Calculations of high-pressure phase transitions in the system MgOSiO2 and implications for mantle discontinuities

By incorporating the knowledge of the observed high-pressure phase transformations, the measured equilibrium phase boundaries for certain transitions, and the measured thermochemical data for certain phases in the system MgOSiO₂, the equilibrium phase boundaries for all the phase transitions in this system at 1000°C have been calculated on the basis of an assumption that volume change across a phase boundary is independent of temperature. Three major seismic velocity discontinuities in the mantle (420, 570, and 650 km) have been chosen for comparison with the measured and calculated equilibrium phase boundaries for the high-pressure phases observed in the system MgOSiO₂. Complications of phase changes due to the addition of FeO and Al₂O₃ to the system have also been accounted for. It is suggested by the results of this study that the 420- and 570-km discontinuities are probably related to phase transitions observed in the system MgOSiO₂, but that the 650-km discontinuity is not likely to be associated with any of the equilibrium phase boundaries observed in olivine, pyroxene, and garnet, but may instead be a chemical change.     

Synthesis of a perovskite-type polymorph of CaSiO3

Synthetic crystalline (wollastonite) and glass forms of CaSiO₃ have been compressed to loading pressures above 160 kbar and heated to about 1500° C by a laser in a diamond-anvil cell. After cooling, an X-ray diffraction study carried out whilst the sample was maintained at high pressure revealed that it had transformed to a cubic perovskite-type 3olymorph with a = 3.485 ± 0.008A?. After release of pressure, however, the sample showed a mixture of glass plus a few weak lines corresponding to ε-CaSiO₃ which is thus interpreted as a retrogressive transition product. The density of the perovskite polymorph of CaSiO₃ is about 9.2% greater than that of an isochemical mixture of CaO + SiO₂ (stishovite) at about 160 kbar.     

A simplified analysis approach for the effect of the installation of adjacent XCC pile on the existing single XCC pile in undrained clay

Acta Geotechnica - In this paper, a simplified two-stage analysis method is introduced to predict the lateral response of the existing X-section Cast-in-place Concrete (XCC) pile caused by adjacent...     

Evaporation and energy balance estimates over a large inland lake in the Tibet-Himalaya

The process of evaporation from the lake surface is one of the main mechanisms in the energy and water budgets of the lake hydrologic cycle, and an essential component of the water balance especially for inland lakes. In this study, using routine meteorological data as input, a one-layer potential evaporation model was employed to simulate evaporation and energy fluxes over Lake Yamdrok Yumco, the largest high-elevation inland lake in the mountain area of the Tibet-Himalaya in China. Then, the calculation results were compared with the measured values from a big pan evaporator of 20 m² near the lake. The results show that the average annual input radiation flux R ^↓ is 128.2 W m⁻², the lake storage heat flux G is 19.4 W m⁻², the sensible heat flux H is 20.4 W m⁻² and the latent heat flux lE is 107.8 W m⁻². The R ^↓ and G exhibit similar seasonal variations. The lE reaches a maximum in October, lagging nearly 4 months behind the R ^↓ and the G, which indicates the large heat capacity of the lake. The simulated annual evaporation ranges from 1,113.2 to 1,429.1 mm and its mean value is 1,252.5 mm during 1961–2005. The simulated annual evaporation is in good agreement with the measured value, and the measured average lake temperature is as expected when compared with the measured lake surface temperature.     

陕西富平地区上奥陶统赵老峪组等深流沉积特征及影响因素*

陕西富平地区上奥陶统赵老峪组发育等深流沉积。以实测剖面、岩石光面、薄片资料以及地球化学资料为基础,结合前人研究成果,对赵老峪组等深积岩类型、层序以及等深流沉积发育的影响因素进行了分析。研究认为: (1)赵老峪组发育灰泥等深积岩和粉屑等深积岩2种类型,识别出由单一的灰泥等深积岩以及灰泥等深积岩与粉屑等深积岩组成的2种等深积岩层序;(2)等深流水团温度越低,盐度越高,则等深流强度越大;(3)等深流水团水温由高变低、再变高,盐度由低变高、再变低,可能造成了等深积岩层序由细变粗、再变细;(4)古水深变大、古气候变干热、古盐度变低有利于等深流和等深流沉积的发育。     

