How facies and diagenesis affect fracturing of limestone beds and reservoir permeability in limestone–marl alternations

Facies and diagenetic heterogeneities in carbonate reservoir rocks affect both, fracture distribution and fracture permeability. Many studies focussed on fracture patterns in limestone–marl alternations, as e.g. fluid flow models, are based on laterally continuous beds. Here we examine 4010 fractures in multiple layers of limestone–marl alternations using a modified scan-line method. The studied successions belong to the Blue Lias Formation (Hettangian–Sinemurian), exposed on the coast of the Bristol Channel, United Kingdom. We combine methods of sedimentology and structural geology with rock physics to gain a better understanding of the role of facies, diagenesis and petrophysical properties (tensile and compressive strength, hardness, porosity) on the distribution of fractures (fracture orientation, density, spacing and height). Fracture distribution varies significantly despite similar bed thicknesses, indicating that planar bedding planes (i.e. well-bedded limestones, WBL) and beds with bedding plane irregularities (i.e. semi-nodular limestones, SNL) must be distinguished. SNL show higher percentages of non-stratabound fractures (67%) while they are more stratabound in WBL (57%). Additionally, beds with variable bed thicknesses (in scale of 15 m long beds) exhibit a wide range of fracture spacing, whereas fractures in beds with more continuous bed thicknesses are more regularly spaced. Considering all lithologies, the percentage of non-stratabound fractures increases proportionally with CaCO₃ content. Three subsections studied in detail reveal different main sedimentological and diagenetic features (from early lithified over differentially compacted to physically compacted). All of them are characterised by dissimilar percentages of stratabound and non-stratabound fractures in limestone beds and marl interbeds. Our findings demonstrate that the distribution of fractures in individual well-bedded limestones is not necessarily representative for successions of limestone–marl alternations; multiple layers should therefore be studied in outcrop analogues as basis for fluid flow models of reservoirs composed of such lithologies.     

YD事件突变特征及其前兆信号

气候突变前兆信号对研究气候突变爆发方式、特征、细节过程以及未来气候预测有着极为重要的学术价值及社会意义．青天洞具有年纹层特征的石笋δ^18O记录显示,在新仙女木（YoungerDryas,YD）事件结束期间,季风约在11年内完成转型,但在结束前（11．64ka BP-11．54kaBP）,季风变化存在2个数十年尺度次级波动,历时约97±7年．该期季风强度颤动与此前YD内部季风变化相比呈现低幅、高频特征,在整个过程中季风强度总体保持上升．且在11．59kaBP后显示出自相关增强．这些特征与最近洱海湖泊生态系统突变前频繁波动特征类似,说明高频、低幅波动可能反映不同动力系统接近其临界值,可作为突变的前兆信号．     

Spatio-temporal variability of streamflow in the Yellow River: possible causes and implications

Abstract

The water shortage in the Yellow River, China, has been aggravated by rapid population growth and global climate changes. To identify the characteristics of streamflow change in the Yellow River, approximately 50 years of natural and observed streamflow data from 23 hydrological stations were examined. The Mann-Kendall and Pettitt tests were used to detect trends and abrupt change points. The results show that both the natural and the observed streamflow in the Yellow River basin present downward trends from 1956 to 2008, and the decreasing rate of observed streamflow is generally faster than that of the natural streamflow. Larger drainage areas have higher declining rates, and the declining trends are intensified downstream within the mainstream. The possibility of abrupt changes in observed streamflow is higher than in natural streamflow, and streamflow series in the mainstream are more likely to change abruptly than those in the tributaries. In the mainstream, all the significant abrupt changes appear in the middle and latter half of the 1980s, but the abrupt changes occur somewhat earlier for observed streamflow than for natural streamflow. The significant abrupt change for the observed streamflow in the tributaries is almost isochronous with the natural streamflow and occurs from the 1970s to 1990s. It is implied that the slight reduction in precipitation is not the only direct reason for the streamflow variation. Other than the effects of climate change, land-use and land-cover changes are the main reasons for the natural streamflow change. Therefore, the increasing net water diversion by humans is responsible for the observed streamflow change. It is estimated that the influence of human activity on the declining streamflow is enhanced over time.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz

Citation Miao, C.Y., Shi, W., Chen, X.H., and Yang, L., 2012 Miao, C.Y., Yang, L. and Chen, X.H. 2012. The vegetation cover dynamics (1982–2006) in different erosion regions of the Yellow River basin, China. Land Degradation and Development, 23(1): 62–71. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]. Spatio-temporal variability of streamflow in the Yellow River: possible causes and implications. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (7), 1355–1367.     

