Shear banding in geomaterials under extensional plane strain conditions: Physical and analytical model

The shear band (SB) spacing phenomenon in geomaterials is addressed in this paper under plane strain extensional conditions. On the basis of sand box observations, a method is proposed for the prediction of the spacing between shear bands based on the so-called “bookshelf” deformation mechanism. The proposed method is based on the assumption that the material is softening inside the shear bands whereas outside the SB it undergoes elastic unloading. The underlying assumption for the prediction of SB spacing is that the material reaches the lowest possible energy rate. An analytical expression for the determination of the shear band spacing is presented taking into account the plane strain extensional deformation of the specimen. The friction due to the normal off-plane shear acting on the boundaries is then taken into account.     

Palynological and geochemical response to environmental changes in the Lower Cretaceous in the Outer Western Carpathians; a record from the Silesian unit, Czech Republic

Rich dinoflagellate cyst assemblages recorded from the Vendryne Formation, Tesin Limestone, and Hradiste Formation of the Silesian unit, Czech Republic are presented. The results of a qualitative and quantitative study of dinoflagellate cysts are presented and discussed. Age-assessment of the sediments based on 86 species suggests a Late Tithonian to Early Berriasian age for the Vendryne Formation and a Late Berriasian (Otopeta Ammonite Zone) to the basal part of the Late Valanginian (Verrucosum Ammonite Zone) age for the Tesin Limestone. Pelitic flyschoid sediments of the Hradiste Formation belong to the Late Valanginian - Early Hauterivian age. Quantitative palynological study and carbon isotope analysis were applied to understand the change from the grey clays to dark grey clays sedimentation. The dinoflagellate cyst assemblages show deposition in a shallow-sea environment. An increasing amount of sporomorphs towards the overlying layers (they are the most abundant in the Hradiste Formation) shows a growing supply of terrestrial material at the same time. The values of δ¹³C increased significantly from a level of 0.43 or 0.75-1.81‰ in the Late Valanginian. This change probably indicates an increase in organic matter storage and perturbation of the carbon cycle connected with the dark grey clays sedimentation.     

Effect of the addition of granitic powder to an acidic soil from Galicia (NW Spain) in comparison with lime

The impact of diffuse pollution, agricultural land use and climate change on the long-term response of subsurface–surface water quality is not well understood, but is a prerequisite for evaluation of water management options. The goal of this study is to model geochemical evolution of water chemistry from the infiltration through soil into the unsaturated zone, transport through bedrocks and granular aquifers to a river in order to identify zones of steep concentration gradients and high dynamics under transient flow conditions. A numerical model was constructed comprising a 2-D 1,500 m × 150 m vertical cross-section of typical sedimentary rock formations, a glacio-fluvial quaternary gravel aquifer in the valley and soil layers. The model coupled saturated/un-saturated flow and reactive transport under steady state and transient conditions. Geochemical interactions, include intra-aqueous kinetic reactions of oxygen with dissolved organic matter, as well as kinetics of carbonate dissolution/precipitation. This model section was chosen to provide insight in to the principal processes and time scales affecting water chemistry along different flow paths. The numerical simulator MIN3P was used, a finite volume program for variably saturated subsurface flow and multi-component reactive transport. The results show that subsurface water residence times range from approximately 2 to 2,000 years. Different zones are to be expected with respect to the development of mineral equilibria; namely, purely atmospherically influenced, as well as open and closed system carbonate dissolution. Short-term responses to daily averaged changes in precipitation, however, are only visible to some extent in the shallower and near-river parts of flow system and solute loads. This can most likely be explained by directional changes in flow paths, indicating that equilibrium geochemical condition predominate at the hillslope scale, i.e. water quality depends on transport pathways rather than on kinetic effects. The extent of reducing conditions is controlled by the presence of organic-rich layers (i.e. peat deposits), the dissolution kinetics of aquifer organic matter and the subsequent mixing with oxygenated water by hydrodynamic dispersion.     

Linking past flood frequencies in Norway to regional atmospheric circulation anomalies

Analysis of two continuous, high‐resolution palaeo‐flood records from southern Norway reveals that the frequency of extreme flood events has changed significantly during the Holocene. During the early and middle Holocene, flood frequency was low; by contrast, it was high over the last 2300 years when the mean flood frequency was about 2.5–3.0 per century. The present regional discharge regime is dominated by spring/summer snowmelt, and our results indicate that the changing flood frequency cannot be explained by local conditions associated with the respective catchments of the two lakes, but rather long‐term variations of solid winter precipitation and related snowmelt. Applying available instrumental winter precipitation data and associated sea‐level pressure re‐analysis data as a modern analogue, we document that atmospheric circulation anomalies, significantly different from the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), have some potential in explaining the variability of the two different palaeo‐flood records. Centennial‐scale patterns in shifting flood frequency might be indicative of shifts in atmospheric circulation and shed light on palaeo‐pressure variations in the North Atlantic region, in areas not influenced by the NAO. Major shifts are found at about 2300, 1200 and 200 years ago (cal. a BP). Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Formation by silicate–fluoride + phosphate melt immiscibility of REE-rich globular segregations within aplite dikes

