DEM investigation of weathered rocks using a novel bond contact model

The distinct element method（DEM） incorporated with a novel bond contact model was applied in this paper to shed light on the microscopic physical origin of macroscopic behaviors of weathered rock, and to achieve the changing laws of microscopic parameters from observed decaying properties of rocks during weathering. The changing laws of macroscopic mechanical properties of typical rocks were summarized based on the existing research achievements. Parametric simulations were then conducted to analyze the relationships between macroscopic and microscopic parameters, and to derive the changing laws of microscopic parameters for the DEM model. Equipped with the microscopic weathering laws, a series of DEM simulations of basic laboratory tests on weathered rock samples was performed in comparison with analytical solutions. The results reveal that the relationships between macroscopic and microscopic parameters of rocks against the weathering period can be successfully attained by parametric simulations. In addition, weathering has a significant impact on both stressestrain relationship and failure pattern of rocks.

Model Test Study on Response of Weathered Rock Slope to Rainfall Infiltration under Different Conditions

Weathered rock(especially granite)slopes are prone to failure under the action of rainfall,making it necessary to study the response of weathered rock slope to rainfall infiltration for landslide prevention.In this study,a series of model tests of weathered rock slope under different conditions were conducted.The matric suction,volumetric water content,earth pressure and deformation of slope were monitored in real time during rainfall.The response of the slope to rainfall infiltration,failure process and failure mode of slope under different conditions were analyzed,and the early warning criterion for the failure of weathered rock slope caused by rainfall was studied.The results show that the slope deformation evolution process under rainfall condition was closely related to the dissipation of matric suction.When the distribution of the matrix suction(or water content)of slope met the condition that the resistance to sliding of the slip-mass was overcome,the displacement increased sharply and landslide occurred.Three factors including rainfall process,lithologic condition and excavation condition significantly affect the response of weathered rock slope to rainfall.It can be found from the test results under different conditions that compared with intermittent rainfall condition,the rainfall intensity and infiltration depth were smaller when the slope entering accelerated deformation stage under the condition of incremental rainfall.The accumulated rainfall when weathered clastic landslide occurring was greater than that of weathered granite,which results in greater disaster risk.The excavation angle and moisture distribution of a slope were the main factors affecting the stability of a slope.In addition,the evolution processes and critical displacement velocities of slopes were studied by combining the deformation curves and matrix suction curves,which can be used as reference for early warning of rainfall-induced weathered rock landslide.

Dynamic response and failure process of horizontal-layered fractured structure rock slope under strong earthquake

Rock slope with horizontal-layered fractured structure(HLFS)has high stability in its natural state.However,a strong earthquake can induce rock fissure expansion,ultimately leading to slope failure.In this study,the dynamic response,failure mode,and spectral characteristics of rock slope with HLFS under strong earthquake conditions were investigated based on the large-scale shaking table model test.On this basis,multiple sets of numerical calculation models were further established by UDEC discrete element program.Five influencing factors were considered in the parametric study of numerical simulations,including slope height,slope angle,bedding-plane spacing and secondary joint spacing as well as bedrock dip angle.The results showed that the failure process of rock slope with HLFS under earthquake action is mainly divided into four phases,i.e.,the tensile crack of the slope shoulder joints and shear dislocation at the top bedding plane,the extension of vertical joint cracks and increase of shear displacement,the formation of step-through sliding surfaces and the instability,and finally collapse of fractured rock mass.The acceleration response of slopes exhibits elevation amplification effect and surface effect.Numerical simulations indicate that the seismic stability of slopes with HLFS exhibits a negative correlation with slope height and angle,but a positive correlation with bedding-plane spacing,joint spacing,and bedrock dip angle.The results of this study can provide a reference for seismic stability evaluation of weathered rock slopes.

