Model tests on XCC-piled embankment under dynamic train load of high-speed railways

Piled embankments, which offer many advantages, are increasingly popular in construction of high-speed railways in China. Although the performance of piled embankment under static loading is well-known, the behavior under the dynamic train load of a high-speed railway is not yet understood. In light of this, a heavily instrumented piled embankment model was set up, and a model test was carried out, in which a servo-hydraulic actuator outputting M-shaped waves was adopted to simulate the process of a running train. Earth pressure, settlement, strain in the geogrid and pile and excess pore water pressure were measured. The results show that the soil arching height under the dynamic train load of a high-speed railway is shorter than under static loading. The growth trend for accumulated settlement slowed down after long-term vibration although there was still a tendency for it to increase. Accumulated geogrid strain has an increasing tendency after long-term vibration. The closer the embankment edge, the greater the geogrid strain over the subsoil. Strains in the pile were smaller under dynamic train loads, and their distribution was different from that under static loading. At the same elevation, excess pore water pressure under the track slab was greater than that under the embankment shoulder.     

Rupture model of the 2013 M_W 6.6 Lushan (China) earthquake constrained by a new GPS data set and its effects on potential seismic hazard

Vertical records are critically important when determining the rupture model of an earthquake, especially a thrust earthquake. Due to the relatively low fitness level of near-field vertical displacements, the precision of previous rupture models is relatively low, and the seismic hazard evaluated thereafter should be further updated. In this study, we applied three-component displacement records from GPS stations in and around the source region of the 2013 MW6.6 Lushan earthquake to re-investigate the rupture model.To improve the resolution of the rupture model, records from both continuous and campaign GPS stations were gathered, and secular deformations of the GPS movements were removed from the records of the campaign stations to ensure their reliability. The rupture model was derived by the steepest descent method(SDM), which is based on a layered velocity structure. The peak slip value was about 0.75 m, with a seismic moment release of 9.89 × 10~(18) N·m, which was equivalent to an M_W6.6 event. The inferred fault geometry coincided well with the aftershock distribution of the Lushan earthquake. Unlike previous rupture models, a secondary slip asperity existed at a shallow depth and even touched the ground surface. Based on the distribution of the co-seismic ruptures of the Lushan and Wenchuan earthquakes, post-seismic relaxation of the Wenchuan earthquake, and tectonic loading process, we proposed that the seismic hazard is quite high and still needs special attention in the seismic gap between the two earthquakes.     

Mesozoic mafic magmatism in North China: Implications for thinning and destruction of cratonic lithosphere

The North China Craton (NCC) has been thinned from >200 km to <100 km in its eastern part. The ancient subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) has been replaced by the juvenile SCLM in the Meoszoic. During this period, the NCC was destructed as indicated by extensive magmatism in the Early Cretaceous. While there is a consensus on the thinning and destruction of cratonic lithosphere in North China, it has been hotly debated about the mechanism of cartonic destruction. This study attempts to provide a resolution to current debates in the view of Mesozoic mafic magmatism in North China. We made a compilation of geochemical data available for Mesozoic mafic igneous rocks in the NCC. The results indicate that these mafic igneous rocks can be categorized into two series, manifesting a dramatic change in the nature of mantle sources at ~121 Ma. Mafic igneous rocks emplaced at this age start to show both oceanic island basalts (OIB)-like trace element distribution patterns and depleted to weakly enriched Sr-Nd isotope compositions. In contrast, mafic igneous rocks emplaced before and after this age exhibit both island arc basalts (IAB)-like trace element distribution patterns and enriched Sr-Nd isotope compositions. This difference indicates a geochemical mutation in the SCLM of North China at ~121 Ma. Although mafic magmatism also took place in the Late Triassic, it was related to exhumation of the deeply subducted South China continental crust because the subduction of Paleo-Pacific slab was not operated at that time. Paleo-Pacific slab started to subduct beneath the eastern margin of Eruasian continent since the Jurrasic. The subducting slab and its overlying SCLM wedge were coupled in the Jurassic, and slab dehydration resulted in hydration and weakening of the cratonic mantle. The mantle sources of ancient IAB-like mafic igneous rocks are a kind of ultramafic metasomatites that were generated by reaction of the cratonic mantle wedge peridotite not only with aqueous solutions derived from dehydration of the subducting Paleo-Pacific oceanic crust in the Jurassic but also with hydrous melts derived from partial melting of the subducting South China continental crust in the Triassic. On the other hand, the mantle sources of juvenile OIB-like mafic igneous rocks are also a kind of ultramafic metasomatites that were generated by reaction of the asthenospheric mantle underneath the North China lithosphere with hydrous felsic melts derived from partial melting of the subducting Paleo-Pacific oceanic crust. The subducting Paleo-Pacific slab became rollback at ~144 Ma. Afterwards the SCLM base was heated by laterally filled asthenospheric mantle, leading to thinning of the hydrated and weakened cratonic mantle. There was extensive bimodal magmatism at 130 to 120 Ma, marking intensive destruction of the cratonic lithosphere. Not only the ultramafic metasomatites in the lower part of the cratonic mantle wedge underwent partial melting to produce mafic igneous rocks showing negative ε_Nd(t) values, depletion in Nb and Ta but enrichment in Pb, but also the lower continent crust overlying the cratonic mantle wedge was heated for extensive felsic magmatism. At the same time, the rollback slab surface was heated by the laterally filled asthenospheric mantle, resulting in partial melting of the previously dehydrated rocks beyond rutile stability on the slab surface. This produce still hydrous felsic melts, which metasomatized the overlying asthenospheric mantle peridotite to generate the ultramafic metasomatites that show positive ε_Nd(t) values, no depletion or even enrichment in Nb and Ta but depletion in Pb. Partial melting of such metasomatites started at ~121 Ma, giving rise to the mafic igneous rocks with juvenile OIB-like geochemical signatures. In this context, the age of ~121 Ma may terminate replacement of the ancient SCLM by the juvenile SCLM in North China. Paleo-Pacific slab was not subducted to the mantle transition zone in the Mesozoic as revealed by modern seismic tomography, and it was subducted at a low angle since the Jurassic, like the subduction of Nazca Plate beneath American continent. This flat subduction would not only chemically metasomatize the cratonic mantle but also physically erode the cratonic mantle. Therefore, the interaction between Paleo-Pacific slab and the cratonic mantle is the first-order geodynamic mechanism for the thinning and destruction of cratonic lithosphere in North China.     

