Seasonal differences in seismic responses of embankment on a sloping ground in permafrost regions

Because of its direct influence on the amount of unfrozen water and on the strength of intergranular ice in a frozen soil, temperature has a significant effect on all aspects of the mechanical behavior of the active layer in which temperature fluctuates above and below 0 °C. Hence seismic responses of engineering structures such as embankment on a sloping ground in permafrost regions exhibit obvious differences with seasonal alternation. To explore the distinctive seismic characteristics of a railway embankment on the sloping ground in permafrost regions, a coupled water-heat-dynamics model is built based on theories of heat transfer, soil moisture dynamics, frozen soil mechanics, soil dynamics, and so on. A well-monitored railway embankment on a sloping ground in Qinghai–Tibet Plateau is taken as an example to simulate seismic responses in four typical seasons in the 25th service year. The numerical results show that seismic acceleration, velocity and displacement responses are significantly different in four typical seasons, and the responses on October 15 are much higher among the four seasons. When the earthquake is over, there are still permanent differential deformations in the embankment and even severe damages on the left slope on October 15. Therefore, this position should be monitored closely and repaired timely to ensure safe operation. In addition, the numerical model and results may be a reference for maintenance, design and study on other embankments in permafrost regions.     

Dimlington Stadial (Late Devensian) ice-wedge casts and involutions in the Severn Estuary,southwest Britain

The largely concealed sub-Flandrian bedrock surface in the Severn Estuary, chiefly known from borings and chart soundings, has the form of a valley within a valley. In the aftermath of an unusual storm in March 1986, which removed from many places the obscuring modern sediments normally present, periglacial structures were recognized on the floor and upper margins of the upper valley at ten widely scattered localities. The structures occur only where the valley is formed on relatively soft Triassic and Jurassic mudrocks; they involve gravels and/or red-brown sands belonging to the Main Terrace sequence, but in some places incorporate local gravels. There are no completely convincing indications of cold conditions where the relatively strong Silurian and Old Red Sandstone rocks and the Carboniferous Limestone form the valley floor. The altitudinal relationships of the involutions and wedges, together with the scale of the outer valley, suggest that this sub-Flandrian rock bench was merely re-excavated during the Late Devensian. Then permafrost developed while the river lay confined within the much narrower inner gorge.     

青藏铁路多年冻土区工程复杂性分析

青藏铁路穿越550km多年冻土区,多年冻土地温、冻土类型以及沿线生态环境等存在较大的差异,使多年冻土区工程较为复杂。因此本文提出了冻土工程复杂性概念,建立冻土工程复杂性评价模型,并利用GIS平台对青藏铁路沿线唐古拉山越岭地段工程复杂性进行了分析和研究。研究结果表明,青藏铁路穿越的唐古拉山越岭地段工程复杂性相对较小,而青藏公路的工程复杂性相对较大。这表明了青藏公路沿线冻土工程比青藏铁路沿线更为复杂,在各种因素的影响下,青藏公路路基稳定性变化比青藏铁路更加复杂。     

青藏高原重大冻土工程的基础研究

青藏高原是我国乃至世界高海拔多年冻土区的典型代表。伴随着青藏铁路的建成通车,西藏自治区迎来了新一轮经济发展,迫切需要新建高速公路、输变电线路、输油气管道工程等。这些拟建工程与已建的青藏公路、青藏铁路、格拉输油管道、兰西拉光缆等工程均聚集于宽度不足10km范围内的青藏工程走廊。在这狭长的冻土工程走廊内,已修建或拟建的各种冻土构筑物相互影响,多因素耦合叠加,加速区域内的冻土退化,而冻土融化必将影响到工程的稳定性和生态环境退化。再加上全球气候变化的影响,其变化程度更加剧烈。面对国家需求,国家重点基础研究发展项目"青藏高原重大冻土工程的基础研究"于2012年4月正式启动。该项目旨在揭示气候变化与人类工程活动加剧背景下冻土变化及灾害时空演化规律,建立冻土工程稳定性和服役性能评价体系,提出冻土工程灾害防治理论与控制对策,为冻土构筑物群灾害应急预案和重大冻土工程建设提供科学决策依据。     

昆仑山隧道沟谷融区发育特征分析

利用多年冻土区昆仑山隧道2#冲沟帷幕注浆的机会,将注浆孔当作测试孔,测试每个孔的水位和孔温。通过测试孔水位、孔温和注浆量变化分析,判断2#冲沟融区发育特征,得出2#冲沟沟底的融化深度远大于通常的冻土上限;阳坡地温高于阴坡地温;在2#冲沟段,昆仑山隧道中心线左右至少7m范围内为融化区,融区深度在隧底25m以下;阳坡地层的孔隙率高于阴坡孔隙率,沟底岩层与地表有较为畅通的地下水流通道,沟底地下水渗流通道明显优于两侧山坡,沟心纵断面位置附近存在至少一条未被冻结的地下水通道,且该通道的埋置深度至少可达1730m,为昆仑山隧道渗漏水病害治理提供依据。     

