Remote sensing and three-dimensional photogrammetric analysis of glaciofluvial sand and gravel deposits for aggregate resource assessment in McHenry County, Illinois, USA

Sand and gravel deposits, one of the most common natural resources, are used as aggregates mostly by the construction industry, and their extraction contributes significantly to a region\u27s economy. Thus, it is critical to locate sand and gravel deposits, and evaluate their quantity and quality safely and quickly. However, information on aggregate resources is generally only available from conventional two-dimensional (2-D) geologic maps, and direct field measurements for quality analysis at outcrops are time consuming and are often not possible due to safety concerns, or simply because exposures are too difficult to access. In this study, we presented a methodology to locate and evaluate aggregate resources, including the traditional methods of field surveying and borehole investigation for the entire McHenry County, Illinois, USA and new three-dimensional (3-D) photogrammetric models and remote sensing technologies at an active gravel pit. Thus acquired data sets allowed us to obtain key information for successful aggregate resource management: spatial occurrence, thickness, texture, paleocurrents, lithology and land use compatibility. In addition, remote sensing and photogrammetric techniques allowed for very quick and safe assessment of fundamental properties like particle size, paleocurrent direction and sorting, especially in inaccessible and/or unsafe outcrops. In summary, this paper demonstrated how remote sensing and photogrammetric technology can improve the efficiency and safety in resource assessment strategies, and the methodology used in our study can be applied to the development of autonomous mining and resource asset management elsewhere

Clay minerals and major elements concentrations of Zhuanglang Miocene red clay in Longzhong Basin, China

This article presents clay minerals and major elements data of Miocene red clay from Zhuanglang core (ZL) from the eastern Longzhong Basin, China. The dataset including the contents of main clay minerals such as smectite, kaolinite, illite and chlorite and other important clay minerals parameters as illite crystallinity, Illite 5 Å/10 Å, kaolinite/(illite +chlorite) ratio and major elements and its ratio as SiO2, Al2O3, MgO, Na2O, K2O, K2O/Al2O3 and SiO2/Al2O3 in the Mid-Miocene climatic optimum (MMCO). The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) experiments were made at the State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The data provide the evidence for understanding the MMCO and its driving factors

Remote sensing and three-dimensional photogrammetric analysis of glaciofluvial sand and gravel deposits for aggregate resource assessment in McHenry County, Illinois, USA

Sand and gravel deposits, one of the most common natural resources, are used as aggregates mostly by the construction industry, and their extraction contributes significantly to a region\u27s economy. Thus, it is critical to locate sand and gravel deposits, and evaluate their quantity and quality safely and quickly. However, information on aggregate resources is generally only available from conventional two-dimensional (2-D) geologic maps, and direct field measurements for quality analysis at outcrops are time consuming and are often not possible due to safety concerns, or simply because exposures are too difficult to access. In this study, we presented a methodology to locate and evaluate aggregate resources, including the traditional methods of field surveying and borehole investigation for the entire McHenry County, Illinois, USA and new three-dimensional (3-D) photogrammetric models and remote sensing technologies at an active gravel pit. Thus acquired data sets allowed us to obtain key information for successful aggregate resource management: spatial occurrence, thickness, texture, paleocurrents, lithology and land use compatibility. In addition, remote sensing and photogrammetric techniques allowed for very quick and safe assessment of fundamental properties like particle size, paleocurrent direction and sorting, especially in inaccessible and/or unsafe outcrops. In summary, this paper demonstrated how remote sensing and photogrammetric technology can improve the efficiency and safety in resource assessment strategies, and the methodology used in our study can be applied to the development of autonomous mining and resource asset management elsewhere

Clay mineralogy of the upper Miocene-Pliocene red clay from the central Chinese Loess Plateau and its paleoclimate implications

Study of clay mineral is one of effective methods for reconstruction of the paleoclimate and paleoenvironment. Here we represent clay mineral records from an upper Miocene-Pliocene red clay succession in the central Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP). On the basis of the existing age model, we employ X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy to carry out clay mineral analyses, the results indicated that illite was the dominant clay mineral and the contents of smectite, chlorite and kaolinite were minor. From the analysis of contents of clay minerals, illite crystallinity, illite 5 angstrom/10 angstrom, smectite/(illite+chlorite) ratio, magnetic susceptibility, summer monsoon intensity and deep-sea delta O-18 values, the paleoclimatic evolution between 7.5 and 2.6 Ma can be divided into three intervals: interval I, from 7.5 to 6.9 Ma, it was cool and dry; interval II, from 6.9 to 4.1 Ma, was cool-warm oscillations; interval III, from 4.1 to 2.6 Ma, was significantly warm and humid stage of the seasonal climate conditions. The proxy records display a large amplitude transition in the later interval III, from 2.8 to 2.6 Ma, which implied an abrupt climate and environment variability. Through comparison the local and global paleoclimatic records, we found that clay minerals reflect regional paleoclimatic change superimposing global climatic records during the late Miocene-Pliocene period. We conclude that the regional tectonic activity and global cooling had affected East Asia Monsoon, which was characterized by the different temperature and precipitation in the central CLP

Color characteristics of Chinese loess and its paleoclimatic significance during the last glacial-interglacial cycle

