Experimental determination of REE partition coefficients between zircon,garnet and melt: a key to understanding high‐T crustal processes

The partitioning of rare earth elements (REE) between zircon, garnet and silicate melt was determined using synthetic compositions designed to represent partial melts formed in the lower crust during anatexis. The experiments, performed using internally heated gas pressure vessels at 7 kbar and 900–1000 °C, represent equilibrium partitioning of the middle to heavy REE between zircon and garnet during high‐grade metamorphism in the mid to lower crust. The D_REE (zircon/garnet) values show a clear partitioning signature close to unity from Gd to Lu. Because the light REE have low concentrations in both minerals, values are calculated from strain modelling of the middle to heavy REE experimental data; these results show that zircon is favoured over garnet by up to two orders of magnitude. The resulting general concave‐up shape to the partitioning pattern across the REE reflects the preferential incorporation of middle REE into garnet, with D_Gd (zircon/garnet) ranging from 0.7 to 1.1, D_Ho (zircon/garnet) from 0.4 to 0.7 and D_Lu (zircon/garnet) from 0.6 to 1.3. There is no significant temperature dependence in the zircon–garnet REE partitioning at 7 kbar and 900–1000 °C, suggesting that these values can be applied to the interpretation of zircon–garnet equilibrium and timing relationships in the ultrahigh‐T metamorphism of low‐Ca pelitic and aluminous granulites.     

Dynamic analysis of strain localization in water‐saturated clay using a cyclic elasto‐viscoplastic model

A computational framework is presented for dynamic strain localization and deformation analyses of water‐saturated clay by using a cyclic elasto‐viscoplastic constitutive model. In the model, the nonlinear kinematic hardening rule and softening due to the structural degradation of soil particles are considered. In order to appropriately simulate the large deformation phenomenon in strain localization analysis, the dynamic finite element formulation for a two‐phase mixture is derived in the updated Lagrangian framework. The shear band development is shown through the distributions of viscoplastic shear strain, the axial strain, the mean effective stress, and the pore water pressure in a normally consolidated clay specimen. From the local stress–strain relations, more brittleness is found inside the shear bands than outside of them. The effects of partially drained conditions and mesh‐size dependency on the shear banding are also investigated. The effect of a partially drained boundary is found to be insignificant on the dynamic shear band propagation because of the rapid rate of applied loading and low permeability of the clay. Using the finer mesh results in slightly narrower shear bands; nonetheless, the results manifest convergency through the mesh refinement in terms of the overall shape of shear banding and stress–strain relations. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modeling the 2D behavior of dry‐stone retaining walls by a fully discrete element method

The dry‐stone retaining walls (DSRW) have been tipped as a promising solution for sustainable development. However, before recently, their behavior is relatively obscure. In this study, discrete element method (DEM) approach was applied to simulate the plane strain failure of these walls. A commercial DEM package (PFC2D™) was used throughout this study. The authors used a fully discrete approach; thus, both the wall and the backfill were modeled as discrete elements. The methodology for obtaining the micromechanical parameters was discussed in detail; this includes the three mechanical sub‐systems of DSRWs: wall, backfill and interface. The models were loaded progressively until failure, and then the results were compared with the full‐scale experimental results where the walls were loaded, respectively, with hydrostatic load and backfill. Despite its complexity and its intensive calculation time, DEM model can then be used to validate a more simplified approach. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reaction softening by dissolution–precipitation creep in a retrograde greenschist facies ductile shear zone,New Hampshire,USA

We describe strain localization by a mixed process of reaction and microstructural softening in a lower greenschist facies ductile fault zone that transposes and replaces middle to upper amphibolite facies fabrics and mineral assemblages in the host schist of the Littleton Formation near Claremont, New Hampshire. Here, Na‐poor muscovite and chlorite progressively replace first staurolite, then garnet, and finally biotite porphyroblasts as the core of the fault zone is approached. Across the transect, higher grade fabric‐forming Na‐rich muscovite is also progressively replaced by fabric‐forming Na‐poor muscovite. The mineralogy of the new phyllonitic fault‐rock produced is dominated by Na‐poor muscovite and chlorite together with late albite porphyroblasts. The replacement of the amphibolite facies porphyroblasts by muscovite and chlorite is pseudomorphic in some samples and shows that the chemical metastability of the porphyroblasts is sufficient to drive replacement. In contrast, element mapping shows that fabric‐forming Na‐rich muscovite is selectively replaced at high‐strain microstructural sites, indicating that strain energy played an important role in activating the dissolution of the compositionally metastable muscovite. The replacement of strong, high‐grade porphyroblasts by weaker Na‐poor muscovite and chlorite constitutes reaction softening. The crystallization of parallel and contiguous mica in the retrograde foliation at the expense of the earlier and locally crenulated Na‐rich muscovite‐defined foliation destroys not only the metastable high‐grade mineralogy, but also its stronger geometry. This process constitutes both reaction and microstructural softening. The deformation mechanism here was thus one of dissolution–precipitation creep, activated at considerably lower stresses than might be predicted in quartzofeldspathic rocks at the same lower greenschist facies conditions.     

