Assessment of frozen-ground conditions for engineering geology along the Qinghai–Tibet highway and railway, China

The Qinghai–Tibet Highway and Railway (the Corridor) across the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau traverses 670 km of permafrost and seasonally frozen-ground in the interior of the Plateau, which is sensitive to climatic and anthropogenic environmental changes. The frozen-ground conditions for engineering geology along the Corridor is complicated by the variability in the near-surface lithology, and the mosaic presence of warm permafrost and talik in a periglacial environment. Differential settlement is the major frost-effect problem encountered over permafrost areas. The traditional classification of frozen ground based on the areal distribution of permafrost is too generalized for engineering purposes and a more refined classification is necessary for engineering design and construction. A proposed classification of 51 zones, sub-zones, and sections of frozen ground has been widely adopted for the design and construction of foundations in the portion of the Corridor studied. The mean annual ground temperature (MAGT), near-surface soil types and moisture content, and active faults and topography are most commonly the primary controlling factors in this classification. However, other factors, such as local microreliefs, drainage conditions, and snow and vegetation covers also exert important influences on the features of frozen ground. About 60% of the total length of the Corridor studied possesses reasonably good frozen-ground conditions, which do not need special mitigative measures for frost hazards. However, other sections, such as warm and ice-rich or -saturated permafrost, particularly in the sections in wetlands, ground improvement measures such as elevated land bridges and passive or proactive cooling techniques need to be applied to ensure the long-term stability of thermally unstable, thick permafrost subsoils, and/or refill with non-frost-susceptible soils. Due to the long-history of the construction and management of the Corridor by various government departments, adverse impacts of construction and operation on the permafrost environment have been resulted. It is recommended that an integrated, executable plan for the routing of major construction projects within this transportation corridor be established and long-term monitoring networks installed for evaluating and mitigating the impact from anthropogenic and climatic changes in frozen-ground conditions.     

Soil n-alkane δD vs. altitude gradients along Mount Gongga, China

The altitude effect on the isotopic composition of precipitation and its application to paleoelevation reconstruction using authigenic or pedogenic minerals have been intensively studied. However, there are still no studies on variations in biomarker δD along altitude transects to investigate its potential as a paleoelevation indicator, although it has been observed that δD of higher plant lipid may record changes in precipitation δD (δD_p). Here, we present δD values of higher plant-derived C₂₇, C₂₉, and C₃₁n-alkanes from surface soil along the eastern slope of Mount Gongga, China with great changes in physical variables and vegetation over a range from 1000 to 4000 m above sea level. The weighted-mean δD values of these n-alkanes (δD_wax) show significant linear correlations with predicted δD_p values (R² = 0.76) with an apparent isotopic enrichment (ε_wax-p) of −137 ± 9‰, indicating that soil δD_wax values track overall δD_p variation along the entire altitudinal transect. Leaf δD_wax is also highly correlated with mountain altitude by a significant quadratic relationship (R² = 0.80). Evapotranspiration is found declining with altitude, potentially lowering δD_wax values at higher elevations. However, this evapotranspiration effect is believed to be largely compensated by the opposing effect of vegetation changes, resulting in less varied ε_wax-p values over the slope transect. This study therefore confirms the potential of using leaf δD_wax to infer paleoelevations, and more generally, to infer the δD of precipitation.     

Church-based social capital, networks and geographical scale: Katrina evacuation, relocation, and recovery in a New Orleans Vietnamese American community

This research examines the role of social capital and networks to explain the evacuation, relocation, and recovery experiences of a Vietnamese American community in New Orleans, Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. As the single largest community institution, the parish church’s complex bonding and bridging social capital and networks proved particularly critical in part because of its historically based ontological security. The process of evacuation, but especially relocation and recovery, was dependent on deploying co-ethnic social capital and networks at a variety of geographical scales. Beyond the local or community scale, extra-local, regional, and national scales of social capital and networks reproduced a spatially redefined Vietnamese American community. Part of the recovery process included constructing discursive place-based collective-action frames to successfully contest a nearby landfill that in turn engendered social capital and networks crossing ethnic boundaries to include the extra-local African American community. Engaging social capital and networks beyond the local geographical scale cultivated a Vietnamese American community with an emergent post-Katrina cultural and political identity.     

