Geological investigations at a high altitude, remote coal mine on the Northwest Pakistan and Afghanistan frontier, Karakoram Himalaya

The Northwest Pakistan and Afghanistan frontier is located one of the most remote, inaccessible, and inhospitable part of the Himalayan orogenic belt. In this region, two of the world's largest and most distinct mountain belts intersect; the Karakoram Himalaya (mainly in Pakistan) and the Hindu Kush (mainly in Afghanistan). Located at high altitude, in a remote part of Northwest Pakistan, close to the border with Afghanistan, tribal villagers began excavating a series of adits into the steep mountain slopes, beneath glaciers, to extract valuable coal and carbonaceous shale resources. These were discovered in 1996, by the villagers, whilst hunting, and may represent some of the highest mine workings in the world. Small-scale mining operations subsequently developed using rudimentary mining methods and the mine became known as the Reshit or Pamir Coal Mine.The coal deposits are sedimentary, highly disturbed and tectonised, having been subjected to multiple phases of orogenic crustal deformation. The coal occurs as discrete lenses, several tens of metres in their lateral dimension, between steeply dipping, overturned and thrusted limestone beds of Jurassic age. The coal provided a vital, alternative source of fuel for the villagers since the local, traditional fuel supply was wood, which had become severely depleted, and imports of kerosene from neighbouring China and Afghanistan were too expensive.The mining operations experienced severe problems. These included several collapses of mine entrances, the failure of the adits to intersect the coal-bearing zones, the potential threat of geological hazards, mining-induced hazards and harsh high-altitude operating conditions, particularly during the winter months. International aid was provided to assist the villagers and a geological investigation was commissioned to investigate the problems at the mine.The geology of Karakoram Himalaya is relatively poorly understood. Until recently the region was restricted to foreign visitors and large areas of this mountain belt are virtually unmapped. Existing geological and topographic maps are difficult to obtain or are unavailable due to the close proximity of political frontiers, national borders and security reasons. The mineral resource potential of this region is virtually unknown. Few western geologists have visited this area due to its inaccessibility and political constraints, being situated close the frontiers with China, Afghanistan, and the disputed Pakistan and India territory of Kashmir.The Pakistan and Afghanistan border, is once again, now closed to foreign visitors. The objectives of this paper are to document the occurrence of coal and carbonaceous shale, at high altitude, in the Karakoram Himalaya and to provide details on the geology, geological hazards, reserves and labour-intensive mining operations. These observations and information may provide the basis for future mineral exploration, mining-geology, mining-engineering, feasibility studies and engineering geological investigation in the Karakoram Himalaya.     

Decompression reactions and P–T conditions in high-pressure granulites from Casares-Los Reales units of the Betic-Rif belt (S Spain and N Morocco)

High-pressure granulites are exposed in the Casares-Los Reales group (internal zones of Betic-Rif belt, S Spain–N Morocco) as part of the crustal envelope of Beni Bousera-Ronda Peridotites. They are mostly metapelitic but include intercalations of mafic composition. The metamorphic history is marked by the preservation of early high-pressure assemblages together with secondary low-pressure assemblages suggesting a state of textural and compositional disequilibrium. The P–T path constrained by geothermobarometry and reaction textures from mafic and pelitic lithotypes passes from 800 °C/15 kbar to 600 °C/5 kbar, to indicating a strong decompression related to cooling, followed by a near-isobaric cooling 430 °C and 4 kbar. Such P–T evolution of granulites is thought to reflect some sort of rapid tectonic collapse of crust previously thickened through collision.     

Channel Bed Mobility Downstream from the Elwha Dams,Washington*

Dams are a major source of fragmentation and degradation of rivers. Although substantial research has been conducted on the environmental impacts of large structures in the United States, smaller dams have received less attention. This study evaluated the impact of two dams of moderate size, the Elwha Dams, on the downstream channel system using field data collection at river cross‐sections. The relationship of average boundary shear stress (τ_o) to critical shear stress (τ_cr) served as the basis for determining channel bed material mobility under the two‐year and ten‐year flood events. The channel had the greatest channel bed mobility at the natural cross‐section upstream from the dams, low bed mobility between the structures, and an increase in channel bed mobility in the low gradient river segment near the mouth of the river. Low bed mobility tended to be associated with a lack of channel system complexity, including reduction or loss of bars and low alluvial terraces and their associated young riparian communities. Although these run‐of‐the‐river dams do not modify streamflow greatly, the loss of sediment from the channel system has had a substantial impact on bed mobility and geomorphic and biotic complexity of the Elwha River.     

