Experimental Study on Hydraulic Conductivity and Resistance in Silty Sediments

Hydraulic conductivity k as a function of void ratio e and particle diameter for silty sediment was experimentally investigated, and an empirical formula for the estimation of hydraulic conductivity was proposed. Seepage resistance for flow in silty sediment was deliberated. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that hydraulic conductivity k could be expressed as an exponential function of void ratio e and median particle diameter d50 {3.1 μm < d50 < 87 μm and 0.26 < e < 4}. It was further found that the formula of seepage resistance factor (?), a form of friction factor, varies linearly with Reynolds number (Re) for silty sediments. A family of such λ-Re curves for various particle diameter d50 is presented.

Author Correction: Pore water pressure responses in silty sediment bed under random wave action

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Mineralogy of Eocene Fossil Wood from the “Blue Forest” Locality, Southwestern Wyoming, United States

Central Wyoming, USA, was the site of ancient Lake Gosiute during the Early Eocene. Lake Gosiute was a large body of water surrounded by subtropical forest, the lake being part of a lacustrine complex that occupied the Green River Basin. Lake level rises episodically drowned the adjacent forests, causing standing trees and fallen branches to become growth sites for algae and cyanobacteria, which encased submerged wood with thick calcareous stromatolitic coatings. The subsequent regression resulted in a desiccation of the wood, causing volume reduction, radial fractures, and localized decay. The subsequent burial of the wood in silty sediment led to a silicification of the cellular tissue. Later, chalcedony was deposited in larger spaces, as well as in the interstitial areas of the calcareous coatings. The final stage of mineralization was the precipitation of crystalline calcite in spaces that had previously remained unmineralized. The result of this multi-stage mineralization is fossil wood with striking beauty and a complex geologic origin.