Evaluation of urban underground space resources using a negative list method: Taking Xi'an City as an example in China

Utilization of urban underground space has become a vital approach to alleviate the strain on urban land resources,and to optimize the structure and pattem of the city.It is also very important to improve the city environment,build livable city and increase the capacity of the city.Based on the analysis of existing evaluation methods and their problems,a method for evaluating underground space resources based on a negative list of adverse factors affecting underground space development is proposed,to be primarily used in urban planning stages.A list of the adverse factors is established,including limiting factors,constraining factors and influencing factors.Taking Xi'an as an example,using a geographical information system platform,a negative list of adverse factors for the underground space resources in Xi'an City are evaluated,and preventive measures are proposed.Natural resources,exploitable resources,and the potential growth of exploitable underground space resources are evaluated.Underground space assessment in the different development stages of the city,collaborative utilization and safety evaluation for multiple subsurface resources,environmental impact and assessment,as well as evaluation methods based on big data and intelligent optimization algorithms are all discussed with the aim of serving city planning and construction.

Collapse behavior and microstructural evolution of loess soils from the Loess Plateau of China

Loess soils are characterized by metastable microstructure, high porosity and water-sensitivity. These soils have always been problematic soils and attracted attention from researchers all over the world. In the present study, three loess soils extracted at various depths from the Loess Plateau of China, i.e. Malan(Q_3), upper Lishi(Q_2~2) and lower Lishi(Q_2~1) loess soils, were studied. Single oedometer-collapse tests were performed on intact loess specimens to investigate the collapse behavior of three loess soils. The microstructure and chemical composition of each loess before and after collapse test were characterized using scanning electron microscopy(i.e. SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy(i.e. EDS) techniques. The microstructural evolution due to wetting collapse was interpreted qualitatively and quantitatively in terms of the pore morphology properties. The results suggest that:(1) the collapse potential of each loess may rise again after a round of rise and drop, which could be failure of the new-developed stable structure under quite high vertical pressure. It implies that loess may collapse even if it has collapsed.(2) Q_3, Q_2~2 and Q_2~1 loess have different types of microstructure, namely, granule, aggregate and matrix type of microstructure, respectively.(3) The microstructural evolution due to loading and wetting is observed from a granule type to an aggregate type and finally to a matrix type of structure. The variations in distributions of pore morphology properties indicate that collapse leads to a transformation of large-sized pores into small-sized pores, re-orientation and remolding of soil pores due to particle rearrangement.(4) A porous structure is essential for loess collapse; however, the non-water-stability of bonding agents promotes the occurrence of collapse under the coupling effect of loading and wetting.

Hydrogeology of the Ordos Basin, China

The Ordos Basin is located in the east of NW China that is composed of different aquifer systems. Karst groundwater is stored in the Carmbrian-Ordovician carbonates along the margins of the basin. Fissured-pore water is present in the Cretaceous strata in the central-western basin and pore water is stored in the overlying Quaternary deposits discontinuously. The main origin of groundwater in the basin is direct or indirect infiltration of precipitation. Groundwater flows from recharge areas to adjacent local discharge areas. Besides evaporation and abstraction, groundwater feeds springs and rivers, such as the Yellow River and its tributaries. According to the karst aquifer lithologic structure, the features of karst development and circulation, the karst aquifer is divided into three structural and circulation patterns. Based on the control of Cretaceous sedimentary environment, lithologic structure, lithofacies, and palaeogeographic characteristics, the Cretaceous system is divided into the northern desert simple plateau aquifer system and the southern loess plateau aquifer system. PACKER was used to obtain temperature, hydrogeochemical and isotope data at specific depths. Groundwater circulation is studied using hydrodynamic fields, temperature fields, isotopes, hydrogeochemical data and numerical simulations. According to the result, it is divided into local, intermediate and regional systems. The Ordos Basin contains a wealth of natural resources including coal, petroleum, oil shale and natural gas. There are four national-classenergy bases, e.g. northern Shaanxi energy basin, Inner Mongolia Ordos base, eastern Ningxia energy base, and Longdong base. And it is one of the most important bases for China's energy and heavy chemical industries. Because the basin is located in arid and semi-arid areas, the lack of water and its vulnerable ecological environment are the main limitations to the development of local economy and to the improvement of living standards. In order to assess the water resources and the utilization prospect and to provide the hydrological information for the establishment of the energy bases and economic development, groundwater investigation in the Ordos Basin has been carried out.

