The geomechanical models were established based on the absence or presence of certain rock fabric elements — texture (crystallographic preferred orientation), microstructure (shape preferred orientation) and microcracks (flat voids). The proposed models include both (i) the ideal material showing random texture and structure but no microcracks, i.e. the material which is hardly to be found in nature, and (ii) the materials possessing various combinations of fabric elements that show different spatial arrangements. The mutual relationship between those parameters and seismic and geomechanical properties are discussed.Selected models were experimentally verified during laboratory experiments. These consist of measurement of P-wave velocities in 132 independent directions under several confining pressures in the range 0.1–400 MPa. From measured data 3D P-wave patterns can be constructed and the influence of microcracks and of texture and structure on the rock seismic anisotropy can be determined. The seismic anisotropy established at different levels of confining pressure can be used for the interpretation of rock fabric symmetry of rocks showing low anisotropy in macroscale and for the selection of directions in which the geomechanical test can be performed. The measured P-wave velocities were then mathematically processed by using a fitting function which reflects contribution of P-wave velocity in the mineral skeleton of an ideal sample without microcracks extrapolated to the atmospheric pressure level from high confining pressure interval (ca. 200–400 MPa) (v0), linear compressibility of the samples (kv), and confining pressure during which most of the cracks are closed (P0). These parameters improve the understanding of the response of various rock fabric elements on increasing confinement and corresponding changes in elasticity.The observed seismic and geomechanical anisotropies reflect intensity of the fabric of rock-forming minerals and microcracks. The magnitude of seismic anisotropy measured at atmospheric pressure corresponds to the anisotropy of static elastic modulus and is governed by the spatial arrangement of microcracks. The magnitude of strength anisotropy (uniaxial compressive strength) correlates more likely to the seismic anisotropy determined at high confining pressure and is connected to the preferred orientations (either CPO or SPO or both) of rock-forming minerals. 相似文献
Paleomagnetic sampling and measurement of a boulder accumulation on Little Beecroft Head on the Illawarra coastline of New South Wales was undertaken to evaluate potential emplacement mechanisms. This deposit is of central importance in the Australian Megatsunami Hypothesis (AMH) debate, but to date, there has been no unequivocal determination of its provenance. The most likely emplacement mechanisms are by slow collapse during denudation of overlying strata, storm wave overwash or a combination of these. Characteristic Remanent Magnetisation (ChRM) directions were obtained from 15 individual boulders and the in situ bedrock platform on which they currently rest. The in situ Permian bedrock has a normal polarity mean ChRM direction of D/I = 1.6°/–66.7° (α95 = 5.2°; k = 33.9) that is statistically indistinguishable from the Present Earth Field direction at the site. The magnetisation is most likely due to Cenozoic/recent weathering, which is common in surficial rocks throughout the Sydney Basin. ChRM directions for the boulders are stable but scattered, although not random, and the mean boulder direction is indistinguishable in geographic (i.e. current in situ) coordinates, at the 5% significance level, from the mean direction of the in situ bedrock. Further statistical tests confirm that the scatter in the mean directions of the boulders and the in situ bedrock is different, at the 5% significance level, with the boulder mean being more scattered. At an individual boulder level, some blocks have mean ChRM directions that are statistically indistinguishable from the mean in situ rock ChRM direction, whereas others are distinguishable at the 5% significance level.
These results indicate that the boulders were magnetised prior to emplacement but were not moved far from their original positions during emplacement. The emplacement age is constrained to the last ca 780 000 years. These observations strongly support the hypothesis that the Little Beecroft Head boulder deposit was emplaced by a non-catastrophic mechanism, namely slow collapse during denudation of pre-existing cliff material or overtopping from severe storms, which occur regularly on the east coast of New South Wales. Even if a catastrophic wave were responsible, the results constrain the age of that event to be older than 780 000 years. Therefore, the results presented here are not supportive of the AMH as it currently stands. Further paleomagnetic work, on similar deposits along the Illawarra coastline and from elsewhere in Australia, is needed to evaluate the interpretations presented here. 相似文献
The north–south trending Tancheng-Lujiang (Tanlu) fault belt extends from northeast China to the Dabie–Sulu orogenic belt, for a length of more than 3000 km. This fault belt probably has close links with the lithosphere evolution, seismic activity and mineral resource concentration in East China. Surface geological mapping and studies on sedimentation and basin formation have indicated segmentation at the southern, middle and northern domains of the fault. Here we employ geophysical constraints to evaluate these fault segments. Unlike previous geophysical studies focused on laterally varying crust/mantle seismic velocity structure across the fault, in this study we have integrated a variety of geophysical data sets, such as crustal P-wave velocity, earthquake occurrence and released seismic energy, seismogenic layer thickness, surface heat flow and geothermal field, to understand the deep structure and strength of the lithosphere along the Tanlu segmented fault belt. The results demonstrate remarkable crustal-scale north-to-south segmentation this major fault. The geophysical evidence and some geochemical constraints suggest that the Tanlu fault belt probably served as a channel for melt and fluid percolation, and exerted a significant control on the lithosphere evolution in East China. 相似文献