Localization of mining-induced horizontal fractures along rock layer interfaces in overburden: field measurements and prediction

The locations of mining-induced horizontal fractures along rock interfaces in the overburden of Donetsk Coal Basin were identified using an original experimental device. The device traps methane from horizontal fracture zone (100–fold coal seam thickness) over an active longwall mining excavation. Presence or absence of horizontal fractures along rock layer interfaces is correlated with physical characteristics of the overburden, such as thickness, uniaxial compressive strength of overburden rock layers, location of rock layer interfaces and thickness of extracted coal seams. As a result, a combined criterion based on these physical characteristics is proposed to predict the presence of overburden horizontal fracturing in coal mine operations.     

Prediction of creep characteristic of rock under varying environment

The strain developed due to creep is mainly proportional to the logarithm of the time under load, and is mostly proportional to the stress and temperature. At higher temperature the creep rate falls slowly with respect to time, and the creep strain is proportional to a fractional power of time, with the exponent increasing as the temperature increases and reaching a value approximately one-third at temperatures of about 0.5°C. At these temperatures, the creep increases with stress according to a power greater than unity and possibly exponentially. It increases with temperature as (−U/kT), where U is an activation energy and k is Boltzman’s constant. There are different methods to determine the creep strain and the energy of Jog (B) including experimental methods, multivariate regression analysis, and by numerical simulation. These methods are less cumbersome and time consuming. In the present investigation, artificial neural network technique has been used for prediction of the creep strain and energy of Jog (B). Two different networks have been tested and validated. Both the networks have four input neurons and one hidden layer with five neurons, and one output neuron. The data for different rocks at temperatures up to 750°C under conditions of compressive or tortional stress are taken from the literatures. The training and testing data sets used were 163 and 14, respectively. To deal with the problem of overfitting of data, Bayesian regulation has been used and network is trained with suitable training epochs. The coefficients of correlation among the predicted and observed values are found high and they improve the confidence of the users. The mean absolute percentage error obtained are also very low.     

Fault geometry and mechanics of marly carbonate multilayers: An integrated field and laboratory study from the Northern Apennines,Italy

Sealing layers are often represented by sedimentary sequences characterized by alternating strong and weak lithologies. When involved in faulting processes, these mechanically heterogeneous multilayers develop complex fault geometries. Here we investigate fault initiation and evolution within a mechanical multilayer by integrating field observations and rock deformation experiments. Faults initiate with a staircase trajectory that partially reflects the mechanical properties of the involved lithologies, as suggested by our deformation experiments. However, some faults initiating at low angles in calcite-rich layers (θ_i = 5°–20°) and at high angles in clay-rich layers (θ_i = 45°–86°) indicate the important role of structural inheritance at the onset of faulting. With increasing displacement, faults develop well-organized fault cores characterized by a marly, foliated matrix embedding fragments of limestone. The angles of fault reactivation, which concentrate between 30° and 60°, are consistent with the low friction coefficient measured during our experiments on marls (μ_s = 0.39), indicating that clay minerals exert a main control on fault mechanics. Moreover, our integrated analysis suggests that fracturing and faulting are the main mechanisms allowing fluid circulation within the low-permeability multilayer, and that its sealing integrity can be compromised only by the activity of larger faults cutting across its entire thickness.     

Displacement velocity effects on rock fracture shear strengths

Triaxial shear tests are performed to assess the effects of displacement velocity and confining pressure on shear strengths and dilations of tension-induced fractures and smooth saw-cut surfaces prepared in granite, sandstone and marl specimens. A polyaxial load frame is used to apply confining pressures between 1 and 18 MPa with displacement velocities ranging from 1.15 × 10⁻⁵ to 1.15 × 10⁻² mm/s. The results indicate that the shearing resistances of smooth saw-cut surfaces tend to be independent of the displacement velocity and confining pressure. Under each confinement the peak and residual shear strengths and dilation rates of rough fractures increase with displacement velocities. The sheared-off areas increase when the confining pressure increases, and the displacement rate decreases. The velocity-dependent shear strengths tend to act more under high confining pressures for the rough fractures in strong rock (granite) than for the smoother fractures in weaker rocks (sandstone and marl). An empirical criterion that explicitly incorporates the effects of shear velocity is proposed to describe the peak and residual shear strengths. The criterion fits well to the test results for the three tested rocks.     

Modeling discontinuous rock mass based on smoothed finite element method

This paper aims at developing a method for modeling rock mass with preexisting multiple discontinuities within the framework of the smoothed finite element method (SFEM). The discontinuity is simulated by an interface element with zero thickness, the stiffness matrix of which are derived explicitly based on the SFEM. An elastic damage constitutive relation with residual strength is introduced in order to describe the nonlinear mechanical behavior of the discontinuities. The computation codes of the present method were developed. The present method has been verified to be a sound approach for modeling discontinuous rock mass, inheriting the advantages of the SFEM.     

