Groundwater flow systems in turbidites of the Northern Apennines (Italy): natural discharge and high speed railway tunnel drainage

Turbidites crop out extensively in the Northern Apennine mountains (Italy). The huge amounts of groundwater drained by tunnels, built for the high speed railway connection between Bologna and Florence, demonstrate the aquifer-like behaviour of these units, up to now considered as aquitards. A conceptual model of groundwater flow systems (GFS) in fractured aquifers of turbidites is proposed, taking into account both system natural state and the perturbation induced by tunnel drainage. Analysis of hydrological data (springs, streams and tunnel discharge), collected over 10 years, was integrated with analysis of hydrochemical and isotopic data and a stream-tunnel tracer test. Hydrologic recession analysis of undisturbed conditions is a key tool in studying turbiditic aquifer hydrogeology, permitting the discrimination of GFS, the estimation of recharge relative to the upstream reach portion and the identification of springs most vulnerable to tunnel drainage impacts. The groundwater budgeting analysis provides evidence that the natural aquifer discharge was stream-focused through GFS, developed downslope or connected to main extensional tectonic lineaments intersecting stream beds; now tunnels drain mainly active recharge groundwater and so cause a relevant stream baseflow deplenishment (approximately two-thirds of the natural value), possibly resulting in adverse effects on local ecosystems.     

Carbonate turbidite sequences deposited in rift-basins of the Jurassic Tethys Ocean (eastern Alps, Switzerland)

Syn-rift sediments in basins formed along the future southern continental margin of the Jurassic Tethys ocean, comprise, in the eastern Alps of Switzerland, up to 500 m thick carbonate turbidite sequences interbedded with bioturbated marls and limestones. In the fault-bounded troughs no submarine fans developed; in contrast, the fault scarps acted as a line source and the asymmetric geometry as well as the evolution of the basin determined the distribution of redeposited carbonates. The most abundant redeposits are bio- and lithoclastic grainstones and packstones, with sedimentary structures indicating a wide range of transport mechanisms from grain flow to high- and low-density turbidity currents. Huge chaotic megabreccias record catastrophic depositional events. Their main detrital components are Upper Triassic shallow-water carbonates and skeletal debris from nearby submarine highs. After an event of extensional tectonism, sedimentary prisms accumulated in the basins along the faults. Each prism is wedge-shaped with a horizontal upper boundary and consists of a thinning- and fining-upward megacycle. Within each megacycle six facies associations are distinguished. At the base of the fault scarp, an association of breccias was first deposited by submarine rockfall and rockfall avalanches. A narrow, approximately 4000 m wide depression along the fault was subsequently filled by the megabreccia association, in which huge megabreccias interfinger with thin-bedded turbidites and hemipelagic limestones. The thick-bedded turbidite association covered the megabreccias or formed, farther basinward, the base of the sedimentary column. Within the thick-bedded turbidites, thinning- and fining-upward cycles are common. The overlying thin-bedded turbidite association shows nearly no cyclicity and the monotonous sequence of fine-grained calciturbidites covers most of the basin area. With continuous filling and diminishing sediment supply, a basin-plain association developed comprising fine-grained and thin-bedded turbidites intercalated with bioturbated marls and limestones. On the gentle slopes opposite the fault escarpment, redeposited beds are scarce and marl/limestone alternations as well as weakly nodular limestones prevail.     

柴达木盆地西部地区渐新世下干柴沟组上段盐湖沉积特征

利用大量地质及地球化学资料,开展了柴达木盆地西部地区渐新世下干柴沟组上段盐湖沉积特征研究,重点识别岩石类型,恢复古沉积环境,建立沉积模式,探讨控制因素。研究认为：盐湖环境主要发育两大类、五小类沉积相组合,盐湖边缘沉积相包括滨岸斜坡带相组合、缓坡带相组合、陡坡带相组合,盆内沉积相包括水下隆起带相组合和盐湖深水区相组合;盐湖可划分早、中、晚3个沉积演化阶段,分别对应半咸水湖泊、咸水湖泊和盐湖;形成碳酸盐岩与钙质砂岩、富含石膏的碳酸盐岩与泥岩、厚层石盐与薄层碳酸盐岩等主要岩石组合;盐湖沉积主控因素为气候、古地貌与构造运动。     

