Composition and origin of rhyolite melt intersected by drilling in the Krafla geothermal field, Iceland

The Iceland Deep Drilling Project Well 1 was designed as a 4- to 5-km-deep exploration well with the goal of intercepting supercritical hydrothermal fluids in the Krafla geothermal field, Iceland. The well unexpectedly drilled into a high-silica (76.5 % SiO₂) rhyolite melt at approximately 2.1 km. Some of the melt vesiculated while extruding into the drill hole, but most of the recovered cuttings are quenched sparsely phyric, vesicle-poor glass. The phenocryst assemblage is comprised of titanomagnetite, plagioclase, augite, and pigeonite. Compositional zoning in plagioclase and exsolution lamellae in augite and pigeonite record changing crystallization conditions as the melt migrated to its present depth of emplacement. The in situ temperature of the melt is estimated to be between 850 and 920 °C based on two-pyroxene geothermometry and modeling of the crystallization sequence. Volatile content of the glass indicated partial degassing at an in situ pressure that is above hydrostatic (~16 MPa) and below lithostatic (~55 MPa). The major element and minor element composition of the melt are consistent with an origin by partial melting of hydrothermally altered basaltic crust at depth, similar to rhyolite erupted within the Krafla Caldera. Chondrite-normalized REE concentrations show strong light REE enrichment and relative flat patterns with negative Eu anomaly. Strontium isotope values (0.70328) are consistent with mantle-derived melt, but oxygen and hydrogen isotope values are depleted (3.1 and ?118 ‰, respectively) relative to mantle values. The hydrogen isotope values overlap those of hydrothermal epidote from rocks altered by the meteoric-water-recharged Krafla geothermal system. The rhyolite melt was emplaced into and has reacted with a felsic intrusive suite that has nearly identical composition. The felsite is composed of quartz, alkali feldspar, plagioclase, titanomagnetite, and augite. Emplacement of the rhyolite magma has resulted in partial melting of the felsite, accompanied locally by partial assimilation. The interstitial melt in the felsite has similar normalized SiO₂ content as the rhyolite melt but is distinguished by higher K₂O and lower CaO and plots near the minimum melt composition in the granite system. Augite in the partially melted felsite has re-equilibrated to more calcic metamorphic compositions. Rare quenched glass fragments containing glomeroporphyritic crystals derived from the felsite show textural evidence for resorption of alkali feldspar and quartz. The glass in these fragments is enriched in SiO₂ relative to the rhyolite melt or the interstitial felsite melt, consistent with the textural evidence for quartz dissolution. The quenching of these melts by drilling fluids at in situ conditions preserves details of the melt–wall rock interaction that would not be readily observed in rocks that had completely crystallized. However, these processes may be recognizable by a combination of textural analysis and in situ analytical techniques that document compositional heterogeneity due to partial melting and local assimilation.     

Forming a large disc galaxy from a z < 1 major merger

Using high-resolution SPH simulations in a fully cosmological Λ cold dark matter context, we study the formation of a bright disc-dominated galaxy that originates from a 'wet' major merger at   z = 0.8  . The progenitors of the disc galaxy are themselves disc galaxies that formed from early major mergers between galaxies with blue colours. A substantial thin stellar disc grows rapidly following the last major merger and the present-day properties of the final remnant are typical of early-type spiral galaxies, with an i -band bulge-to-disc ratio ∼0.65, a disc scalelength of 7.2 kpc,   g − r = 0.5 mag  , an H  i linewidth ( W ₂₀/2) of 238 km s⁻¹ and total magnitude   i =−22.4  . The key ingredients for the formation of a dominant stellar disc component after a major merger are (i) substantial and rapid accretion of gas through cold flows followed at late times by cooling of gas from the hot phase, (ii) supernova feedback that is able to partially suppress star formation during mergers and (iii) relative fading of the spheroidal component. The gas fraction of the progenitors' discs does not exceed 25 per cent at   z < 3  , emphasizing that the continuous supply of gas from the local environment plays a major role in the regrowth of discs and in keeping the galaxies blue. The results of this simulation alleviate the problem posed for the existence of disc galaxies by the high likelihood of interactions and mergers for galaxy-sized haloes at relatively low z .     

