A generalized model for effective thermal conductivity of soils considering porosity and mineral composition

Acta Geotechnica - Soils have a variety of mineral compositions. Although a number of thermal conductivity models have been developed for soils, few quantitatively investigated the effect of...     

On the long-term seismic hazard analysis in the Zhangjiakou–Penglai seismotectonic zone, China

The Zhangjiakou–Penglai seismotectonic zone (ZPSZ) lies in the northern part of North China and extends along the Zhangjiakou–Beijing–Tianjin–Bohai Bay–Penglai–Yellow Sea. It is about 900 km long and some 250 km wide in a northwest direction. The great Sanhe-Pinggu (M_S=8.0) earthquake occurred on September 1679 and the Tangshan (M_S=7.8) earthquake on July 1976 caused serious economic and life losses. According to some differences in crust structure and regional tectonic stress field, the ZPSZ is divided into western and eastern segment by the 117°E line for study on long-term seismic hazard analysis. An analysis of Gutenberg–Richter's empirical relation of earthquake-frequency and time process of historic and recent earthquakes along the eastern and western segments shows that the earthquake activity obeys a Poisson process, and these calculations indicate that the earthquake occurrence probability of M_S=6.0–6.9 is 0.77–0.83 in the eastern segment and the earthquake occurrence probability of M_S=7.0–7.9 is 0.78–0.80 in the western segment of the ZPSZ during a period from 2005 to 2015.     

Lateral bearing performance and mechanism of piles in the transition zone due to pit-in-pit excavation

Acta Geotechnica - Excavation types of foundation pits for large-scale or special-purpose urban construction have been more and more complex, and the environmental safety issues caused by pit...     

Strengthening mechanisms in cement-stabilized kaolinite revealed by cross-scale nanoindentation

Acta Geotechnica - The macroscale mechanical properties of cement-stabilized soil have been widely reported, but the microscale behavior remains largely unexplored. This paper presents the first...     

Non-coaxiality of soft clay generated by principal stress rotation under high-speed train loading

Plenty of geomechanics tests and theories have confirmed the existence of non-coaxiality while soil is subjected to principal stress rotation. This paper investigated the influence of one particular principal stress path, which is a ‘heart-shape’ stress path that is normally induced by high-speed train loading, on the non-coaxiality of reconstituted soft clay. Hollow cylinder apparatus was employed to carry out series of undrained dynamic tests. The goals of this study were to (1) reveal the essential factors of complex cyclic loading paths that influence non-coaxiality in clayey soil and (2) quantify the influence of the factors on variation in non-coaxiality under the high-speed training loading. To analyze the non-coaxiality under high-speed train loading, (a) the pure rotation stress path was utilized as comparison for underling the different influence that ‘heart-shape’ stress path has from other conventional cyclic stress paths. (b) Two variables, dynamic stress ratio and tension–compression amplitude ratio, were introduced in analyzing the evolution of the non-coaxial angle. (c) Based on the test results, equations for describing the revolution of non-coaxiality were proposed which can help to describe the variation in non-coaxial angle under complex loadings quantitatively and understand the influence of the major factors of the stress path intensively.

     

Basin hydrogeological characterization using remote sensing,hydrogeochemical and isotope methods (the case of Baro-Akobo,Eastern Nile,Ethiopia)

Hydrogeochemical and isotopic signatures of the waters of the Baro-Akobo River Basin show deviation from signatures in other Ethiopian river basins. In this study, hydrogeochemical and isotope methods were employed to determine regional and local hydrogeology and characteristics of the basin. Optical, thermal and radar remote sensing products were used to update geological and structural maps of the basin and determine sampling points using the judgment sampling method. A total of 363 samples from wells, springs, rivers, lakes, swamps and rain were collected for this study, and an additional 270 water quality data sets were added from previous studies. These data were analyzed for their hydrogeochemical characteristics and isotope signatures. Analysis of the oxygen, deuterium and tritium isotopes shows the groundwater of the basin is modern water. Among all basins in Ethiopia, the Baro-Akobo Basin shows the highest enrichment. This indicates the proximity of the rainfall sources, which presumably are the Sudd and other wetlands in South Sudan. The hydrochemical properties of the waters show evapotranspiration is the dominant hydrologic process in the basin and explains the large amount of water that is lost in the lowland plain. Analysis of radon-222 shows no significant groundwater flux over the wetlands, which are part of Machar Marshes. This shows evaporation to be dominant hydrologic process in this zone. Results from all analyses help explain the limited holding capacity of the aquifers in the recharge zone and their vulnerability to anthropogenic impacts and climate variability. There is a trend of decreasing surface flow and rainfall and increasing water soil erosion.     

