Hydrologic simulation of clay‐settling areas in the phosphate mining district,Florida

Clay‐settling areas (CSAs) are one of the most conspicuous and development‐limiting landforms remaining after phosphate mining. Many questions are asked by the mining and regulatory communities with regard to the correct modelling (predictive) methods and assumptions that should be used to yield viable hydrologic post‐reclamation landforms within CSAs. Questions as to the correct methodology to use in modelling/predicting long‐term CSA hydrologic performance have historically been difficult to answer because the data and analysis to support popular hypotheses did not exist. The goal of this paper was to substantially improve the data, analysis and predictive methodology necessary to return CSAs to viable hydrologic units, and moreover, to develop better understanding of the hydrology of CSAs and their ability to support wetlands. The study site is located at the Fort Meade Mine in Polk County, Florida. In this paper, continuous model simulation and calibration of study site were conducted for the hydrologic model, Hydrological Simulation Program – FORTRAN, which was generally selected on the basis of its popularity in predicting the hydrologic behaviour of CSAs. The objective of this study was to simulate streamflow discharges and stage to estimate runoff response from these areas on the basis of the observed rainfall within the CSA. A set of global hydrologic parameters was selected and tested during the calibration by the parameter estimation software PEST. A comparison of the simulated and observed flow data indicates that the model calibration adequately reproduces the hydrologic response of the CSAs. The estimated parameters can be used as references for future application of the model. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mineralogical and chemical composition of some Bauchi soils and their relationship to passive Earth movement

Field and chemical data show that soils in some parts of Bauchi State, Nigeria, are rich in illite (20–35%), montmorillonite (60–75%), and kaolinite (45–73%). These expansive clays cause the soils to shrink and swell alternatively in response to the seasonal supply of moisture; resulting in observed damaging cracks. Plasticity index (PI) determinations on these soils are high (7–13.4%) suggesting that they are potentially hazardous. The attendant hazards and huge losses to the State are blamed on the expansive nature of these soils. The hazardous conditions can be mitigated by adopting proper construction precautions as well as by using chemical additives such as lime and phosphates, to lower the PI and help to increase the strength of the soils.     

A constitutive law for thermo-plastic behaviour of rocks: an analogy with clays

Thermo-mechanical behaviour of rocks shows phenomenological similarities to that of clays. A visible decrease of strength and an increase in ductility at elevated temperatures are observed in drained conditions. In undrained conditions the strength decrease is even more dramatic and the ductile behaviour may turn into the brittle one, if a sufficient amount of water is present in the pores at the start of the process, or it is being released during heating by the decomposition of hydrous minerals. Applying a thermo-plasticity theory, major macroscopical characteristics of behaviour may be modelled. According to this theory, the elastic domain is postulated as temperature dependent, shrinking with temperature; heating may result in expansive or compactive volumetric irreversible strain depending on the confining stress. This theory is applied to the modelling of heat effects on local changes of permeability around a cylindrical nuclear waste container disposed off in deep clays, and in the numerical simulation of a mechanism initiating deep earthquakes.     

磁层亚暴扩展相的数值模拟

本文用多步隐格式方法,求解包含电阻的磁流体力学方程组,对磁层亚暴扩展相作数值模拟.计算结果展现了亚暴扩展相期间磁尾变化的主要特征.它表明,球向和尾向等离子体流与准稳态重联有关.等离子体团的尾向喷发,致使中性线尾侧电流片内的密度降低,等离子体片变薄.中性线近地侧的等离子体团朝着地球运动,并合并于地球附近的重联区内.     

