Risk considerations for crown pillar stability assessment for mine closure planning

Evaluation of the long-term surface stability of crown pillars overlying underground mines is an important component of mine closure planning. The definition of a crown pillar, as well as a brief discussion of the assessment of the probability and consequence of crown pillar failure are given in this paper. Techniques for stability assessment using mechanistic, empirical and numerical simulation techniques are discussed. Consequence assessment is discussed, but is still subjective and difficult to quantify. Where crown pillars are suspected to be marginally stable or unstable either at the time of the investigation or over the long term, and where the consequence of failure is medium to high, the closure plan for the site must include proposed rehabilitation alternatives. Selection of the optimum solution depends largely upon financial considerations, but also upon the common public expectation that the result of mine closure planning be a permanent solution that does not restrict public access or future land use on the site.     

New insights into the hydrogeology of a basaltic shield volcano from a comparison between self-potential and electromagnetic data: Piton de la Fournaise, Indian ocean

In order to investigate aquifers, several geophysical surveys have been carried out in the Baril area of the southern flank of Piton de la Fournaise volcano on Reunion in the Indian Ocean using audiomagnetotelluric (AMT), very-low-frequency (VLF) and self-potential (SP) methods. We present the results with emphasis on a comparison between SP data and the findings of geoelectric surveys. AMT soundings have indicated, from the surface downward, three layers: (i) resistive volcanic rocks, (ii) an intermediate resistivity layer, and (iii) a conductive basement attributed to a seawater-bearing aquifer. VLF measurements allow the mapping of the first layer apparent resistivity, and therefore its bottom, when the true resistivity is supposed to be isotropic and homogenous. When this assumption does not hold, only the SP method permits the mapping of this bottom. Because of the good agreement between the SP and electromagnetic results, we propose the SP method as the first tool that should be used in studying shallow hydrogeological structures in volcanic areas.     

The meta-igneous granulite xenoliths from Kerguelen Archipelago: evidence of a continent nucleation in an oceanic setting

Xenoliths of meta-igneous origin occur as one of the two main types of ultramafic and mafic xenoliths entrained by alkaline lavas of the Kerguelen islands. These are designated type II xenoliths and are subdivided into three mineralogical groups. Subtype IIa and IIc xenoliths are interpreted as crystallisation products of basaltic melts that were emplaced near the crust-mantle boundary during the early tholeiitic–transitional magmatic activity of the Kerguelen islands. Younger magmatism became more alkaline and subtype IIb xenoliths were formed as high-pressure alkaline cumulates related to the last alkaline volcanic stage. Subsequently, the plagioclase-bearing type II rocks have been re-equilibrated under granulite facies conditions. This addition of mafic material around the crust-mantle boundary is consistent with seismic evidence for crustal thickening to 14–20 km. Calculated compressional seismic velocities (Vp) for the basic granulites are consistent with the range of observed Vp in the low-velocity region underlying the oceanic crust. Such growth in the thickness of the oceanic crust may be caused by intrusion of basalts at different levels in the lithosphere and may provide the heat responsible for granulitic metamorphism in the oceanic setting. This study suggests that basic granulites can account for the observed seismic characteristics of oceanic plateaux and can be important components of Kerguelen oceanic lithosphere where there has been large-scale magma production. Moreover we speculate that the Kerguelen islands and perhaps the surrounding plateau represent a continental nucleation process. Received: 30 September 1997 / Accepted: 17 June 1998     

GeoPT2. International Proficiency Test for Analytical Geochemistry Laboratories - Report on Round 2

Results from sixty laboratories participating in GeoPT2, the international proficiency testing programme for analytical geochemistry laboratories, are reported. Compared with 71.3% in the last round, 74.6% of the reported data complied with the laboratories' selected fitness for purpose criteria.     

The Effect Of Zonal Tides On The DynamicalEllipticity Of The EarthAnd Its Influence On The Nutation

In this paper, the expressions of variations of the dynamical ellipticity and the principal moments of inertia due to the deformations produced by the zonal part of the tidal potential are obtained. Starting from these expressions, we have studied from equations related to Hamiltonian theory, their effects on the nutation and finally we have evaluated numerically such influences, with a level of truncation at 0.1 μas. Thus we have shown that some coefficients are quite large with respect to the usual accuracy of up-to-date observations. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Acoustic noise and temperature monitoring of the Crater Lake of Mount Ruapehu Volcano

Acoustic signals in Ruapehu Crater Lake, which are now being telemetered via a satellite transmission system, show promise as a possible precursor of increased volcanic activity from Ruapehu. The start of a recent period of rapid heating of Crater Lake was preceded by low-frequency (2 Hz) acoustic signals. These accompanied similar frequency seismic signals, but seemed to be produced independently. Audio-frequency (350–3000 Hz) acoustic noise also showed a very clear peak shortly before the lake temperature started to rise.     

Non-Newtonian effects during injection in partially crystallised magmas

Injection of Newtonian crystal-free magmas into a partially crystallised host which may exhibit non-Newtonian properties produces magmatic structures such as pipes, syn-plutonic dikes or dendritic structures. Field relationships between the structure and the host rock commonly indicate what the rheological contrasts during the injection were. The manner in which a magma deforms in response to injection is mainly linked to crystal content and strain rate (i.e., injection rate). Three kinds of behaviour can be distinguished: (1) Newtonian at low crystal contents; (2) Non-Newtonian at intermediate (40–60%) crystal contents, or at high crystal contents if the strain rate is small; and (3) brittle failure at high crystal content or strain rates.Petrologic observations indicate that injection can take place when the host magma still behaves as a fluid. To investigate the physics of the injection process we review the results of injection experiments in non-Newtonian fluids. These experiments were performed to study viscous fingering in 2-D Hele Shaw cells. They provide the first step to establishing the main non-Newtonian effects during the formation of interfacial instabilities arising when a Newtonian fluid is injected into a more viscous fluid or paste. The qualitative comparison of the morphological features of the interfaces between the fluids in the experiments with those in nature suggests that, in magmas, irregularities of the interfaces (dikes and dendrites) result from non-Newtonian properties of the host. We conclude that fluid-like deformation, rather than brittle behaviour of the host, during injection is likely to produce the general features observed on the field. Cooling effects might be responsible for the widespread phenomenon of fragmentation. We emphasise that the main effect of non-Newtonian properties in partially crystallised magmas is to generate strongly heterogeneous media producing discontinuities which could explain the main morphological features of syn-plutonic injection structures.