Overbreak and underbreak in underground openings Part 2: causes and implications

Summary The newly developed light sectioning method has been used to investigate some of the causes and costs of overbreak and underbreak. Investigations at the Aquamilpa Hydroelectric Project in Mexico have shown decreased overbreak and increased underbreak as a result of increased rock quality and decreased explosive energy. A new measure of explosive energy, the perimeter powder factor (PPF), has been defined and shown to be useful in the context of tunnel-wall rock damage. Tentative results indicate that explosive energy (PPF) may be a more important factor in producing underbreak, whereas rock quality may be a greater factor in producing overbreak. A site-specific equation is given for predicting overbreak or underbreak as a function of rock quality and explosive energy, with an evaluation of the cost of underbreak and overbreak.     

Oil and gas resource assessment: The linkage between geological analysis and discovery process model results

Two widely-used techniques to estimate the volume of remaining oil and gas resources are discovery process modeling and geologic assessment. Both were used in a recent national assessment of oil and gas resources of the United States. Parallel estimates were obtained for 27 provinces. Geological-based estimates can typically see into areas not available to discovery process models (that is areas with little or no exploration history) and thus, on average, yield higher estimates. However, a linear relation does exist between the mean estimates obtained from these two methods. In addition, other variables were found in a multiple regression model that explained much of the difference. Thus, it is possible to perform discovery process modeling and adjust the estimates to yield results that might be expected from geological-based assessments.     

Information structure analysis for quantitative assessment of mineral resources and the discovery of a silver deposit

We propose an information-structure-analysis (ISA) method to quantify the correlations between quantitative and qualitative variables as well as within each type of variable. This method is applied to the evaluation of mineral resources in the western Zheijiang Province of China. The district contains a number of silver-bearing Fe–Cu–Pb–Zn mineral deposits near igneous complexes and FeCuPbZn zones away from the complexes. Silver anomalies occur not only in the known Fe–Cu–Zn–Pb deposits, but also in the country rock, suggesting the possible existence of silver deposits far from the igneous complexes.The tonnage distribution of silver is modeled by Monte Carlo simulation. This simulation is conducted on the basis of the correlations between silver (Ag) and lead (Pb), since no known data on silver is available. The known tonnage distribution of lead in 11 control cells was used to approximate the tonnage distribution of silver in the Monte Carlo simulation. With ISA and Monte Carlo methods, the total amount of potential polymetallic resources in 49 cells in the western Zhejiang Provice is predicted. Significantly, a deposit with about 24 tonnes of silver has been found within our exploration target area.     

首都减灾圈的思考与建议

首都减灾圈,系首都减轻自然灾害预测防治圈。1991年12月20—21日在北京召开了《首都圈自然灾害及其减灾对策研讨会》。本文根据这次会议所提供的材料,在从整体上实现减灾的思想指导下,就首都减灾圈的“成灾背景”、“首都减灾圈的组成”、“首都减灾圈的灾害预测与防治状况”、“首都减灾圈的灾害关联性分析”、“首都减灾圈的减灾实效预估”和“首都减灾圈的减灾对策与实施”等六个带有共同性的问题,进行了讨论。供制定首都圈减灾方案时参考。     

上扬子区(四川盆地)寒武系的含盐性与地质背景

据记载,分布于上扬子区寒武系的石膏岩仅有零星资料。如今,大量蒸发岩如溶蚀角砾岩、硬石膏、石盐岩及富钾卤水等已被发现。沉积相经历了从盆地相、台地相到蒸发岩相的演化过程。在中、下寒武统中找到海退沉积序列。古构造-古地理背景是蒸发岩沉积的重要控矿条件之一。周边板块运动及塑性基底的褶皱,导致台缘隆起及台内坳陷的形成。岩相古地理图展示从碳酸盐、硫酸盐到氯化物盐类的“泪滴式”沉积相带。蒸发岩沉积于台缘隆起及礁生长进入堰塞潟湖至盐湖阶段。在稳定坳陷区沉积盆地中蒸发岩系发育;石盐岩较厚,其溴氯比值为0.2—0.4;古气候炎热、干燥;在蒸发岩体周围有沉积(封层)水及溶滤水,其含钾(K~+)量为0.10—4.76g/L;水文地球化学比值(如钾氯比值、钾盐比值及钾溴比值等)指示含钾异常;盐湖浓缩卤水达到氯化物盐类沉积阶段及相应的构造封闭程度;含盐地质标志广泛分布等等。鉴于上述,估计该区可能具备钾盐成矿条件。然而目的层埋藏太深,因此笔者建议,应在浅埋部位进行有效的成矿预测,为普查指出远景区。     