Excavation of the Aica-Mules pilot tunnel for the Brenner base tunnel: information gained on water inflows in tunnels in granitic massifs

The construction of the Aica-Mules tunnel, completed in 2010, provides a relevant case history for improving the knowledge of hydrogeological issues related to the excavation of deep tunnels in granitic massifs. The Aica-Mules tunnel is a 10 km-long structure, forming part of the high-speed railway connection between Austria and Italy across the Alpine chain, located at an average depth of 500–1,000 m below the surface. Prior to and during the construction, intense hydrogeological monitoring was set up, allowing the collection of abundant data concerning: (1) the evolution of water inflows into the tunnel; (2) the chemistry and temperature of drained groundwater; and (3) the influence of tunnel drainage on springs. Based on detailed analysis of geological/hydrogeological data, this article provides an insight into the permeability distribution in granitic rocks affected by relevant brittle tectonic deformation, and the consequences of water inflow during excavation. The available time series from the principal water discharges in the tunnel have been used in order to test the reliability of some of the most commonly applied analytical methods for the forecast of water inflows into tunnels.     

Hydraulic conductivity distribution in crystalline rocks, derived from inflows to tunnels and galleries in the Central Alps, Switzerland

Inflow data from 23 tunnels and galleries, 136 km in length and located in the Aar and Gotthard massifs of the Swiss Alps, have been analyzed with the objective (1) to understand the 3-dimensional spatial distribution of groundwater flow in crystalline basement rocks, (2) to assess the dependency of tunnel inflow rate on depth, tectonic overprint, and lithology, and (3) to derive the distribution of fracture transmissivity and effective hydraulic conductivity at the 100-m scale. Brittle tectonic overprint is shown to be the principal parameter regulating inflow rate and dominates over depth and lithology. The highest early time inflow rate is 1,300 l/s and has been reported from a shallow hydropower gallery intersecting a 200-m wide cataclastic fault zone. The derived lognormal transmissivity distribution is based on 1,361 tunnel intervals with a length of 100 m. Such interval transmissivities range between 10^?9 and 10^?1 m²/s within the first 200–400 m of depth and between 10^?9 and 10^?4 m²/s in the depth interval of 400–1,500 m below ground surface. Outside brittle fault zones, a trend of decreasing transmissivity/hydraulic conductivity with increasing depth is observed for some schistous and gneissic geological units, whereas no trend is identified for the granitic units.     

Environmental and hydrogeological problems in karstic terrains crossed by tunnels: a case study

The construction of one of the high-speed railway tunnels between Malaga and Córdoba (South Spain) beneath the Abdalajís mountains occasioned a series of hydrogeological problems with geotechnical and environmental impacts. The double tunnel, 7,300 m in length, runs south to north across several lines of small, calcareous mountains that have a highly complex structure. Beneath the Jurassic limestones lie Triassic clays and evaporites. Overlying the limestones is an essentially marly and limestone-marl Cretaceous series, which culminates with Miocene marls containing some organic matter. These mountains have generated springs that are used for urban water supply and irrigation, as well as drinking fountains in the surrounding villages. The initial water level in the aquifer series varied from 400 to 650 m above sea level. After drilling approximately 2,900 m, and intercepting a fracture zone within the carbonate rocks, a sudden water eruption occurred that reached a peak flow of 800 L/s. After a short while, spring discharges dried up, leading to a public protest. In this paper, we describe the geological and hydrogeological settings, the development of the aquifer as the drilling operation proceeded, the measures adopted and the responses subsequent to completion of the tunnel, including the effect of rainfall on the recovery of water levels. Lastly, a generalized estimate is made of how the system functions, and a forecast is made for recovery of its equilibrium.     

