Strength weakening and its micromechanism in water–rock interaction,a short review in laboratory tests

Water–rock interaction(WRI)is a topic of interest in geology and geotechnical engineering.Many geological hazards and engineering safety problems are severe under the WRI.This study focuses on the water weakening of rock strength and its infuencing factors(water content,immersion time,and wetting–drying cycles).The strength of the rock mass decreases to varying degrees with water content,immersion time,and wetting–drying cycles depending on the rock mass type and mineral composition.The corresponding acoustic emission count and intensity and infrared radiation intensity also weaken accordingly.WRI enhances the plasticity of rock mass and reduces its brittleness.Various microscopic methods for studying the pore characterization and weakening mechanism of the WRI were compared and analyzed.Various methods should be adopted to study the pore evolution of WRI comprehensively.Microscopic methods are used to study the weakening mechanism of WRI.In future work,the mechanical parameters of rocks weakened under long-term water immersion(over years)should be considered,and more attention should be paid to how the laboratory scale is applied to the engineering scale.

Isotope Tracking of Surface Water Groundwater Interaction in the Beninese Part of the Iullemeden Aquifer System

The Kandi basin is located in northeast Benin (West Africa). This study is focused on the estimation of water fluxes exchanged between the river Niger (and its tributaries) and the transboundary Iullemeden Aquifer System. In that framework, an innovative approach based on the application of the Bayesian Mixing Model (MixSIAR) analysis on water isotopes (oxygen-18, deuterium and tritium) was performed. Moreover, to assess the relevance of the model outputs, Pearson’s correlation and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) have been done. A complex relationship between surface water and groundwater has been found. Sixty percent (60%) of groundwater samples are made of more than 70% river water and rainwater;while 31.25% of surface water samples are made of about 84% groundwater. To safeguard sustainable water resources for the well-being of the local communities, surface water and groundwater must be managed as a unique component in the Kandi basin.

Dissolution and Deformation Characteristics of Limestones Containing Different Calcite and Dolomite Content Induced by CO_(2)-Water-Rock Interaction

To investigate the impacts of mineral composition on physical and mechanical properties of carbonate rocks,limestone specimens containing different contents in calcite and dolomite are selected to perform CO_(2)-water-rock reaction experiments.The X-ray Diffraction(XRD) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance(NMR) are carried out to examine the change characteristics of mineral dissolution and pore structure after reaction.The core flooding experiments with Fiber Bragg gratings are implemented to examine the stress sensitivity of carbonate rocks.The results show that the limestones containing pure calcite are more susceptible to acid dissolution compared to limestone containing impure dolomite.The calcite content in pure limestone decreases as the reaction undergoes.The dissolution of dolomite leads to the formation of calcite in impure limestone.Calcite dissolution leads to the formation of macropore and flow channels in pure limestone,while the effects of impure dolomite in impure limestone results in mesopore formation.When confining pressure is lower than 12 MPa,pure limestones demonstrate higher strain sensitivity coefficients compared to impure limestone containing dolomite after reaction.When confining pressure exceeds 12 MPa,the strain sensitivity coefficients of both pure and impure limestones become almost equal.

Mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of soft rock with different water contents under dynamic disturbance

Uniaxial compression tests and cyclic loading acoustic emission tests were conducted on 20%,40%,60%,80%,dry and saturated muddy sandstone by using a creep impact loading system to investigate the mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of soft rocks with different water contents under dynamic disturbance.The mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of muddy sandstones at different water contents were analysed.Results of experimental studies show that water is a key factor in the mechanical properties of rocks,softening them,increasing their porosity,reducing their brittleness and increasing their plasticity.Under uniaxial compression,the macroscopic damage characteristics of the muddy sandstone change from mono-bevel shear damage and‘X’type conjugate bevel shear damage to a roadway bottom-drum type damage as the water content increases.Dynamic perturbation has a strengthening effect on the mechanical properties of samples with 60%and less water content,and a weakening effect on samples with 80%and more water content,but the weakening effect is not obvious.Macroscopic damage characteristics of dry samples remain unchanged,water samples from shear damage and tensile–shear composite damage gradually transformed into cleavage damage,until saturation transformation monoclinic shear damage.The evolution of acoustic emission energy and event number is mainly divided into four stages:loading stage(Ⅰ),dynamic loading stage(Ⅱ),yield failure stage(Ⅲ),and post-peak stage(Ⅳ),the acoustic emission characteristics of the stages were different for different water contents.The characteristic value of acoustic emission key point frequency gradually decreases,and the damage degree of the specimen increases,corresponding to low water content—high main frequency—low damage and high water content—low main frequency—high damage.