Paleogene of the Huanghekou Sag in the Bohai Bay Basin,NE China: deposition–erosion response to a slope break system of rift lacustrine basins

The sequence architecture and depositional systems of the Paleogene lacustrine rift succession in the Huanghekou Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, NE China were investigated based on seismic profiles, combined with well log and core data. Four second‐order or composite sequences and seven third‐order sequences were identified. The depositional systems identified in the basin include: fan delta, braid delta, meander fluvial delta, lacustrine and sublacustrine fan. Identification of the slope break was conducted combining the interpretation of faults of each sequence and the identification of syndepositional faults, based on the subdivision of sequence stratigraphy and analysis of depositional systems. Multiple geomorphologic units were recognized in the Paleogene of the Huanghekou Sag including faults, flexures, depositional slope break belts, ditch‐valleys and sub‐uplifts in the central sag. Using genetic division principles and taking into consideration tectonic features of the Paleogene of the Huanghekou Sag, the study area was divided into the Northern Steep Slope/Fault Slope Break System, the Southern Gentle Slope Break System and T10 Tectonic Slope Break System/T10 Tectonic Belt. Responses of slope break systems to deposition–erosion are shown as: (1) basin marginal slope break is the boundary of the eroded area and provenance area; (2) ditch‐valley formed by different kinds of slope break belts is a good transport bypass for source materials; (3) shape of the slope break belt of the slope break system controls sediments types; (4) the ditch‐valley and sub‐sag of a slope break system is an unloading area for sediments; and (5) due to their different origins, association characteristics and developing patterns, the Paleogene slope break belt systems in the Huanghekou Sag show different controls on depositional systems. The Northern Fault Slope Break system controls the deposition of a fan delta‐lacustrine‐subaqueous fan, the Southern Gentle Slope Break system controls the deposition of a fluvial–deltaic–shallow lacustrine and sublacustrine fan, and the T10 Tectonic Slope Break System controls the deposition of shallow lacustrine beach bar sandbodies. The existence of a slope break system is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for studying sandbody development. The formation of effective sandbodies along the slope break depends on the reasonable coupling of effective provenance, necessary association patterns of slope break belt, adequate unloading space and creation of definite accommodation space. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The attenuation of acoustic-gravity waves in a slightly dissipative atmosphere

This paper is concerned with computation of the attenuation coefficient of internal acoustic-gravity waves in a slightly dissipative horizontally stratified atmosphere. Two models are generally used in deriving this attenuation coefficient. In one model, the nonlinear hydrodynamic equations are analyzed by using a Stokes expansion and the WKB solutions to the linearized perturbations are sought by using the coupled mode formulation. In the second model, the attenuation is viewed as the dissipation of pseudoenergy. We show in this paper that in a slightly dissipative atmosphere, these two models give identical results as far as computation of the attenuation coefficient is concerned, although in a highly dissipative atmosphere the results are known to be different.     

环流分解及其在沉积地层旋回分析中的应用

本文应用马尔柯夫链进行地层序列分析。当一个地层序列形成一个具有马尔柯夫性质和极限概率分布的马尔柯夫链时,它的转移概率矩阵可分解为细致平衡部分和环流部分。根据环流矩阵可确定该序列中的主要沉积旋回趋势,为地层序列分析提供重要依据。本文给出了两个研究实例。     

活动断裂引发的环境地质问题及措施

随着经济的飞速发展和现代化建设的加快，全社会防灾减灾意识的增强，在国土规划、抗震规划及高、深、大型工程项目的建设中，对活动断裂的研究，已成为勘测、设计中的重要课题。本文就影响张家口市城市安全的活动断裂的类型、空间展布、活动特征、引发的环境地质灾害及工程对策等予以阐述，为城市规划提供依据。