Planning and construction of Xiong’an New Area(city of over 5 million people):Contributions of China’s geologists and urban geology

China established Xiong’an New Area in Hebei Province in 2017,which is planned to accommodate about 5 million people,aiming to relieve Beijing City of the functions non-essential to its role as China’s capital and to expedite the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.From 2017 to 2021,the China Geological Survey(CGS)took the lead in multi-factor urban geological surveys involving space,resources,environments,and disasters according to the general requirements of“global vision,international standards,distinctive Chinese features,and future-oriented goals”in Xiong’an New Area,identifying the engineering geologic conditions and geologic environmental challenges of this area.The achievements also include a 3D engineering geological structure model for the whole area,along with“one city proper and five clusters”,insights into the ecology and the background endowment of natural resources like land,geothermal resources,groundwater,and wetland of the area before engineering construction,a comprehensive monitoring network of resources and environments in the area,and the“Transparent Xiong’an”geological information platform that is open,shared,dynamically updated,and three-dimensionally visualized.China’s geologists and urban geology have played a significant role in the urban planning and construction of Xiong’an New Area,providing whole-process geological solutions for urban planning,construction,operation and management.The future urban construction of Xiong’an New Area will necessitate the theoretical and technical support of earth system science(ESS)from various aspects,and the purpose is to enhance the resilience of the new type of city and to provide support for the green,low-carbon,and sustainable development of this area.

Preliminary research and scheme design of deep underground in situ geo-information detection experiment for Geology in Time

The deep earth,deep sea,and deep space are the main parts of the national“three deep”strategy,which is in the forefront of the strategic deployment clearly defined in China’s 14th Five-Year Plan(2021-2025)and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035.It is important to reveal the evolutionary process and mechanism of deep tectonics to understand the earth’s past,present and future.The academic con-notation of Geology in Time has been given for the first time,which refers to the multi-field evolution response process of geological bodies at different time and spatial scales caused by geological processes inside and outside the Earth.Based on the deep in situ detection space and the unique geological envi-ronment of China Jinping Underground Laboratory,the scientific issue of the correlation mechanism and law between deep internal time-varying and shallow geological response is given attention.Innovative research and frontier exploration on deep underground in situ geo-information detection experiments for Geology in Time are designed to be carried out,which will have the potential to explore the driving force of Geology in Time,reveal essential laws of deep earth science,and explore innovative technologies in deep underground engineering.

Exploration of the Construction of the Civic and Political Education in Engineering Geology Course

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the integration of the elements of civic and political education into the engineering geology course to improve students’ideological and moral qualities.It is proposed that by integrating elements of civic and political education,students are guided to form a positive attitude toward engineering practice as well as correct values and ethics.With regard to the teaching design and implementation of the course,the implementation paths of teacher team building,careful teaching design,innovative teaching methods,and the integration of civic and politics in practical teaching are proposed to summarize the significance of integrating the elements of civic and political education in the construction of the engineering geology course.It is pointed out that this integration not only improves the quality of the course,but also provides a reference for the civic and political education of other similar professional courses.This integration not only focuses on the teaching of professional knowledge,but also pays more attention to the cultivation of students’ideology and morality,which provides a model and guidance for shaping new talents with all-round development.

Deep seabed mining:Frontiers in engineering geology and environment

Ocean mining activities have been ongoing for nearly 70 years,making great contributions to industrialization.Given the increasing demand for energy,along with the restructuring of the energy supply catalyzed by efforts to achieve a low-carbon economy,deep seabed mining will play an important role in addressing energy-and resource-related problems in the future.However,deep seabed mining remains in the exploratory stage,with many challenges presented by the high-pressure,low-temperature,and complex geologic and hydrodynamic environments in deep-sea mining areas,which are inaccessible to human activities.Thus,considerable efforts are required to ensure sustainable,economic,reliable,and safe deep seabed mining.This study reviews the latest advances in marine engineering geology and the environment related to deep-sea min-ing activities,presents a bibliometric analysis of the development of ocean mineral resources since the 1950s,summarizes the development,theory,and issues related to techniques for the three stages of ocean mining(i.e.,exploration,extraction,and closure),and discusses the engineering geology environment,geological disasters,in-situ monitoring techniques,envi-ronmental protection requirements,and environmental effects in detail.Finally,this paper gives some key conclusions and future perspectives to provide insights for subsequent studies and commercial mining operations.

