Steady-state harmonic response of a rigid plate bearing on a liquid-saturated poroelastic halfspace

Soil–structure interaction problems are typically modelled by assuming subgrade behaviour to be either elastic or viscoelastic. Herein, compliance functions that may be used to solve soil–structure interaction problems are evaluated by treating the subgrade as a liquid-saturated poroelastic material whose behaviour is governed by Biot's theory. The compliances are evaluated for the harmonic rocking and vertical motions of rigid permeable and impermeable plates bearing on a poroelastic halfspace. Comparisons are made with elastic solutions which assume the subgrade to be either completely drained or undrained. Also, solid and fluid contact stresses are reported for the poroelastic case and compared to the solid contact stresses for the elastic cases.     

Paleogeographic and paleotectonic response to magmatic processes: a case history from the Archean sequence in the Chibougamau area,Quebec

The Chibougamau area, Québec, is characteristic of the internal zone of the Archean Abitibi Orogenic Belt. The paleogeographic, paleotectonic and magmatic history of the Archean sequence in the Chibougamau area is subdivided into three stages.In the first stage a submarine volcanic chain formed mainly by the effusion of submarine lava flows composed of primitive, potash-poor, tholeiitic basalt. The volcanic chain gradually grew to sea level. In the second stage, volcanic islands emerged and grew. Mainly pyroclastic eruptions of strongly differentiated, calc-alkaline andesite and dacite concentrated on the volcanic islands, whereas effusion of basalt continued at first in the surrounding basin. A felsic volcaniclastic apron was deposited around the volcanic islands. In the third stage, the volcanic islands were uplifted and were eroded to the level of their subvolcanic plutons. The debris derived from this volcanic-plutonic terrain was deposited in downfaulted marine and continental basins. The contemporaneous volcanism was shoshonitic.The first paleogeographic stage is interpreted as the growth of an immature island arc. During the second stage, the island arc became mature and its crust was thickened by accretion of plutonic material. The third stage is a period of back-arc extension.

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Zusammenfassung Das Gebiet von Chibougamau, Québec, ist characteristisch für die interne Zone des Archaischen Abitibi Orogens. Man kann seine paleogeographische, paleotectonische und magmatische Geschichte in drei Phasen gliedern.Eine submarine Vulkankette formte sich in der ersten Phase, hauptsächlich durch Effusion von submarinen Lavaergüssen aus primitivem, kaliarmen, tholeiitischem Basalt. Die Vulkankette wuchs langsam bis zum Meeresspiegel. Vulkanische Inseln bildeten sich und wuchsen während der zweiten paleogeographischen Phase. Vorwiegend pyroklastische Eruptionen von stark differenzierten, kalk-alkalischem Andesit und Dazit konzentrierten sich mehr und mehr auf den Inselvulkanen, während die Effusion von Basalt zunächst in den Becken noch stattfand. Ein Mantel aus felsitischen vulkanoklastischen Gesteinen wurde um die Inselvulkane abgelagert. Die dritte Phase begann mit einer Hebung der Inselvulkane und mit ihrer Erosion bis zum Niveau ihrer subvulkanischen Plutone. Der Detritus dieses vulkanisch-plutonischen Geländes wurde in marinen und kontinentalen Verwerfungsbecken abgelagert. Der gleichalte Vulkanismus ist shoshonitisch.Wir deuten die erste paleogeographische Phase als Wachstumsphase eines primitven Inselbogens. Während der zweiten Phase reifte der Inselbogen und seine Kruste verdickte sich durch Akkretion plutonischen Materials. Die dritte Phase ist eine Periode der Dehnung im Hinterland eines Inselbogens.