Subduction and retreating of the western Pacific plate resulted in lithospheric mantle replacement and coupled basin-mountain respond in the North China Craton

The North China Craton (NCC) witnessed Mesozoic vigorous tectono-thermal activities and transition in the nature of deep lithosphere. These processes took place in three periods: (1) Late Paleozoic to Early Jurassic (～170 Ma); (2) Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous (160–140 Ma); (3) Early Cretaceous to Cenozoic (140 Ma to present). The last two stages saw the lithospheric mantle replacement and coupled basin-mountain response within the North China Craton due to subduction and retreating of the Paleo-Pacific plate, and is the emphasis in this paper. In the first period, the subduction and closure of the Paleo- Asian Ocean triggered the back-arc extension, syn-collisional compression and then post-collisional extension accompanied by ubiquitous magmatism along the northern margin of the NCC. Similar processes happened in the southern margin of the craton as the subduction of the Paleo-Tethys ocean and collision with the South China Block. These processes had caused the chemical modification and mechanical destruction of the cratonic margins. The margins could serve as conduits for the asthenosphere upwelling and had the priority for magmatism and deformation. The second period saw the closure of the Mongol-Okhotsk ocean and the shear deformation and magmatism induced by the drifting of the Paleo-Pacific slab. The former led to two pulse of N-S trending compression (Episodes A and B of the Yanshan Movement) and thus the pre-existing continental marginal basins were disintegrated into sporadically basin and range province by the Mesozoic magmatic plutons and NE-SW trending faults. With the anticlockwise rotation of the Paleo-Pacific moving direction, the subduction-related magmatism migrated into the inner part of the craton and the Tanlu fault became normal fault from a sinistral one. The NCC thus turned into a back-arc extension setting at the end of this period. In the third period, the refractory subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) was firstly remarkably eroded and thinned by the subduction-induced asthenospheric upwelling, especially those beneath the weak zones (i.e., cratonic margins and the lithospheric Tanlu fault zone). Then a slightly lithospheric thickening occurred when the upwelled asthenosphere got cool and transformed to be lithospheric mantle accreted (～125 Ma) beneath the thinned SCLM. Besides, the magmatism continuously moved southeastward and the extensional deformations preferentially developed in weak zones, which include the Early Cenozoic normal fault transformed from the Jurassic thrust in the Trans-North Orogenic Belt, the crustal detachment and the subsidence of Bohai basin caused by the continuous normal strike slip of the Tanlu fault, the Cenozoic graben basins originated from the fault depression in the Trans-North Orogenic Belt, the Bohai Basin and the Sulu Orogenic belt. With small block size, inner lithospheric weak zones and the surrounding subductions/collisions, the Mesozoic NCC was characterized by (1) lithospheric thinning and crustal detachment triggered by the subduction-induced asthenospheric upwelling. Local crustal contraction and orogenesis appeared in the Trans-North Orogenic Belt coupled with the crustal detachment; (2) then upwelled asthenosphere got cool to be newly-accreted lithospheric mantle and crustal grabens and basin subsidence happened, as a result of the subduction zone retreating. Therefore, the subduction and retreating of the western Pacific plate is the outside dynamics which resulted in mantle replacement and coupled basin-mountain respond within the North China Craton. We consider that the Mesozoic decratonization of the North China Craton, or the Yanshan Movement, is a comprehensive consequence of complex geological processes proceeding surrounding and within craton, involving both the deep lithospheric mantle and shallow continental crust.     