Digital monitoring of rotary-percussive drilling with down-the-hole hammer for profiling weathered granitic ground

Rock and geotechnical engineering investigations involve drilling holes in ground with or without retrieving soil and rock samples to construct the subsurface ground profile.On the basis of an actual soil nailing drilling for a slope stability project in Hong Kong,this paper further develops the drilling process monitoring(DPM)method for digitally profiling the subsurface geomaterials of weathered granitic rocks using a compressed airflow driven percussive-rotary drilling machine with down-the-hole(DTH)hammer.Seven transducers are installed on the drilling machine and record the chuck displacement,DTH rotational speed,and five pressures from five compressed airflows in real-time series.The mechanism and operations of the drilling machine are elaborated in detail,which is essential for understanding and evaluating the drilling data.A MATLAB program is developed to automatically filter the recorded drilling data in time series and classify them into different drilling processes in sub-time series.These processes include penetration,push-in with or without rod,pull-back with or without rod,rod-tightening and rod-untightening.The drilling data are further reconstructed to plot the curve of drill-bit depth versus the net drilling time along each of the six drillholes.Each curve is found to contain multiple linear segments with a constant penetration rate,which implies a zone of homogenous geomaterial with different weathering grades.The effect from fluctuation of the applied pressures is evaluated quantitatively.Detailed analyses are presented for accurately assess and verify the underground profiling and strength in weathered granitic rock,which provided the basis of using DPM method to confidently assess drilling measurements to interpret the subsurface profile in real time.

Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties of Weathered Rock Covered by Loess

Based on dynamic triaxial test, the mechanical properties of the weathered rock covered by loess were studied. The cohesion value of weathered mudstone is far below that of the weathered sandstone, while the internal friction angle values are basically equivalent, about 30. Compared with the undisturbed sample, the cohesion value of remodeling weathered rock sample decreases significantly. With the increase of moisture content, the strength of weathered mudstone is obviously decreased due to the influence of the water softening efect. This results illustrate that the bearing stratum is not easily afected by external disturbance in comparison to weathered mudstone. In the engineering, in order to ensure the good mechanical properties of the soil, more attention should be paid to keeping the water content constant, even to reducing the water content. The experiments show that the relations between shear stress and strain of weathered rock were nonlinear and the behavior of weathered rock can be expressed by the hyperbolic model. The initial modulus of undisturbed weathered rock, under the same consolidation conditions, is much greater than that of remodeling samples. Meanwhile, the initial dynamic elastic modulus of sandstone is also greater than that of the mudstone. The dynamic shear modulus ratios of the undisturbed sandstone, the undisturbed mudstone, as well as the remodeling mudstone have the normalization characteristics with the increase of dynamic shear strain. The damping ratio of mudstone is larger than that of the sandstone, and the damping ratio of remolding sample is also greater than that of the undisturbed mudstone. The mudstone has the bad mechanical properties as bearing stratum.

Estimating the properties of weathered bedrock and pile-rock interaction from the geological strength index

The effect of variable rock mass properties on pile-rock interaction poses a great challenge to the design of stabilizing piles and numerical analysis of pile-rock interaction. The paper presents a novel method to estimate the properties of weathered bedrock, which can be applied to routine design of landslide-stabilizing piles for collivial landslides. The Ercengyan landslide located in the Three Gorges Reservoir, China, is the area of interest for this study. A geological investigation and triaxial tests were conducted to estimate the basic parameters, including Geological Strength Index(GSI), uniaxial compressive strength σ_(ci) and Hoek-Brown constant m_i of intact bedrock in the study area. Hoek-Brown criterion was used to estimate mechanical properties of the weathered rock, including elastic modulus E_m, cohesion c, friction angle Φ, and normal ultimate lateral resistance p_(max). A parametric study was performed to evaluate the effect of parameterizations of GSI, σ_(ci) and m_i on the bedrock properties and p-y curves. The estimated rock mass properties were used with PLAXIS 2D software to simulate pile-rock interaction. Effect of GSI on stress at the pile-rock interface and in the rock, pile bending moment, pile shear force, and p-y curve were analysed.

