Riddle of arsenic in groundwater of Bengal Delta Plain—role of non-inland source and redox traps

In the Bengal Delta Plain (BDP) the primary arsenic sourcing appears to be different from the global scenario. Here, the Terminal Pleistocene–Holocene depositional platform, the interactive early Holocene depositional morphology with fluvio-estuarine and marine incursions played a crucial role for arsenic sourcing and enrichment. The lenticular silt-fine sand layer between anoxic clay beds favoured entrapment of dissolved organic carbon with decayed phyto-planktons debris. The Terminal Pleistocene–Holocene transgression and regression processes may have acted as major events in the BDP. Interestingly, at the end of the last glacial maxima, the Pleistocene delta had undergone block movements, wherein some parts of the platform were raised above the level of Holocene deposition. Those blocks were found to be free from arsenic in the groundwater. The sea, during re-emerging inundation (10–7 ka BP), has witnessed a monsoon-induced environment in the BDP with the resultant oscillation of sea level leading to higher upsurge towards the north. This might have resulted in the marine incursion and inundation in pre-existing land depressions. Meanwhile arsenic entrapments through marine incursion as well as enrichment in the presence of organic carbon/DOC and/or Fe/Mn/Al catalytic agents could have developed into localised redox traps. It may be of relevance that due to the repetitive transgressive–regressive phases in Holocene, resulting in periodic exposure and weathering of iron-bearing minerals and consequent iron enrichment in the aquifer system. The iron, thus present, had free charge to host arsenic as a sink. It appears that arsenic, wherever found, would likely be of atypical localised exhaustible phenomenon, both in horizontal and vertical context. It also rationalises the cause of the absence of arsenic in the other nearby Pleistocene platform, which has not come across Holocene interaction and marine incursion, as to the likely limiting condition for the search for arsenic in the BDP or beyond.     

Petrogenesis of Two Types of Archean TTGs in the North China Craton: A Case Study of Intercalated TTGs in Lushan and Non-intercalated TTGs in Hengshan

TTG(Tonalite-Trondhjemite-Granodiorite) gneisses,a major component of Precambrian continental crust,play a significant role in understanding the process and mechanism of the crustal evolution in the early periods of the Earth. In terms of field occurrence,there are two kinds of Archean TTGs in the NCC(North China Craton): intercalated and non-intercalated TTGs. In this contribution,we make a comprehensive comparison of these two types of TTGs from the typical areas(Lushan and Hengshan) in the NCC with an aim to constrain their petrogenesis. The results suggest that they have similar mineral assemblages of Pl + Qtz + Bt ± Amp ± Kfs but different field appearances and geochemical compositions,thus probably reflecting different source materials and tectonic settings. Differences in the contents of characteristic elements,such as Sr,REE and HFSE,suggest that the nonintercalated TTGs in Hengshan were generated at deeper levels than those of intercalated TTGs in Lushan. Constraints from element contents and geochemical modeling results are consistent with derivation from dual sources involving both garnet amphibolite and rutile-bearing eclogite residues for the non-intercalated TTGs in Hengshan,whereas the compositions of intercalated TTGs in Lushan indicate that they were formed by partial melting with amphibolite to garnet-amphibolite residues. Moreover,accumulation of plagioclase is also required in the petrogenesis of intercalated TTGs in Lushan,at least for part of them. In addition,the non-intercalated TTGs in Hengshan display distinctly higher Mg O,Mg#,Cr and Ni values and lower SiO_2 average contents compared to the intercalated TTGs in Lushan. These features suggest that the former magma,at least a part,might have interacted with the mantle wedge during ascent. Considering all the above factors and in combination with the whole-rock Nd and zircon Hf isotopic data,it is suggested that the non-intercalated TTGs in Hengshan were produced by partial melting of subducted slab contaminated by the overlying mantle wedge at deeper levels and high pressures,whereas the intercalated TTGs in Lushan were generated by melting of the thickened lower crust at lower pressures and shallower depths. The tectonic settings of the two types of TTGs shed new light on the growth of the NCC.     

Impact of artificial subsurface drainage on groundwater travel times and baseflow discharge in an agricultural watershed,Iowa (USA)

Pollutant delivery through artificial subsurface drainage networks to streams is an important transport mechanism, yet the impact of drainage tiles on groundwater hydrology at the watershed scale has not been well documented. In this study, we developed a two‐dimensional, steady‐state groundwater flow model for a representative Iowa agricultural watershed to simulate the impact of tile drainage density and incision depth on groundwater travel times and proportion of baseflow contributed by tile drains. Varying tile drainage density from 0 to 0.0038 m^?1, while maintaining a constant tile incision depth at 1.2 m, resulted in the mean groundwater travel time to decrease exponentially from 40 years to 19 years and increased the tile contribution to baseflow from 0% to an upper bound of 37%. In contrast, varying tile depths from 0.3 to 2.7 m, while maintaining a constant tile drainage density of 0.0038 m^?1, caused mean travel times to decrease linearly from 22 to 18 years and increased the tile contribution to baseflow from 30% to 54% in a near‐linear manner. The decrease in the mean travel time was attributed to decrease in the saturated thickness of the aquifer with increasing drainage density and incision depth. Study results indicate that tile drainage affects fundamental watershed characteristics and should be taken into consideration when evaluating water and nitrate export from agricultural regions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analytical solutions for Euler–Bernoulli beam on visco‐elastic foundation subjected to moving load

