The spatial distribution of grains in a solidifying igneous rock controls the physical properties of the crystal mush, and
in turn is controlled by the rate of crystal growth and accumulation. A predominant non-spherical habit for igneous minerals
brings into question the use of spherical particles in reference packings used for quantification of spatial distribution.
Furthermore, variations of crystal clustering/ordering with length scale require spatial statistics which take into account
the distribution of particles beyond nearest neighbours. Using random close packings of spherocylinders, we demonstrate the
importance of aspect ratio for the aggregation index (usually known as R) and show that packings of spherical particles have more structure than packings of rods. The spatial distribution functions
demonstrate that the plagioclase grains in the colonnade from the Holyoke basalt are clustered on a length scale of 0.5 mm.
Understanding the controls on grain spatial distribution in igneous rocks will depend on the application of these techniques
to well-understood environments. 相似文献
A unique succession of volcanogenic deposits with representative paleontological remains characterizing the Permian-Triassic boundary interval in the North Siberian platform and Taimyr is described. The succession is suitable for selecting a standard for the Triassic base in nonmarine deposits. Abundant and diverse fossils occurring in the succession evidence that volcanism responsible for origin of the plateau basalt province in Siberia was not a brief epoch of paroxysmal eruptions, which eliminated everything alive. Throughout the formation history of relevant plateau basalts, the organic world of the plateau and around existed and gradually evolved. 相似文献
Knowledge of the defect properties of Lunar and Mercurian minerals has recently become important, with the advent of models
which attempt to explain the formation of the thin exosphere of these celestial bodies. Here, we have calculated the formation
energies of sodium and oxygen vacancies in the mineral albite (NaAlSi3O8), as well as the Schottky defect energy for the removal of a Na2O unit. We have employed both the supercell and Mott–Littleton approaches, using Kohn–Sham density functional theory and classical
interatomic potential methods. As well as reporting the defect energies and structures, we comment upon the relative merits
of the methods used. 相似文献
New techniques to determine distributions of cleat aperture, cleat orientation and cleat spacing from CT scans have been developed. For cleat orientation and spacing distributions, two different coal blocks were scanned. The CT scans have been analyzed for the three orthogonal directions. Histograms of the cleat orientations are bimodal, expressing the typical cleat texture of face and butt cleats and bedding perpendicular relaxation fractures. Deviations up to 20° from the peak values in the cleat orientation distributions were used as input for automated image analysis of cleat spacing. Distributions of the cleat spacing measurements are related to the face and butt cleat directions. The term “relevant cleat length” is introduced as a measure to extract the amount of cleat length involved with the cleat spacing measurements. The ratio ranges from 0.03 to 0.38 and expresses the difference in cleat texture in both samples. Cleat spacing versus relevant cleat length shows sample specific patterns for face cleat, butt cleat and bedding. To describe cleat aperture quantitatively, peak height and missing attenuation have been used. The image of a cleat was seen as a convolution of a rectangular fracture profile with a Gaussian point spread function. 相似文献
This paper presents results recently obtained for generating site-specific ground motions needed for design of critical facilities. The general approach followed in developing these ground motions using either deterministic or probabilistic criteria is specification of motions for rock outcrop or very firm soil conditions followed by adjustments for site-specific conditions. Central issues in this process include development of appropriate attenuation relations and their uncertainties, differences in expected motions between Western and Eastern North America, and incorporation of site-specific adjustments that maintain the same hazard level as the control motions, while incorporating uncertainties in local dynamic material properties. For tectonically active regions, such as the Western United States (WUS), sufficient strong motion data exist to constrain empirical attenuation relations for M up to about 7 and for distances greater than about 10–15 km. Motions for larger magnitudes and closer distances are largely driven by extrapolations of empirical relations and uncertainties need to be substantially increased for these cases.
For the Eastern United States (CEUS), due to the paucity of strong motion data for cratonic regions worldwide, estimation of strong ground motions for engineering design is based entirely on calibrated models. The models are usually calibrated and validated in the WUS where sufficient strong motion data are available and then recalibrated for applications to the CEUS. Recalibration generally entails revising parameters based on available CEUS ground motion data as well as indirect inferences through intensity observations. Known differences in model parameters such as crustal structure between WUS and CEUS are generally accommodated as well. These procedures are examined and discussed. 相似文献