Estimation of in-situ hydraulic diffusivity of rock masses

A method of estimating in-situ hydraulic diffusivity of rock masses by means of well-injection history and frequency of induced seismicity is presented. The method is based on the diffusion of injected fluid from a spherical cavity in a poroelastic half-space and the effective stress theory, as proposed byTerzaghi (1925, 1936) andHubbert andRubey (1959). Application of the method to two different regions, one in western New York and the other in Japan, resulted in estimated diffusivities of the order 10³ and 10⁴ cm²/sec, respectively. These values lie within the range of published estimates of in-situ diffusivity by other means, a summary of which is presented in tabular form. The calculated diffusivities suggest that the characteristic time of fluid diffusion is close to 0.1, rather than unity, as is sometimes assumed in the literature.     

Remarks on anisotropy of inertia in an anisotropic cosmos

Mach's relativity of inertia does not necessarily imply an anisotropy of inertial masses in an anisotropic universe and the Mach-Einstein doctrine is compatible with the isotropy of mass in each cosmos.     

Bottom water circulation in Cascadia Basin

A combination of beta spiral and minimum length inverse methods, along with a compilation of historical and recent high-resolution CTD data, are used to produce a quantitative estimate of the subthermocline circulation in Cascadia Basin. Flow in the North Pacific Deep Water, from 900-1900 m, is characterized by a basin-scale anticyclonic gyre. Below 2000 m, two water masses are present within the basin interior, distinguished by different potential temperature-salinity lines. These water masses, referred to as Cascadia Basin Bottom Water (CBBW) and Cascadia Basin Deep Water (CBDW), are separated by a transition zone at about 2400 m depth. Below the depth where it freely communicates with the broader North Pacific, Cascadia Basin is renewed by northward flow through deep gaps in the Blanco Fracture Zone that feeds the lower limb of a vertical circulation cell within the CBBW. Lower CBBW gradually warms and returns to the south at lighter density. Isopycnal layer renewal times, based on combined lateral and diapycnal advective fluxes, increase upwards from the bottom. The densest layer, existing in the southeast quadrant of the basin below 2850 m, has an advective flushing time of 0.6 years. The total volume flushing time for the entire CBBW is 2.4 years, corresponding to an average water parcel residence time of 4.7 years. Geothermal heating at the Cascadia Basin seafloor produces a characteristic bottom-intensified temperature anomaly and plays an important role in the conversion of cold bottom water to lighter density within the CBBW. Although covering only about 0.05% of the global seafloor, the combined effects of bottom heat flux and diapycnal mixing within Cascadia Basin provide about 2-3% of the total required global input to the upward branch of the global thermohaline circulation.     

The Cenomanian/Turonian Boundary Event (CTBE) at Wunstorf, north-west Germany, as reflected by marine palynology

The Cenomanian/Turonian Boundary Event (CTBE) at Wunstorf, north-west Germany, has been analysed palynologically by high resolution sampling to reconstruct changes in relative sea-level and water mass character within photic zone waters. Based on changes in the ratio of terrigenous sporomorphs to marine palynomorphs (t/m index), the distribution of the organic-walled algal taxa as well as of selected dinocyst taxa and groups the section can largely be subdivided into pre-“plenus-bed” and post-“plenus-bed” intervals, reflecting different stages of third-order relative sea-level cycles and/or changes in water mass influence in the photic zone. Accordingly, the pre-“plenus-bed” interval is placed in a transgressive systems tract starting at the “facies change” event (C. guerangeri/M. geslinianum ammonite Zone boundary) with the maximum flooding surface at the top of the “Chondrites II” bed (top of R. cushmani Biozone). A highstand systems tract is suggested from the base of the “plenus-bed” up the base of the “fish-shale” event. Within the “fish-shale” event interval, a transgressive systems tract is suggested to start at the base of the thin, grey-green marly interbed. The Cenomanian/Turonian boundary proper, as defined by the first occurrence of Mytiloides spp., as well as the lowermost Turonian are located within the initial phase of a transgressive systems tract. With respect to water mass characteristics within photic-zone waters, the pre-“plenus-bed” interval is predominantly characterized by warm water masses that changed gradually towards the deposition of the “Chondrites II” bed, where a strong influence of cool and/or salinity-reduced waters is indicated by various palynological proxies. Within the post-“plenus-bed” interval a mixture and/or alternation of warmer and cooler waters is indicated, with the warmer water influence increasing gradually towards and within the Lower Turonian stage. The increased proportions of prasinophytes within the “Chondrites II” bed and parts of the “fish-shale” interval may indicate availability of reduced nitrogen chemospecies, especially ammonium, within photic-zone waters as a function of a vertical expansion of the oceanic O₂-minimum zone.     