Analytical solutions for the steady‐state response of an infinite beam resting on a visco‐elastic foundation and subjected to a concentrated load moving with a constant velocity are developed in this paper. The beam responses investigated are deflection, bending moment, shear force and contact pressure. The mechanical resistance of the foundation is modeled using two parameters k_s and t_s — k_s accounts for soil resistance due to compressive strains in the soil and t_s accounts for the resistance due to shear strains. Since this model represents the ground behavior more accurately than the Winkler spring model, the developed solutions produce beam responses that are closer to reality than those obtained using the existing solutions for Winkler model. The dynamic beam responses depend on the damping present in the system and on the velocity of the moving load. Based on the study, dynamic amplification curves are developed for beam deflection. Such amplification curves for deflection, bending moment, shear force and contact pressure can be developed for any beam‐foundation system and can be used in design. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geochemical signature of provenance in sand-size material in soils and stream sediments near the Tobacco Root batholith, Montana, U.S.A.

Trace-element geochemistry of sandstones are being used to determine provenance. We have conducted preliminary and limited experiments to determine to what extent daughter sands retain the geochemical signature of parent rocks. Six sets of first-order stream sediments, soils from adjacent slopes, and a variety of parent rocks were collected from southwestern Montana, U.S.A. Sampling in a low-relief area ensured that climate and residence time of soils on slopes could be eliminated as variables. Sand-size fractions of stream sediments and soils, and the corresponding parent rocks (granodiorite, quartz monzonite, granite gneiss, biotite-tonalite gneiss and amphibolite) were analyzed for most major elements and selected trace elements. Petrologic modal analysis of the parent rocks and the 0.25–0.50-mm fraction of each sand was done to monitor major mineralogic control, if any, on chemical compositions of the samples.

Our data show that the abundances of the Si and Al in sediments do not discriminate provenance. Abundances of Ca, Mg, Fe and Ti may broadly distinguish between sands derived from metamorphic and igneous source rocks, at least in the area studied. Differences in abundances of the Ba and Th, and the ratio of La/Lu between granitic, tonalitic and amphibolitic parent rocks are preserved in the daughter sediments that we studied. However, the size of the Eu anomaly in the REE patterns of different daughter sediments is not diagnostic of parent rocks. Abundances of Co and Sc distinguish between sediments derived from felsic and mafic rocks. A better provenance discrimination is obtained if the ratios La/Sc, Th/Sc, La/Co, Ba/Sc and Ba/Co are used.

Petrologic modal data show that mineral contents and chemical compositions of parent rocks are compatible with each other. The chemical composition of the sands may be roughly correlated to the petrological modal data but the abundances of some minor and trace elements of sediments cannot be inferred from modal mineralogy. This is expected because these elements may concentrate in accessory minerals and/or may weather out into aqueous or clay mineral fractions; it is also compatible with conclusions of previous studies that some of these elements do not reside in sand-size fractions of siliciclastic sediments.     

Sr,Nd,Pb Isotope Geochemistry and Magma Evolution of the Potassic Volcanic Rocks,Wudalianchi,Northeast China

Wudalianchi volcanic rocks are the most typical Cenozoic potassic volcanic rocks in easten China.Compositional comparisons between whole rocks and glasses of various occurrences indicate that the magma tends to become rich in silica and alkalis as a result of crystal differentiation in the course of evolu-tion.They are unique in isotopic composition with more radiogenic Sr but less radiogenic Pb.^87Sr/^86Sr is higher and ^143Nd/^144Nd is lower than the undifferentiated global values.In comparison to continental pot-ash volcanic rocks,Pb isotopes are apparently lower.These various threads of evidence indicate that the rocks were derived from a primary enriched mantle which had not been subjected to reworking and shows no sign of incorporation of crustal material.The correlation between Pb and Sr suggests the regional heterogeneity in the upper mantle in terms of chemical composition.     

He,Sr and Nd isotopic variations in lavas from the juan fernandez archipelago,SE pacific

