Rapid estimation of maximum and minimum void ratios of granular soils

Maximum and minimum void ratios (e_max and e_min) of granular soils are commonly used as indicators of many engineering properties. However, few methods, apart from laboratory tests, are available to provide a rapid estimation of both e_max and e_min. In this study, we present a theoretical model to map the densest and the loosest packing configurations of granular soils onto the void space. A corresponding numerical procedure that can predict both e_max and e_min of granular soils with arbitrary grain size distributions is proposed. The capacity of the proposed method is evaluated by predicting the maximum and minimum void ratios of medium to fine mixed graded sands with different contents of fines. The influence of the grain size distribution, characterized quantitatively by uniformity parameter and the fractal dimension, on e_max and e_min is discussed using the proposed method. Moreover, application of this method in understanding the controlling mechanism for the void ratio change during grain crushing is presented.

     

Temporal vP/vS variation characteristics in different zones of China’s Capital Circle area before and after Wen’an earthquake

On July 4, 2006, an earthquake of MS5.1 took place in Wen’an, Hebei Province, just at the south center of China’s Capital Circle area digital seismograph network. It is the strongest event recorded ever since the network went into operation in 2002. We processed the vast amounts of phase data yielded by the 107 digital seismic stations between 2002~2007 using Wadati method. In order to improve the precision and stability of shear and compressional wave velocities (vP/vS) calculation, we impose a number of restrictions on the computation environment and condition, e.g., the earthquakes are densely concentrated, selected stations are limited in range, the number of stations in- volved in the computation is larger than 5 and linear fitting features high precision and small error. Under these restrictions, the study shows that vP/vS in and around Wen’an and Tangshan underwent a normal-low-normal proc- ess one year before Wen’an earthquake, vP/vS became obviously low and the low ratio lasted for about one year, meanwhile, little variation of vP/vS was seen in Xingtai, northwest of Beijing, southwest of Beijing, Beijing-Tianjin and Beijing; after the quake, the vP/vS returned normal in Wen’an and Tangshan. Error and stability analysis of the calculated result for vP/vS shows it is convincible that anomaly appeared in and around Wen’an and Tangshan be- fore Wen’an earthquake.     

1989 Datong-Yanggao Earthquake with Ms=6.1

In this paper,the basic conditions and characteristics of the Datong-Yanggao earthquake are described in detail.The type of the earthquake,the aftershock activity,the earthquake trend,the characteristics of damage are analyzed and discussed.This earthquake belongs to a sequence of earthquake swarm type and is of the concentratedly occurring characteristics of several main shocks in a time sequence,and the aftershock activity was normally attenuated.Because of the unreasonable design of buildings and repeated vibration by several destructive main shocks within a short period,the damage in the high intensity region was aggravated.The analysis and the prediction procedure of the 1991 Datong-Yanggao earthquake(Ms=5.8)are also briefly given.     

Meteoric diagenesis in Pleistocene reef limestones of Xisha Islands, China

This paper focuses on a borehole, Xichen-1 well, drilled on the Chenhang Island, Xisha Islands in the South China Sea. Mineralogical, petrographic, stable isotopic and minor-element data from the Holocene to Pleistocene interval (0–179 m ) in the Xichen-1 well are discussed in detail. The 400-m-long core is divisible into four mineralogical facies: a high-Mg calcitic aragonite facies (0–16.91 m, Holocene), an aragonitic low- Mg calcite facies (16.91–30.60 m, Late Pleistocene), a low- Mg calcitic facies (30.60–179 m, Middle-Early Pleistocene) and a low- Mg calcitic and dolomitic facies (179–400 m, Early Pleistocene–Late Miocene). The Holocene section has much higher whole-rock δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C values and Mg and Sr content than the non-dolomitized Pleistocene limestones (16.91–179 m). The 16.91–165 m interval is characterized by a relatively invariant oxygen isotopic composition and very heterogeneous carbon isotopic composition. Between 165 and 179 m, there is a positively correlated increase of whole-rock δ¹⁸O and δ¹⁸C with depth, and Mg content also shows a gradual increase with depth. Petrographic data demonstrate that the Pleistocene reef sequence has been extensively affected by meteoric waters. We conclude that the Late Pleistocene section (16.91–30.60 m) and the Middle-Early Pleistocene section (30.60–165 m) have suffered incomplete and complete meteoric diagenesis, respectively, and that the Early Pleistocene interval (165–179 m) was diagenetically altered in a meteoric–marine mixing environment.     