Extraction and imaging of indicator elements for non-destructive,in-situ,fast identification of adverse geology in tunnels

The lag in quantitative methods and detection techniques for geologic information has resulted in time-consuming and human-experienced geologic analysis in tunnels.Geochemical indicators of rocks can be used to identify adverse geology and to explain the intrinsic causes of damage to normal rocks.This study proposes a method to identify adverse geology by extracting and imaging the indicator elements.The mapping relationship between rock components and geologic bodies is quickly determined by indicator element extraction based on factor analysis,and then the data are gridded for image output.The location and size of the target adverse geology are visually identified through the distribution images of the indicator elements,thus reducing data dimensions and analysis time.A non-destructive,in-situ and fast element detection technique in tunnels was adopted to speed up the process of geology identification.The accuracy of the detection was validated by comparing field and laboratory test results.This study further confirms and refines the previous research,and the results provide references for geological,mining and underground projects.

Adverse Geology Identification Through Mineral Anomaly Analysis During Tunneling:Methodology and Case Study

Accurate and effective identification of adverse geology is crucial for safe and efficient tunnel construction.Current methods of identifying adverse geology depend on the experience of geologists and are prone to misjudgment and omissions.Here,we propose a method for adverse geology identification in tunnels based on mineral anomaly analysis.The method is based on the theory of geoanomaly,and the mineral anomalies are geological markers of the presence of adverse geology.The method uses exploration data analysis(EDA)to calculate mineral anomaly thresholds,then evaluates the mineral anomalies based on the thresholds and identifies adverse geology based on the characteristics of the mineral anomalies.We have established a dynamic expansion process for background samples to achieve the dynamic evaluation of mineral anomalies by adjusting anomaly thresholds.This method has been validated and applied in a tunnel excavated in granite.As shown herein,in the tunnel range of 142+800–142+860,the fault F37 was successfully identified based on an anomalous decrease in the diagenetic minerals plagioclase and hornblende,as well as an anomalous increase in the content of the alteration minerals chlorite,laumonite,and epidote.The proposed method provides a timely warning when a tunnel enters areas affected by adverse geology and identifies whether the tunnel is gradually approaching or moving away from the fault.In addition,the applicability,accuracy,and further improvement of the method are discussed.This method improves our ability to identify adverse geology,from qualitative to quantitative,and can provide reference and guidance for the identification of adverse geology in mining and underground engineering.

Forward prediction for tunnel geology and classification of surrounding rock based on seismic wave velocity layered tomography

Excavation under complex geological conditions requires effective and accurate geological forward-prospecting to detect the unfavorable geological structure and estimate the classification of surround-ing rock in front of the tunnel face.In this work,a forward-prediction method for tunnel geology and classification of surrounding rock is developed based on seismic wave velocity layered tomography.In particular,for the problem of strong multi-solution of wave velocity inversion caused by few ray paths in the narrow space of the tunnel,a layered inversion based on regularization is proposed.By reducing the inversion area of each iteration step and applying straight-line interface assumption,the convergence and accuracy of wave velocity inversion are effectively improved.Furthermore,a surrounding rock classification network based on autoencoder is constructed.The mapping relationship between wave velocity and classification of surrounding rock is established with density,Poisson’s ratio and elastic modulus as links.Two numerical examples with geological conditions similar to that in the field tunnel and a field case study in an urban subway tunnel verify the potential of the proposed method for practical application.

