Bounce Rock—A shergottite‐like basalt encountered at Meridiani Planum,Mars

Abstract– The Opportunity rover of the Mars Exploration Rover mission encountered an isolated rock fragment with textural, mineralogical, and chemical properties similar to basaltic shergottites. This finding was confirmed by all rover instruments, and a comprehensive study of these results is reported here. Spectra from the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and the Panoramic Camera reveal a pyroxene‐rich mineralogy, which is also evident in Mössbauer spectra and in normative mineralogy derived from bulk chemistry measured by the alpha particle X‐ray spectrometer. The correspondence of Bounce Rock’s chemical composition with the composition of certain basaltic shergottites, especially Elephant Moraine (EET) 79001 lithology B and Queen Alexandra Range (QUE) 94201, is very close, with only Cl, Fe, and Ti exhibiting deviations. Chemical analyses further demonstrate characteristics typical of Mars such as the Fe/Mn ratio and P concentrations. Possible shock features support the idea that Bounce Rock was ejected from an impact crater, most likely in the Meridiani Planum region. Bopolu crater, 19.3 km in diameter, located 75 km to the southwest could be the source crater. To date, no other rocks of this composition have been encountered by any of the rovers on Mars. The finding of Bounce Rock by the Opportunity rover provides further direct evidence for an origin of basaltic shergottite meteorites from Mars.     

The effect of the geomagnetic activity to the hourly variations of ionospheric foF2 values at low latitudes

In this study, the relationship between the hourly changes of the ionospheric critic frequency values of F2 layers in low latitudes and geomagnetic activity is examined by using statistical methods. The ionospheric critical frequency data has been taken from the Manila (121.1° E, 14.7° N) ionosonde station. In order to investigate the effect of sun activity on ionospheric critical frequency, the data of 1981 when the sun was active and of 1985 when the sun was less active has been used. According to the Granger causality test results, on 5 % significance level, a causality relationship from disturbance storm time (Dst) index values to ionospheric critical frequency values direction has been observed. However, a causality relationship from ionospheric critical frequency values to Dst values has not been observed. From the results of cause-and-effect analysis, it is evaluated that the effect of a shockwave occurring in geomagnetic activity on ionospheric critical frequency continues along 72 h, that is, geomagnetic activity has a long-term effect on ionospheric critical frequency. The response of ionospheric critical frequency to geomagnetic activity substantially depends on seasons. This response is more observed especially in equinox period when the sun is active and in winter months. The increase in geomagnetic activity causes ionospheric critical frequency to decrease in night hours and increase in day hours. The same relationship has not been observed exactly, though observed very little in winter months, for 1985 when the sun was less active.     

Investigation of surface and subsurface displacements due to multiple tunnels excavation in urban area

Underground structures are currently widely used and are built as urbanism develops. The interactions between perpendicularly crossing and parallel tunnels in the Tehran region are investigated by using a full three-dimensional (3D) finite difference analysis with elastic-plastic material models. Special attention is paid to the effect of subsequent tunneling on the support system, i.e., the shotcrete lining and rock bolts of the existing tunnel. Eventually, as the tunnels are excavated at certain levels, the interaction between the tunnels will certainly have a significant influence on both stress distribution and consequently deformations. Since multilayer tunneling is a three-dimensional phenomenon in nature, 3D numerical solutions must be utilized for analyzing effect of perpendicularly crossing tunnels at various levels. As Tohid twin tunnels and Line 7 pass beneath the Line 4 metro tunnel, changes in stress distribution, deformations, and surface settlements are studied for various conditions and the results are presented in this paper. Consequently, it is shown that there is a significant interaction between tunnels that necessitate certain preventive measures to maintain a stable tunneling operation.     

Crack Initiation and Crack Propagation in Heterogeneous Sulfate-Rich Clay Rocks

Brittle fracture processes were hypothesized by several researches to cause a damage zone around an underground excavation in sulfate-rich clay rock when the stress exceeds the crack initiation threshold, and may promote swelling by crystal growth in newly formed fractures. In this study, laboratory experiments such as unconfined and confined compression tests with acoustic emission monitoring, and microstructural and mineralogical analyses are used to explain brittle fracture processes in sulfate-rich clay rock from the Gipskeuper formation in Switzerland. This rock type typically shows a heterogeneous rock fabric consisting of distinct clayey layers and stiff heterogeneities such as anhydrite layers, veins or nodules. The study showed that at low deviatoric stress, the failure behavior is dominated by the strength of the clayey matrix where microcracks are initiated. With increasing deviatoric stress or strain, growing microcracks eventually are arrested at anhydrite veins, and cracks develop either aligned with the interface between clayey layers and anhydrite veins, or penetrate anhydrite veins. These cracks often link micro-fractured regions in the specimen. This study also suggest that fracture localization in sulfate-rich clay rocks, which typically show a heterogeneous rock fabric, does not take place in the pre-peak range and renders unstable crack propagation less likely. Sulfate-rich clay rocks typically contain anhydrite veins at various scales. At the scale of a tunnel, anhydrite layers or veins may arrest growing fractures and prevent the disintegration of the rock mass. The rock mass may be damaged when the threshold stress for microcrack initiation is exceeded, thus promoting swelling by crystal growth in extension fractures, but the self-supporting capacity of the rock mass may be maintained rendering the possibility for rapidly propagating instability less likely.     