Facies and facies association of the siliciclastic Brak River and carbonate Gemsbok formations in the Lower Ugab River valley,Namibia, W. Africa

The Neoproterozoic Zerrissene Turbidite Complex of central-western Namibia comprises five turbiditic units. From the base to the top they are the Zebrapüts Formation (greywacke and pelite), Brandberg West Formation (marble and pelite), Brak River Formation (greywacke and pelite with dropstones), Gemsbok River Formation (marble and pelite) and Amis River Formation (greywacke and pelites with rare carbonates and quartz-wacke).In the Lower Ugab River valley, five siliciclastic facies were recognised in the Brak River Formation. These are massive and laminated sandstones, classical turbidites (thick- and thin-bedded), mudrock, rare conglomerate and breccia. For the carbonate Gemsbok River Formation four facies were identified including massive non-graded and graded calcarenite, fine grained evenly bedded blue marble and calcareous mudrock. Most of these facies are also present in the other siliciclastic units of the Zerrissene Turbidite Complex as observed in other areas.The vertical facies association of the siliciclastic Brak River Formation is interpreted as representing sheet sand lobe to lobe-fringe palaeoenvironment with the abandonment of siliciclastic deposition at the top of the succession. The vertical facies association of the carbonate Gemsbok Formation is interpreted as the slope apron succession overlain by periplatform facies, suggesting a carbonate slope sedimentation of a prograding depositional shelf margin.If the siliciclastic–carbonate paired succession would represent a lowstand relative sea-level and highstand relative sea-level, respectively, the entire turbidite succession of the Zerrissene Turbidite Complex can be interpreted as three depositional sequences including two paired siliciclastic–carbonate units (Zebrapüts-Brandberg West formations; Brak River–Gemsbok formations) and an incomplete succession without carbonate at the top (Amis River Formation).     

Variability over time in the sources of South Portuguese Zone turbidites: evidence of denudation of different crustal blocks during the assembly of Pangaea

This study combines geochemical and geochronological data in order to decipher the provenance of Carboniferous turbidites from the South Portuguese Zone (SW Iberia). Major and trace elements of 25 samples of graywackes and mudstones from the Mértola (Visean), Mira (Serpukhovian), and Brejeira (Moscovian) Formations were analyzed, and 363 U-Pb ages were obtained on detrital zircons from five samples of graywackes from the Mira and Brejeira Formations using LA-ICPMS. The results indicate that turbiditic sedimentation during the Carboniferous was marked by variability in the sources, involving the denudation of different crustal blocks and a break in synorogenic volcanism. The Visean is characterized by the accumulation of immature turbidites (Mértola Formation and the base of the Mira Formation) inherited from a terrane with intermediate to mafic source rocks. These source rocks were probably formed in relation to Devonian magmatic arcs poorly influenced by sedimentary recycling, as indicated by the almost total absence of pre-Devonian zircons typical of the Gondwana and/or Laurussia basements. The presence of Carboniferous grains in Visean turbidites indicates that volcanism was active at this time. Later, Serpukhovian to Moscovian turbiditic sedimentation (Mira and Brejeira Formations) included sedimentary detritus derived from felsic mature source rocks situated far from active magmatism. The abundance of Precambrian and Paleozoic zircons reveals strong recycling of the Gondwana and/or Laurussia basements. A peri-Gondwanan provenance is indicated by zircon populations with Neoproterozoic (Cadomian-Avalonian and Pan-African zircon-forming events), Paleoproterozoic, and Archean ages. The presence of late Ordovician and Silurian detrital zircons in Brejeira turbidites, which have no correspondence in the Gondwana basement of SW Iberia, indicates Laurussia as their most probable source.     

Numerical modeling of fracking fluid migration through fault zones and fractures in the North German Basin

