大别山南麓阳逻组砾石层砾石形貌学研究

阳逻组砾石层分布于大别山南麓长江北岸地区,是长江中游地区一个重要的第四纪地层单位.其成因主要有两种观点:一种观点认为阳逻组砾石层为古长江冲积物,后期经过构造抬升而在长江北岸形成阶地;另一种观点认为其为大别山南麓河流冲积扇.砾石层中的砾石形貌记录了砾石的演化历史,对砾石进行形貌学研究可以用来进行古环境重建.文章选取武汉地...     

The measurement of fracture patterns in the chalk of Southern England

A field investigation made to ascertain if recognisable fracture patterns exist within the Chalk of southern England is described. The areas investigated included: the Chilterns the Isle of Thanet; the South Downs; and the Isle of Wight. Analysis of field data indicate that strike directions of fractures may be concentrated into sets. The strike direction of each set remains reasonably constant within a particular area and the pattern of fracturing appears to be related to the main fold axes in each area. Most fractures within the Chalk were found to be steeply inclined, although significant variations exist when results from the areas investigated are compared. Results indicate that definite fracture patterns are recognisable and that the likely fracture pattern for a specified area could be predicted. Although the accuracy of prediction is at present somewhat limited, determination of such fracture patterns is considered to be of significance.     

Pleistocene gravels in the lower wye valley

The fluviatile Pleistocene of the lower Wye valley, below the Devensian glacial limit near Hereford, consists almost entirely of coarse gravels, situated both above and below the level of the modern flooplain. Those above the floodplain are largely composed of pebbles from the Ordovician and Silurian of east-central Wales. Around Hereford they are associated with well-preserved terraces; further downstream they are fragmentary and have also undergone some displacement. It is suggested that the high-level gravels comprise remants of four distinct aggradational units. Correlations are proposed with the Severn valley Pleistocene sequence, from which it is concluded that the lower Wye gravels represent a series of cold, perhaps glacial, periods ranging in age from pre-Hoxnian to Devension. This confirms the pre-Hoxnian age of fragmentary glacial deposits in northeast Herefordshire. Relations between the gravels and some geomorphological features are discussed, with special attention to abandoned incised meanders.     

A meander-belt sandstone of the Lower Cretaceous of Southern England

The meander-belt deposit comprises a sandstone resting on an erosion surface and bounded above and below by massive varicoloured mudstones with rootlet traces. The sandstone unit is composed of six bodies separated from one another, horizontally, by erosion surfaces; together the bodies form a single multilateral sand body. Internally each body is composed of lateral accretion units inclined at up to 6° from the horizontal. Vertical sequences of facies show significant variations but the grain size generally fines upwards. The principal lithofacies within the sandstones are, in common ascending order, intraformational conglomerate, large-scale cross-bedded, horizontal bedded and small-scale cross-laminated sandstone, and alternate sandstones and mudstones. Current directions are normal to the true slope of accretion surfaces and show insignificant scatter within individual bodies but are very diverse overall. Five of the sand bodies are believed to represent individual point bars, and one body an abandoned channel. Together they comprise the meander belt. The river was subject to very variable discharges and carried high suspended loads. Analysis of vertical profiles indicates that grain size segregation along the length of the point bars caused differentiation of the bars into coarse-grained heads and sandy tails.     

Geotechnical evaluation of residual gravels in pavement construction

The paper discusses the laboratory and pavement constructional evaluation of residual lateritic gravels over phyllite.

Laboratory classification, compaction and bearing test results indicate that the natural materials are unsuitable by standard gravel acceptance specifications for road base construction. However, the bearing properties can be improved to meet base-material specifications through treatment with about 5% cement. Results of construction control studies also revealed that the laboratory compaction properties of both the raw and cement-stabilised gravels are easily reproduced in the field using fairly light, smooth-wheel rollers. This means that the complaints by contractors of difficulty in achieving design specifications using similar plants during construction is not justified.

Notwithstanding the results of the studies reported herein, it is not possible at the moment to suggest any construction control specifications for these gravels until more data on their in-service performance in the roadway has been collected and analysed over a number of years.     

