Low-temperature single crystal reflection spectra of forsterite

The infrared reflectivities of crystalline forsterite (Mg₂SiO₄) were measured for the temperature range 295–50 K for each crystal axis, between wavenumber 5000 and 100 cm⁻¹. The reflection spectra show clear dependence of temperature; most of the bands become more intense, sharper and their peak positions shift to higher wavenumber with decreasing temperature. Reflection spectra were fitted with dispersion formula of damped oscillator model of the dielectric constants and the oscillator parameters in the model were derived. The absorption spectra of forsterite particle are calculated with the derived dielectric constants to show that the forsterite features are good thermal indicator for cold temperature range below 295 K.     

Experimental study of thermal effects on the mechanical behaviour of a clay

The paper presents the results of an experimental study of thermal effects on the mechanical behaviour of a saturated clay. The study was performed on CM clay (Kaolin) using a temperature-controlled triaxial apparatus. Applied temperatures were between 22 and 90°C. A comprehensive experimental program was carried out, including: (i) triaxial shear tests at ambient and high temperatures for different initial overconsolidation ratios; (ii) consolidation tests at ambient and high temperatures; and (iii) drained thermal heating for different initial overconsolidation ratios. The obtained results provide observations concerning a wide scope of the thermo-mechanical behaviour of clays. Test results obtained at 90°C were compared with tests performed at ambient temperature. Based on these comparisons, thermal effects on a variety of features of behaviour are presented and discussed. Focus is made on: (i) induced thermal volume change during drained heating; (ii) experimental evidence of temperature influence on preconsolidation pressure and on compressibility index; (iii) thermal effects on shear strength and critical state; and (iv) thermal effects on elastic modulus. Thermal yielding is discussed and yield limit evolution with temperature is presented. The directions of the induced plastic strains are also discussed. Several remarks on the difference in the mechanical behaviour at ambient and high temperatures conclude the paper. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interfacing the DIGICO flux-gate spinner magnetometer to an APPLE IIe microcomputer

Summary. A hardware configuration and program are described for interfacing a DIGICO spinner rock magnetometer to an APPLE microcomputer. This configuration provides full control of measurements and permits storage of the results on floppy or hard discs. A similar configuration can be used to operate the anisotropy unit.     

Comparing modal noise and FRD of circular and non‐circular cross‐section fibres

Modal noise is a common source of noise introduced to the measurements by optical fibres and is particularly important for fibre‐fed spectroscopic instruments, especially for high‐resolution measurements. This noise source can limit the signal‐to‐noise ratio and jeopardize photon‐noise limited data. The subject of the present work is to compare measurements of modal noise and focal‐ratio degradation (FRD) for several commonly used fibres. We study the influence of a simple mechanical scrambling method (excenter) on both FRD and modal noise. Measurements are performed with circular and octagonal fibres from Polymicro Technology (FBP‐Series) with diameters of 100, 200, and 300μm and for square and rectangular fibres from CeramOptec, among others. FRD measurements for the same sample of fibres are performed as a function of wavelength. Furthermore, we replaced the circular fibre of the STELLA‐échelle‐spectrograph (SES) in Tenerife with an octagonal and found a SNR increase by a factor of 1.6 at 678 nm. It is shown in the laboratory that an excenter with a large amplitude and low frequency will not influence the FRD but will reduce modal noise rather effectively by up to 180%. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

超声波冰层钻进方法的可行性研究

人类对极地资源的开采和科学研究需要高效、环保的冰层钻探技术,热熔钻进是常用方法之一。为解决热熔钻进技术能量利用率低的问题,本文提出了一种以超声波频率振动进行冰层钻进的方法,分析了超声波振动钻进冰层的机理,通过超声波振动冰层钻进效率的计算及室内试验,得出了超声波振动冰层钻进速度大、热效率高的结论,可用于极地冰盖、冰架等冰层的钻进。     

Mineralogy,nucleation and growth of dolomite in the laboratory and sedimentary environment: A review

Dolomite [CaMg(CO₃)₂] forms in numerous geological settings, usually as a diagenetic replacement of limestone, and is an important component of petroleum reservoir rocks, rocks hosting base metal deposits and fresh water aquifers. Dolomite is a rhombohedral carbonate with a structure consisting of an ordered arrangement of alternating layers of Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ cations interspersed with anion layers normal to the c‐axis. Dolomite has symmetry, lower than the (CaCO₃) symmetry of calcite primarily due to Ca–Mg ordering. High‐magnesium calcite also has symmetry and differs from dolomite in that Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions are not ordered. High‐magnesium calcite with near‐dolomite stoichiometry (≈50 mol% MgCO₃) has been observed both in nature and in laboratory products and is referred to in the literature as protodolomite or very high‐magnesium calcite. Many dolomites display some degree of cation disorder (Ca²⁺ on Mg²⁺ sites and vice versa), which is detectable using transmission electron microscopy and X‐ray diffractometry. Laboratory syntheses at high temperature and pressure, as well as studies of natural dolomites show that factors affecting dolomite ordering, stoichiometry, nucleation and growth include temperature, alkalinity, pH, concentration of Mg and Ca, Mg to Ca ratio, fluid to rock ratio, mineralogy of the carbonate being replaced, and surface area available for nucleation. In spite of numerous attempts, dolomite has not been synthesized in the laboratory under near‐surface conditions. Examination of published X‐ray diffraction data demonstrates that assertions of dolomite synthesis in the laboratory under near‐ambient conditions by microbial mediation are unsubstantiated. These laboratory products show no evidence of cation ordering and appear to be very high‐magnesium calcite. Elevated‐temperature and elevated‐pressure experiments demonstrate that dolomite nucleation and growth always are preceded by very high‐magnesium calcite formation. It remains to be demonstrated whether microbial‐mediated growth of very high‐magnesium calcite in nature provides a precursor to dolomite nucleation and growth analogous to reaction paths in high‐temperature experiments.     

