Slump-initiated and controlled syndepositional sandstone remobilization: an example from the Namurian of County Clare, Ireland

Remobilization of sandstones can dramatically reconfigure original depositional geometries and results in very unusually shaped sandstones, which resemble little, if any, of the original geometry. A number of deformational sandstone bodies, dykes and volcanoes from the upper part of the Carboniferous Ross Formation are described, which offer the opportunity to examine a suite of field-scale reconfigured sandstones. These structures are located in close proximity to the Ross Slide, which outcrops along a 2-km section on the northern coast of the Loop Head Peninsula, County Clare, Ireland. Dome- and ridge-shaped deformational sandstone bodies, dykes and volcanoes are interpreted to be the product of remobilization of a turbiditic sandstone. Liquification and remobilization were triggered by translation, cessation and loading of the underlying turbiditic sandstone by the Ross Slide. Deformational sand body, dyke and volcano development occurred in an asynchronous fashion with deformational sand bodies formed during slump translation. Sand dykes and volcanoes developed after the cessation of slump movement. During slump translation, the minimum principal stress (σ₃) was orientated vertically and the slump behaved in a `ductile' manner. After slump arrest, the minimum principal stress was oriented horizontally, and the unit regained shear strength to behave in a `brittle' manner. The relative change in rheological states with changing applied shear stress is indicative of thixotropic-like behaviour within the slump mass. Ridge-shaped deformational sand bodies are aligned parallel to slump folds, and their morphology is inferred to be controlled by compressional slump deformation associated with heterogeneous cessation of slump movement that was initiated by frontal arrest of the translating mass.     

山东月湖的沉积物分布特征及搬运趋势

1998年 11～ 12月和 1999年 8～ 9月各一个月对月湖进行的野外工作 ,共取得表层沉积物样品 131个 ,应用激光粒度仪并结合传统的筛分法对这些样品进行粒度分析 ,进行矩法计算获得粒度参数。采用Gao命名方法 ,将沉积物划分出 5种主要类型。利用Gao -Collins粒径趋势分析模型 ,计算该区沉积物粒径趋势所显示的沉积物净搬运方向 ,结果表明 ,沉积物从四周向湖中心搬运 ,同时显示湾顶的西部和北部、涨潮三角洲以及湖心等地貌单元是沉积的优势区域。     

三种被动式积沙仪积沙效率的野外实验研究

积沙仪积沙效率的高低直接影响近地表输沙率的测定，从而影响着风沙地貌的研究和风沙工程设计，对目前三种常用积沙仪在相同条件下（同一下垫面、相同风速）的积沙进行了野外观测。结果表明：（1）相同条件下，楔形积沙仪积沙量远远大于其它两种；（2）近地面积沙量随高度分布上，楔形积沙仪能更好地反映风沙流结构；（3）与其它两种积沙仪相比，楔形积沙仪所采集沙子中的小粒径颗粒含量明显多于其它两种积沙仪结果，而较大粒径颗粒的含量呈相反趋势，造成这些差异的原因在于楔形积沙仪采用的流线型构造和网状结构，从而对风沙流的阻挡程度较小，今后应推广楔形积沙仪的使用。     

沙坡头人工植被固沙区天然降水的入渗和分配研究

土壤、植被冠层与大气界面间(SVAT)物质传输过程日益成为水文学研究最感兴趣的领域,降水量的迁移与转换是非灌溉区SVAT主要的物质传输过程.干旱半干旱区稀疏灌丛蒸散量占降水量的90%以上,因此对降水入渗与水分在土壤内植物根际区再分配的研究显得十分重要.试验于2001年8月17日至9月30日在中国科学院沙坡头试验站进行,主要观测人工植被荒漠灌木柠条(Caragana korshinskii) 灌丛固定沙丘降水入渗与再分配过程.结果表明:在7次不连续降水过程中,土壤入渗深度与降水强度呈简单线性相关关系,土壤入渗速率约为降水强度的10倍.当次降水过程中降水强度小于0.46 mmh-1时,土壤入渗速率约为0 cm*h-1,此时的降水对沙区土壤基本上没有水分补给作用.受荒漠灌木柠条根系吸水作用的影响,其根系密集剖面深度40～140 cm内降水水分入渗积累不明显.降水入渗速率及入渗深度受土壤剖面初始含水率多寡而变化,干燥土壤剖面有助于提高瞬时入渗速率.降水以后随着时间的推移,人工固沙区微环境内空气温度、湿度等气象条件适宜,柠条生长进入相对旺盛阶段,其根系密集层140 cm深度处土壤含水率在总体上下降的过程中,表现出昼消夜长的趋势,试验期间翌日 8:00时土壤含水率值略高于前一日20:00时水分值 0.1%～0.3%.     

