Yangtze- and Taiwan-derived sediments on the inner shelf of East China Sea

X-ray diffraction (XRD) mineralogical and grain-size analyses indicate that inner continental shelf sediments in the East China Sea (ECS) represent a unique mixing of clays derived from the Yangtze River and silts/sands from small western Taiwanese rivers. Taiwanese (e.g., Choshui) clays (<2 μm) display no smectite but the best illite crystallinity and are only distributed along southeastern Taiwan Strait. Both Yangtze and Taiwanese river clays are illite-dominated, but the poor illite crystallinity and the presence of smectite and kaolinite indicate that Taiwan Strait clays are mainly Yangtze-dominated. In contrast, medium silts (20–35 μm) and very fine sands (63–90 μm) in the Taiwan Strait are characterized by low feldspar/quartz, low K-feldspar/plagioclase and high kaolinite/quartz, indicating their provenance from Taiwanese rivers. Taiwanese silts and sands are introduced primarily by the way of typhoon-derived floods and transported northward by the Taiwan Warm Current during summer–fall months. Yangtze clays, in contrast, are widely dispersed southward about 1000 km to the western Taiwan Strait, transported by the China Coastal Current during winter–spring months. Since most Taiwan Strait samples were collected in May 2006, clay results in this paper might only represent the winter–spring pattern of the dispersal of Yangtze sediments.     

Neoformation of montmorillonite by post-depositional subsurface weathering in a slope deposit in central France

Observations on an Early Quaternary slope deposit in the Massif Central indicated that the texture and mineralogy of this deposit have been seriously altered by post-depositional subsurface weathering. Analyses of clay fractions and water samples show that the montmorillonite present is a stable mineral in this environment and is, and has been, newly formed. As shown by water analyses from nearby sites, the chemical environment is strongly dependent on local factors. Consequently it can be seen that great care should be taken firstly in correlating different slope deposits on the basis of texture and clay mineralogy and secondly in using these parameters as (paleo) climatic indicators.     

考虑卸荷扰动的黏土蠕变特性试验研究

盾构施工过程中,由于盾尾建筑空隙的存在,土体会受到较大的卸荷扰动,尤其是对于结构性较强的黏土。通过卸荷拉力来模拟土体受到的卸荷扰动,进行排水剪切蠕变试验。试验结果表明：卸荷拉力越大,土体的扰动程度增大,同级荷载作用下土样的变形越大,且加载压力较小时土样的变形属于稳定型蠕变,蠕变速率随着卸荷拉力的增大而增大,加载压力较大时土样的变形属于衰减型蠕变;与Singh-Mitchell蠕变模型进行比较,发现卸荷拉力较小土样Singh-Mitchell蠕变模型的计算值与试验值相比吻合较好,但当卸荷拉力较大时,模型计算值与实验值相比有较大的误差;修正了Singh-Mitchell蠕变模型的参数,提出考虑卸荷扰动的修正Singh-Mitchell蠕变模型,计算结果与试验数据在加载压力和卸荷拉力较大时吻合较好,对工程实际有一定的指导意义。     

Thermo-hydro-mechanical simulation of ATLAS in situ large scale test in Boom Clay

Following the need for understanding and quantifying the effect of temperature on the response of a candidate host formation for radioactive waste disposal, finite element modelling of an in situ thermal experiment has been carried out. Based on a thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) finite element approach including a consistent thermo-plastic constitutive model, it has been possible to reproduce the THM response of a clay formation submitted to in situ thermal loading. The simulated large-scale experiment, called ATLAS was designed in the underground research facility (HADES-URF) in Mol, Belgium. After an extensive literature analysis on the thermal, hydraulic and mechanical characteristics of Boom Clay, laboratory tests were simulated to calibrate model parameters. The results of the finite element modelling of the ATLAS experiment were compared with in situ measurements and revealed the necessity to account for flow diffusion in all three directions through a 2D axisymmetric analysis. Finally, those results were interpreted in the light of elasto-thermoplasticity, which emphasizes the significant role of thermo-plastic processes in the global THM response of the clay formation.     

湖北省随州市北部变质岩中石英的找矿矿物学

湖北省随州市北部的变质岩中，发育有不同期的矿化与非矿化石英脉。本文通过对石英的电子顺磁共振谱、热发光曲线及中子活化分析结果的研究，系统探讨了不同时代及产状石英的差异及其与金矿化之间的关系。指出石英晶格中出现Ｆｅ￣（３＋）杂质，Ａｌ－Ｏ￣－心自旋浓度大于１．３×１０￣（１４）ｓｐｉｎｓ／ｍｇ、有Ａｕ和Ａｇ检出且Ｋ／Ｎａ值大于３，其所在蚀变带为含矿蚀变破碎带。     

大化墨玉的矿物学特征

一种新的墨玉最近在广西大化瑶族自治县被发现.对该玉石的宝石学、岩石学、矿物学特征的系统研究表明,其质地细腻,主要组成矿物有阳起石和铁阳起石(95%以上),呈显微毛毡状、柱状结构,含特征次要矿物黑硬绿泥石,并常含黄铁矿、磁黄铁矿.作为一种新型的墨玉成因矿床,大化墨玉产于辉绿岩与围岩碳酸盐岩的内接触带,是夕卡岩化后热液交代作用的产物.与其他产地墨玉相比,宝石学特征基本相同,但大化墨玉成分上更富铁,主要由铁含量高的矿物组成,密度略偏高.其黑色是由高铁含量的阳起石-铁阳起石所致.     