Monitoring of Air Pollution in Latvia Between 1990 and 2000 Using Moss

The concentrations of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, V, Zn) in feather moss were estimated in national surveys in Latvia in 1990, 1995 and 2000. Hylocomium splendens was used as a biomonitor in 1990 and Pleurozium schreberi in the latter two years. Maps of the distributions of the metals in Latvia have been produced. The paper discusses the reasons underlying the distributions and also the temporal trends during the last ten years.     

四川盆地油气勘探突破实例分析

四川盆地威远、中坝、川东等气田的发现表明，第一勘领域的突破都有一个曲折的过程，其中既有必然性，也有一定的偶然性。从三个气田的发现得到的启示是，要把寻求勘探新发现作为勘探向纵深发展的关键，要有一套利于勘探新发现的技术策略，还要有一套与勘探策略相应的碳酸相应的碳酸盐岩勘探技术和方法。     

An interdisciplinary approach to HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination in Belize: the roles of geography and ethnicity

Belize experiences the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in Central America, ranging between 2.1 and 3.2% (World Health Organization 2008). To add to the limited literature on HIV/AIDS Stigma and Discrimination (HASD) in Belize, the authors conducted a study to assess whether stigma and discrimination is related to geography and ethnicity. One-hundred forty participants were interviewed using a structured survey instrument at three different parts of the country, and the results were analyzed quantitatively. These places were Cayo District on the western border with Guatemala, Belize City, and two cayes (Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye). Respondents in Belize City generally held the lowest rates of stigmatizing and discriminatory attitudes towards individuals living with HIV/AIDS, highlighting a possible relationship between geography and ethnicity. Concurrently, self-identifying Afro-Belizeans and Creoles reported lower rates of HASD attitudes in some contexts than other ethnic groups. The results show that there may a relation between geography, ethnicity, and HASD, and that a randomized, controlled study is an important next step in determining the strength of that relation.     

Formation Laws of Inorganic Gas Pools in the Northern Jiangsu Basin

In the Northern Jiangsu basin there are high pure CO2 gas pools, low condensed oil-containing CO2 gas pools, high condensed oil-containing CO2 gas pools and He-containing natural gas pools, with the δ13Cco2 (PDB) values ranging from -2.87‰ to -6.50‰, 3He/4He 3.71×10-6 to 6.42×10-6, R/Ra 2.64 to 4.5, 40Ar/36Ar 705 to 734, belonging to typical mantle source inorganic gas pools which are related to young magmatic activity. The gas layers occur in two major reservoir-caprock systems, the terrestrial Meso-Cenozoic clastic rock system and the marine Meso-Palaeozoic carbonate rock-clastic rock system. Controlled by the difference in the scale of traps in the two reservoir-caprock systems, large and medium-scale inorganic gas pools are formed in the marine Meso-Palaeozoic Group and only small ones are formed in the terrestrial Meso-Cenozoic strata. Inorganic gas pools in this basin are distributed along the two deep lithospheric faults on the west and south boundaries of the basin. Gas pools are developed     

“源控论”再认识——以四川盆地天然气勘探为例

烃源作为成藏的首要条件,没有陆相、海相之分、没有地域之别,也没有油藏、气藏的不同。在海相过成熟碳酸盐岩干气区由系烃源层、煤系烃源层形成的烃源,制约着气藏的形成与展布。     

中国南方海相油气勘探研究新进展

中国南方海相油气勘探研究取得６个方面的进展；１．重塑了华南板块的四个构造演化阶段，将华南板块划分出三个构造区，一个火山岩区和两个造山带，并了南方构造格架与演化对油气地质条件的控制．２．分析了华南板块南北两个大陆边缘沉积盆地的二级超旋回层序，凝缩层段及其与烃源岩发育的关系，并重点分析了区域性四套主力烃源岩的特点；３．提出了华南板块北南两个前陆盆地带的发育对中国南方海相油气的后期保存起着重要的作用。