Splash detachment of sand particles under varying contact stress field of wind-driven raindrop impact

The effects of wind-driven rain (WDR) on sand detachment were studied under various raindrop obliquities. Results suggested a significant reduction in compressive stress on sand surfaces for a two-dimensional experimental set-up in a wind tunnel. During experiments, sand particles in splash cups were exposed to both wind-free rain (WFR) and WDR driven by horizontal winds of 6.4, 8.9 and 12.8 m s⁻¹ and rainfall intensities of 50, 60, 75 and 90-mm h⁻¹ to assess the sand detachment rate (D, in g m⁻² s⁻¹). The effects of sand moisture state (dry and wet) on the detachment of different-sized particles (0.20–0.50 and 0.50–2.00 mm, respectively) were also tested. Factorial analysis of variance showed that shear and compressive stress components evaluated by horizontal and vertical kinetic energy flux terms (KE_x and KE_y, respectively, in J m⁻² s⁻¹) along with their vector sum (KE_r, in J m⁻² s⁻¹) explained the variation in D. Neither sand size nor sand moisture was statistically significant alone although binary interactions of KE_r, KE_x and KE_y with the sand size and three-way interaction of KE_x, sand size and moisture were statistically significant. These results can be explained by size-dependent variation in sand compressibility and surface friction related to the total stress field developed by a given partition of shear and compressive stresses of wind-driven oblique raindrops (KE_x/KE_y). Further analysis of the variation of the unit sand detachment rate (D_u = D/KE_r = g J⁻¹) with rain inclination (α, in degrees) better revealed the effect of WDR obliquity on D_u that further changed with sand size class and moisture state. Finally, the difference in the resulting stress field differentiable by the oblique raindrop trajectories of the experiment over sand surface significantly affected the non-cohesive particle detachment rates, to some extent interacted with size-dependent compressibility and interface shear strength of sand grains.     

Formation of smooth terrains on Comet Tempel 1

We suggest that the regions of smooth terrain which were observed on Comet 9P/Tempel 1 by the Deep Impact spacecraft were formed by blowing ice grains in an outburst of gas from the comet interior. When gas is released from 10 to 20 m deep layers which were heated to 135 K, it is released quiescently onto the surface by individual conduits. If large amounts of gas are released, the drainage system cannot release them fast enough and wider interconnected channels are formed, leading to sudden outburst of gas. Instability triggering a sudden shift of flow is well known in subglacial drainage of water. The ballistic trajectory of the ice particles reach a distance of 3 km in the atmosphereless comet, whose gravity is 0.034 cm s⁻¹, if ejected at an angle of 45° at a speed of 95 cm s⁻¹. This speed is close to the speeds measured in laboratory experiments: 167, 140×sini and 167 cm s⁻¹, for particles of 0.3, 1000 and 14-650 μm, respectively. Blowing of ice grains can overcome the 1650 m long horizontal section of smooth terrain i1 (Fig. 1), whereas simple flow of material downhill would stop close to the foot of the hill. The ice particles at the end of their trajectory have a horizontal velocity component and this low velocity ballistic sedimentation would lead to formation of lineaments on the smooth terrain, like in solid-particulate volcanic eruptions.     

Tidally driven stress accumulation and shear failure of Enceladus's tiger stripes

