Dynamic behaviour of pile foundations in homogeneous and non-homogeneous media

A three-dimensional formulation based on Green's functions of cylindrical loads in layered semi-infinite media is employed to investigate the dynamic behaviour of piles in homogeneous and non-homogeneous half spaces. The pile-soil-pile interaction taking place in pile groups is incorporated in the model. The results presented in this paper include the dynamic stiffnesses and dampings of single piles as well as those of representative 2 × 2 and 4 × 4 square pile groups in the soil media considered in this study. In addition, the distribution of forces applied on the pile cap among the individual piles in a group is investigated.     

High-pressure phase transitions of CaRhO<Subscript>3</Subscript> perovskite

High-pressure phase transitions of CaRhO₃ perovskite were examined at pressures of 6–27 GPa and temperatures of 1,000–1,930°C, using a multi-anvil apparatus. The results indicate that CaRhO₃ perovskite successively transforms to two new high-pressure phases with increasing pressure. Rietveld analysis of powder X-ray diffraction data indicated that, in the two new phases, the phase stable at higher pressure possesses the CaIrO₃-type post-perovskite structure (space group Cmcm) with lattice parameters: a = 3.1013(1) Å, b = 9.8555(2) Å, c = 7.2643(1) Å, V _m  = 33.43(1) cm³/mol. The Rietveld analysis also indicated that CaRhO₃ perovskite has the GdFeO₃-type structure (space group Pnma) with lattice parameters: a = 5.5631(1) Å, b = 7.6308(1) Å, c = 5.3267(1) Å, V _m  = 34.04(1) cm³/mol. The third phase stable in the intermediate P, T conditions between perovskite and post-perovskite has monoclinic symmetry with the cell parameters: a = 12.490(3) Å, b = 3.1233(3) Å, c = 8.8630(7) Å, β = 103.96(1)°, V _m  = 33.66(1) cm³/mol (Z = 6). Molar volume changes from perovskite to the intermediate phase and from the intermediate phase to post-perovskite are –1.1 and –0.7%, respectively. The equilibrium phase relations determined indicate that the boundary slopes are large positive values: 29 ± 2 MPa/K for the perovskite—intermediate phase transition and 62 ± 6 MPa/K for the intermediate phase—post-perovskite transition. The structural features of the CaRhO₃ intermediate phase suggest that the phase has edge-sharing RhO₆ octahedra and may have an intermediate structure between perovskite and post-perovskite.     

Iron-water reaction at high pressure and temperature, and hydrogen transport into the core

We observed a direct reaction of metallic iron with water to form iron hydride and iron oxide, 3Fe + H₂O–>2FeH_x + FeO, at pressures from 6 GPa to 84 GPa and temperatures above 1,000 K in diamond anvil cell (DAC). Iron hydride is dhcpFeH_x or -FeH_x, and iron oxide has the rhombohedral or B1 structure at pressures at least up to 37 GPa. The formation of an assembly composed of dhcpFeH_x and FeO with the B8 structure was observed at 84 GPa. In primordial Earth, water formed by dehydration of the low temperature primitive materials reacts with metallic iron in the high temperature component to form iron hydride FeH_x and iron oxide FeO. The former would be incorporated in the iron forming the core. Thus hydrogen could be an important element of the Earths core. This reaction would be essential for transport of hydrogen into the core in the accretion stage of the Earth.     

Viscosity of silicate melts in CaMgSi2O6–NaAlSi2O6 system at high pressure

In situ X-ray viscometry of the silicate melts was carried out at high pressure and at high temperature. The viscosity of the silicate melts in the diopside(Di)–jadeite(Jd) system was determined in the pressure range from 1.88 GPa to 7.9 GPa and in the temperature range from 2,003 K to 2,173 K. The viscosity of the Di 25%–Jd 75% melt decreases continuously to 5.0 GPa, whereas the viscosity of the Di 50%–Jd 50% melt increases over 3.5 GPa. The viscosity of the Di50%–Jd 50% melt reaches a minimum around 3.5 GPa. Since the amounts of silicon in the two melts are the same, the difference in the pressure dependence of the viscosity may be controlled by another network-forming element, i.e., aluminum. The difference in the pressure dependence of the viscosities in the melts with two intermediate compositions in the Di–Jd system is estimated to be due to the difference in the melt structures at high pressures and high temperatures.     

The equation of state of Al,H-bearing SiO2 stishovite to 58 GPa

We have determined the P-V equation of state of Al-rich H-bearing SiO₂ stishovite by X-ray powder diffraction at pressures up to 58 GPa using synchrotron radiation. The sample contained 1.8 wt% Al₂O₃ and up to 500 ppm H₂O, and had a composition that would coexist with Mg-silicate perovskite in a subducted slab. By fitting a third-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state to our compression data, we obtained a bulk modulus K _T0=298(7) GPa with K′=4.3(5). With K′ fixed to a value of 4, the bulk modulus K _T0=304(3) GPa. Our results indicate that Al³⁺ and H⁺ have a small effect on the elastic properties of stishovite. Compared with data obtained up to 43.8 GPa, peak intensities changed and we observed a decreased quality of fit to a tetragonal unit cell at pressures of 49 GPa and higher. These changes may be an indication that the rutile↔CaCl₂ transition occurs between these pressures. After laser annealing of the sample at 58.3(10) GPa and subsequent decompression to room conditions, the cell volume is the same as before compression, giving strong evidence that the composition of the recovered sample is also unchanged. This suggests that Al and H are retained in the sample under extreme P-T conditions and that stishovite can be an agent for transporting water to the deepest lower mantle.     