气候变暖条件下,中(高)亚洲地区不稳定型冻土的巨大挑战和创新解决方案:——来自首届亚洲冻土大会及会后青藏高原考察的总结报告

首届亚洲冻土大会于2006年8月5~16日在兰州、青藏线和拉萨顺利召开.大会讨论主要包括以下5个议题:1)冻土工程;2)山区和高原冻融灾害及冰缘环境;3)冰冻圈的气候与环境条件;4)冻土水文、寒区水资源及土地利用,和;5)冻土监测、制图及模拟.国内论文大多集中于青藏铁路各种科技创新和工程(示范)建设方面.中亚冻土分类、制图和监测研讨会明确了制定统一的中亚地区冻土图的计划和实施方案.会议期间,国内主要新闻媒体对全球15位著名冻土学家进行了联合采访.大约80位中外代表参加了青藏(公)铁路沿线考察,并于8月15日在拉萨举行青藏铁路工程和环境问题讨论会.专家一致认为,青藏铁路所采取的冻土工程措施基本上是恰当、有效的,能够保证青藏铁路路基的长期稳定性.但是,沿线寒区环境保护问题还任重道远,需要尽快进行综合管(治)理,以达到青藏地区社会经济和谐、持续发展的目标.     

Modelling alpine permafrost distribution,Val de Rechy,Valais Alps (Switzerland)

The spatial distribution of the alpine permafrost is modelled in the uppermost part of Val de Rechy (Valais Alps, Switzerland) with the use of a geographical information system (GIS). Two empirical-statistical models are compared and their validity tested by a set of bottom temperature of winter snow (BTS) measurements carried out in the field. One model can simulate the spatial distribution of the permafrost facing ground warming consecutive to climatic change. Local/regional maps of simulated permafrost distribution as presented in this paper can be useful in the context of a preventive approach for natural hazards management.     

Permafrost dynamics in the north-east of European Russia at the end of the 20th century

In the major physiographic divisions of the north-east of European Russia, temperatures in the cryolithozone and the active/seasonally frozen layer were monitored during the period 1970 to 1995. Active layer depths increased on average by 11% to 15%, whereas the depths of the seasonally frozen layer decreased by 19% to 40%. The largest positive temperature increments, up to 1.2C, were characteristic for the piedmont and basement plains. Lacustrine-alluvial lowlands demonstrated oppositely directed temperature trends depending on a landform. Numerous sites with ongoing permafrost formation demonstrated negative temperature increments varying from 0.1C to 2.0C.     

Retrogression characteristics of landslides in fine-grained permafrost soils, Mackenzie Valley, Canada

Thirteen landslides (retrogressive thaw flows) were investigated to study the behavior of thaw retrogression in permafrost in the Mackenzie Valley, Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada. Those landslides are all in fine-grained ice-rich permafrost soils. Such landslides usually start from small-scale slope failures followed by retrogressive thaw flows when ice-rich permafrost soils are exposed to the atmosphere. The landslides were marked with survey stakes to measure their retreat rates for the thawing season of 2007. Two correlations are presented: one is between scarp wall height and retreat rate; another is between overall slope angle and retreat rate. It was found that thaw flow retrogression rate increases with increase in scarp wall height and slope angle up to a certain limit. It was also confirmed that thaw flow retrogression is not influenced by slope orientation.     

Formation history and physical properties of sediments from the Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well, Alaska North Slope

The synthesis of available geological information and surface temperature evolution in the Alaska North Slope region suggests that: biogenic and deeper thermogenic gases migrated through fault networks and preferentially invaded coarse-grained layers that have relatively high hydraulic conductivity and low gas entry pressures; hydrate started forming before the beginning of the permafrost; eventually, the permafrost deepened and any remaining free water froze so that ice and hydrate may coexist at some elevations. The single tested specimen (depth 620.47-620.62 m) from the D unit consists of uncemented quartzitic fine sand with a high fraction of fines (56% by mass finer than sieve #200). The as-received specimen shows no evidence of gas present. The surface texture of sediment grains is compatible with a fluvial-deltaic sedimentation environment and shows no signs of glacial entrainment. Tests conducted on sediments with and without THF hydrates show that effective stress, porosity, and hydrate saturation are the major controls on the mechanical and geophysical properties. Previously derived relationships between these variables and mechanical/geophysical parameters properly fit the measurements gathered with Mount Elbert specimens at different hydrate saturations and effective stress levels. We show that these measurements can be combined with index properties and empirical geomechanical relationships to estimate engineering design parameters. Volumetric strains measured during hydrate dissociation vanish at 2-4 MPa; therefore, minimal volumetric strains are anticipated during gas production at the Mount Elbert well. However, volume changes could increase if extensive grain crushing takes place during depressurization-driven production strategies, if the sediment has unexpectedly high in situ porosity associated to the formation history, or if fines migration and clogging cause a situation of sustained sand production.