Reliability based risk index for the design of reinforced earth structures

The design methods currently used for earth reinforcement are mostly based on deterministic properties of both the soil and the construction materials used. Nowadays, however, the general trend is designing at a specific degree of reliability. This is even more true where the raw data such as soil properties exhibit significant variation. Deterministic solutions, in this case, may not suffice. Therefore, this paper will attempt to use probabilistic formulations thereby modifying the existing design procedure of reinforced earth retaining walls to account for uncertainties and variabilities. Through a first order Taylor's series expansion about the mean, the mean and variance of the strip reinforcing components, namely width and length, are derived in terms of the variations in the soil properties. Design charts that enable estimation of both mean and variance are developed to avoid extensive partial differentiation involved in the computations. Using appropriate probability distributions along with the mean and variance, the final design outputs are determined for a selected failure probability by introducing what is refered to as 'risk index'. The results indicate that the risk index increases with an increase in the coefficient of variations and a decrease in failure probability. Furthermore, it is shown that in some cases, depending on the variabilities of the soil properties, the classical design technique produced a relatively high failure probability. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Metamorphic petrology and zircon geochronology of high-grade rocks from the central Mozambique Belt of Tanzania: crustal recycling of Archean and Palaeoproterozoic material during the Pan-African orogeny

New data on the metamorphic petrology and zircon geochronology of high‐grade rocks in the central Mozambique Belt (MB) of Tanzania show that this part of the orogen consists of Archean and Palaeoproterozoic material that was structurally reworked during the Pan‐African event. The metamorphic rocks are characterized by a clockwise P–T path, followed by strong decompression, and the time of peak granulite facies metamorphism is similar to other granulite terranes in Tanzania. The predominant rock types are mafic to intermediate granulites, migmatites, granitoid orthogneisses and kyanite/sillimanite‐bearing metapelites. The meta‐granitoid rocks are of calc‐alkaline composition, range in age from late Archean to Neoproterozoic, and their protoliths were probably derived from magmatic arcs during collisional processes. Mafic to intermediate granulites consist of the mineral assemblage garnet–clinopyroxene–plagioclase–quartz–biotite–amphibole ± K‐feldspar ± orthopyroxene ± oxides. Metapelites are composed of garnet‐biotite‐plagioclase ± K‐feldspar ± kyanite/sillimanite ± oxides. Estimated values for peak granulite facies metamorphism are 12–13 kbar and 750–800 °C. Pressures of 5–8 kbar and temperatures of 550–700 °C characterize subsequent retrogression to amphibolite facies conditions. Evidence for a clockwise P–T path is provided by late growth of sillimanite after kyanite in metapelites. Zircon ages indicate that most of the central part of the MB in Tanzania consists of reworked ancient crust as shown by Archean (c. 2970–2500 Ma) and Palaeoproterozoic (c. 2124–1837 Ma) protolith ages. Metamorphic zircon from metapelites and granitoid orthogneisses yielded ages of c. 640 Ma which are considered to date peak regional granulite facies metamorphism during the Pan‐African orogenic event. However, the available zircon ages for the entire MB in East Africa and Madagascar also document that peak metamorphic conditions were reached at different times in different places. Large parts of the MB in central Tanzania consist of Archean and Palaeoproterozoic material that was reworked during the Pan‐African event and that may have been part of the Tanzania Craton and Usagaran domain farther to the west.     

地震前地表重力场变化的一种可能解释——应力-损伤耦合效应

文中运用损伤力学研究方法 ,提出孕震过程中引起地壳破坏的应力 -损伤耦合效应。利用应变等效性假设 ,推导了地壳体的应力 -损伤耦合效应与地表重力变化之间的理论关系。根据岩石力学实验的不同加载途径 ,模拟了 1976年唐山 7 8级地震和 2 0 0 1年昆仑山口西 8 1级地震重力演化的不同特征 ,结果与实际情况符合较好 ,表明应力 -损伤耦合效应可以作为地震前地壳重力变化的一种物理解释     

Ultra-high-temperature metamorphism and multistage decompressional evolution of sapphirine granulites from the Palni Hill Ranges, southern India