Gas production from shale formations by hydraulic fracturing has raised concerns about the effects on the quality of fresh groundwater. The migration of injected fracking fluids towards the surface was investigated in the North German Basin, based on the known standard lithology. This included cases with natural preferential pathways such as permeable fault zones and fracture networks. Conservative assumptions were applied in the simulation of flow and mass transport triggered by a high pressure boundary of up to 50 MPa excess pressure. The results show no significant fluid migration for a case with undisturbed cap rocks and a maximum of 41 m vertical transport within a permeable fault zone during the pressurization. Open fractures, if present, strongly control the flow field and migration; here vertical transport of fracking fluids reaches up to 200 m during hydraulic fracturing simulation. Long-term transport of the injected water was simulated for 300 years. The fracking fluid rises vertically within the fault zone up to 485 m due to buoyancy. Progressively, it is transported horizontally into sandstone layers, following the natural groundwater flow direction. In the long-term, the injected fluids are diluted to minor concentrations. Despite the presence of permeable pathways, the injected fracking fluids in the reported model did not reach near-surface aquifers, either during the hydraulic fracturing or in the long term. Therefore, the probability of impacts on shallow groundwater by the rise of fracking fluids from a deep shale-gas formation through the geological underground to the surface is small.     

川藏铁路千米级水平孔绳索取心钻进技术与应用北大核心CSCD

川藏铁路地处青藏高原东部高山峡谷地区,传统垂直钻孔勘探难以满足工程沿线深埋大隧道的勘探需求,采用水平孔取心钻进可以很好地解决这个问题。通过优选钻进设备与工具,制定合理的钻进工艺与泥浆技术措施,形成了一种千米级水平孔绳索取心钻进技术,成功应用于川藏铁路卡子拉山一号隧道水平孔,完成了1212 m水平绳索取心定向钻孔施工任务,查明陡倾岩层3条断层和19处节理破碎带,全孔平均岩心采取率高达97.76%,钻孔各项指标优良。实践证明,千米级水平孔绳索取心钻进技术能够满足川藏铁路深埋大隧道的勘探需求,直观查明隧道洞身段地层岩性、陡倾岩层构造、水文地质条件等情况,为铁路勘查设计提供地质支撑。     

北祁连边麻沟粉砂岩碎屑锆石U-Pb年龄及Hf同位素特征

北祁连走廊南山边麻沟-大岔大坂一带保存了记录新元古代-晚古生代地质演化的众多构造-岩石单元。在边麻沟柴达诺岛弧花岗岩体之上, 不整合覆盖了一套由硅泥质岩、粉砂岩、杂砂岩、砾岩共同组成的浊流沉积组合, 其沉积时代缺乏可靠证据, 沉积物源区和构造属性也缺乏研究。粉砂岩中碎屑锆石具有典型岩浆锆石结构特征, 主要集中于529~484 Ma和466~442 Ma两个年龄群, 最年轻碎屑锆石为425 Ma。结合锆石Hf同位素特征和区域已有同位素年代学资料, 认为这些粉砂岩中的碎屑锆石主要来自柴达诺花岗岩体(516~505 Ma), 其次来自北祁连奥陶-志留纪岛弧中酸性岩浆岩, 少数来自寒武纪蛇绿岩及中元古代基底岩石。综合研究分析认为, 边麻沟浊积岩可能形成于志留纪弧前残余海盆环境。     

湘中下石炭统风暴岩的研究

本文在对湘中各地发现的下石炭统风暴岩的一般特征的讨论的基础上,区分出浅缓坡近源型、过渡带远源型以及深缓坡末梢型等风暴岩类型,并认为这些风暴岩的发育受当时全球古地理控制。早石炭世北方大陆和南方大陆之间存在的古地中海,造成了赤道附近飓风的形成条件。当时华南板块位于赤道以南接近赤道的地方,必然形成了大量风暴沉积。     

The impact of groundwater on the excavation of tunnels in two different hydrogeological settings in central Italy

To double the capacity of the Orte?CFalconara railway line (central Italy), the Santa Croce tunnel was constructed (1985?C1995), which runs between the Nera Montoro and Narni stations. In the same period, to double the capacity of the Ancona?CBari railway line, the Moro, Cintioni, S. Giovanni and Diavolo tunnels were constructed between the Ortona and Casalbordino stations. The high likelihood of intercepting a significant volume of groundwater in calcareous rocks of the Santa Croce tunnel led to a shift in the layout of the tunnel, which allowed construction of the tunnel by more rapid and less expensive means. Groundwater along the Moro tunnel layout, in a sandy aquifer, has been drained by the excavation of a preliminary tunnel, which allowed a discharge of up to 0.080?m³/s. In the S. Giovanni and Diavolo tunnels, a particular hydrogeological setting was found to exist in the form of lens-shaped bodies of fine grey sand-and-silt aquitards intercalated between the bottom muddy-sandy deposits (very low permeability) and the sandy aquifer; this caused sudden groundwater inflow and tunnel collapse. The S. Giovanni tunnnel, excavation was completed using the HydroShield system, whereas in the Diavolo tunnel, a well-point system was adopted, which avoided any environmental hazards.     

