Geochemical sampling with special reference to environmental risk assessment

We usually conduct environmental investigation through sample study. Therefore, it is essential that samples should be representative, at all time, and of the object be studied. However, the issues of sample representativeness and sampling errors are often neglected by investigators. Based on modem geo-statistics and sampling theory, this paper addresses these issues in more detail and presents a case study related to environmental risk assessment. The issue of sample representativeness can be measured in the following three aspects： （1） whether the sample numbers are large enough to reflect the characteristics of the initial object being studied）; （2） whether the sample mass （or sample volume） is large enough to represent the original site （the local segment being sampled）; （3） whether assay portion is prepared well enough to depict the initial sample. Sample numbers are dictated by the confidence level, the variance of population and the acceptable estimation error as well as the homogeneity and the spatial continuity of population.     

Correction to: Leveraging HPC accelerator architectures with modern techniques — hydrologic modeling on GPUs with ParFlow

Computational Geosciences - A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10596-021-10065-y     

Stability of Kerogen Classification with Regard to Image Segmentation

This paper investigates the stability of an automatic system for classifying kerogen material from images of sieved rock samples. The system comprises four stages: image acquisition, background removal, segmentation, and classification of the segmented kerogen pieces as either inertinite or vitrinite. Depending upon a segmentation parameter d, called “overlap”, touching pieces of kerogen may be split differently. The aim of this study is to establish how robust the classification result is to variations of the segmentation parameter. There are two issues that pose difficulties in carrying out an experiment. First, even a trained professional may be uncertain when distinguishing between isolated pieces of inertinite and vitrinite, extracted from transmitted-light microscope images. Second, because manual labelling of large amount of data for training the system is an arduous task, we acquired the true labels (ground truth) only for the pieces obtained at overlap d=0.5. To construct ground truth for various values of d we propose here label-inheritance trees. With thus estimated ground truth, an experiment was carried out to evaluate the robustness of the system to changes in the segmentation through varying the overlap value d. The average system accuracy across values of d spanning the range from 0 to 1 was 86.5%, which is only slightly lower than the accuracy of the system at the design value of d=0.5 (89.07%).     

Phase relations of phlogopite with magnesite from 4 to 8 GPa

To evaluate the stability of phlogopite in the presence of carbonate in the Earth’s mantle, we conducted a series of experiments in the KMAS–H₂O–CO₂ system. A mixture consisting of synthetic phlogopite (phl) and natural magnesite (mag) was prepared (phl₉₀-mag₁₀; wt%) and run at pressures from 4 to 8 GPa at temperatures ranging from 1,150 to 1,550°C. We bracketed the solidus between 1,200 and 1,250°C at pressures of 4, 5 and 6 GPa and between 1,150 and 1,200°C at a pressure of 7 GPa. Below the solidus, phlogopite coexists with magnesite, pyrope and a fluid. At the solidus, magnesite is the first phase to react out, and enstatite and olivine appear. Phlogopite melts over a temperature range of ~150°C. The amount of garnet increases above solidus from ~10 to ~30 modal% to higher pressures and temperatures. A dramatic change in the composition of quench phlogopite is observed with increasing pressure from similar to primary phlogopite at 4 GPa to hypersilicic at pressures ≥5 GPa. Relative to CO₂-free systems, the solidus is lowered such, that, if carbonation reactions and phlogopite metasomatism take place above a subducting slab in a very hot (Cascadia-type) subduction environment, phlogopite will melt at a pressure of ~7.5 GPa. In a cold (40 mWm⁻²) subcontinental lithospheric mantle, phlogopite is stable to a depth of 200 km in the presence of carbonate and can coexist with a fluid that becomes Si-rich with increasing pressure. Ascending kimberlitic melts that are produced at greater depths could react with peridotite at the base of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle, crystallizing phlogopite and carbonate at a depth of 180–200 km.     