Sapphirine granulites from a new locality in the Palni Hill Ranges, southern India, occur in a small enclave of migmatitic, highly magnesian metapelites (mg=85–72) within massive enderbitic orthogneiss. They show a variety of multiphase reaction textures that partially overprint a coarse-grained high-pressure assemblage of Bt+Opx+Ky+Grt+Pl+Qtz. The sequence of reactions as deduced from the corona and symplectite assemblages, together with petrogenetic grid considerations, records a clockwise P–T evolution with four distinct stages. (1) Equilibration of the initial high-P assemblage in deep overthickened crust (12 kbar/800–900 °C) was followed by a stage of near-isobaric heating, presumably as a consequence of input of extra heat provided by the voluminous enderbitic intrusives. During heating, kyanite was converted to sillimanite, and biotite was involved in a series of vapour-phase-absent melting reactions, which resulted in the ultra-high-temperature assemblage Opx+Crd+Kfs+Spr±Sil, Grt, Qtz, Bt, coexisting with melt (equilibration at c. 950–1000° C/11–10 kbar). (2) Subsequently, as a result of decompression of the order of 4 kbar at ultra-high temperature, a sequence of symplectite assemblages (Opx+Sil+Spr/Spr+Crd→Opx+Spr+Crd→Opx+Crd→Opx+Crd+Spl/Crd+Spl) developed at the expense of garnet, orthopyroxene and sillimanite. This stage of near-isothermal decompression implies rapid ascent of the granulites into mid-crustal levels, possibly due to extensional collapse and erosion of the overthickened crust. (3) Development of late biotite through back-reaction of melt with residual garnet indicates a stage of near-isobaric cooling to c. 875 °C at 7–8 kbar, i.e. relaxation of the rapidly ascended crust to the stable geotherm. (4) A second period of near-isothermal exhumation up to c. 6–5 kbar/850 °C is indicated by the partial breakdown of late biotite through volatile phase-absent melting reactions. Available isotope data suggest that the early part of the evolutionary history (stages 1–3) is presumably coeval with the early Proterozoic metamorphism in the extended granulite terrane of the Nilgiri, Biligirirangan and Shevaroy Hills to the north, while the exhumation of the granulites from mid-crustal levels (stage 4) occurred only during the Pan-African thermotectonic event, which led to the accretion of the Kerala Khondalite Belt to the south.     

古元古代变质作用及其构造成因模式综述

以Ｐ－Ｔ－ｔ轨迹为手段，有助于探讨变质作用随大地构造演化或变迁而动态演化的特点，本文主要讨论了古元古代普遍出现的低压高温变质作用、高压高温变质作用及其Ｐ－Ｔ－ｔ轨迹，而且讨论了高压低温变质作用在古元古代很少出现的原因。在此基础上，综述了以上各类变质作用的各种可能的构造成因模式。     

Rapid Variscan exhumation and the role of magma in core complex formation: southern Brittany metamorphic belt, France

ABSTRACT The high-grade migmatitic core to the southern Brittany metamorphic belt has mineralogical and textural features that suggest high-temperature decompression. The chronology of this decompression and subsequent cooling history have been constrained with ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹ Ar ages determined for multigrain concentrates of hornblende and muscovite prepared from amphibolite and late-orogenic granite sheets within the migmatitic core, and from amphibolite of the structurally overlying unit. Three hornblende concentrates yield plateau isotope correlation ages of c. 303–298 Ma. Two muscovite concentrates record well-defined plateau ages of c. 306–305 Ma. These ages are geologically significant and date the last cooling through temperatures required for intracrystalline retention of radiogenic argon. The concordancy of the hornblende and muscovite ages suggest rapid post-metamorphic cooling. Extant geochronology and the new ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar data suggest a minimum time-integrated average cooling rate between c. 725 °C and c. 125 °C of c. 14 ± 4°C Ma^-1, although below 600 °C the data permit an infinitely fast rate of cooling. Mineral assemblages and reaction textures in diatexite migmatites suggest c. 4 kbar decompression at 800–750 °C. This must have pre-dated the rapid cooling. Emplacement of two-mica granites into the metamorphic belt occurred between 345 and 300 Ma. The youngest plutons were emplaced synkinematically along shallow-dipping normal faults interpreted to be reactivated Eo-Variscan thrusts. A penetrative, west-plunging stretching lineation developed in these granites suggests that extension was orogen-parallel. Extension was probably related to regional uplift and gravitational collapse of thermally weakened crust during constrictional (escape) tectonics in this narrow part of the Variscan orogen. This followed slab breakoff during the terminal stages of convergence between Gondwana and Laurasia; detachment may have been consequent upon a change in kinematics leading to dextral displacement within the orogen. Dextral ductile strike-slip displacement was concentrated in granites emplaced synkinematically along the South Armorican Shear Zone. Rapid cooling is interpreted to have resulted from tectonic unroofing with emplacement of granite along decollement surfaces. The high-grade migmatitic core of the southern Brittany metamorphic belt represents a type of metamorphic core complex formed during orogen-parallel extensional unroofing and regional-scale ductile flow.     

Jadeitic rocks within high pressure metamorphic zone from northeastern Jiangxi Province and their forming and surviving conditions