Prediction of Young’s modulus of weathered igneous rocks using GRNN,RVM,and MPMR models with a new index

Young’s modulus(YM)of intact rock is an important parameter in the assessment of engineering behaviours of rock masses,and it cannot always be obtained in an economical and practical manner in laboratory experiments.The main purpose of this study is to examine the capability of the minimax probability machine regression(MPMR),relevance vector machine(RVM),and generalised regression neural network(GRNN)models for the prediction of YM.The other aim is to determine the usefulness of a new index,the n-durability index(ndrb),which is based on porosity and the slake durability index.According to the regression analysis performed in this study,the n-durability index as an explanatory parameter performs better than the P-wave velocity(Vp),porosity,and slake durability index in the models,considering the results herein as well as the existing literature.According to regression error characteristic curves,Taylor diagrams,and performance indices,the best prediction model is MPMR,while the worst is the GRNN model.Although GRNN is the worst of the soft computing models,its performance is slightly better than that of the multiple linear regression(MLR)model.According to the results of the study,the MPMR and RVM models with ndrb and Vp are successful tools that can predict the YM of igneous rock materials to different degrees.

Compacting Deformation Engineering Characteristics of Weathered Soft Rock Mixture in Subgrade

The engineering characteristics of weathered soft rock are important contents of soft rock mechanics. They also play a significant role in compacting deformation, which has been known to exert a significant amount of influence on the stability of highway filling subgrade engineering. In an effort to investigate this aspect of the problem, compacting tests and unconfined compressive strength tests have been carried out on weathered argillaceous slate and pelitic siltstone rocks, which are broken and graded before the test. The testing results indicate that the relationships of both between stress and strain and between axial strain and tangent modulus are exponential relationships; the size of the grain plays some influence on the deformation modulus, whereas the water content impacts the compressive strength greatly, which shows quadratic function; the unconfined compressive strength is linear with the dry density of loose soft rock mixtures. Therefore, the water content must be controlled in both the design and the construction of subgrade engineering of soft rock filling, and at the same time some effective measures should be taken to reach the requirement of compaction.

Updating of the hierarchical rock mass rating(HRMR) system and a new subsystem developed for weathered granite formations

The RMR system is still very much applied in rock mechanics engineering context. It is based on the evaluation of six weights to obtain a final rating. To obtain the final rating a considerable amount of information is needed concerning the rock mass which can be difficult to obtain in some projects or project stages at least with accuracy. In 2007 an alternative classification scheme based on the RMR, the Hierarchical Rock Mass Rating(HRMR) was presented. The main feature of this system was the adaptation to the level of knowledge existent about the rock mass to obtain the classification of the rock mass since it followed a decision tree approach. However, the HRMR was only valid for hard rock granites with low fracturing degrees. In this work, the database was enlarged with approximately 40% more cases considering other types of granite rock masses including weathered granites and based on this increased database the system was updated. Granite formations existent in the north of Portugal including Porto city are predominantly granites. Some years ago a light rail infrastructure was built in the city of Porto and surrounding municipalities which involved considerable challenges due to the high heterogeneity levels of the granite formations and the difficulties involved in their geomechanical characterization. In this work it is intended to provide also a contribution to improve the characterization of these formations with special emphasis to the weathered horizons. A specific subsystem applicable to the weathered formations was developed. The results of the validation of these systems are presented and show acceptable performances in identifying the correct class using less information than with the RMR system.

