Intergranular coesite and coesite inclusions in dolomite from the Dabie Shan: Constraints on the preservation of coesite in UHP rocks

Intergranular coesite is extremely rare in, and bears crucial information on the formation and preservation of, ultrahigh‐pressure (UHP) rocks. Here, we report the first occurrence of intergranular coesite in a metasedimentary rock, which occurs in the Ganjialing area in the Dabie Shan, east‐central China, and contains abundant coesite inclusions in both garnet and dolomite. We investigated the content of structural water in these minerals with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Our new results undermine the ubiquity of the “pressure‐vessel” model and highlight the role of reaction kinetics in preserving coesite due to the availability of water in UHP rocks.     

Direct observation of complex Tóthian groundwater flow systems in the laboratory

Based on the theory of gravity‐driven groundwater flow systems, we have developed a complex Flow System Sand‐Box Model (FSM). It enables the visual observations of the development and characteristics and temporal evolution of complex Tóthian flow systems in the laboratory. The configuration of the regional, intermediate and local flow systems can be controlled and observed; hydraulic head, flow direction and travel time can be measured; and the scale and shape of the sub‐flow systems as well as the path lines and flow lines can be observed directly. The experiments demonstrate the Tóthian flow systems in a small basin with multiple sources and sinks. Greater local topographic (water table) undulation will lead to larger local flow systems. Greater regional and less local topographic undulation will enhance the development of intermediate and regional flow systems. In homogeneous media, increasing fluid‐potential differences between source and sink increase the spatial scale of the generated flow systems. The FSM is a useful teaching aid and experimental device to study and develop an intuitive insight into gravity‐driven groundwater flow systems. It helps to visualize and understand the hydraulic properties and controlling factors of Tóthian flow systems and may be used to study problems related to the chemical and temperature characteristics of the flow systems as well. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The generation and its sealing condition of natural gas in the Tadong area

Focusing on the two natural gas exploration geological problems with abundant source of oil cracking gas in the late stage and the sealing condition of the oil cracking gas reservoir, the kinetics of oil cracking gas and the evaluation parameters of gas cap rock are adopted to the study on the natural gas accumulation conditions in the Tadong area. Both the study on the kinetics of oil cracking gas and the statistical results of reservoir bitumen reveal that the geological formation of oil cracking gas in the Tadong area is located in the top of Cambrian. Two kinds of oil cracking gas geological models at least, namely well Mandong-1’s early rapid generation model (Middle Ordovician-end Silurian) and peak cracking model (with the natural gas conversion rate >90%), namely well Yingnan-2’s two-stage generation model of oil cracking gas, have been set up. The oil cracking gas of Yingnan-2 in the late stage is very significant in the evaluation of natural gas exploration in the Tadong area. The evaluation results of the cap rock show that the microscopic parameters of cap rock from the lower assemblage of Cambrian-Ordovician are better than those from the upper assemblage. The former has strong capillary sealing ability and higher cap rock breakthrough pressure than the upper assemblage, with strong sealing ability, so that natural gas dissipates mainly by diffusion. According to the above investigations, the lower assemblage Cambrian-Ordovician natural gas of Kongquehe slope, Tadong low uplift and Yingjisu depression in the Tadong area prospects well.

     

Dynamic analysis of a cylindrical casing–cement structure in a poroelastic stratum

The transient response of a cylindrical casing–cement structure in a poroelastic stratum under dynamic radial tractions is one of the significant issues during the analysis of downhole operations and the selection of safe material. Based on the Biot theory and general elastic mechanics, this paper gives a set of exact solutions for radial displacement, stresses for the casing–cement system and the pore pressure of the infinite surrounding poroelastic stratum in the Laplace transform space. Solutions are presented for three different types of transient radial loadings acting on the surface of casing, i.e., suddenly applied constant load, gradually applied step load and triangular pulse load. Time domain solutions are obtained using a reliable numerical method of inverse Laplace transforms. A detailed parametric study about the transient response is presented both at the casing–cement interface and the cement–stratum interface, and the distributions of the pore pressure and the effective stresses in the stratum are also examined. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Oxygen isotopes in mantle related and geothermally altered magmatites of the Transhimalayan (Gangdese) ranges