Hydrogeological impacts of a railway tunnel in fractured Precambrian gneiss rocks (south-eastern Norway)

Groundwater monitoring along the Romeriksporten tunnel, south-eastern Norway, provided an opportunity for studying the impacts of tunnelling on groundwater in fractured Precambrian gneiss rocks, and examining relations between bedrock hydrology, tectonic weakness zones and catchments. Tunnel leakage resulted in groundwater drawdown up to 35 m in weakness zones, converted groundwater discharge zones into recharge zones, and affected groundwater chemistry. The magnitude of drawdown and fluctuations in groundwater level differed between weakness zones, and varied with distance from the tunnel route, tunnel leakage, and recharge from catchments. Clear differences in groundwater level and fluctuation patterns indicated restricted groundwater flow between weakness zones. The groundwater drawdowns demonstrated coherent water-bearing networks to 180-m depth in faults and fracture zones. Similar groundwater levels with highly correlated fluctuations demonstrated hydraulic connectivity within fracture zones. Different groundwater drawdown and leakage in weakness zones with different appearance and influence of tectonic events demonstrated the importance of the geological history for bedrock hydrogeology. Water injection into the bedrock counteracted groundwater drawdowns. Even moderate leakage to underground constructions may lead to large groundwater drawdown in areas with small groundwater recharge. Hydrogeological interpretation of tectonic weakness zones should occur in the context of geological history and local catchment hydrology.     

Sedimentary formations of the Cretaceous Sakhalin Basin (Far East Asia)

The marine sedimentary formations of the Middle Albian to Maastrichtian in the Cretaceous Sakhalin Basin (CSB) were investigated. These successions of strata consist of interbedded sandy, clayey and calcareous rocks which are underlain by heterogeneous metamorphosed (up to greenschist facies) Paleozoic to Mesozoic (pre-Aptian) rocks. The studied sections display several different facies reflecting geological settings ranging from an inner shelf to a continental slope. Three depositional complexes bound by regional subaerial unconformities are recognized within the marine successions. Since the Albian, the CSB has been a rapidly subsiding marginal part of the Okhotsk Sea plate. The Naiba Valley succession, corresponding to a sublittoral zone, shows extremely high sedimentation rates up to 190 m/Ma. The stratigraphic distribution of lithofacies indicates that the CSB became shallower from the Middle Albian to the Maastrichtian.     

An empirical model for estimating hydraulic conductivity of highly disturbed clastic sedimentary rocks in Taiwan

This paper presents the establishment of an empirical HC model for estimating rock mass hydraulic conductivity of highly disturbed clastic sedimentary rocks in Taiwan using high-resolution borehole acoustic televiewer and double packer hydraulic tests. Four geological parameters including rock quality designation (RQD), depth index (DI), gouge content designation (GCD), and lithology permeability index (LPI) were adopted for establishing the empirical HC model. To verify rationality of the proposed HC model, 22 in-situ hydraulic tests were carried out to measure the hydraulic conductivity of the highly disturbed clastic sedimentary rocks in three boreholes at two different locations in Taiwan. Besides, the model verification using another borehole data with four additional in-situ hydraulic tests from similar clastic sedimentary rocks was also conducted to further verify the feasibility of the proposed empirical HC model. The field results indicated that the rock mass in the study area has a conductivity between the order of 10^− 10 m/s and 10^− 6 m/s at the depth between 34 m and 275 m below ground surface. Results demonstrate that the empirical HC model may provide a useful tool to predict hydraulic conductivity of the highly disturbed clastic sedimentary rocks in Taiwan based on measured HC-values.     