Erratum to: Solution of Kepler’s Equation with Machine Precision

Astronomy Reports - An Erratum to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063772921330015     

Establishment of new structural indices for the coals with various susceptibilities to self-ignition

One of the main aims of the coal industry is to improve conditions and increase the safety of the work. The questions of environment also need to be considered. In the complex of science-technological problems the focus is placed on how to reveal spontaneous combustion of coals and siltages. The results of spontaneous combustion of coals and siltages are bereavement of the minerals, promise for failures and accidents, and pollution of the environment. The decision of problem of the prevention is very hard, because the spontaneous combustion of coals is an unforeseeable and poorly studied process. The methods of preventing spontaneous combustion of coals must be established. In the first place, these investigations must start with the study of the structure of these coals. The aim of the present work is to determine the differences in the structure of coals with various susceptibilities to spontaneous combustion .Main methods of studying coals include ultimate and proximate analyses, petrographic analysis, analysis of ashes, X-ray （apparatus ＂Kristalloflex Siemens＂ using filtered cuprum radiation）, extraction （Dionex ASE 200）, gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy （GC-MS） Finnigan MAT GCQ. Proximate, ultimate and petrographic analyses revealed the distinction in the structure of coals with various susceptibilities to self-ignition.     

Partitioning and Hydrolysis of Nb and Ta and Their Implications with Regard to Mineralization

K₂NbOF₅ · H₂O and K₂TaF₇ were prepared through melting Nb₂O₅ and Ta₂O₅ respectively with KHF₂ · 2H₂O, followed by recrystallizing. The hydrolysis properties of K₂NbOF₅ and K₂TaF₇ were determined again by using a rapidly quench vessel. As temperature (from 250 to 550 °C) and pressure (from 500 to 1500 bars) increase, the degree of hydrolysis of both K₂NbOF₅ and K₂TaF₇ will increase. Nb- and Ta-fluorine complex compounds are instable in supercritical aqueous fluids. The degree of hydrolysis of both K₂NbOF₅ and K₂TaF₇ decreases with increasing concentration of HF, independent of the concentration of NaF. The partition coefficients of Nb and Ta between granitic melt and fluid phase are less than 0.15, i.e., most of Nb and Ta are left in granitic melt. The partition coefficient of Ta is more dependent on the concentration of HF than that of Nb. The significance of hydrolysis in Nb- and Ta- mineralization is also discussed in the present paper.     

Discovery of Neoproterozoic Rocks in the Dunhuang Block: Clues to Correlation with Rodinia

正Objective Rodinia was a supercontinent that comprised nearly all the current existing continents/blocks on Earth to form a coherent large landmass during the Meso-Neoproterozoic. Thus, discovery of Meso-Neoproterozoic rocks in a certain Precambrian block can provide important clues for studying the assembly and break-up history of Rodinia. The Dunhuang Block, located at the southernmost part     