In closed magma systems SiO₂ approximately measures differentiation progress and oxygen isotopes can seem to obey Rayleigh fractionation only as a consequence of the behaviour of SiO₂. The main role of ¹⁸O is as a sensitive indicator of contamination, either at the start of differentiation ( ¹⁸O_init) or as a proportion of fractionation in AFC. Plots of ¹⁸O vs SiO₂-allow to determine initial ¹⁸O values for different sequences for source comparison. For NBS-28=9.60, the ¹⁸O at 48% SiO₂-varies between a high 6.4 for Kiglapait (Kalamarides 1984), 5.9 for Transhimalaya, 5.8 for Hachijo-Jima (Matsuhisa 1979), 5.6 for Koloula (Chivas et al. 1982) and a low 5.3 for the Darran Complex, New Zealand. The Transhimalayan batholiths (Gangdese belt) were emplaced in the Ladakh-Lhasa terrane, between the present-day Banggong-Nujiang, and Indus-Yarlung Tsangbo suture zones, after its accretion to Eurasia. The gradient of the least contaminated continuous ( ¹⁸O vs SiO₂-igneous trend line is similar to that of Koloula, and AFC calculations suggest a low secondary assimilation rate of less than 0.05 times the rate of crystallisation. Outliers enriched in ¹⁸O are frequent in the Lhasa, and apparently rare in the Ladakh transsect. Low- ¹⁸O (5.0–0) granitoids and andesites on the Lhasa-Yangbajain axis are the result of present day or recent near-surface geothermal activity; their quartzes still trace the granitoids to the Transhimalaya ¹⁸O trend line, but the distribution of low total rock or feldspar ¹⁸O values could be a guide to more recent heat flow and thermally marked tectonic lineaments. Two ignimbrites from Maqiang show hardly any ¹⁸O-contamination by crustal material.     

Gold concentration from well water by the hydroelectrical extraction method

An experimental survey of the gold concentrated from well water by a hydroelectrical extraction (HEE) method has been carried out in the famous Au metallogenic province in the eastern part of Shandong Province in northeastern China. This method is based on the existence of ionic Au in groundwater around ore bodies. Under the action of an external electric field, ionic Au migrates toward the cathode where the metal is absorbed by a special absorbent attached to the cathode. Promising areas for further exploration can be evaluated from the amount of Au in the absorbent.Distinct Au anomalies were discovered by the experimental survey. The results from the follow-up study of some of these anomalies have shown that most of them are related to the known placer Au deposits and to the primary Au occurrences. However, two new Au prospects and several new Au sources have been found which offer new targets for Au hunting in the area.The hydroelectrical extraction method is an effective technique of looking for Au in areas covered with transported overburden. Since the Au in well water can be concentrated on the cathode with the absorbent, the sensitivity requirement for Au analysis could be reduced. The method also provides a useful tool for the exploration of blind placer Au.     

El Chichón火山的太阳辐射效应

利用1964—1983年冬季无云条件下的太阳辐射资料分析发现,1982年3月底至4月初,墨西哥El Chichón(厄·奇冲)火山爆发后,对到达地球表面的太阳直接辐射、散射辐射以及总辐射产生了显著和持续的影响。这种影响特征与近百年来的几次巨大火山爆发所引起的辐射效应是一致的,这主要是因为火山气溶胶对太阳辐射的强大反向散射和吸收作用,改变了大气透明度所造成的。     

骊山山前断裂第四纪活动性的研究

骊山山前断裂是发育于骊山凸起北侧的一条近东西走向并向北倾斜的正断层。断裂形变遗迹,地貌标志、新生代沉积物的厚度变化特征表明,该断裂第四纪晚期以来,在区域构造引张应力场的控制下,一直作掀斜式的倾向拉张运动。在长期的形变过程中表现了蠕滑和粘滑两种活动方式。现在仍在以蠕动的方式运动着。     

三种不同压缩条件下大型混凝土标本地震波变化特征的实验研究

1.引言许多关于岩石样品和模拟岩石样品的实验结果都证实了,在样品破裂前波速有一个明显的变化过程。但由于实验设备和技术所限,绝大多数实验样品都是比较小的,其尺度一般仅在几厘米到十几厘米,与野外实际情况相差较大。因此,有必要对大尺度样品进行实验