutian low storm. The wind field was strongly influenced by the pack-ice distribution, resulting in enhanced winds over the open water of the Chukchi Sea. Flow distortion due to the Brooks mountain range was also evident. Mooring observations east of Barrow Canyon show that the Beaufort shelfbreak jet reversed to the west under strong easterly winds, followed by upwelling of Atlantic Water onto the shelf. After the winds subsided a deep eastward jet of Atlantic Water developed, centered at 250 m depth. An idealized numerical model reproduces these results and suggests that the oceanic response to the local winds is modulated by a propagating signal from the western edge of the storm. The disparity in wave speeds between the sea surface height signal—traveling at the fast barotropic shelf wave speed—versus the interior density signal—traveling at the slow baroclinic wave speed—leads to the deep eastward jet. The broad-scale response to the storm over the Chukchi Sea is investigated using a regional numerical model. The strong gradient in windspeed at the ice edge results in convergence of the offshore Ekman transport, leading to the establishment of an anti-cyclonic gyre in the northern Chukchi Sea. Accordingly, the Chukchi shelfbreak jet accelerates to the east into the wind during the storm, and no upwelling occurs west of Barrow Canyon. Hence the storm response is fundamentally different on the Beaufort slope (upwelling) versus the Chukchi slope (no upwelling). The regional numerical model results are supported by additional mooring data in the Chukchi Sea.     

Calibration and validation of the ocean color version-3 product from ADEOS OCTS

We present calibration and validation results of the OCTS’s ocean color version-3 product, which mainly consists of the chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl-a) and the normalized water-leaving radiance (_nL_w). First, OCTS was calibrated for the inter-detector sensitivity difference, offset, and absolute sensitivity using external calibration source. It was also vicariously calibrated using in-situ measurements for water (Chl-a and_nL_w) and atmosphere (optical thickness), which were acquired synchronously with OCTS under cloud-free conditions. Second, the product was validated using selected 17 in-situ Chl-a and 11 in-situ_nL_w measurements. We confirmed that Chl-a was estimated with an accuracy of 68% for Chl-a less than 2 mg/m³, and_nL_w from 94% (band 2) to 128% (band 4). Geometric accuracy was improved to 1.3 km. Stripes were significantly reduced by modifying the detector normalization factor as a function of input radiance.