A new interacting capillary bundle model on the multiphase flow in micropores of tight rocks

Surfactants are widely used in the fracturing fluid to enhance the imbibition and thus the oil recovery rate. However, current numerical models cannot capture the physics behind capillary imbibition during the wettability alteration by surfactants. Although the interacting capillary bundle(ICB) model shows potential in characterizing imbibition rates in different pores during wettability alteration, the existing ICB models neglect the influence of wettability and viscosity ratio on the imbibition behavior, making it difficult to accurately describe the oil-water imbibition behavior within the porous media. In this work,a new ICB mathematical model is established by introducing pressure balance without assuming the position of the leading front to comprehensively describe the imbibition behavior in a porous medium under different conditions, including gas-liquid spontaneous imbibition and oil-water imbibition.When the pore size distribution of a tight rock is known, this new model can predict the changes of water saturation during the displacement process in the tight rock, and also determine the imbibition rate in pores of different sizes. The water saturation profiles obtained from the new model are validated against the waterflooding simulation results from the CMG, while the imbibition rates calculated by the model are validated against the experimental observations of gas-liquid spontaneous imbibition. The good match above indicates the newly proposed model can show the water saturation profile at a macroscopic scale while capture the underlying physics of the multiphase flow in a porous medium at a microscopic scale. Simulation results obtained from this model indicate that both wettability and viscosity ratio can affect the sequence of fluid imbibition into pores of different sizes during the multiphase flow, where less-viscous wetting fluid is preferentially imbibed into larger pores while more-viscous wetting fluid tends to be imbibed into smaller pores. Furthermore, this model provides an avenue to calculate the imbibition rate in pores of different sizes during wettability alteration and capture the non-Darcy effect in micro-and nano-scale pores.

Water-induced physicochemical and pore changes in limestone for surrounding rock across pressure aquifers

Osmotic water alters the physicochemical properties and internal structures of limestone.This issue is particularly critical in tunnel construction across mountainous regions with aquifers,where pressurized groundwater can destabilize the limestone-based surrounding rock.Thus,systematic research into the physicochemical properties and pore structure changes in the limestone under pressurized water is essential.Additionally,it is essential to develop an interpretable mathematical model to accurately depict how pressurized osmotic water weakens limestone.In this research,a specialized device was designed to simulate the process of osmotic laminar flow within limestone.Then,four main tests were conducted:mass loss,acoustic emission(AE),mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP),and fluorescence analysis.Experimental results gained from tests led to the development of a“Particle-pore throat-water film”model.Proposed model explains water-induced physicochemical and pore changes in limestone under osmotic pressure and reveals evolutionary mechanisms as pressure increases.Based on experimental results and model,we found that osmotic pressure not only alters limestone composition but also affects pore throats larger than 0.1μm.Furthermore,osmotic pressure expands pore throats,enhancing pore structure uniformity,interconnectivity,and permeability.These effects are observed at a threshold of 7.5 MPa,where cohesive forces within the mineral lattice are surpassed,leading to the breakdown of erosion-resistant layer and a significant increase in hydrochemical erosion.

Achieving asymmetric redox chemistry for oxygen evolution reaction through strong metal-support interactions

Water electrolysis poses a significant challenge for balancing catalytic activity and stability of oxygen evolution reaction(OER)electrocatalysts.In this study,we address this challenge by constructing asymmetric redox chemistry through elaborate surface OO–Ru–OH and bulk Ru–O–Ni/Fe coordination moieties within single-atom Ru-decorated defective NiFe LDH nanosheets(Ru@d-NiFe LDH)in conjunction with strong metal-support interactions(SMSI).Rigorous spectroscopic characterization and theoretical calculations indicate that single-atom Ru can delocalize the O 2p electrons on the surface and optimize d-electron configurations of metal atoms in bulk through SMSI.The^(18)O isotope labeling experiment based on operando differential electrochemical mass spectrometry(DEMS),chemical probe experiments,and theoretical calculations confirm the encouraged surface lattice oxygen,stabilized bulk lattice oxygen,and enhanced adsorption of oxygen-containing intermediates for bulk metals in Ru@d-NiFe LDH,leading to asymmetric redox chemistry for OER.The Ru@d-NiFe LDH electrocatalyst exhibits exceptional performance with an overpotential of 230 mV to achieve 10 mA cm^(−2)and maintains high robustness under industrial current density.This approach for achieving asymmetric redox chemistry through SMSI presents a new avenue for developing high-performance electrocatalysts and instills confidence in its industrial applicability.

