Liquidated Sulphur Mine “Piaseczno” – Vol. 2. Application of Integrated Measurement Technologies in the Inventory of the “Piaseczno” Water Body – State of 2020

Among many inland water bodies, a large group includes water bodies formed as an effect of mining activities. Open-cast mining of common minerals, i.e., sand, gravel, loam, basic minerals such as lignite, sulphur and fossil resins of coniferous trees (amber) leaves many excavations, which spontaneously get filled with precipitation waters, black waters (the ones near the surface) and ground waters (deeper underground), often making new and wonderful elements of local landscape. Till the time of political transformations in Poland, due to low awareness of proper reclamation of post-mining areas, few post-mining excavations that spontaneously filled with water were subdued to comprehensive inventory, surveying and geological documentation, which is a necessary condition for their safe use. Examples of such objects are Bagry and Staw Płaszowski in Kraków (mining of loam (clay), sand and gravel), which have undergone full surveying inventory, including bathymetric surveying, only several decades after the end of mining (Gawałkiewicz R., Maciaszek J., 1999; Gawałkiewicz R., 2017; Gawałkiewicz R., 2018a and Gawałkiewicz R., 2018b), despite being the property of the city of Cracow for many years and functioning as sports and recreational, natural (ecological) and economical (fishing facilities) spots. A worth mentioning body of water is the reservoir “Piaseczno” (the commune of Łoniów, the Sandomierz District), now classified as a part of a group of reservoirs with medium retention and has been created after the opencast exploitation of sulphur ended. Despite many years of reclamation measures (shallowing by washing glass sands to the reservoir) and due to the great risk of danger (local landslides, unstable ground in the costal zones, artificially maintained level of the water table) the Łoniów commune did not approve this reservoir to use; and nowadays, the reservoir is not suitable for any form of use. The only function that can be fulfilled is ecological function. In the article the results of the complex geodetic (littoral zone) and hydrographic (body of water) inventory are presented. It was possible owing to the use of the remote-controlled HyDrone produced by Seeflor Systems and equipped with a SonarMite BTX/SPX OHMEX ultrasonic sonar by Lymtech and a GNSS set by Trimble (R8s antenna + TSC3 controller) and biological inventory in the littoral zone. Detailed morphometric parameters of the reservoir were also noted based on the integrated geodetic and bathymetric measurements, which in the future may provide valuable data used in the process of adapting the analyzed area for various socio-economical purposes, while maintaining a high degree of safety of its use. ZLIKWIDOWANA KOPALNIA SIARKI „PIASECZNO” – cz. 2. ZASTOSOWANIE