Velocity profile of a sand cloud blowing over a gravel surface

Particle dynamic analyzer (PDA) measurement technology was used to study the turbulent characteristics and the variation with height of the mean horizontal (in the downwind direction) and vertical (in the upward direction) particle velocity of a sand cloud blowing over a gravel surface. The results show that the mean horizontal particle velocity of the cloud increases with height, while the mean vertical velocity decreases with height. The variation of the mean horizontal velocity with height is, to some extent, similar to the wind profile that increases logarithmically with height in the turbulent boundary layer. The variation of the mean vertical velocity with height is much more complex than that of the mean horizontal velocity. The increase of the resultant mean velocity with height can be expressed by a modified power function. Particle turbulence in the downwind direction decreases with height, while that in the vertical direction is complex. For fine sands (0.2–0.3 mm and 0.3–0.4 mm), there is a tendency for the particle turbulence to increase with height. In the very near-surface layer (<4 mm), the movement of blown sand particles is very complex due to the rebound of particles on the bed and the interparticle collisions in the air. Wind starts to accelerate particle movement about 4 mm from the surface. The initial rebound on the bed and the interparticle collisions in the air have a profound effect on particle movement below that height, where particle concentration is very high and wind velocity is very low.     

Sand harm in Taklimakan Desert highway and sand control

Reputed as a wonderful achievement of the world's highway construction history, the Taklimakan Desert highway is now facing serious sand drift encroachment problems due to its 447- km-long passage of sand sea consisting of crescent dunes, barchan chains, compound transverse dune ridges and complex megadunes. To solve some technical problems in the protection of the highway from sand drift encroachment, desert experts have been conducting the theoretical and applied studies on sand movement laws; causes, severities and time-space differentiation of sand drift damages; and control ways including mechanical, chemical and biological measures. In this paper the authors give an overall summary on the research contents and recent progress in the control of sand drift damages in China and hold that the theoretical research results and practices in the prevention of sand drift encroachment on the cross-desert highway represent a breakthrough and has an epoch-making significance. Since the construction of protective forest along the cross-desert highway requires large amount of ground water, what will be its environmental consequence and whether it can effectively halt sand drift encroachment on the highway forever are the questions to be studied urgently.     

Seasonal variation of the soil seed bank of grasses in central Argentina as related to grazing and shrub cover

The objectives of this research were to (a) study seasonal variation of the seed bank of grasses in two areas with different grazing history, (b) analyse the effect of the presence of shrubs on the seed bank and (c) study seed viability and dormancy in buried seeds of Piptochaetium napostaense and Stipa tenuis. The seed density of grasses was in general low and showed seasonal variation. Most of the grasses showed maximum seed density in December when seed dispersal occurs. Shrub cover did not show a marked influence in seed accumulation. The relatively high number of damaged seeds suggests that predation may be an important factor in seed bank dynamics in the Caldenal. Seeds of dominant perennial forage grasses showed dormancy that could explain, at least in part, persistence of these species in spite of periodical disturbance.     

某地平板玻璃原料用石英砂的提纯研究

某地石英矿砂通过磁选分离法、稀酸浸泡法处理后，矿砂不同程度地降低了铁、铝、钙镁的含量；采用磁选分离 稀酸浸泡法联合处理后，使该地石英砂的化学成分达到了优质的生产平板玻璃用硅质原料的国家标准。     

四川盆地白垩纪沙漠石英沙颗粒表面特征

石英具有较大的硬度和较高的化学稳定性，因而其颗粒表面特征能很好地反映沉积环境。而通过扫描电镜研究石英颗粒表面微细特征是分析沉积环境行之有效的方法。虽然多数人认为四川盆地白垩纪地层存在沙漠沉积(打儿凼组和夹关组)，但仍有人对沙漠沉积的存在持怀疑态度，并认为是河流成三角洲沉积。过去关于其沉积环境的判别主要是根据沉积结构和构造，并未对其石英沙颗粒表面特征进行过系统分析。笔者对采自四川盆地白垩系不同层位地层的样品进行了石英沙颗粒表面特征系统分析。结果表明，石英沙颗粒表面特征分析可以成功地将石英沙区分为风成和水成沉积。因此，本文从石英沙颗粒表面特征方面进一步肯定了四川盆地白垩纪古沙漠的存在。