泾阳南塬蒋刘4#滑坡特征及成因机制

2016年3月6日,泾阳南塬蒋刘村发生了约2×104 m3的小型黄土滑坡。滑坡发生后,在对滑坡现场进行详细的地质调查基础上,结合无人机航测和三维激光扫描综合手段,对滑坡的基本特征及成因机理进行了初步分析。结果表明:长期引水灌溉是滑坡发生的基本条件;坡脚滞水软化作用、与灌溉渠较短的渗透距离、坡脚冻结黄土春季解冻是导致滑体发生的直接原因;底部饱和泥化黄土的铺垫及导流作用,是导致其滑程较远的根本原因。该类滑坡近几年来发生频率较高,为泾阳南塬滑坡演化后期的主要发生类型,具有一定的特殊性,值得深入研究。     

三峡库岸滑坡变形特征及影响因素分析

三峡库区涉水滑坡主要影响因素是水位和降雨量,也是库区滑坡体失稳的主要影响因素和诱发因素。库区每年重复着水位升降不利于滑坡的稳定,而降雨特别是大强度的降雨也诱发产生滑坡。当水位波动遇到降雨,出现工况叠加,滑坡将加剧。因此,有必要对影响滑坡变形的主导因素进行了解分析。2016年6月三峡库区全面展开了自动化监测,使得数据统计方便可靠。本文采用滑坡变形速率、降雨量、库水位变化、最大水位变化速率、淹没程度,运用灰色关联度分析法对涉水滑坡进行了计算分析。水位下降阶段,文中土质滑坡变形受库水位影响最大。水位上升阶段,该土质滑坡上部变形受降雨影响最大,下部受水位影响最大。文中岩质滑坡总是受库水位影响最大。     

塔里木陆块西北缘萨热克砂岩型铜矿床构造-流体演化对成矿的制约

塔里木陆块西北缘萨热克砂岩型铜矿床构造演化、流体演化与成矿之间具有密切关系,处于一个统一系统中。矿床成岩期方解石中包裹体水的δD值为-65.3‰~-99.2‰,改造成矿期石英包裹体水的δD值为-77.7‰~-96.3‰,成岩成矿期成矿流体δ~(18)OH_2O变化范围为-3.22‰~1.84‰,改造成矿期成矿流体δ~(18)OH_2O变化范围为-4.26‰~5.14‰,指示萨热克铜矿成岩期、改造期成矿流体主要为中生代大气降水及其经水岩作用而成的盆地卤水。矿石中辉铜矿δ~(34)S值为-24.7‰~-15.4‰,指示硫主要源自硫酸盐细菌与有机质还原,部分源于有机硫。构造与成矿流体演化对砂岩铜矿成矿起关键制约作用。盆地发展早期强烈的抬升运动使盆地周缘基底与古生界剥蚀,为富铜矿源层的形成提供了丰富物源,至晚侏罗世盆地发展晚期,长期演化积聚的巨量含矿流体在库孜贡苏组砾岩胶结物及裂隙中富集,在萨热克巴依盆地内形成具有经济意义的砂岩型铜矿床。     

四川西昌盆地白垩纪恐龙足迹群的新发现

四川西昌盆地白垩系小坝组尚未发现骨骼化石记录,其白垩系恐龙动物群的信息全赖于足迹化石。2017年,在喜德县洛甘发现小坝组迄今最大型的恐龙足迹群。该足迹点保存了大量的兽脚类足迹。足迹保存条件较差,但具备了基本的形态学特征。总体来看,兽脚类足迹具有尺寸较小(8~13cm),中等中趾前凹(0.5~0.6)和第Ⅱ趾和第Ⅳ趾间较宽趾间角(70°~100°)的特征;少量足迹保存了跖骨垫。初步分析认为,洛甘兽脚类足迹与四川盆地夹关组的兽脚类足迹Eubrontes和Grallator形态类型相似,为两地在白垩纪中期具有类似的恐龙动物群的观点提供了新的证据。该发现对于西昌盆地的古气候、古地理和地层对比都具有重要的意义,足迹详细分类还有待进一步研究。     