The impact of aquifer stratification on saltwater intrusion characteristics. Comprehensive laboratory and numerical study

Laboratory experiments and numerical simulations were utilized in this study to assess the impact of aquifer stratification on saltwater intrusion. Three homogeneous and six layered aquifers were investigated. Image processing algorithms facilitated the precise calculation of saltwater wedge toe length, width of the mixing zone, and angle of intrusion. It was concluded that the length of intrusion in stratified aquifers is predominantly a function of permeability contrast, total aquifer transmissivity and the number of heterogeneous layers, being positively correlated to all three. When a lower permeability layer overlays or underlays more permeable zones its mixing zone widens, while it becomes thinner for the higher permeability strata. The change in the width of the mixing zone (WMZ) is positively correlated to permeability contrast, while it applies to all strata irrespectively of their relative vertical position in the aquifer. Variations in the applied hydraulic head causes the transient widening of WMZ. These peak WMZ values are larger during saltwater retreat and are negatively correlated to the layer's permeability and distance from the aquifer's bottom. Moreover, steeper angles of intrusion are observed in cases where low permeability layers overlay more permeable strata, and milder ones in the inverse aquifer setups. The presence of a low permeability upper layer results in the confinement of the saltwater wedge in the lower part of the stratified aquifer. This occurs until a critical hydraulic head difference is applied to the system. This hydraulic gradient value was found to be a function of layer width and permeability contrast alike.     

Testing of Sydney dimension sandstone for use in the conservation of heritage buildings

This paper deals with the scientific assessment of the physical properties of sandstone used in the conservation of Sydney's historic heritage sandstone buildings. The local Hawkesbury Sandstone has been widely used for all manner of constructions since the early days of the first settlement. In the nineteenth century, dimension sandstone quarries existed all over the Sydney region, and the demand for the stone was great. During this time, a true ‘freestone’ known as ‘yellow block’ sandstone, in which bedding planes were absent, was quarried extensively. This sandstone is also known as a ‘self-colouring’ sandstone, where the rock, although grey when quarried, turns a yellow–brown after a few months exposure to the atmosphere. It can be easily carved and was eminently suitable for the ornate Victorian architecture of the time. There are very few quarries within the Sydney region today capable of producing ‘yellow block’ sandstone. Whenever possible, sandstone from suitable building excavations, particularly on the Pyrmont Peninsula, is used for this work. Conservation work is extremely expensive and the building elements that most need replacement, the overhanging and decorative elements, are usually those that cost the most. It is essential that the most durable replacement stone be selected. Thus, a strict regime of scientific testing is used for any major conservation project, in order to determine the physical properties of possible replacement stone. This is the province of the geologist and involves visual observation in the quarry or excavation, which is a simple, cost-effective means of weeding out poor quality stones, followed by laboratory engineering tests to establish the physical parameters of a sandstone and finally, petrographic analysis. The results of such tests, combined with careful sampling, ensure the best possible quality of replacement material.     

粤西滨海核电厂址强风化花岗岩物理力学特性试验研究

以广东阳江和台山两个典型花岗岩核电厂址为例,定性描述了广东粤西沿海花岗岩的分布及其风化特征,通过进行波速测试、浅层平板载荷试验、原位剪切试验等原位测试,以及常规压缩试验、固结试验等室内试验,系统分析了强风化花岗岩的主要物理与力学性质指标。结果表明：（1）花岗岩受强烈的物理风化和化学风化作用,基岩中的不稳定元素被淋溶、流失,形成了富铝型和富铁型的厚层风化壳,岩层不均匀性特点突出;（2）强风化花岗岩岩体天然含水率和孔隙比变化大,天然重度变化小,压缩性中等;（3）粒度成分对岩石物理性质的影响最大。粒度越大,物性指标越弱。粒度越小,表明岩样越致密,其物性指标越强;（4）波速的大小与岩体风化程度、粒度成分等密切相关;（5）水对强风化花岗岩抗剪强度参数中的凝聚力影响效应比内摩擦角要大,对凝聚力的弱化作用更加明显。其研究结果可为核电工程建设和优化设计提供基础参数。     

土工格栅加筋掺砂黄土工程性质试验研究

为了寻找实用而有效的方法来降低用黄土填筑的桥头路堤沉降并提高其强度以避免桥头跳车,提出了在黄土中掺砂、用土工格栅加筋或两种方法同时采用的建议。为了研究这些建议的可行性,采用室内回弹模量试验和无侧限抗压试验分别研究了土工格栅加筋黄土和加筋掺砂黄土的变形和强度特性。对黄土和掺砂黄土分别完成了压实度为88%、92%和96%,加筋层数为0~5层组合工况下多组试样的回弹模量和无侧限抗压试验,对试验结果进行了详细的对比分析,得到以下结论：（1）掺砂和土工格栅加筋都可以明显提高黄土的回弹模量,两种方法同时使用效果更佳;（2）不管有无土工格栅加筋,掺砂都能使黄土强度大幅度提高,尤其在小应变下其提高的幅度更大;（3）在压实度不变而加筋层数增多时,或加筋层数不变而压实度下降时,土工格栅加筋掺砂黄土的应力-应变曲线由应变软化型逐渐向应变硬化型转变;（4）加筋掺砂黄土存在筋-土强度合理匹配问题,压实度高时应布置较密的加筋层,以使二者变形协调,从而实现加筋掺砂黄土强度的最大化。