Blast Induced Damage and Dynamic Behaviour of Hangingwalls in Bench Stoping

This paper presents the results of a comprehensive monitoring program designed to investigate the extent of blast induced damage experienced by rock masses extracted by bench stoping methods. An array of triaxial geophones and extensometers were used to monitor blast vibration attenuation and measure hangingwall deformations during stope extraction. In addition, pre and post surveys of the hangingwall rock mass were conducted using a TV borehole camera and cavity survey instrumentation. These surveys were later used to calibrate damage profiles into the stope hangingwalls.

Peak particle velocity, hangingwall deformation measurements and stope surveys were used to develop a site specific damage model that allowed engineers to asses drilling and blasting configurations to minimise the extent of pre-conditioning and damage. In addition the study included the analysis of the frequency response, displacements and accelerations experienced by the excavation as extraction and mine filling progressed. This work aimed at improving our understanding of the influence of blasting on the dynamic behaviour of stope hangingwalls.

The study demonstrated that estimates of the maximum extent of rock mass pre-conditioning and/or damage made through the application of the Holmberg-Persson approach compared well with measured results. In addition, the study found that dynamic loading imparted on an exposed hangingwall from subsequent stope blasting was also expected to contribute to rock mass weakening and that mine filling was crucial to arrest further deterioration. Hangingwall accelerations were used to demonstrate that larger openings may be more susceptible to dynamic loading.     

利用遥感综合分析西风引导气流与地形对沙尘运移路径的影响

沙尘暴的发生受大气环流、地表状况、降雨的影响，还受到局部地区地形的影响。一次规模较大的沙尘暴过程，沙尘可以从蒙古国和我国西部沙源地输送到我国东部、韩国、日本乃至夏威夷、美国西海岸。中日亚洲沙尘暴ADEC项目对亚洲沙尘暴的起沙、传输和降落的运行机制已经作了深入的研究，并建立了亚洲沙尘暴的数值模拟系统。本文以影响北京地区的沙尘暴事件为例，利用遥感技术，综合DEM地形数据和地面实测数据分析西风引导气流和地形对沙尘运移路径影响，将MODIs影像数据和DEM地形数据以及地面观测站点实测数据相结合，进行综合分析，结果表明在一次沙尘暴过程中，沙尘在运移过程中的运移路径明显地受到西风引导气流、沙尘粒子自然沉降规律以及局部地形的影响，要预防(减少)北京地区的沙尘暴仅仅作好北京地区的生态环境建设是不够的，加强北京周边地区，尤其是张家口地区、官厅水库库区及库区周围地区的生态环境建设尤为重要。     

沙尘天气等对西安市空气污染影响的研究

通过对西安市1981—2000年TSP、SO2和NOx年平均浓度资料,1998—2000年周报和日报环境监测资料以及相应的地面、高空常规气象观测资料的统计分析,研究了该市空气污染的时间变化特点以及沙尘天气等几种气象条件对其浓度变化的影响。结果表明:(1)颗粒污染物(TSP和PM10)是西安市的首要污染物,其次是SO2。1981—2000年期间,TSP年平均浓度降低了75%,SO2年平均浓度降低了77%,NOx年平均浓度总体上变化不大;这三种污染物月平均浓度的年变化都呈单周期型,冬季1月份最高,夏季最低(TSP是7月份最低,SO2和NOx是8月份最低)。(2)2001年春季3～4月份沙尘天气的频繁发生,使西安市空气污染日出现全年的第二个多发期(23d·月-1),这有别于正常年份仅在冬季1月份出现一个浓度峰值的特点;强沙尘暴天气过程会使西安市PM10浓度在非常短的时间内提高3倍左右,造成严重的颗粒物污染。(3)西安市冬半年出现轻度污染以上级别的几率明显大于夏半年。影响西安市的地面天气系统可归纳为12类,当受不同天气系统控制时,其污染状况会有较大差异。(4)西安市一年四季都有逆温存在,100m平均逆温强度为0.90℃;全年以低层逆温出现日数最多,但冬季贴地逆温出现日数最多,厚度最厚,强度最大,是造成西安市冬季空气污染严重的最重要气象因素之一。(5)西安     