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Résumé La région de Chibougamau, Québec, est caractéristique de la zone interne de la ceinture orogénique archéenne de l'Abitibi. Son évolution paléogéographique, paléotectonique et magmatique se subdivise en trois phases.Lors de la première phase paléogéographique, une chaîne sous-marine de volcans se formait, essentiellement par l'émission de coulées de lave composée de basalte primitif, hypopotassique, tholéiitique. Graduellement cette chaîne volcanique s'élevait jusqu'au niveau de la mer. A la phase suivante, des îles volcaniques émergeaient et croissaient. Des éruptions essentiellement pyroclastiques d'andésites et de dacites calco-alcalines et fortement différenciées se concentraient sur les îles tandis que l'effusion de laves basaltiques continuaient dans le bassin. Un manteau de roches volcaniclastiques felsiques se déposait autour des îles volcaniques. Lors de la troisième phase, les îles volcaniques furent soulevées et furent érodées jusqu'au niveau des masses plutoniques sub-volcaniques. Le débris de ce terrain volcano-plutonique fut déposé dans des bassins de faille marins et continentaux. Des shoshonites dominaient le volcanisme contemporain.Nous interprétons la première phase paléogéographique comme une phase de croissance d'un arc insulaire immature. Lors de la deuxième phase, 1'arc insulaire devenait mature et sa croûte s'epaissît par accrétion de matériel plutoni-que. Enfin, la troisième phase est une période d'extension en arrière d'un arc insulaire.

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Preliminary investigations of 18O/16O and D/H compositions in rhyo-ignimbrites in the In Hihaou (In Zize) Magmatic Center,central Ahaggar,Algeria

The 620 M.y.-old in Hihaou (In Zize) magmatic complex located at the north-western boundary of the Archaean In Ouzzal block (western Ahaggar), is composed of massive alkaline rhyo-ignimbrites and rhyolitic domes, which are intruded by a granophyric and granitic body. The whole is preserved in a cauldron structure. Extrusive rocks are strongly ¹⁸O-depleted, with -values as low as –1.5/SMOW, while granophyres are less depleted (minimum -¹⁸O value=+2.0/SMOW. The granite has values around + 6/SMOW. D/H compositions are rather low, with D–90 to –110/SMOW. Isotopic zoning of quartz phenocrysts, ¹⁸O/¹⁶O fractionation among coexisting phases, and heterogeneity of the whole-rock -¹⁸O values, suggest that the volcanic rocks have interacted with meteoric water after the eruption. Several mechanisms of isotopic alteration are discussed. The hydrothermal alteration does not seem to have been controlled by the granitic intrusion, but rather seems to have followed the deposition of thick pyroclastic deposits on permeable arkosic sandstones and fluvio-glacial conglomerates. Pervasive circulation of water through the cooling volcanic deposits could have produced the observed ¹⁸O depletion.     

The spatial structure of turbulence at production wavenumbers using orthonormal wavelets

Orthonormal wavelet expansions are applied to surface-layer measurements of vertical wind speed under various atmospheric, stability conditions. The orthonormal wavelet transform allows for the unfolding of these measurements into space and scale simultaneously to reveal the large intermittent behavior in space for the turbulent production wavenumbers. Both Fourier and wavelet power spectra indicated the existence of a –1 power law for the vertical velocity measurements at the production wavenumbers. The –1 power law in the turbulent production range was derived from surface-layer similarity theory. A dimensionless skewness, structure function is applied to the wavelet decomposed vertical velocity field to trace the destruction of the shear-or buoyancy-induced anisotropy under various stability conditions. The structure skewness function revealed shear- or buoyancy-induced eddy asymmetry dependence on stability at each scale within the –1 power-law wavenumber range with more isotropy during propagation from smaller to larger wavenumbers. The asymmetry of these events at the turbulent production wavenumbers appeared very localized in space, as well as in scale, and could be described with a simple eddy-overturning model. It is demonstrated that the wavelet transform is suitable for such analysis.     

