A full-plate global reconstruction of the Neoproterozoic

The effect of scale on the shear behaviour of joints is studied by performing direct shear tests on different sized replicas cast from various natural joint surfaces. The result show significant scale effects on both the shear strength and deformation characteristics. Scale effects are more pronounced in the case of rough, undulating joint types, whereas they are virtually absent for planar joints. The key factor is the involvement of different asperity sizes in controlling the peak behaviour of different lengths of joints. It is shown that as a results both the joint roughness coefficient (JRC) and the joint compression strength (JCS) reduce with increasing scale. The behaviour of multiple jointed masses with different joint spacing is also considered. It is found that despite unchanged roughness, jointed masses consisting of many small blocks have higher peak shear strength than jointed masses with larger joint spacing. These scale effects are related to the changing stiffness of a rock mass as the block size or joint spacing increases or decreases. Economic methods for obtaining scale-free estimates of shear strength are described.

Experimental studies of scale effects on the shear behaviour of rock joints

Abstract On the contemporary Earth, distinct plate tectonic settings are characterized by differences in heat flow that are recorded in metamorphic rocks as differences in apparent thermal gradients. In this study we compile thermal gradients [defined as temperature/pressure (T/P) at the metamorphic peak] and ages of metamorphism (defined as the timing of the metamorphic peak) for 456 localities from the Eoarchean to Cenozoic Eras to test the null hypothesis that thermal gradients of metamorphism through time did not vary outside of the range expected for each of these distinct plate tectonic settings. Based on thermal gradients, metamorphic rocks are classified into three natural groups: high dT/dP [>775 °C/GPa, mean ~1110 °C/GPa (n = 199) rates], intermediate dT/dP [775–375 °C/GPa, mean ~575 °C/GPa (n = 127)], and low dT/dP [<375 °C/GPa, mean ~255 °C/GPa (n = 130)] metamorphism. Plots of T, P, and T/P against age demonstrate the widespread occurrence of two contrasting types of metamorphism—high dT/dP and intermediate dT/dP—in the rock record by the Neoarchean, the widespread occurrence of low dT/dP metamorphism in the rock record by the end of the Neoproterozoic, and a maximum in the thermal gradients for high dT/dP metamorphism during the period 2.3 to 0.85 Ga. These observations falsify the null hypothesis and support the alternative hypothesis that changes in thermal gradients evident in the metamorphic rock record were related to changes in geodynamic regime. Based on the observed secular changes, we postulate that the Earth has evolved through three geodynamic cycles since the Mesoarchean and has just entered a fourth. Cycle I began with the widespread appearance of paired metamorphism in the rock record, which was coeval with the amalgamation of widely dispersed blocks of protocontinental lithosphere into supercratons, and was terminated by the progressive fragmentation of the supercratons into protocontinents during the Siderian–Rhyacian (2.5 to 2.05 Ga). Cycle II commenced with the progressive reamalgamation of these protocontinents into the supercontinent Columbia and extended until the breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia in the Tonian (1.0 to 0.72 Ga). Thermal gradients of high dT/dP metamorphism rose around 2.3 Ga leading to a thermal maximum in the mid-Mesoproterozoic, reflecting insulation of the mantle beneath the quasi-integral continental lithosphere of Columbia, prior to the geographical reorganization of Columbia into Rodinia. This cycle coincides with the age span of most anorogenic magmatism on Earth and a scarcity of passive margins in the geological record. Intriguingly, the volume of preserved continental crust of Mesoproterozoic age is low relative to the Paleoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic Eras. These features are consistent with a relatively stable association of continental lithosphere between the assembly of Columbia and the breakup of Rodinia. The transition to Cycle III during the Tonian is marked by a steep decline in the thermal gradients of high dT/dP metamorphism to their lowest value and the appearance of low dT/dP metamorphism in the rock record. Again, thermal gradients for high dT/dP metamorphism show a rise to a peak at the end of the Variscides during the formation of Pangea, before another steep decline associated with the breakup of Pangea and the start of a fourth cycle at ca. 0.175 Ga. Although the mechanism by which subduction started and plate boundaries evolved remains uncertain, based on the widespread record of paired metamorphism in the Neoarchean we posit that plate tectonics was established globally during the late Mesoarchean. During the Neoproterozoic there was a change to deep subduction and colder thermal gradients, features characteristic of the modern plate tectonic regime.

Secular change in metamorphism and the onset of global plate tectonics

Plate tectonics, involving a globally linked system of lateral motion of rigid surface plates, is a characteristic feature of our planet, but estimates of how long it has been the modus operandi of...

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Geological archive of the onset of plate tectonics

Secular change and the onset of plate tectonics on Earth

Chemical composition of mafic magmas is a critical indicator of physicochemical conditions, such as pressure, temperature, and fluid availability, accompanying melt production in the mantle and its evolution in the continental or oceanic lithosphere. Recovering this information has fundamental implications in constraining the thermal state of the mantle and the physics of mantle convection throughout the Earth's history. Here a statistical approach is applied to a geochemical database of about 22,000 samples from the mafic magma record. Potential temperatures (Tps) of the mantle derived from this database, assuming melting by adiabatic decompression and a Ti-dependent (Fe2O3/TiO2 = 0.5) or constant redox condition (Fe2+/∑Fe = 0.9 or 0.8) in the magmatic source, are thought to be representative of different thermal “horizons” (or thermal heterogeneities) in the ambient mantle, ranging in depth from a shallow sublithospheric mantle (Tp minima) to a lower thermal boundary layer (Tp maxima). The difference of temperature (ΔTp) observed between Tp maxima and minima did not change significantly with time (∼170°C). Conversely, a progressive but limited cooling of ∼150°C is proposed since ∼2.5 Gyr for the Earth's ambient mantle, which falls in the lower limit proposed by Herzberg et al. [2010] (∼150–250°C hotter than today). Cooling of the ambient mantle after 2.5 Ga is preceded by a high-temperature plateau evolution and a transition from dominant plumes to a plate tectonics geodynamic regime, suggesting that subductions stabilized temperatures in the Archaean mantle that was in warming mode at that time.