利用热红外温差识别沙尘

沙尘识别是沙尘灾害监测和沙尘气溶胶特性研究的首要工作。利用辐射传输方程进行了沙尘气溶胶的辐射计算 ,对不同沙尘气溶胶光学厚度下的热红外通道温差ΔT(T11μm-T12 μm)的变化进行了分析。理论分析表明 ,利用热红外通道的温度差ΔT进行陆地沙尘识别是可行的。并利用NOAA AVHRR热红外通道的温度差ΔT进行了陆地沙尘识别的实验 ,经与地面气象站实测的沙尘天气现象相比较 ,结果一致。     

Absence of extraterrestrial He in Permian-Triassic age sedimentary rocks

Helium concentration and isotopic composition were measured in a suite of samples across the Permian-Triassic boundary at Opal Creek, Canada, to determine whether high extraterrestrial helium concentrations are associated with a possible extinction-inducing impact event at this time. No extraterrestrial ³He was detected, implying that neither fullerene-hosted nor IDP-hosted He is present at or near the boundary. This observation is consistent with similar studies of some Permian-Triassic sections, but contrasts sharply with reports of both fullerene- and IDP-hosted extraterrestrial ³He at other sections.Step-heat experiments indicate rapid diffusion of extraterrestrial helium from sediments heated to temperatures above ∼ 70 °C. Given the likelihood of burial and associated heating in Permian-Triassic age rocks, the initially unexpected absence of IDP-hosted ³He likely indicates thermally induced diffusive loss. Indeed one of the key sections (Graphite Peak, Antarctica) from which extraterrestrial ³He has been reported at and near the Permian-Triassic boundary has been sufficiently heated that the reported preservation of extraterrestrial helium, in both IDPs and fullerenes, is inexplicable. Recent contamination provides a plausible explanation for extraterrestrial ³He in these samples.While no extraterrestrial ³He was detected at Opal Creek, there is a sharp increase in nucleogenic ³He very close to or at the Permian-Triassic boundary. This presumably arises from the major lithologic change at this time, from cherts in the Permian to shales and siltstones in the Triassic. Increased nucleogenic ³He is associated with increases in both lithium and organic carbon content into the Triassic. Either the production rate or the retention of this ³He is higher in the shales and siltstones than in the cherts. Care must be taken to eliminate such artifacts before interpreting changes in ³He concentration in terms of fluctuations in the delivery of ³He from space.     

Dust production and the release of iron oxides resulting from the aeolian abrasion of natural dune sands

Global dust trajectories indicate that signi?cant quantities of aeolian‐transported iron oxides originate in contemporary dryland areas. One potential source is the iron‐rich clay coatings that characterize many sand‐sized particles in desert dune?elds. This paper uses laboratory experiments to determine the rate at which these coatings can be removed from dune sands by aeolian abrasion. The coatings impart a red colour to the grains to which previous researchers have assigned variable geomorphological signi?cance. The quantities of iron removed during a 120 hour abrasion experiment are small (99 mg kg^?1) and dif?cult to detect by eye; however, high resolution spectroscopy clearly indicates that ferric oxides are released during abrasion and the re?ectance of the particles alters. One of the products of aeolian abrasion is ?ne particles (<10 µm diameter) with the potential for long distance transport. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Testing a statistical curve‐fitting procedure for quantifying sediment populations within multi‐modal particle‐size distributions

