Geological Environment and Engineering
Amir Mahyar Azhdarpour; Mohammad Reza Nikudel; Mashalah Khamehchiyan
Abstract
The central Alborz structural-sedimentary area in the middle part of the Alborz Mountain Range has endured geological events from the Precambrian to the present era, and contains numerous geological structures and formations. Among these, sandstone formations also have a significant expansion. In this ...
Read More
The central Alborz structural-sedimentary area in the middle part of the Alborz Mountain Range has endured geological events from the Precambrian to the present era, and contains numerous geological structures and formations. Among these, sandstone formations also have a significant expansion. In this research, 6 different sandstone formations were sampled in 2 locations and tested to determine their physical and mechanical characteristics. In general, in the sandstone formations of central Alborz, top quartzite has stronger mechanical parameters than other formations. Shemshak Formation has the lowest mechanical parameters among the selected formations. Based on regression analysis, the conversion factor of PLT, BST and CPI parameters to unconfined resistance or UCS showed 20.6, 6 and 20.40 respectively with R2s of 0.75, 0.90 and 0.78. In terms of the Cerchar Abrasivity Index (CAI) as an index that can show the amount of abrasion, top quartzite has the most abrasiveness, which is due to its lithological composition. This sandstone formation is placed in the category of stones with high abrasive ability, and Shemshak Formation has the lowest Cerchar index among the formations and is placed in the group of stones with extremely low abrasiveness.
R Farokhnejad; B Esfandiari; A Motamed
Abstract
In this paper the Fajan Formation of Paleocene age with a thickness of 172.5 meters is studied in northwest Shahroud (Eastern Alborz). Main lithology of this formation, at the studied section, consists of conglomerate and sandstone. The formation disconforably overlain upper Cretaceous limestones ...
Read More
In this paper the Fajan Formation of Paleocene age with a thickness of 172.5 meters is studied in northwest Shahroud (Eastern Alborz). Main lithology of this formation, at the studied section, consists of conglomerate and sandstone. The formation disconforably overlain upper Cretaceous limestones and its upper boundry with Ziarat limestone of Eocene age is of transitional type. Dominant lithology of mentioned formation, at the studied section, consists of polymodal and polymictic orthoconglomerate which contains rounded to subrounded grains. These clastic grains are generally oval to spherical in shape and originated from limestone, sandstone and chert materials. Paleocene Conglomerate is characterized by two distinc lithofacies: clast-supported massive gravel (Gcm) and clast-supported horizontally stratified gravel (Gh) which are formed in a braided river system. This subject is interpreted by evidances as condensed texture gravels, imbrication fabric that indicate on one hand paleocurrent, non-existence of fossil by reason of oxidation conditions of sedimentary environment, sandstone lenses that have through cross bedding (St) and existence of gravels that are mostly rounded to subrounded and denote distance from origin. Abundant bed load mostly rang in size from pebble to cobble and partially boulder, gravelly beds with long extended lateral spread and lack of flood plain muddy sediments, are reasons in distinguish between recognized sedimentary environment and meandering river. The studied Sandstone layers are described by ripple marked sand (Sr) and planar-cross-bedded sand (Sp) which contain sublitharenite and quartzarenite type are deposited in tide-dominated deltaic system.Interpretation criteria are propounded by means of interference ripple mark that prove direction change of current bearing clastic particles, rounded to subrounded sands that can present repeated reworking of grains after deposition in sedimentary environment, well sorting, high textural maturity, insignificant matrix as criterion in distinction specified delta from other deltaic environments and herringbone cross bedding which is the most important evidence of tidal currents.
Z. Jorkesh; R. Ajalloeian; A. H. Sadeghpour; M. J. Kalantar Hormozi
Abstract
In this research, the effect of salinity on engineering characteristics of sandstones is investigated. For this purpose, two sandstones from abutments and rock fill (Rip-Rap) of Vanyar dam (in Eastern Azerbaijan province) were selected in addition to three water samples (drinking water, semi-brine and ...
Read More
In this research, the effect of salinity on engineering characteristics of sandstones is investigated. For this purpose, two sandstones from abutments and rock fill (Rip-Rap) of Vanyar dam (in Eastern Azerbaijan province) were selected in addition to three water samples (drinking water, semi-brine and brine) to saturate these rock samples. Water content, uniaxial compressive, point load, thawing and freezing, sound velocity, and durability tests were carried out on dry and saturated samples at different time intervals. After 5 months of submerging type 1 and 2 sandstones in brine water, the uniaxial compressive strength values were decreased 13 and 4%, respectively, and after 10 months to 12 and 0.2%, respectively, compared to those of samples prepared using drinking water. By increasing the salinity of the water, the durability values after 10 cycles changed from 2.3 to 4.2% and from 1.8 to 3.2% for sandstones types 1 and 2, respectively. The sound velocity in a dry sample of sandstones types 1 and 2 was measured as 4450 and 4950 m/sec, respectively, while they reached 4699 and 5255 m/sec, respectively, by increasing salinity. The results show that brine water almost has no effect on thawing and freezing.
