Slope inclinometers for landslides

Slope inclinometers/indicators are used to determine the magnitude, rate, direction, depth, and type of landslide movement. This information is usually vitally important for understanding the cause, behavior, and remediation of a landslide. However, many inclinometer measurements fail to achieve these intended aims because of lack of appreciation of the many factors that need to be correctly implemented during installation, monitoring, and data reduction to yield useful data. This paper presents some guidelines for understanding, installing, and interpreting slope inclinometers and presents three case histories that illustrate some of the pitfalls that can develop if these guidelines are not followed.     

分布式光纤传感技术在滑坡监测中的应用

将分布式光纤传感技术引入滑坡监测,既可得到整个滑坡体的概要特征,又能提高监测效率。FBG与BOTDR是两种最具代表性的分布式光纤传感技术,FBG通过测量其反射光波长的变化获得应变或温度值。BOTDR通过测定后向布里渊散射光的频移实现分布式温度、应变测量。FBG传感器灵敏度高,但只能实现离散点的准分布式测量,BOTDR可实现分布式、长距离、不间断测量,但其空间分辨率不高。笔者提出FBG与BOTDR联合监测滑坡的方案。在巫山残联滑坡,在整个滑坡体上铺设监测光纤,利用BOTDR获得整个滑坡体的概要信息;在滑坡体变形的关键部位———变形缝安装FBG传感器,获得某些关键部位的应变信息,从而实现由点到线再到面的监测,获得滑坡体较完整的应变信息。     

Using Sequential Self-Calibration Method to Identify Conductivity Distribution: Conditioning on Tracer Test data

An iterative inverse method, the sequential self-calibration method, is developed for mapping spatial distribution of a hydraulic conductivity field by conditioning on nonreactive tracer breakthrough curves. A streamline-based, semi-analytical simulator is adopted to simulate solute transport in a heterogeneous aquifer. The simulation is used as the forward modeling step. In this study, the hydraulic conductivity is assumed to be a deterministic or random variable. Within the framework of the streamline-based simulator, the efficient semi-analytical method is used to calculate sensitivity coefficients of the solute concentration with respect to the hydraulic conductivity variation. The calculated sensitivities account for spatial correlations between the solute concentration and parameters. The performance of the inverse method is assessed by two synthetic tracer tests conducted in an aquifer with a distinct spatial pattern of heterogeneity. The study results indicate that the developed iterative inverse method is able to identify and reproduce the large-scale heterogeneity pattern of the aquifer given appropriate observation wells in these synthetic cases.     

The Tau Model for Data Redundancy and Information Combination in Earth Sciences: Theory and Application

Many decision-making processes in the Earth sciences require the combination of multiple data originating from diverse sources. These data are often indirect and uncertain, and their combination would call for a probabilistic approach. These data are also partially redundant with each other or with all others taken jointly. This overlap in information arises due to a variety of reasons—because the data arises from the same geology, because they originate from the same location or the same measurement device, etc. The proposed tau model combines partially redundant data, each taking the form of a prior probability for the event being assessed to occur given that single datum. The parameters of that tau model measure the additional contribution brought by any single datum over that of all previously considered data; they are data sequence-dependent and also data value-dependent. Data redundancy depends on the sequence in which the data is considered and also on the data values themselves. However, for a given sequence, averaging the tau model parameters over all possible data values leads to exact analytical expressions and corresponding approximations and inference avenues. Information on multiple-point connectivity of permeability arrives from core data, well-test data and seismic data which are defined over varying supports with complex redundancy between these information sources. In order to compute these tau weights for determining connectivity, one needs a model of data redundancy, here expressed as a vectorial training image (Ti) constructed using a prior conceptual knowledge of geology and the physics of data measurement. From such a vectorial Ti, the tau weights can be computed exactly. Neglecting data redundancy leads to an over-compounding of individual data information and the possible risk of making extreme decisions.     

Group Time Delay in the Reflection of P-Polarized Electromagnetic Plane Waves at a Stratigraphic Interface

The group time delay (GTD) formulae of quasi-total reflection of inhomogeneous P-polarized electromagnetic waves (P-PEW, whose electric field parallels to the plane of incidence), caused by the Goos–Hänchen effect, is derived by the phase shift of the wave. A numerical example where the frequency equals to 1 GHz is given. The curves of calculating results show that there are three discontinuous points at the critical angle of phase shift vector, the critical angle of attenuation vector and 90^○. When the angle of incidence is equal to one of these three angles, the GTD will become infinite, and the electromagnetic wave will propagate along the interface. The GTD will be very large, when the angle of incidence is close to one of these three angles. The results indicate that there is an important relationship between the two critical angles and the conductivity and permittivity of the two strata, and that the GTD has an important relationship with the angle of incidence. These results can be used to determine the lithology of the strata and to delimit the interfaces of strata more effectively. It is suggested that this research may prove useful in electromagnetic logging analysis and, perhaps, in the design of logging instruments.     

Stability Analysis and Numerical Simulation of Differential Frost Heave

Differential frost heave is often implicated in the formation of patterned ground in regions subject to recurrent freezing and thawing. A linear stability analysis (LSA) indicates that a continuum model of frost heave is linearly unstable under typical natural freezing conditions of silty-clay soils. A two-dimensional non-linear numerical analysis corroborates the frozen time LSA results, and also indicates the importance of non-linear and time-dependent terms that ultimately lead to a preferred mode, which the LSA fails to predict. Instability of the one-dimensional solution occurs at shallow freezing depths and near-zero surface loads when positive perturbations in the ice content at the freezing front lead to a concomitant increase in thermomolecular pressure and upward ice velocity. Differential frost heave can then occur because of the increased heat flux from the perturbed surfaces. A three-dimensional model using random initial surface perturbations indicates that regular surface patterns will evolve with a length scale in the order of 2–4 meters, which corresponds quite closely with naturally-occurring non-sorted patterned ground.     