Granite is an Effective Helium Source Rock: Insights from the Helium Generation and Release Characteristics in Granites from the North Qinling Orogen,China

Global helium(He) shortage is a challenging problem; however, the types of helium source rock and the mechanisms of He generation and release therein remain still poorly understood. In this study, in order to evaluate the potential of granite as an effective helium source rock, we collected granitic samples from the North Qinling Orogen, Central China, in the south of the helium-rich Weihe Basin. The helium generation and release behaviors in granite were studied through analysis of U and Th concentrations, EMPA images, and He and Ar concentrations and isotopic ratios extracted by crushing and stepwise heating. The results indicate that Ar has a better retention and a lower mobility than He. 3 He/4 He ratios released by crushing and stepwise heating are 0.016–0.056 RA and 0.003–0.572 RA, respectively, where RA is the atmospheric 3 He/4 He of 1.4×10-6, reflecting a crustal and radiogenic source. Helium concentrations extracted by the two ways are 0.13–0.95 ucm3 STP/g and 7.82–115.62 ucm3 STP/g, respectively, suggesting that matrix-sited He accounts for more than 98% of total helium preserved in granite. In addition, the total generated He amounts in granites are calculated based on the measured U and Th concentrations in granitic samples. Dividing the preserved He quantities by the generated He amounts, it turned out that less than 10% of He produced since the formation of the granite is preserved in the rock over geological time, suggesting that more than 90% generated He can be transferred to the Weihe Basin. Temperature and fracture are the two critical factors controlling He release. Based on the relationship between He diffusivity of granites and temperature and the He closure temperatures of a variety of U-and Th-rich minerals(27–250°C), we estimate that He can be partially released out of granite at the depths 400 m and totally released at the depths 7800 m. Fractures provide effective transfer of free He from deep source rocks to shallow reservoirs. Finally, a model on granite as an effective helium source rock is established. We suggest exploring He resources in hydrocarbon basins with granitic basement(or adjacent to granite bodies), high geothermal field, and young active fractures.     

分形岩石裂隙中渗流扩散运动的试验研究

由于存在大量粗糙不规则裂隙,使得岩体中流体运动极为复杂。针对天然粗糙岩石裂隙渗流试验存在物理模型隐蔽性和不可重复性等难点,基于三维Weierstrass-Mandelbrot分形函数构建了粗糙节理面的裂隙通道,采用3D打印技术获得了透明精细的裂隙模型,使用微流体控制仪研究了不同试验条件下的裂隙渗流扩散运动,分析了裂隙通道流量与压力水头、裂隙宽度和分形维数之间的关系。研究结果表明：与平行板立方定律近似,在分形裂隙中,裂隙通道流量与压力水头成线性关系;单宽流量与裂隙通道的宽度成近似的三次方关系;考虑分形维数影响时,相同条件下流过裂隙通道的流量随着分形维数的增加而增加;粗糙裂隙渗流立方定律可采用与分形维数相关的幂指数函数进行修正。     

Flood risk assessment in Quzhou City (China) using a coupled hydrodynamic model and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE)

Natural Hazards - To evaluate urban flood risk while considering spatial and temporal characteristics, this paper establishes an assessment method based on a coupled hydrodynamic model and a fuzzy...     

CEDLES: a framework for plugin-based applications for earthquake risk prediction and loss assessment

Natural Hazards - To evaluate the seismic risk and loss caused by an earthquake, many earthquake disaster loss assessment softwares have been developed. However, it is difficult to apply one...     

云南省新平县哀牢山地区富硒土壤成因及其影响因素研究

以云南省新平县者竜—戛洒地区1∶5万土地质量地球化学调查评价结果为基础,对该地区富硒土壤的成因及其影响因素进行分析,结果表明,研究区土壤硒平均含量为0.38 mg/kg,高于全国土壤硒平均含量0.29 mg/kg,按0.4 mg/kg相似文献   

基于MODIS数据的2002～2006年中国陆地NPP分析

对2002～2006年MODIS数据进行处理,统计得出5 a间全国年均陆地植被净初级生产力(NPP)为1.5 PgC;5 a全国NPP组成分析显示,NPP绝大部分集中在0～300 gC/m2区间,所占比例约为70%～85%;全国大部分地区年NPP呈现出减少的趋势,受城市扩张、新增工业用地等人类活动影响显著。