The influence of land use change on karst water quality of Shuicheng Basin in Guizhou Province

The influence of land use and land cover on ecological environment is a focus of global change research. The paper chooses an industrial city-Shuicheng in Guizhou Province-as a study area because the karst water quality around the city is deteriorating with land use and land cover change. The natural susceptibility of karst water system is an important factor leading to karst water pollution. But land use and land cover change is also a main factor according to the chemical analysis of karst water quality and land use change. So it is a good way to protect karst water through rational planning and managing of land use and land cover.     

Origin of the salt valleys in the Canyonlands section of the Colorado Plateau: Evaporite-dissolution collapse versus tectonic subsidence

The salt valleys over the axis of the salt-cored anticlines in the Paradox fold and fault belt (Canyonlands, Utah and Colorado) are created by subsidence of the anticline crests. Traditionally, the collapse of the anticlinal crests was attributed to dissolution of the salt walls (diapirs) forming the anticline cores. Recent studies based on scaled physical models and field observations propose that the salt valleys are a result of regional extension and that salt dissolution had only a minor influence in the development of the axial depressions. This paper presents several arguments and lines of evidence that refute the tectonic model and support the salt dissolution subsidence interpretation.The development of contractional structures in salt dissolution experiments led the advocates of the tectonic interpretation to reject the dissolution-induced subsidence explanation. However, these salt dissolution models do not reproduce the karstification of salt walls in a realistic way, since their analog involves removal of salt from the base of the diapirs during the experiments. Additionally, numerous field examples and laboratory models conducted by other authors indicate that brittle subsidence in karst settings is commonly controlled by subvertical gravity faults.Field evidence against the regional extension model includes (1) a thick cap rock at the top of the salt walls, (2) the concentration of subsidence deformation structures along the crest of the anticlines (salt walls), (3) deformational structures not consistent with the proposed NNE extension, like crestal synforms and NE–SW grabens, (4) dissolution-induced subsidence structures controlled by ring faulting, revealing deep-seated dissolution, (5) large blocks foundered several hundred meters into the salt wall, (6) evidence of recent and active dissolution subsidence, and (7) the aseismic nature of the recently active collapse faults. Although underground salt dissolution seems to be the main cause for the generation of the salt valleys, this phenomenon may have been favored by regional extension tectonics that enhance the circulation of groundwater and salt dissolution.     

Caldera formation by magma withdrawal from a reservoir beneath a volcanic edifice

Caldera formation has been explained by magma withdrawal from a crustal reservoir, but little is known about the conditions that lead to the critical reservoir pressure for collapse. During an eruption, the reservoir pressure is constrained to lie within a finite range: it cannot exceed the threshold value for eruption, and cannot decrease below another threshold value such that feeder dykes get shut by the confining pressure, which stops the eruption. For caldera collapse to occur, the critical reservoir pressure for roof failure must therefore be within this operating range. We use an analytical elastic model to evaluate the changes of reservoir pressure that are required for failure of roof rocks above the reservoir with and without a volcanic edifice at Earth's surface. With no edifice at Earth's surface, faulting in the roof region can only occur in the initial phase of reservoir inflation and affects a very small part of the focal area. Such conditions do not allow caldera collapse. With a volcanic edifice, large tensile stresses develop in the roof region, whose magnitude increase as the reservoir deflates during an eruption. The edifice size must exceed a threshold value for failure of the roof region before the end of eruption. The largest tensile stresses are reached at Earth's surface, indicating that faulting starts there. Failure affects an area whose horizontal dimensions depend on edifice and chamber dimensions. For small and deep reservoirs, failure conditions cannot be achieved even if the edifice is very large. Quantitative predictions are consistent with observations on a number of volcanoes.     

库水位变化对库岸边坡稳定性的影响

在假定坡体孔隙水水位为水平线且不考虑渗透作用影响的基础上,基于极限平衡法考察了水位上升及下降的快慢对边坡安全系数的影响。对比计算表明:在水位缓慢变化即坡体内外水位线等高的条件下,边坡的安全系数随着水位坡高比的增大先略减小后急剧增大,且在水位坡高比为0.3处取得最小值,在边坡完全淹没于水中时取得最大值。当边坡完全淹没于水中后,水位高于坡顶的多少对边坡安全系数没有影响;在水位骤降或陡升条件下,相同库水位对应的边坡安全系数基本上均小于水位缓慢变化情况下的安全系数,故工程实际中无论是排水还是蓄水,都应尽量保持水位缓慢变化,这样才能使边坡处于较安全的状态。     

Hydrogeochemistry of karst underground waters at shallow depth in Guiyang City, Guizhou Province

The aim of this study is to shed light on the hydrogeochemical characteristics of karst underground waters at shallow depth in Guiyang City, Guizhou Province with an emphasis on the geochemistry of major elements. Guiyang City bears abundant underground waters and it is also an important representative of the karst areas throughout the world. Ca^2 and Mg^2 are the dominant cations, accounting for 81% -99.7% of the total, and HCO3^- and SO4^2- are the dominant anions. Weathering of limestones and dolostones is the most important factor controlling the hydrogeochemistry of underground waters, and weathering of sulfate and evaporite rocks is less important. Moreover, the precipitation and human activities also have a definite influence on the hydrogeoehemistry of underground waters in the region studied.     