Effect of high-multiple water injection on rock pore structure and oil displacement efficiency

Experimental methods,including mercury pressure,nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)and core(wateroil)displacement,are used to examine the effects of high-multiple water injection(i.e.water injection with high injected pore volume)on rock properties,pore structure and oil displacement efficiency of an oilfield in the western South China Sea.The results show an increase in the permeability of rocks along with particle migration,an increase in the pore volume and the average pore throat radius,and enhanced heterogeneity after high-multiple water injection.Compared with normal water injection methods,a high-multiple water injection is more effective in improving the oil displacement efficiency.The degree of recovery increases faster in the early stage due to the expansion of the swept area,and the transition from oil-wet to water-wet.The degree of recovery increases less in the late stage due to various factors,including the enhancement of heterogeneity in the rocks.Considering both the economic aspect and the production limit of water flooding,it is recommended to adopt other technologies to further enhance oil recovery after 300 PV water injection.

QTL mapping and transcriptome analysis identify candidate genes influencing water–nitrogen interaction in maize

Water and nitrogen fertilization are the key factors limiting maize productivity.The genetic basis of interactions between maize genotype,water,and nitrogen is unclear.A recombinant inbred line(RIL)maize population was evaluated for seven yield and five agronomic traits under four water and nitrogen conditions:water stress and low nitrogen,water stress and high nitrogen,well-watered and low nitrogen,and well-watered and high nitrogen.Respectively eight,six,and six traits varied in response to genotype–water interactions,genotype–nitrogen interactions,and genotype–water–nitrogen interactions.Using a linkage map consisting of 896 single-nucleotide polymorphism markers and multipleenvironmental quantitative-trait locus(QTL)mapping,we identified 31 QTL,including 12 for genotype–water–nitrogen interaction,across the four treatments.A set of 8060 genes were differentially expressed among treatments.Integrating genetic analysis,gene co-expression,and functional annotation revealed two candidate genes controlling genotype–water–nitrogen interactions,affecting both leaf width and grain yield.Genes involved in abscisic acid biosynthesis and bZIP,NAC,and WRKY transcription factors participated in maize response to water and nitrogen conditions.These results represent a step toward understanding the genetic regulatory network of maize that responds to water and nitrogen stress and provide a theoretical basis for the genetic improvement of both water-and nitrogen-use efficiency.

Quantitatively probing interactions between membrane with adaptable wettability and oil phase in oil/water separation

The membrane method based on adaptive wettability shows great advantages in oil-water separation.At present,researches focus on the excellent application performance of the membrane material,while the quantitative analysis of interactions in oil-water separation is rarely recognized.Herein,we constructed an adaptable wettability membrane with multiple polymer networks by polydopamine(PDA)and mussel-inspired amphiphilic polymer.Based on the Owens three-probe liquid method,the surface energy of the modified membrane was verified to meet the adaptive wettability conditions,with surface energies(γ-8)of 147.6 mJ m^(−2)(superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic)and 49.87 mJ m^(−2)(superhydrophobic/superoleophobic),respectively.The adhesion or repulsion of the membrane to the oil phase under different conditions during the separation process was quantified by the chemical probe AFM technique.In addition,the oil-water selective separation mechanism was further analyzed in a simplified membrane microchannel model.The results show that the different wetting produces capillary additional pressure in opposite directions,resulting in different energies to be overcome when the oil or water passes through the microchannels,thus achieving selective separation.