Oxygen isotope compositions of chondrules in CR chondrites

We report in situ ion microprobe analyses of oxygen isotopic compositions of olivine, low-Ca pyroxene, high-Ca pyroxene, anorthitic plagioclase, glassy mesostasis, and spinel in five aluminum-rich chondrules and nine ferromagnesian chondrules from the CR carbonaceous chondrites EET92042, GRA95229, and MAC87320. Ferromagnesian chondrules are isotopically homogeneous within ±2‰ in Δ¹⁷O; the interchondrule variations in Δ¹⁷O range from 0 to −5‰. Small oxygen isotopic heterogeneities found in two ferromagnesian chondrules are due to the presence of relict olivine grains. In contrast, two out of five aluminum-rich chondrules are isotopically heterogeneous with Δ¹⁷O values ranging from −6 to −15‰ and from −2 to −11‰, respectively. This isotopic heterogeneity is due to the presence of ¹⁶O-enriched spinel and anorthite (Δ¹⁷O = −10 to −15‰), which are relict phases of Ca,Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) incorporated into chondrule precursors and incompletely melted during chondrule formation. These observations and the high abundance of relict CAIs in the aluminum-rich chondrules suggest a close genetic relationship between these objects: aluminum-rich chondrules formed by melting of spinel-anorthite-pyroxene CAIs mixed with ferromagnesian precursors compositionally similar to magnesium-rich (Type I) chondrules. The aluminum-rich chondrules without relict CAIs have oxygen isotopic compositions (Δ¹⁷O = −2 to −8‰) similar to those of ferromagnesian chondrules. In contrast to the aluminum-rich chondrules from ordinary chondrites, those from CRs plot on a three-oxygen isotope diagram along the carbonaceous chondrite anhydrous mineral line and form a continuum with amoeboid olivine aggregates and CAIs from CRs. We conclude that oxygen isotope compositions of chondrules resulted from two processes: homogenization of isotopically heterogeneous materials during chondrule melting and oxygen isotopic exchange between chondrule melt and ¹⁶O-poor nebular gas.     

Anthropogenic Pb accumulation in forest soils from Lake Clair watershed: Duchesnay experimental forest (Québec, Canada)

Mineral soil horizons (Ae, Bhf1, Bhf2, Bf, BC and C) were carefully collected from two podzolic soil profiles in the Lake Clair watershed (Québec) in order to assess anthropogenic trace metal accumulation. Petrographic and selective analyses were performed to establish the soil mineralogy and properties. Furthermore, a complete sequential extraction procedure has been applied to help understanding the complex chemical speciation of Pb in forest soils. Chemical speciation of Pb showed a strong vertical gradient: 85% of this metal is mainly partitioned in refractory minerals in the C-horizon whereas in the upper Bhf1 and Ae-horizons, less than 50% of Pb is associated with this fraction. In the Ae-horizon, for example, 35%, 30% and 12% of total Pb, respectively, is associated with the exchangeable, labile organic matter and amorphous Fe-Mn oxides fractions. The distribution of Pb and Cr in the studied forest soils mainly reflects progressive contamination of the watershed by anthropogenic atmospheric sources. The anthropogenic source is indicated by elevated Cr and Pb concentrations in the topsoil (Bhf and Ae) horizons and by strong negative correlation between ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios and total Pb concentrations. According to these isotopic values, penetration of anthropogenic Pb does not exceed 10 cm in both soil profiles. Below this depth, both Pb concentrations and isotopic ratios remain nearly constant and similar to values observed in pre-anthropogenic sediments from Lake Clair. These values are interpreted as the natural geochemical backgrounds of the watershed. Based on that behaviour, calculated anthropogenic Pb net inputs amounted to between 1.24 and 1.8 g/m².     

Real-time forecasting of water table depth and soil moisture profiles

We present a method for real-time forecasting of water table depth and soil moisture profiles. The method combines a simple form of data-assimilation with a moving window calibration of a deterministic model describing flow in the unsaturated zone and local as well as regional drainage. The local drainage level is calibrated on-line using a moving window calibration. Assigning more weight to the last available measurements then yields a form of model adaptation that is in between on-line calibration and data-assimilation (i.e. a simplified form of Newtonian nudging). Five-day hydrological forecasts are performed based on 5-day weather forecasts, while on-line observations of phreatic level and soil moisture content are assimilated on a daily basis. Advantages of the proposed method are that it improves the real-time forecasts compared to off-line calibration and ordinary moving window calibration and that it yields physically consistent soil moisture profiles.     