Erratic judgements: re-evaluating solutional erosion rates of limestones using erratic-pedestal sites, including Norber, Yorkshire

The re-interpretation of surface karst landforms in Northern England has led to a re-examination of well-known erratic-pedestal sites that were the origin for karst denudation rates applied extensively, on the supposition that erratics protect underlying limestone from rainwater solution. Height of the pedestal has been used to calculate long-term solutional-lowering, as much as 50 cm in 15 ka (33.3 mm/ka) from UK sites. The sites include Norber and Scar Close, Yorkshire, UK. This paper shows that the sites have been misinterpreted, in particular at Norber where the erratics lie on a pre-existing structurally stepped surface. Norber and several other sites also experience much mechanical weathering, in relatively weak, well-fractured limestones, a process which must be distinguished from solution. Sites in strong, less-fractured limestones demonstrate lower rates, which are sounder indications of land surface lowering. Some pedestals have been confirmed as partly resulting from solutional weathering in surrounding soil and vegetation. Re-evaluation reduces solution rates to 3–13 cm in 15 ka. Applying such rates has profound implications for understanding limestone landscapes, challenging orthodox views.     

Slope stability evaluation using Back Propagation Neural Networks

The Yudonghe landslide, located in western Hubei Province of China, consists of eastern and western subunits as well as a main landslide mass with upper and lower slip surfaces. As an important landslide close to Shuibuya Dam on the Qing River, its stability is crucial, as the slide might reactivate because of a change in ground-water level caused by filling of the Shuibuya Reservoir. Existing weakness zones, growth of ruptures, the downslope attitude of geologic strata, and water infiltration, which reduced the strength of rocks and soils, have been found to be the most important factors contributing to the Yudonghe landslide. With regard to the landslide processes, it can be noted that the original large-scale slide activity was due to erosion by the Qing River, the second sliding resulted from the fall of blocks from the head scarp, and the final activity was the growth of the eastern and western secondary slides. A base failure was the main type of slope movement, however, it was obvious that more than one sliding event occurred, as inferred from striations and fractures detected by microstructure analysis of soils along the failure surfaces. Slope instability was evaluated by the method of Back Propagation Neural Networks (BPNN), in which a four-layer BPNN model with five input nodes, two hidden layers, and two output nodes was constructed using a training data set of landslide samples throughout the Qing River area. The predicted results of this analysis showed that the factor of safety was 1.10, which indicates that the Yudonghe landslide is currently in a marginally stable condition.     

三峡库区巴东县城附近主要滑坡边界轨迹分形分维特征与滑坡稳定性关系

为了探索复杂滑坡轨迹结构演化及其稳定性定量分析计算的新途径，本文利用分形分维理论，分析三峡库区巴东县城附近滑坡边界轨迹的几何分形结构，并采用盒维数法分别求得巴东县城附近11个滑坡边界轨迹的分维值，计算结果表明：每个滑坡的轨迹结构具有其特征性的分维值，轨迹结构越复杂，结构层次越清楚，分维值越高；其中，榨房坪滑坡和黄腊石滑坡的分维值最高，分别为1.50和1.483，西壤口和谭家湾滑坡的分维值最低，分别为0.925和0.732；而黄土坡和赵树岭滑坡的分维值介于二者之间，分别为1.111和1.091。结合典型滑坡边界轨迹结构演化与滑坡稳定性关系的定性分析及前期滑坡稳定性定量计算和模拟分析，初步揭示：滑坡边界轨迹结构与稳定性是密切相关的，滑坡边界轨迹宏观扩展增值越明显，轨迹结构越复杂，分维值越高，其稳定性条件也越差，因此，分数维可作为衡量滑坡轨迹结构复杂性和稳定性的重要标志；滑坡边界轨迹宏观扩展变形存在一个极限，超过这个极限滑坡的局部失稳就转化为整体滑动；而滑坡边界轨迹则记录了滑坡变形扩展现象和信息，因此，相对应地滑坡轨迹分形结构的分维值也应存在一个极值，在极值点滑坡体处于临滑状态；滑坡边界轨迹结构的极限分维值大致为1.4～1.5，此时滑坡接近于整体极限失稳状态，而分维值在1.1～1.3之间则表示滑坡处于整体稳定，局部存在潜在失稳状态，分维值小于1则表示滑坡处于相对稳定状态。     

Analysis of rock structure stability in coal mines

In this paper, the theory of limit point instability is used to analyse the stability of rock structures in coal mines. A general method of analysing stability of rock structures is put forward and a uniform instability condition of rock structures is set up. Some instability phenomena, such as rock bursts in circular roadways, pillars and long walls, and the outburst of coal and gas from circular roadways, are discussed analytically. At a later stage, the critical point of rock structure instability is determined. The influence of relative parameters (such as the mechanical properties of rock, coal, and the geometric sizes) on the stability of the rock structures is carefully analysed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Left upstream slope design for the Çatalan Dam, Adana, Turkey and its behaviour under actual earthquake loading

An investigation and remediation of instability along upstream cut slopes for an earthfill dam in differentially weathered rock in southern Turkey is described. The major instability problem was a 45-m high and 200-m long previously cut slope next to the main axis of the dam, above the diversion tunnels and water outlet structures. The slope was first designed and excavated in 1986 based on the temporary berm approach. Rising water level in the reservoir would change the shear strength parameters and the pore-water pressure in the slope; thus, probable deep failure would damage the entrance of the diversion tunnels and water outlet structures, as well as the earthfill embankment of the dam. In June 1996, the slope face was re-excavated and protected against wave erosion by placement of a layer of rock riprap over a layer of bedding and a filter material. A strong earthquake (M_S = 6.2) occurred during a period of rapid drawdown in 27 June 1998. The slope remained stable, although numerous tension cracks developed in Quaternary terrace deposits near the reservoir area.