The First James K. Mitchell Lecture In situ soil testing: from mechanics to interpretation†

The current use of fundamental mechanics in developing rational interpretation methods for deriving soil properties from in situ test results is reviewed and evaluated. The focus is on some of the most widely used in situ test devices including cone penetrometers with and without pore pressure measurements (CPTU and CPT), self-boring and cone pressuremeters (SBPMT and CPMT), and flat dilatometers (DMT). In situ tests in both cohesive and frictional soils for measuring strength and stiffness properties, in situ state parameters, consolidation coefficients, stress history, and in situ stresses are considered in detail.     

南极半岛西部海域沉积物中粘土矿物研究

对南极半岛西部海域的表层沉积物和岩芯S11样品中小于2微米粒级的分析表明,粘土矿物由蒙脱石、伊利石、绿泥石和高岭石组成。表层沉积物中以蒙脱石和伊利石两种矿物占优势。蒙脱石的变化趋势由北向南递减,在南设得兰群岛周围海区含量最高;伊利石的变化趋势与蒙脱石相反,主要分布在南极半岛西北侧。 岩芯S11中的粘土矿物仍由上述四种矿物组成。蒙脱石含量随深度增大而减少;伊利石和绿泥石含量随深度增大而增高。这种变化趋势表明蒙脱石在间冰期沉积物中最丰富,而伊利石和绿泥石在冰期沉积物中最丰富。     

Dating carbonate rocks with in-situ produced cosmogenic Be: Why it often fails

Surface exposure dating of carbonate rocks using cosmogenic ¹⁰Be is problematic. We have performed step-wise leaching of calcite-rich samples in order to investigate the reasons for this. Results on different grain size fractions clearly indicate the source of atmospheric ¹⁰Be is clay. We demonstrate that partial-leaching procedures, which result in moderate pH levels will not release ¹⁰Be (in-situ produced or atmospheric) due to the instant re-absorption on grain surfaces. By contrast, under strongly acidic conditions, all absorbed ¹⁰Be is leached from aluminosilicates giving abnormally high ¹⁰Be concentrations and consequently exposure ages that are too old. Dating is only possible if samples do not contain any clay minerals or if they can be removed prior to carbonate dissolution.     

地面物探在岩溶地基工程勘察中的应用——以桂林某花园综合楼为例

岩溶地区工程建筑地基的地质情况比较复杂,存在土洞、软土等工程隐患。常规工程勘察手段,由于其自身的局限性,很难一一查清这些隐患的分布特征。地面物探是一种较为省时省力的工程辅助勘探方法。但物探方法有多种,在选用时,必须根据场地条件、探测目标、方法性能及工作成本等来综合考虑,选择适用的方法(或方法组合) ,才有可能取得令人满意的探测效果。桂林某花园综合楼地基主要以红粘土为主,软土、土洞发育,红粘土之下,桂林组灰岩表面起伏强烈,溶洞发育。根据场地地质特征及基坑开挖特点,本勘察采取浅层地震折射、反射波法,并配合高密度电阻率测量,较好地查明了场地软土和土洞的分布位置,为综合楼的地基处理提供了可靠的地质依据。      

Shear strength characteristics of Irbid clayey soil mixed with iron filling and iron filling–cement mixture

Iron filling and iron filling–cement mixture were used to improve the shear strength characteristics of Irbid clayey soil. For this purpose, five types of Irbid clay soils were obtained and mixed with iron filling and iron filling–cement mixture at different percentages. Two sets of prepared samples were mixed with the admixture. The first set was prepared by mixing the soil samples with iron filling alone at 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10% by dry weight of the soil. The second set was prepared by mixing with iron filling–cement mixture at equal ratio of the same percentages of the first set. An unconfined compression test was performed in this study to measure the shear strength properties of the soils. The test results showed that the increase in the percentages of the iron filling and iron filling–cement mixture up to 10% will result in increasing the maximum dry density of the soil and increase the unconfined compressive strength and the secant of modulus of elasticity of the clayey soil. Also, the addition of iron filling–cement mixture increased the unconfined compressive strength and secant modulus of elasticity of the clayey soil higher than the addition of iron filling alone.     

