Effect of local variations of vertical and horizontal stresses on the Cenozoic structuring of the mid-Norwegian shelf

The mid-Norwegian margin has a complex history and has experienced several phases of changing horizontal and vertical stresses on regional and local scale during the Cenozoic time. In addition to regional stresses related to the opening of the North Atlantic (i.e. ridge push), local variations in stress history may be important for development, distribution and reactivation of structures in the Vøring area in Cenozoic time. Presence and stability of flexural hinge zones between areas of relative uplift and subsidence have played an important role for focusing shallow horizontal stresses within the basins. Emplacement of lower crustal bodies during break-up will, whatever the nature of these bodies, have substantial isostatic effects, and modelling show that this could cause many hundred meters of temporal uplift above the lower crustal bodies, locally exceeding 1300 m of surface uplift. Effects of intra plate stress (IPS) are modelled along three 2D transects across the Vøring Basin. Modelling shows that IPS may have given substantial vertical motions in certain areas of the mid-Norwegian shelf, both with extensional IPS at the time of break-up, and later with compressive IPS during Tertiary time. The modelling assumes a strongly reduced effective elastic thickness (EET) due to lithospheric heating at break-up and later increasing EET as the lithosphere cooled towards present time. Our modelling takes into account the tectonic and isostatic effects of loading faulting and lithospheric thinning throughout the geological history, including several phases of extension prior to the Cenozoic compression. This approach emphasizes the importance of the deformation history of the lithosphere compared to other studies that only take into account the effects of Cenozoic processes of compression and loading on the sedimentary units. We do not state that isostatic uplift or intra plate stress are the most important causes for Cenozoic uplift and compressional deformation in this area, but point to the fact that these factors locally may have played an important role in focusing deformation caused by an interplay of different mechanisms.     

Flow dynamics inside the rotor of a three straight bladed cross-flow turbine

In this work we study experimentally the flow dynamics inside the rotor of a three straight-bladed Cross-Flow Turbine (CFT). The CFT model used in the experiments is based on symmetric NACA-0015 profiles, with a chord to rotor diameter ratio of 0.16. The turbine model was designed in order to quantify the flow inside and around the rotor using planar Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (DPIV). Tests were made by forcing the rotation of the turbine with a DC motor, which provided precise control of the Tip Speed Ratio (TSR), while being towed in a still-water tank at a constant turbine diameter Reynolds number of 6.1 × 10⁴. The range of TSRs covered in the experiments went from 0.7 to 2.3.The focus is given to the analysis of the blade-wake interactions inside the rotor. The investigation has allowed us to relate the interactions with the performance differences in this type of turbines, as a function of the operational tip speed ratio.     

Improvement of very soft ground by a high-efficiency vacuum preloading method: A case study

This paper describes a full-scale test on a very soft clay ground around 70,000?m², which is conducted in Huizhou of Guangdong Province, China, to present a new method of vacuum preloading method. A novel moisture separator was developed, which can automatically regulate the vacuum pressure variation by changing the volume of the gas inside it. A large quantity of water drained by the proposed moisture separators can be directly used as a surcharge loading, which would shorten the ground improvement time and save costs as well. Three levels of silt-prevention prefabricated vertical drains were used in the treating process to accelerate the consolidation. In addition, the vacuum preloading method also included an effective radial drainage device which would strengthen the dredged soft clay fill in a deep layer. In the in situ test, tens of piezometers and settlement plates were installed to measure the variations of excess pore water pressures and settlement of two stages of observation points at different positions in the ground. The results show that the largest average consolidation settlement was 314.1?cm and made a saving of more than 66% in power consumption compared with traditional method. It demonstrates that this adopted method is an efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly method for improving sites with low bearing capacity and high compressibility soils.     

