Faulting in zones of lithospheric extension: Quantitative analysis of natural and experimental data

Quantitative relationships between major fault parameters from geological observations and laboratory experiments are compared. Relationships are established between fault length, number, depth of fault penetration, amplitude of displacement and other characteristics. The width of destruction zones is estimated. Spacing between parallel faults of compatible length is evaluated. It is shown that there is a stable correlation between fault length and number, which is independent from the mode of loading the material under destruction. Destruction of the lithosphere is believed to occur according to the laws of deformation of Maxwell elasto-viscous body.     

Cyclic strength and deformation of crushable carbonate sand

Cyclic triaxial tests have been carried out on a skeletal carbonate sand from the west coast of Eire. Results are presented for undrained cyclic shear tests on samples with 80% of relative density consolidated under both isotropic and anisotropic conditions. Failure was defined as a 5% double amplitude cyclic strain and a 5% peak axial strain for stress-reversal and non-reversal stress conditions, respectively. Using this definition the cyclic strength for isotropically consolidated samples was affected by the confining pressure although the angular platey nature of the sand resulted in higher cyclic strengths than for a comparable silica sand. For anisotropically consolidated samples the cyclic strength increased with increasing initial static shear stress while on the other hand the cyclic strength normalised in the usual way with respect to the initial confining pressure decreased as this pressure increased.     

SEDIMENT MANAGEMENT IN NANQIN RESERVOIR

In order to preserve the storage capacity of the Nanqin Reservoir for long-term service, several remedial measures have been worked out: (a) measures to control the upstream extension of backwater deposits and to prevent gravel bed load from entering into the reservoir, so that no armour layer will be formed; (b) sediment sluicing by density current to reduce deposits of suspended load; (c) periodical sediment flushing by emptying reservoir to restore the effective storage capacity. In addition, conceptions of flood plain elevation in reservoir, storage volume required in the routing of turbid flow (density flow), the storage capacity that can be restored after being lost by deposition, and the storage volume for sediment regulation are also discussed.     

冀中坳陷古近纪的伸展构造

冀中坳陷的构造格架是新生代的伸展构造系统。该系统以大兴、保定－石家庄拆离滑脱断层为主体,与牛东－河东、马西、宁晋、新河等伸展断层以及徐水－安新变换带和衡水、宝坻－桐柏镇变换断层等组合而成。据平衡剖面和基底沉降曲线分析,冀中坳陷古近纪伸展作用过程持续发育,具幕式特点,以沙三期伸展作用最为强烈。地壳的快速伸展作用与火山活动强度之间缺乏耦合关系。冀中坳陷的动力学成因与伸展背景下的剪切作用有关。     

The Non-Linear Stability of L4 in the Restricted Three-Body Problem when the Bigger Primary is a Triaxial Rigid Body

The non-linear stability of L ₄ in the restricted three-body problem has been studied when the bigger primary is a triaxial rigid body with its equatorial plane coincident with the plane of motion. It is found that L ₄ is stable in the range of linear stability except for three mass ratios:

黑龙江东北部汤原断陷断块体运动特征及其对油气成藏的控制作用

应用构造运动学理论,以地质、地球物理和钻井资料为基础,对汤原断陷基底和各断块体的运动特征进行研究,证实断陷内第Ⅳ块体的基底伸展量最大,第Ⅴ块体的基底伸展量最小;通过对15个块体的实例计算总结出不同构造、不同时期断块体的翘倾运动程度存在很大差异;汤原断陷构造运动控制了油气藏类型.伸展运动和压扭性挤压运动形成构造油气藏,伸展运动早、中期在向斜部位形成岩性油气藏,断块体翘倾运动和抬升剥蚀作用形成地层油气藏.     

Effect of fluid pressure on rock compressive failure in a nearly impermeable crystalline rock: Implication on mechanism of borehole breakouts

We conducted laboratory true triaxial experiments in the nearly impermeable Pohang rhyolite to investigate failure mechanisms under ‘dry’ and ‘wet’ rock conditions. Under ‘dry’ conditions prismatic specimens were jacketed all around to prevent confining fluid penetration. Under ‘wet’ conditions one pair of the specimen faces was left unjacketed and in direct contact with the confining fluid (kerosene) applying the least principal stress in an attempt to simulate the case of an unlined borehole wall. In both testing setups the true triaxial compressive strength for a given least principal stress increases significantly as the intermediate principal stress rises. The unjacketed rhyolite strength is, however, only 60 to 85% of the strength under dry conditions, depending on the magnitude of the intermediate principal stress. In dry rhyolite the failure process begins upon dilatancy onset, followed by microcrack localization, and ending in a steeply dipping shear fracture. On the other hand, brittle fracture in wet specimens occurs almost immediately after the onset of dilatancy by the development of one or more through-going extensile fractures subparallel and adjacent to one of the unjacketed faces, resembling the extensile cracks leading to borehole breakouts in crystalline rocks. We infer that upon dilatancy the confining fluid intrudes and quickly propagates newly opened stress-induced microcracks subparallel to the unjacketed faces, leading to ‘early’ failure.     