Groundwater monitoring of an open-pit limestone quarry:Water-rock interaction and mixing estimation within the rock layers by geochemical and statistical analyses

Water-rock interaction and groundwater mixing are important phenomena in understanding hydrogeological systems and the stability of rock slopes especially those consisting largely of moderately watersoluble minerals like calcite. In this study, the hydrogeological and geochemical evolutions of groundwater in a limestone quarry composed of three strata: limestone layer(covering), interbedded layer under the covering layer, and slaty greenstone layer(basement) were investigated. Water-rock interaction in the open-pit limestone quarry was evaluated using PHREEQC, while hierarchical cluster analysis(HCA)and principal component analysis(PCA) were used to classify and identify water sources responsible for possible groundwater mixing within rock layers. In addition, Geochemist's Workbench was applied to estimate the mixing fractions to clarify sensitive zones that may affect rock slope stability. The results showed that the changes in Ca2+and HCO3àconcentrations of several groundwater samples along the interbedded layer could be attributed to mixing groundwater from the limestone layer and that from slaty greenstone layer. Based on the HCA and PCA results, groundwaters were classified into several types depending on their origin:(1) groundwater from the limestone layer(LO),(2) mixed groundwater flowing along the interbedded layer(e.g., groundwater samples L-7, L-11, S-3 and S-4), and(3) groundwater originating from the slaty greenstone layer(SO). The mixing fractions of 41% LO: 59% SO, 64% LO: 36% SO, 43%LO: 57% SOand 25% LO: 75% SOon the normal days corresponded to groundwaters L-7, L-11, S-3 and S-4,respectively, while the mixing fractions of groundwaters L-7 and L-11(61% LO: 39% SOand 93% LO: 7% SO,respectively) on rainy days became the majority of groundwater originating from the limestone layer.These indicate that groundwater along the interbedded layer significantly affected the stability of rock slopes by enlarging multi-breaking zones in the layer through calcite dissolution and inducing high water pressure, tension cracks and potential sliding plane along this layer particularly during intense rainfall episodes.

Hydrogeological Investigations of Groundwater and Surface Water Interactions in the Berg River Catchment, Western Cape, South Africa

The Berg River Catchment based in the Western Cape Province,South Africa services the greater Cape Town area with water,subsequent to supplying the vast agricultural activities that exist in the middle and the lower reaches.This study thus investigates the hydrogeochemical interactions between surface and groundwater in the Berg River Catchment with the aim of establishing trends and transfer of constituents between the surface and groundwater systems,investigates the role that geology plays in water chemistry as well as identifies the geochemical processes controlling surface and groundwater chemistry in the catchment.This study was carried out using three types of research designs namely i)experimental research design;ii)field research design and meta-analysis research design.Furthermore,the study made use of hydrochemical data ranging from 2003 to 2013 obtained from the National Water Monitoring Database owned and maintained by the Department of Water and Sanitation and data that were sampled in 2016 by authors and analyzed using the ICP-MS Technique Ground Water Chart,Arc-GIS and Geosoft(Oasis Montaj)were further employed to model the data.The results indicated that:i)in the Upper Berg there is not much interaction and transfer of constituents between surface and groundwater;ii)the Middle Berg,however,indicated a degree of interaction with the sharing of constituents between the two water systems and iii)the Lower Berg indicated only NaCl water type also noting that the area situated near the river mouth whereby there is the mixing of river and seawater.

Experiment study on water-rock interaction about gold activation and migration in different solutions

The interactions on gold active and migratory quantities and rates between tuffaceous slate and solu tions with different compositions were experimentally studied at 200 ℃, 20 MPa, in a high pressure apparatus. After reaction, tuffaceous slate became light colored and soft, and its mass density reduced. The amount of gold extracted from tuffaceous slate ranges widely, from 0 027 to 0 234 μg/g. Chlorine solution may activate appreciable amount of gold, and the gold migratory rate is high enough, from 50 70% to 92 30%, which reveals that sulphur and chlorine work together in solutions to accelerate gold activation and migration, and to realize gold mineralization in favorable places.