The Fate of Chromium in Weathered Ultramafic Rocks and Their Derivitative Soils in Cuba: Clues from Spectroscopic Studies

In its cationic,trivalent form,Chromium(Cr)it is a micronutrient,and exhibits low environmental mobility.In hexavalent form,however,it is a human carcinogen and also highly mobile.Climate is a key environmental factor controlling weathering rates and stability of primary and secondary Cr-bearing minerals.Knowledge of Cr oxidation state and mineral residence is therefore essential to estimating the risk posed by Cr in serpentinites,chromite mine wastes,and soils developed on these parent materials.X-ray absorption spectroscopy(XAS)is currently the best available technique for determination of the relative abundance of Cr(III)and Cr(VI)in situ(that is,without digestion of solid phases).A brief review of relevant XAS studies of is presented below,focusing on studies in tropical climates1,as they will be most relevant to eastern Cuba’s extensively serpentinized ophiolite belt.Cr(III)-bearing spinels are usually the dominant and most refractory Cr host in ultramafic rocks.Previous XAS studies2 indicate that in tropical climates,Cr-spinels weather rapidly to form Cr(III)-bearing secondary Fe(III)(hydr)oxides(goethite,hematite).Manganese(Mn)is also enriched in ultramafic rocks2;as Mn(IV),it can also co-precipitate with Fe(III)(hydr)oxides,or form its own secondary(hydr)oxides.A previous study found up to 20%Cr(VI)in in a tropical,serpentine soil that contained substantial Mn,and a strong correlation between the*amounts of Cr(VI)and Mn(IV)in the soil profile2.Theresults of several XAS studies suggest that a close association of Mn(IV)and Cr(III)in secondary Fe(hydr)oxides is necessary for oxidation of Cr(III)to Cr(VI)via electron transfer reactions with Mn(IV);however,additional XAS studies have shown that organic matter3and Cr-bearing aluminosilicates4 may also be important sources of Cr(III)to the environment under specific conditions.The stability and fate of Cr has not been studied in detail for these two host phase types,to the best of our knowledge.Access to XAS facilities to perform Cr geochemical experiments is limited and will only become more so in the future.We are working to develop and apply(micro)Raman spectroscopy to evaluate Cr oxidation state and mineral residence(in crystalline and amorphous materials).In addition to standard Raman scattering,we are employing resonance Raman(785 nm laser)to enhance signal from Cr(VI)-bearing phases and laser-stimulated photoluminescence to identify Cr(III)associated with Al-rich alteration products

Fission Track Dating of Authigenic Quartz in Red Weathering Crusts of Carbonate Rocks in Guizhou Province

The Cenozoic evolution history of Guizhou Province, which is located on the southeastern flank of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is unclear because of the lack of sedimentation records. The red weathering crusts widespread on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau may bear critical information about their evolution history. This work firstly determined the ages of four red weathering crusts in eastern, central and northern Guizhou. The material used in fission track dating is well-crystallized quartz occurring in many in-situ weathering crusts of carbonate rocks. The results showed that the fission track ages of quartz vary over a wide range from 1 to 25 Ma in the four profiles, significantly younger than the ages of the Triassic and Cambrian parent rocks. In combination with the evolution history of the regional geology during the period from 25 to 1 Ma, the ages of quartz can exclude the possibility that the origin of quartz has nothing to do with primary clastic minerals in parent rocks, authigenesis during diagenesis and hydrothermal precipitation or roplacement by volcanic activities. It is deduced that the well-crystallized quartz was precipitated from Si-rich weathering fluids during the weathering process of carbonate rocks. The recorded ages of quartz from the four profiles are consistent with the episodes of the planation surfaces on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the forming stages of red soil in the tropics of South China, the tectonically stable periods in Guizhou, and the ages of weathering in other parts of the world during the Cenozoic era. That is to say, the ages of authigenic quartz dated by the fission track method are well feasible and credible.

