Geochemical indices of soil development on basalt rocks in arid to sub-humid climosequence of Central Iran

Quantitative weathering indices are efficient tools in determining the soil development from the underlying rocks. In order to evaluate the effects of climate on the soils developed under an arid to sub-humid climosequence in central Iran, twenty soil-development indices were compared. Twentyfour samples from six pedons were analyzed for routine physico-chemical and geochemical analyses using X-ray fluorescence(XRF). The lowest and highest calculated soil development indices were observed in the arid and sub-humid regions respectively. Among the studied indices, fifteen indices showed similar trends concerning the intensity of weathering. The consistency of such trends reveals the feasibility of using these indices to evaluate basalt weathering rate and soil development in arid, semi-arid and sub-humid regions. This study demonstrated that, among the evaluated weathering indices, the Weathering Index of Parker(WIP) and mass transfer coefficient(τ) were the most proper indices for predicting basalt weathering intensity. This is due to the fact that these indices use the highly mobile earth elements which are the most sensitive elements in basalt chemical weathering. The calculated indices were subdivided into three subgroups including the ratios of mobile/immobile, mobile/mobile and immobile/mobile elements based on the elements used in their calculation. The state of soil evolution was more accurately predicted compared to the other subgroups using the mobile/immobile subgroup of indices. Overall, the weathering indices calculated using the mobile elements are better indicators of weathering intensity, soil formation and the exogenous processes across the arid to sub-humid climosequence.     

Mass balance of major elements in relation to weathering in soils developed on igneous rocks in a semiarid region, northwestern Iran

This study was conducted to evaluate the weathering intensity of the major soils developed on igneous rocks in semiarid region of northwestern Iran.Eight parent materials were selected including monzodiorite,alkali granite,granodiorite,syenite,pyroxene diorite,hornblende andesite,pyroxene andesite,and dacite.Representative soil profiles were described and soil samples were collected and analyzed for selected chemical and physical properties and total concentrations of major elements and Zr,V,Ti and Y.Bulk densities as well as Ti,Zr and V concentrations were used to estimate the strain factors and mass balance equations were used to quantify the net result of pedogenic weathering,i.e.elemental loss and gain.The results of clay content and pedogenic iron variability as well as index of compositional variability(ICV),chemical index of alteration(CIA) and,A-CN-K and MFW ternary plots showed that the soils developed on volcanic rocks(hornblende andesite> pyroxene andesite> dacite) were more weathered than those on the plutonic parent rocks(alkali granite,granodiorite,monzodiorite,syenite,pyroxene diorite).The results of mass balance calculations based on the strain factors revealed that the Ca and Na depleted during weathering progress mostly from plagioclase grains.In the semiarid regions Ca is precipitated as pedogenic calcite in the soil horizons.K and Mg depletion is less than Ca and Na especially in the profiles on the hornblende andesite with the highest clay and LOI content.The results of this study clearly suggest that the behavior of K and Mg during the weathering cannot only be explained by the disintegration of the primary minerals,since they are fixed on the secondary clay minerals.Iron did not change in the soils compared to the parent material and was precipitated as the pedogenic iron and conserved in the soil horizons.Overall,the results on the weathering indicators and major elements mass balance enrichment/depletion in the study area confirmed that the soil profiles developed on volcanic rocks are more weathered than those on the plutonic igneous rocks.     

Weathering of pisha-sandstones in the wind-water erosion crisscross region on the Loess Plateau

Two types of pisha-sandstones of purple sandstones and gray sandstones, widely distributing in the wind-water erosion crisscross region of China, were selected and used in laboratory experiments for a better understanding of the drying-wetting-freezing weathering process resulting from the apportionment of water or salt solution to rock samples. Weathering experiments were carried out under the conditions of environment control （including temperature, moisture and salt solution）. All rock samples were frequently subjected to 140 drying-wetting-freezing cycles. The influences of weathering process were evaluated. It was found that the different treatments of moisture and salt solution applications could affect the nature of the weathering products resulting from drying-wetting-freezing. It was also observed that salt solution could effectively alleviate the weathering of pisha-sandstones. Although not all the observations could be explained, it was apparent that simulated environmental factors had both direct and indirect effects on the weathering of rocks.     