西辽河平原东部沼泽发育与中全新世早期以来古环境演变

根据典型沼泽剖面14 C测年及其树木年轮校正、孢粉分析、粘土矿物X 衍射分析、泥炭植物残体鉴定和沉积物的化学元素聚集与迁移资料 ,研究了中全新世以来西辽河平原东部沼泽发育过程与古环境演变及其二者的关系。结果表明 ,位于生态环境过渡带、脆弱带的沼泽发生、发育对环境变化尤为敏感。中全新世早期以来 ,环境变化频繁 ,由此导致沼泽发育出现多次形成、发育、退化、消亡、再生循环变化。沼泽发育与古环境演变可划分为 6个时期 :中全新世早期沼泽孕育与萌芽发育期 ;中全新世中期沼泽旺盛发育期 ;中全新世中晚期沼泽间断发育期 ;中全新世晚期沼泽退化发育期 ;晚全新世早期沼泽复苏期 ;晚全新世晚期沼泽消亡期。距今 5 80 0年左右为本区全新世沼泽最早发育期。沼泽发育也遵循富营养沼泽长期发展的模式     

Microstructures and their implications for faulting processes –Insights from DGLab core samples from the Gulf of Corinth

We have examined microstructures, mineralogical composition, geochemical alteration, and texture of four selected fault rock samples from the Deep Geodynamical Laboratory (DGLab) Gulf of Corinth project using optical microscopy, cathodoluminescence microscopy (CL), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements. The fault core is composed of red and gray clayey gouge material and surrounded by a damage zone of brecciated limestones. Pressure solution features, calcite veins and calcite clasts in the breccia and gouge material attest the presence of paleo-fluids and fluid-driven mass transfer during deformation. Differences in CL-colors between the matrix and calcite vein cement and inside the vein cement suggest repeated infiltration of fluids with different composition from various sources (formation water and meteoric water). Twin lamellae densities estimated in calcite veins are used as paleo-piezometer. The deduced differential stress is ∼140 ± 70 MPa for the older vein generation and appears to be higher than stress for the youngest veins (45 ± 23 MPa). In spite of the relatively small clay content in both samples, newly formed clay minerals have been observed in gray as well as red clayey gouge material. Differences between gray and red clay gouge material are found in fault rock composition, porosity and clay fabric. The proportion of chlorite in the red gouge is significantly less than that in the gray gouge whereas the initial porosity is significantly higher than in the gray gouge material. The detection of a well-oriented clay fabric in red clay gouge samples is unique in comparison to other major fault zones.     

Provenance of Clay Minerals in the Amami Sankaku Basin and Their Paleoclimate Implications Since Late Pleistocene

We analyzed the clay mineral assemblages, content and mineralogical characteristics of Hole U1438A sediment recovered from Amami Sankaku Basin during International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) expedition 351. The results show that the clay minerals are mainly composed of illite (average 57%), smectite (average 26%), chlorite (average 14%) and minor kaolinite(average 3%). The crystallinity of illite in all samples are good (<0.4 Δ° 2θ), and the chemical indexes of illite in all samples are low (<0.4). Both indicate that illite in Hole U1438A formed in cold and dry climate. By comparing clay mineral assemblages of hole U1438A and the potential sediment sources, we suggest that smectite be mainly derived from the volcanic materials around Amami Sankaku Basin. Illite, chlorite and kaolinite are mainly derived from the Asian dust. The ratios of (illite+chlorite)/smectite show a phased increase over the last 350 ka, which is consistent with the cold and drying trend of the Asian continent since late Pleistocene. The high ratios of (illite+chlorite)/smectite and (illite+chlorite)/kaolinite during glacial period indicate that much more Asian dust was input into the Amami Sankaku Basin, which are responded to the aridity of Asian continent and strengthened east Asian Monsoon during glacial period.     