Geological analysis of gravitational rock slope deformation：a case from Nujiang River, China

This paper presents a study on the gravityinduced rock slope deformation observed along the Nujiang River in China. We performed a comprehensive field investigation and analysis to identify the deformation pattern of the slope and its triggering factors. Moreover, a geologicalevolutionary model was developed, and it considers the effects of river incision and rock mass degradation caused by weathering and simulates the mechanisms underlying the initiation and progression of the slope deformation. The results support the proposed failure mechanism in which fractures within the slope are induced by rock mass degradation caused by weathering. Importantly, the modeling reveals that compressional deformation at the toe of the slope results in a tensile failure in the upper portion of the slope, demonstrating that the rock mass in the slope toe is the key factor inducing slope deformation. This analysis of slope deformation and its spatial and temporal correlations with rock weathering and river incision reveal the main triggering factors that control the evolution of the studied slope and provide insights into the deformation process.

Comparing mineral weathering and elemental transport between earth's critical zone with different parent rocks in Yanshan Mountain,Hebei province,China

Bedrock weathering performs a significant influence on the evolution of Earth’s critical zone.Carbonate rock(dolostone),metamorphic rock(gneiss),and sedimentary rock(sandstone)geological formations in Yanshan Mountain,Hebei Province,are taken as objects to probe the controlling of geological formations on weathering characteristics,migration,and enrichment of elements as well as structure of Earth’s critical zone under the identical climate conditions through geological field survey,analysis on minerals component,element distribution in the weathering profile.The dolostone geological formation(DGF)is lithologically dominated by dolostone,characterized by the strongest and predominant chemical weathering.During bedrock weathering and pedogenesis,DGF is marked by significant depletion of CaO,Mg O,S,Mn,Mo and enrichment of N,K,Fe_(2)O_(3),and Zn with concentrations of P,Cu,and B keeping stable.Shortage of soil-forming materials and significant loss are driven by soil erosion,which results in thin regolith and soil.The soil thickness is less than 10 cm,and the regolith thickness is less than 30 cm.The vegetation community is predominantly rock arbor or brush,which is calcivorous and tolerant of barrenness.Plagiogneiss is a dominant rock type of gneiss geological formation(GGF),characterized by the weakest weathering and fast chemical and physical weathering rate.GGF is masked by significant depletion of P,K,CaO,MgO,Fe_(2)O_(3),Mn,Cu and enrichment of N,S,Mo,and B,with contents of Zn keeping stable.Both soil and regolith developed in GGF are relatively thick for one of the reasons that biotite expands during weathering.The soil thickness is more than 50 cm,and the regolith thickness ranges from 100 to 200 cm.The vegetation community is predominantly high-quality economic forests and various arbors because of the enrichment of nutrients in GGF.Sandstone is primarily a rock type of sandstone geological formation(SGF),characterized by moderate weathering degree and slow chemical weathering rate.SGF is marked by significant depletion of P,K,CaO,MgO,Fe_(2)O_(3),and enrichment of N,S,Mn,Cu,Zn,and Mo,with fluctuant changes of Zn and B.The thickness of soil developed in SGF varies between that of DGF and GGF.The soil thickness ranges from 30 to 50 cm,and the regolith thickness ranges from 50 to 100 cm.Chinese pines are widely spread on the shady slopes of SGF.Research provides theoretical support for screening dominant ecological resource areas,ecological industry development and ecological protection and restoration for Yanshan Mountain,Hebei Province.

Mass Balance of Major Elements in Relation to Weathering in Soils Developed on Igneous Rocks in a Semiarid Region,Northwestern Iran