Straddling the south polar region of Saturn's moon Enceladus, the four principal “tiger stripe” fractures are a likely source of tectonic activity and plume generation. Here we investigate tidally driven stress conditions at the tiger stripe fractures through a combined analysis of shear and normal diurnal tidal stresses and accounting for additional stress at depth due to the overburden pressure. We compute Coulomb failure conditions to assess failure location, timing, and direction (right- vs left-lateral slip) throughout the Enceladus orbital cycle and explore a suite of model parameters that inhibit or promote shear failure at the tiger stripes. We find that low coefficients of friction (μf=0.1-0.2) and shallow overburden depths (z=2-4 km) permit shear failure along the tiger stripe faults, and that right- and/or left-lateral slip responses are possible. We integrate these conditions into a 3D time-dependent fault dislocation model to evaluate tectonic displacements and stress variations at depth during a tiger stripe orbital cycle. Depending on the sequence of stress accumulation and subsequent fault slip, which varies as a function of fault location and orientation, frictional coefficient, and fault depth, we estimate resolved shear stress accumulation of ∼70 kPa prior to fault failure, which produces modeled strike-slip displacements on the order of ∼0.5 m in the horizontal direction and ∼5 mm in the vertical direction per slip event. Our models also indicate that net displacements on the order of 0.1 m per orbital cycle, in both right- and left-lateral directions, are possible for particular fault geometries and frictional parameters. Tectonic activity inferred from these analyses correlates with observed plume activity and temperature anomalies at Enceladus's south polar region. Moreover, these analyses provide important details of stress accumulation and the faulting cycle for icy satellites subjected to diurnal tidal stress.     

含水量对高含冰量冻结砂土屈服面的影响

以往关于冻土屈服特性的研究很少考虑含水量的影响,但实际工程中经常遇到的是变含水量情况,因此本文通过-5.0℃条件下高含冰量冻结砂土的一系列三轴压缩试验,系统地研究了含水量对屈服特性的影响,并且由此建立了带有含水量参数的偏应力-剪应变增量型关系式。试验结果表明：随含水量的变化,应力-应变曲线类型有明显变化,即在不同的含水量区间,含水量对硬化规律有不同的影响特性,因此为了使屈服函数的形式更加简单和提高拟合准确度,对于屈服函数的具体形式应该根据塑性剪应变（硬化参数）和含水量不同区间进行分别确定;当塑性剪应变较小时（0.00%~1.00%）,随含水量的增大,偏应力逐渐增加,而当塑性剪应变较大时（大于1.00%）,随含水量的增大,偏应力有一个先减小后增大的变化过程,并且42.0%可以作为含水量转折点;通过分段硬化原则建立的带有含水量参数的屈服函数与偏应力-剪应变的增量型关系式的模拟值与试验点基本相吻合,这说明得到的屈服函数与偏应力-剪应变的增量型关系式可以用于不同含水量条件下屈服面和偏应力-剪应变曲线的预测。     

矿物白度的影响因素与增白机理研究

白度是矿物的重要光学性质之一。为了深化矿物的光学性质及白色矿物功能材料的研究与应用,根据测试分析结果和叶大年的结构光性矿物学理论,系统研究了影响矿物白度的主要因素,以及矿物增白效果的差异性及其产生机理。研究结果表明:(1)晶体化学是决定不同种类透明矿物白度的最主要因素,但对于某种透明矿物来说,影响其白度的主要因素是矿物中的碳质有机质、含铁钛矿物杂质、杂质元素的价态与晶体化学环境、介质环境、矿物中的水和粒度大小等。(2)证明了透明矿物白度大小与折射率呈正相关。白度相同的不同矿物的增白效果存在很大差异性,其根本原因是由矿物折射率所决定的反射率存在很大差别。(3)提出了真白度和假白度的概念,即主要由自色产生的白度称为真白度,主要由假色产生的白度称为假白度;真白度高的矿物具有增白作用,而真白度低的矿物,即使粉末白度高,也没有增白作用。(4)在影响矿物白度的主要因素中,矿物中的碳质有机质、含铁钛矿物杂质、杂质元素的价态等杂质成分对矿物白度和增白效果起负面作用。(5)矿物中与晶体结构相关的水所产生的颜色属于自色,脱去结晶水、层间水和结构水都有利于提高矿物的真白度或增白效果,但脱去沸石水的效果正好相反;由矿物粒度大小变化产生的颜色属于假色;通过降低粉体粒度大小所提高的白度属于假白度,由此增加的白度没有增白作用。另外,矿物粉体与使用介质之间的折射率大小差别越大,增白效果越明显。     

