Influence of heterogeneity on unsaturated hydraulic properties: (1) local heterogeneity and scale effect

Spatial heterogeneity is ubiquitous in nature, which may significantly affect the soil hydraulic property curves. The models of a closed‐form functional relationship of soil hydraulic property curves (e.g. VG model or exponential model) are valid at point or local scale based on a point‐scale hydrological process, but how do scale effects of heterogeneity have an influence on the parameters of these models when the models are used in a larger scale process? This paper uses a two‐dimensional variably saturated flow and solute transport finite element model (VSAFT2) to simulate variations of pressure and moisture content in the soil flume under a constant head boundary condition. By changing different numerical simulation block sizes, a quantitative evaluation of parameter variations in the VG model, resulting from the scale effects, is presented. Results show that the parameters of soil hydraulic properties are independent of scale in homogeneous media. Parameters of α and n in homogeneous media, which are estimated by using the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curve (UHC) or the soil water retention curve (WRC), are identical. Variations of local heterogeneities strongly affect the soil hydraulic properties, and the scale affects the results of the parameter estimations when numerical experiments are conducted. Furthermore, the discrepancy of each curve becomes considerable when moisture content becomes closer to a dry situation. Parameters estimated by UHC are totally different from the ones estimated by WRC. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geophysical constraints on mesozoic disruption of North China Craton by underplating‐triggered lower‐crust flow of the Archaean lithosphere

The mechanism of the disruption, both lithospheric thinning and oceanization of the commonly accepted long‐term‐stable Archaean craton, is still an open question. The available models, all imply a bottom to top process. With the construction of a 1660‐km‐long transect across the eastern North China Craton (NCC), we demonstrate that both the P‐wave velocity and density in the lowermost crust beneath the central section are significantly higher than in the corresponding parts of the south and north sections on the transect. These features are interpreted as geophysical signature of lower crustal underplating, which supplies sufficiently high gravitational potential energy to trigger lateral flow of the lower crust. This magma underplating‐triggered bilateral lower crust flow may facilitate the lithospheric thinning by means of asthenosphere upwelling and decompression melting, which infill the gap produced by the lower crust flow. The underplating‐triggered lower crustal flow can provide an alternative mechanism to explain the NCC lithosphere disruption, which highlights the crustal feedback to Archaean lithosphere disruption, from top to bottom.     

Soil‐pile interaction in the pile vertical vibration considering true three‐dimensional wave effect of soil

The dynamic response of an end bearing pile embedded in a linear visco‐elastic soil layer with hysteretic type damping is theoretically investigated when the pile is subjected to a time‐harmonic vertical loading at the pile top. The soil is modeled as a three‐dimensional axisymmetric continuum in which both its radial and vertical displacements are taken into account. The pile is assumed to be vertical, elastic and of uniform circular cross section. By using two potential functions to decompose the displacements of the soil layer and utilizing the separation of variables technique, the dynamic equilibrium equation is uncoupled and solved. At the interface of soil‐pile system, the boundary conditions of displacement continuity and force equilibrium are invoked to derive a closed‐form solution of the vertical dynamic response of the pile in frequency domain. The corresponding inverted solutions in time domain for the velocity response of a pile subjected to a semi‐sine excitation force applied at the pile top are obtained by means of inverse Fourier transform and the convolution theorem. A comparison with two other simplified solutions has been performed to verify the more rigorous solutions presented in this paper. Using the developed solutions, a parametric study has also been conducted to investigate the influence of the major parameters of the soil‐pile system on the vertical vibration characteristics of the pile. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

大跨度三塔斜拉桥主塔施工测量技术研究

蒙华铁路洞庭湖大桥是世界最大跨度的三塔铁路斜拉桥,对大桥主塔的测量精度要求极高。本文主要介绍了蒙华铁路洞庭湖三塔斜拉桥主塔的施工测量控制技术,针对斜拉桥塔座、塔柱、索导管等关键结构的控制测量,结合洞庭湖大桥的工程施工特点进行研究,并对三维极坐标放样及全站仪天顶测距法进行精度分析。     

内蒙古敖汉旗七家金矿闪长玢岩锆石U-Pb年代学、地球化学及地质意义

内蒙古敖汉旗七家金矿构造位置上处于兴蒙造山带与华北克拉通北缘的结合部位, 靠近兴蒙造山带一侧, 是近年来新发现的石英脉型金矿床.区内岩脉以闪长玢岩为主, 且与石英脉型矿体空间关系密切.根据岩脉与矿体的穿插关系, 将其分为成矿前闪长玢岩和成矿后闪长玢岩.LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年代学表明, 成矿前闪长玢岩加权平均年龄为166.3±3.4 Ma, 成矿后闪长玢岩加权平均年龄为128.6±4.5 Ma, 与区域上两期构造-岩浆活动时间(分别为160 Ma左右和128 Ma左右)近似吻合.主量元素特征显示: 二者均属于准铝质, 高钾钙碱性系列; 微量元素特征显示: 二者均富集轻稀土元素、大离子亲石元素(Rb、K)和活泼的不相容元素(U、Pb), 相对亏损重稀土元素和高场强元素(Nb、Ta、Ti), 反映出岩浆来源具壳源特征.主微量元素特征均显示出二者具有岛弧岩浆岩的地球化学属性.另外, 成矿后闪长玢岩有较高的Nb/Ta(18.66~20.27)和Zr/Hf(37.16~39.23)比值, 暗示其岩浆来源具明显的幔源特征.岩石地球化学特征表明, 成矿前闪长玢岩可能起源于太平洋板块俯冲导致的下地壳部分熔融岩浆; 成矿后闪长玢岩可能起源于俯冲流体交代的地幔楔熔融岩浆, 并在其演化侵位过程中伴有地壳物质的混染.结合闪长玢岩成岩时代、岩石成因及区域构造演化, 反映出七家金矿的形成与太平洋板块的西向俯冲密切相关, 矿床在地壳由挤压增厚向伸展减薄的转换过程中形成.