Basin hydrogeological characterization using remote sensing,hydrogeochemical and isotope methods (the case of Baro-Akobo,Eastern Nile,Ethiopia)

Hydrogeochemical and isotopic signatures of the waters of the Baro-Akobo River Basin show deviation from signatures in other Ethiopian river basins. In this study, hydrogeochemical and isotope methods were employed to determine regional and local hydrogeology and characteristics of the basin. Optical, thermal and radar remote sensing products were used to update geological and structural maps of the basin and determine sampling points using the judgment sampling method. A total of 363 samples from wells, springs, rivers, lakes, swamps and rain were collected for this study, and an additional 270 water quality data sets were added from previous studies. These data were analyzed for their hydrogeochemical characteristics and isotope signatures. Analysis of the oxygen, deuterium and tritium isotopes shows the groundwater of the basin is modern water. Among all basins in Ethiopia, the Baro-Akobo Basin shows the highest enrichment. This indicates the proximity of the rainfall sources, which presumably are the Sudd and other wetlands in South Sudan. The hydrochemical properties of the waters show evapotranspiration is the dominant hydrologic process in the basin and explains the large amount of water that is lost in the lowland plain. Analysis of radon-222 shows no significant groundwater flux over the wetlands, which are part of Machar Marshes. This shows evaporation to be dominant hydrologic process in this zone. Results from all analyses help explain the limited holding capacity of the aquifers in the recharge zone and their vulnerability to anthropogenic impacts and climate variability. There is a trend of decreasing surface flow and rainfall and increasing water soil erosion.     

Water–rock interaction during the process of steam stimulation exploitation of viscous crude oil in Liaohe Shuguang Oil Field, Liaoning, China

In the process of steam stimulation exploitation of viscous crude oil, the injected water, at high temperature and under high pressure, reacts intensively with the host rock. This kind of water–rock interaction in Liaohe Shuguang Oil Field was studied on the basis of analysis of water composition changes, laboratory experiments, mineral saturation indices analysis, and mass balance calculation. Compared with the injected water, the changes of the composition of discharged water are mainly the distinct decrease of pH, Na⁺, SiO₂ and Cl⁻, as well as the increase of K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, SO ₄ ²⁻ and HCO ₃ ⁻ . Laboratory experiments under field conditions showed: the dissolution sequence of minerals quantitatively is quartz>potassium feldspar>albite, and the main change of clay minerals is the conversion of kaolinite to analcime. Mass balance calculation indicated during the process of steam stimulation, large quantities of analcime are precipitated with the dissolution of large amounts of quartz, kaolinite, potassium feldspar, and CO₂. These results correlated very well with the experimental results. The calculated results of Liaohe Shuguang Oil Field showed that during the steam stimulation for viscous crude oil, the amounts of minerals dissolved (precipitated) are huge. To control the clogging of pore spaces of oil reservoirs, increased study of water–rock interaction is needed.     

强夯碎石土地基土体结构的试验研究

通过现场容重试验和注水试验研究了碎石土地基的密度和渗透性在强夯处理前后的变化,探讨了强夯对土体结构的影响.试验结果表明：强夯能有效改善碎石土的结构,且浅部明显,随深度增加表现出逐渐不明显的趋势;强夯作用下,土体结构的改变在3m以上区域为颗粒填充所致,3m以下则为土体孔隙压缩.     

深层地震资料采集的若干问题

本文着重叙述检波器组合效应、最大炮检距的选择、深反射层的共反射点离散效应等项技术和问题。另外讨论了比较理想的深层资料采集方法。     

Applying disk-based discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA) to simulate Donghekou landslide triggered by the Wenchuan earthquake

In this paper, for the first time, disk-based discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA) is applied to simulate a real landslide triggered by an earthquake. For this purpose, the kinematic behaviour of the Donghekou landslide triggered by the Wenchuan earthquake is simulated and the results obtained using disk-based DDA are compared with actual data. The comparisons show that there is a good agreement between the results obtained using disk-based DDA and observed data. The simulation results provided an understanding of the failure behaviour and temporal evolution of the landslide. This study shows that disk-based DDA is a practical numerical tool that can be used to simulate the post-failure behaviour of landslides triggered by an earthquake.