The Mineralogical and Geochemical Processes involved in Rapid Natural Lithification of Artificial Ground

人工地面快速自然石化所涉及的矿物学和地球化学过程

基本信息

批准号：
NE/X009718/1
负责人：
John MacDonald
金额：
$ 8.46万
依托单位：
University of Glasgow
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2022
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2022 至无数据
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FX009718%2F1
关键词：
Mineralogical Geochemical Processes involved Rapid

项目摘要

Artificial ground is a term used to describe parts of the land surface which have been modified by humans. This can include removing material from the natural land surface, such as quarrying, or depositing material on it, such as waste material from industrial processes. Around the world, almost three times as much material is moved by humans than by natural processes such as rivers. Artificial ground is typically in urban areas and so is favoured for building on, so-called 'brownfield land'. It can also enhance biodiversity, and may be used for carbon capture. However, it often contains pollutants, and is prone to landslides. Given these opportunities and challenges posed by artificial ground, it is important to understand natural processes which may act upon it.When it is deposited by human activity, artificial ground is composed of loose material or sediment. This can become lithified, i.e. the loose sediment becomes fused together to become like a rock. With the ever-increasing volume of artificial ground being created, and the impacts lithification may have (such as immobilising pollutants and capturing carbon), it is important and timely to understand the causes of, and processes involved in, lithification of artificial ground. This novel proposal will explore this frontier area of research by studying two UK case study sites where artificial ground has become lithified. Sample will be collected from legacy slag heaps (by-products from steelmaking) at sites in Scotland and NW England. Laboratory analysis of the samples will allow us to understand why artificial ground becomes lithified over very rapid timescales - much faster than natural sediments. This research will provide a fundamental understanding that will pave the way for further projects to understand more specific implications of lithification on practical aspects such as pollutant immobilisation, ground stability and carbon capture.

人造地面是一个术语，用于描述经过人类改造的陆地表面部分。这可以包括从自然地表去除材料（例如采石场）或在其上沉积材料（例如工业过程中的废料）。在世界各地，人类搬运的物质几乎是河流等自然过程搬运的物质的三倍。人造地面通常位于城市地区，因此更适合在所谓的“棕地”上进行建筑。它还可以增强生物多样性，并可用于碳捕获。然而，它往往含有污染物，并且容易发生山体滑坡。鉴于人造地面带来的这些机遇和挑战，了解可能对其产生作用的自然过程非常重要。当人造地面通过人类活动沉积时，人造地面由松散的物质或沉积物组成。这可能会石化，即松散的沉积物融合在一起，变得像岩石一样。随着人造地面数量的不断增加，以及石化可能产生的影响（例如固定污染物和捕获碳），及时了解人造地面石化的原因和过程非常重要。这项新颖的提案将通过研究两个英国人造地面已石化的案例研究地点来探索这一前沿研究领域。样品将从苏格兰和英格兰西北部的遗留炉渣堆（炼钢的副产品）中采集。对样本的实验室分析将使我们能够理解为什么人造地面会在非常快的时间内石化——比天然沉积物快得多。这项研究将提供基本的理解，为进一步的项目铺平道路，以了解石化对污染物固定、地面稳定性和碳捕获等实际方面的更具体影响。