Grain-size distribution,morphoscopy and elemental chemistry of suspended sediments of Pindari Glacier,Kumaon Himalaya,India

Abstract

Suspended sediment concentrations in the meltwater of Pindari Glacier were determined at regular intervals in four ablation seasons. The late ablation periods (September 1994 and October 1995) were characterized by a reduced level of sediment concentration, while the sampling periods of early ablation (May 1994 and July 1995) showed very high concentrations of suspended sediment in the meltwater. Grain size distribution shows the dominance of medium and coarse silt fractions of the mean size of the suspended sediments between 4.35 and 5.82 ø. Clay size constitutes about 7% of the total size population. The majority of the samples are poorly sorted, symmetrically to finely skewed and mesokurtic in nature. The grain shows texture of mechanical and chemical origin, in which mechanical texture is predominant on most of the grains. It was observed that the grains were mostly subangular to subrounded in shape with variable size ranges. Bulk sediment chemistry consists mostly (>70%) of the five elements, Si, Al, K, Fe and Mg. Iron (Fe) and Mn are dominant heavy metals and sediments show the elemental abundance in the order of Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Ni > Pb. The Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) of suspended sediments (57) is relatively higher than in the case of average unweathered upper continental crust (~50) indicating a higher degree of weathering due to glacier grinding and crushing action. Quartz is the most dominant mineral, followed by mica, illite, feldspar and kaolinite.     

Speleogenesis of an exhumed hydrothermal sulphuric acid karst in Cambrian carbonates (Mount San Giovanni,Sardinia)

In the past few years the systematic study of caves intercepted by mine workings in southwest Sardinia has permitted us to observe morphologies due to rare speleogenetic and minerogenetic processes related to ancient hydrothermal activity. These relic morphologies are slowly being overprinted by recent speleogenetic processes that tend to obscure the hypogene origin of these caves. A combined geomorphological and mineralogical investigation has permitted a fairly detailed reconstruction of the various phases of evolution of these caves. Cave formation had already started in Cambrian times, but culminated in the Carboniferous, when most of the large voids still accessible today were formed. A key role in carbonate dissolution was played by sulphuric acid formed by the oxidation of the polymetallic ores present in the rocks since the Cambrian. During the Quaternary a variety of minerals formed inside the caves: calcite and aragonite, that yielded sequences of palaeo‐environmental interest, and also barite, phosgenite, hydrozincite, hemimorphite and many others. These minerals are in part due to a phreatic thermal hypogenic cave forming phase, and in part to later epigene overprinting in an oxidizing environment rich in polymetallic ores. Massive gypsum deposits, elsewhere typical of this kind of caves, are entirely absent due to dissolution during both the phreatic cave formation and the later epigenic stage. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

成都平原粘性土动力学参数统计分析

成都平原地震构造环境主要受近场中强地震和外围大地震的影响。成都平原内的第四系分布广泛,主要为河流相的砂卵石层夹粘土、粉土层。这种地层在土层地震反应计算时往往会产生一个峰值,具有显著的放大作用。本文共收集了107组土动力学参数的实验资料,统计分析了粉质粘土和粘土两种粘性土的实测土动力学参数,给出了它们在不同深度的动剪切模量比和阻尼比的统计值。然后,选取1个典型钻孔,建立了土层地震反应分析模型,分别运用本文"统计值"、"十五结果"、"规范值"、"推荐值"进行地震土层反应计算,从反应谱形状、地表峰值加速度和反应谱特征周期等方面,验证了本文"统计值"的适用性和针对性,结果表明在盆地内使用"规范值"和"推荐值"时应谨慎,不然可能会对工程的抗震设防产生不利的影响。本文的"统计值"比"规范值"和"推荐值"更适用于成都平原地区,对各类工程建设的场地地震安全性评价具有一定的借鉴和参考价值。     

Numerical analysis of an embankment built on soft soil reinforced with deep mixing columns: Parametric study

The behaviour of an embankment built on normally consolidated soft soil reinforced with deep mixing columns is studied using a coupled soil–water formulation. The numerical predictions are analysed in terms of settlements, increments in vertical effective stresses and excess pore pressures. Firstly, the effectiveness of the use of deep mixing columns is studied. Afterwards, a parametric analysis is performed to study the influence on the soil-columns system of the replacement ratio (columns’ spacing), the deformability of the embankment and columns, and the coefficient of vertical permeability of the columns.