Effect of groundwater and sea weathering cycles on the strength of chalk rock from unstable coastal cliffs of NW France

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the role of groundwater and sea weathering on the strength of the chalk rocks exposed on the coastline of the English Channel in Normandy, NW France. We present a study of the rock strength variations of three representative chalk units (Lewes Chalk, Seaford Chalk and Newhaven Chalk) exposed at various locations on the coastal chalk cliffs. The combination of UCS tests and SEM observations have been used (1) on dry natural chalk samples, (2) on chalk samples at various moisture contents, (3) on dry chalk samples submitted to a 10-day cycle of alternating wetting and drying by distilled water and by sea water. Dry chalk samples show low UCS strength (3.46–4 MPa) indicative of very weak rocks. When chalk samples are submitted to progressive water wetting, they present a decrease of UCS strength and Young's modulus of 40% to 50%. This behaviour begins at low values of water content within the chalk, i.e., for a degree of water saturation ranging between 10% and 17%. When chalk samples are submitted to an artificial weathering cycle with distilled water, a decrease in strength is observed, whereas the Young's modulus increases. SEM observations indicate the occurrence of microcracks and particle aggregates in the sample. When chalk samples are submitted to an artificial weathering with sea water, the decrease of UCS strength and Young's modulus achieves a minimum. SEM observations indicate salt crystals within the chalk. On the coastal cliffs of NW France, weathering processes depend both on chalk lithology, which show a range of sensitivity to weathering and on the location of the chalk in the coastal area. Processes allied to the degree of weathering (e.g., salt crystallisation or fresh water disaggregation) differ in the chalk massif, on the cliff face and on the shore platform.     

Photoluminescence properties of thenardite from Ai-Ding Salt Lake,Xinjiang, China

The photoluminescence (PL) spectra, excitation spectra, and PL decay curves of natural, heat-treated, and γ-ray-irradiated thenardites from Ai-Ding Salt Lake, Xinjiang, China, were studied. The natural thenardite under 300 nm excitation showed milk-white luminescence, and the PL spectrum consisted of an extremely broad band with a peak located at approximately 509 nm, spreading over a wide range of UV and visible wavelengths. The excitation spectra, obtained by monitoring the luminescence at 530 nm, consisted of a broad band with a peak located at approximately 235 nm and a flat band spreading over a wide range of UV and visible wavelengths. The PL decay curve of natural thenardite consisted of a fast-decay component with a lifetime of less than 0.1 μs and a slow-decay component with a half-decay time of approximately 0.4 s. The heat treatment of thenardite at 900°C for 20 min reduced the luminescence efficiency to 1/100. The γ-ray irradiation of thenardite reduced the luminescence efficiency to approximately half.     

PALEOSEISMIC RECORDS OF LARGE EARTHQUAKES ON THE CROSS-BASIN FAULT IN THE SALT LAKE PULL-APART BASIN AND CASCADE RUPTURE EVENTS ON THE HAIYUAN FAULT

Cascade rupture events often occur along large strike-slip fault zone.The 1920 AD M 8¹/₂ earthquake ruptured all 3 segments of the Haiyuan Fault,and the Salt Lake pull-apart basin is the boundary between the west and middle segment of the fault.The data of trenching and drilling reveal 7 events occurring since last stage of late Pleistocene,and the two youngest events are associated with the historical records of 1092 AD (possibly) and 1920 AD respectively.These events are all large earthquakes with magnitude M>8,and the recurrence of them is characterized by earthquake clusters alternating with a single event.Now it is in the latest cluster which may last about 1000 years.Comparison of the paleoseismic sequence of this study and previous results reveals that the cross-basin fault in the Salt Lake pull-apart basin does not always rupture when cascade rupture events occur along the Haiyuan Fault,and likely ruptures only when the magnitude of the events is large (maybe M>8).Though there are many advantages in paleoseismic study in pull-apart basin,we should avoid getting the paleoseismic history of major strike-slip fault zones only depending on the rupture records of inner faults in pull-apart basins with large scale (maybe a width more than 3km).     

Isochores and 3-D visualization of rising and falling slat diapirs

Diapir fall, which was predicted by physical models, has been identified in salt provinces, such as the South Atlantic margins, the North Sea, and the Paradox Basin (Colorado–Utah). However the 3-D geometry of falling diapirs and their country rock is still poorly understood. 3-D visualization and isochore patterns from a physical model help elucidate this geometry.The model initially comprised a unit of viscous silicone overlain by a prekinematic sand unit. Sand units representing brittle sediments were deposited episodically during gravity gliding and spreading. Regional extension triggered and eventually widened salt walls, causing them to sag. The 3-D visualization shows that regional hydrocarbon migration, which tends to be seaward during diapir rise and landward during diapir fall, can potentially be orthogonal to local migration along grabens at soft-linked zones of relay ramps. Furthermore, anticlinal culminations may form (1) in horsts that bend along strike and (2) adjoining the fork of Y-shaped salt walls.Sequential isochore maps of the overburden show how patterns of sedimentation, deformation, and underlying salt thickness changed through time. Isochores of prekinematic units record only strain: thinned belts record early extension. In contrast, isochores of synkinematic units record mostly thickness variations due to deposition on actively deforming topography. Isochores above sagging diapirs identify the thickest part of crestal depocenters, where the most rapid sagging occurred in regions of maximum extension near the unbuttressed downdip part of the gravity-spreading system. Additionally, asymmetric isochore patterns may reveal underlying half-grabens or tilted symmetric grabens. In relay systems, overlying isochores may indicate which part of a salt wall rose to compensate for sagging elsewhere in the relay.     

