Fluvial gravel facies architecture of late Pleistocene age at Po Chue Tam, Lantau Island, Hong Kong: tectonic versus climatic control?

A cross-section of fluvial gravel deposits of late Pleistocene age exposed at Po Chue Tam, Lantau Island, Hong Kong contains two facies: a lower facies of planar cross-bedded gravel (Gp) and an overlying facies of clast-supported, massive gravels (Gcm). The Gp gravels include five gravel couplets. Each couplet consists of a clast-supported, coarse gravel-dominated bed and an overlying clast-supported, fine gravel-dominated bed with a discrete bounding surface. Tectonic uplift predating the last interglacial transgression produced a large amount of detritus in the source area. Excessive peak rainfall intensity resulting from enhanced seasonality of monsoonal precipitation in the following glacial period triggered catastrophic floods, which transported mature detritus in large quantities into a fault-controlled piedmont basin. The Gp gravels were deposited by pulsating flood flows. In relation to kinematic waves of particles, bedload sediment was longitudinally sorted and segregated into a train of gravel sheets. They draped over each other and accreted laterally due to expansion of flow, producing planar cross stratifications that are characteristic of recurrent, couplet-style coarse/fine cross beds. In contrast, Gcm gravels were laid down as a single, nearly horizontal bed by a catastrophic flood that was not subject to flow pulsation.     

The use of multi-electrode resistivity imaging in gravel prospecting

We investigated the potential of using a 24-electrode resistivity imaging apparatus for rapid reconnaissance surveys for natural-aggregate accumulation. The surveys were first calibrated at sites with known geometry of sand and gravel layers, which showed that subsurface accumulation of coarse material was accurately resolved with both 2- and 4-m electrode spacing. The inverted absolute resistivity of economically viable gravel deposits varied in the range of 300–1500 Ω m, depending on variation in ground-moisture levels. The exploration surveys were then conducted at seven sites where geomorphological analyses indicated a potential for gravel. Four of these sites, where subsurface resistivity did not exceed 30–40 Ω m, were found to have very little or no coarse material. The three remaining sites showed significant accumulations of high-resistivity material, two of which were subsequently augered for verification. The results of drilling demonstrated that resistivity images were an effective indicator of the presence of coarse material in the subsurface, allowing accurate determination of subsurface distribution and thickness of sand and gravel strata. The total volume of a deposit could easily be estimated from resistivity images. The absolute quality and economic value of the material, is, however, difficult to ascertain from resistivity images alone without drilling.     

CHRONOLOGY OF YICHANG GRAVEL LAYER BASED ON QUARTZ TI-LI CENTER ESR DATING AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE INCISION TIMING OF THE THREE GORGES VALLEY

