Groundwater mixing between different aquifer types in a complex structural setting discerned by elemental and stable isotope geochemistry

Karst aquifers are well known for their intricate stratigraphy and geologic structures, which make groundwater characterization challenging because flowpaths and recharge sources are complex and difficult to evaluate. Geochemical data, collected from ten closely spaced production wells constructed in two karst aquifers (Bangor Limestone (Mb) and Tuscumbia Limestone/Fort Payne Chert (Mftp)) in Trussville, north‐central Alabama, illustrate two distinctive groundwater end‐members: (1) higher major ion, dissolved inorganic carbon, conductivity, alkalinity concentrations, heavier δ¹³C ratios (max: −10.2 ± 0.2‰ Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite (PDB)) and lower residence times (mean: 19.5 ± 2 years, n = 2) of groundwater in the Mb aquifer and (2) lower constituent concentrations, lighter δ¹³C ratios (min: −13.4 ± 0.2‰ PDB) and longer residence times of groundwater (mean: 23.6 ± 2 years, n = 4) in the Mftp aquifer. Summer and fall data and the binary mixing model show aquifer inter‐flow mixing along solution fractures and confirms the distinctive groundwater geochemistry of the two aquifers. Lowering of static water levels over the summer (drawdown from 2 to 5.2 m) leads to more reducing groundwater conditions (lower Eh values) and slightly enriched δ¹⁸O and δD ratios during the fall [δ¹⁸O: −4.8 ± 0.1 to −5.4 ± 0.1‰ Vienna Standard Mean Oceanic Water (VSMOW), n = 9; δD: −25.4 ± 1 to −27.4 ± 1‰ VSMOW, n = 9] when compared with summer season samples (δ¹⁸O: −5.1 ± 0.1 to −5.7 ± 0.1‰ VSMOW, n = 11; δD: −25.0 ± 1 to −30.6 ± 1‰ VSMOW, n = 11). GIS analyses confirm the localized origin of recharge to the investigated aquifers. The combination of GIS, field parameters and geochemistry analyses can be successfully used to identify recharge sources, evaluate groundwater flow and transport pathways and to improve understanding of how groundwater withdrawals impact the sustainability and susceptibility to contamination of karst aquifers. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

斜列构造型式空间定位研究及其对隐伏矿脉预测的意义

斜列状的断裂、裂隙的排列组合,其中往往充填岩脉或矿脉,被称之为雁列或斜列构造。在内生脉状多金属矿床平面或剖面上,矿脉常出现斜列状排列的组合特征,关于它们的组合型式,特别是从空间上及定位分布规律方面,尚缺乏深入的研究。本文依据构成斜列型式的几个主要几何要素之间的关系将其划分为三种类型,进行了斜列构造型式空间定位分布特征的研究及其对隐伏矿脉预测意义的探讨。     

汶川地震断裂带多次地震活动新证据

虹口乡八角庙出露完整的映秀—北川断裂带剖面断层岩,高分辨率磁化率测试揭示出多个具有高磁化率特征的断层岩带。系统的岩石磁学分析证明一层褐色断层岩相对围岩具有最大的磁化率值,存在新生成的磁铁矿和拥有相似的天然剩磁(NRM)和非磁滞剩磁(ARM)强度衰减过程。高磁化率特征是含铁顺磁性矿物受到断层滑移过程产生摩擦生热作用生成磁铁矿所致。同时断层岩还获得了热剩磁,记录了地震活动磁学信息。结合汶川地震科学钻探项目1号孔(WFSD-1)磁化率和岩石磁学研究结果,说明映秀—北川断裂带包含多层具有高磁化率特征的断层岩,暗示了多次强震的发生。具有高磁化率特征的断层岩可以作为判定地震活动的标志之一。     

非均匀各向异性储层地震AVAZ响应模拟及分析

基于波动理论的各向异性反射率方法能够充分考虑地震波动力学特征。对单界面理论模型、实际非均匀各向异性模型分别进行正演模拟及分析,比较Ruger理论与反射率方法模拟结果的波动力学特征。结果表明,对于界面模型两种方法均能得到相同的计算结果,但对于实际非均匀各向异性介质,基于Ruger理论的算法受时间采样率的影响,而基于波动理论的反射率方法输入实际空间域模型,计算结果不受时间采样率的限制。     

沟岸侧蚀对泥石流不稳定动力过程的影响

泥石流作为非牛顿体,屈服应力大,运动过程通常不稳定。前人建立了许多模型来研究沟床揭底和堰塞体溃决对泥石流不稳定动力过程的影响,沟岸侧蚀对泥石流不稳定动力过程的影响研究较少。通过侧蚀为主的模型和完全底蚀的模型两种水槽实验的对比,针对泥石流的动力过程展开研究。实验发现两种工况条件下泥石流正应力和孔隙水压力随着龙头高度沿程波动性的增长而相应地波动性增大,但侧蚀作用使得这种波动特征更加明显。通过力学分析,证明侧蚀作用导致泥石流龙头的阻力更大,但是龙身颗粒和龙头颗粒的速度差更大,使得龙头附加坡降更大,因此,侧蚀作用使得泥石流龙头的平均速度更快。泥石流龙头浓度和容重的不断增大,使得阻力不断增大,阻力和动力的动态平衡关系是泥石流不稳定运动的原因之一。     