There is a close relation in time, space and origin between the NEJXO, NEJXDFZ and HPMZ from NEJXP which are located in and constrained by both Yangtze Craton and Cathaysia. These HPMRs principally include (i) Jd-Q-Ab schist, (ii) Lw-Jd-Ab schist, (iii) Jd-Ab schist, and (iv) Gl-schist. The Jd is nearly pure (Jd91-98). Jd surrounded by Ab is separated from Q and survived due to the reaction between Jd and Q, while Lw encircled by Ab remains as a pseudomorph composed of CZo+An. The minerals associated with Jd are Lw, Gl, Ab, Q, CZo, An, Pa, II, Ru, Sp, Ap, and Zr. According to the textures, the mineral paragenesis is classified into four groups (i) PI-Am-Q, (ii) Jd-I,w-GI-Q, (iii) CZo-An-Ab-Q, (iv) Ab-Ana-Ser-Ur, corresponding to (i) 1.0–0.93 Ga, 250°C, 2–3 × 10⁸ Pa; (ii) 0.93–0.79 Ga, 300–350°C, 5–12 × 10⁸ Pa; (iii) 0.79–0.223 Ga, 350–400–120°C, 12–5–3 × 10⁸ Pa; and (iv) < 0. 223 Ga, < 120–50°C, < 3 × 10⁸ Pa, in time, temperature and pressure respectively. A clockwiseP-T-t path is isothermal increasing inP (up to 45 km)—isothermal decreasing inP (up to 5 km)— nearly isobar decreasing in T. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.     

腾冲火山区S波速度结构接收函数反演

腾冲火山区临近印度板块与欧亚板块碰撞、俯冲的边界，火山活动与构造环境关系密切．采用远震接收函数反演的方法揭示了该区域的深部结构特征. 结果显示, 腾冲火山区S波低速结构明显受到NE向大盈江断裂的影响，断裂的南部存在明显的S波低速构，断裂的北部低速结构不十分明显．火山区存在浅部的低速结构，低速结构与地震活动性存在对应关系．证实了低速结构是火山区热活动的直接因素, 并认为腾冲火山区存在再次活动的基本条件．      

利用前兆事件对云南地区地震进行中短期预测研究

对某些类型的主震事件, 进行中短期预测也许是可能的. 利用Varnes, Bufe和Varnes提出的破裂时间法模拟前兆地震能量加速释放模型,通过实际观测资料与理论公式的拟合, 可以建立主地震事件的中短期预测技术, 用以确定表示主震的地点、时间和震级大小. 本文使用的是云南区域台网的地震目录资料，覆盖的时间段为1965~2002年. 统计分析表明，在此37年时间内，等于或大于2.5级地震资料是相当完整的. 本文对云南地区的30次主震事件进行了模拟，其中25次主震事件由前兆序列模拟得到的预测时间和震级与实际值相当接近，主震震级预测精度约0.57个震级单位，假定已知前兆序列中最后一次事件，则预测主震发生时间误差约0.64年.对另外的5次主震事件，由于没有足够的前兆事件来充分确定前兆能量加速曲线或是存在对能量加速释放曲线的干扰事件，而不能进行破裂时间法模拟.本文的研究结果还表明，由于云南是破坏性地震和中小地震活跃的地区，因此，主地震与前兆事件最佳搜索半径不存在明显的线性关系.主震矩与系数k，m之间存在强烈的相关性，利用主震地震矩与系数的关系和限制指数m的取值范围，可进一步缩小预测时间和预测震级的最佳拟合区范围，提高了模拟主震事件的预测精度. 本文采用破裂时间法对30次主震事件进行拟合，80％以上获得了较好的结果. 显示出该方法在预测已知主震事件序列的能力方面大有希望，因此，利用前兆事件对未来主震事件进行中短期预测的前景是令人鼓舞的.      

华北地区700年来地壳应力场演化与地震的关系研究

目前地震断层相互作用问题已引起地震学家的广泛关注。许多研究表明一条断层的破裂可以影响附近其他断层趋于破裂的进程，两条断层间的确切作用取决于它们的相对位置、破裂机制、错动量和介质力学性质。本研究给出了华北地区700年来由于长期构造加载及地震断层错动导致的累积库仑破裂应力变化(ACCFS)的演化过程。长期构造加载场由GPS观测得到的地壳平均应变率场给出。关于历史地震断层破裂参数的估算，根据的是华北地区有现代仪器记录的大震资料归算地震烈度与断层破裂长度、震级和地震矩的统计关系；根据地质调查得到的地震断层走向、倾角以及本地区的构造应力场方向估计滑动角。考虑粘弹性成层介质地壳模型，计算长期构造加载和地震形变(同震及震后介质粘弹性驰豫变形)造成的累积应力场变化。将累积应力场变化投影到后续地震断层面和滑动方向上得到△CCFS，并研究其对后续地震发生的触发作用。对1303年以来华北地区发生的49个M≥6．5地震研究结果表明：ACCFS对48个后续地震中的38个有触发作用，触发率达到79．2％。应用当今累积应力场变化于华北地区1303年-2003年发生的M≥5地震，我们发现触发率达到75．5％，于1976年以来发生的M≥5地震触发率达82．1％。未被触发的地震中有些是发生在断层破裂区附近的余震，很可能是由于历史地震破裂参量估计的误差落入影区中，若排除这些影响，触发率会更高。研究表明ACCFS与发生的后续地震有很好的相关性。当前ACCFS显著上升的地区包括渤海及其邻域地区、西秦岭北缘断裂带、张家口-渤海地震带西端和太原盆地，其地震危险性应引起重视。