Shock metamorphism of quartz with initial temperatures −170 to + 1000° C

Shock experiments on quartz single crystals with initial temperatures –170 to +1000°C showed that ambient temperature does not affect the type of defects formed but can lower the pressure of complete amorphization. The amount of glass recovered increases with both pressure and temperature, and the shock-induced phase transformation of quartz is temperature-activated with an apparent activation energy of <60 kj/=" mol.=" the=" phase=" transformation=" is=" localized=" along=" three=" types=" of=" transformation=" lamellae=" (narrow,=" s-shaped,=" and=" wide)=" which=" contain=" fractured=" and/or=" high-pressure=" phases.=" transformation=" lamellae=" are=" inferred=" to=" form=" by=" motion=" of=" linear=" collapse=" zones=" propagating=" near=" the=" shock=" front.=" equilibrium=" phases,=" such=" as=" stishovite,=" were=" not=" recovered=" and=" are=" probably=" not=" formed=" at=" high=" shock=" pressures:=" the=" dominant=" transformation=" mechanism=" is=" inferred=" to=" be=" solid-state=" collapse=" to=" a=" dense,=" disordered=" phase.=" melting=" occurs=" separately=" by=" friction=" along=" microfaults,=" but=" no=" high-pressure=" crystal=" phases=" are=" quenched=" in=" these=" zones.=" shock=" of=" quartz=" thus=" produces=" two=" types=" of=" disordered=" material,=" quenched=" melt=" (along=" microfaults)=" and=" diaplectic=" glass=" (in=" transformation=" lamellae);=" the=" quenched=" melt=" expands=" during=" p-t=" release,=" leaving=" it=" with=" a=" density=" lower=" than=" quartz,=" while=" recovered=" diaplectic=" glass=" has=" a=" density=" closer=" to=" that=" of=" quartz.=" at=" low=" pressures=">< 15=" gpa),=" quartz=" transforms=" mostly=" by=" shear=" melting,=" while=" at=" higher=" pressures=" it=" converts=" mostly=" along=" transformation=" lamellae.=" we=" find=" that=" shock=" paleopiezometers=" using=" microstructures=" are=" nominally=" temperature-invariant,=" so=" that=" features=" observed=" at=" impact=" craters=" and=" the=" k/t=" boundary=" require=" in=" excess=" of=" 10=" gpa=" to=" form,=" regardless=" of=" the=" target=" temperature.=" shock=" comminution=" will=" be=" much=" more=" extensive=" for=" impacts=" on=" cold=" surfaces=" due=" to=" lack=" of=" cementation=" of=" fragments=" by=" melt=" glass;=" shock=" on=" hot=" surfaces=" could=" produce=" much=" more=" glass=" than=" estimated=" from=" room-temperature=" experiments.=" because=" of=" the=" shock-impedance=" mismatch=" between=" quartz=" specimen=" and=" steel=" capsule,=" the=" incident=" shock=" wave=" reverberates=" up=" to=" a=" final=" pressure.=" the=" dynamic=" compression=" process=" is=" quasi-isentropic=" with=" high=" strain=" rates.=" preheating=" and=" precooling=" achieves=" final=" shock=" pressures=" and=" temperatures=" representative=" of=" single-shock=" states=" of=" room=" temperature=" quartz=" and=" of=" quartz=" on=" known=" planetary=" surfaces.=" stress=" histories=" were=" calculated=" by=" detailed=" 1-=" and=" 2-dimensional=" computer=" simulations.=" the=" stress=" history=" throughout=" the=" sample=" is=" relatively=" uniform,=" with=" minor=" variations=" during=" unloading.=" significant=" differences=" between=" impact=" pressures=" calculated=" by=" the=" shock-impedance-match=" method=" and=" specimen=" pressures=" calculated=" by=" computer=" simulations=" indicate=" the=" importance=" of=" modeling=" shock=" recovery=" experiments=">     

On several numerical strategies to solve Richards’ equation in heterogeneous media with finite volumes

Computational Geosciences - We propose several numerical approaches building on upstream mobility two-point flux approximation finite volumes to solve Richards’ equation in domains made of...     

Jinfengopteryx Compared to Archaeopteryx, with Comments on the Mosaic Evolution of Long-tailed Avialan Birds

Jinfengopteryx is a newly uncovered Archaeopteryx-like avialan bird outside Germany, which was found from the Jehol Biota of northern Hebei in northeastern China. It shares many characters only with Archaeopteryx by the possession of three fenestrae in the antorbital cavity, 23 caudal vertebrae and long tail feathers attached to all the caudal vertebrae. But the former differs from the latter in the relatively short and high preorbital region of skull, more and closely packed teeth, much shorter forelimb compared to hindlimb. Such differences indicate Jinfengopteryx is even slightly more primitive than Archaeopteryx, although both birds can be placed at the root position of the avialan tree based on cladistic analysis. Shenzhouraptor is suggested to be slightly more advanced than Jinfengopteryx ＋ Archaeopteryx, supported by some derived features in teeth, shoulder girdles and forelimbs such as the reduction of tooth number, dorsolaterally directed glenoid facet, very long forelimb and comparatively short manus. Meanwhile, the tail of Shenzhouraptor shows more primitive characters than those of Jinfengopteryx and Archaeopteryx, e.g., the strikingly longer tail composed of more caudal vertebrae and the long tail feathers attached only to distal caudal segments. The mixed primitive and advanced characters reveal the evident mosaic evolution among long-tailed avialan birds.     