This study was conducted to evaluate the weathering intensity of the major soils developed on igneous rocks in semiarid region of northwestern Iran.Eight parent materials were selected including monzodiorite,alkali granite,granodiorite,syenite,pyroxene diorite,hornblende andesite,pyroxene andesite,and dacite.Representative soil profiles were described and soil samples were collected and analyzed for selected chemical and physical properties and total concentrations of major elements and Zr,V,Ti and Y.Bulk densities as well as Ti,Zr and V concentrations were used to estimate the strain factors and mass balance equations were used to quantify the net result of pedogenic weathering,i.e.elemental loss and gain.The results of clay content and pedogenic iron variability as well as index of compositional variability(ICV),chemical index of alteration(CIA) and,A-CN-K and MFW ternary plots showed that the soils developed on volcanic rocks(hornblende andesite> pyroxene andesite> dacite) were more weathered than those on the plutonic parent rocks(alkali granite,granodiorite,monzodiorite,syenite,pyroxene diorite).The results of mass balance calculations based on the strain factors revealed that the Ca and Na depleted during weathering progress mostly from plagioclase grains.In the semiarid regions Ca is precipitated as pedogenic calcite in the soil horizons.K and Mg depletion is less than Ca and Na especially in the profiles on the hornblende andesite with the highest clay and LOI content.The results of this study clearly suggest that the behavior of K and Mg during the weathering cannot only be explained by the disintegration of the primary minerals,since they are fixed on the secondary clay minerals.Iron did not change in the soils compared to the parent material and was precipitated as the pedogenic iron and conserved in the soil horizons.Overall,the results on the weathering indicators and major elements mass balance enrichment/depletion in the study area confirmed that the soil profiles developed on volcanic rocks are more weathered than those on the plutonic igneous rocks.

Grouting techniques for the unfavorable geological conditions of Xiang'an subsea tunnel in China

One of the major challenges during subsea tunnel construction is to seal the potential water inflow. Thepaper presents a case study of Xiang＇an subsea tunnel in Xiamen, the first subsea tunnel in China. Duringits construction, different grades of weathered geomaterials were encountered, which was the challengingissue for this project. To deal with these unfavorable geological conditions, grouting was adoptedas an important measure for ground treatment. The grouting mechanism is first illustrated by introducinga typical grouting process. Then the site-specific grouting techniques employed in the Xiang＇ansubsea tunnel are elaborated. By using this ground reinforcement technique, the tunneling safety of theXiang＇an subsea tunnel was guaranteed. 2014 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Production and hosting byElsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Laboratory Investigation of Disintegration Characteristics of Purple Mudstone under Different Hydrothermal Conditions

Disintegration of rock is one of the primary processes of soil formation and geomorphology and is affected considerably by water and heat.This study focused on the disintegration characteristics under laboratory conditions of typical purple mudstone from the Tuodian group of Jurassic red beds(J3t) in Tuodian Town,Shuangbai county,Yunnan Province of southern China.The fresh mudstone was subjected to alternating applications of water,heat and hydrothermal interaction during five treatments:wetting-drying(WD),saturation(ST),refrigeration-heating(RH),a combination of wetting-drying and refrigeration-heating(WDRH),and a combination of saturation and refrigeration-heating(STRH).Each treatment was run in twenty-four cycles.The results showed that there are three types of disintegration:collapsing disintegration,exfoliation disintegration and imperceptible disintegration.The cumulative disintegration rate(percentage of cumulative disintegrated mass to the initiative sample mass passed through a 2 mm sieve) produced a 'S'-shape function when related to treatment cycle time and closely fit a logistic model(R2 > 0.99).The rank order of the cumulative disintegration rate resulting from the five treatments was as the following:WDRH > STRH > ST > WD > RH.Because of alternating periods of moisture and dryness,WD caused the most disintegration,while RH alone resulted in imperceptible disintegration.Additionally,there was a negative correlation between the disintegration rate of each treatment cycle(percentage of disintegrated mass to the treated sample mass) and treatment cycle number.There was a positive correlation between this rate and temperature change under moist conditions,indicating that a change in temperature greatly accelerates the disintegration of parent rock when water was supplied.