Petrography and mineralogy of new lunar meteorite MIL090036

MIL090036 is a previously unknown meteorite （a feldspathic lunar breccia） that was discovered in Antarctica. The detailed petrography and mineralogy of this meteorite forms the subject of this paper. It has a typical clastic texture that consists of various types of rock debris （e.g. anorthosite, gabbroic anorthosite, gabbro, regolith breccia, troctolite, microporphyritic crystalline impact melt and compound clasts）, mineral crystal fragments （e.g. pyroxenes, plagioclase, olivine and ilmenite） and feldspathic glass clasts. The ifne-grained recrystallized minerals and mineral clasts are cemented together in a glassy groundmass. The anorthite content of plagioclase in the gabbro （An81-83） and anorthosite （An88-93） both have relatively low calcium content compared to those from other breccias （An90-98）. The pyroxene composition （Fs12-35 Wo3-44 En22-79） in the rock debris, crystal mineral clasts and anorthositic glass clasts are relatively iron-deifcient compared to those from gabbro debris with melt glass （Fs37-65 Wo10-29 En21-49） and groundmass （Fs18-69 Wo3-45 En14-50）. In contrast, the pyroxene grains in the gabbroic anorthosite display a narrow compositional range （Fs24-27 Wo7-14 En59-69）. Olivine grains in mineral fragments and the groundmass have a wider compositional range （Fo57-79） than those in the rock debris （Fo67-77）. The Fe/Mn ratio in olivine is in the range of 47 to 83 （average 76） and 76 to 112 （average 73） in pyroxenes, and hence classify within the lunar ifeld. The characteristics of texture, mineral assemblage and compositions suggest that MIL090036 possibly originated from a region beyond that of the Apollo and Luna samples. Further study of MIL090036 is therefore likely to lead to a better understanding of the geological processes on the Moon and the chemical composition of the lunar crust.     

OSL chronology of a Palaeolithic site in a humid subtropical mountainous area of southeast China

The timing of Palaeolithic human activities in South China is still controversial because of the lack of a reliable chronology of archaeological sites. The Longdengshan Palaeolithic site(LPS), located close to the Wuyi Mountain of South China, represents the first discovered and scientifically excavated Middle Palaeolithic site in the Fujian Province. This site is of considerable significance for studying the diffusion and cultural connotation of early Homo sapiens in southern China. In this study, we present optically stimulated luminescence(OSL) ages obtained from medium-grained quartz collected at the LPS. The single-aliquot regenerative-dose measurements of red soil deposits collected at the same site yielded internally and stratigraphically consistent ages and similar errors, indicating a potential ability of the technique, and also reflecting the influence of various sedimentary facies on the test results. Our results indicate that the 38-63 μm quartz grains were generally partially-bleached and had large values of over-dispersion in the palaeo-reticulated laterites of west Fujian. Some samples yielded unsatisfactory results, suggesting that the degree of bleaching of diluvial and alluvial deposits should be properly assessed before dating. We did not detect any enrichment/depletion of U, Th and radioactive disequilibrium. The effect of chemical weathering on the dose rate estimation was negligible. Therefore, we used a central age model and the maximum age model to calculate the age of two samples, respectively, and the minimum age model to calculate the ages of the rest of the samples. The OSL ages of the samples ranged from 27.09 ± 2.30 ka to 54.65 ± 7.39 ka for the 38-63 μm quartz size fraction, and roughly corresponded to the Marine Isotope Stage 3. In addition, three ages out of five are based on the calculation of minimum ages in this research, which needs to be further verified by other dating methods.     

EVALUATION OF GEOCHEMICAL QUALITY CONTROL IN DETERMINATION OF Mn IN SOILS USING A SEQUENTIAL CHEMICAL EXTRACTION

Sequential chemical extraction procedure has been widely used to partition particulate trace metals into vari-ous fractions and to describe the distribution and the statue of trace metals in geo-environment.One sequential chemical extraction procedure was employed here to partition various fractions of Mn in soils.The experiment was designed with quality controlling concept in order to show sampling and analytical error.Experimental results obtained on duplicate analy-sis of all soil samples demonstrated that the precision was less than 10%(at 95% confidence level).The accuracy was estimated by comparing the accepted total concentration of Mn in standard reference materials (SRMs) with the measured sum of the individual fractions.The recovery of Mn from SRM1 and SRM2 was 94.1% and 98.4%,respectively.The detection limit,accuracy and precision of the sequential chemical extraction procedure were discussed in detailed.All the results suggest that the trueness of the analytical method is satisfactory.     

