Role of Siliceous Fossil Dissolution in Downcore Variations of Grain Size and Water Content: Western Margin of Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone, NE Equatorial Pacific

Grain size and water content in box-core sediments from the Clarion-Clipperton fracture zone (C-C zone) in the northeast equatorial Pacific were analyzed in detail to understand the downcore variations across a hiatus between Quaternary and Tertiary layers. Grain-size distributions in the topmost core sediments show two modes: a coarse mode (peaked at 50 μm) and a fine mode (at 2-25 μm). The coarse mode disappears gradually with depth accompanied by the dissolution of siliceous fossil tests, whereas the fine mode coarsens due to the formation of authigenic minerals. Water content increases abruptly across a color boundary between an upper pale brown layer and a lower dark brown layer that is the hiatus between Quaternary and Tertiary layers. Abundant smectites and microvoid molds, which are created by the prolonged fossil dissolution in the underlying sediment, are attributed for the abrupt downcore variation of water content. Overall variations in grain size and water content in the topmost core sediments in the western C-C zone are possibly constrained by the dissolution of biogenic siliceous fossils. Variations in geotechnical properties related to these changes must be considered in the design of nodule collectors.     

Geomechanical modeling of hydrate‐bearing sediments during dissociation under shear

Methane hydrate‐bearing sediments exist throughout the world in continental margins and in Arctic permafrost. Hydrates are ice‐like compounds when dissociate due to temperature rise or reduction in fluid pressure, release gas. Because of the mechanical property changes caused by dissociation in which the loads supported by the hydrates are transferred to soil grains, these sediments may become unstable. To quantify the risk of ground instability triggered by dissociation, which may happen during operation to extract methane gas or from climate changes, a reliable predictive model is indispensable. Even though many models have been proposed, a detailed validation of the ability to model dissociation impact is still needed. This study investigated the adequacy of an spatially mobilized plane constitutive model and a modeling framework using laboratory‐induced dissociation tests under shear from literature. Using laboratory‐imposed temperature and pressure changes and the resulting hydrate saturation changes as input, this study was able to capture the geomechanical responses and determine the stability state of methane hydrate‐bearing sediments as observed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three-dimensional analysis of bearing behavior of piled raft on soft clay

The piled raft has proved to be an economical foundation type compared to conventional pile foundations. However, there is a reluctance to consider the use of piled rafts on soft clay because of concerns about excessive settlement and insufficient bearing capacity. Despite these reasons, applications of piled rafts on soft clay have been increased recently. Current analysis methods for piled rafts on soft clay, however, are insufficient, especially for calculating the overall bearing capacity of the piled raft. This study describes the three-dimensional behavior of a piled raft on soft clay based on a numerical study using a 3D finite element method. The analysis includes a pile–soil slip interface model. A series of numerical analyses was performed for various pile lengths and pile configurations for a square raft subjected to vertical loading. Relatively stiff soil properties and different loading types were also used for estimating the bearing behavior of the piled raft. Based on the results, the effect of pile–soil slip on the bearing behavior of a piled raft was investigated. Furthermore, the proportion of load sharing of the raft and piles at the ultimate state and the relationship between the settlement and overall factor of safety was evaluated. The results show that the use of a limited number of piles, strategically located, might improve both bearing capacity and the settlement performance of the raft.     

Shear Load Transfer Characteristics of Drilled Shafts Socketed in Rocks

This paper presents a shear load transfer function and an analytical method for estimating the load transfer characteristics of rock-socketed drilled shafts subjected to axial loads. A shear load transfer (f–w) function of rock-socketed drilled shafts is proposed based on the constant normal stiffness (CNS) direct shear tests. It is presented in terms of the borehole roughness and the geological strength index (GSI) so that the structural discontinuities and the surface conditions of the rock mass can be considered. An analytical method that takes into account the coupled soil resistance effects is proposed using a modified Mindlin’s point load solution. Through comparisons with load test results, the proposed methodology is in good agreement with the general trend observed in in situ measurements and represents an improvement in the prediction of the shear behavior of rock-socketed drilled shafts.     

内蒙古半砬山钼矿含矿斑岩U-Pb年龄和地球化学及其地质意义

内蒙古半砬山钼矿位于西拉木伦钼多金属矿带东北段,是新近发现的一个中型斑岩钼矿床。LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb定年结果表明,含矿花岗闪长斑岩成岩年龄133.5±1.7Ma,说明半砬山钼矿是早白垩世构造-岩浆活动的产物;赋矿围岩流纹斑岩的成岩年龄为160±2Ma,早于成矿年龄27Ma。锆石Hf同位素组成显示流纹斑岩和花岗闪长斑岩的εHf(t)基本为不大的正值,集中在+2～+3.5左右,说明其岩浆来自亏损地幔新增生的地壳物质。除同位素特征相似外,流纹斑岩与花岗闪长斑岩具有类似的地球化学特征,比如都具有富Al、K,低Mg、Ca及TFe,呈高钾钙碱性特征;稀土和微量元素组成特征上,流纹斑岩与花岗闪长斑岩都具有轻重稀土分馏较明显,相对富集Rb、Ba、Th等大离子亲石元素,而亏损Nb、Ta、Zr等高场强元素的特征,所不同的是流纹斑岩∑REE含量较花岗闪长斑岩高,Eu负异常也较明显,并且流纹斑岩为低Sr高Yb(Sr平均为37.3×10-6,Yb平均为4.81×10-6),而花岗闪长斑岩为高Sr低Yb(Sr平均为628×10-6,Yb平均为1.64×10-6)。这些特征暗示流纹斑岩形成的源区可能为中上地壳,花岗闪长斑岩源区物质可能为加厚的下地壳熔融产物,即在岩石圈不断伸展过程中,成岩岩浆源区不断加深。     