基于MSC MARC的三维构造应力场数值模拟与裂缝预测——以宝浪油田宝北区块为例

MSC MARC的高度非线性有限元分析能力与强大的二次开发接口为复杂三维地质数值模型的建立与三维构造应力模拟与非线性分析提供了有力工具; 并可以通过二次开放子程序建立复杂的岩石本构与破裂准则。本文基于MSC MARC建立了新疆焉耆盆地宝浪油田宝北区块背斜构造三维有限元模型并进行了构造应力模拟分析和裂缝预测。裂缝预测结果与实际动态资料十分吻合。      

Geometry and kinematics of brittle deformation in the Central Cameroon Shear Zone (Kékem area): Implication for gold exploration within the Central Africa Fold Belt in Cameroon

The Central Africa Fold Belt (CAFB) is a collision belt endowed with gold deposits in Eastern Cameroon area mined for about 50 years. However, favorable areas for gold exploration are poorly known. This paper presents (1) the kinematics of the brittle deformation in the Kékem area in the SW portion of the Central Cameroon Shear Zone and (2) constraints gold mineralization events with respect to the collisional evolution of the CAFB. The authors interpret that the conjugate ENE to E and NNW to NW trending lineament corresponds to the synthetic (R) and the antithetic (R’) shears, which accompanied the dextral slip along the NE to ENE striking shear. The latter coincides with the last 570–552 Ma D₃ dextral simple shear-dominated transpression, which is parallel to the Bétaré Oya shear zone hosting gold deposits. Gold mineralizations, which mainly occurred during the last dextral shearing, are disseminated within quartz veins associated to Riedel’s previous structures reactivated due to late collisional activities of the CAFB as brittle deformation. Gold mineralizations occurred mainly during the 570–552 Ma D₃ event. The reactivation, which might be due to dextral simple shear during mylonitzation, plausibly remobilized the early gold deposits hosted in syn-compressional rocks and/or possibly focused deep-sourced fluid mixed with those released by dehydration. Therefore, the Central Cameroon Shear Zone where Kékem is located, and which shows similar petrographical and structural features to those controling Batouri gold district, is a target area for gold exploration in Cameroon.     

Explicit stress–strain equations for modeling frictional materials

In this paper, a comprehensive study on simulating the shearing behavior of frictional materials is performed. A set of two explicit equations, describing the relationship among the shear stress ratio and the distortional strain and the volumetric strain, are formulated independently. The equations contain three stress parameters and three strain parameters and another parameter representing the nonuniformity of stress and strain during softening. All the parameters have clear physical significance and can be determined experimentally. It is demonstrated that the proposed equations have the capacity of simulating the complicated shearing behavior of many types of frictional materials including geomaterials. The proposed equations are used to simulate the stress–strain behavior for 27 frictional materials with 98 tests. These materials include soft and stiff clays in both reconstituted and structured states, silicon sands and calcareous sands, silts, compacted fill materials, volcanic soils, decomposed granite soils, cemented soils (both artificially and naturally cemented), partially saturated soils, ballast, rocks, reinforced soils, tire chips, sugar, wheat, and rapeseed. It has been demonstrated that the proposed explicit constitutive equations have the capacity to capture accurately the shearing behavior of frictional materials both qualitatively and quantitatively. A study on model parameters has been performed.     

Finite element modeling of heating phenomena of cracks excited by high-intensity ultrasonic pulses

A three-dimensional thermo-mechanical coupled finite element model is built up to simulate the phenomena of dynamical contact and frictional heating of crack faces when the plate containing the crack is excited by high-intensity ultrasonic pulses. In the finite element model, the high-power ultrasonic transducer is modeled by using a piezoelectric thermal-analogy method, and the dynamical interaction between both crack faces is modeled using a contact-impact theory. In the simulations, the frictional heating taking place at the crack faces is quantitatively calculated by using finite element thermal-structural coupling analysis, especially, the influences of acoustic chaos to plate vibration and crack heating are calculated and analysed in detail. Meanwhile, the related ultrasonic infrared images are also obtained experimentally, and the theoretical simulation results are in agreement with that of the experiments. The results show that, by using the theoretical method, a good simulation of dynamic interaction and friction heating process of the crack faces under non-chaotic or chaotic sound excitation can be obtained.     

Degradation of rock fracture asperities in unloading,reloading, and reversal

Among the constitutive models for rock fractures developed over the years, Barton's empirical model has been widely used. Although Barton's failure criterion predicts peak shear strength of rock fractures with acceptable precision, it has some limitations in estimating the peak shear displacement, post‐peak shear strength, dilation, and surface degradation. The first author modified Barton's original model in order to address these limitations. Barton proposed his model for degradation of fracture asperities in unloading, reloading, and shear displacement reversal based on just one cyclic direct shear test. In this study, a database of results of 18 cyclic direct shear tests available in the literature was collected and analyzed. Modifications were made to Barton's original model (in terms of fracture cyclic shearing) to make it consistent with the modified model proposed by the first author. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.