Suspended sediment and total dissolved solid yield patterns at the headwaters of Urumqi River,northwestern China: a comparison between glacial and non‐glacial catchments

In order to understand the differences in the suspended sediment and total dissolved solid (TDS) yield patterns between the glacial and non‐glacial catchments at the headwaters of Urumqi River, northwestern China, water samples were collected from a glacier catchment and an empty cirque catchment within the region, during three melting seasons from 2006 to 2008. These samples were analyzed to estimate suspended sediment and TDS concentrations, fluxes and erosion rates in the two adjoining catchments. There were remarked differences in suspended sediment and TDS yield patterns between the two catchments. Suspended sediment concentrations were controlled mainly by the sediment source, whereas TDS concentrations were primarily related to the hydrologic interaction with soil minerals. Generally, the glacial catchment had much higher suspended sediment and TDS yields, together with higher denudation rates, than the non‐glacial catchment. Overall, glacial catchment was mainly dominated by physical denudation process, whereas the non‐glacial catchment was jointly influenced by physical and chemical denudation processes. The observed differences in material delivery patterns were mainly controlled by the runoff source and the glacial processes. The melting periods of glacier and snow were typically the most important time for the suspended sediment and TDS yields. Meanwhile, episodic precipitation events could generate disproportionately large yields. Subglacial hydrology dynamics, glaciers pluck and grind processes could affect erodibility, and the large quantities of dust stored on the glacier surface provided additional sources for suspended sediment transport in the glacial catchment. These mechanisms imply that, in response to climate change, the catchment behaviour will be modified significantly in this region, in terms of material flux. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of low- to high-angle normal faults on sedimentary architectures in the Eocene Wenchang Formation,Enping Sag,Pearl River Mouth Basin,South China Sea

The effects of low- to high-angle (>30°) normal faults on sedimentary architectural units in the Eocene Wenchang Formation, Enping Sag, Pearl River Mouth Basin (PRMB), South China Sea were investigated utilising a high-quality 3D seismic data set and restored paleogeomorphology. It has been shown that sequence stratigraphic units and sedimentary architecture are significantly controlled by the low- to high-angle normal faults. The Wenchang Formation, a second-order sequence, can be subdivided into two para-second-sequences (the Lower and Upper Wenchang sequences, E₂W^L and E₂W^U) and seven third-order sequences (from base to top: SQ1～SQ7). The low-angle fault confined sequence architecture of the Wenchang Formation is mainly characterised by lateral stacking with the ratio of the vertical subsidence (V) to horizontal slip (H) being reduced from 1/2 for E₂W^L to 1/6 for E₂W^U. In contrast, the high-angle fault confined sequence is characterised by vertical stacking with the ratio of V/H close to 1 for sequences SQ1 to SQ7. In the 3D seismic area, the features of sediment-dispersal pattern were interpreted based on an integrated analysis of paleogeomorphology, seismic reflection characteristics, stratal thickness distribution and multiple attribute clustering. The results show that the large-scale fan delta, belt-shape lacustrine deposit and bird-foot braided delta systems mainly developed in the low-angle fault confined sequences, whereas small-scale fan delta, rhombus-shaped lacustrine deposit and lobe-shaped braided delta systems inherited tectono-sedimentary architectures in the high-angle fault confined sequences.     

地表覆盖遥感产品更新完善的研究动向

近年来,多尺度地表覆盖遥感产品的不断涌现,为环境变化研究、地球系统模拟、地理国(世)情监测和可持续发展规划等提供了重要科学数据。为更好地满足广大用户日益增长的应用需求,应对地表覆盖遥感产品进行持续更新完善,保持其时效性、增强时序性、丰富多样性。针对大面积地表覆盖遥感产品更新完善所面临的主要问题,介绍和评述了国内外有关研究动向,包括影像与众源信息相结合的更新、数据类型细化与完善、地表覆盖真实性验证,并作了简要展望。     

Laboratory Estimation of Rock Joint Stiffness and Frictional Parameters

Numerical modeling of complex rock engineering problems involves the use of various input parameters which control usefulness of the output results. Hence, it is of utmost importance to select the right range of input physical and mechanical parameters based on laboratory or field estimation, and engineering judgment. Joint normal and shear stiffnesses are two popular input parameters to describe discontinuities in rock, which do not have specific guidelines for their estimation in literature. This study attempts to provide simple methods to estimate joint normal and shear stiffnesses in the laboratory using the uniaxial compression and small-scale direct shear tests. Samples have been prepared using rocks procured from different depths, geographical locations and formations. The study uses a mixture of relatively smooth natural joints and saw-cut joints in the various rock samples tested. The results indicate acceptable levels of uncertainty in the calculation of the stiffness parameters and provide a database of good first estimates and empirical relations which can be used for calculating values for joint stiffnesses when laboratory estimation is not possible. Joint basic friction angles have also been estimated as by-products in the small scale direct shear tests.     

