An in situ monitoring campaign of a hard rock pillar at great depth within a Canadian mine

A recent research campaign at a Canadian nickel-copper mine involved instrumenting a hard rock sill drift pillar with an array of multi-point rod extensometers,distributed optical fibre strain sensors,and borehole pressure cells(BHPCs).The instrumentation spanned across a 15.24 m lengthwise segment of the relatively massive granitic pillar situated at a depth of 2.44 km within the mine.Between May 2016 and March 2017,the pillar’s displacement and pressure response were measured and correlated with mining activities on the same level as the pillar,including:(1)mine-by of the pillar,(2)footwall drift development,and(3)ore body stoping operations.Regarding displacements of the pillar,the extensometers provided high temporal resolution(logged hourly)and the optical fibre strain sensors provide high spatial resolution(measured every 0.65 mm along the length of each sensor).The combination of sensing techniques allowed centimetre-scale rock mass bulking near the pillar sidewalls to be distinguished from microstrain-scale fracturing towards the core of the pillar.Additionally,the influence and extent of a mine-scale schistose shear zone transecting the pillar was identified.By converting measured rock mass displacement to velocity,a process was demonstrated which allowed mining activities inducing displacements to be categorised by time-duration and cumulative displacement.In over half of the analysed mining activities,displacements were determined to prolong for over an hour,predominately resulting in submillimetre cumulative displacements,but in some cases multi-centimetre cumulative displacements were observed.This time-dependent behaviour was more pronounced within the vicinity of the plumb shear zone.Displacement measurements were also used to assess selected support member load and elongation mobilisation per mining activity.It was found that a combined static load and elongation capacity of reinforcing members was essential to maintaining excavation stability,while permitting gradual shedding of stress through controlled pillar sidewall displacements.

Influencing factors and significance of organic and inorganic nitrogen isotopic compositions in lacustrine sedimentary rocks

Comprehensive nitrogen biogeochemical cycle has been reconstructed for representative lacustrine organic-rich sedimentary rock in China,namely the Triassic Yanchang Formation(YF,199–230 Ma)in Ordos and the Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation(QF,86–92 Ma)in Songliao basins,by evaluating the organic and inorganic nitrogen isotopic compositions rather than only organic or bulk nitrogen isotopic compositions.The results indicate that the nitrogen isotope values of bulk rock(δ^(15)N_(bulk))in the non-metamorphic stage are significantly different from that of kerogen,which challenge the conceptual framework of sedimentary nitrogen isotope interpretation.Theδ^(15)N_(bulk)from the YF and QF were lower than their respective the nitrogen isotope values of kerogen(δ^(15)N_(ker)),with offsets up to5.1‰,which have the inverse relationship for the metamorphosed rock.Thermal evolution did not significantly modify the d15N of bulk rock and kerogen.The d15N of sediments from the YF(δ^(15)N_(bulk),1.6‰–5.6‰)were lower than that of rock from the QF(δ^(15)N_(bulk),10.2‰–15.3‰).The nitrogen isotope values of silicate incorporated nitrogen(δ^(15)N_(sil))were slightly lower than those of the d15Nker in the YF and obviously lower for the QF.The fact that different nitrogen cycles occur in the YF and QF due to the different depositional redox conditions leads to different isotopic results.The YF water environment dominated by oxic conditions is not conducive to the occurrence of denitrification and anammox,and no abundant N2 loss leads to the relatively lightδ^(15)N_(bulk).In the stratified water for the QF,redox transition zone promotes denitrification and anammox,resulting in the heavyδ^(15)N_(bulk)of rock and promotes the DNRA,resulting in heavyδ^(15)N_(ker)and lowδ^(15)N_(sil).