Estimation of the Primary Magma Compositions of an Igneous Rock Series Petrogenetically Associated with Fractional Crystallization with Special Reference to Element Abundance Relationships

A primary magma not only represents the starting point of a fractional crystallization process, but also is the product of an equilibrium or fractional partial melting process in a mantle.Element abundance relationships in the primary magma obey both law of power function for fractional crystallization and the law of fractional linear function for equilibrium partial melting .Based on this double nature of the primary magma, the authors advanced a principle to restore the primary magma composition from that of an igneous rock series with petrogenesis of fractional crystallization and put forward an approach of estimating the element abundance of the primary magma, exempli-fied by the rar-earth elements in the Andes volcanic rock series.     

The Lomonosov Equatorial Undercurrent according to Data Measured with a Shipborne Profiler, 2014–2017

The velocity and structure of the Lomonosov Equatorial Undercurrent of the Atlantic Ocean are determined based on the data measured with a shipborne acoustic profiler from 2014 to 2017. The seasonal variability of this flow is estimated, and the cases of its outcropping to the surface in the spring of the Northern Hemisphere are revealed.

     

An elastoplastic model with combined isotropic–kinematic hardening to predict the cyclic behavior of stiff clays

This paper presents a kinematic hardening model for describing some important features of natural stiff clays under cyclic loading conditions, such as closed hysteretic loops, smooth transition from the elastic behavior to the elastoplastic one and changes of the compression slope with loading/unloading loops. The model includes two yield surfaces, an inner surface and a bounding surface. A non-associated flow rule and a kinematic hardening law are proposed for the inner surface. The adopted hardening law enables the plastic modulus to vary smoothly when the kinematic yield surface approaches the bounding surface and ensures at the same time the non-intersection of the two yield surfaces. Furthermore, the first loading, unloading, and reloading stages are treated differently by applying distinct hardening parameters. The main feature of the model is that its constitutive equations can be simply formulated based on the consistency condition for the inner yield surface based on the proposed kinematic hardening law; thereby, this model can be easily implemented in a finite element code using a classic stress integration scheme as for the modified Cam Clay model. The simulation results on the Boom Clay, natural stiff clay, have revealed the relevance of the model: a good agreement has been obtained between simulations and the experimental results from the tests with different stress paths under cyclic loading conditions. In particular, the model can satisfactorily describe the complex case of oedometric conditions where the deviator stress is positive upon loading (compression) but can become negative upon unloading (extension).     

Application of Stochastic Fracture Network with Numerical Fluid Flow Simulations to Groundwater Flow Modeling in Fractured Rocks

ＩＮＴＲＯＤＵＣＴＩＯＮＧｒｏｕｎｄｗａｔｅｒｏｒｆｌｕｉｄｆｌｏｗｍｏｄｅｌｉｎｇｉｎｆｒａｃｔｕｒｅｄｒｏｃｋｓｉｓａｃｏｍｐｌｉｃａｔｅｄｔｈｅｏｒｅｔｉｃａｌａｎｄａｐｐｌｉｅｄｔｏｐｉｃ.Ｂｏｔｈｔｈｅｏｒｅｔｉｃａｌｌｙａｎｄｏｐｅｒａｔｉｏｎａｌｌｙ ,ｉｔｉｓｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｔｉｎｍａｎｙｆｉｅｌｄｓｓｕｃｈａｓｇｅｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌａｎｄｈｙｄｒｏｇｅｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌｅｎｇｉｎｅｅｒｉｎｇ ,ｅｎｖｉｒｏｎｍｅｎｔａｌｅｎｇｉｎｅｅｒｉｎｇａｎｄｐｅｔｒｏｌｅｕｍｅｎｇｉｎｅｅｒｉｎ…     

On the Genesis of Uranium Deposit 720 with Special Reference to the Double Solution—Mixing Model

Presented in this paper is an approach to the analysis of “series-stage“division.The processes of hydrothermal evolution involved in ore deposition,the factors affecting the enrichment of uranium and the source of ore forming elements in uranium deposit 720 are also discussed .In addition,the ore-forming tem-perature and pressure as well as the pH,Eh and chemical composition of ore-forming medium are studied with reference to the fluid inclusion data available.A double solution-mixing model has been proposed to explain the genesis of the uranium deposit studied.     