Uplift of Tibet Plateau and formation of Asian Monsoon greatly affect East Asian geomorphological evolution, climate change and environment systems. Thus, those phenomena also control the origin, size and direction of river systems. The Yangtze River, as the most important linkage between Tibet Plateau and the East Asian marginal seas, delivers large volumes of water, sediment, and associated chemicals from its headwater regions and tributaries to the East China Sea, significantly influencing sedimentary system evolution in its drainage basin. Therefore, the formation of the modern Yangtze River and its geological-time evolution history have been paid more and more attention to since the beginning of the last century. After debated for more than a century, the First Bend in Shigu area and the Three Gorges have been known as the key capture point of the Yangtze River's evolution history. In particularly, the Three Gorges incision period remains greatly controversial, which mainly focuses on Cretaceous period-Neogene period, early Pleistocene period, and late Quaternary period. The Yichang Gravel, just located downstream and outlet of the Three Gorges with an inverted triangle shape, is mainly distributed in western Jianghan Basin with over 1 000km². Because of its wide distribution and key geographical location, many typical profiles of Yichang Gravel have been the critical materials for studies on stratigraphic division, geomorphic evolution, and paleoenvironment change in middle Yangtze River Basin, especially on the Three Gorges incision history. Based on the previous field investigation, the Yichang gravel unconformably overlies the Cretaceous bedrocks and underlies the mid-Pleistocene vermicular red earth. In addition, studies on heavy mineral assemblages, Pb isotopic compositions of detrital K-feldspar grains, magnetic characteristics as well as pollen assemblage characteristics have showed that sediments in Yichang Gravel are mainly derived from upper Yangtze River Basin, such as Jinshangjiang drainage, Minjiang drainage, Jialingjiang drainage and Wujiang drainage. Based on the above comprehensive analysis, researchers demonstrated that the depositing time of Yichang Gravel can best constrain the Three Gorges incising time. The absolute altitude of Yichang Gravel exceeds 110m, and many thick sand lens are developed from top to bottom of the profiles. In this study, we applied the quartz Ti-Li center ESR dating method in Yichang Gravel to determine its absolute formation age, and then to constrain the minimum cutting-through time of Three Gorges. Eight samples(SXY-1, SXY-2, YC-1-4, LJY-1, LJY-2)were collected from the sand lens at depths of 4m, 19m, 40m, 51m, 63m, 75m, 83m and 99m respectively from the top of the profile. At the same time, in order to evaluate the residual dose of Ti-Li center after sunlight bleaching, we also sampled four modern surface Yangtze River sediments near Yichang Gravel for ESR measurement. The result shows that the quartz Ti-Li center ESR signal intensity of the 4 modern fluvial sediments samples are zero, which implies that the Ti-Li center ESR signal intensity of quartz in Yichang Gravel sand lens could be bleached to zero before the last burial. Thus, the above results indicate that the ESR dating results of this paper are reliable. The ESR absolute age from top to bottom of the profile is 0.73Ma BP,0.87Ma BP,0.98Ma BP,1.04Ma BP,1.05Ma BP,1.10Ma BP, 1.11Ma BP, 1.12Ma BP, respectively. The ESR dating results show that the Yichang Gravel began to deposit at about 1. 12Ma BP until 0. 73Ma BP, and the Ti-Li center ESR age indicates that the Yangtze River cut through Three Gorges area no later than 1.12Ma BP.     

A proposed mechanism for storm beach sedimentation

One of the major problems of shingle beach dynamics is the method by which coarse gravel is transferred from beach face to storm beach, the latter often lying several metres above high spring tidal levels. The mechanism which is usually proposed, cites the action of plunging breakers as being central to this problem of sediment transfer. However, the nature of net residual fluid force of plunging breakers is deemed unsatisfactory for any substantial upbeach (onshore) sediment transport during storm conditions on gravel beaches. A mechanism is proposed by which high still water levels due to high astronomical tides, onshore storm force winds and allied wave surge, promote shoaling characteristics and beach profile changes which are conducive to spilling breaker development at tidal extremities. It is the net onshore fluid force vector of the spilling breaker overtopping the beach crest which may be the cause of extreme sedimentation events on the storm beach. An example of such sediment transfer is given for a known storm beach sedimentation event at Llanrhystyd gravel beach, West Wales, during February 1974. Process variables were monitored on several days allowing the use of an inshore breaker steepness criterion, to indicate positions in the tidal regime where plunging breakers give way to spilling forms. This example serves to suggest that more attention should be given to the nature and characteristics of shoaling waves, especially in respect of breaker type, when examining problems of shingle beach dynamics and sedimentation.     

Differential bedload transport rates in a gravel-bed stream: A grain-size distribution approach

Two methods that were recently proposed for calculating fractional bedload transport rates in gravel-bed streams are examined closely. Both of them employ the Oak Creek bedload data. The Diplas (PD) method is guided by dimensional analysis and, therefore, can be used to predict bedload transport in different gravel rivers. The only requirement for using this method is the knowledge of the subsurface material size distribution of the stream of interest. The expression for the fractional bedload transport obtained by the Shih and Komar (SK) method for Oak Creek cannot be used for other streams. Its use for a given stream requires information that is rarely available. For the Oak Creek case both methods demonstrate similar predictive ability.     

INVESTIGATION OF DAMAGES CAUSED BY ABRASION AND IMPACT OF GRAVEL BED LOAD ON HYDRAULIC STRUCTURES

When gravel bed load deposits are sluiced from hydraulic structures, the mo- tion of bed load over the apron, as is well known, may consist of sliding, rolling and saltation. At times, saltation may become so intensive that gravels have been observed to jump clear out of the water surface. The movement of gravel bed load may cause serious damages to the hydraulic structures through abrasion and im- pact. The extent of damage depends upon a number of factors, such as rock prop- erties of gravels, flow conditions, configuration as well as the strength of materials of hydraulic structures. In most cases the movement of gravel bed load takes place in ribbons in plan, consequently, the lateral distribution of damages is uneven, and protective measures to be adopted against abrasion and impact should be applied to the key part most frequently attacked by the gravel bed load. Possible repair should be anticipated in the layout of structures in order to facilitate the operation.     

