Determination of silica sand stiffness

Site investigation and evaluation of properties of soil or rock are important aspects of geotechnical design. Determination of the ground stiffness is one of the important parameters in geotechnical engineering. Since the measurement of shear modulus is very sensitive to soil disturbance, especially for sand, determination of the stiffness of soil in the field is more reliable than in laboratory tests on sampled specimens. Measurement of shear modulus is one of the most common applications of self-boring pressuremeter testing. As an in situ device, the pressuremeter provides a unique method for assessing directly the in situ shear modulus of a soil. This paper describes a laboratory study of silica sand stiffness, which varies with stress level and strain amplitude. The results show that the elastic shear modulus value is mainly dependent on the value of the mean effective stress and relative density.     

An experimental investigation of LNAPL migration in an unsaturated/saturated sand

Accidental spills of hydrocarbons, such as Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids (LNAPLs), are one of the most common sources of subsurface contamination. Migration of LNAPL in a porous medium is influenced by various factors such as the number of fluids present in the unsaturated/saturated zones and the proportion of pores occupied by each fluid. The results for relationship between matric suction and degree of saturation are presented in this paper for water–air, water–LNAPL and LNAPL–air systems in a sand. A simple and reliable setup using Buchner funnel was designed to obtain these relations. It was found that the relationship between matric suction head and degree of saturation is hysteretic for all the fluid systems (water–air, water–LNAPL and LNAPL–air). Furthermore, the amount of hysteresis depended upon the fluid system, with the maximum hysteresis occurring for water–air system. The results suggest that the amount of trapped air depends upon the reversal degree of saturation from drying to wetting.     

Wave-influenced deltas: geomorphological implications for facies reconstruction

ABSTRACT A process‐based facies model for asymmetric wave‐influenced deltas predicts significant river‐borne muds with potentially lower quality reservoir facies in prodelta and downdrift areas, and better quality sand in updrift areas. Many ancient barrier‐lagoon systems and ‘offshore bars’ may be better reinterpreted as components of large‐scale asymmetric wave‐influenced deltaic systems. The proposed model is based on a re‐evaluation of several modern examples. An asymmetry index A is defined as the ratio between the net longshore transport rate at the mouth (in m³ year^?1) and river discharge (in 10⁶ m³ month^?1). Symmetry is favoured in deltas with an index below ≈ 200 (e.g. Tiber, lobes of the Godavari delta, Rosetta lobe of the Nile, Ebro), whereas deltas with a higher index are asymmetric (e.g. Danube – Sf. Gheorghe lobe, Brazos, Damietta lobe of the Nile). Periodic deflection of the river mouth for significant distances in the downdrift direction occurs in extreme cases of littoral drift dominance (e.g. Mahanadi), resulting in a series of randomly distributed, quasi‐parallel series of sand spits and channel fills. Asymmetric deltas show variable proportions of river‐, wave‐ and tide‐dominated facies both among and within their lobes. Bayhead deltas, lagoons and barrier islands form naturally in prograding asymmetric deltas and are not necessarily associated with transgressive systems. This complexity underlines the necessity of interpreting ancient depositional systems in a larger palaeogeographic context.     

Coal mining along the Warfield Fault, Mingo County, West Virginia: a tale of ups and downs

Mine development along a 15-mile (24 km) section of the Warfield Fault in Mingo County, West Virginia has broadened the geological understanding of the fault and its related structures. The fault has been exposed in two new road cuts, one in the northeast-trending segment at Neely Branch and one in the eastern east-trending segment at the head of Marrowbone Creek. Both exposures show a well-defined normal fault with a 45° to 55° N dip, juxtaposing sandstone/shale packages from the roof and the floor of the Coalburg seam. The fault is associated with a thin gouge zone, some drag folding, and parallel jointing. Its trace tends to run parallel to the crest of the adjacent Warfield Anticline. Based on underground mine development and detailed core drilling, the vertical offset along the fault plane ranges from a maximum of 240 ft (73 m) in the central part of the area near the structural bend to less than 100 ft (30 m) in western and eastern directions. The fault is located along the relatively steeply dipping (locally in excess of 25%) southern limb of the Warfield Anticline, and appears related to a late phase of extension involving folded Pennsylvanian strata. On a regional scale, the lithological variations across the fault do not suggest any appreciable strike-slip component.Underground room and pillar mines in the Coalburg seam north and south of the fault have been greatly impacted by the Warfield structures. Due to the combined (and opposite) effects of the folding and faulting, the northern mines are located up to 400 ft (125 m) higher in elevation than the southern ones. Overland conveyor belts connect mining blocks separated by the fault. The practical mining limit along the steep slopes toward the fault is around 15%. Subsidiary normal faults with offsets in the 5- to 15-ft (1.5–4.5 m) range are fairly common and form major roof control and production hurdles. Overall, the Warfield structures pose an extra challenge to mine development in this part of the Appalachian Coalfields.     