The basement complexes in Italy, with special regards to those exposed in the Alps： a review

Most of the sedimentary rocks occurring in Italy are post-Carboniferous. All what lies below is considered basement, mostly metamorphic or igneous. Understand-ing the pre-Carboniferous evolution depends on the reconstruction of the sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous evolution of the basement. In general, the base-ment sedimentary protoliths were Lower to Middle Pale-ozoic siliciclastic rocks, while the igneous protolithsbelong to an Ordovician cycle. The prevailing metamor-phism,from very-low grade to granulite facies, is Variscan. It was followed by the formation of large amounts of granitic melts.     

Baseline geochemical studies in Australia with particular reference to geohealth studies in the Gawler Craton of South Australia

Geoscience Australia and the Cooperative Research Centre for Landscape Environments and Mineral Exploration, in collaboration with State agencies are conducting a series of pilot baseline geochemical surveys （BGS）. These aim to characterize regional geochemical patterns and contribute to what is presently a limited research direction in Australia. BGS can help （1） establish baselines to monitor future change; （2） target mineral exploration; （3） develop informed environmental policies; and （4） geomedical studies on plant and animal well being. In 2004-05, sampling at an average density of 1 sample per 1100 km^2, was conducted in the Gawler Craton, South Australia. In contrast to our pilot region in the Riverina of New South Wales and Victoria, the Gawler lacks well-developed drainage systems and is dominated by aeolian dunes in its western sector. One of the key aims of the Gawler study is to determine whether elemental excesses or deficiencies exist in the regolith and the implications of these for plant, animal and human health. Top （0-10 cm depth） and bottom （～55-90 cm depth） sediment samples were collected in the lower parts of 42 catchments. The compositions of the 〈75 um and 〈180 um fractions were analyzed using XRF （major and some trace elements）, ICP-MS （most trace elements） and ISE （F） methods. Preliminary results show that F, Cr and V are locally elevated above national and international guideline concentrations, raising concerns that these elements may pose potential health issues. Heavy mineral fractions （density 〉2.95） in 4 samples （3 sites） are dominated by iron oxides, spinels, rutile, zircon and barite. Some Cr and V may be related to heavy minerals such as spinels, limiting their bioavailability. Cu, Se and Zn are potentially deficient in parts of the region, but once identified in agricultural areas can easily be remedied through the application of suitable fertilizers.     

Introducing a new method to determine rivers’ ecological water requirement in comparison with hydrological and hydraulic methods

The absence of a rational, comprehensive, flexible and easy to use method with minimum data requirement to determine rivers’ environmental flow requirements is the main motivation for this research. Based on the microhabitat preferences of index species, hydrological (the Tennant and Q ₉₅) and hydraulic methods for determining the environmental flow requirement (EFR) are compared. Using an ad hoc procedure, the important species of a river at the southern part of the Caspian Sea in Iran were distinguished, and the discharges to maintain the microhabitat (depth and velocity) in critical months were calculated. The observed differences between the index species’ required velocity and depth and those suggested by the Tennant method emphasize the importance of the rivers morphological properties for this method application. Allocating EFR by the Tennant and Q ₉₅ methods would degrade the aquatic life. The EFR determined by the hydraulic method is equal to 95 % of the average annual discharge, which could maintain the ecological habitat in good situation, but may provoke a conflict in the region. The Tennant, Q ₉₅ and hydraulic methods allocate EFR as 14, 36 and 79 % of the annual flow volume, respectively. Developing a new combined method based on using the hydraulic method’s discharge for critical months and the Tennant method suggestion for the excellent condition in other months allocates 50 % of the average annual discharge. This new method is a compromise between protecting environment and considering the water rights of rivers’ flow consumers and is suggested specially for dry regions of the world.