Shelf‐edge deltas are a key depositional environment for accreting sediment onto shelf‐margin clinoforms. The Moruga Formation, part of the palaeo‐Orinoco shelf‐margin sedimentary prism of south‐east Trinidad, provides new insight into the incremental growth of a Pliocene, storm wave‐dominated shelf margin. Relatively little is known about the mechanisms of sand bypass from the shelf‐break area of margins, and in particular from storm wave‐dominated margins which are generally characterized by drifting of sand along strike until meeting a canyon or channel. The studied St. Hilaire Siltstone and Trinity Hill Sandstone succession is 260 m thick and demonstrates a continuous transition from gullied (with turbidites) uppermost slope upward to storm wave‐dominated delta front on the outermost shelf. The basal upper‐slope deposits are dominantly mass‐transport deposited blocks, as well as associated turbidites and debrites with common soft‐sediment‐deformed strata. The overlying uppermost slope succession exhibits a spectacular set of gullies, which are separated by abundant slump‐scar unconformities (tops of rotational slides), then filled with debris‐flow conglomerates and sandy turbidite beds with interbedded mudstones. The top of the study succession, on the outer‐shelf area, contains repeated upward‐coarsening, sandstone‐rich parasequences (2 to 15 m thick) with abundant hummocky and swaley cross‐stratification, clear evidence of storm‐swell and storm wave‐dominated conditions. The observations suggest reconstruction of the unstable shelf margin as follows: (i) the aggradational storm wave‐dominated, shelf‐edge delta front became unstable and collapsed down the slope; (ii) the excavated scars of the shelf margin became gullied, but gradually healed (aggraded) by repeated infilling by debris flows and turbidites, and then new gullying and further infilling; and (iii) a renewed storm wave‐dominated delta‐front prograded out across the healed outer shelf, re‐establishing the newly stabilized shelf margin. The Moruga Formation study, along with only a few others in the literature, confirms the sediment bypass ability of storm wave‐dominated reaches of shelf edges, despite river‐dominated deltas being, by far, the most efficient shelf‐edge regime for sediment bypass at the shelf break. 相似文献
The carbonate-free fraction of 20 surface sediments collected from the ultraslow-spreading Southwest Indian Ridge(SWIR) was studied by grain size analysis and mineralogical analysis with X-ray powder diffraction(XRD),stereo microscopy and scanning electron microscopy(SEM). The characteristics of the carbonate-free fraction of the sediments were obtained, and related influential factors were discussed. The results show that the mean grain size of this fraction is in 1.96Φ–8.19Φ, with poorly sorting and unimodal, bimodal or irregular bimodal distribution patterns. Four grain size end members of the fraction are derived with the End Member Model method. The finest end member EM1 shows a significant contribution of terrigenous materials of the aeolian input and sediment carried by the bottom current. End member EM2 with medium size mainly reflects sediment of a siliceous bioclast origin. EM3 and EM4 are interpreted as representing the coarser volcanic materials related to bedrock weathering or volcanic activities. Multi-provenance is the dominant factor controlling the grain size pattern of the carbonate-free fraction of the sediments in that area. In addition, sediment transport processes such as the bottom current and wind are the minor factors that influence the grain size distribution of the carbonate-free fraction sediments. 相似文献
In 2013, Chang'E-3 program will develop lunar mineral resources in-situ detection. A Visible and Near-infrared Imaging Spectrometer (VNIS) has been selected as one payload of CE-3 lunar rover to achieve this goal. It is critical and urgent to evaluate VNIS' spectrum data quality and validate quantification methods for mineral composition before its launch. Ground validation experiment of VNIS was carried out to complete the two goals, by simulating CE-3 lunar rover's detection environment on lunar surface in the laboratory. Based on the hyperspectral reflectance data derived, Correlation Analysis and Partial Least Square (CA-PLS) algorithm is applied to predict abundance of four lunar typical minerals (pyroxene, plagioclase, ilmenite and olivine) in their mixture. We firstly selected a set of VNIS' spectral parameters which highly correlated with minerals' abundance by correlation analysis (CA), and then stepwise regression method was used to find out spectral parameters which make the largest contri- butions to the mineral contents. At last, functions were derived to link minerals' abundance and spectral parameters by partial least square (PLS) algorithm. Not considering the effect of maturity, agglutinate and Fe~, we found that there are wonderful correlations between these four minerals and VNIS' spectral parameters, e.g. the abundance of pyroxene correlates positively with the mixture's absorption depth, the value of absorption depth added as the in- creasing of pyroxene's abundance. But the abundance of plagioclase correlates negatively with the spectral parame- ters of band ratio, the value of band ratio would decrease when the abundance of plagioclase increased. Similar to plagioclase, the abundance of ilmenite and olivine has a negative correlation with the mixture's reflectance data, if the abundance of ilmenite or olivine increase, the reflectance values of the mixture will decrease. Through model validation, better estimates of pyroxene, plagioclase and ilmenite's abundances are given. It is concluded that VNIS has the capability to be applied on lunar minerals' identification, and CA-PLS algorithm has the potential to be used on lunar surface's in-situ detection for minerals' abundance prediction. 相似文献
The effect law of deformation and failure of a jointed rock mass is essential for underground engineering safety and stability evaluation. In order to study the evolution mechanism and precursory characteristics of instability and failure of jointed rock masses, uniaxial compression and acoustic emission (AE) tests are conducted on sandstones with different joint dip angles. To simulate the mechanical behavior of the rock, a jointed rock mass damage constitutive model with AE characteristic parameters is created based on damage mechanics theory and taking into account the effect of rock mass structure and load coupling. To quantify the mechanism of rock instability, a cusp catastrophe model with AE characteristic parameters is created based on catastrophe theory. The results indicate that when the joint dip angle increases from 0° to 90°, the failure mechanism of sandstone shifts from tensile to shear, with 45° being the critical failure mode. Sandstone's compressive strength reduces initially and subsequently increases, resulting in a U-shaped distribution. The developed damage constitutive model's theoretical curve closely matches the test curve, indicating that the model can reasonably describe the damage evolution of sandstone. The cusp catastrophe model has a high forecast accuracy, and when combined with the damage constitutive model, the prediction accuracy can be increased further. The research results can provide theoretical guidance for the safety and stability evaluation of underground engineering.
Short-wave infrared reflectance spectra obtained from a Portable Infrared Mineral Analyser (PIMA) have been used to define alteration zones adjacent to base metal sulfide ore bodies at the Elura Mine, Cobar, Australia. The spectroscopic work identified white mica (sericite), chlorite and carbonates of hydrothermal origin in the alteration zones associated with the ore bodies. Weathering, alteration and ore zones can be discriminated by variations in the intensity and wavelength of relevant absorption features. Hydrothermal alteration is classified into four principal types, namely sericitic, silicic, chloritic and carbonate alteration. The first three types comprise overprinting hydrothermal assemblages of quartz, sericite, chlorite, ankerite, siderite, calcite and sulfides developed in strongly altered metasiltstone and slate of Early Devonian age, adjacent to the zinc–lead–silver mineralisation. An extensive zone of carbonate alteration, manifested as porphyroblasts of siderite in the host metasediments, is recognised beyond the zones of strong alteration. Spectral analysis is consistent with the mineralogical data obtained from XRD and XRF analyses and defines the limits of the alteration zones to distances of about 80 m around the ore bodies. The study demonstrates the potential for spectral analysis to assist with drill hole logging and the identification of alteration zones as part of mineral exploration and development programs. 相似文献