碎石土隧道自稳性的三维离散元分析

随着国家对基础设施建设投资力度的不断加大,一些需要穿越碎石土体的隧道不断涌现。针对铁路、公路建设中遇到的碎石土隧道的自稳问题,利用改进后的三维离散元模型及编制的计算软件,对碎石土隧道的自稳性进行了模拟分析,探讨了粒径与隧道自稳性之间的关系,研究了粒径分别为0.1,0.2,0.35,0.5,1,2 m等碎石土隧道能够自稳时的最大跨度,并模拟分析了碎石土隧道塌落量与跨度之间的关系。使用的方法和得出的结论对类似工程有一定的参考意义。     

水底隧道涌水量预测方法的应用分析

讨论了水底隧道涌水的预测计算问题,利用经验法和有限元法对某拟建海底隧道工程方案的涌水量进行了预测计算和对比分析,探讨了竖向和水平走向裂隙发育情况对隧道涌水的影响。结果表明:①与有限元相比,用经验公式计算得到的水底隧道涌水量偏小;②当水底岩层张性裂隙(尤其是竖向裂隙)较发育时,隧道涌水量增长较大;③当隧道临近或穿越断层破碎带时,隧道周边的渗流场具有显著的三维特征;④如果水底隧道上覆地层中没有显著的隔水层,则由于水源无限充足,隧道的涌水量将主要受到水位相对高度和隧道围岩渗透系数的影响,与隧道上覆地层的厚度关系不大。     

Effect of Blast-Induced Vibration from New Railway Tunnel on Existing Adjacent Railway Tunnel in Xinjiang, China

The vibrations of existing service tunnels induced by blast-excavation of adjacent tunnels have attracted much attention from both academics and engineers during recent decades in China. The blasting vibration velocity (BVV) is the most widely used controlling index for in situ monitoring and safety assessment of existing lining structures. Although numerous in situ tests and simulations had been carried out to investigate blast-induced vibrations of existing tunnels due to excavation of new tunnels (mostly by bench excavation method), research on the overall dynamical response of existing service tunnels in terms of not only BVV but also stress/strain seemed limited for new tunnels excavated by the full-section blasting method. In this paper, the impacts of blast-induced vibrations from a new tunnel on an existing railway tunnel in Xinjiang, China were comprehensively investigated by using laboratory tests, in situ monitoring and numerical simulations. The measured data from laboratory tests and in situ monitoring were used to determine the parameters needed for numerical simulations, and were compared with the calculated results. Based on the results from in situ monitoring and numerical simulations, which were consistent with each other, the original blasting design and corresponding parameters were adjusted to reduce the maximum BVV, which proved to be effective and safe. The effect of both the static stress before blasting vibrations and the dynamic stress induced by blasting on the total stresses in the existing tunnel lining is also discussed. The methods and related results presented could be applied in projects with similar ground and distance between old and new tunnels if the new tunnel is to be excavated by the full-section blasting method.     

恩施剖面栖霞组下部贫氧-缺氧环境成因模式

我国华南地区二叠系栖霞组沉积了多套富有机碳的暗色岩系,是华南地区油气勘探的潜在烃源岩。其形成主要与水体的氧化还原以及古特提斯海洋洋流系统有关。然而,栖霞期水体的缺氧-贫氧的成因模式还需要更多的地质证据。本文选择湖北省恩施剖面栖霞组下部臭灰岩段钙质页岩及碳酸盐岩夹层为研究对象,开展稀土元素REE、微量元素Th/U比值以及碳酸盐矿物晶格内微量硫酸盐硫同位素组成分析。研究结果表明,栖霞组下部臭灰岩段的下部沉积水体主要为缺氧至贫氧条件,而臭灰岩段上部主要为贫氧至氧化条件。这些缺氧至贫氧沉积主要是由洋流的上涌造成。洋流的上涌将深水环境中缺氧、贫氧的底部水体涌至陆棚斜坡地带,造成斜坡浅水地带形成一个近似倒三角的缺氧-贫氧水体带,从而沉积了栖霞组暗色薄层石灰岩或钙质页岩。