An examination of the validation of a model of the hydro/thermo/mechanical behaviour of engineered clay barriers

This paper focuses attention on the development of a numerical model of the hydro/thermo/mechanical behaviour of unsaturated clay and its consequent verification and validation. The work presented describes on-going collaboration between the Cardiff School of Engineering and Atomic Energy of Canada. The model development, which was carried out at Cardiff, can be described as being based on a mechanistic approach to coupled heat, moisture and air flow. This is then linked to a deformation analysis of the material within a ‘consolidation’ type of model. The whole is solved via the finite element method to yield a computer software code named COMPASS (COde for Modelling PArtly Saturated Soil). Some aspects of verification and validation of the model have been addressed in-house. However, the purpose of current AECL work is to provide an independent, rigorous, structured programme of validation and the paper will also explore the further validation of COMPASS within this context. © 1998 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Discrete element modeling of transversely isotropic rocks with non-continuous planar fabrics under Brazilian test

Acta Geotechnica - A new numerical approach based on the particle discrete element method (PDEM) is developed to investigate the mechanical behavior of transversely isotropic rocks with...     

Zonal distribution of the erosion-landslide and soil micromorphological features in purple hilly region

In the purple hilly region, erosions and landslides are all serious, and it is of great scientific value and practical significance to study their formation mechanism and distribution features there.In this paper, soil micromorphological methods and techniques were used to study the erosion zonal distribution in the region. The results indicated: (1)According to erosion process, the spacial distribution zones of the erosions and landslides in the purple hilly region with different solums were divided into scouring erosion zone, transport-diffusion zone, rocks and soil turbulence zone and sediment-bury zone; (2) The soil micromorphologic taxonomic feature identifying different erosion-landslide zone were found by studying the soil micromorphology of erosive zone in purple hilly region; (3) As for the erosion-landslide formation in the region, besides the external factors, the internal factors were found more important and favorable for landslide formation through the studies on the micormorphologieal features of slide soil.     

Early Jurassic palaeoenvironments in the Surat Basin,Australia – marine incursion into eastern Gondwana

Interpretations of palaeodepositional environments are important for reconstructing Earth history. Only a few maps showing the Jurassic depositional environments in eastern Australia currently exist. Consequently, a detailed understanding of the setting of Australia in Gondwana is lacking. Core, wireline logs, two-dimensional and three-dimensional seismic from the Precipice Sandstone and Evergreen Formation in the Surat Basin have been used to construct maps showing the evolution of depositional environments through the Early Jurassic. The results indicate the succession consists of three third-order sequences (Sequence 1 to Sequence 3) that were controlled by eustatic sea level. The lowstand systems tract in Sequence 1 comprises braidplain deposits, confined to a fairway that parallels the basin centre. The strata were initially deposited in two sub-basins, with rivers flowing in different orientations in each sub-basin. The transgressive systems tract of Sequence 1 to lowstand systems tract of Sequence 3 is dominated by fluvio–deltaic systems infilling a single merged basin centre. Finally, the transgressive and highstand systems tracts of Sequence 3 show nearshore environments depositing sediment into a shallow marine basin. In the youngest part of this interval, ironstone shoals are the most conspicuous facies, the thickness and number of which increase towards the north and east. This study interprets a corridor to the open ocean through the Clarence–Moreton Basin, or the Carpentaria and Papuan basins, evidence of which has been eroded. These results challenge a commonly held view that eastern Australia was not influenced by eustasy, and propose a more dynamic palaeogeographic setting comprising a mixture of fluvial, deltaic and shallow marine sedimentary environments. This work can be used to unravel the stratigraphic relationships between Mesozoic eastern Australian basins, or in other basins globally as an analogue for understanding the complex interplay of paralic depositional systems in data poor areas.     

山东莱芜盆地碳酸盐岩热液溶蚀特征及水文地质意义

鲁中山区莱芜盆地在燕山期发生大规模岩浆侵入活动,岩浆岩体外围碳酸盐岩区分布有水源地、富水块段等岩溶发育富水区,且靠近岩体含水层多发生大理岩化。富含CO₂、H₂S等酸性成分的岩浆热液流体,能对碳酸盐岩产生明显的溶蚀作用。基于岩石样品化学组分分析、水文地质调查及数据统计分析、热液溶蚀地质点详细观测,构建热液溶蚀模式,对莱芜盆地及外围热液溶蚀特征及机理进行研究。结果表明:高温高压岩浆侵入使得接触带碳酸盐岩发生热液变质大理岩化;沿渗透性断裂、裂缝以及不整合面等运移的热液流体,对碳酸盐岩地层产生酸性热液溶蚀和混合溶蚀作用,形成不同规模溶蚀孔洞,构成地下水富集空间,为寻找城镇地下水后备水源地提供新方向。     

西昌盆地上三叠统白果湾组富有机质泥页岩沉积岩相古地理与孔隙特征

海陆过渡相富有机质泥页岩是页岩气勘查开发的重要领域。本文以西昌盆地上三叠统白果湾组富有机质泥页岩为研究对象,对研究区内富有机质泥页岩的沉积岩相古地理特征、微观孔隙类型、孔隙结构特征进行研究。白果湾组富有机质泥页岩段沉积相主要为湖泊相、三角洲相、河流相。发育不同类型的微孔隙,孔隙主要以小孔为主,微孔次之,平均孔径分布在5.56~56.89nm之间,比表面积平均为9.44m²/g,总孔体积平均为0.0187cm³/g。页岩气主要形成于滨浅湖亚相及半深湖亚相中,并主要吸附于富有机质泥页岩的小孔、微孔内;西昌盆地白果湾组富有机质泥页岩储集空间较好,具有良好的勘探潜力。     

赣南狮吼山硫铁多金属矿区花岗岩地球化学、年代学特征及其成因

狮吼山矿区是江西省内规模最大的矽卡岩型硫铁多金属矿床,伴生W、Cu、Au多种成矿元素,成矿作用与矿区出露的茶山迳复式花岗岩体有关。岩体主要包括茶山迳似斑状黑云母二长花岗岩和莲湖细粒二长花岗岩两期,为研究成矿岩体的侵位时代、岩石成因及与成矿的关系,本次工作进行了U-Pb锆石定年、岩相学和岩石地球化学等测试分析。结果表明：岩体具有高硅、高钾、富铝的特征,属高钾钙碱性系列花岗岩;轻重稀土元素分馏明显,均为右倾型,弱Eu负异常,以富集Cs、Rb、Th、U、Pb,亏损Ba、Nb、Sr、和Ti等元素为主要特征,属于低Ba-Sr壳源花岗岩类;锆石具较好晶形,具典型岩浆锆石特征,利用LA-ICP-MS进行U-Pb测年,获得谐和年龄为（162.4±0.6）Ma（MSWD=1.8）,加权平均年龄为（162.4±1.4）Ma（MSWD=1.4）,谐和年龄与加权平均年龄在误差范围内高度一致,表明茶山迳复式岩体侵位于燕山早期中侏罗世;综合考虑岩体矿物组合、主微量元素及高分异特征,认为其成因分类应属于S型花岗岩;对比中国花岗岩成矿元素平均含量,茶山迳两期花岗岩均具有较高的W、Mo、Bi、Pb等成矿元素含量,可同时为成矿作用提供热源、流体及物质。     

Improved space–time sea surface salinity mapping in Western Pacific ocean using contingogram modeling

Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment - In the context of statistical correlation theory and geostatistics, the covariance function has been widely used to characterize the...