Discontinuity development patterns and the challenges for 3D discrete fracture network modeling on complicated exposed rock surfaces

Natural slopes usually display complicated exposed rock surfaces that are characterized by complex and substantial terrain undulation and ubiquitous undesirable phenomena such as vegetation cover and rockfalls.This study presents a systematic outcrop research of fracture pattern variations in a complicated rock slope,and the qualitative and quantitative study of the complex phenomena impact on threedimensional(3D)discrete fracture network(DFN)modeling.As the studies of the outcrop fracture pattern have been so far focused on local variations,thus,we put forward a statistical analysis of global variations.The entire outcrop is partitioned into several subzones,and the subzone-scale variability of fracture geometric properties is analyzed(including the orientation,the density,and the trace length).The results reveal significant variations in fracture characteristics(such as the concentrative degree,the average orientation,the density,and the trace length)among different subzones.Moreover,the density of fracture sets,which is approximately parallel to the slope surface,exhibits a notably higher value compared to other fracture sets across all subzones.To improve the accuracy of the DFN modeling,the effects of three common phenomena resulting from vegetation and rockfalls are qualitatively analyzed and the corresponding quantitative data processing solutions are proposed.Subsequently,the 3D fracture geometric parameters are determined for different areas of the high-steep rock slope in terms of the subzone dimensions.The results show significant variations in the same set of 3D fracture parameters across different regions with density differing by up to tenfold and mean trace length exhibiting differences of 3e4 times.The study results present precise geological structural information,improve modeling accuracy,and provide practical solutions for addressing complex outcrop issues.

Oxygen vacancy O-terminated surface:The most exposed surface of hexagonal WO3(001)surface

It is known that exposed surface determines material’s performance.WO3 is widely used in gas sensing and its working surface is proposed to control its sensitivity.However,the working surface,or most exposed surface with detailed surface structure remain unclear.In this paper,DFT calculation confirmed that oxygen vacancy O-terminated surface is the most exposed hexagonal WO3(001)surface,judging from competitive adsorption of CO and O2,working surface determination for CO sensing and comparison of oxygen vacancy formation ene rgies on different h-WO3(001)surfaces.It is found that DFT can be a useful alternate for exposed surface determination.Our results provide new perspectives and performance explanations for material research.

Sedimentary environment and petrological features of organic-rich fine sediments in shallow water overlapping deposits: A case study of Cambrian Yuertus Formation in northwestern Tarim Basin, NW China

Taking the Cambrian Yuertus Formation outcrop profiles in the Aksu-Keping-Wushi areas of northwestern Tarim Basin as examples, the depositional environments of organic rich fine sediment were analyzed by examining the outcrop profiles macroscopically and microscopically. The study reveals that:(1) The lower part of the Yuertus Formation consists of organic-rich fine sediment or thin rhythmic interbeds of organic-rich fine sediment and siliceous sediment, the formation transforms to terrigenous diamictic grain shoal and inverse grading carbonate rocks upward.(2) The thin limestone interbedded with dark shale rhythmically has inverse grading.(3) The thin-bedded siliceous rock has metasomatic residual granular texture, stromatolithic structure and cementation fabric in vugs.(4) There are iron crust layers at the top of the shallowing diamictic grain shoal, beneath which exposed karst signs, such as karrens, dissolved fissures, sack-like vugs, near surface karst(plastic) breccia, breccia inside the karst system and terrigenous clastic fillings, can be seen.(5) Both the outcrops and seismic profiles show that organic-rich fine sediments above the unconformities or exposed surfaces are characterized by overlapping. The organic-rich fine sediment of the Cambrian Yuertus Formation was deposited in the anoxic-suboxidized restricted gulf lagoon environment, and its formation was controlled by high paleoproductivity and poor oxygen exchange jointly, then a shallow-water overlapping sedimentary model has been established. The results will help enrich and improve the sedimentary theory of organic-rich fine sediments.