Effect of compressible parameters on vertical vibration of an elastic pile in multilayered poroelastic media

This paper mainly investigates the influences of compressible parameters on the vertical vibration of a pile embedded in layered poroelastic soil media. The pile is treated as a 1D elastic bar by the finite element method, and fundamental solutions for the layered poroelastic soils due to a vertical dynamic load are obtained by the analytical layer element method. Based on the compatibility conditions, the pile-soil dynamic interaction problem is solved. The numerical scheme has been compiled into a Fortran program for numerical calculation. Influences of the pile-soil stiffness ratio, compressible parameters, vibration frequency and the soil stratification are discussed.     

Slope stability analysis by polar slice method in rotational failure mechanism

In this paper, a polar slice method is proposed to quantify the energy dissipation in the inner sliding soil mass and evaluate the slope stability in rotational failure mechanism. The polar slice method is compared with the vertical slice method. Despite similar results, the advantages of the polar slice method are explained. Besides, the comparison between the polar slice method and Chen’s method shows that the polar slice method would lead to more accurate results than Chen’s method, while Chen’s method which neglects the energy dissipation in the inner sliding soil mass is relatively conservative.     

不规则载荷影响地表近场垂向位移和倾斜观测的定量计算

基于均匀的、各向同性的半无限弹性体的点状载荷模型引起周边垂向位移场变化的解析解,本文推导了水平倾斜场的解析解计算方法,给出了二维、三维不规则形状载荷对地面或地下某点的垂直位移和水平倾斜的解析解计算方法。并对比分析了质点简化模型和不规则模型的差异性。最后给出了据不规则形状载荷模型得到的近场垂直位移以及水平倾斜场的展布特征。研究结果表明,相对质点简化模型,不规则载荷模型对近场的刻画具有一定优势;二维不规则形状载荷模型的建立,使得将载荷散点化后再将矢量叠加进行计算成为可能;三维不规则形状载荷模型在载荷散点化后,通过赋予散点的不同权重进行载荷重新分配,然后用矢量计算法获取位移场的变化;在二维和三维不规则载荷散点化后的矢量叠加过程中都存在着较明显的收敛过程,表明该计算方法的正确性和可行性。     

Evaluation of DEM generation based on Interferometric SAR using TanDEM-X data in Tokyo

This study is focused on the evaluation of a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for Tokyo, Japan from data collected by the recently launched TerraSAR add-on for Digital Elevation Measurements (TanDEM-X), satellite of the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The aim of the TanDEM-X mission is to use Interferometric SAR techniques to generate a consistent high resolution global DEM dataset. In order to generate an accurate global DEM using TanDEM-X data, it is important to evaluate the accuracy at different sites around the world. Here, we report our efforts to generate a high-resolution DEM of the Tokyo metropolitan region using TanDEM-X data. We also compare the TanDEM-X DEM with other existing DEMs for the Tokyo region. Statistical techniques were used to calculate the elevation differences between the TanDEM-X DEM and the reference data. Two high-resolution LiDAR DEMs are used as independent reference data. The vertical accuracy of the TanDEM-X DEM evaluated using the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) is considerably higher than the existing global digital elevation models. However, the local area DEM generated by Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI DEM) showed the highest accuracy among all non-LiDAR DEM’s. The vertical accuracy in terms of RMSE estimated using the 2 m LiDAR as reference is 3.20 m for TanDEM-X, 2.44 m for the GSI, 7.00 m for SRTM DEM and 10.24 m for ASTER-GDEM. We also compared the accuracy of TanDEM-X with the other DEMs for different types of land cover classes. The results show that the absolute elevation error of TanDEM-X is higher for urban and vegetated areas, likewise to those observed for other global DEM’s. This is probably because the radar signals used by TanDEM-X tend to measure the first reflective surface that is encountered, which is often the top of the buildings or canopy. Hence, the TanDEM-X based DEM is more akin to a Digital Surface Model (DSM).     

