SITE INVESTIGATIONS:GEOPHYSICS
nation of landslide and erosion mapping along the pro-
posed alignment and interpretation of air photographs led
to the recommendation to abandon the remainder of the
alignment and adopted an alternative route, considered to
be more stable. -from Author
944180 Mapping the Xigaze (Tibet) ophiolite complex
with Landsat Thematic Mapper data
J . P . Matthews & A. S. G. Jones, Journal of Himalayan
Geology, 3(1), 1992, pp 97-101.
Decorrelation stretch and band ratio image enhancement
techniques have been applied to a Landsat Thematic
Mapper (TM) scene covermg the remote Xigaze Ophiolite.
Vegetation or soil cover is sparse in this region, so maps
generated from satellite imagery can compliment informa-
tion gathered from field surveys. From Landsat data, a map
has been drawn of the main ophiollte massif which gives a
more accurate overview of the distribution of lithologies
than do previously published maps. -from Authors
Structural and geotechnical mapping
944181 An expert system approach to liquefaction
analysis, part 1: development and implementation
M.A. Chouicha & T. J. Siller, Computers & Geotechnics,
16(1), 1994, pp 1-35.
This paper presents the development of the rule-based
expert system, LIQUEFY, which evaluates the liquefaction
potential of sites using several commonly accepted
liquefaction evaluation methods. In this paper the issues in
the design of the rule-based are addressed including:
knowledge acquisition, knowledge representation, and sys-
tem validation. LIQUEFY was developed for the personal
computer and includes 470 rules, an explanation facility,
and methods for handling uncertainty in input data and
resulting conclusions. -Authors
944182 An expert system approach to liquefaction
analysis, part 2: evaluation
M . A . Chouicha, T. J. Siller & W. A. Charlie, Computers
& Geotechnics, 16(1), 1994, pp 37-69.
This is the second paper in a two-part series describing the
development of LIQUEFY. The functional issues in
designing LIQUEFY are presented: the implementation of
five different methods for liquefaction hazards assessment
and their incorporation into a unique framework for
liquefaction evaluation. The system ~roups the imple-
mented liquefaction methods into a preliminary and a final
task. The performance of LIQUEFY is compared to pub-
fished case histories. -from Authors
944183 Understanding subsalt overpressure may
reduce drilling risks
J. O'Brien & I. Lerche, Oil & Gas Journal, 92(4), 1994,
pp 28-34.
An analysis of the subsalt physical environment can help
engineers and geologists understand the potential for over-
pressure, which may lead to drilling problems during
exptoration near salt sheets. Trapped hydrocarbons in for-
mat ions underlying salt sheets have become a promising
exploration play in the Gulf of Mexico. Although subsalt
targets share many characteristics with nonsalt targets, the
presence of the salt body can influence the physical pro-
l>erties of the target in a number of ways. Some of these
factors may be critical to the success of a well and need to
be addressed in the prospect evaluation and during well
planning. -from Authors
944184 The Agua del Toro Dam, Mendoza, Argentina
- a case of insufficient surface geology studies affecting
underground excavations
A . J . Amos, in: Comprehensive rock engineering. 1Iol. 5,
ed J.A. Hudson, (Pergamon), 1993, pp 133-146.
The Agua del Toro dam, pressure tunnel and powerhouse
illustrate the effect of insufficient geological studies on the
overall construction and represent a case which could have
failed to deliver a very important source of energy to the
. , ,
Interconnected System or" Argentina during the 1970s.
The [eology of the Agua del Toro project is by no means
simple, being complicated by a rather bizarre stratigraphy
RMM$ 31:4-,]
195A
and also by the lack of detailed studies on the key loca-
tions, such as the dam itself. The dam suffered changes
and rotations of the axis and excavation problems in the
pressure tunnel, undoubtedly caused by mbLnterpretation
of the local geology before construction. -from Author
944185 Some aspects of seismic hazard assessment in
national and local leveb in Albania
S. Kociaj, in: Comprehensive approach to earthquake
disaster mitigation, ed A. V o g e l & others, (Vieweg;
Progress in Earthquake Research & Engineering, Vol. 4),
1993, pp 85-117.
Albania is one of the most active seismic countries in the
Mediterranean Region. The seismic hazard assessment was
based on three main elements: earthquake loci on the basis
of seismological and geological data; maximum seismic
energy to be released by the expected earthquake loci; and
surface effects of this energy expressed either through
strong ground motion parameters or through seismic inten-
sities. Hazard maps for the whole country are described,
and case studies of hazard assessment on a local level are
presented. -G.E.Hodgson
Geophysical techniques
944186 The geoeleeWical methods in geophysical
exploration
M. S. Zhdanov & G. V. Keller, (Elsevier;Methods in
Geochemistry and Geophyies, 31),ISBN (hardback) 0 A ~
89678 3, price Dfl 375.00 (US$214.25), 1994, 873 pp,
index.
The first four chapters provide an introduction to electrical
techniques in geophysics, covering rock and mineral pro-
perties and EM field behaviour. Chapters 5-7 deal with the
standard geoelectrical techniques o~ direct current (DC),
maj~,neto~Huric ( ~ ) , and controlled source electro.mag-
neuc tt~M) memoas, t:napters ~-tl provide oetails on
aspects of geoeiectrical theory common to all techniques,
and are: modelling and simulation; insensitivity and sxmu-
lation; practical aspects of data aquisition; and interpreta-
tion. Chapter 12 provides details of other methodologies,
such as airborne EM surveys, borehole techniques , ground
penetrating radar (GPR), and piezoelectric method (PEP).
Chapter 13 gives details of 13 case studies using geoelectr-
ical techniques from around the world, whilst the final
chapter provides some generalisations for geoelectrical
work. Two appendices provide details on mathematical
conventions and FORTRAN programming. -R.Gower
944187 Geophysical testing for rock engineering
K. Sassa, in: Comprehensive rock engineering. VoT. 3, ed
J.A. Hudson, (Pergamon), 1993, pp 635-650.
In this chapter, seismic testing within a borehole and
between boreholes, and seismic tomography axe explained.
The 'downhole method' is the most effective method to
measure elastic wave velocities and attenuations in the
borehole direction. By use of the 'cross-hole method',
average velocities in the rock mass between sources and
receivers are measured. Therefore, average pro])erties of
the rock mass are obtained by this method. Setsratc tomog-
raphy is the only technique able to obtain the two-dimen-
sional distribution of propagation velocities and attenua-
tion characteristics of elastic waves. -from Author
944188 Seismic imaging using micr0,earthquakes
induced by hydraulic fracturing
L.V. Block, C. H. Cheng, M. C. Fehler & W. S. Phillips,
Geophysics, 59(1), 1994, pp 102-112.
Seismic imaging using microearthquakes induced by
ydraulic fracturing produces a three-dimensional (3-D),
S-wave velocity model of the fractured zone, improves the
calculated locations of the microearthquakes, and may lead
to be.tter estimates of fracture plane orientations, fracture
density, and water flow paths. Such information is impor-
tant for predicting me amount of heat energy that may be
extracted from geothermal reservoir. A fractured zone was
created at the Los Alamns Hot Dry Rock Reservoir in
north-central New Mexico within otherwise impermeable
basement rock by injecting 21 000 m 3 of water into a
borehole under high pressure at a depth of 3.5 kin. Induced