Computation of response spectra from mining tremors using neural networks

Underground coal and copper ore exploitation in two Polish mining regions causes mining tremors and a series of other negative phenomena in the environment. Although these tremors are strictly connected with human activity, they differ considerably from other paraseismic vibrations. The moment of their occurrence is not to be foreseen likewise for earthquakes. The main problem discussed in the paper was formulated as the neural network evaluation of a relation between mining tremor energies, epicentral distances and acceleration response spectra. Back-propagation neural networks with Resilient back-propagation learning method were used. Each input vector included information about the mining tremor energy and the epicentral distance. Values of acceleration response spectrum were expected as the outputs of neural networks. Neurally evaluated spectra were compared with spectra computed on the basis of experimental data. After the network is trained and tested, it can be used for mapping of new data of mining tremor energies and epicentral distances into the spectra. Then, what is the substantial advantage of neural approach, the prediction of acceleration response spectra can be performed without recording of surface vibrations. In the light of the results, it is visible that the presented way of computation of acceleration response spectra can be peculiarly applied to prognosis of mining tremors influences on structures.     

Channel adjustments of the lower Trinity River,Texas, downstream of Livingston Dam

Channel cross‐sectional changes since construction of Livingston Dam and Lake Livingston in 1968 were studied in the lower Trinity River, Texas, to test theoretical models of channel adjustment, and to determine controls on the spatial extent of channel response. High and average flows were not significantly modified by the dam, but sediment transport is greatly reduced. The study is treated as an opportunistic experiment to examine the effects of a reduction in sediment supply when discharge regime is unchanged. Channel scour is evident for about 60 km downstream, and the general phenomena of incision, widening, coarsening of channel sediment and a decrease in channel slope are successfully predicted, in a qualitative sense, by standard models of channel response. However, there is no consistent channel response within this reach, as various qualitatively different combinations of increases, decreases or no change in width, depth, slope and roughness occur. These multiple modes of adjustment are predicted by the unstable hydraulic geometry model. Between about 60 km and the Trinity delta 175 km downstream of the dam, no morphological response to the dam is observed. Rather than a diminution of the dam's effects on fluvial processes, this is due to a fundamental change in controls of the fluvial system. The downstream end of the scour zone corresponds to the upstream extent of channel response to Holocene sea level rise. Beyond 60 km downstream, the Trinity River is characterized by extensive sediment storage and reduced conveyance capacity, so that even after dam construction sediment supply still exceeds transport capacity. The channel bed of much of this reach is near or below sea level, so that sea level rise and backwater effects from the estuary are more important controls on the fluvial system than upstream inputs. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Caldera formation by magma withdrawal from a reservoir beneath a volcanic edifice

Caldera formation has been explained by magma withdrawal from a crustal reservoir, but little is known about the conditions that lead to the critical reservoir pressure for collapse. During an eruption, the reservoir pressure is constrained to lie within a finite range: it cannot exceed the threshold value for eruption, and cannot decrease below another threshold value such that feeder dykes get shut by the confining pressure, which stops the eruption. For caldera collapse to occur, the critical reservoir pressure for roof failure must therefore be within this operating range. We use an analytical elastic model to evaluate the changes of reservoir pressure that are required for failure of roof rocks above the reservoir with and without a volcanic edifice at Earth's surface. With no edifice at Earth's surface, faulting in the roof region can only occur in the initial phase of reservoir inflation and affects a very small part of the focal area. Such conditions do not allow caldera collapse. With a volcanic edifice, large tensile stresses develop in the roof region, whose magnitude increase as the reservoir deflates during an eruption. The edifice size must exceed a threshold value for failure of the roof region before the end of eruption. The largest tensile stresses are reached at Earth's surface, indicating that faulting starts there. Failure affects an area whose horizontal dimensions depend on edifice and chamber dimensions. For small and deep reservoirs, failure conditions cannot be achieved even if the edifice is very large. Quantitative predictions are consistent with observations on a number of volcanoes.     