Wisdom and Geology, the North German Basin, and the Significance of Thrown Dices

For thousands of years, mankind is observing the surrounding nature. Often, they found no obvious clues for inexplicable and complex facts, leading to the belief that their wisdom was limited. This is in the majority of cases still true today, but based on hundreds of years of (geo-) scientific work some older thoughts can now be readjusted by combining newer geological, environmental, historical and philosophical clues. Facts about the development of the North German Basin are used to demonstrate the variability of geological systems and how these can be described by taking dice as a metaphor for ruling geological parameters. This includes all kinds of plate tectonically controlled basin forming processes, especially metamorphism of the lower crust due to a fixed mantle plume, basin filling processes with their galactic and lunar overprints, basin modifying tectonics due to internal (halokinesis, inversion) or external forces (one-sided loads at the surface due to mighty Delta sediments or glacial ice sheets) and geochemical reactions as a result of pressure and temperature changes in course of subsidence. Especially, the Rotliegend (Lower Permian) Gas Play is one of the possible illustrations of the entity of the North German Basin with its more than 70 - 90 independent parameters belonging to a global set of very complex hydrocarbon systems. Processes on Earth like the formation of systems of hydrocarbon fields as well as environmental systems (e.g. river systems, lakes, islands, sedimentary basins) are subordinated to the dices of nature and are steered invisibly by a selection of rules of the game that one understands as natural laws. The facts and remaining uncertainties as well as problems with subsurface-related processes (e.g. manmade tectonics, subsidence and uplift) guide the thoughts of engaged individuals on how to proceed wisely with limited predictability of challenges and dangers of a subsurface system. This work will be a trial to associate once more the natural sciences (geology) and the humanities (philosophy) for the benefit of both.

William Morris Davis: Father of Geomorphology or Father of Geology’s Unrecognized Paradigm Problem

An often unrecognized problem is the geology and glacial history paradigm’s inability to explain topographic map drainage system and erosional landform evidence, which means geology research studies rarely address that type of topographic map evidence. The problem originated in the late 19th century with William Morris Davis who is sometimes called the father of geomorphology and was one of the first geologists to interpret what in the late 19th century were newly available topographic maps. An 1889 Davis paper describes selected drainage system evidence observed on an advance copy of the 1890 Doylestown (Pennsylvania) topographic map and an 1892 Ward paper written after discussions with Davis describes additional selected drainage system evidence seen on the same map. Both papers fail to mention the majority of the Doylestown map’s drainage system features including most barbed tributaries, asymmetric drainage divides, and through (dry) valleys crossing major drainage divides. Had Davis used all of the map’s drainage system and erosional landform evidence he should have recognized the map evidence shows headward erosion of an east-oriented Neshaminy Creek valley captured southwest-oriented streams which headward erosion of the south-oriented Delaware River valley and its east-oriented tributary Tohickon Creek valley had beheaded. Consciously or unconsciously, Davis chose not to alert future investigators that Doylestown topographic map evidence did not support his yet-to-be-published Pennsylvania and New Jersey erosion history interpretations and instead Davis proceeded to develop and promote erosion history interpretations which the map evidence did not support.

Preface to the special issue dedicated to the 37^(th) International Geological Congress

The 37^(th) International Geological Congress,a premier forum held quadrennially and eagerly anticipated by geologists and geology enthusiasts worldwide,will take place from August 25 to 31,2024 in Busan,Republic of Korea.To celebrate this grand event,China Geology,a multidisciplinary geosciences journal sponsored by China Geological Survey and Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences(where the Secretariat of the International Union of Geological Sciences is currently located),presents this special issue and extends our best wishes for the success of the conference!