Numerical analysis of effect of baffle configuration on impact force exerted from rock avalanches

In mountainous areas, channelized rock avalanches swarm downslope leading to large impact forces on building structures in residential areas. Arrays of rock avalanche baffles are usually installed in front of rigid barriers to attenuate the flow energy of rock avalanches. However, previous studies have not sufficiently addressed the mechanisms of interaction between the rock avalanches and baffles. In addition, empirical design approaches such as debris flow (Tang et al., Quat Int 250:63–73, 2012), rockfall (Spang and Rautenstrauch, 1237–1243, 1988), snow avalanches (Favier et al., 14:3–15, 2012), and rock avalanches (Manzella and Labiouse, Landslides 10:23–36, 2013), which are applied in natural geo-disasters mitigation cannot met construction requirements. This study presents details of numerical modeling using the discrete element method (DEM) to investigate the effect of the configuration of baffles (number and spacing of baffle columns and rows) on the impact force that rock avalanches exert on baffles. The numerical modeling is firstly conducted to provide insights into the flow interaction between rock avalanches and an array of baffles. Then, a modeling analysis is made to investigate the change pattern of the impact force with respect to baffle configurations. The results demonstrate that three crucial influencing factors (baffle row numbers, baffle column spacing, and baffle row spacing) have close relationship with energy dissipation of baffles. Interestingly, it is found that capacity of energy dissipation of baffles increases with increasing baffle row numbers and baffle row spacing, while it decreases with increasing baffle column spacing. The results obtained from this study are useful for facilitating design of baffles against rock avalanches.     

Application of incomplete similarity theory to the estimation of the mean velocity of debris flows

The mean velocity of debris flow is one of the most important parameters in the design of mitigation structures and in quantitative risk analysis. This study develops a model to predict the mean debris flow velocity observed in the field by applying the incomplete similarity argument. An equation for estimating the Darcy-Weisbach resistance coefficient for debris flows with a volumetric sediment concentration larger than 0.19 is accordingly derived using 128 sets of observation data from nine Chinese gullies, in which both the effect of the volumetric sediment concentration and channel slope on resistance are considered. The derived equation is then verified and compared against five previously published equations by using 61 sets of published observation data from six gullies located in four countries. The applications of the proposed equation are discussed, and the improvements made using the proposed equation are clearly very significant when compared with the previously published equations.     

Comparison of single- and dual-permeability models in simulating the unsaturated hydro-mechanical behavior in a rainfall-triggered landslide

Landslide-prone slopes in earthquake-affected areas commonly feature heterogeneity and high permeability due to the presence of cracks and fissures that were caused by ground shaking. Landslide reactivation in heterogeneous slope may be affected by preferential flow that was commonly occurred under heavy rainfall. Current hydro-mechanical models that are based on a single-permeability model consider soil as a homogeneous continuum, which, however, cannot explicitly represent the hydraulic properties of heterogeneous soil. The present study adopted a dual-permeability model, using two Darcy-Richards equations to simulate the infiltration processes in both matrix and preferential flow domains. The hydrological results were integrated with an infinite slope stability approach, attempting to investigate the hydro-mechanical behavior. A coarse-textured unstable slope in an earthquake-affected area was chosen for conducting artificial rainfall experiment, and in the experiment slope, failure was triggered several times under heavy rainfall. The simulated hydro-mechanical results of both single- and dual-permeability model were compared with the measurements, including soil moisture content, pore water pressure, and slope stability conditions. Under high-intensity rainfall, the measured soil moisture and pore water pressure at 1-m depth showed faster hydrological response than its simulations, which can be regarded as a typical evidence of preferential flow. We found the dual-permeability model substantially improved the quantification of hydro-mechanical processes. Such improvement could assist in obtaining more reliable landslide-triggering predication. In the light of the implementation of a dual-permeability model for slope stability analysis, a more flexible and robust early warning system for shallow landslides hazard in coarse-textured slopes could be provided.     