粘粒含量对南京粉细砂液化影响的试验研究

南京粉细砂是一种以片状颗粒成分为主的粉细砂，与通常的圆形颗粒石英砂有一定区别，片状颗粒成分使得南京粉细砂具有各向异性的性质。通过对不同粘粒含量的南京粉细砂进行液化试验，分析其试验结果发现：对于粘粒含量ρc＝5％、10％和15％三种情况，在均压固结情况下，当南京粉细砂达到初始液化时，采用变形标准和孔压标准是一致的；而偏压固结时，只能采用变形标准作为南京粉细砂达到初始液化的标准，此时振动孔压仅达到围压的50％-70％。粘粒含量对南京粉细砂的抗液化强度影响很大，随粘粒含量增加，在不同固结比时，其抗液化强度并不是单调变化，而是在粘粒含量ρc＝10％左右处于一个低谷，其抗液化强度最低。     

一次沙尘暴中尺度低压和沙尘输送的数值模拟

利用ＰＳＵ／ＮＣＡＲ中尺度数值模式（ＭＭ４），以常规观测资料为初始场，成功地模拟了造成“９４．４．５”沙尘暴天气的主要天气系统张掖热低压。并通过给原有的中尺度模式系统加入沙尘输送方程和驱动地面沙尘抬升参数化方案，用改进后的中尺度数值模式系统，成功地模拟了沙尘抬升和输送，与实况比较一致。     

砂岩岩脉(岩墙、岩床)的一种可能成因——冲蚀沟槽的充填

黄河三角洲的边滩、心滩上发育了大量冲蚀沟槽（冲槽）．这些冲蚀沟槽深数厘米至1m～2m，宽数厘米至数米，长数十厘米至十几、二十余米，但以深数十厘米，宽数厘米至十余厘米，长数米者多见。形态多样，有直立板片状、直立楔状、“⊥”状、梯形状、“U”形状及树枝状等，其内有时被风成砂充填。经成岩作用后，它们便会转变成砂岩岩脉（岩墙、岩床）。因此，冲蚀沟槽的（砂）充填可能是一种砂岩岩脉（岩墙、岩床）的形成方式．     

Mercury mobility at the Carson River Superfund Site, west-central Nevada, USA: Interpretation of mercury speciation data in mill tailings, soils, and sediments

The Carson River Superfund Site in west-central Nevada is an area of Hg-contaminated soil, sediment, water, air, and biola resulting from the amalgamation milling of Ag-Au ores of the Comstock lode worked approximately a century ago. In order to develop an understanding of the behavior, transport, and fate of Hg at this site, a technique was developed to estimate the proportions of total, elemental, exchangeable, organic, and sulfide Hg in soils, sediments, and tailings.Results of this analysis performed on active Carson River sediments indicate that Hg is selectively dissolved out of Hg-Au amalgam particles and subsequently adsorbed to fine-grained sediments which are then deposited in downstream, low-energy reaches of the Carson River and Labontan Reservoir. In the relatively more-reducing environment of the reservoir Hg appears to be converted, in large part, to relatively-insoluble HgS.The original elemental form of Hg released to the environment is the chemical form which is still dominant in most highly-contaminated soils, sediments, and tailings. Deeper, more-reducing soil horizons, however, appear to fix a significant portion of the Hg as HgS, analogous to the Lahontan Reservoir example described above. This fixation as HgS is documented to be largely limited to higher-sulfur areas where sulfide minerals from the Comstock ores increase the total sulfur concentrations of contaminated soils, sediments, and tailings.     

边坡及其它类工程地质问题研究

本文提出有关边坡工程地质研究方面的一些新概念，看法和问题，并概述了属地这一专题的边坡及其它各类工程地质问题的研究成果。     

粒度分析在塔克拉玛干沙漠研究中的应用

本文重点探讨了塔克拉玛干沙漠的风成沙粒度组成特征及其与物源的关系，同时对沙丘的下伏地层沙、现代河流沙及丘间地沙的粒度组成也进行了对比。通过对该沙漠第四纪沉积物的粒度分析，证实了风成沙的粒度分布以极细沙为主，不含粗沙，粉沙含量极小；粒度组合、分选主要受营力和源区物质制约，结果使粒度空间分布形成格局。总之，通过粒度分析得到一系列量化指征，可为研究风沙流运动，探讨沉积环境和改造沙漠、发展沙产业提供理论依据。