基于岩石图像深度学习的岩性自动识别与分类方法

岩石岩性的识别与分类对于地质分析极为重要,采用机器学习的方法建立识别模型进行自动分类是一条新的途径。基于Inception-v3深度卷积神经网络模型,建立了岩石图像集分析的深度学习迁移模型,运用迁移学习方法实现了岩石岩性的自动识别与分类。采用此方法对所采集的173张花岗岩图像、152张千枚岩图像和246张角砾岩图像进行了学习和识别分类研究,通过训练学习建立岩石图像深度学习迁移模型,并分别采用训练集和测试集中的岩石图像对模型进行了检验分析。对于训练集中的岩石图像,每组岩石分别用3张图像测试,三种岩石的岩性分类均正确,且分类概率值均达到90%以上,显示了模型良好的鲁棒性;对于测试集中的岩石图像,每组岩石分别采用9张图像进行识别分析,三种岩石的岩性分类均正确,并且千枚岩组图像分类概率均高于90%,但是花岗岩组2张图像和角砾岩组的1张图像分类概率值不足70%,概率值较其他岩石图像低,推测其原因是训练集中相同模式的岩石图像较少,导致模型的泛化能力减小。为了提高识别精确度,对准确率较低的岩石图像进行截取,分别取其中的3张图像加入训练集进行再训练,增加与测试图像具有相同模式的训练样本;在新的模型中,对3张图像进行二次检验,测试概率值均达到85%以上,说明在数据足够的状况下模型具有良好的学习能力。与传统的机器学习方法相比,所提出的岩石图像深度学习方法具有以下优点:第一,模型通过搜索图像像素点提取物体特征,不需要手动提取待分类物体特征;第二,对于图像像素大小,成像距离及光照要求低;第三,采用适当的训练集可获得较好的识别分类效果,并具有良好鲁棒性和泛化能力。     

鲜水河断裂带乾宁段岩石特征与内部结构及其物理-化学性质

断裂带的变形行为和断层滑移机制是目前地震研究关注的热点,断裂带岩石特征、内部结构与物理化学性质是确定断层蠕滑或粘滑行为以及断层滑移机制的基础和关键。本文以鲜水河断裂带乾宁段地表出露的断裂岩为研究对象,通过野外地质调查、室内光学显微镜、扫描电镜、粒度统计、粉末X射线衍射分析（XRD）和薄片X射线荧光光谱分析（XRF）等多种研究方法,对鲜水河断裂带岩石特征、结构构造、物性、矿物成分及化学元素分布开展了详细的分析,并探讨了相关变形行为和滑移机制。分析表明：（1）断裂带核部主要由黑色断层泥、浅黄色及黄色断层角砾岩和灰色碎裂岩、灰色断层角砾岩组成,呈单核对称结构;（2）黑色断层泥厚3~5cm,具有快速滑动结构特征,表现为断层粘滑行为。断层泥可划分出13个滑移带,最窄滑移带厚约40μm,至少代表13期古地震事件;（3）断层泥主要由伊利石、高岭石和石英等矿物组成,其中边部伊蒙混层含量异常高,为最新一次古地震的主滑移带。由于伊利石和伊蒙混层（或蒙脱石）为主要黏土矿物的断层泥渗透率低、孔隙流体压力大,以及发现断层泥楔入脉,表明地震过程中断层滑动存在热增压弱化机制;（4）从断层泥不同滑动带中碎块蚀变程度和矿物分布特征来看,地震主滑动带有向碎裂岩方向迁移的趋势。推测断层在滑动过程中,更趋向于向弱矿物含量高（如伊利石、伊蒙混层）、强矿物含量低（如方解石、高岭石）的围岩一侧迁移。     

有机质热演化过程中地层压力的作用与影响

压力对有机质演化的影响长期以来争论不断,共有3种不同意见：压力对有机质演化没有影响,压力促进有机质的演化,压力抑制有机质的演化。通过对前人所做实验的实验设备、实验样品及实验结果的分析对比发现：不同实验结果主要是由于不同实验条件引起的,特别是实验系统和加压方式的不同,对实验结果影响最大,所代表的地质意义也不同。综合分析结果表明,当压力的增加表现为沉积有机质受到的有效应力增加时可以促进有机质生烃;当压力的增加表现为孔隙流体压力增加时,有机质生烃过程将受到抑制;另外,这两种情况都可能使干酪根的镜质组反射率降低,易使人得出压力增加抑制有机质演化的结论。进一步对压力影响有机质演化的成因机制进行了分析,发现在有机质演化的不同阶段因异常压力的增压机制不同,压力在有机质演化过程中所表现出来的作用也有差异。     

不同矿化度下泥质对岩石电性影响的逾渗网络研究

为了进一步认识泥质对岩石宏观电性的影响规律,本文利用非规整三维逾渗网络模型,通过数值模拟研究了不同矿化度下泥质对岩石电性影响的规律. 模拟结果表明：在中低矿化度下,泥质对岩石导电整体上呈现减阻作用,随着泥质含量的增加,电阻率降低的速度减慢;中等矿化度下泥质的减阻效果明显弱于低矿化度下的减阻效果;在高矿化度下泥质对岩石导电整体上呈现增阻作用. 在高矿化度、高含水饱和度下泥质对岩石电性的影响较小. 泥质起减阻、增阻作用的具体矿化度范围取决于储层的孔隙度、连通性以及地层温度等特性.