Characterization of the mechanical properties of a claystone by nano-indentation and homogenization

Based on the analyses of mineralogical compositions by X-ray diffraction and microstructure by optical microscopy, the Young’ modulus and hardness of a claystone were characterized by the nano-indentation technique and homogenization method. Three distinct microstructural zones are identified in the claystone: clay matrix, a composite matrix of clay and small mineral grains and imbedded quartz grains. The elastic modulus and hardness of different zones were determined by nano-indentation testing. Based on the statistical analysis of nano-indentation results, the spatial mappings and frequency distributions of elastic modulus and hardness of the different zones were obtained. The elastic moduli of main constituent phases of the claystone are then estimated from the nano-indentation tests. These values were further used for the determination of the macroscopic elastic modulus of the claystone using two different homogenization schemes: the dilute scheme and Mori–Tanaka scheme. The predicted values by the homogenization schemes are compared with experimental data obtained from conventional uniaxial compression tests.     

Up-to-date urban rainstorm intensity formulas considering spatial diversity in China

With accelerating urbanization in China, urban waterlogging has had a serious impact on urban sustainable development and citizen welfare. Simple urban rainstorm intensity formulas with a monotonous frequency distribution type cannot meet the practical needs of urban drainage planning and design. This study focuses on the development of urban rainstorm intensity formulas based on spatial diversity in China. Using the annual maximum sampling method, rainstorm data of 607 cities throughout China were collected into a database, with a total of 24,933 rainfall samples (annual observations) under various specified precipitation durations. The database was used to verify that integrating the Pearson III and Gumbel distributions would constitute an optimal theoretical distribution type, owing to its small error and increased fitting precision. Modification and coordination of four important parameters in the rainstorm intensity formula were done using a digital elevation model, which improved the accuracy of the formula. In addition, precipitation distributions in China were treated from the perspective of topographic features to validate the calculations from up-to-date formulas. Accuracy assessment was accomplished using a national code (GB-50014-2006), GIS-based isograms, and authoritative results from the Hydrological Bureau of the Ministry of Water Resources. This work provides a comprehensive foundation for the establishment of an up-to-date rainstorm intensity formula for China, which can be used widely in different cities.     

Development of efficiently coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical model to predict hydraulic fracture morphology in heavy oil reservoirs

The aim of the study involves examining the effect of heavy oil viscosity on fracture geometry in detail by establishing a heavy oil fracturing model and conventional fracturing model based on thermal–hydraulic–mechanical (THM) coupled theory, Walther viscosity model, and K–D–R temperature model. We consider viscosity and density within the heavy oil fracturing model as functions of pressure and temperature while that as constants within the conventional fracturing model. A heavy oil production well is set as an example to analyze the differences between the two models to account for the thermo-poro-elastic effect. The results show that temperature exhibits the most significant influence on the heavy oil viscosity while the influence of pressure is the least. In addition, a cooling area with a width of 0–1 m and varied length is generated near the fracture. The heavy oil viscosity increases sharply in this area, thereby indicating an area of viscosity increment. The heavy oil viscosity increases faster and is closer to wellbore, and a high viscosity increment reduces the mobility of the heavy oil and prevents the fracturing fluid from entering into the reservoir. The special viscosity distribution results in significant differences in pore pressure, oil saturation, and changing trends between these two models. In the heavy oil reservoir fracturing model, the thermal effect completely exceeds the influence of pore elasticity, and the values of the fracture length, width, and static pressure exceed those calculated in the conventional fracturing model. Thus, a comparison of the measured values indicates that the results obtained by considering viscosity as a function of temperature and pressure are more accurate. Therefore, the results of this study are expected to provide good guidelines for the design of heavy oil fracturing.