基于InSAR技术的喀什-乌恰交汇区地壳垂直形变特征分析

利用喀什-乌恰交汇区2004—2010年间的ENVISAT ASAR数据,采用层叠InSAR技术获得了喀什-乌恰交汇区地壳垂直形变速度场,并结合研究区GPS观测数据结果,分析了喀什-乌恰交汇区地壳形变特征。结果显示,喀什-乌恰交汇区地壳垂直形变速率约为?1—2mm/a,其中,乌恰南边的山区形变量最大,形变速率达到2mm/a,是整个研究区中隆升最明显的区域;而喀什、阿图什一带形变量比较小,基本在0—1mm/a。卡兹克阿尔特和阿图什南翼断裂为乌恰以南的隆升区域到喀什、阿图什垂直形变平稳区域的梯度带,这个区域吸收了1—2mm/a的垂直形变能量和7—9mm/a的水平形变能量,是喀什-乌恰交汇区中主要的地壳形变能量消耗地带。     

Quantifying regional groundwater flow between Continental Intercalaire and Djeffara aquifers in southern Tunisia using isotope methods

Large-scale interaction between the Continental Intercalaire and the Djeffara aquifer systems in the southeast of Tunisia has been investigated with the aid of chemical and isotopic tracers. Two distinct groundwater types have been identified: (1) the Continental Intercalaire groundwater characterized by elevated temperatures (50–61.4°C), low δ¹⁸O (−8.4 to−7.87) and δ²H (−67.2 to−59) values and negligible radiocarbon content, both testifying its great age dating from the late Pleistocene period, and (2) the Djeffara groundwater with distinctly heavier isotopic composition (δ¹⁸O = −8.31 to −5.80, δ²H = −65.9 to −31.9). The Djeffara groundwaters reveal a distinct changes of physico-chemical and isotopic parameters near El Hamma Faults in the northwestern part of the Djeffara basin. These changes could possibly be explained by a vertical leakage from the Continental Intercalaire aquifer through El Hamma Faults. The mixing proportions inferred from stable isotope mass balance prove that the contribution of the Continental Intercalaire to the recharge of Djeffara aquifer is very significant and may reach 100% in the El Hamma region and in the northern part of Gabes. Isotope tracers strongly suggest that recent recharge to the Djeffara aquifer system is very limited. Its current yield, particularly in its central and northern parts can be maintained only thanks to large-scale underground inflow from the Continental Intercalaire aquifer system, which carries late Pleistocene palaeowater. Consequently, current exploitation of groundwater resources of the Djeffara aquifer has non-sustainable character.     

三峡库区巴东新城区库岸三叠系巴东组层间软弱带

摘要 巴东新城区发育有黄土坡滑坡、赵树岭滑坡、太矶头滑坡、童家坪滑坡等多处大型古滑坡,研究库岸斜坡岩体结构特征对滑坡的治理有着至关重要的作用。本文基于巴东新城区白土坡和西壤坡两段库岸深300余米监测剖面的地质勘探资料,根据岩芯颜色、岩性和结构将巴东组第三段划分为24段;通过薄片鉴定、X射线衍射和岩芯精细测量分析库岸斜坡岩体处于滨海环境的海陆过渡相,岩性组合、岩层厚度、矿物组成及强度具有复杂的垂向分带特征;探讨了层间软弱带和大型滑坡的关系。研究表明:巴东新城区库岸斜坡巴东组第三段内发育有13层贯通的软弱带,表现为为富含泥质、结构破碎的泥质软弱夹层、构造碎裂岩、溶蚀改造带和软岩软弱带。在沉积成岩时经历了滨海相反复的海浸海退,软弱带多分布在沉积环境动荡的开阔台地（陆棚泻湖）和局限台地（潮间带）。巴东组第二、三段岩性及沉积环境属缓慢过渡,在构造作用下未发生明显的滑脱。沉积结构和后期构造共同作用形成了贯通软弱带,为大型滑坡发生提供了有利条件。三峡水库全面蓄水后,软弱带在地下水长期作用下必将加剧库岸斜坡的深部形变。