The reservoir-associated earthquakes of April 1983 in western Thailand: Source modeling and implications for induced seismicity

On 22 April 1983, a very large area of Thailand and part of Burma were strongly shaken by a rare earthquake (m _b=5.8,M _s=5.9). The epicenter was located at the Srinagarind reservoir about 190 km northwest of Bangkok, a relatively stable continental region that experienced little previous seismicity. The main shock was preceded by some foreshocks and followed by numerous aftershocks. The largest foreshock ofm _b=5.2 occurred 1 week before the main shock, and the largest aftershock ofm _b=5.3 took place about 3 hours after the main shock. Focal mechanisms of the three largest events in this earthquake sequence have been studied by other seismologists using firts-motion data. However, the solutions for the main shock and the largest aftershock showed significant inconsistency with known surface geology and regional tectonics. We reexamined the mechanisms of these three events by using teleseismicP-andS-waveforms and through careful readings ofP-wave first motions. The directions of theP axes in our study range from NNW-SSE to NNE-SSW, and nodal planes strike in the NW-SE to about E-W in agreement with regional tectonics and surface geology. The main shock mechanism strikes 255°, dips 48°, and slips 63.5°. The fault motions during the main shock and the foreshock are mainly thrust, while the largest aftershock has a large strike-slip component. The seismic moment and the stress drop of the mainshock are determined to be 3.86×10²⁴ dyne-cm and 180 bars, respectively. The occurrence of these thrust events appears to correlate with the unloading of the Srinagarind reservoir. The focal depths of the largest foreshock, the main shock, and the largest aftershock are determined to be 5.4 km, 8 km, and 22.7 km, respectively, from waveform modeling and relative location showing a downward migration of hypocenters of the three largest events during the earthquake sequence. Other characteristics of this reservoir-induced earthquake sequence are also discussed.     

Global ionosphere map constructed by using total electron content from ground-based GNSS receiver and FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC GPS occultation experiment

Effects of rapidly changing ionospheric weather are critical in high accuracy positioning, navigation, and communication applications. A system used to construct the global total electron content (TEC) distribution for monitoring the ionospheric weather in near-real time is needed in the modern society. Here we build the TEC map named Taiwan Ionosphere Group for Education and Research (TIGER) Global Ionospheric Map (GIM) from observations of ground-based GNSS receivers and space-based FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC (F3/C) GPS radio occultation observations using the spherical harmonic expansion and Kalman filter update formula. The TIGER GIM (TGIM) will be published in near-real time of 4-h delay with a spatial resolution of 2.5° in latitude and 5° in longitude and a high temporal resolution of every 5 min. The F3/C TEC results in an improvement on the GIM of about 15.5%, especially over the ocean areas. The TGIM highly correlates with the GIMs published by other international organizations. Therefore, the routinely published TGIM in near-real time is not only for communication, positioning, and navigation applications but also for monitoring and scientific study of ionospheric weathers, such as magnetic storms and seismo-ionospheric anomalies.     

Height prediction of water flowing fractured zones based on BP artificial neural network

Factures caused by deformation and destruction of bedrocks over coal seams can easily lead to water flooding(inrush)in mines,a threat to safety production.Fractures with high hydraulic conductivity are good watercourses as well as passages for inrush in mines and tunnels.An accurate height prediction of water flowing fractured zones is a key issue in today's mine water prevention and control.The theory of leveraging BP artificial neural network in height prediction of water flowing fractured zones is analysed and applied in Qianjiaying Mine as an example in this paper.Per the comparison with traditional calculation results,the BP artificial neural network better reflects the geological conditions of the research mine areas and produces more objective,accurate and reasonable results,which can be applied to predict the height of water flowing fractured zones.     

420芦山地震峡口滑坡监测数据分析

基于420芦山地震前后获取的峡口滑坡监测数据,对地震发生时峡口滑坡地下水位、深部位移及地表位移变化情况进行了分析,结果表明：（1）芦山地震前,峡口滑坡地下水位出现持续异常上升,涨幅在1m以上, 4月20日即芦山地震发生当日,地下水位达到峰值,震后,地下水位开始迅速下降,降幅在1.5m左右; （2）芦山地震发生当天,受芦山地震的影响,滑坡深部发生了一次大于1mm的位移,其后恢复基本稳定的状态。利用R/S分析方法对峡口滑坡稳定性进行分析,受芦山地震影响, 4月份峡口滑坡的Hurst指数明显有所下降,说明滑坡的稳定性有所降低。但总体上滑坡的Hurst指数均大于0.5,说明滑坡一直处于稳定状态。