Z Hamidi Beheshti; H Alimohammadian; M Talebian; A Shahidi; M.R Ghassemi
Abstract
Geomagnetism is one of the most applied techniques of geophysics in geology. Today, this method is applied in different disciplines such as Magnetic fabric of rocks, palaeomagnetism and environmental magnetism. Each of these magnetic methods is suitable for a particular lithology. Therefore, the potential ...
Read More
Geomagnetism is one of the most applied techniques of geophysics in geology. Today, this method is applied in different disciplines such as Magnetic fabric of rocks, palaeomagnetism and environmental magnetism. Each of these magnetic methods is suitable for a particular lithology. Therefore, the potential of sandstones of Shemshak Group, in central AlborzMountain range were examined to record their response to the application of some conventional magnetic methods. This rock unit is formed during two major tectonic events of early and middle Cimmerian and has great coverage not only in the study area but also in a vast majority of Iran. The total number of 135 oriented core samples was taken from 18 stations. In this study combination of magnetic and petrographic data are examined. The result of magnetic mineralogy analysis of all samples (except samples from stations 10 and 15) show irreversibility i.e. minerals such as hematite and magnetite, have formed during the heating stage. The results of thermal demagnetization analysis showed that ferromagnetic minerals present in the samples (except samples from stations 10, 14 and 15) have demagnetized below 400 °C and by proceeding heating, samples show zigzag pattern or show abnormal increase in susceptibility. This indicates that, the magnetic minerals are formed during heating in one stage and due to unstability lose its susceptibility in other stage. The magnetic susceptibility (Km) vary from 200-400×10-6 SI for more stations of study area, indicating abundance of paramagnetic mineral in this rock unit. From petrography point of view all the sandstone samples are classified as arenites and ratio of quartz to lithic fragment and feldspar is relatively low, which may indicate low mineral maturity. Comparison of magnetic mineralogy and thermal demagnetization data for two stations S10 and S15 show that there is an inverse potential relationship between amount of stable ferromagnetic mineral in a sample and amount of its alteration during heating stage. The results of this study reveal the poor nature of Shemshak Group sandstones for palaeomagnetic studies due to their low mineral maturity and water percolation which increase the possibility of acquisition of chemical remanent magnetization (CRM). The high sedimentation rate of sandstones cause magnetic inclination and declination error, and low ferromagnetic mineral fraction in samples, make them unsuitable to record magnetic directionsduring formation of rocks. However, abundance of paramagnetic minerals such as biotite in these rocks, proves their applicability for magnetic fabric studies.
S. H. Hejazi; M. H. Adabi; S. R. Moussavi Harami
Abstract
The Givetian-Frasnian sandstones in the Kuh-e-Tizi section (25 km NE Kerman), unconformably overlie the Upper Cambrian Kuhbanan and underlie the Lower Carboniferous Hutk Formations respectively, in southeastern Central Iran. Petrographical data show that these sandstones are well-sorted, sub-angular ...
Read More
The Givetian-Frasnian sandstones in the Kuh-e-Tizi section (25 km NE Kerman), unconformably overlie the Upper Cambrian Kuhbanan and underlie the Lower Carboniferous Hutk Formations respectively, in southeastern Central Iran. Petrographical data show that these sandstones are well-sorted, sub-angular to rounded quartzarenite. Diagenetic features include physical and chemical compactions (straight, concavo-convex, sutured grain contacts and pressure solution of quartz grain), reduction of the pore space through rearrangements and cementation (mostly silica, as quartz overgrowth). The provenance and tectonic setting of these sandstones have been interpreted using integrated petrographic and geochemical data. Petrographic analysis using standard methods revealed that mono and poly-crystalline quartz grains have been derived from plutonic rocks of an interior cratonic setting. Trace element analyses and their ratios used for provenance studies (Th/Sc and La/Sc) are similar to sediments derived from weathering of mostly felsic rocks. Values representing chemical index of alteration (CIA) and the plagioclase index of alteration (PIA) range from 44.24 to 83.43, with an average of 69.96, and from 42.98 to 92.56, with an average of 75.8, respectively. However, most samples have values greater than 60, suggesting moderate to high weathering in the source area or during transportation prior to find deposition. Major and trace element concentrations indicated a depositional setting in a passive continental margin.