节理卸荷岩体非线性本构关系再研究

对地质材料模型、石膏模型、砂浆模型、进行了模型试验,通过对模型试验得出的数据进行分析、拟合,得出初步的节理卸荷岩体的增量本构。针对其不足,从参数选择、物理意义等方面进一步进行修正得出一改进的增量本构关系,并在有限元分析程序ADINA中接入该本构关系,对清江隔河岩电站厂房高边坡三维模型进行有限元分析。     

杨房沟水电站高线混凝土系统边坡危岩体稳定性研究

以杨房沟水电站高线混凝土系统边坡危岩体为背景, 在现场调查的基础上, 分析危岩体边界特征, 提出了倾倒式、滑塌式、坠落式3种失稳模式, 建立了不同破坏模式的稳定性分级标准, 对危岩体稳定性进行了定性地质分析和定量计算, 结果表明9处危岩体在暴雨或地震作用下均存在极大失稳可能, 提出了防护措施, 实践证明防护效果良好。     

无人机技术在超高陡边坡危岩体半自动识别中的应用

在新疆山区开展危岩体勘察时,由于工程区存在复杂且陡峭的山体,传统人工勘察危岩体的方案往往受限。为了有效地提高危岩体调查的效率与自动化程度,本研究提出了一种基于无人机的高陡边坡危岩体半自动勘察技术。将无人机贴近摄影测量技术与精确的仿地飞行路线规划相结合,获取超高边坡精确三维点云模型;应用CloudCompare软件点云剖分工具结合危岩体突出于边坡表面的形态特征对异型滑移式块体进行语义分割;并通过分析异型滑移式块体的三维特征,实现对危岩体的定性分析。将上述理论方法应用于玉龙喀什水利工程左岸超高边坡坝址,在试验区提取出了4块危岩体。所有危岩体稳定性系数（K）均低于0.9,平均体积均在2000 m3左右,最大高差在7～11 m。危岩体的空间位置分布和三维特征与现场人工勘测的基本一致。试验表明,结合危岩体特征的高精度边坡点云模型能有效识别危岩体,提高调查效率并解决人工数据模糊的问题,对高陡边坡的危岩体评估具有实际应用价值。     

金川深部高应力采场工程地质研究与岩体质量评价

金川矿区1#矿体是金川矿区主要矿体,也是二矿区二期开采的矿体。由于矿体埋藏深、地压大,矿区地应力高,岩体节理裂隙发育,围岩稳定性极差。随着开采延深、采场面积扩大,采场地压活动剧烈。因此,采场地压控制和巷道稳定性维护是二期深部开采中的关键技术难题。它不仅直接关系到二期工程的安全生产,而且还决定了深部采矿的生产成本。因此,探索最佳采场地压控制措施和巷道支护技术和采场系统分析与参数优化,是二矿区深部采矿的重要研究课题,而工程地质研究与岩体质量评价是这一研究的基础。本文在进行了深部工程围岩的现场调查、分析与研究的基础上,进行了工程围岩分类和质量评价,给出了可以用于深部地压控制和系统分析的地质基础。     

The Arctic Ocean halocline and its interannual variability from 1997 to 2008

As a key structure to understand the role of the ocean on the sea ice mass balance, the Arctic Ocean halocline and its spatiotemporal variability require serious attention. In this paper, we are proposing a new definition of the halocline, which is based on the salinity gradient structure, taking into account both the salinity amplitude and the thickness of the halocline. The Brunt Vaisala frequency is used as the halocline stratification index. CTD data collected from 1997 to 2008 and coming from various sources (icebreaker cruises, drifting buoys, etc.) are used to determine the halocline, and its time and space variability during three time periods, with a special focus on three main regions of the Arctic Ocean: the Canada basin, the Makarov basin and the Amundsen basin. Observations reveal that the halocline in the Amundsen basin was always present and rather stable over the three time periods. In contrast, the Canada and Makarov basins' halocline became more stratified during the IPY than before, mainly because of surface water freshening. In addition, observations also confirmed the importance of the halocline thickness for controlling the stratification variability. Observations suggest that both large scale and small scale processes affect the halocline. Changes in surface salinity observed in the Makarov basin are more likely due to atmospheric variability (AO, Dipole Anomaly), as previously observed. More locally, some observations point out that salt/heat diffusion from the Atlantic water underneath and brine rejection during sea ice formation from above could be responsible for salt content variability within the halocline and, as a consequence, being influential for the variability of the halocline. In spite of the existence of interannual variability, the Arctic Ocean main stratification, characterized by a stable and robust halocline until now, suggested that the deep ocean had a limited impact on the mixed layer and on sea ice in actual conditions. The drastic changes observed in Arctic sea ice during this period (1997-2008) cannot be attributed to a weakening of the halocline that could trigger an enhanced vertical heat flux from the deep ocean.