On the effects of petrographic composition on coalbed methane sorption

The effect of petrographic composition on the methane sorption capacity has been determined for a suite of coals and organic-rich shales. Subbituminous and bituminous coals were separated into bright and dull lithotypes by hand-picking. The methane sorption capacities range between 0.5 and 23.9 cm³/g at a pressure of 6 MPa. The low volatile bituminous Canmore coal and the anthracite sample have the highest capacities with the “natural coke” having the lowest. For low-rank coals there is no significant difference between bright and dull samples except for one coal with the dull sample having a greater sorption capacity than its bright equivalent. For higher-rank coals, the bright samples have a greater methane capacity than the dull samples and the difference between sample pairs increases with rank. The boghead coal samples have the highest sorption capacities in the liptinite-rich coals suite and are higher than subbituminous to medium volatile bituminous samples. Pore size distribution indicates that methane is held as solution gas in liptinite-rich coals and by physical sorption in micropores in liptinite-poor coals. These contrasting processes illustrate that liptinite-rich samples need to be independently assessed. The positive relationship between reactive inertinite content and methane sorption capacity occurs within the subbituminous to medium volatile bituminous coals because the reactive inertinite is structurally similar to vitrinite and have a higher microporosity than non-reactive inertinite. Reactivity of inertinite should be assessed in CBM studies of dull coals to provide a better understanding of petrographic composition effects on methane capacity.     

Interaction of tectonics, eustasy, climate and carbonate production on the sedimentary evolution of an early/middle Jurassic extensional basin (Southern Provence Sub-basin, SE France)

This paper describes the evolution of an extensional basin in regard to the nature and sequence stratigraphic arrangement of its carbonate deposits. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the respective effects of tectonism, eustasy, climate and oceanography on a carbonate sedimentary record. The case study is the early to mid‐Jurassic age carbonate succession of the Southern Provence Sub‐basin (SE France), located within the southern part of the extensional Western European Tethyan Margin. This work is based on sedimentologic, biostratigraphic (using ammonites and brachiopods) and sequence stratigraphic analysis of the carbonate facies of the Cherty Reddish Limestone Formation (late Sinemurian to earliest Bajocian). These strata were deposited in shoreface to lower offshore depositional environments. The succession of the various environments together with the recognition of key stratigraphic surfaces allow us to define four second‐order depositional sequences; of late Sinemurian to earliest Pliensbachian, early Pliensbachian to late Pliensbachian, earliest Toarcian to middle Aalenian and late Aalenian to early Bathonian ages. The architecture of the depositional sequences (thickness and facies variations within the systems tracts, wedge‐shaped geometries) reflects a strong tectonic control. The sub‐basin was structured by extensional faults (oriented approximately 070–090/250–270). Sea‐level variations, fluctuations in carbonate production and preservation, and environmental changes were also significant controlling factors of the carbonate deposition. The interplay of the tectonic control with the other factors resulted in five main phases in the sedimentary evolution of the sub‐basin: (1) dominant tectonic control during the initial rifting stage (late Sinemurian to early Pliensbachian); (2) increasing extensional tectonics (mid‐Pliensbachian); (3) global climato‐eustatic sea‐level fall (latest Pliensbachian) and global climato‐eustatic sea‐level rise plus hypoxia/anoxia (early Toarcian); (4) relative sea‐level fall linked to tectonic uplift related to the ‘Mid‐Cimmerian phase’ (mid‐Aalenian) and (5) oceanographic events (upwelling) and reduction in carbonate production (hypoxia/anoxia) plus tectonic downwarping (late Aalenian/earliest Bajocian).