Primary magmas and mantle temperatures through time

Backfilling mining is thought to play a significant role in controlling the deformation of coal and rock strata and the distribution of underground pressure. This study presents a numerical investigation of the influence of the strength of backfilling materials (BMS) on the deformation of coal and rock strata consisting of multiple goaf during excavation using the backfill mining method. In this study, a numerical three-dimensional fast Lagrangian analysis of continua (FLAC 3D) model was constructed to explore the relationship among the BMS, the displacement of coal and rock strata, and the distribution of underground pressure based on the geological conditions of a mining panel of the Hengda coal mine in the City of Fuxin, China. The numerical results suggest that as the BMS increase, the supporting ability of backfilling materials in goaf becomes stronger. At the same time, when the displacement of coal and rock strata decrease, the pressure on the surrounding rocks decreases and the pressure on the overlying stratum increases. However, the effect of BMS on the coal and rock strata has a limit. When the BMS equals and/or exceeds that of coal, the influence is not obvious. In addition, the displacement and underground pressure in the surrounding goaf are also affected, but in a relatively gentle way. Moreover, during the process of mining, as the BMS increases, the scope and arch area of the underground pressure in front of working face decrease instead. The higher the BMS is, the more stable the main key stratum is. The ability to resist compressional deformation of backfilling materials plays an important role in controlling the displacement of roof and relieving the underground pressure on the overlying stratum. Thereby, the roof stability in front of the working face is helpful for safety in the production of coal mines.

The Effect of Backfilling Materials on the Deformation of Coal and Rock Strata Containing Multiple Goaf: A Numerical Study

The breakup of supercontinents is accompanied by the emplacement of continental flood basalts and dike swarms, the origin of which is often attributed to mantle plumes. However, convection modeling has showed that the formation of supercontinents result in the warming of the sub-continental asthenospheric mantle (SCAM), which could also explain syn-breakup volcanism. Temperature variations during the formation then breakup of supercontinents are therefore fundamental to understand volcanism related to supercontinent cycles. Magmatic minerals record the thermal state of their magmatic sources. Here we present a data mining analysis on the first global compilation of chemical information on magmatic rocks and minerals formed over the past 600 million years: a time period spanning the aggregation and breakup of Pangea, the last supercontinent. We show that following a period of increasingly hotter Mg-rich magmatism with dominant tholeiitic affinity during the aggregation of Pangea, lower-temperature minerals crystallized within Mg-poorer magma with a dominant calc-alkaline affinity during Pangea disassembly. These trends reflect temporal changes in global mantle climate and global plate tectonics in response to continental masses assembly and dispersal. We also show that the final amalgamation of Pangea at ~300 Myr led to a long period of lithospheric collapse and cooling until the major step of Pangea disassembly started at ~125 Myr. The geological control on the geosphere magma budget has implications on the oxidation state and temperature of the Earth’s outer envelopes in the Phanerozoic and may have exerted indirect influence on the evolution of climate and life on Earth.

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Statistical petrology reveals a link between supercontinents cycle and mantle global climate

“Double Peak” of Dynamic Strengths and Acoustic Emission Responses of Coal Masses Under Dynamic Loading

With the increasing depth of underground engineering, the risk of coal–rock dynamic disasters such as rockburst is becoming more and more serious and complex, which seriously threatens the safety of coal resource, mine production and the surface ecological environment. However, the existing risk indices and methods used for evaluating rockburst risk cannot be fully applied to deep goal seam group (DCG) mining. For the safe exploitation of coal resources, in this paper, based on statistical analyses of 300 cases of rockburst, six new indices are proposed for evaluating rockburst risk in the DCG, namely dip angle, moisture content, stability of coal seam, advancing speed of working face, disturbance factors and support patterns. In addition, the influence of multiple factors coupling and superposition on rockburst risk was considered. Thus, the Comprehensive Index Method of rockburst risk of Deep Coal seam Group (DCG–CIM) based on analytic hierarchy process was established. Finally, rockburst risk in the evaluation area was quantitatively assessed into four grades, including “No rockburst risk”, “Weak rockburst risk”, “Medium rockburst risk” and “Strong rockburst risk”. Taking the 2233 working face of Hengda Coalmine as an example, the evaluation results show that the ranges of 0–184 m, 224–284 m, 324–384 m, 424–484 m, 524–584 m and 594–624 m from terminal line of haulage roadway on 2233 working face were the medium rockburst risk zones, which are in accordance with the on-site impact damage results and are more accurate than the traditional method. The DCG–CIM can consider more inducing factors and obtain more accurate and reliable evaluation results and is more suitable for deep coal seam group mining.

Xiaojun Feng

Papers

Primary magmas and mantle temperatures through time

The Effect of Backfilling Materials on the Deformation of Coal and Rock Strata Containing Multiple Goaf: A Numerical Study

Statistical petrology reveals a link between supercontinents cycle and mantle global climate

“Double Peak” of Dynamic Strengths and Acoustic Emission Responses of Coal Masses Under Dynamic Loading

Assessment of Rockburst Risk in Deep Mining: An Improved Comprehensive Index Method