基于假三元模型的透辉石-硬玉固溶体热力学性质计算

自然界中矿物多以固溶体形式存在,据其晶体化学特征计算热力学性质是开展矿物成因理论研究的基础。本文引入描述二元矿物固溶体热力学性质的假三元模型,计算得到了透辉石-硬玉固溶体系列的热力学性质。该模型通过构造一种高度有序的中间相,同时考虑长程和短程有序效应,基于热力学平衡态矿物固溶体自由能最低的规律,可以计算特定组分下矿物的平衡自由能、焓和熵等热力学参数。本文针对透辉石-硬玉固溶体体系,取绿辉石为其中间有序态,计算了其活度-成分关系和温度-组分相图等,发现绿辉石随温度升高的有序无序相变为一级相变,相变温度为1 148±25 K,与实验研究结果一致。本文获得的透辉石-绿辉石-硬玉体系的热力学参数可用于视剖面图方法研究MORB成分的岩石的榴辉岩相变质作用过程。     

FeSO4对铬污染土的稳定特性及风险评价试验研究

采用硫酸亚铁（FeSO4）对铬污染土进行稳定化处理。选用浸出试验、Cr(VI)残留值试验和形态提取试验,研究了粒径和有机质对铬污染土稳定特性的影响规律。试验结果表明,粒径和有机质对铬污染土稳定特性有较大影响。粒径的减小可显著降低稳定土中Cr(VI)和总Cr的浸出浓度及稳定土中Cr(VI)的含量;当污染土粒径小于2 mm时,Fe(II)/Cr(VI)摩尔比为3,稳定土中Cr(VI)和总Cr的浸出浓度分别为4.68、8.9 mg/L,均低于我国《危险废弃物鉴别标准 浸出毒性鉴别》（GB/T5085.3－2007）的限值。有机质添加量的增加可明显降低稳定土中Cr(VI)和总Cr的浸出浓度及Cr(VI)的含量。当Fe(II)/Cr(VI)摩尔比为3时,有机质的添加量为5%,稳定土中Cr(VI)的含量为28.3 mg/kg,低于我国《土壤环境质量标准》（GB15618－2008）中工业和商业用地限值（30 mg/kg）;当有机质的添加量为10%时,稳定土中Cr(VI)的含量为4.8 mg/kg,低于居住用地限值（5 mg/kg）。形态提取试验结果表明：粒径的减小可降低弱酸提取态的铬含量,增加可还原态的铬含量,而对可氧化态和残渣态的铬含量影响不大;有机质可促使弱酸提取态、可还原态的铬转化为可氧化态的铬,而残渣态的铬变化不大。稳定土中铬从活性态向较稳定态转化,是铬稳定土稳定特性和环境风险变化的根本原因。     

Rock Mass Characteristics in Beishan, A Preselected Area for China’s High-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal

Geological and hydrological characteristics, joint geometric features, rock physical and mechanical properties and rock mass quality are studied in the Beishan area, preselected for China’s high-level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal engineering. A comprehensive survey method is developed to study joint geometric features in the outcrop and samples from borehole BS06 into the Xinchang rock mass were tested. The optimal joint sets are determined by rose diagrams and equal-area lower hemisphere plots of joint poles. Results show that: 1) the distribution of joint occurrence obeys a normal distribution, while the distribution of joint spacing obeys a negative exponential distribution; 2) concentric circular and tangent circular sampling windows are applied to study the trace length and the trace midpoint density. Results indicate that tangent circular sampling window is more stable and reasonable; 3) Beishan granite shows high density, low porosity and high strength based on many laboratory tests and the physical properties and mechanical properties are closely related; and 4) a synthesis index, Joint Structure Rating (JSR), is applied to evaluate the quality of rock mass. Through the research results of rock mass characteristics, the Xinchang rock mass in the Beishan preselected area has the favorable conditions for China’s HLW disposal repository site.