The lithology of Ogallala gravels and hunter‐gatherer procurement strategies along the Southern High Plains eastern escarpment of Texas,USA

Ogallala gravels are an important lithic material source for stone tool manufacture across the Great Plains. The lithology of eight gravel sample locations along the eastern escarpment of the Southern High Plains has been examined to quantify the composition and variability in Ogallala deposits. In addition, three Ogallala gravel quarry sites have been analyzed to determine how the lithology of Ogallala gravels influenced procurement and tool production strategies. Results indicate deposits of Ogallala gravels differ in their composition related to their position on the landscape, and the types of rocks vary by size and shape. Investigation of the quarry sites has revealed that the lithology of Ogallala gravels had an impact on testing and the initial stages of lithic reduction. Different rock types, however, may have more of an influence on later stages of tool manufacture at nearby campsites and other locations where Ogallala gravels are not as dense. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A new neoselachian shark from the marine Early Cretaceous of Southern England

Rare, isolated teeth of Corysodon multicristatus sp. nov. are described from two levels in the Atherfield Clay Formation (Early Aptian, Early Cretaceous) of Atherfield Point on the Isle of Wight, UK. Ten teeth of the new species were recovered from 1095 kg of washed and graded sediment residues. The teeth themselves are very small (around 0.5 mm high) and possess a distinctive crown bearing a tiered series of transverse crests adapted for rasping. Details of the dental architecture of the Atherfield Clay Formation specimens clearly indicate that the Cretaceous material differs significantly from the teeth of the type species for the genus, Corysodon cirinensis, recorded from the Kimmeridgian of northern France and Switzerland. C. multicristatus is the first substantiated record of the genus from the Early Cretaceous, thereby extending the stratigraphic range of the genus from the latest Jurassic, and the geographical range from continental Europe to the UK.     

Characterization and use of tropical gravels for pavement construction in West Africa

Summary Road transportation is increasingly becoming one of the key factors for promoting economic growth in most developing countries. However, transport and road research in the tropics has received relatively little attention. Experiences in road construction in the tropics within the past 50 years or so have established that local materials specifications and pavement construction technologies have to be developed in relation to the climatic conditions. This would involve knowledge of the processes of formation as well as genetic characteristics of the local gravels. Genetic characteristics exert considerable influence on the geotechnical properties and engineering behaviour of local gravels under pavement. The construction technology of the road pavement should take cognizance of the compositional variabilities of the gravel deposits. Construction studies of pavement sections (as well as assessment of the performance of existing roads) built with different gravels formed over different geological formations in specific climatic, and drainage conditions would provide useful data for evolving local gravel specifications for constructing stable and durable pavements. Stage construction of pavements involving the exposure of the various layers to traffic loading and seasonal climatic influences appears to hold promise for formulating strategies for constructing stable, and long-term durable tropical roads. The problem of achieving reproducible laboratory test data under field conditions is perhaps the most challenging aspect of utilizing local gravels for pavement construction in tropical and sub-tropical conditions. It is noted that the stability of pavements in tropical environments depends not so much on the geotechnical properties of the available gravels as on the appreciation by the designers and construction engineers of the relationship between the genetic and laboratory determined characteristics of the gravels on the one hand and the pavement construction technology and local climatic and drainage conditions on the other. This paper is a contribution to development of highway geotechnics for tropical and sub-tropical conditions.     

Distribution and relationship of radionuclides to streambed gravels in a small watershed

In White Oak Creek watershed in eastern Tennessee, the radionuclides⁶⁰Co,⁹⁰Sr, and¹³⁷Cs were retained by streambed gravels on different sites:⁶⁰Co was associated with manganese in the hydrous oxide coatings on rocks and minerals;⁹⁰Sr occurred primarily as an exchangeable cation although small amounts were held in a nonexchangeable form; and¹³⁷Cs was held very selectively, presumably by illite in shale fragments composing the sediment. The distribution of radionuclides on sediments was size dependent: the 0.85–3.35 mm fine-gravel fraction was higher in radionuclide concentration than the sand fraction. An areal survey of radionuclide concentrations on streambed gravels from throughout the watershed, located numerous contamination sources. These radionuclide concentrations, when combined with both distribution coefficients of radionuclides between gravel and water and drainage area, were used to rank subsections of the watershed by their relative contribution to the overall contamination of the watershed. For⁹⁰Sr, this ranking procedure agreed with the measured discharges of subsections of the watershed which are routinely monitored. Research sponsored by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (operated by U.S. Department of Energy under contract W-7405-eng-26 with Union Carbide Corporation. Publication No. 2017, Environmental Sciences Division, ORNL.     