Crustal attenuation in the Southern Andean retroarc (38°–39°30′ S) determined from tectonic and gravimetric studies: The Lonco-Luán asthenospheric anomaly

The western retroarc of the Southern Andes between 38° and 40° S is formed by a NNW-elongated ridge not associated with stacked thrust sheets. On the contrary, during the last 4–3 Ma this ridge was affected by extensional deformation, regional uplift and related folding on a very broad scale. Receiver function analysis shows that the drainage divide area and adjacent retroarc lie over an attenuated crust. Expected crustal thickness at these latitudes is around 38 km, whereas in this part of the retroarc the thickness is less than 32 km. The causes for such attenuation have been linked to a moderate steepening of the subducted Nazca plate beneath the South American plate, which is suggested by a westward shift and narrowing of the magmatic arc during the last 4 to 5 Ma. Gravimetric studies show that the upper plate did not react homogeneously to slab steepening, but ancient sutures and lithospheric discontinuities deeply buried under Mesozoic to Cenozoic sequences in the retroarc were locally reactivated. These processes resulted in an asthenospheric anomaly that correlates at the surface with the area of Pliocene to Quaternary doming, widespread extension and three radial troughs. Two of the troughs have accommodated substantial amounts of extension, but the third was probably aborted at an early stage. Moreover, the presence of an anomalous concentration of calderas and large volcanic centers over the proposed asthenospheric anomaly, and their age distribution, may indicate minor migration of the asthenospheric anomaly between 4 and 2 Ma through the western South American plate.     

真三轴条件下的原状黄土增湿变形特性

为了研究复杂应力条件下原状黄土的增湿变形特性，利用改进的非饱和土湿陷真三轴仪，在测量吸力条件下对原状黄土进行双线法分级浸水增湿试验，探讨力?水耦合作用下吸力的变化特性，研究真三轴浸水试验的增湿变形特性，以及吸力、净围压、中主应力和应力比对增湿变形的影响。研究结果表明：由ei-lgp压缩曲线确定了非饱和土的屈服点，屈服点之前，曲线的斜率近似相等；屈服点之后，曲线的斜率随着初始吸力的减小而减小，且非饱和土与饱和土的交点随着初始吸力的增大呈右下方移动趋势。等向压缩过程中，吸力随着净平均应力的增加近似呈线性减小趋势，初始吸力越小，吸力减小的速度越慢，且吸力变化量越小。均压分级浸水增湿时，吸力s随着浸水量w的增加而减小，增湿体变 随着浸水量w的增加而增大，不同净围压下的 -w关系曲线相互有交叉。交叉区域之前，净围压越大，增湿体变越小，而交叉区域之后，净围压越大，增湿体变越大。在同一净围压条件下，浸水量相同时，初始吸力越大，增湿体变越大。真三轴剪切增湿试验中，应力比k、中主应力参数b值和净围压?3皆对增湿变形有一定的影响。当q/p≤1时，增湿变形曲线前段下凹后段上凹，主要表现为体积增湿变形；当q/p>1时，增湿变形曲线只有下凹部分，主要表现为剪切增湿变形。增湿变形曲线的形态取决于k值和b值的不同组合。     

Airborne gravimetry used in precise geoid computations by ring integration

Two detailed geoids have been computed in the region of North Jutland. The first computation used marine data in the offshore areas. For the second computation the marine data set was replaced by the sparser airborne gravity data resulting from the AGMASCO campaign of September 1996. The results of comparisons of the geoid heights at on-shore geometric control showed that the geoid heights computed from the airborne gravity data matched in precision those computed using the marine data, supporting the view that airborne techniques have enormous potential for mapping those unsurveyed areas between the land-based data and the off-shore marine or altimetrically derived data. Received: 7 July 1997 / Accepted: 22 April 1998