Geophysical Investigation of Seepage Beneath an Earthen Dam

A hydrogeophysical survey is performed at small earthen dam that overlies a confined aquifer. The structure of the dam has not shown evidence of anomalous seepage internally or through the foundation prior to the survey. However, the surface topography is mounded in a localized zone 150 m downstream, and groundwater discharges from this zone periodically when the reservoir storage is maximum. We use self‐potential and electrical resistivity tomography surveys with seismic refraction tomography to (1) determine what underlying hydrogeologic factors, if any, have contributed to the successful long‐term operation of the dam without apparent indicators of anomalous seepage through its core and foundation; and (2) investigate the hydraulic connection between the reservoir and the seepage zone to determine whether there exists a potential for this success to be undermined. Geophysical data are informed by hydraulic and geotechnical borehole data. Seismic refraction tomography is performed to determine the geometry of the phreatic surface. The hydro‐stratigraphy is mapped with the resistivity data and groundwater flow patterns are determined with self‐potential data. A self‐potential model is constructed to represent a perpendicular profile extending out from the maximum cross‐section of the dam, and self‐potential data are inverted to recover the groundwater velocity field. The groundwater flow pattern through the aquifer is controlled by the bedrock topography and a preferential flow pathway exists beneath the dam. It corresponds to a sandy‐gravel layer connecting the reservoir to the downstream seepage zone.     

An approach to characterisation of multi-scale pore geometry and correlation with moisture storage and transport coefficients in cement-stabilised soils

An experimental approach to the characterisation of the complex, multi-scale pore geometry in cement-stabilised soils is presented, in which the pore size distribution inclusively spans at least six orders of magnitude from ~3 nm up to >3 mm. These most likely result from the combined effects of granular inter-particle packing, clay/cement clothing and bridging effects, cement hydration and clay/cement pozzolanic reactions, and alteration of larger pore geometries as a result of solid mass mobilisation and transport following capillary wetting/drying regimes. Experimental data are presented and were obtained through a combination of X-ray computed tomography, mercury intrusion porosimetry and N₂ physisorption supported by ‘wet mode’ environmental scanning electron microscopy. Data strongly suggest that macropore/capillary pore size distribution, mean pore size, sorptivity and transport coefficients are a function of particle size distribution (when compaction energy is constant). Mesopore size distribution, which dominates hygric sorption/desorption behaviour, occurs within the clay/cement matrix and also appears to be strongly influenced by the particle size distribution of the granular phase. All other factors being equal, manipulation of granular particle size distribution can be used to engineer the hygric (vapour) and capillary (liquid) potentials and also the fluid transport coefficients of these materials.     

Conceptualising the geographic world: the dimensions of negotiation in crowdsourced cartography

In crowdsourced cartographic projects, mappers coordinate their efforts through online tools to produce digital geospatial artefacts, such as maps and gazetteers, which were once the exclusive territory of professional surveyors and cartographers. In order to produce meaningful and coherent data, contributors need to negotiate a shared conceptualisation that defines the domain concepts, such as road, building, train station, forest and lake, enabling the communication of geographic knowledge. Considering the OpenStreetMap Wiki website as a case study, this article investigates the nature of this negotiation, driven by a small group of mappers in a context of high contribution inequality. Despite the apparent consensus on the conceptualisation, the negotiation keeps unfolding in a tension between alternative representations, which are often incommensurable, i.e., hard to integrate and reconcile. In this study, we identify six complementary dimensions of incommensurability that recur in the negotiation: (1) ontology, (2) cartography, (3) culture and language, (4) lexical definitions, (5) granularity, and (6) semantic overload and duplication.     

Using a Discrete Fracture Network and Spatial Point Processes to Populate Veins and Model Grade in a Coarse Gold Deposit

Vein-hosted gold deposits are characterized by mineralization, which is spatially restricted to narrow vein structures. Drillholes intersecting a mineralized vein can lead to unreliable and biased assay values compared to selective mining unit scale block grades. In this work, a discrete fracture network is simulated and adapted to model gold mineralization within the veins. Veins are assumed planar and the required inputs are distributions of vein orientation, vein length, and vein intensity (i.e., density). These inputs are collected from drillhole data, geological mapping, and expert knowledge of the deposit. A spatial point process is then applied to model gold grade as discrete events or “nuggets,” which are spatially restricted to the simulated quartz veins for the case of incomplete mineralization of the veins; when the vein is completely mineralized, a vein thickness distribution is required. The methodology is applied to an epithermal gold deposit in northwestern British Columbia, Canada and shows improvement in restricting the influence of the high-grade gold samples without resorting to ad-hoc manipulation of input assays through capping or cutting. The final output of this methodology is a block model of gold grade, which better honors the spatial structure of the veins in the deposit and is suitable for use in mine planning or resource estimation.     

徐家围子断陷构造地质特征研究新进展

在徐家围子断陷深层连片三维地震精细解释的基础上,结合前人的研究成果,系统的刻画了深大断裂的性质、产状和时空分布规律。从区域构造应力场着手,详细剖析了徐家围子断陷的构造地质特征,重新构建了深大断裂体系。依据剖面特征和断陷的地质结构,首次在徐家围子断陷内解释出两条深大走滑断裂带,发现深大走滑断裂控制了营城组火山岩的形成和分布。明确了徐家围子断陷"两凹夹一隆、东西分带、南北分块"构造格局的动态演化过程及其控制因素。详细剖析了断陷期地层的沉积发育过程、后期改造过程以及现今赋存特征。为庆深气田火山岩储层分布规律预测奠定了基础。     

徐家围子断陷深层结构形成与演化的探讨

徐家围子断陷是松辽盆地北部深层最重要的含气断陷。本文根据最新地震和钻井资料综合研究成果,结合前人研究认识,探讨了徐家围子断陷的形成与演化,认为徐家围子断陷在区域构造位置上处于东北地区松辽盆地的北部,处于松辽盆地区域莫霍面隆起的西斜坡上,特定的位置决定了其形成演化的各个阶段受东北地区区域板块构造运动的控制,与松辽盆地的形成与演化具有一定的关系。徐家围子断陷形成与演化可以划分为5个阶段,是太平洋构造域板块间的相互作用和深部热力作用发育演化的结果,这种过程造就了现今南北分块、东西分带、凹隆相间、构造复杂和沉积岩与火山岩并存的地质结构。徐家围子断陷深层现今构造格局受控于近NW向的徐中断裂、近SN向的徐西断裂、近NW向的徐东断裂带和四组近NE向的断裂。本次研究,对以往无法解释的很多地质现象给予了很好的解释,得出了一些崭新的认识,也从宏观上为寻找天然气资源给予了有力指导。