Liquefaction-induced structures in Quaternary alluvial gravels and gravelly sediments, NE Brazil

We have identified numerous well-preserved elutriation and fluidization structures probably induced by liquefaction in Quaternary gravels and gravelly sediments of braided fluvial channel deposits in the Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará states, northeastern Brazil. They show evidence of upward-directed water escape after sediment deposition and before sediment compaction. Among the several types of structures observed, the most frequent are pillars, pockets and dikes. These structures range in width from a few centimeters to as much as 4 m, and in height from 60 cm to 4 m. Dikes, pillars and pockets are systematically associated. Clastic dikes vented large quantities of sand to the upper layers or the surface; pebbles and cobbles from the host rock sank into the dikes and formed pillars and pockets. Pockets form the root part; pillars form the intermediate part and dike, the upper part of the composite structure. The morphology of the structures in sectional and plan views indicates a 3D geometry composed of a tabular dike and pillar that present a downward continuous transition to a bowl-shaped pocket. This “stratigraphy” of liquefaction features is different from that usually presented in the current literature.

Field data suggest that both the location and the geometry of the features were controlled by sedimentary properties rather than joints and small faults. The size and abundance of these features suggest that they were formed by great events rather than localized mechanisms. Field evidence also indicates that these features are the product of fluidization and elutriation and may have been induced by liquefaction processes associated with seismic shaking. A nonseismic origin related to elutriation processes, however, cannot be ruled out for some of the features.     

新疆额尔齐斯河边滩砾石定向性特征及其意义*

综合运用玫瑰图以及Curray的计算方法,对额尔齐斯河某处边滩上的20个观测点的砾石定向性进行了研究。结果表明,研究区砾石长轴存在定向排列且最优方向和河流流向平行,但是砾石定向性特征还和其他因素有关。颗粒支撑方式对砾石定向性有一定影响,多级颗粒支撑的砾石定向性最好,其次是颗粒支撑的砾石。水动力强弱会影响砾石定向排列,当水动力比较弱时,砾石在流水作用下以滚动的方式被搬运,砾石长轴和河流流向垂直;水动力比较强时,砾石在流水作用下以跳跃方式被搬运并且长轴和流向平行,在这种情况下其所受阻力最小,能够保持稳定状态。砾石粒径也会影响砾石定向性,在水动力比较弱时,小砾石(粒径小于2cm)长轴和河流流向垂直,大砾石(粒径大于2cm)和河流流向平行;但是当水动力较强时,砾石粒径大小对颗粒定向性特征的影响就可以忽略不计。因此运用砾石长轴来判断古流向时,要综合考虑研究区的古气候、沉积时的水动力等其他因素,然后确定河流流向和砾石长轴的关系,最后再确定研究区的古流向。     

Wetland Loss Patterns and Inundation-Productivity Relationships Prognosticate Widespread Salt Marsh Loss for Southern New England

Tidal salt marsh is a key defense against, yet is especially vulnerable to, the effects of accelerated sea level rise. To determine whether salt marshes in southern New England will be stable given increasing inundation over the coming decades, we examined current loss patterns, inundation-productivity feedbacks, and sustaining processes. A multi-decadal analysis of salt marsh aerial extent using historic imagery and maps revealed that salt marsh vegetation loss is both widespread and accelerating, with vegetation loss rates over the past four decades summing to 17.3 %. Landward retreat of the marsh edge, widening and headward expansion of tidal channel networks, loss of marsh islands, and the development and enlargement of interior depressions found on the marsh platform contributed to vegetation loss. Inundation due to sea level rise is strongly suggested as a primary driver: vegetation loss rates were significantly negatively correlated with marsh elevation (r ²?=?0.96; p?=?0.0038), with marshes situated below mean high water (MHW) experiencing greater declines than marshes sitting well above MHW. Growth experiments with Spartina alterniflora, the Atlantic salt marsh ecosystem dominant, across a range of elevations and inundation regimes further established that greater inundation decreases belowground biomass production of S. alterniflora and, thus, negatively impacts organic matter accumulation. These results suggest that southern New England salt marshes are already experiencing deterioration and fragmentation in response to sea level rise and may not be stable as tidal flooding increases in the future.