三维遥感影像在遥感地质构造解译中的应用——以福建平和植被覆盖区为例

文章通过建立福建平和矾山三维遥感影像和线环构造解译标志,对区内芦溪—霞寨断裂、坪水断裂等典型断裂以及钟腾破火山口进行了解译。基于三维遥感影像可较好地识别构造解译标志,提高遥感构造解译的精度,降低解译的难度。     

拉萨地块林芝杂岩体石榴角闪岩的地球化学特征和年代学研究

本文对位于青藏高原拉萨地体东南缘林芝杂岩中的两类石榴角闪岩进行了详细的地球化学和锆石U-Pb年代学研究。这两类石榴角闪岩分别为硅不饱和的含十字石石榴角闪岩和硅饱和的含石英石榴角闪岩。含十字石石榴角闪岩矿物组合为十字石、石榴子石、角闪石、钠云母、绿泥石、斜长石。石英石榴角闪岩矿物组合为石榴子石、角闪石、石英、斜长石、黑云母。岩石学及变质相平衡研究表明两类石榴角闪岩均经历了高压角闪岩相变质作用。含十字石石榴角闪岩和石英石榴角闪岩具有MORB的地球化学特征,锆石U-Pb年代学分析获得了800~200 Ma的206Pb/238U年龄范围,出现了~430 Ma、~268 Ma和~216 Ma年龄峰值。~430 Ma年龄可能和拉萨地体岩浆活动有关,~268 Ma变质年龄和~216 Ma变质年龄和拉萨地块经历的高压变质作用有关。其中~268 Ma年龄和拉萨地块内部松多高压带榴辉岩的峰期变质年龄一致,而~216 Ma年龄和榴辉岩的围岩含石榴子石片岩年龄一致。对比该区域的年代学研究成果,这表明林芝杂岩体不仅经历了中新生代的变质和岩浆再造活动,还经历了古特提斯洋闭合,南北拉萨地块发生碰撞的晚二叠世的高压变质作用和三叠纪的中压变质作用。     

Mechanical characteristics of dip basement effects on dump stability in the Shengli open pit mine in Inner Mongolia,China

For waste dump slopes that form basements, landslides can be prevented by determining a stability evolving law of dynamic development. Keeping this issue in mind, the relationship between the mechanical structure and stability of waste dumps with basements is studied. Three key factors that influence waste dump stability are presented, and judgment criteria for self-locking and unlocking states of dump basements are provided. From the friction coefficient of waste dump basement stability analyses of the Shengli open pit mine, the results indicate that waste dump basements on the right side of fault F8 and on the left side of fault F61 are subjected to self-locking. However, between faults F61 and F8, the basement is subjected to unlocking. Regarding the residual thrusting of unlocking areas, structure and stability optimization schemes for waste dumps in the Shengli open pit mine are provided through a mechanics analysis. Reducing the slopes and basement angles of waste dumps can enhance their stability by increasing basement roughness levels.     

An artificial neural network-based response surface method for reliability analyses of <Emphasis Type="Italic">c</Emphasis>-φ slopes with spatially variable soil

This paper presents an artificial neural network (ANN)-based response surface method that can be used to predict the failure probability of c-φ slopes with spatially variable soil. In this method, the Latin hypercube sampling technique is adopted to generate input datasets for establishing an ANN model; the random finite element method is then utilized to calculate the corresponding output datasets considering the spatial variability of soil properties; and finally, an ANN model is trained to construct the response surface of failure probability and obtain an approximate function that incorporates the relevant variables. The results of the illustrated example indicate that the proposed method provides credible and accurate estimations of failure probability. As a result, the obtained approximate function can be used as an alternative to the specific analysis process in c-φ slope reliability analyses.     

Discriminating characters of ore-forming intrusions in the super-large Chalukou porphyry Mo deposit,NE China

The Chalukou porphyry Mo deposit, located in the Great Hinggan Range, is the largest Mo deposit in northeast China, although the age and genesis of the associated magmatic intrusions remain debated.Here we report zircon U-Pb ages and trace elements, whole rock geochemistry and Sre Nd isotope data with a view to understand the relationship between the magmatism and molybdenum mineralization.Zircon U-Pb analysis yield an age of 475 Ma for rhyolite in the older strata, 168 Ma for the premineralization monzogranite, and 154 Ma for the syn-mineralization granite porphyry. The granite porphyry and quartz porphyry are considered as the ore-forming intrusions. These rocks are peraluminous, alkali-calcic, and belong to high-K to shoshonitic series with a strong depletion of Eu. They also display characteristics of I-type granites. The rocks exhibit wide variations of(87 Sr/86 Sr)iin the range of 0.705426 -0.707363, and ε_(Nd)(t) of -3.7 to 0.93. Zircon REE distribution patterns show characteristics between crust and the mantle, implying magma genesis through crust-mantle interaction. The Fe_2O_3/FeO values(average 1) for the whole rock and EuN/Eu*Nvalues(average 0.45), Ce~(4+)/Ce~(3+) values(average 301)for zircon grains from the granite porphyry are higher than those from other lithologies. These features suggest that the ore-forming intrusions(syn-mineralization porphyry) had higher oxygen fugacity conditions than those of the pre-mineralization and post-mineralization rocks. The Chalukou Mo deposit formed in relation to the southward subduction of the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean. Our study suggests that the subduction-related setting, crust-mantle interaction, and the large-scale magmatic intrusion were favorable factors to generate the super-large Mo deposits in this area.