面向WebGL的矢量数据三维绘制技术

矢量数据的叠加显示能够提高三维虚拟地球的表达效果与分析能力。受限于GPU的计算精度,在三维虚拟地球中矢量数据绘制普遍存在抖动现象和深度冲突现象。对基于WebGL的矢量数据三维绘制中计算精度问题进行了分析,提出了使用CPU RTC技术和GPU RTE技术提高顶点变换的精度,使用多视锥渲染算法和深度平面技术解决深度缓存精度问题。实验证明,这几种技术和算法可以有效缓解抖动现象和深度冲突现象导致的视觉干扰,改善了各种尺度和范围的矢量数据在三维地形上的叠加显示效果。     

Contrast in stress–strain history during exhumation between high- and ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic units in the Western Alps: Microboudinage analysis of piemontite in metacherts

Our analyses of microboudinage structures of piemontite grains embedded within six samples of metachert, one collected from an ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic unit at Lago di Cignana in Italy of the Western Alps, and the other five from surrounding high-pressure (HP) metamorphic units in Italy and France, have revealed that the structures are all symmetrical in type, and were presumably produced in coaxial strain fields. Stress–strain analyses of the microboudinaged grains revealed significant contrasts in the stress and strain histories of the UHP and HP metamorphic units, with the differential stress recorded by the UHP sample being unequivocally lower than that recorded by the five HP samples. In addition, our analyses showed that the UHP sample underwent stress-relaxation during microboudinage, whereas the five HP samples did not. On the basis of these observations and analyses we discuss the mechanical decoupling of the UHP and HP units that led to different histories in differential stress between the units during exhumation of the Western Alps.     

Modification of strain wedge method for lateral soil-pile interaction in sandEI北大核心CSCD

A modified strain wedge (SW) method for analyzing the behavior of laterally loaded single piles in sand is proposed. The modified model assumes that the lateral displacements of a pile behind the three-dimensional passive soil wedge are nonlinear, which makes the horizontal soil strain variable with depths instead of a constant value in the original strain wedge model, and also employs two different hyperbolic models, one for describing horizontal stress increment-strain behavior of soil in the wedge, and the other for describing the shear stress-displacement property at the interface between soil and pile shafts. An example is analyzed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the modified method, and a good agreement is obtained. Finally, the effects of modifications on the lateral bearing capacity of pile shafts are discussed. The results show that the problem of overestimating the lateral bearing capacity of piles with strain wedge method can be ameliorated by introducing the assumption of nonlinear lateral displacements of piles. It makes the SW method more convenient and effective in analyzing the behavior of laterally loaded piles by introducing the new relationships of horizontal stress increment-strain and shear stress-displacement.     

构造物理模拟和PIV有限应变分析对构造裂缝预测的启示

油气储层中构造裂缝发育与有限应变状态关系密切,为了探索有限应变分析与构造裂缝预测的新技术方法,此次研究设计完成了一组单侧挤压收敛模型的物理模拟实验,并引入粒子图像测速(PIV,Particle Image Velocimetry)技术对实验过程进行了定量化分析。实验模型在垂向上为含粘性层的多层结构,实验结果形成了一个肉眼可见的箱状褶皱。通过PIV技术可以获取实验模型变形演化过程中各阶段的位移场数据,计算出各阶段的增量应变,实现从初始状态到褶皱形成之后整个变形过程的有限应变分析,探讨构造裂缝成因机制和分布规律,进行定量化裂缝预测。挤压变形过程初期,应变分布范围很广,有限应变较弱(约4%~8%),在挤压方向上的线应变表现为弱压应变,在垂向上的线应变表现为弱张应变,这种现象是褶皱和断层产生前平行层缩短和层增厚的纯剪变形结果,也是区域型张裂缝和剪裂缝形成的主要机制。褶皱和断层即将发育之时至发育之后,应变局限在断层发育的剪切带及附近区域,有限应变表现为较强(达20%)的剪切应变和剪切张应变,是断层面附近简单剪切变形作用的结果,也是局部型剪裂缝和张剪裂缝形成的主要机制。     

受控定向钻进技术在福建马坑矿区的应用

重点介绍了福建马坑矿区ZK8321分支孔受控定向钻进技术。施工中运用了国内先进的螺杆钻造斜技术及光纤陀螺测量定向技术,避开上部复杂孔段（松散破碎层、溶洞地层、采空区等）及对勘探工作的影响,达到了施工目的;总结了施工技术难点与措施,分析了施工技术效果,积累了宝贵的施工经验。     

Is Ziarat a Potential Site for Conventional or Unconventional Energy Resources?

A structural interpretation of the Ziarat block in the Balochistan region (a part of the Suleiman Fold and Thrust Belt) has been carried out using seismic and seismological data. Seismic data consists of nine 2.5D pre‐stack migrated seismic lines, whereas the seismological data covers the Fault Plane Solution and source parameters. Structural interpretation describes two broad fault sets of fore and back thrusts in the study area that have resulted in the development of pop‐up structures, accountable for the structural traps and seismicity pattern in terms of seismic hazard. Seismic interpretation includes time and depth contour maps of the Dungan Formation and Ranikot group, while seismological interpretation includes Fault Plane Solution, that is correlated with a geological and structural map of the area for the interpretation of the nature of the subsurface faults. Principal stresses are also estimated for the Ranikot group and Dungan Formation. In order to calculate anisotropic elastic properties, the parameters of the rock strength of the formations are first determined from seismic data, along with the dominant stresses (vertical, minimum horizontal, and maximum horizontal). The differential ratio of the maximum and minimum horizontal stresses is obtained to indicate optimal zones for hydraulic fracturing, and to assess the potential for geothermal energy reservoir prospect generation. The stress maps indicate high values towards the deeper part of the horizon, and low towards the shallower part, attributed to the lithological and structural variation in the area. Outcomes of structural interpretation indicate a good correlation of structure and tectonics from both seismological and seismic methods.