冀北万全寺银金矿床地质地球化学特征

万全寺银金矿床位于张宣幔枝构造东侧的侏罗纪断陷盆地中,成矿时限晚于133.33Ma～101.82 Ma.通过硫、铅、氢、氧、碳及稀有气体同位素研究认为,成矿物质应源自地球深部,在中生代冀西北幔枝构造演化过程中集中成矿.成矿热液以岩浆水为主并加入了部分天水.     

邹平王家庄铜矿床成矿地球化学及成因探讨

王家庄铜矿床的矿化脉石英中流体包裹体均一温度介于116 ~ 566 ℃之间,均值为 289 ℃;盐度介于7.2%～63.2% NaCleq,均值为21.1% NaCleq。流体的气相成分主要为H2O和CO2。在均一温度为240 ~ 440 ℃区间内,出现了富气相的两相水溶液包裹体、富液相的两相水溶液包裹体和含子晶的三相水溶液包裹体共存现象,以及加温后富气相包裹体均一到气相和同期富液相包裹体均一到液相的特征,表明成矿流体曾发生过沸腾作用;其中第一次发生于360 ~ 400 ℃,主要形成高温、高盐度含子晶的三相水溶液包裹体和高温、中盐度富液相的两相水溶液包裹体及高温、低盐度富气相的两相水溶液包裹体;第二次发生于240 ~ 320 ℃,主要形成高—中温、高盐度的含子晶的三相水溶液包裹体和高—中温、中盐度富液相的两相水溶液包裹体及高—中温、低盐度富气相的两相水溶液包裹体;之后主要形成富液相的两相水溶液包裹体,具有中低温和中盐度的特征。矿化脉石英中的δ18OH2O介于-1.14‰ ~ 1.79‰之间,均值为0.94‰;δD介于-63.70‰ ~ -56.50‰之间,均值为-59.8‰;说明王家庄铜矿床的成矿流体主要来源于岩浆,后期混入大气降水。矿石矿物的δ34S变化于-8.80‰ ~ -2.80‰之间,均值为-6.33‰。矿石矿物的n(206Pb)/n(204Pb)介于18.1684 ~ 18.3637之间,均值为18.2892;n(207Pb)/n(204Pb)介于155546 ~ 156342之间,均值为155777;n(208Pb)/n(204Pb)介于38.1286 ~ 38.4840之间,均值为38.2780。说明矿石具有贫重硫和富放射性成因铅的特征,硫、铅主要来源于深部,后期可能受到地壳物质或大气降水的混染。     

内蒙阿右旗铁板井镍矿矿床特征及成因探讨

铁板井绦矿床赋存于辉橄岩体中,辉橄岩体具有全岩矿化的特点,岩体及镍矿体的形成经历了三种不同的成矿过程:首先是岩浆深源液态重力分异作用,而后发生岩浆深源熔离-贯入(成岩、成矿)作用,形成岩体和镍矿体,最后在岩浆期后热液作用的叠加下完成整个成矿过程.该矿床是典型的主要由岩浆熔离作用形成的岩浆矿床.     

引水工程秦巴段隧洞地应力模拟及工程地质问题

利用Ansys有限元软件对三峡引水工程秦巴段线路不同深度、不同截面形态隧洞围岩的应力重分布情况进行模拟计算,得到圆形隧洞、城门形隧洞和马蹄形隧洞围岩的应力数值和等值线图.利用库仑一纳维尔强度准则,对花岗岩区及灰岩区隧洞围岩的剪切破坏进行分析;利用三种岩爆应力判别指标,对岩爆进行初步预测;进而对不同深度、不同截面形态的隧洞围岩的稳定性进行分析;最后对引水工程隧洞设计中截面形态的选择给出了初步建议.     

等温微量热法在土壤微生物研究方面的进展

土壤微生物是陆地生态系统中分解者亚系统的主要组成部分, 参与了包括有机质降解、营养转化、 植物生长的促进或抑制以及各种土壤物理过程在内的一系列反应活动. 土壤微生物则是土壤质量重要的生物指标, 可以用来监控土壤质量的变化. 等温微量热法是一种简便、快速地测量微生物活性的方法, 在土壤微生物代谢热效应的研究领域中广泛应用. 就等温微量热法在土壤微生物活性中的研究进展进行综述: 等温微量热法的简介, 微量热方法与传统方法的比较, 等温微量热法在各种外界环境和土壤条件影响下的土壤微生物活性研究中的应用, 并对等温微量热法在土壤微生物和其它方面的研究进行了展望.