Depositional and post‐depositional history of warm stage deposits at Knocknacran,Co. Monaghan,Ireland: implications for preservation of Irish last interglacial deposits

Organic‐rich deposits, uncovered during overburden removal from mantled gypsum karst at Knocknacran opencast gypsum mine, Co. Monaghan, are the best candidate to date for a last interglacial record in Ireland. The two till and organic‐rich deposits (preserved at different quarry elevations) were emplaced on to a Tertiary dolerite surface during high‐energy flood events and subsequently folded and faulted by movement towards sinkholes in underlying gypsum. Uranium–thorium disequilibrium dating suggests that the organic‐rich deposits in the upper section were hydrologically isolated at ca. 41 ka and those in the lower section at ca. 86 ka. Interpretation of the pollen content, although tentative because of the depositional and post‐depositional history of the material, suggests that the organic material originated in a warm stage possibly warmer than the post‐Eemian interstadials. The unusual setting of preservation may indicate that in situ, last interglacial deposits have generally been removed by erosion in Ireland. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An Attempt to Predict the Failure Time of Abandoned Mine Pillars

Summary  Left in place pillars of abandoned mines are subject to weathering (e.g action of water, bacteria) that degrades their mechanical strength and eventually leads to collapse. A simple weathering model is proposed, that is governed by two parameters: the rate of progression of weathered front and the rate of degradation of the compressive strength with time. Both plane strain and axisymmetric analyses are performed and closed form solutions of the variation with time of the bearing capacity of the pillar are given. Experimental data of the tests conducted on gypsum and anhydrite specimens attacked by water are presented. It is shown that in order to fit the experimental data a third parameter must be introduced. New closed form solutions are given and the data are used for estimating the time to failure of abandoned gypsum mines in Northern Italy. Authors’ address: Dr. Riccardo Castellanza, Research Assistant, Department of Structural Engineering, Milan University of Technology (Politecnico), Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milan, Italy     

贵州绥阳双河洞国家地质公园洞穴基本特征及成因探讨

106地质大队于1959～1960年曾对双河洞石膏矿进行过地质勘查。1986年～2006年4月,先后有中、法、日等国专家19次进双河洞考察,初步查明了该洞总长度为105.7km,是亚洲第二长洞,在世界上排名第16位。该洞不仅规模宏大,网络复杂,且有一定数量的次生淋滤型石膏矿分布,成为国内外罕见的独特洞穴景观。双河洞自2004年荣获国家地质公园称号以来,已引起国内外专家的广泛关注。该洞的形成,与该区域大范围内下寒武统清虚洞组上部至中寒武统平井组下部白云岩中,含大量硬石膏层有着密切的成因联系。     

合肥市膨胀土试验研究

主要介绍合肥市二环路用生石灰,石膏改良膨胀土的室内试验研究,并根据试验资料说明生石灰、石膏改良膨胀土的效果。同时提出一种用生石灰一石膏改良合肥膨胀土的最佳配方。大量的试验结果表明,用该配方改良后的膨胀土其单轴抗压强度,水中稳定性、耐久性都有显著提高。经十几年来在合肥市二环路上应用效果良好。     

碎屑岩自生粘土矿物的沉淀作用及其对储层的影响——以川西坳陷上三叠统须家河组砂岩为例

粘土矿物是影响碎屑岩储层物性的重要因素.本文以川西坳陷孝泉-新场-合兴场地区上三叠统须家河组砂岩为例,应用铸体薄片、普通薄片、X射线衍射分析和扫描电镜分析,研究了在成岩过程中自生粘土矿物的沉淀作用及其对储层的影响.结果表明自生绿泥石对储层原生孔隙的保存和次生孔隙的发育有利,自生高岭石的含量反映了次生孔隙的发育程度,而伊利石对储层的影响是负面的.     