Eolian quartz flux variations in Cheju Island, Korea, during the last 6500 yr and a possible Sun-monsoon linkage

We have obtained a high-resolution sedimentary record covering the last 6500 yr from a maar in Cheju Island, Korea, in order to reconstruct the history of variations in the eolian quartz flux (EQF) and hence Asian dust. The long-term variation of EQF reveals three intervals: a period of high EQF (4000-2000 cal yr B.P.) and two periods of low EQF (6500-4000 cal yr B.P. and 2000 cal yr B.P. to present), which have been affected by the East Asian monsoon due to insolation change and the cold air activity in high latitudes correlated with polar high-pressure systems. This long-term variation is superimposed by millennial- and centennial-scale fluctuations with periodicities of 1137, 739, 214, 162, 137, 127, and 111 yr, implying drier conditions in the source areas in China. The detrended EQF record correlates visually and statistically (cross-spectral analysis) with the atmospheric Δ¹⁴C record (solar proxy). The centennial-scale variability in EQF may be affected by the solar activity through the Sun-East Asian monsoon linkage.     

Phase relations in hydrous MORB at 18-28 GPa: implications for heterogeneity of the lower mantle

The phase relations in hydrous and anhydrous mid-ocean ridge basalt were determined at pressures of 18-28 GPa. Liquidus phase relations in hydrous and anhydrous MORB are different. Garnet is the liquidus phase at pressures below 21 GPa, Ca-Al (CAS) phase and stishovite are the liquidus phases at pressures of 22-27 GPa, and stishovite and Ca-perovskite are the liquidus phases above 27 GPa, whereas Ca-perovskite is a liquidus phase of anhydrous MORB at pressures above 23 GPa. Under subsolidus conditions, we have found that in the hydrous MORB system the stability fields of Al-bearing perovskite and Na-Al (NAL) phase might shift to lower pressure by about 1.5 GPa compared to the dry MORB system. This shift could be explained by oxidation of a garnet-bearing assemblage by hydrous fluid and formation of Fe³⁺-bearing aluminous perovskite at lower pressures relative to the anhydrous system and/or differences in water solubility of the phases existing in perovskite-bearing assemblages. Our data indicate that hydrous basaltic crust remains denser than peridotite along the geotherm of a subducting slab, i.e. there is no density crossover between peridotite and basalt. Therefore, in slabs going through the 660 km discontinuity, basalt would gravitationally sink into the lower mantle under relatively hydrous conditions. The delamination of former basaltic crust near the 660 km discontinuity might be possible under relatively dry conditions of subduction. There are no stable highly hydrous phases in MORB above 10 GPa even at lower temperatures corresponding to subducting slabs. Therefore, MORB cannot be an important carrier of water to the deep Earth interior. However, it can be constantly supplied by water-bearing fluid from the underlying peridotite part of the descending slab. Thus, it is plausible that water can control subduction of the oceanic crust into the lower mantle.     

Stability field of knorringite Mg3Cr2Si3O12 at high pressure and its implication to the occurrence of Cr-rich pyrope in the upper mantle

The stability field of knorringite (Mg₃Cr₂Si₃O₁₂) is studied experimentally. Knorringite is stable at pressures above 10.5 GPa at 1200°C and 11.8 GPa at 1400°C. Below these pressures, knorringite decomposes to enstatite + eskolaite. A phase diagram of the pyrope-knorringite system is described based on the available experimental data. The solubility of the knorringite molecule in pyrope is essentially dependent only on pressure, and the Cr/Cr+Al value of garnet is considered to be an indicator of the minimum pressure of equilibration. Consideration of the genesis of Cr-rich pyrope and other peridotitic inclusions in diamonds indicates that the fractionation process should have taken place, at least at depths to ca. 240 km, to give rise to the Cr-rich complement of Cr-poor upper mantle materials such as undepleted lherzolite. The knorringite-rich peridotitic suite in diamond will be identified with this complement, which may be the material constituting the deep upper mantle.     

Inequality of eddy transfer coefficients for vertical transport of sensible and latent heats during advective inversions

Similarity of transport of water vapour and sensible heat was investigated within an advective inversion layer by measuring eddy fluxes together with gradients of temperature and humidity. The experimental site was a field of rice, grown under flood irrigation, which was situated in a semi-arid region. The fetch was about 300 m and local stabilities (z/L) over the rice ranged from 0 to 0.1. Results were expressed as the ratio of eddy transfer coefficients for sensible heat (K _H) and water vapour (K _w). Near neutral stability, K _H/K_W approached 1, but the ratio decreased to about 0.65 with increasing stability. Existing theory predicts the result qualitatively but accounts for only about one fifth of the decrease in K _H/K_W with stability.     

日本岛根县石见银矿区英安质火山岩中的黑云母矿物学特征及其K-Ar和40Ar-39Ar年代学研究

以显微镜、X射线衍射仪和电子探针等方法,对日本岛根县石见银矿区所产英安质火山岩中的黑云母进行了详细的研究．观察到部分黑云母经受了不同程度的热液蚀变作用。根据对未蚀变、或仅受到轻微蚀变作用的黑云母所进行的^40Ar-^39Ar同位素年龄测定,它们主要为第四纪产物。但是,从经受强热液蚀变作用的黑云母所获得的^40Ar-^39Ar同位素结果表明,后期的高温热液活动可以破坏晶体中的原始K—Ar同位素平衡,使得其。^40Ar-^39Ar同位素年龄与高于从未蚀变矿物所获得的结果,从而产生严重的年代失真。所以,对来自热液蚀变带的样品需要进行详细的矿物学研究。估计对黑云母的原始KAr同位素体系产生破坏的热扰动临界温度可能在200℃左右。