Helium, Sr, and Nd isotopic ratios and major and trace element compositions have been measured on a suite of lavas from the intra-plate volcanos of the Juan Fernandez Archipelago, Chile. Lavas from the islands of Mas Afuera and Mas a Tierra and from Monte Alpha and Friday seamounts have Sr and Nd isotopic ratios lying on the low¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd side of the mantle array (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr:0.7034–0.7037;¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd:0.51281–0.51289). The homogeneity of these tracers suggests the involvement of a restricted range of mantle source compositions throughout Juan Fernandez volcanism. In marked contrast is the large range in³He/⁴He, from 7.8 to 18.0 R_A. A bimodal³He/⁴He distribution on Mas a Tierra is associated with two distinct volcanic lineages;³He/⁴He ratios of 14.5–18.0 R_A (n=15) occur in alkalic and tholeiitic shield basalts, whereas post-shield basanites range from 11.2 to 13.6 R_A (n=12). Elemental and isotopic systematics demonstrate a transition from an enriched (Loihi-like) plume source in the shield lavas to a more MORB-like source in the post-shield volcanics. The transition between these sources is much more pronounced in³He/⁴He than in the other isotopic tracers. The predominantly tholeiitic basalts of Mas Afuera have exceptionally uniform isotopic and elemental characteristics; Sr and Nd ratios are similar to those of Mas a Tierra, but³He/⁴He ratios are lower and more uniform at 8.3±0.5 R_A (n=17). The dramatic distinction between Mas Afuera and Mas a Tierra helium is surprising given the great similarity between the two islands in other geochemical characteristics. Both the Mas Afuera and Mas a Tierra results demonstrate that helium records systematic processes not readily apparent from other isotopic or elemental indicators. Neither magma chamber degassing nor local metasomatic events are likely to be responsible. We suggest that the observed variations may be attributed to mixing of plume and asthenospheric sources in which the plume component is characterized by a heterogeneous distribution of volatiles or has suffered extraction of small degree partial melts prior to mixing.     

Major element, REE, and Pb, Nd and Sr isotopic geochemistry of Cenozoic volcanic rocks of eastern China: implications for their origin from suboceanic-type mantle reservoirs

Major- and rare-earth-element (REE) concentrations and UThPb, SmNd, and RbSr isotope systematics are reported for Cenozoic volcanic rocks from northeastern and eastern China. These volcanic rocks, characteristically lacking the calc-alkaline suite of orogenic belts, were emplaced in a rift system which formed in response to the subduction of the western Pacific plate beneath the eastern Asiatic continental margin. The rocks sampled range from basanite and alkali olivine basalt, through olivine tholeiite and quartz tholeiite, to potassic basalts, alkali trachytes, pantellerite, and limburgite. These rock suites represent the volcanic centers of Datong, Hanobar, Kuandian, Changbaishan and Wudalianchi in northeastern China, and Mingxi in the Fujian Province of eastern China.The major-element and REE geochemistry is characteristic of each volcanic suite broadly evolving through cogenetic magmatic processes. Some of the outstanding features of the isotopic correlation arrays are as follows: (1) NdSr shows an anticorrelation within the field of ocean island basalts, extending from the MORB end-member to an enriched, time-averaged high Rb/Sr and Nd/Sr end-member (EM1), (2) SrPb also shows an anticorrelation, similar to that of Hawaiian and walvis Ridge basalts, (3) NdPb shows a positive correlation, and (4) the ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb vs ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb plot shows linear arrays parallel to the general trend (NHRL) for MORB on both sides of the geochron, although in the ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb vs ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb plot the linear array is significantly displaced above the NHRL in a pattern similar to that of the oceanic island basalts that show the Dupal signatures. In all isotope correlation patterns, the data arrays define two different mantle components—a MORB-like component and an enriched mantle component. The isotopic data presented here clearly demonstrate the existence of Dupal compositions in the sources of the continental volcanic rocks of eastern China. We suggest that the subcontinental mantle beneath eastern China served as the reservoir for the EMI component, and that the MORB component was either introduced by subduction of the Kula-Pacific Ridge beneath the Asiatic plate in the Late Cretaceous, as proposed by Uyeda and Miyashiro, or by upwellings in the subcontinental asthenosphere due to subduction.     

Toxic metals in Venice lagoon sediments: model,observation, and possible removal

We have modeled the distribution of nine toxic metals in the surface sediments from 163 stations in the Venice lagoon using published data. Three entrances from the Adriatic Sea control the circulation in the lagoon and divide it into three basins. We assume, for purposes of modeling, that Porto Marghera at the head of the Industrial Zone area is the single source of toxic metals in the Venice lagoon. In a standing body of lagoon water, concentration of pollutants at distancex from the source (C ₀) may be given byC=C ₀e^–kx wherek is the rate constant of dispersal. We calculatedk empirically using concentrations at the source, and those farthest from it, that is the end points of the lagoon. Averagek values (ppm/km) in the lagoon are: Zn 0.165, Cd 0.116, Hg 0.110, Cu 0.105, Co 0.072, Pb 0.058, Ni 0.008, Cr (0.011) and Fe (0.018 percent/km), and they have complex distributions. Given thek values, concentration at source (C ₀), and the distancex of any point in the lagoon from the source, we have calculated the model concentrations of the nine metals at each sampling station. Tides, currents, floor morphology, additional sources, and continued dumping perturb model distributions causing anomalies (observed minus model concentrations). Positive anomalies are found near the source, where continued dumping perturbs initial boundary conditions, and in areas of sluggish circulation. Negative anomalies are found in areas with strong currents that may flush sediments out of the lagoon. We have thus identified areas in the lagoon where higher rate of sediment removal and exchange may lessen pollution.