A New Lizard (Lepidosauria: Squamata) from the Upper Cretaceous of Henan, China

Funiusaurus luanchuanensis gen. et sp. nov. was described on the basis of an incomplete skull from the Upper Cretaceous Qiupa Formation of the Tantou Basin in Luanehuan County, Henan Province. It is the second representative of lizards known from Luanchuan and adds a new member to the Luanchuan Fauna. F. luanchuanensis is a small-sized lizard and systematically assigned to the Polyglyphanodontidae of the Teiioidea because of the presence of a caniniform tooth and an elongate posterior process of the postorbital. It is distinctive in that the heterodont dentition bears 19 teeth in both the upper and lower jaws, the 3^rd maxillary tooth is large and caniniform, the post-caniniform teeth in maxilla and those posterior to the 3^rd dentary tooth are chisel-like in lateral view, the prefrontal possesses a fossa on its lateral surface, the postorbital with an extremely elongate posterior process and the well-developed retroarticular process has a deep fossa on its dorsal surface. In phylogeny, our analysis suggests a close relationship of Funiusaurus to the large-sized Tianyusaurus from the same basin within the Tuberocephalosaurinae. The discovery of Funiusaurus is significant in confirming the status of the Tuberocephalosaurinae, which includes a group of the Asian members of the Polyglyphanodontidae only.     

‘PALEOVAN’, International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP): site survey results and perspectives

Lake Van is the fourth largest terminal lake in the world (volume 607 km³, area 3570 km², maximum depth 460 m), extending for 130 km WSW–ENE on the Eastern Anatolian High Plateau, Turkey. The sedimentary record of Lake Van, partly laminated, has the potential to obtain a long and continuous continental sequence that covers several glacial–interglacial cycles (ca 500 kyr). Therefore, Lake Van is a key site within the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) for the investigation of the Quaternary climate evolution in the Near East (‘PALEOVAN’). As preparation for an ICDP drilling campaign, a site survey was carried out during the past years. We collected 50 seismic profiles with a total length of ～850 km to identify continuous undisturbed sedimentary sequences for potential ICDP locations. Based on the seismic results, we cored 10 different locations to water depths of up to 420 m. Multidisciplinary scientific work at positions of a proposed ICDP drill site included measurements of magnetic susceptibility, physical properties, stable isotopes, XRF scans, and pollen and spores. This core extends back to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), a more extended record than all the other Lake Van cores obtained to date. Both coring and seismic data do not show any indication that the deepest part of the lake (Tatvan Basin, Ahlat Ridge) was dry or almost dry during past times. These results show potential for obtaining a continuous undisturbed, long continental palaeoclimate record. In addition, this paper discusses the potential of ‘PALEOVAN’ to establish new results on the dynamics of lake level fluctuations, noble gas concentration in pore water of the lake sediment, history of volcanism and volcanic activities based on tephrostratigraphy, and paleoseismic and earthquake activities.     

含水率对岩石电荷感应信号影响规律研究

水是诱发矿井灾害的主要因素之一,研究水?岩相互作用下的岩石破坏电荷信号,可丰富矿井水引起灾害的监测方法。为研究含水率对岩石破坏电荷感应信号的影响规律,基于损伤理论推导了岩石损伤破坏力?电耦合模型,得到了感应电荷量与岩石力损伤和水损伤的理论关系。利用自主研制的电荷感应信号数据采集系统,对不同含水率条件下的岩石试样进行了单轴压缩电荷感应信号监测试验,分析了水对岩石力学性质和岩石破坏过程中各阶段电荷感应信号的影响规律,并对含水率影响感应电荷产生的机制进行了讨论。结果表明：岩石变形破坏过程中的电荷感应信号与岩石的损伤程度有关,累积感应电荷量与感应电荷总量的比值可以表示岩石在水和力作用下的损伤量,且含水率越高,试样越易在较低的应力下产生大量的电荷感应信号。不同含水率岩石的宏观破坏特征明显不同,随着含水率升高,岩石的抗压强度降低,裂隙发育,岩石破坏形式由单剪式破坏向张拉和剪切混合破坏转变。电荷感应信号分布形态上,含水率的升高使得高幅值电荷簇数增加,并向弹性阶段发展,且高幅值电荷感应信号主要分布在弹性阶段后期和塑性阶段。感应电荷量上,随着含水率的升高,弹性阶段的感应电荷释放量占比逐渐增大,塑性阶段占比逐渐减小,两阶段的感应电荷量之和占试样变形破坏过程中产生感应电荷总量的90%以上。水通过弱化岩石颗粒和渗透压作用,使岩石在较低应力下产生或扩展裂隙,感应电荷信号更丰富。     

絮凝−真空−电渗联合加固滩涂软土的模型试验研究

针对真空预压作用下排水板淤堵与排水条件受限等问题,提出絮凝−真空−电渗联合加固法。首先通过沉降柱试验确定合适的有机絮凝剂,然后采用该絮凝剂,分别在 48 h（开始介入真空预压,固结度为0 ）、60 h（排水速率明显下降,固结度为60%）及 84 h（排水速率近乎 0,固结度为 80%）时介入电渗,开展不同电渗介入时间的絮凝−真空−电渗联合加固试验。试验从排水量、十字板剪切强度、含水率与孔压等对比分析联合加固的有效性,确定其最佳电渗介入时间。试验结果表明：当固结度为 80% 时介入电渗,絮凝−真空−电渗联合加固法能够有效地抑制排水速率减小的趋势,增长有效排水时间。同时,土体的抗剪强度和承载力亦得到大幅提升,孔压消散更加均匀。此外,在阳离子聚丙烯酰胺絮凝剂的作用下,初始排水速率快,在一定程度上使土体的渗透性得到提升,有效地解决了排水板淤堵问题,说明絮凝−真空−电渗联合加固法具有较强的优越性。