Hydrochemistry of Rara Lake: A Ramsar lake from the southern slope of the central Himalayas,Nepal

High-altitude Himalayan lakes act as natural storage for environmental evidence related to climate change and environmental factors.A great number of lakes are distributed in the southern slope area of the central Himalayas;however,research concerning the hydrochemical processes of these lakes is still insufficient.Herein,we present a comprehensive study on the water chemistry of the lake waters and the inlet stream waters from Rara Lake in western Nepal based upon samples collected in November 2018.The p H,dissolved oxygen,chlorophyll-aconcentration(chl-a),water temperature,electric conductivity(EC)and total dissolved solids(TDS)were measured in situ,and the concentrations of major ions(Ca^(2+),Mg^(2+),K^(+),Na^(+),Cl^(-),SO_(4)^(2-),and NO_(3)^(-))were analyzed in the laboratory.The results revealed that the water in Rara Lake is slightly alkaline,with p H values ranging from 7.6-7.98.The cations,in decreasing order of concentration in the lake water,are Ca^(2+)>Mg^(2+)>K^(+)>Na^(+)with average concentrations of20.64 mg·L^(-1),11.78 mg·L^(-1),1.48 mg·L^(-1) and 0.72 mg·L^(-1),respectively;the order and concentrations for the anions is HCO_(3)^(-)>SO_(4)^(2-)>Cl^(-)>NO_(3)^(-),with average concentrations of 122.15 mg·L-1,2.15 mg·L-1,0.46mg·L-1 and 0.55 mg·L-1,respectively.The dominant cation and anion in the lake water are Ca2+and HCO3-and they account for 48.14%and 71.8%of the totals,respectively.The range of lake water TDS is from 95mg·L^(-1) to 98 mg·L^(-1),with an average of 96.85 mg·L^(-1).The high ratio of(Ca^(2+)+Mg^(2+))to total cations and the low ratio of(Na^(+)+K^(+))to total cations indicate that Rara Lake receives ions from rock weathering,especially from carbonate rocks.Similarly,Gibbs boomerang diagrams and Piper diagrams also support the hydrochemistry of Rara Lake as being dominated by rock-weathering patterns.Likewise,other statistical analysis tools,such as Principal Component Analysis(PCA)and correlation strongly suggest the dominance of weathering of calcium and magnesium bicarbonate rocks as the major source of ions in Rara Lake.However,several traces of anthropogenic inputs into the lake were noticed,and the hypolimnion in the lake appears to be oxygen deficient,which may not be an issue at present but cannot be ignored in the future.

Origin of Boron in the Gas Hure Salt Lake of Northwestern Qaidam Basin, China: Evidence from Hydrochemistry and Boron Isotopes

The Gas Hure Salt Lake(GHSL) in the northwestern Qaidam Basin, western China, is rich in boron(B) resources, but its B-resource origin is hardly known. Hydrochemical compositions and B isotope characteristics of different waters were collected around the GHSL, including the river water, stream water, spring water, salt-lake brine, intercrystalline brine, well water, drilling brine, and solar pond brine. The hydrochemical signatures suggest that silicates, carbonates and evaporates are the main B-bearing rocks during the water dynamic. The reservoir estimation of B resources shows that the Kulamulekesay River(KLMR) and the Atekan River(ATKR) contribute annually 18.3 tons and 22.84 tons of B, respectively, with a total amount of 11.72 × 10^(4) tons of B during the past 5.7 ka. In comparison with the known B reservoir(32.96 × 10^(4) tons) in the GHSL, a significant amount of B in the GHSL was probably recharged from deep fluids and sediments around the GHSL. The B concentration and B-enrichment degree are shaped by the evaporation process, which are highly elevated at the carnallite and bischofite stages.