ZINTEGROWANYCH TECHNOLOGII POMIAROWYCH W INWENTARYZACJI AKWENU „PIASECZNO” – STAN 2020 r. Spośród licznej grupy śródlądowych zbiorników wodnych dużą grupę stanowią obecnie akweny będące wynikiem działalności górniczej. Eksploatacja odkrywkowa kopalin pospolitych, tj.: piasków, żwirów, gliny, kopalin podstawowych, takich jak węgiel brunatny, surowców chemicznych, jak siarka, oraz kopalnych żywic drzew iglastych (bursztynu) pozostawia po sobie liczną wyrobiska, które z czasem wypełniają się samoistnie wodami opadowymi, zaskórnymi (przypowierzchniowymi) oraz gruntowymi (podziemnymi), tworząc często nowe i niezwykłe elementy lokalnego krajobrazu. Do czasu przemian ustrojowych w Polsce znikoma świadomość właściwej rekultywacji terenów pogórniczych decydowała o tym, iż niewiele wyrobisk poeksploatacyjnych samoistnie wypełnionych wodą doczekało się kompleksowej inwentaryzacji i udokumentowania mierniczo- geologicznego, co jest niezbędnym warunkiem bezpiecznego niegórniczego ich użytkowania. Przykładem takich obiektów wodnych są krakowskie Bagry i Staw Płaszowski (eksploatacja: gliny, piasku, żwiru), które doczekały się pełnej inwentaryzacji geodezyjnej, w tym batymetrycznej, dopiero kilkadziesiąt lat po zakończeniu eksploatacji surowców (Gawałkiewicz R., Maciaszek J., 1999; Gawałkiewicz R., 2017; Gawałkiewicz R., 2018a oraz Gawałkiewicz R., 2018b), mimo iż od wielu lat stanowią własność miasta Krakowa, pełniąc funkcje rekreacyjno-sportowe, przyrodnicze (użytki ekologiczne) oraz gospodarcze (obiekty wędkarskie). Wartym uwagi akwenem wodnym kwalifikowanym obecnie do grupy zbiorników średniej retencji, powstałym po eksploatacji odkrywkowej złóż siarki, jest zbiornik Piaseczno (gm. Łoniów, pow. sandomierski). Pomimo wielu lat rekultywacji (zabezpieczeń zboczy i ich wielokrotnego przemodelowywania, wypłycania poprzez namywanie piasków szklarskich do zbiornika), z uwagi na szereg niebezpieczeństw (lokalnych osuwisk, niestabilnego podłoża w strefach nadbrzeżnych, sztucznie utrzymywanego poziomu zwierciadła wody) nie został przekazany w użytkowanie gminie Łoniów i dziś poza funkcją użytku ekologicznego nie nadaje się do jakiejkolwiek innej formy zagospodarowania. W artykule przedstawiono wyniki kompleksowej inwentaryzacji geodezyjnej (strefa przybrzeżna) i hydrograficznej (akwen) przy wykorzystaniu zdalnie sterowanego hydrodrona HyDrone firmy Seefloor Systems wyposażonego w sondę ultradźwiękową SonarMite BTX/SPX OHMEX firmy Lymtech oraz zestaw GNSS firmy Trimble (antena R8s + kontroler TSC3) oraz inwentaryzacji przyrodniczej w strefie litoralu. Określono także szczegółowe parametry morfometryczne zbiornika na podstawie zintegrowanych pomiarów geodezyjnych oraz batymetrycznych, co w przyszłości może stanowić wartościowy materiał w procesie adaptacji analizowanego terenu do różnych społeczno- gospodarczych celów przy zachowaniu warunku wysokiego stopnia bezpieczeństwa jego użytkowania.