内蒙中部玄武岩残坡积膨胀土的研究

本文是我们在内蒙中部所发现的一种新型膨胀土即玄武岩残积粘土的宏观微观综合研究结果。本文揭示了在内蒙中部异常发育的残积粘土的特殊的形成环境，并从物质成分、物理化学性质、微结构等方面探讨了不良工程特性形成的机理，并进行了膨胀土的工程评价。这类膨胀土在我国北方的发现，改变了对我国北方膨胀土形成发育规律的认识。     

Performance of surface footing on geocell-reinforced soft clay beds

This paper presents the results of laboratory model tests carried out to develop an understanding of the behaviour of geocell-reinforced soft clay foundations under circular loading. Natural silty clay was used in this study. The geocells were prepared using biaxial polymer grid. The performance of the reinforced bed is quantified using non-dimensional factors i.e., Bearing capacity improvement factor (I_f) and Percentage reduction in footing settlement (PRS). The test results demonstrate that the geocell mattress redistributes the footing load over a wider area thereby improving the performance of the footing. The load carrying capacity of the clay bed is increased by a factor of up to about 4.5 times that of unreinforced bed. From the pressure-settlement responses, it is observed that the geocell-reinforced foundation bed behaves as a much stiffer system compared to the unreinforced case indicating that a substantial reduction in footing settlement can be achieved by providing geocell reinforcement in the soft clay bed. The maximum reduction in footing settlement obtained with the provision of geocell mattress of optimum size placed close to the footing is around 90%. Further improvement in performance is obtained with provision of an additional planar geogrid layer at the base of the geocell mattress.     

A 3.5 Ga record of water-limited, acidic weathering conditions on Mars

The secondary mineral budget on Earth is dominated by clay minerals, Al-hydroxides, and Fe-oxides, which are formed under the moderate pH, high water-to-rock ratio conditions typical of Earth's near-surface environment. In contrast, geochemical analyses of rocks and soils from landed missions to Mars indicate that secondary mineralogy is dominated by Mg (± Fe, Ca)-sulfates and Fe-oxides. This discrepancy can be explained as resulting from differences in the chemical weathering environment of Earth and Mars. We suggest that chemical weathering processes on Mars are dominated by: (1) a low-pH, sulfuric acid-rich environment in which the stoichiometric dissolution of labile mineral phases such as olivine and apatite (± Fe–Ti oxides) is promoted; and (2) relatively low water-to-rock ratio, such that other silicate phases with slower dissolution rates (e.g., plagioclase, pyroxene) do not contribute substantially to the secondary mineral budget at the Martian surface. Under these conditions, Al-mobilization is limited, and the formation of significant Al-bearing secondary phases (e.g., clays, Al-hydroxides, Al-sulfates) is inhibited. The antiquity of rock samples analyzed in-situ on Mars suggest that water-limited acidic weathering conditions have more than likely been the defining characteristic of the Martian aqueous environment for billions of years.     

低渗致密砂岩气田储层损害评价及保护措施

储层孔隙类型、孔隙结构、粘土矿物类型和含量等是造成气层受伤害的潜在因素 ,而外来固相、滤液以及生产或作业压差、生产时间等工程因素也可造成或加重对气层的伤害程度 ,因此 ,低渗致密气田 (藏 )的开发效果在很大程度上依赖于开发技术水平的提高。应用岩心评价实验、时间推移测井、生产测井以及试井等方法 ,评价了河南东濮凹陷白庙、文 2 3等气田低渗致密砂岩储层的敏感性及与外来液的配伍性 ,分析了导致或加重对气层造成伤害的工程因素。在气田开发的全过程中 ,有针对性地制定出对气层进行保护的配套措施 ,减少了对储层的伤害 ,充分发挥了气层的潜力 ,提高了气田的开发效果 ,也为同类气田提供了借鉴。     

西安地区黄土含水率变化特点

通过对西安地区黄土剖面的野外观察、颗粒分析和含水率的测定 ,系统地研究了黄土层含水率的变化特点 ,初步认识到在同一黄土剖面上 ,黄土含水率从上到下呈波动变化 ,其峰值位于古土壤层内 ,而波谷处于黄土层内 ,并呈波动增加的趋势。在具有结核层的黄土层中 ,其含水率从上部到下部呈由大变小再变大的趋势 ,其峰值位于结核层之上 ,CaCO3 结核层具有隔水作用 ;在古土壤层中 ,从上向下 ,其含水率呈由小变大再变小的规律 ,其峰值出现在古土壤的中、下部位 ,即粘土化最强的部位。土壤质地是决定含水率大小的重要因素 ,在包气带中 ,黄土含水率的变化与粘土颗粒含量具有明显的正相关关系。