Geology and Mineral Deposits of Saraikistan (South Punjab, Koh Sulaiman Range) of Pakistan: A Tabular Review of Recently Discovered Biotas from Pakistan and Paleobiogeographic Link: Phylogeny and Hypodigm of Poripuchian Titanosaurs from Indo-Pakistan

Saraikistan (South Punjab and surrounding) area of Pakistan is located in the central Pakistan. This area represents Triassic-Jurassic to Recent sedimentary marine and terrestrial strata. Most of the Mesozoic and Early Cenozoic are represented by marine strata with rare terrestrial deposits, while the Late Cenozoic is represented by continental fluvial deposits. This area hosts significant mineral deposits and their development can play a significant role in the development of Saraikistan region and ultimately for Pakistan. The data of recently discovered biotas from Cambrian to Miocene age are tabulated for quick view. Mesozoic biotas show a prominent paleobiogeographic link with Gondwana and Cenozoic show Eurasian. Phylogeny and hypodigm of Poripuchian titanosaurs from India and Pakistan are hinted at here.

Geological conditions and reservoir characteristics of various shales in major shalehosted regions of China

China is home to shales of three facies:Marine shale,continental shale,and marine-continental transitional shale.Different types of shale gas are associated with significantly different formation conditions and major controlling factors.This study compared the geological characteristics of various shales and analyzed the influences of different parameters on the formation and accumulation of shale gas.In general,shales in China’s several regions exhibit high total organic carbon(TOC)contents,which lays a sound material basis for shale gas generation.Marine strata generally show high degrees of thermal evolution.In contrast,continental shales manifest low degrees of thermal evolution,necessitating focusing on areas with relatively high degrees of thermal evolution in the process of shale gas surveys for these shales.The shales of the Wufeng and Silurian formations constitute the most favorable shale gas reservoirs since they exhibit the highest porosity among the three types of shales.These shales are followed by those in the Niutitang and Longtan formations.In contrast,the shales of the Doushantuo,Yanchang,and Qingshankou formations manifest low porosities.Furthermore,the shales of the Wufeng and Longmaxi formations exhibit high brittle mineral contents.Despite a low siliceous mineral content,the shales of the Doushantuo Formation feature a high carbonate mineral content,which can increase the shales’brittleness to some extent.For marine-continental transitional shales,where thin interbeds of tight sandstone with unequal thicknesses are generally found,it is recommended that fracturing combined with drainage of multiple sets of lithologic strata should be employed to enhance their shale gas production.

The State of Geological Sciences in the USSR by the Mid-Twentieth Century

The November 1948 open session of the Institute of Geological Sciences AS USSR was previously unknown,in contrast to the August 1948 session of VASKhNIL.The publication of the transcript of the session of geologists is based on the original verified transcript from the Geological Institute and the Archive RAS.It presented reports on the main scientific directions of geology:stratigraphy,the Quaternary geology,lithology,geotectonics,petrography and petrology,mineralogy and geochemistry,and the geology of ore and coal deposits.This thick book details all the Q&A sessions,discussions of theories,methods,and practice among the leading Soviet geoscientists.The session and its resolution describe the situation and development of geology in the USSR in the mid-twentieth century as well as the collateral impact of the Lysenko affair on the earth sciences in the USSR.

Evaluating the characteristics of geological structures in karst groundwater inflow, Nowsud Tunnel

Highly permeable geological structures such as dissolution channels, open fractures, and faults create environmental challenges regard to hydrological and hydrogeological aspects of underground construction, often causing significant groundwater inflow during drilling due to the limitations of empirical and analytical methods. This study aims to identify the geological factors influencing water flow into the tunnel. High-flow zones' geological features have been identified and examined for this purpose. According to the geological complexity of the Nowsud tunnel, presence of different formations with different permeability and karstification have led to a high volume of underground inflow water (up to 4700 L/s) to the tunnel. The Nowsud tunnel faces significant geological and hydrogeological challenges due to its passage through the Ilam formation's LI2 unit, characterized by dissolution channels, faults, and fractures. The highest inflow rate (4700 L/s) occurred in the Hz-9 zone within the Zimkan anticline. The relationship between geological features and groundwater inflow indicates that anticlines are more susceptible to inflow than synclines. Additionally, different types of faults exhibit varying hydraulic effects, with strike-slip faults having the most significant impact on groundwater inflow, thrust faults conducting less water into the tunnel, and inflow through normal faults being negligible compared to the other two types of faults. The novelty of this paper lies in its detailed analysis of geological features influencing groundwater inflow into the Nowsud tunnel, providing empirical data on high-flow zones and differentiating the hydraulic effects of various fault types, which enhances the understanding and prediction of groundwater inflow in underground constructions.