Aplite dikes intruding the Proterozoic 1.42(±?3) Ga Longs Peak-St. Vrain Silver Plume-type peraluminous granite near Jamestown, Colorado, contain F, P, and rare earth element (REE)-rich globular segregations, with 40–46% REE, 3.7–4.8 wt% P₂O₅, and 5–8 wt% F. A combination of textural features and geochemical data suggest that the aplite and REE-rich globular segregations co-existed as two co-genetic liquids prior to their crystallization, and we propose that they are formed by silicate–fluoride?+?phosphate (+?S?+?CO₂) melt immiscibility following ascent, cooling, and decompression of what was initially a single homogeneous magma that intruded the granite. The REE distribution coefficients between the silica-rich aplites and REE-rich segregations are in good agreement with experimentally determined distribution coefficients for immiscible silicate–fluoride?+?phosphate melts. Although monazite-(Ce) and uraninite U–Th–Pb microprobe ages for the segregations yield 1.420(±?25) and 1.442(±?8) Ga, respectively, thus suggesting a co-genetic relationship with their host granite, ε_Nd1.42Ga values for the granites and related granitic pegmatites range from ??3.3 to ??4.7 (average ??3.9), and differ from the values for both the aplites and REE-rich segregations, which range from ??1.0 to ??2.2 (average ??1.6). Furthermore, the granites and pegmatites have (La/Yb)_N <50 with significant negative Eu anomalies, which contrast with higher (La/Yb)_N >100 and absence of an Eu anomaly in both the aplites and segregations. These data are consistent with the aplite dikes and the REE-rich segregations they contain being co-genetic, but derived from a source different from that of the granite. The higher ε_Nd1.42Ga values for the aplites and REE-rich segregations suggest that the magma from which they separated had a more mafic and deeper, dryer and hotter source in the lower crust or upper mantle compared to the quartzo-feldspathic upper crustal source proposed for the Longs Peak-St. Vrain granite.     

Investigations and assessment of the landslide hazards of Fengdu county in the reservoir region of the Three Gorges project on the Yangtze River

The spatial database of landslides in Fengdu County of the reservoir region of the Three Gorges project (TGP) on the Yangtze River was compiled from a variety of different sources including field investigations on landslides, existing catalogues and archives on landslides, reports of meteorological events and human engineering activities that triggered slope failures. The major factors that are found to have affected the slope stabilities are outlined, and an assessment and zonation of landslide hazards of the region is made using an integrated information model, which is divided into destructive, disastrous, likely disastrous and essentially non-disastrous areas from the assessment of landslide hazards. The destructive and disastrous areas are respectively 1.9 and 13.8% of the total region, mostly being nearby townships, highways along the south bank of the Yangtze River and residential quarters along two flanks of the Yangtze River and its distributaries, that will impose direct impact to highway transportation and residential lives, and may effect to some degree the navigation of the Yangtze River, reservoir banks, and building of cities and towns.     

Composition and exhalation flux of gases from mud volcanoes in Taiwan

Many mud volcanoes are distributed along the tectonic sutures in southern Taiwan and can be divided into five zones based on their relative positions in different tectonic domains. Most active mud volcanoes are exhaling methane-dominated gases. Nevertheless, some gases show unusual carbon dioxide-dominated and/or nitrogen-excess compositions. This implies that there are multiple sources for the gas compositions of mud volcanoes in Taiwan.For better understanding the total amount of exhalation gases and its flux, the gas flow and compositions were continuously measured in the interval of two minutes at Chung-lun (CL) bubbling mud pool for a few months. The major compositions of gases exhaling from this site were 75~90% of CO₂ and 5~12% of CH₄. The amount of gases exhaling from the mud pool can be estimated to be about 1.4 ton/year for CH₄ and 28 ton/year for CO₂, respectively. The preliminary results of exhaling gas flux from the major vents of representative active mud volcanoes, yielded an estimated total CH₄ output of the mud volcanoes in Taiwan of ca. 29 ton/year during quiescent period.     

Extremely slow slope movements influencing the stability of Spis Castle,UNESCO site

Spis Castle, a monument included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list (Eastern Slovakia) is built on a travertine mound overlying soft Paleogene rocks. Lateral spreading resulting from the subsidence of strong upper travertine into soft claystone strata has fractured and separated the castle rock into several cliffs. The differential movement of individual cliff faces is the primary influence on the stability of the monument. In order to monitor and quantify the movement, two techniques were adopted: a mechanical-optical TM-71 crack gauge and a demec gauge (demountable mechanical—SOMET type crack gauge). This paper presents the results and interpretation of medium and short-term monitoring at the site.     

Depositional environment in and around Tamiraparani estuary,and off Tuticorin,Tamil Nadu,India: clues from grain size studies

The sediments of the estuaries and offshore Tuticorin along the southern coast of Tamil Nadu were studied for their textural variation. Ninety sediment samples were collected from three sectors (river, estuary, offshore) on the basis of prevailing energy conditions and oceanographic parameters. Frequency curves show unimodal to bimodal in nature. Offshore samples also fall in bimodal with medium and fine sand where sediment is additionally deposited by the Tamiraparani River. The mean values ranging from 1.69 to 2.01 φ with medium to fine sand. The fine sand in the riverine region indicates the depositional nature of the sediments. In pre-monsoon, the standard deviation ranges from 0.29 to 0.81 φ, which falls in the very well sorted to moderately well sorted. Estuary ranges from 0.63 to 1.30 φ, with moderately sorted, whereas in the marine sediments ranges from 0.4 to 1.01 φ, with moderately to moderately well- sorted and some patches of poorly sorted is observed. In both monsoons, the grain size variations are mostly influenced in river and offshore samples compared to the estuaries. The CM pattern indicates the deposition of sediments in graded suspension. In estuary, the sediments are medium sand with moderately to poorly sorted, fine skewed which are indicative of denudation processes taking place there. In marine, the sediments are medium-to-fine, moderately-to-well sorted, and fine skewed to very fine skewed sediments, probably as a result of the influence of palaeo-sediments deposited by rivers from inland as well as by waves and currents from offshore. Further, the marine samples also highlight depositional processes.