The development of armour in the Tambo River,Victoria, Australia

Present understanding of armour formation and the dynamics of grain entrainment and movement, especially in natural environments with coarse and poorly-sorted bed material, is still incomplete. There are many details which require further field observation for clarification and hypothesis testing, including aspects of grain interaction during bedload transport. Evidence from the Tambo River suggests that there may be mechanisms of armour development which have significance in certain field situations but which have been relatively neglected in the literature. The particular mechanism envisaged for the Tambo River involves the accumulation on the bed surface of large clasts which had been moving as an overpassing traction carpet. These clasts are not genetically related to the underlying subarmour sediments, but nonetheless act as an armour which protects them from scour, and which hence affects grain mobility and bedload transport rates.     

24kaB.P.以来青藏高原中部湖泊演化及古降水量研究———以兹格塘错与错鄂为例

古湖泊砂砾堤研究表明,24kaB.P.,兹格塘错、错鄂分别存在10m、30m(高出现代湖面)的高湖面,湖泊面积分别可达272km2、220km2,是现代湖泊的1.42、3.12倍.与此相比,9.0-6.0kaB.P.湖面略低;在兹格塘错,古湖泊高出现代湖面8m,面积约为246km2,比现代大56km2;在错鄂,古湖面高出现代12m,面积约为138km2.基于Kutzbach水能联合方程,利用逐次逼近法取得有关参数,重建的各流域上述各时期的降水量分别可达(400±20)mm/a (兹格塘错 24kaB.P.)、(535±20)mm/a (错鄂 24kaB.P.)、(370±20)mm/a (兹格塘错 9.0-6.0kaB.P.)、(470±20)mm/a (错鄂 9.0-6.0kaB.P.).     

黄、东海陆架砂岩砾石的地质意义

1987年以来中国科学院海洋研究所多次对黄、东海陆架进行了调查，利用薄片分析、数理统计、化学分析及古生物鉴定等多种方法，分别对所采获的砂岩砾石的结构、组成等作了研究。结果表明这些砂岩砾石不但分布广泛、数量丰富，而且大小不一，从＜1cm到最大60cm不等，形态细长、扁平，成因类型属于风成石类。此外，砾石中普遍含有海绿石及海相有孔虫、介形虫等．证明黄、东海陆架上大面积出露以砂岩砾石为代表的第三系海相地层，经过长期复杂的风化作用后，其破碎产物成为海底沉积物的重要来源。     

Evaluation of a gravel transport sensor for bed load measurements in natural flows

A recent acoustic instrument （Gravel Transport Sensor, GTS） was tested for predicting sediment transport rate （bed load rate） in gravel bed streams. The GTS operation is based on the particle collision theory of submerged obstacles in fluids. When particles collide with the GTS cylinder their momentum is recorded in the form of ping rates. The GTS is attractive for further consideration here because of its potential to provide continuous unattended local bed load measurements, especially in areas found in streams that access may be difficult under extreme conditions. Laboratory experiments coupled with numerical simulations for the same flow conditions were performed in order to determine the conditions under which particles of different size will hit the GTS cylinder and be able to register a ping rate. The GTS was able to detect the number of particles with diameter in the range of 15.9 to 25.4 mm, with reasonable accuracy, if the applied Shields effective stress τ＊e = τ＊ - τ＊cr was in the range of 0.006 to 0.015. A drawback of the tested prototype GTS, however, was that it exerted increased resistance on the incoming particles. The added drag effects increased the overall resistance that was exerted by the flow on particles and thus increased the likelihood that particles will rest in the ambient region of the cylinder instead of hitting it. Numerical simulation of the flow around the GTS cylinder revealed that changing the prototype geometry from cylindrical to ellipsoid or rhomboid will increase the likelihood of the particles hitting the instrument under the same flow conditions failed by the original tested GTS cylinder.