Indexing the engineering properties of residual soils in the southern slopes of Mashhad,NE Iran

Residual soils are weathering products of rocks that are commonly found under unsaturated conditions.The properties of residual soils are a function of the degree of weathering.A series of index properties,engineering properties and geophysics survey examinations were performed on residual soils from two major geological formations in Iran.In the present research,the index properties of residual soils in the south of Mashhad city in Iran are investigated.Natural and artificial trenches were analyzed for evaluating the weathering profiles and collecting soil samples.Disturbed and undisturbed samples were obtained from each of the soil profile horizons resulting from weathering of different parent rocks.Subsequently,physical properties and mechanical properties of the soil samples were determined in accordance with ASTM standards.Also,the mineralogical composition,chemistry,and texture of the soil were evaluated in 51 profiles.The field observations showed the difference in the weathering profile of residual soils deposited on various rocks(igneous,sedimentary,and metamorphic).These profiles mainly consisted of two horizons includingresidual soil on top and saprolite at the bottom.The results of laboratory tests and geotechnical data showed that the properties of residual soil samples change by depth.Moreover,depending on the type of origin rock,the properties are different in various types of residual soils.In most of the samples,the moisture content of soil horizons was also increased by depth.Based on the unified soil classification(USCS),the soils of the upper horizons appeared to be classified as ML(Lean silt)and CL(Lean clay)while the soils of the lower horizons(saprolite zone)fall in SC(clayey sand),SM(silty sand),and SW(wellgraded sand)classes.Moreover,the results demonstrated that the particle size of the soil was increased by depth.Comparison of results of the geotechnical tests showed that properties of residual soils are changed by variations of depth,weathering level,and type of parent rock.Considering the concentration of the number of lines and the concentration of the points of intersection,the length and dimension fractal of lineaments in the southeastern part of the study area,it is evident that this zone possesses weathering severity and soil thickness.Fieldwork data from this zone have also verified the severity of weathering conditions.The analysis of lineaments trends in different parts of the study area indicated that the lineaments with the NW-SE trend have a strong effect on weathering development.The weathering depth depends on the orientation of bedding joints with respect to the slope in the study area.Slope inclination and soil thickness are controlled by weathering and erosion processes.

Hydrochemistry and carbon isotope characteristics of Nujiang River water:Implications for CO_(2) budgets of rock weathering in the Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau is one of the most complicated geographical units worldwide in terms of its tectonic and environmental background.Although a hotspot for continental weathering and carbon cycling studies,accurate determination of the weathering carbon budget is challenging in this area,especially sink and source flux quantification and the controlling mechanisms.Compared with other major rivers on the plateau,the Nujiang River is characterized by less human disturbance and maintains a relatively pristine state.This study investigates the high spatiotemporal resolution hydrochemistry and dual-carbon isotope composition(δ~(13)C_(DIC)andΔ~(14)C_(DIC))of river water in the Nujiang River Basin.The results revealed that the solutes and dissolved inorganic carbon in the river water are predominantly derived from rock weathering by carbonic and sulfuric acids,mainly due to the carbonate weathering process,and significantly enhanced by deep carbon sourcing from hot springs in the fault zone.The average contributions of geological and modern carbon in the main stream of the Nujiang River are 35.2%and 64.8%,respectively,and sulfide oxidation contributes>90%of sulfate ions in the river water.After considering the involvement of sulfuric acid generated by sulfide oxidation during rock weathering,the calculated consumption fluxes of atmospheric CO_(2) by silicate and carbonate weathering in the watershed were decreased by approximately 52.0%and 37.4%,respectively,compared with those calculated ignoring this process.Rock weathering of the Nujiang River Basin is a“CO_(2) sink”on a short time scale,while the participation of sulfuric acid makes it a“CO_(2) source”on a geological time scale.The high-frequency observations of ion concentrations,elemental ratios,and calculated contributions of different rock weathering materials indicate that carbonate rock weathering is more sensitive to temperature and runoff variations than silicate rock weathering,with the solute contribution from carbonate weathering increasing significantly during monsoon period.The material input from different rock types is dominated by the hydrological pathways and water-rock reaction times in the basin.This study reveals the river solute origins and weathering CO_(2) sequestration effect in response to a monsoonal climate in one of the most representative pristine plateau watersheds in the world,which is of great importance for elucidating the weathering control mechanisms and CO_(2) net sourcesink effect in plateau watersheds.