Compaction of diagenetically altered mudstones – Part 2: Implications for pore pressure estimation

Diagenetically altered mudstones compact mechanically and chemically. Consequently, their normal compaction trends depend upon their temperature history as well as on the maximum effective stress they have experienced. A further complication is that mudstones are commonly overpressured where clay diagenesis occurs, preventing direct observation of the hydrostatic normal compaction trend. A popular way to estimate pore pressure in these circumstances is to calculate the sonic normal compaction trend in a well with a known pressure–depth profile by applying Eaton's method in reverse, and then to estimate pore pressure in offset wells using Eaton's method conventionally. We tested this procedure for Cretaceous mudstones at Haltenbanken. The results were inconsistent because the sonic log responds differently to disequilibrium compaction overpressure and unloading overpressure, and their relative contributions vary across the basin. In theory, a two-step method using the density and sonic logs could estimate the contributions to overpressure from disequilibrium compaction and unloading. The normal compaction trend for density should be the normal compaction trend at the maximum effective stress the mudstones have experienced, not at hydrostatic effective stress. We advocate the Budge-Fudge approach as a starting point for pore pressure estimation in diagenetically altered mudstones, a two-step method that requires geological input to help estimate the overpressure contribution from disequilibrium compaction. In principle, the Budge-Fudge approach could be used to estimate the normal compaction trend for mudstones at the maximum effective stress they have experienced, and so form the basis of the full two-step method through the use of offset wells. Our initial efforts to implement the full two-step method in this way at Haltenbanken produced inconsistent results with fluctuations in estimated pore pressure reflecting some of the fluctuations in the density logs. We suspect that variations in the mineralogical composition of the mudstones are responsible.     

Impact of high water pressure on oil generation and maturation in Kimmeridge Clay and Monterey source rocks: Implications for petroleum retention and gas generation in shale gas systems

This study presents results for pyrolysis experiments conducted on immature Type II and IIs source rocks (Kimmeridge Clay, Dorset UK, and Monterey shale, California, USA respectively) to investigate the impact of high water pressure on source rock maturation and petroleum (oil and gas) generation. Using a 25 ml Hastalloy vessel, the source rocks were pyrolysed at low (180 and 245 bar) and high (500, 700 and 900 bar) water pressure hydrous conditions at 350 °C and 380 °C for between 6 and 24 h. For the Kimmeridge Clay (KCF) at 350 °C, Rock Eval HI of the pyrolysed rock residues were 30–44 mg/g higher between 6 h and 12 h at 900 bar than at 180 bar. Also at 350 °C for 24 h the gas, expelled oil, and vitrinite reflectance (VR) were all reduced by 46%, 61%, and 0.25% Ro respectively at 900 bar compared with 180 bar. At 380 °C the retardation effect of pressure on the KCF was less significant for gas generation. However, oil yield and VR were reduced by 47% and 0.3% Ro respectively, and Rock Eval HI was also higher by 28 mg/g at 900 bar compared with 245 bar at 12 h. The huge decrease in gas and oil yields and the VR observed with an increase in water pressure at 350 °C for 24 h and 380 °C for 12 h (maximum oil generation) were also observed for all other times and temperatures investigated for the KCF and the Monterey shale. This shows that high water pressure significantly retards petroleum generation and source rock maturation. The retardation of oil generation and expulsion resulted in significant amounts of bitumen and oil being retained in the rocks pyrolysed at high pressures, suggesting that pressure is a possible mechanism for retaining petroleum (bitumen and oil) in source rocks. This retention of petroleum within the rock provides a mechanism for oil-prone source rocks to become potential shale gas reservoirs. The implications from this study are that in geological basins, pressure, temperature and time will all exert significant control on the extent of petroleum generation and source rock maturation for Type II source rocks, and that the petroleum retained in the rocks at high pressures may explain in part why oil-prone source rocks contain the most prolific shale gas resources.