The soil color is widely used in paleoclimate and paleoenvironment reconstructions in the Chinese Loess Plateau. To better understand the color spatial changes during the glacial -interglacial cycle, the soil color lightness (L-*), characteristic spectra, magnetic susceptibilities and mean grain sizes of three loess-paleosol sequences were compared. Results showed that high L-* and low hematite to goethite ratios (Hm/Gt) appeared in loess units, and low e and high Hm/Gt ratios accompanied paleosol layers, indicating glacial -interglacial hydrothermal oscillation. L-* in the Yulin section was higher than in the Chaona and Lihuacun sections, indicating that different precipitations have great effect on L-*. Furthermore, Hm/Gt, magnetic susceptibility (chi(lf)), and mean grain size are correlated closely with L-*. L-* and Hm/Gt not only document climatic variations in the glacial -interglacial cycle vis-a-vis loess-paleosol sequences, but also can identify Heinrich cold events and millennial scale Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) warm events. It suggests that soil color responds sensitively to global climate change driven by ice volumes. L-* and Hm/Gt curves exhibit higher frequencies and larger amplitudes than magnetic susceptibility (chi(lf)) curves, indicating that L-* and Hm/Gt can be regarded as sensitive and reliable proxies for characterizing high-resolution climate change during the last glacial -interglacial cycle. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Modeling and Analysis of the Soil Vapor Extraction Equipment for Soil Remediation

Soil vapor extraction (SVE) is one of the most commonly used technologies for soil remediation of contaminated sites, and the use of models to accurately predict and evaluate the operational effectiveness of SVE is a necessary part of site contamination treatment projects. A pneumatic model-based equipment model is proposed to comprehensively describe the SVE operation process. Though the numerical simulation, the influence of fan frequency, air valve opening, pressure, and total flow was analyzed, and an optimal extraction strategy was validated. Then, field experiments were carried out to verify the validity of the model. The proposed model and experimental results can provide a theoretical basis for the design and duration evaluation of SVE

Mid-Miocene climatic optimum: Clay mineral evidence from the red clay succession, Longzhong Basin, Northern China

The Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum (MMCO) is one of Earth's most recent prolonged warming events, recorded in both the deep ocean and mid-to high-latitude continents. Thick Cenozoic deposits in the Longzhong Basin, Northwest China, provide great potential for characterizing the MMCO, but have not been well documented. In this study, we carry out clay mineralogical and geochemical analyses of the Miocene red clay succession from the eastern Longzhong Basin, employing X-ray diffraction and geochemistry, and discuss the climatic characteristics of the MMCO. The results reveal that the MMCO occurred at 16-14 Ma and is associated with relatively high kaolinite and smectite contents, high illite crystallinity values and kaolinite/(illite + chlorite) ratio, and lower chlorite and illite contents. These clay mineral assemblages confirm a warm and moist climate during the MMCO. Furthermore, the SiO2/Al2O3 ratio declined with increasing Al2O3, indicative of greater precipitation and intensified weathering during this period. When compared with local and global records, we find that our clay mineral records reflect regional climatic change superimposed upon global climatic trends during the MMCO. It is suggested that a high concentration of CO2, and associated global warming, may have been responsible for the MMCO, rather than the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau

New evidence for the provenance and formation of loess deposits in the Ili River Basin, Arid Central Asia

Loess deposits are thick and widespread along the piedmonts of Arid Central Asia (ACA), however the source (provenance) and processes of formation of these fine-grained aeolian deposits are poorly understood. Here we investigate the provenance and possible distribution mechanisms for loess along the slopes of the Ili River basin, located in northwest China and southeastern Kazakhstan, using a grain-size mixture model and an elemental geochemistry-based source fingerprinting technique. Our results indicate that the Ili loess experiences low rates of sedimentary recycling downstream within the basin piedmont, and are strongly dependent on local geomorphic context. Loess deposits are dominated by proximal sources, indicating short-distance aeolian transport from the Ili River alluvial plains and local proluvial fans. Local sourcing dominated regardless of location within the catchment, although the proportion of fluvial input increases proportionally with increasing distance downstream. Our results suggest that the Central Asian deserts did not act as significant interim storage reservoirs for the loess deposits in the Ili River basin, which contrasts with the popular model for piedmont loess formation across Central Asia. Most likely the relatively enclosed and highly variable basin topography precluded transport from the open desert steppe into the upper Ili River valley. Our study provides the first clear evidence for a genetic link between the Asian high mountains and the loess of the adjacent piedmonts, based on geochemical and grain-size data, with the caveat that the high degree of topographic variability along the Tianshan piedmont likely results in a strongly localized influence on loess formation and accumulation

Effect of chemical pretreatments on magnetic susceptibility of loess from Central Asia and the Chinese Loess Plateau

Magnetic susceptibility (MS) as a paleoclimatic proxy plays an important role in paleoenvironmental reconstruction and past global climatic change. In order to discriminate the effect of composition on the MS of Quaternary eolian loess in inland arid Central Asia (CA), a series of comparative chemical experiments were designed to investigate the effects of different components on MS of loess from the Ili Basin CA and Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP). The results indicate that hydrochloric acid (HCl) can not only remove carbonate minerals, but also react with ferrous ions minerals by dissolving fine superparamagnetic particles (SPs), which reduces MS, especially in the CLP samples. Compared to the original samples, MS ((lf)) of acetic acid (AA) pretreated samples from CA and CLP increased by 20.3% and 4.8%, respectively, and their frequency-dependent MS ((fd)) increased by 53.4% and 13.0%, respectively, which indicates that the effect of carbonates on MS is greater for CA samples than for CLP samples. The variation in MS was below 5% in samples pretreated with perhydrol (H2O2) or distilled water, indicating that organic material and soluble components have very small influences on the MS. Temperature-dependence MS curves indicate that the transformation of magnetic minerals during the cooling of loess from the CLP mainly affected fine particles in the SPs, and that the contents of lepidocrocite and maghemite or goethite in the CA loess are lower than those in the CLP. The loess MS enhancement mechanism in Central Asia differs from that in the CLP