Eocene I-type magmatism in the Eastern Pontides,NE Turkey: insights into magma genesis and magma-tectonic evolution from whole-rock geochemistry,geochronology and isotope systematics

ABSTRACT

The Eastern Pontides orogenic belt in NE Turkey hosts numerous I-type plutons of Eocene epoch. Here, we report new U–Pb SHRIMP zircon ages and in situ zircon Lu-Hf isotopes along with bulk-rock geochemical and Sr-Nd-Pb-O isotope data from the Kemerlikda??, Ayd?ntepe and Pelitli plutons and mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs) to constrain their parental melt source(s) and evolutionary processes. U-Pb SHRIMP zircon dating yielded crystallization ages between 45 and 44 Ma for the studied plutons and their MMEs. The plutons range from gabbro to granite and have I-type, medium to high-K calc-alkaline, and metaluminous to slightly peraluminous characteristics. On the primitive mantle-normalized multi-trace-element variations, the plutons and their MMEs are characterized by signi?cant enrichment in LILE/HFSE. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns of the plutons and their MMEs are close to each other and show moderate enrichment with variable negative Eu anomalies. The studied plutons have fairly homogeneous isotope composition (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_(i) = 0.70502 to 0.70560; εNd_(i) = +0.9 to – 1.4; δ¹⁸O = +5.0 to +8.7‰, εHf_(i) = – 2.2 to +13.5). The MMEs show medium to high-K calc-alkaline and metaluminous character. Although the isotope signatures of the MMEs (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_(i) = 0.70508 to 0.70542; εNd_(i) = +0.9 to ?1.1; δ¹⁸O = +5.8 to +8.0, εHf_(i) = +4.3 to +10.4) are very similar to those of the host rocks. Fractionation of plagioclase, amphibole, pyroxene and Fe-Ti oxides played an important role in the evolution of the plutons. The isotopic composition of the studied plutons and MMEs are similar to I-type plutons derived from mantle sources. The MMEs show incomplete magma mixing/mingling, representing small bodies of mafic parental magma. The parental magma(s) of the studied plutons were generated from the enriched lithospheric mantle and then modified by fractional crystallisation, and lesser assimilation and mixing/mingling in the crustal magma chambers.     

Influence of rainfall-induced wetting on the stability of slopes in weathered soils

Shallow failures of slopes in weathered soil are caused by infiltration due to prolonged rainfall. These failures are mainly triggered by the deepening of the wetting band accompanied by a decrease in matric suction induced by the water infiltration. This paper reports trends of rainfall-induced wetting band depth in two types of weathered soils that are commonly found in Korea. Both theoretical and numerical analyses for wetting band depth are presented based on the soil–water characteristic curve obtained using filter paper as well as tensiometer tests. It is found that the magnitude of wetting front suction plays a key role in the stability of slopes in weathered soils. Theoretical analysis based on modified Green and Ampt model tends to underestimate the wetting band depth for typical Korean weathered soils. It was also deduced that for Korean weathered soils, the factor of safety drops rapidly once the wetting band depth of 1.2 m reached.     

Microscopic observation and contact stress analysis of granite under compression

To study the damage process of microscale to macroscale in coarse-grained granite specimen under uniaxial compressive stress, we have observed micro-damage localization and propagation by using a newly developed experimental system that allows us to observe the damaging process continuously.

The results showed that pre-existing microcracks lead to macroscopic shear fracture through the damage development process. The mechanism of micro-damage initiation in a granite specimen under uniaxial compressive stress may be considered for two cases. One is that two grains such as quartz and feldspar contact each other in the same direction as the axial stress, and the other is that a biotite grain inclined to the axial stress direction is surrounded by feldspar grains. The homogenization theory was applied to verify numerically the micromechanics of stress-induced damage in the mineral contacts. Local stress distribution in the periodic-micro structure was also calculated by the homogenization theory. It is shown that this analysis, which takes into account the initial state of the specimen, is well adapted to the behavior of two grains for which microcracking is the fundamental mechanism of damage.     

Local outlier factor as part of a workflow for detecting and attenuating blending noise in simultaneously acquired data

A number of deblending methods and workflows have been reported in the past decades to eliminate the source interference noise recorded during a simultaneous shooting acquisition. It is common that denoising algorithms focusing on optimizing coherency and weighting down/ignoring outliers can be considered as deblending tools. Such algorithms are not only enforcing coherency but also handling outliers either explicitly or implicitly. In this paper, we present a novel approach based on detecting amplitude outliers and its application on deblending based on a local outlier factor that assigns an outlier-ness (i.e. a degree of being an outlier) to each sample of the data. A local outlier factor algorithm quantifies outlier-ness for an object in a data set based on the degree of isolation compared with its locally neighbouring objects. Assuming that the seismic pre-stack data acquired by simultaneous shooting are composed of a set of non-outliers and outliers, the local outlier factor algorithm evaluates the outlier-ness of each object. Therefore, we can separate the data set into blending noise (i.e. outlier) and signal (i.e. non-outlier) components. By applying a proper threshold, objects having high local outlier factors are labelled as outlier/blending noise, and the corresponding data sample could be replaced by zero or a statistically adequate value. Beginning with an explanation of parameter definitions and properties of local outlier factor, we investigate the feasibility of a local outlier factor application on seismic deblending by analysing the parameters of local outlier factor and suggesting specific deblending strategies. Field data examples recorded during simultaneous shooting acquisition show that the local outlier factor algorithm combined with a thresholding can detect and attenuate blending noise. Although the local outlier factor application on deblending shows a few shortcomings, it is consequently noted that the local outlier factor application in this paper obviously achieves benefits in terms of detecting and attenuating blending noise and paves the way for further geophysical applications.