Microscopic characteristics and geological significance of pyrite in shales of the Wufeng-Longmaxi formations,southeastern Chongqing,China

Shales of the Wufeng-Longmaxi formations in the basin-margin transition zone of southeastern Chongqing,China are characterized by high organic matter content and a significant presence of pyrite development.By examining numerous scanning electron microscope(SEM)images and considering the crystal and aggregate characteristics of minerals,we identified four types of pyrite in the study area:euhedral crystals,irregular aggregates,framboidal aggregates,and metasomatized organisms.Among these types,framboidal aggregates are the most prevalent.The formation mechanism of framboidal pyrite can be categorized into inorganic and organic origins.As inferred from the pyrite characteristics in the study area,the formation mechanism of the metasomatized organisms aligns with the biologically induced mineralization mode of organic origin,whereas the framboidal aggregates are more associated with the biologically controlled mineralization mode of organic origin.This underscores a close relationship between the pyrite formation and organic matter,which in turn indicates that an organic origin is more consistent with the pyrite characteristics observed in this study area.The pyrite morphology can reflect reactive iron concentration.Euhedral pyrite crystals tend to form under a low reactive iron concentration,whereas the formation of framboidal pyrite requires a high reactive iron concentration.Additionally,the type and grain size of pyrite aggregates can reflect variations in the redox conditions of the depositional environment.Pyrite produces positive effects on reservoir storage space,with intercrystalline organic pores,intercrystalline pores,and mold pores associated with pyrite contributing greatly to the storage spaces.

Scale-space effect and scale hybridization in image intelligent recognition of geological discontinuities on rock slopes

Geological discontinuity(GD)plays a pivotal role in determining the catastrophic mechanical failure of jointed rock masses.Accurate and efficient acquisition of GD networks is essential for characterizing and understanding the progressive damage mechanisms of slopes based on monitoring image data.Inspired by recent advances in computer vision,deep learning(DL)models have been widely utilized for image-based fracture identification.The multi-scale characteristics,image resolution and annotation quality of images will cause a scale-space effect(SSE)that makes features indistinguishable from noise,directly affecting the accuracy.However,this effect has not received adequate attention.Herein,we try to address this gap by collecting slope images at various proportional scales and constructing multi-scale datasets using image processing techniques.Next,we quantify the intensity of feature signals using metrics such as peak signal-to-noise ratio(PSNR)and structural similarity(SSIM).Combining these metrics with the scale-space theory,we investigate the influence of the SSE on the differentiation of multi-scale features and the accuracy of recognition.It is found that augmenting the image's detail capacity does not always yield benefits for vision-based recognition models.In light of these observations,we propose a scale hybridization approach based on the diffusion mechanism of scale-space representation.The results show that scale hybridization strengthens the tolerance of multi-scale feature recognition under complex environmental noise interference and significantly enhances the recognition accuracy of GD.It also facilitates the objective understanding,description and analysis of the rock behavior and stability of slopes from the perspective of image data.

Estimation of the anisotropy of hydraulic conductivity through 3D fracture networks using the directional geological entropy

With an extension of the geological entropy concept in porous media,the approach called directional entrogram is applied to link hydraulic behavior to the anisotropy of the 3D fracture networks.A metric called directional entropic scale is used to measure the anisotropy of spatial order in different directions.Compared with the traditional connectivity indexes based on the statistics of fracture geometry,the directional entropic scale is capable to quantify the anisotropy of connectivity and hydraulic conductivity in heterogeneous 3D fracture networks.According to the numerical analysis of directional entrogram and fluid flow in a number of the 3D fracture networks,the hydraulic conductivities and entropic scales in different directions both increase with spatial order(i.e.,trace length decreasing and spacing increasing)and are independent of the dip angle.As a result,the nonlinear correlation between the hydraulic conductivities and entropic scales from different directions can be unified as quadratic polynomial function,which can shed light on the anisotropic effect of spatial order and global entropy on the heterogeneous hydraulic behaviors.