Non-Linear Theory and Power-Law Models for Information Integration and Mineral Resources Quantitative Assessments

Singular physical or chemical processes may result in anomalous amounts of energy release or mass accumulation that, generally, are confined to narrow intervals in space or time. Singularity is a property of different types of non-linear natural processes including cloud formation, rainfall, hurricanes, flooding, landslides, earthquakes, wildfires, and mineralization. The end products of these non-linear processes can be modeled as fractals or multifractals. Hydrothermal processes in the Earth’s crust can result in ore deposits characterized by high concentrations of metals with fractal or multifractal properties. Here we show that the non-linear properties of the end products of singular mineralization processes can be applied for prediction of undiscovered mineral deposits and for quantitative mineral resource assessment, whether for mineral exploration or for regional, national and global planning for mineral resource utilization. In addition to the general theory and framework for the non-linear mineral resources assessment, this paper focuses on several power-law models proposed for characterizing non-linear properties of mineralization and for geoinformation extraction and integration. The theories, methods, and computer system discussed in this paper were validated using a case study dealing with hydrothermal Au mineral potential in southern Nova Scotia, Canada.     

Inversely-Mapped Analytical Solutions for Flow Patterns around and within Inclined Elliptic Inclusions in Fluid-Saturated Rocks

In this paper, an inverse mapping is used to transform the previously-derived analytical solutions from a local elliptical coordinate system into a conventional Cartesian coordinate system. This enables a complete set of exact analytical solutions to be derived rigorously for the pore-fluid velocity, stream function, and excess pore-fluid pressure around and within buried inclined elliptic inclusions in pore-fluid-saturated porous rocks. To maximize the application range of the derived analytical solutions, the focal distance of an ellipse is used to represent the size of the ellipse, while the length ratio of the long axis to the short one is used to represent the geometrical shape of the ellipse. Since the present analytical solutions are expressed in a conventional Cartesian coordinate system, it is convenient to investigate, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the distribution patterns of the pore-fluid flow and excess pressure around and within many different families of buried inclined elliptic inclusions. The major advantage in using the present analytical solution is that they can be conveniently computed in a global Cartesian coordinate system, which is widely used in many scientific and engineering computations. As an application example, the present analytical solutions have been used to investigate how the dip angle of an inclined elliptic inclusion affects the distribution patterns of the pore-fluid flow and excess pore-fluid pressure when the permeability ratio of the elliptic inclusion is of finite but nonzero values.     

北大别饶拔寨石榴辉石岩P-T-t轨迹及其构造意义

P-T-t轨迹作为变质岩的重要研究方法之一，对揭示岩石的构造演化过程具有重要意义。北大别饶拔寨镁铁-超镁铁岩形成的构造环境和就位过程长期以来尚存争议。本文通过岩相学观察、矿物化学研究和温压计计算，揭示出饶拔寨石榴辉石岩经历了四个变质演化阶段：1）超高压变质阶段（M1）：主要根据石榴子石中金红石的出溶，单斜辉石中石英的出溶和磷灰石中不透明矿物的出溶，结合前人研究，认为饶拔寨石榴辉石岩经历过超高压变质阶段（≥2.5GPa）；2）高压麻粒岩相阶段（M2）：矿物组合为石榴子石（变斑晶）和单斜辉石（基质）+斜长石（基质），记录的温压条件为T=648~700℃，P=1.47~1.94GPa；3）中压麻粒岩相阶段（M3）：以石榴子石外围发育的主要由斜方辉石+斜长石组成的内圈"白眼圈"为特征，形成的温压条件为T=781~796℃，P=0.92~0.98GPa；4）角闪岩相阶段（M4）：以石榴子石变斑晶周围发育的外圈"白眼圈"为特征，其矿物组合为角闪石+斜长石的后成合晶，形成的温压条件为T=663~685℃，P=0.50~0.58GPa。石榴辉石岩的锆石SIMS U-Pb定年得到了3组不同的交点年龄，分别为208.1~202.1Ma、227.6Ma和817.7Ma。根据锆石包裹体中角闪石+斜长石的组合，推断208.1~202.1Ma代表了角闪岩相变质年龄的下限，227.6Ma则是高压麻粒岩相的下限年龄，而新元古代年龄（817.7Ma）与区域上的变质岩原岩年龄一致，可能代表了其原岩年龄。结合前人研究，饶拔寨石榴辉石岩记录了顺时针的P-T-t轨迹，揭示了板片俯冲（超高压变质）-碰撞-折返（降压升温过程，~227Ma）-抬升（降压降温过程，208~202Ma）的完整过程。     

云南大地热流及地热地质问题

本文报道了云南20多个大地热流测试数据。据热流分布特点并参考前人有关资料,结合地球物理测深资料、岩石热物性与放射性生热率测试数据,对各区地壳深度范围的温度、热流配分组成作了粗略分析,划分出各有特征的若干地质-热流区。云南普遍地热偏高(滇东南小范围除外)的主要原因是新构造运动强烈;怒江以西近代岩浆活动亦强烈,具有典型的板块交汇带的基本地热特点