EFFECTS OF SEASONALITY ON STREAMFLOW AND WATER QUALITY OF THE PINANG RIVER IN PENANG ISLAND, MALAYSIA

For the Pinang River, originating in the western highlands of Penang Island, the nature, sources and extent of pollution were studied. The river water samples collected at five selected sites were analyzed for various physical and chemical parameters, namely temperature, DO, BOD, COD, SS, pH, ammoniac nitrogen (AN), and conductance. Long-term data of rainfall and temperature were analyzed to determine the seasonal variations of the streamflow.The streamflow during the dry season is extremely low compared to the wet season, thus concentrations of contaminants derived from point pollution source increase due to lack of rainfall and runoff events. On the contrary, in the predominantly urban and agricultural catchments, non-point pollution source increases during rainy season through seepage and runoff. Effects of seasonal variations consequently deterrnine the quantity and quality of the water parameters.The Jelutong River, the Dondang River and the Air Itam River carry the seepage from widely urban and residential areas to the main Pinang River systems. Water quality of the Pinang River at different points assessed by the water quality indices was compared. According to the quality indices during the study period, water quality in the upper reaches of the river is medium to good. It dwindled in the plains, due to the seepage from urban areas and discharges from the industrial and agricultural lands.     

Effect of the Zagros Mountains on the spatial distribution of precipitation

In order to examine the effect of the Zagros Mountains on precipitation, first, the annual and Seasonal rainfall indices （rain days frequency, rain amount, daily rainfall intensity, and heavy rains） from 43 stations in 1995 - 2004 between the 30° N to 35° N parallels over the mountain range were analyzed. Second, the effect of the Zagros Mountains was studied through the computation of the spatial correlations between the precipitation parameters and the topographic indices （station site elevation, station mean elevation within a radius of 2.5 km, mean elevation of 9 blocks along each of the eight Cartesian directions, and the elevation differences of these 9 blocks from the station mean elevation）. The results showed that in the cold season the maximal rainfall occurs on the upper range of west slope, while in warm season it spreads over the study area. The correlations between precipitation and elevation indices were positive on the north of the stations and negative on the south of the stations, that is, the higher elevations of the stations to the north force the uplifting of the moist air masses and increase rainfall at the stations, while the lower elevations to their south lead the movement of the moist air masses to the stations. This is due to the fact that these stations or slopes are exposed to the moist air masses coming from the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf. The heavy rain days and the summer sporadic rain events do not show significant correlations with the topographic indices. The findings indicate that the Zagros Mountains intensify the cold period frontal rains especially over the west slope and block the moist air masses from entering the interior parts of the country. Moreover, these mountains play a secondary role in creating rain days. But they are very important in the production of precipitation in the area. Therefore, their absence will decrease the amount of rainfall to their west and, in return, expand the dry climates of their west and east.     

Hydrogeochemical and isotopic characteristics of spring water in the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin,Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,Southwest China

The Yarlung Zangbo River Basin(YZRB) is situated in the southern part of the Tibetan Plateau and remains in a mostly natural state. To understand the chemical characteristics of spring water and its controlling factors in the YZRB, 68 sets of spring water samples were analyzed using hydrochemical and isotopic techniques. The spring water was found to be slightly alkaline with total dissolved solids(TDS) below 1000 mg L-1. Major ions were Mg2+, Ca2+, SO42-, and HCO3-. The spring water types in this basin were determined to be HCO3-Ca·Mg and SO4·Cl-Ca·Mg. Ion exchange and dissolution of carbonate, gypsum, and silicate were identified as the prevalent hydrogeochemical processes contributing and defining spring water chemistry in this basin. Saturation indices(SI) of most major minerals studied in this region were below zero, indicating that these minerals remain under-saturated in the spring water in this area. Overall, the rank of different processes in terms of their contribution to the chemical composition of spring water in the YZRB was carbonate weathering evaporate dissolution silicate weathering precipitation input. The content of 18 O in spring water ranged from-22.22‰ to-14.08‰ with a mean of-18.15‰. Samples collected below and close to the local and global meteoric water lines indicated that spring water in this area is derived from meteoric water with chemistry affected by evaporation.     