Intrinsic sample methods for mineral exploration and resource assessment

We report on an objective methodology, referred to as intrinsic sample methodology, for the delineation of exploration target areas or resource areas for assessment. Important features of the methodology include (1) identification of recognition criteria for critical genetic factors, (2) synthesis of new variables from enhanced geodata, (3) estimation of logit probability models, and (4) cutting of estimated logit probabilities to delineate exploration targets or resource areas. The methodology is demonstrated on the Walker Lake quadrangle of Nevada and California.     

The deposit size frequency method for estimating undiscovered uranium deposits

The deposit size frequency (DSF) method has been developed as a generalization of the method that was used in the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) program to estimate the uranium endowment of the United States. The DSF method overcomes difficulties encountered during the NURE program when geologists were asked to provide subjective estimates of (1) the endowed fraction of an area judged favorable (factorF) for the occurrence of undiscovered uranium deposits and (2) the tons of endowed rock per unit area (factorT) within the endowed fraction of the favorable area. Because the magnitudes of factorsF andT were unfamiliar to nearly all of the geologists, most geologists responded by estimating the number of undiscovered deposits likely to occur within the favorable area and the average size of these deposits. The DSF method combines factorsF andT into a single factor (F·T) that represents the tons of endowed rock per unit area of the undiscovered deposits within the favorable area. FactorF·T, provided by the geologist, is the estimated number of undiscovered deposits per unit area in each of a number of specified deposit-size classes. The number of deposit-size classes and the size interval of each class are based on the data collected from the deposits in known (control) areas. The DSF method affords greater latitude in making subjective estimates than the NURE method and emphasizes more of the everyday experience of exploration geologists. Using the DSF method, new assessments have been made for the young, organic-rich surficial uranium deposits in Washington and idaho and for the solution-collapse breccia pipe uranium deposits in the Grand Canyon region in Arizona and adjacent Utah.     

新疆第三次荒漠化监测中的问题及其建议

回顾了新疆3次在荒漠化监测中所进行的荒漠化监测与评价指标体系的建立，也是新疆开展荒漠化监测的基础；介绍了以遥感与地理信息为主要技术的荒漠化监测评价的方法；阐述了新疆第三次荒漠化监测中存在的问题。指出目前新疆荒漠化评价存在的主要问题是评价指标的不确定性、评价指标体系的难操作性和遥感数据源选用的随机性，进而对上述问题的解决途径进行了讨论。     

Spatial analysis of elements in soils from Chengdu City

Three kinds of spatial analysis methods （geostatistics, concentration-area fractal model and the multifractal analysis called the moment method） were used for almost 50 elements, including heavy metals, disperse elements, rare elements and even others, in 6586 top soil （0-20 cm） samples and 1833 deep soil （150-200 cm） samples from Chengdu metropolitan area of 12400 km^2, southwestern China. The ranges of spatial correlation revealed by variograms are quite different for different kinds of elements in the top and deep soils. The most interest is the fact that the multifractal spectra of environmentally important elements such as Pb, Cr, Cd and Ni in top soils in the metropolitan area show systematic change from those in the deep soils, revealing a strong anthropogenic addition, while Hg, Zn, As, Cu and all common elements show no such kind of addition. In terms of multifractal properties based on the multifractal spectrum curves, those disperse and rare elements show great deviation from other major and trace elements, which is also of great interest.