Water-Rock Interaction in Tarim Basin: Constraints from Oilfield Water Geochemistry

Oilfield waters from Cenozoic and Mesozoic terrestrial and Paleozoic marine environments in the Tarim Basin show no obvious difference in water chemistry except Br and isotopic compositions. The Paleozoic marine strata have higher Br concentrations than the terrestrial sediments, and the lack of obvious relationship between Br and Ⅰ suggests that Br is not, for the most part, derived from the degradation of organic matter. The oilfield waters are characterized by high TDS (total dissolved solids), ranging from 120000mg/L to 320000mg/L,relatively low Mg, high Ca, Sr, and CF relative to Br of evaporating seawater, suggestive of enhanced water-rock interaction. (Al (organic acid anions) concentrations are generally lower than 1500 mg/L with high values occurring over the temperature range from 95℃ to 140℃ ,in the Cambrian to Jurassic systems, and nearby unconformities. Organic acids are considered to be generated mainly from thermal maturation of kerogens during progressive burial of the Jurassic-Triassic and Cambrian-Ordovician systems, biodegradation of crude oils nearby unconformities, and thermochemical sulfate reduction in part of the Cambrian and Ordovician strata.High Al concentrations up to 3 mg/L to 5. 5 mg/L tend to occur in the waters of high OAA or petroleum- bearing intervals, suggesting the presence of organic complexing agents. Calculation by SOLMINEQ. 88 with updated database shows that AlAc2+ may account for more than 30%of the total Al. IsotoPic measurements (δD, δ18O) provide evidence for the following types of waters: diagenetically- modified connate meteoric water from the Jurassic and Triassic strata;diagenetically-modified connate marine water from the Cambrian and Ordovician strata; subaerially-evaporated water from the Cenozoic and Cretaceous strata; and mixed meteoric-evaporated or/and diagenetically modified connate water from the Carboniferous strata and reservoirs adjacent to the J/C and T/C unconformities. Those waters with very negativeδD values from -51. 30‰. to - 53. 80‰ (SMOW) and positive δ18 O values from 2. 99‰ to 4. 99‰(SMOW) in the continuous burial of the Cambrian-Ordovician system are explained to have resulted from hydrocarbon-water and water-rock interactions.

Hydrogeochemical Simulation of Water-Rock Interaction Under Water Flood Recovery in Renqiu Oilfield, Hebei Province, China

Hydrogeochemical simulation is an effective method to study water-rock interaction. In this paper, PHREEQM was used for the simulation of water-rock interaction under water flooding in the Renqiu Oilfield. Calculated results revealed that when fresh water was injected into the reservoir, Cl\+- and Na\++ would decrease without involvement in water-rock interaction. Erosion to dolomite will lead to an increase in Ca\+\{2+\}, Mg\+\{2+\} and CaHCO\++\-3. Saturation index of calcite and aragonite decreased first and then increased. With fresh water accounting for up to 70%, mixed water has the strongest erosion ability. Deoiled water has erosion ability under high temperature and high partial pressure of CO\-2. Pyrite and gypsum were sensitive to deoiled water, which can cause the dissolution of pyrite and the precipitation of gypsum. Micrographs revealed a great deal of information about water-rock interaction.

GIS-Hydrogeochemical Model of the YaoundéFractured Rock Aquifer, Cameroon: Aquifer Setting, Seasonal Variations in Groundwater-Rock Interaction and Water Quality

This study of the gneiss-fractured-rock aquifer in Yaoundé capital of Cameroon determines: the aquifer setting-flow systems, the aquifer type, seasonal variations in rock-water interactions, evolution of the hydrogeochemical processes, physicochemical parameters and the suitability for domestic-agro-industrial use of the groundwater. Physicochemical field tests were carried out on 445 wells during four seasons for EC, pH, TDS, Temperature and static water level from July 2016 to May 2017. 90 well samples were analyzed 45 samples per season: wet/dry. 38 borewell logs were used together with structural data to determine the aquifer setting. The field physico-chemical and laboratory analysis data of well samples were mounted unto various GIS software platforms: Global mapper, AqQa, Aquachem, Rockworks, Logplot7, Surfer and ArcGIS, to get indices/parameters/figures, by use of Durov’s, Piper’s and Gibbs diagrams, Water quality index WQI, USSL ratio, Sodium Absorption ratio SAR, Percent sodium %Na, Kelly Ratio KR, Magnesium Absorption Ratio MAR, Total Hardness TH, Residual Sodium Carbonate RSC and Permeability Index PI that were determined. The process of groundwater ions acquisition is three-fold: by recharge through atmospheric precipitation, by ion exchange/simple dissolution between the rock-groundwater and by groundwater mixing in its flow path. Water types are Ca-HCO3, Mg-HCO3 and Mg-Cl while hydrogeochemical facies are Ca-Mg-HCO3 and Ca-Mg-Cl-SO4. Most water samples are fresh, potable and soft all seasons. The hydrogeological conceptual model is that of a three-layered single phreatic fractured-rock-aquifer while other researchers postulated a two-aquifer, phreatic and semi-confined, two-layered model.