Cretaceous-Neogene Exhumation of the Daqing Shan,North China Constrained by Apatite Fission Track Thermochronology

The Daqing Shan(DQS)located in the Yinshan-Yanshan Orogenic Belt plays an important role in the Mesozoic to Cenozoic evolution of the North China Craton.However,the cooling and exhumation history since the Cretaceous is still controversial.Integrating the apatite fission track(AFT)data in both this study and previous works,a three-stage exhumation history from Cretaceous to Neogene of the DQS is proposed.(1)The first stage is composed of the early exhumation during Early Cretaceous driven by the collision between the North China and Siberia cratons(ca.148-132 Ma)and the far-field effect of the subduction of the Pacific Plate(ca.132-114 Ma).(2)Due to the subsidence of the Hetao Basin and the subsequent compensation between the DQS and the Hetao Basin,the DQS experienced the second rapid exhumation from Early Eocene to Early Oligocene(ca.54-29 Ma).(3)Since the Late Miocene(ca.13.5 Ma),the third rapid cooling and exhumation of the DQS occurred due to the far-field effect of the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and the subduction of the Pacific Plate.

Tectonic Framework of Late Paleozoic Intrusions in Xingxingxia： Implications for Final Closure of South Tianshan Ocean in East Tianshan

This work carried out systematic geological field investigation, petrography observation, zircon geochronology and whole rock geochemistry on Late Paleozoic intrusions in the Xingxingxia region near the Xinjiang-Gansu provincial boundary, western China, aiming to constrain the Late Paleozoic tectonic framework of the Xingxingxia region and the final closure time of South Tianshan Ocean in the East Tianshan. The Xingxingxia area is located in the east part of the Tianshan orogen, and adjacent to the north of the Tarim Basin. The Late Paleozoic magma activities in the Xingxingxia region can be mainly divided into three stages. The first stage includes intrusive magma activities under a collision setting between Late Ordovician to the Late Devonian. The second stage is intrusive magma activities under a subduction setting during（304±3）–（278±3） Ma, and the third stage involves intrusive magma activities under a collision and post-collision setting during（268±5）–（259.9±2.6） Ma. The final suture zone of South Tianshan Ocean should be between the Central Tianshan Block and South Tianshan accretionary complex. Based on previous work, both the first stage magma activities（i.e., intrusive magmatic activities between the Late Ordovician to Late Devonian） and the Hongliuhe ophiolitic complex indicate a close event between Central Tianshan Block and South Tianshan Accretionary Complex. The 304±3 Ma dioritic metamorphic gneiss of the XingX ingxia complex and the 278±3 Ma diorite are all island arc calc-alkaline rocks, the 289±3 Ma gabbro is island arc tholeiitic gabbro formed by magma from metasomatic enrichment mantle. All these results indicate that the second stage of magmatic activities is under a subduction setting. The third stage magma activities i.e. the granitic magma activities of（268±5）–（259.9±2.6） Ma occurred at a transitional setting from compressional to post-collision extensional tectonic setting. Thus, around（268±5）–（260±3） Ma, the final closure of the South Tianshan Ocean occurred and the Tianshan orogen shifted into the intracontinental evolution stage. During and after the closure process, a wide range of metamorphism and large dextral strike-slip faults developed.