Prediction of favorable geological storage areas based on sedimentary characteristics:A case study on the northeastern Ordos Basin,China

The Ordos Basin is a large cratonic basin with stable deposition in Northwest China.Given its mostly stable subsidence background and the urgent need for saline water disposal and carbon dioxide storage in the coal mining and coal chemical industries,the Ordos Basin has been chosen as a pilot demonstration site for carbon dioxide and saline water storage in China.However,few studies have been made to evaluate the sedimentary and sequence stratigraphy characteristics of this region,as well as their influence on carbon dioxide and saline water storage potential.To address this research gap,we conducted a sedimentary study of the Lower Triassic Liujiagou Formation in the northeastern Ordos Basin utilizing the stratigraphy theory,laboratory test analysis,and pilot project demonstration,to evaluate the area's viability for the deep geological storage of gas and liquid waste.We studied the tectonic setting,petrological features,and sedimentary characteristics of the favorable strata and predicted favorable areas based on sequence stratigraphy theory.The lithology predominantly consists of feldspathic graywacke,with a fine grain size and mostly fine-to-medium-grained sandstone.The distribution of thick-grained sandstone and fine-grained sediment was identified by dividing the sequence,and a favorable reservoir-cap assemblage configuration was formed.It's concluded that the Lower Triassic Liujiagou Formation exhibits suitable characteristics for the deep geological storage of carbon dioxide and saline water.This study demonstrates the importance of basic theory in guiding practical applications and provides a reference for the scientific selection of favorable areas for deep basin storage.

Modularized and Parametric Modeling Technology for Finite Element Simulations of Underground Engineering under Complicated Geological Conditions

The surrounding geological conditions and supporting structures of underground engineering are often updated during construction,and these updates require repeated numerical modeling.To improve the numerical modeling efficiency of underground engineering,a modularized and parametric modeling cloud server is developed by using Python codes.The basic framework of the cloud server is as follows:input the modeling parameters into the web platform,implement Rhino software and FLAC3D software to model and run simulations in the cloud server,and return the simulation results to the web platform.The modeling program can automatically generate instructions that can run the modeling process in Rhino based on the input modeling parameters.The main modules of the modeling program include modeling the 3D geological structures,the underground engineering structures,and the supporting structures as well as meshing the geometric models.In particular,various cross-sections of underground caverns are crafted as parametricmodules in themodeling program.Themodularized and parametric modeling program is used for a finite element simulation of the underground powerhouse of the Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Station.This complicatedmodel is rapidly generated for the simulation,and the simulation results are reasonable.Thus,this modularized and parametric modeling program is applicable for three-dimensional finite element simulations and analyses.

Application of oblique photogrammetry technique in geological hazard identification and decision management

With the continuous development of the oblique photography technique, it has been used more and more widely in the field of geological disasters. It can quickly obtain the three-dimensional(3D) real scene model of dangerous mountainous areas under the premise of ensuring the safety of personnel while restoring the real geographic information as much as possible. However, geological disaster areas are often accompanied by many adverse factors such as cliffs and dense vegetation. Based on this, the paper introduced the flight line design of oblique photogrammetry, analyzed the multi-platform data fusion processing, studied the multi-period data dynamic evaluation technology and proposed the application methods of data acquisition, early warning, disaster assessment and decision management suitable for geological disaster identification through the analysis of actual cases, which will help geologists to plan and control geological work more scientifically and rationally, improve work efficiency and reduce the potential personnel safety hazards in the process of geological survey, to offer technical support to the application of oblique photogrammetry in geological disaster identification and decision making and provide the scientific basis for personal and property safety protection and later-stage geological disaster management in disaster areas.