Large-Scale Triaxial Tests on Dilatancy Characteristics of Lean Cemented Sand and Gravel

The dilatancy equation, which describes the plastic strain increment ratio and its dependence on the stress state, is an important component of the elastoplastic constitutive model of geotechnical materials. In order to reveal their differences of the dilatancy value determined by the total volume strain increment ratio and the real value of lean cemented sand and gravel (LCSG) materials, in this study, a series of triaxial compression tests, equiaxial loading and unloading tests, and triaxial loading and unloading tests are conducted under different cement contents and confining pressures. The results reveal that hysteretic loops appear in the stress–strain curves of equiaxial loading and unloading tests, and triaxial loading and unloading tests and that the elastic strain is an important component of the total strain. The hysteretic loop size increases with an increase in the stress level or consolidation stress, whereas the shape remains unchanged. Furthermore, with an increase in the cement content, the dilatancy value determined by the total volume strain increment ratio becomes smaller than that determined by the plastic strain increment ratio, and the influence of the elastic deformation cannot be ignored. Thus, in practical engineering scenarios, especially in the calculation of LCSG dam structures, the dilatancy equation of LCSG materials should be expressed by the plastic strain increment ratio, rather than the total volume strain increment rati.

Study of Crater in the Gobi Desert Induced by Ground Explosion of Large Amounts of TNT Explosive up to 10 Tons

Explosion craters on the ground surface induced by contact or near-field explosions have important implications, which can be used to assess blast consequences, guide the design of the explosion, or develop a protective strategy. In this study, to understand the crater characteristics induced by the contact explosion of large weight explosives, four field contact explosion tests were conducted on the surface of the Gobi Desert with large TNT charge weights of 1 ton, 3 tons, and 10 tons (test conducted twice). Cratering on the ground surface generated by large amounts of explosives was measured and evaluated, including the shape, depth, and diameter. A fine-mesh numerical model was developed and validated on the AUTODYN software platform, and a detailed parametric study was performed on the resulting craters. The effects of sand and gravel density, initiation method, shear modulus, and failure criteria were analyzed and discussed. An energy conversion coefficient was determined, and the corresponding theoretical equations were derived to predict the dimensions of the craters resulting from the large weight contact explosion. The calculated cratering characteristics were consistent with previous data and hence can be used in future engineering applications.

Recruitment of Ostrea chilensis (Philippi, 1844) in Foveaux Strait, Southern New Zealand

<p>This research evaluates fundamental ecological processes to facilitate an understanding of recruitment in Ostrea chilensis from Foveaux Strait, southern New Zealand. Foveaux Strait represents an extreme habitat for oysters that differs to the sheltered nearshore, muddy habitats of most other oyster populations. O. chilensis exhibits the extreme end of brooding strategies in Ostreinae, does not form extensive reefs, and comprises putative self-recruiting populations. The Foveaux Strait oyster fishery is nationally important. Recurrent disease mortality in these populations has put greater onus on understanding recruitment. To evaluate the strength of a recruit-per-spawner relationship in oysters, seasonality in the settlement of larvae was determined. Most recruitment in any given year, over a 6-year period, occurred in the austral spring and summer (November to February). Fishery-wide, recruitment varied significantly between years, with most variation (50.8%) explained by a year effect that represents the combined influences of climatic and biological conditions. Spawner densities and fishery areas explain further variation (13.8% and 11.6%, respectively), with further 2-way interactions between these factors. Recruits-per-spawner declined serially over time, despite similar or increasing densities of spawning-sized oysters. Average recruitment was lowest when spawner densities were highest; this suggests a more complex relationship between recruitment and density that has implications for management of this oyster fishery. Recruitment to the O. chilensis fishery declined abruptly to low levels in 2010 and remained low until 2017. Relatively high spawning-stock sizes over this period had previously supported high recruitment. Density and oyster mortality from Bonamia exitiosa (a proxy for one or more infections) and their two-way interaction were the main determinants of recruitment. The highest recruitment occurred at times of low mortality and low density, suggesting reduced effects of disease on gametogenesis and reduced disease transmission. The contributions of climate factors were minor; however, a 3-way interaction between oyster density, mortality, and climate is likely to drive variation in recruitment. Pathobiomes (multiple infections in populations) may be important determinants of shellfish recruitment and population dynamics. This research evaluates the hypothesis of self-recruitment from distributions of recruit densities around an isolated natal population, and from the relationship between recruitment and brooding-sized oyster densities. Distance from the natal population, direction along or across the tidal current, or brooders did not predict recruit densities. Recruit distributions imply greater dispersal and larval mixing than previously reported. The swift tidal currents and possibility of more variable pelagic larval durations may enhance mixing and connectivity between populations in Foveaux Strait. Post-settlement mortality is the primary determinant of spatial structure in Foveaux Strait oysters. Productive fishery areas comprise mostly stable substrates of shells, sand, and gravel, with no or little other epifauna. Most (66.8%) post-settlement survivors were on the heavy shells of both live and dead O. chilensis, which suggests an unusual recruit-adult relationship based on survival rather than settlement. Recruits and 1+ year spat grew larger and had lower mortality at eastern sites with the lowest exposure to oceanic swells and putative lowest sediment movement. Moreover, recruits on spat collectors also grew larger and had lower mortality at heights ≥ 12 cm than those 2 cm off the seabed. This research suggests the effects of disease on brooding percentages and thereby larval supply may be the main determinant of the variation in recruitment in O. chilenesis, and the spatial structure of oyster populations in Foveaux Strait shaped by abiotic as well as biotic post-settlement mortality.</p>