Geochronology, Geochemistry and Tectonic Significance of Dike Swarms in Beishan, Gansu

Study area is located at Beishan,Gansu province.Beishan area located at conjunction site among Tarim plate,Sino-Korean plate and Kazakhstan plate,this special tectonic position has a very complex geological tectonic.

Resistivity is used as a tool to evaluate the variability of soil water content

Resistivity is used to evaluate soil water content(SWC),which has the advantages of not causing soil disturbance and in low price.It is an effective way to assess the SWC variability.This paper aims to evaluate the variability of loess slope SWC through the change of resistivity.It provides a simple way for long term SWC monitoring to solve the expensive cost of deploying moisture sensors.In this context,geoelectric and environmental factors such as soil temperature and SWC were monitored for three years.The prediction model of apparent resistivity and SWC was calibrated.The post processing of geoelectric data was introduced.In addition,the SWC collected by Time-Domain Reflectometry(TDR)was used to verify the feasibility of electrical resistivity tomography(ERT)data.The SWC variability in the process of rainfall,the evolution of four seasons,and the alternation of drying and wetting were evaluated.The research results show that:i)the SWC monitored by ERT and TDR can reflect the response and hysteretic effect of water content at 0.5-3.0 m depth.ii)The moisture content monitored by ERT reflects that the soil is relatively wet in summer and autumn and dry in winter and spring.iii)From 2017 to 2020,the SWC increased in August,and the soil became dry in January.iv)Two areas with high SWC and three areas with low SWC on loess slope are reflected by resistivity.The outcome can provide the change information of SWC to a great extent without excavating boreholes.

Metamorphism and geochronology of garnet amphibolite from the Beishan Orogen,southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt:Constraints from P-T path and zircon U-Pb dating

Numerous lenses of garnet amphibolite occur in the garnet-bearing biotite-plagioclase gneiss belt in the Baishan area of the Beishan Orogen,which connects the Tianshan Orogen to the west and the Mongolia-Xing’anling Orogen to the east.The study of metamorphism in Beishan area is of great significance to explain the tectonic evolution of Beishan orogen.According to the microstructures,mineral relationships,and geothermobarometry,we identified four stages of mineral assemblages from the garnet amphibolite sample:(1) a pre-peak stage,which is recorded by the cores of garnet together with core-inclusions of plagioclase(Pl1);(2) a peak stage,which is recorded by the mantles of garnet together with mantle-inclusions of plagioclase(Pl2)+amphibole(Amp1)+Ilmenite(Ilm1)+biotite(Bt1),developed at temperature-pressure(P-T) conditions of 818.9-836.5℃ and7.3-9.2 kbar;(3) a retrograde stage,which is recorded by garnet rims + plagioclase(Pl3)+amphibole(Amp2)+orthopyroxene(Opx1)+biotite(Bt2)+Ilmenite(Ilm2),developed at P-T conditions of 796.1-836.9℃ and5.6-7.5 kbar;(4) a symplectitic stage,which is recorded by plagioclase(Pl4)+orthopyroxene(Opx2)+amphibole(Amp3)+biotite(Bt3) symplectites,developed at P-T conditions of 732 ±59.6℃ and 6.1 ±0.6 kbar.Moreover,the U-Pb dating of the Beishan garnet amphibolite indicates an age of 301.9 ±4.7 Ma for the protolith and 281.4±8.5 Ma for the peak metamorphic age.Therefore,the mineral assemblage,P-T conditions,and zircon U-Pb ages of the Beishan garnet amphibolite define a near-isothermal decompression of a clockwise P-T-t(Pressure-Temperature-time) path,indicating the presence of over thickened continental crust in the Huaniushan arc until the Early Permian,then the southern Beishan area underwent a process of thinning of the continental crust.