Influences of wastewater discharges on the water quality of Mamasın dam watershed in Aksaray, Central Anatolian part of Turkey

Sustaining the human ecological benefits of surface water requires carefully planned strategies for reducing the cumulative risks posed by diverse human activities. Municipal governments in Aksaray City play a key role in developing solutions to surface water management and protection problems. The responsibility to provide drinking water and sewage works, regulate the use of private land, and protect public health provides the mandate and authority to take action. A large part of Aksaray City uses Mamasın dam water as its primary source for drinking water. Several point sources of contamination may result from direct wastewater discharges from Melendiz and Karasu rivers, which recharge the Mamasın dam watershed. Relevant studies were carried out for monitoring the eutrophication process, which usually occurs in the static water mass of the Mamasın dam lake. This process may be caused by the continual increase in nutrients and decrease of O₂ levels, causing anaerobic conditions. Stimulated algae growth in these water bodies consequently reduces water quality. Hydrochemical parameters were evaluated to estimate the types of pollution sources, the level of pollution, and its environmental impacts on the Mamasın dam drinking water reservoir.     

Left upstream slope design for the Çatalan Dam, Adana, Turkey and its behaviour under actual earthquake loading

An investigation and remediation of instability along upstream cut slopes for an earthfill dam in differentially weathered rock in southern Turkey is described. The major instability problem was a 45-m high and 200-m long previously cut slope next to the main axis of the dam, above the diversion tunnels and water outlet structures. The slope was first designed and excavated in 1986 based on the temporary berm approach. Rising water level in the reservoir would change the shear strength parameters and the pore-water pressure in the slope; thus, probable deep failure would damage the entrance of the diversion tunnels and water outlet structures, as well as the earthfill embankment of the dam. In June 1996, the slope face was re-excavated and protected against wave erosion by placement of a layer of rock riprap over a layer of bedding and a filter material. A strong earthquake (M_S = 6.2) occurred during a period of rapid drawdown in 27 June 1998. The slope remained stable, although numerous tension cracks developed in Quaternary terrace deposits near the reservoir area.     

X波段高分辨率SAR数据土石坝表面相干性时序变化分析

本文以深圳公明水库6个中小型土石坝为试验区,利用10景1 m分辨率升降轨X波段Terra SAR影像和坝体附近连续气象站的降雨量数据,研究了坝体表面相干性的时序变化与雷达本地入射角及降雨的关系。试验结果表明,混凝土面板和草坡平均相干性均会随本地入射角增加而减小,同时,草坡表面平均相干性在有微小降雨的情况下就会快速下降0.1～0.2,差分干涉图的噪声增大;混凝土面板对微小的降雨敏感度小,但是在暴雨情况下将导致其表面完全失相干。上述结果表明,针对中小土石坝坡体变形监测应当顾及坝体的坡度及入射角选择合适的雷达成像参数,同时应充分利用降雨资料评估干涉图失相干情况,剔除噪声数据。     

基于地下水模型的岩溶塌陷风险性评价方法在临沂市城区的应用

岩溶塌陷是山东省临沂市区最重要的地质灾害类型,一旦发生,会带来较大的经济和财产损失,因此对岩溶塌陷的风险评价十分必要。风险评价包括现状评价和预测评价,主要分3个步骤来完成：危险性评价,易损性评价和期望损失评价。利用地下水流模型确定调采方案下的相关评价因子,预测了岩溶塌陷的风险性。通过比较发现,经过地下水调采后,原岩溶塌陷高风险区范围大为缩小。地下水流数值模型和风险评价方法结合,可以确定合理的岩溶水规划开采方案,对于指导和防治岩溶塌陷具有重要意义。