Experimental models of extension of continental lithosphere weakened by percolation of asthenospheric melts

Analogue models are used to investigate extension of a continental lithosphere weakened by asthenospheric melts percolating through the upper mantle, a process that has been hypothesised to control the opening of the Ligurian Tethys. Models were performed in a centrifuge apparatus and reproduced, by using materials such as sand and viscous mixtures, extension of 60-km thick, three-layer continental lithosphere floating above the asthenosphere. The percolated lithospheric mantle was assumed to be characterised by a rheological behaviour similar to that of the asthenosphere. Two sets of experiments investigated the influence on deformation of (1) the thickness of the percolated mantle and the associated strength contrast between the normal and weakened lithosphere, and (2) the lateral width of the weakened zone. Model results suggest that mantle percolation by asthenospheric melts is able to promote strong localised thinning of the continental lithosphere, provided that a significant thickness of the lithospheric mantle is weakened by migrating melts within a narrow region. Strain localisation is maximised for percolation of the whole lithospheric mantle and strong strength contrast between the normal and weakened lithosphere. Under these conditions, the thickness of the lithosphere may be reduced to less than 12 km in 3 Ma of extension. Conversely, localised thinning is strongly reduced if the thickness of the percolated zone is ≤1/3 of the thickness of the whole lithospheric mantle and/or the lithosphere is weakened over wide regions. Overall, model results support the working hypothesis that mantle percolation by asthenospheric melts is a controlling factor in the transition from distributed continental deformation to localised oceanic spreading.     

X-CT扫描成像技术在特低渗透储层微观孔隙结构及渗流机理研究中的应用--以西峰油田庄19井区长82储层为例

鄂尔多斯盆地上三叠统延长组河流-湖泊三角洲相砂岩储层物性受沉积--埋藏--成岩等因素控制.特低渗透储层具有其独特的微观孔隙结构和渗流机理.应用X-CT扫描成像实验技术进行砂岩岩心微观孔隙结构水驱油驱替实验,通过CT扫描切片图像观察分析了注入水微观驱替渗流机理及不同注入压力下的水驱油效率变化分布规律(实验岩心的水驱油效率最高为62%,最低为42%,平均为51. 6%),定量评价了储层微观孔隙结构特征.实验表明低孔、低渗和储层微观双重孔隙结构是造成注入水启动压力、水驱油效率差异大的根本原因;而较强的微观孔隙结构非均质性,是造成注入水波及效率不高、水驱油效率较低的主要原因.     

应力加载作用引起地下水微温度场变化的研究综述

在地震地下流体动态观测中,水温对地震活动的响应非常敏感,井水温度微动态观测越来越受到有关学者的关注。本文收集了相关资料,以引起水温变化的水动力学机制为基础,从应力加载作用下渗流场的变化、渗流场变化引起地下水温度变化以及裂隙介质热量运移三个方面分别阐述了前人研究成果,旨在理清“含水层受力变形→井-含水层系统内水流变化→井水温度变化”的理论模式,探讨应力加载作用引起地下水微温度场变化的理论基础和技术途径。对这一领域研究成果的综合分析将有助于我们深入地研究地震孕育过程中的前兆成因机理。     

岩石节理的渗流广义立方定理

首先讨论了岩石节理的渗流立方定理及其适用条件，然后从渗流与变形耦合的角度，论述了节理的开度性质，并提出了适用于一般节理的渗流广义立方定理，最后用有限元数值模拟方法验证了广义立方定理。     

低渗岩石非线性渗流机理讨论

回顾了单相液体在低渗透饱和岩石的非线性渗流研究某些进展。从岩石孔隙结构、岩石与流体之间的相互作用和流体性质方面介绍了对低速非线性渗流产生机理的不同观点,探讨了孔隙大小、孔喉对启动压力的影响,讨论了界面张力、边界层、耦合渗流、非牛顿流体对非线性渗流形成的作用机制,并对进一步开展低渗透岩石渗流研究提出了建议。     

SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL VARIABILITY OF WATER PERCOLATION AND MOVEMENT IN A SYSTEM OF LONGITUDINAL DUNES,WESTERN NEGEV,ISRAEL

Subsurface lateral flow has previously been identified in dune areas where the average annual rainfall exceeds 200 mm. Very little is known about subsurface flow in sandy deserts with less than 100 mm of rainfall per year. The present study deals with the water regime in a system of longitudinal dunes in the Negev desert. Sixteen boreholes were dug, down to a depth of 6 m, across a sandy ridge and the adjacent corridor. Soil moisture and water movement were monitored with a neutron probe during two consecutive years. The first year had been relatively wet and in the following year the rainfall was slightly lower than the long-term average. The data obtained show that in an average year water percolation is limited to 60 cm with no lateral water movement. Deeper percolation, in the range 180–400 cm, occurs in response to rainy spells with about 100 mm of cumulative rain within two months. The process involves subsurface lateral flow and water movement by the piston effect. The lateral flow, on the flanks of the dune, is explained by differences in hydraulic conductivities within the sloping layers. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Research on percolation model and criticality of seismicity

IntroductionEarthquakepredictionisamainobjectiveintraditionalseismicitystUdy,whichistoattempttofindsomecriterionofprecursoryearthquakeactivitybycomparingdifferentpatternsofseismicityinhopesofpredictingoccurrenceofamajorshock.Theresultisoftendisappointing.Preearthquakeactivitiescandiffergreatlyforimpendingearthquake,althoughalltheruptureprocessesoflargeearthquakesareessentiallythesameasfarasweknowsofar.Asalreadydiscussedintheresultofresearchonseismicityevolution(Gu,Sun,1992),theself-enlargeme…     

Infiltration of fine sediment into a coarse mobile bed: a phenomenological study

Experiments were undertaken to study the nature of granular interaction in running water by examining the influence of fine grain inputs to a coarser sediment bed with a mobile surface. Video recordings of grain sorting by both kinetic sieving and spontaneous percolation are used to diagnose the critical processes controlling the overall bed response. Kinetic sieving takes place in the mobile bed surface, with the finer sediment moving to the bottom of the bedload transport layer at the interface with the underlying quasi‐static coarse bed. We show that the behavior at this interface dictates how a channel responds to a fine sediment input. If, by spontaneous percolation, the fine sediment is able to infiltrate into the underlying quasi‐static bed, the total transport increases and the channel degrades. However, if the fine sediment input rate exceeds the transport capacity or is geometrically unable to infiltrate into the underlying bed, it forms a quasi‐static layer underneath the transport layer that inhibits entrainment from the underlying bed, resulting in aggradation and an increase in bed slope. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of different biological solutions on microbially induced carbonate precipitation and reinforcement of sand

Abstract

Sporosarcina pasteurii is widely used in the application of microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) for various applications, such as ground reinforcement, erosion mitigation or stabilization of sand foreshore slopes. This study focuses on the effect of thallus resuspended by the fresh medium (RF) on urea hydrolysis, MICP, and sand reinforcement compared with untreated biological solutions (US) with high microbial concentration. The principle is investigated by tests on thallus resuspended by saline solution [NaCl (0.9%)] (RS) and supernatant (SS). The results indicate that the addition of the fresh medium is insignificant for promoting MICP and even has a slightly negative effect on urea hydrolysis and sand improvement for stationary phase bacteria. The ability of US to hydrolyze urea and MICP is derived from two sources: urease existing in the cell bodies and free urease existing in solution for lysis of partial cells, with urease in cells accounting for the majority. The preferable sand reinforcement of US is primarily due to the high amount of carbonate precipitation and formation of non-biological calcium carbonate located primarily in the pores. The results indicate that the preference of US in various engineering applications with lower cost for the realizable reinforcement.