The relationship between groundwater and natural vegetation in Qaidam Basin

To accurately evaluate ecological risks trigged by groundwater exploitation,it must be clarified the relationship between vegetation and groundwater.Based on remote sensing data sets MOD13Q1,groundwater table depth(WTD)and total dissolved solids(TDS),the relationship between groundwater and natural vegetation was analyzed statistically in the main plain areas of Qaidam Basin.The results indicate that natural vegetation is groundwater-dependent in areas where WTD is less than 5.5 m and TDS is less than 7.5 g/L.Aquatic vegetation,hygrophytic vegetation and hygrophytic saline-alkali tolerant vegetation are mainly distributed in areas with WTD<1.1 m.Salt-tolerant and mesophytic vegetation mainly occur in areas with WTD of 1.4-3.5 m,while the xerophytic vegetation isprimarily present in areas where WTD ranges from 1.4 m to 5.5 m.Natural vegetation does not necessarily depend on groundwater in areas with WTD>5.5 m.For natural vegetation,the most suitable water TDS is less than 1.5 g/L,the moderately suitable TDS is 1.5-5.0 g/L,the basically suitable TDS is 5.0-7.5 g/L,and the unsuitable TDS is more than 7.5 g/L.

Late Jurassic Intracontinental Extension and Related Mineralisation in Southwestern Fujian Province of SE China:Insights from Deformation and Syn-Tectonic Granites

Late Mesozoic igneous intrusions and extensional structures in Carboniferous to Permian sequences in the SW Fujian region acted as important controls on the localisation of Fe-polymetallic de-posits.Here we document the identification of extensional deformation at shallow crustal levels and syn-tectonic granites related to normal faults.Based on spatial distribution and structural features,the extensional deformation can be divided into cover-only and basement-intersecting styles.A series of syn-tectonic plutons were emplaced into the footwall of normal faults.Representative samples of the Tangquan Granite have high SiO2(66.4 wt.%-73.9 wt.%)assays and Mg#values(37-59).The samples also have relatively homogenous initial 87Sr/86Sr(0.7083-0.7089)andεNd(-9.2--10.2)values.Geochemical and isotopic evidences indicate that the Tangquan granite originates from a hybrid source including lower crustal-derived felsic and lithospheric mantle-derived mafic magmas.Zircon U-Pb dating indicates that the granodiorite phase from the pluton crystallised at 161±4 Ma and the monzogranite phase crystallised at 159±1 Ma.Combined with the granitic rocks in a wider region of SE China,the widespread granitic magmatism and polymetallic mineralisation have been synchronous during the Late Mesozoic,probably resulting from extensional tectonics related to the lithospheric thinning.

Fractal analysis of small-micro pores and estimation of permeability of loess using mercury intrusion porosimetry

Many popular models have been proposed to study the fractal properties of the pores of porous materials based on mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP).However,most of these models do not directly apply to the small-micro pores of loess,which have a significant impact on the throat pores and tunnels for fluid flow.Therefore,in this study we used a combination of techniques,including routine physical examination,MIP analysis,and scanning electron microscope(SEM)image analysis,to study these small-micro pores and their saturated water permeability properties.The techniques were used to determine whether the fractal dimensions of six MIP fractal models could be used to evaluate the microstructure types and permeability properties of loess.The results showed that the Neimark model is suitable for analysis of small-micro pores.When applied to saturated water permeability,the results from this model satisfied the correlation significance test and were consistent with those from SEM analysis.A high clay content and density cause an increase in the number of small-micro pores,leading to more roughness and heterogeneity of the pore structure,and an increase in the fractal dimensions.This process further leads to a decrease in the content of macro-meso pores and saturated water permeability.Furthermore,we propose new parameters:the*Ellipse and its area ratios(*EAR).These parameters,coupled with 2D-SEM and 3D-MIP fractal dimensions,can effectively and quantitatively be used to evaluate the types of loess microstructures(from typeⅠto typeⅢ)and the saturated water permeability(magnitude from 1×10^(-4)cm/s to 1×10^(-5)cm/s).