Salt structures in the Laizhouwan depression, offshore Bohai Bay basin, eastern China: New insights from 3D seismic data

Using the new high-quality 3D seismic data, this paper addresses the salt structures in the KL11 area of the Laizhouwan depression in the southern offshore Bohai Bay basin. In the study area, the salt in the Sha-4 Member of the Paleogene Shahejie Formation thickened, and then formed an S–N trending salt wall, which changes shape regularly along its trend from salt diapir to salt pillow. The change in thickness of the suprasalt layers record five growth phases of the salt wall from the Eocene to the Quaternary: (1) early diapirism, (2) active diapirism, (3) passive diapirism, (4) relative structural quiescence, and (5) arching. The evolution of the salt structures was mostly governed by the multi-phase compression induced by the dextral strike-slip of the Tan–Lu fault, which formed a restraining bend in the study area. There was an original passive stock in the south, which was later tectonically squeezed by E–W compression and became a diapir. As the shortening propagated to the north from the original stock, the salt pillow was created in the north. Relative structural quiescence then followed until the next phase of compression, which arched the thick roof of the salt wall.     

长江口盐沼滩面发育对有机碳深度分布的制约

通过对长江口崇明东滩高潮滩、中潮滩以及光滩柱状样的有机碳含量与碳稳定同位素组成（δ13C）、粒度组成等的测定,研究盐沼有机碳深度分布特征与形成机制。结果表明,盐沼土壤颗粒有机碳（POC）主要赋存于粒径小于0.016 mm的颗粒中,POC含量对粒径在0.002~0.004 mm区间的颗粒含量变化最敏感,说明盐沼POC主要来自长江径流悬移质,这与有机碳稳定同位素结果一致。土壤POC含量与不同粒径区间颗粒含量相关关系表明,高潮滩与中潮滩柱样的泥沙级配较为接近;光滩柱样POC含量与不同粒径区间颗粒含量相关关系特征与高、中潮滩柱样的基本类似,主要不同表现在粒径大于0.016 mm的粗颗粒,这很可能受控于盐沼不同高程部位动力沉积过程。盐沼植被对高、中潮滩柱样POC的贡献相当可观,个别层段高达55.6%;植被对土壤POC的贡献受到滩面过程的明显制约。滩面动力沉积过程形成盐沼垂向上独特的沙、泥纹层构造,其优良的封堵效能显著影响土壤有机碳的垂向分布。盐沼滩面动力沉积过程是塑造有机碳深度分布特征的关键因素。     

A Raman Investigation on the Boron form Occurring in Salt Lake Brine during Evaporation

Boron resources are abundant in the Da Qaidam Salt Lake of the Qaidamu basin in China,which has generated significant attention due to the presence of polyborate species in brine from this lake. In this study,Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate the existing form of boron in brine during evaporation. MgO·2 B_2 O_3-H_2 O,MgO·2 B_2 O_3-MgCl_2-H_2 O,and MgO·2 B_2 O_3-MgSO_4~-H_2 O solutions were also studied to determine the influence of boron concentration,pH,and electrolytes on the borate speciation from brine. The mononborates B( OH)_3 and B( OH)_4~-were found to be the only forms present in natural salt lake brine. Brine evaporation promoted the formation of the polyborate anions B_3 O_3( OH)_4~-,B_5 O_6( OH)_4~-,and B_6 O_7( OH)_6~(2-)and also promoted the disappearance of the B( OH)_4~-ion from brine at boron concentrations of more than 11 g/L B_2 O_3. The pentaborate ion B_5 O_6( OH)_4~-was sensitive to the solution pH and appeared only at p H values less than 8. 0. Meanwhile,the hexaborate ion B_6 O_7( OH)_6~(2-)was observed to be more dependent on the electrolyte magnesium chloride due to its special properties,such as promoting boron accumulation,lowering solution pH,and also its strong affinity for water molecules,which were all beneficial for the polymerization of borate ions in brine. Interaction mechanisms between polyborate anions during evaporation are also proposed herein. ake; evaporation; polyborate species; interaction mechanism.     

Hydrologic parameters of salt marsh peat

Because of their profound influence on water movement and nutrient cycling in salt marshes, the two key physical properties of hydraulic conductivity and compressibility were studied in the Great Sippewissett Marsh and in the Ebben Creek Marsh in Massachusetts. Hydraulic conductivity was the most variable property: most frequently observed conductivities were of the order of 10^?3 cm s^?1 in both marshes, but extremes ranged from about 10^?1 to 10^?5 cm s^?1. Compressibility was much less variable, and contributed of the order of 10^?3 cm^?1 to the specific storativity of marsh sediment, making compression a major mechanism for changes in water storage in the sediment. Surface sediments frequently exhibited below-average conductivity, in contrast to freshwater bog peats which are usually most conductive at the surface. These measured properties may be applied to estimate the importance of many critical processes, such as the extent of infiltration occurring on the marsh surface, the hydrologic influence of the tidally varying creeks, and the hydrologic response to spring-neap tidal cycles.     

阿塔卡玛盐湖的综合开发

近年来,智利阿塔卡玛盐湖的开发进展迅速。本文报道了阿塔卡玛盐湖的形成、资源、开发过程、主要技术路线、氯化钾和碳酸锂产品技术经济指标以及阿塔卡玛盐湖的开发前景。     

南极乔治王岛象海豹数量的初步估计

本文通过对南极乔治王岛象海豹数量的观察,初步估计了该处的种群数量;期望能为南极象海豹资源的开发和利用提供依据。