Water/Rock Interactions and Changes in Chemical Composition During Zeolite Mineralization

Systematic analysis and comparative study of the chemical compositions of rocks and ores from the main types of zeolite deposits in the surroundings of the Songliao Basin have shown that the process of formation of zeolite from volcanic and pyroclastic rocks is generally characterized by the relative purification of SiO\-2, i.e., SiO\-2/Al\-2O\-3 ratios tend to increase, alkali earth elements (CaO+MgO) and H\-2O are relatively enriched, and the alkali metals (K\-2O+Na\-2O) are depleted in their total amount. The alkali metals K and Na follow different rules of migration and enrichment during the formation of mordenite and clinoptilolite. In the process of formation of mordenite more Na\++ will be imported and K\++ will be lost remarkably. On the contrary, in the process of formation clinoptilolite more K\++ will be incorporated and Na\++ will become obviously depleted.

Hydrogen and Oxygen Isotope Study on the Water-Rock Interaction of the Yinshan (Cu-) Pb-Zn-Ag Ore Deposit, Jiangxi Province

The δ18O values of vein quartz of different stages from the Yinshan ore deposit are constant around 16‰ and the calculated δ18OH2O values attain 8‰± ; the δDH2O values of fluid inclu-sions in vein quartz are constant at about-60‰. From the surface down to 1200 m below the δ18O values of altered rocks gradually decrease from 15‰± to 11‰± . Various water-rock inversion calculations indicate that the ore fluids were formed by the interaction between meteoric water and phyllite at 350℃ and the effective W/ R value of around 0.1. When the water-rock exchange in the upper mineralization system took place, the effective W / R value increased to 5.0 or more. As a result, an evolution and mineralization model of a buffered open system with two-stage water-rock interactions is proposed in this study.

Water-Rock Interactions and Chemical Composi-tional Variations During Ductile Deformation ofthe NW-Striking Shear Zone in the Jiapigou Gold Belt, China

Two kinds of mylonite series rocks, felsic and mafic, have been recognized in the NW-striking shear zone of the Jiapigou gold belt. During ductile deformation, a large amount of fluid interacted intensively with the mylonite series rocks: plagioclases were sericitized and the An values declined rapidly, finally all of them were trans formed to albites; dark minerals were gradually replaced by chlorites （mostly ripidolite）. Meanwhile, large-scale and extensive carbonation also took place, and the carbonatization minerals varied from calcite to dolomite and ankerite with the development of deformation. The δ13C values of the carbonates are - 3. 0‰--5. 6‰ suggesting a deep source of carbon. The ductile deformation is nearly an iso-volume one （fv=1）. With the enhancement of shear deformation, SiO2 in the two mylonite series rocks was depleted, while volatile components such as CO2 and H2O, and some ore-forming elements such as Au and S were obviously enriched. But it is noted that the enrichment of An in both the mylonite series rocks did not reach the paygrade of gold. The released SiO2 from water-rock interactions occurred in the form of colloids and absorbed gold in the fluid. When brittle structures were formed locally in the ductile shear zone, the ore-forming fluids migrated to the structures along micro fractures, and precipitated auriferous quartz because of reduction of pressure and temperature. Fluid inclusion study shows that the temperature and pressure of the ore-forming fluids are 245-292℃ and 95.4-131. 7MPa respectively; the salinity is 12. 88-16. 33 wt% NaCl; the fluid-phase is rich in Ca2+, K+, Na+, Mg2+, F- and Cl-, while the gaseous phases are rich in CO2 and CH4. The δDand δ18 O values of the ore-forming fluid are - 84. 48‰- - 91. 73‰ and - 0. 247‰-+2.715‰ respectively, suggesting that the fluid is composed predominantly of meteoric water.