Deep to shallow lacustrine evaporites in the Libros Gypsum (southern Teruel Basin, Miocene, NE Spain): an occurrence of pelletal gypsum rhythmites

ABSTRACT A number of non‐marine evaporite units composed of primary gypsum were deposited in saline lakes that developed in the southern Teruel Basin (NE Spain) during the Miocene. In the basin depocentre, a continuum of lacustrine evaporite lithofacies influenced by the activity of organisms is displayed. The Libros Gypsum was deposited in a deep lake, in which water stratification became unstable with progressive shoaling. Rhythmites, composed of laminae of pelletal gypsum and laminae of very fine lenticular gypsum crystals mixed with siliceous microorganisms, formed in addition to gypsum turbidites, intraformational gypsum breccias and slump structures. The pelletal laminae originated from the faecal activity of animals (crustaceans?) ingesting gypsum crystallites in the lake water during episodes of maximum evaporation, whereas the laminae of very fine lenticular gypsum mixed with microorganisms accumulated during episodes of relative dilution. In the wide marginal zones of the basin, the Libros Gypsum unit consists of massive to thin‐bedded bioturbated gypsum and thin‐bedded clotted gypsum, which formed in intermediate to very shallow (palustrine) water depths. The bioturbated gypsum lithofacies were produced by the action of diverse organisms, presumably worms and coleopterans, and chironomid larvae to a lesser extent; the massive lithofacies precipitated in very shallow water; and the thin‐bedded lithofacies formed in shallow to deeper settings. The thin‐bedded clotted gypsum is a relatively deep facies that may have diverse origins (e.g. bioturbation, compaction, disruption of soft sediments and early diagenesis). There is a well‐developed metre‐scale cyclicity in the marginal lake sequences, which is not observed in the inner lake deposits. This suggests a depth control in the various lacustrine subenvironments to record cyclic evaporitic processes. The isotopic composition of the gypsum indicates early sulphate‐reducing bacterial activity in the bottom of the lake and suggests that the sulphate was derived from the chemical recycling of Triassic evaporites of the country rocks.     

关于金矿成矿物质来源的初步探讨

近年来“矿源层”这一概念已被广大地质学家所接受，他们认为矿床中的金是从围岩中萃取的，本文认为矿床中的金来源于岩浆残余热液。在地壳深部，当丰度值高的基性岩或其他岩石，在深熔作用下产生花岗质岩浆时，同时带出许多金，当岩浆侵入到上部地壳冷凝结晶时，其中的大部金进入残余热液，最后富集成矿。     

合肥盆地钻井地层的同位素测年与地层划分

合肥盆地内部中、新界地层大面积被第四系覆盖，其地层的时代与划分主要依赖已有的6口深井地层资料。由于缺乏可靠的化石记录，这6口深井地层时代与划分一直存在着很大的分歧，制约了对该盆地的油气勘探与远景评价。本文利用这6口深井泥岩类岩屑中自生伊利石，在其结晶度分析基础上，进行了K-Ar同位素测年，成功地获得了不同深度上的地层形成时代。据此地层年龄，文中对这6口深井所钻遇的地层进行了重新的划分。     

Land subsidence and caprock dolines caused by subsurface gypsum dissolution and the effect of subsidence on the fluvial system in the Upper Tigris Basin (between Bismil–Batman, Turkey)

Karstification-based land subsidence was found in the Upper Tigris Basin with dimensions not seen anywhere else in Turkey. The area of land subsidence, where there are secondary and tertiary subsidence developments, reaches 140 km². Subsidence depth ranges between 40 and 70 m. The subsidence was formed as a result of subsurface gypsum dissolution in Lower Miocene formation. Although there are limestones together with gypsum and Eocene limestone below them in the area, a subsidence with such a large area is indicative of karstification in the gypsum. The stratigraphical cross-sections taken from the wells and the water analyses also verify this fact. The Lower Miocene gypsum, which shows confined aquifer features, was completely dissolved by the aggressive waters injected from the top and discharged through by Zellek Fault. This resulted in the development of subsidence and formation of caprock dolines on loosely textured Upper Miocene–Pliocene cover formations. The Tigris River runs through the subsidence area between Batman and Bismil. There are four terrace levels as T1 (40 m), T2 (30 m), T3 (10 m) and T4 (4–5 m) in the Tigris River valley. It was also found that there were some movements of the levels of the terraces in the valley by subsidence. The subsidence developed gradually throughout the Quaternary; however no terrace was formed purely because of subsidence.