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

• 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

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.

人造地面是一个用来描述已被人类修饰的陆地表面的一部分的术语。这可以包括从天然土地表面上去除材料，例如采石或在其上沉积材料，例如工业过程中的废料。在世界各地，人类的材料是河流等自然过程的三倍。人造地面通常位于市区，因此受到所谓“布朗菲尔德土地”的建设而受到青睐。它还可以增强生物多样性，并可以用于碳捕获。但是，它通常包含污染物，并且容易出现滑坡。鉴于人工基础带来的这些机会和挑战，重要的是要了解可能对其作用的自然过程。当它通过人类活动沉积时，人造地面由松散的材料或沉积物组成。这可能会变成岩石，即松散的沉积物变成融合在一起，像岩石一样。随着人造地面的不断增加，裂片的影响可能具有（例如固定污染物和捕获碳），了解人造地面刻有刻板的原因和过程是重要且及时的。这项新颖的建议将通过研究两个英国案例研究地点来探索这一研究领域，这些案例研究地点已被固定。样品将从苏格兰和英格兰西北地区的地点的旧渣堆（从钢制造中的副产品）收集。对样品的实验室分析将使我们能够理解为什么人造地面在非常快速的时间尺度上被固定得多 - 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，以了解静态化对实际方面的更具体含义，例如污染物固定，地面稳定性和碳捕获。

项目成果

The mechanisms and drivers of lithification in slag-dominated artificial ground

矿渣为主的人工地基的石化机制和驱动因素

• DOI: 10.1002/dep2.230
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: The Depositional Record
• 作者: MacDonald J