This paper describes a series of tests designed to evaluate the capacity of a personal computer (PC) based statistical curve‐fitting program called MIX to quantify composite populations within multi‐modal particle‐size distributions. Three natural soil samples were analysed by a Coulter Multisizer, and their particle‐size distributions analysed using MIX software to identify the modes, standard deviations and proportions of their composite populations. The particle‐size distributions of the three natural soil samples were then numerically combined in equal proportions using a spreadsheet program to create synthetic particle‐size distributions of known populations. MIX was then tested on the synthetic particle‐size distributions to see if the modes and proportions it identified were similar to those modes and proportions known to characterize the synthetic particle‐size distributions. The main outcome is that MIX can very accurately describe the modal particle size and proportions of the major composite populations within a particle‐size distribution. However MIX has difficulty in identifying small populations (those contributing <10 per cent of a total particle‐size distribution), particularly when they are located in the central sections of particle‐size distributions, overlain by larger populations, or when positioned in the fine tails of distributions. Despite these minor shortcomings, MIX is a valuable tool for the examination and interpretation of particle‐size data. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Vertical dynamic and thermodynamic characteristics of urban lower boundary layer and its relationship with aerosol concentration over Beijing

By utilizing observational data from a 325 m tower of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) on March 19-29, 2001 and August 11-25, 2003, a comprehensive study was conducted on the vertical dynamical and thermodynamic characteristics of the urban lower boundary layer (ULBL) and its relationship with aerosol concentration over Beijing. Firstly, a comparative analysis was made on the gradient data (wind, temperature and humidity), ultrasonic data (atmospheric turbulences) and air-quality observations at different tower heights (47, 120 and 280 m). Secondly, a diagnosis was made to reveal the major features of normalized variances of velocity and temperature, turbulence kinetic energy as well as their relationship with aerosol concentrations. Furthermore, the characteristics of the ULBL vertical structure and the TSP concentration/distribution variations during a sand/dust weather process were also analyzed. The outcome of the study showed that under unstable stratification, the normalized variances of velocity (σu/u*, σv/u*, σw/u*) and temperature (σT/T*) at 47 and 120 m heights fit the Monin-Obukhov similarity (MOS) framework and the fitting formulas were given out accordingly. According to the stratification parameter (z′/L), the stable ULBL could be divided into 2 zones. With z′/L<0.1, it was a weakly stable zone and MOS framework was applicable. The other was a highly stable zone with z′/L>0.1 and the normalized velocity variances tended to increase along with higher stability, but it remained constant for normalized temperature variances. At daytime, the near-surface layer includes two heights of 47 and 120 m, while 280 m has been above it. The ULBL analysis in conjunction with a sand/dust weather process in Beijing in March 2001 indicated that the maximum concentration of Total Suspended Particulates (TSP) at 320 m reached 913.3 μg/m3 and the particles were transported from the upper to lower ULBL, which was apparently related to the development process of a low-level jet and its concomitant strong sinking motion.     

Laser Ablation ICP-MS Developments and Trends for 2003

This annual review of laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) covers the year 2003. Significant advances were made in understanding laser-sample interactions. In particular, research defined the distribution of particle sizes produced by the interplay of laser wavelength, laser pulse width and the gas environment of ablation. A link between particle sizes and elemental and isotopic fractionation at both the ablation site and in the ICP was established. Experimental 15 7 nm and femtosecond laser systems were tested with promising results. The number of applications of LA-ICP-MS in geology and environmental Earth science continued to grow with particular interest in element concentration and isotope ratio profiling of materials, linking composition to time scales. In situ isotopic ratio measurements were increasingly made using multicollector magnetic sector ICP-MS instruments. Other applications of wide interest included bulk sampling of rocks and ores prepared as lithium borate glasses; low level analysis of platinum-group elements, rhenium and gold in sulfides, metal and silicates; in situ uranium-lead zircon geochronology; and melt and fluid inclusion analysis.     

兰州市2001年沙尘气溶胶质量浓度的特征分析

 分析了2001年沙尘暴期间兰州与靠近沙尘源区的武威的沙尘浓度和粒径分布特征,并运用对数正态分布规律拟合了沙尘粒径的分布。通过对比武威、皋兰和兰州沙尘暴期间沙尘浓度的变化以及武威与兰州的沙尘粒径分布特征,揭示了河西走廊沙漠对兰州市沙尘暴的影响。