北半球500 hPa高度场趋势变化与突变

用１９５１～１９９８年的资料研究了北半球５００ｈＰａ上季高度的长期趋势变化。结果表明，４８年来低纬度５００ｈＰａ高度场多为正趋势而高纬度则多为负趋势。近４８年低纬的西北非洲、地中海及以西的北非北部，低纬度的中太平洋，贝加尔湖及以东载我，西北北美的高度呈持续正趋势；而阿留申及北太平洋、格林兰以南及东北北美、阿拉伯海以北高度明显降低。突变分析表明，大约６０年代初及１９７６年，５００ｈＰａ发生明显的环流     

考虑土体强度的建筑基坑突涌问题分析

基于土体的强度特性，并假设突涌破坏体为方柱体或圆柱体，推导出了考虑土体强度的基坑突涌稳定性计算公式，计算结果表明，对于一般的粘性土， 考虑其强度后的抗力分项系数比不考虑强度的抗力分项系数增加二倍以上，汉口地区许多基坑开挖并没有出现突涌现象，表明土体的抗剪强度对抗力起着不可忽视的作用，因此考虑土体强度的突涌稳定性分析是比较接近工程实际的。     

多尺度突变现象的扫描式t检验方法及其相干性分析

阐明了将检测两子样本平均值之差的学生氏t检验推广到对多尺度突变现象进行扫描式检测的计算方法；对于t检验要求序列独立的限制，引用了初步的订正方法；还给出了检测两个序列间多尺度突变相干性的计算公式.扫描式t检验不仅具有相当于子波变换检测多尺度突变现象的功能，而且解决了子波变换检测突变时缺少临界值的问题.由于t统计量包含有二阶矩均方差，它不能像子波变换那样作为分解工具，但检测的尺度参数也就不必局限于2的整数幂，因而可以进行扫描式检测.应用于尼罗河年最高与最低水位历史序列(AD622-1470)，能较客观和精确地检测出两序列在某些尺度上的相干性(同步或反位相)变化；并由此重新划分了该流域几十年至百余年时间尺度的相对干湿期.结果与目前查阅到的埃及灾荒历史记载相吻合.     

成岩参数变化在构造作用研究中的应用

本文提出了成岩参数变化在构造作用研究中应用的４个理论基础，首次将构造作用，岩性和成岩作用有机地结合起来。构造－岩相理论认为构造作用控制岩性分布，而不同的岩性其成岩作用也有所差别，构造抬升使已成岩的地层遭受剥蚀或大气水淋滤而对成岩参数产生的一定影响，局部的构造活动也会导致相同层位的岩石产生成岩程度的差异。     

A New Idea of Sinian Doushantuo''an Metaphyte Fossils from Xiuning, Anhui Province

This paper gives a summary of the fossil data from the Sinian Doushantuo' an Lantian Formation in the Xiuning area, Anhui Province, China, and reports the genital butt structure comparable to that of some modern advanced algae and the fossil structure comparable to the dehiscence of sporangia as well as the ontogenetic phenomenon occurring possibly from the formation of embryos by zygote germination to the production of sessile benthonic algal adults. This phenomenon furnishes a useful clue to the further study of the life history of alternate generations in advanced algae and provides megafossil evidence for the sex differentiation of metaphytic algae.     

西辽河流域中晚全新世气候环境演变及其对农牧业演替的影响

气候变化是人类文明演化的重要驱动力之一,中国东北西辽河流域地处季风气候敏感带,早中全新世以来古文化演替频繁,具有研究气候变化与早期农业文明响应的重要价值。本文基于西辽河流域兴隆洼（XLW）剖面高精度年代学框架开展多种气候代用指标分析,重建了中晚全新世以来西辽河流域的气候环境演变历史。结果显示,距今5.0 ka以来研究区经历了冷干—暖湿—冷干的气候演变过程。5.0—3.7 cal. ka BP期间,磁化率、烧失量等指标的低值反映了气候由全新世大暖期向冷干环境的转变,可能与东亚夏季风的衰退有关。该时期红山文化衰退,逐渐被以渔猎和农业并重的小河沿文化所取代,东北地区遗址数量有所减少并出现明显南偏。3.7 cal. ka BP后,磁化率、烧失量等指标的高值指示了夏季风的增强,水热条件的改善促进了旱作农业的发展,为夏家店下层文化的发展提供了有利条件。这一阶段东北地区出现人口大爆发,遗址数量达到峰值。2.8 cal. ka BP后,磁化率与烧失量波动降低,表明夏季风波动频繁,气候逐渐转冷干,水热条件的衰退可能导致了夏家店上层文化时期旱作农业的退化与游牧业的发展,且遗址分布出现南偏。     

Evolving Perspectives on Abrupt Seasonal Changes of the General Circulation

Professor Duzheng YE(Tu-cheng YEH) was decades ahead of his time in proposing a model experiment to investigate whether abrupt seasonal changes of the general circulation can arise through circulation feedbacks alone, unrelated to underlying inhomogeneities at the lower boundary. Here, we introduce Professor YEH's ideas during the 1950 s and 1960 s on the general circulation and summarize the results and suggestions of Yeh et al.(1959) on abrupt seasonal changes. We then review recent advances in understanding abrupt seasonal changes arising from model experiments like those proposed by Yeh et al.(1959). The model experiments show that circulation feedbacks can indeed give rise to abrupt seasonal transitions.In these transitions, large-scale eddies that originate in midlatitudes and interact with the zonal mean flow and meridional overturning circulations in the tropics play central roles.