Morphological and karyotypic variation in three wild populations of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Meretrix meretrix</Emphasis>

Three wild populations of Meretrix meretrix sampled from Dongxing, Beihai, and Shankou along the coast of Guangxi, China, were investigated with morphometry and karyometry. Six morphological indices （shell length, shell height, shell width, hinge length, total wet weight and shell weight） were measured. Differences in all morphological indices except hinge length were significant among the three populations （P 〈 0.05）. The mean values of these indices （except for the hinge length） in the Dongxing population were larger than those in the Beihai and Shankou populations, although the latter had the largest hinge length. The karyotype of the Beihai, Shankou and Dongxing samples had ten metacentric, six submetacentric, and three subtelocentric chromosome pairs. No significant difference was shown in the centromeric index values of the chromosomes in the populations （P〉0.05）. However, the order of metacentric, submetacentric and subtelocentric chromosome pairs was variable among the three populations. The results indicate a high level of inter-population variation in morphology and karyotype.     

广西岩溶区金属硫化物矿床风化与元素表生迁移特征

对广西岩溶区三个铅锌硫化物矿床风化带观测结果表明，中低山岩溶区硫化物矿床具有更强烈的风化淋滤作用，但次生晕面积较小；岩溶平原区硫化物矿床风化与元素表生迁移特征较相似于非岩溶区的情况，表现在可产生较宽的ｐＨ偏低带和较大面积的次生晕     

Soil Geochemistry Changes Induced by a Foreign Soil Reconstruction Project in Three Gorges Reservoir Region of China

Fertile topsoil was added onto the surface of barren slope land in Three Gorges Reservoir region of China in an anthropogenic process known as the foreign soil reconstruction project. The main goal of this paper was to reveal the influence of anthropogenic activities on pedogenic processes and soil classifications. Chemical weathering indices and comparative analysis were applied to discuss changes in geochemical compositions and weathering features of purplish soils(Cambisols) before and after the project. Results showed that:(1) The foreign soil reconstruction project slightly altered the major element composition of topsoil and improved the soil structure. Although the distributions of major elements in the original topsoil, original subsoil, foreign topsoil and newly constructed topsoil were all similar to that in upper continental crust, newly constructed topsoil was the most similar soil.(2) The chemical index of alteration was more sensitive than the weathering index of Parker at indicating chemical weathering status of purplish soil. The chemical weathering status of newly constructed topsoil was higher than that of the original topsoil and lower than that of foreign topsoil.(3) Anthropogenic activities may provide a promising new thought for the anthropogenic soil classification system. The scope and subgroups of Anthrosols should be extended and strengthened. Or there may be a need to combine Anthrosols and Technosols orders to create a new soil order. The results may be used for optimizing soil mellowing engineering activities and enriching the soil classification system.     

西昆仑库孜——带长城纪火山岩地球化学特征及地质意义

西昆仑库孜一带长城纪赛图拉岩群为一套火山熔岩-火山碎屑岩-沉积岩组合,火山岩主体为中酸性岩。通过对该地区长城纪火山岩分布特征、岩石学特征及地球化学特征进行分析研究,划分了2个火山喷发旋回。2个喷发旋回岩性无明显区别,均为一套中酸性火山熔岩、火山碎屑岩、沉积岩建造。第一喷发旋回自下而上见7个喷发韵律,爆发指数为41.70%,喷溢指数24.51%,该旋回岩相总体表现为爆发—喷溢—沉积—爆发—沉积—爆发的特点;第二喷发旋回自下而上见4个喷发韵律,爆发指数为46.67%,喷溢指数为18.15%,该旋回岩相总体表现为爆发—沉积—爆发—沉积—爆发的特点,揭示了西昆仑库孜一带古塔里木陆块裂解古洋盆的演化特征,对研究该地区古陆块裂解具有一定的借鉴意义。     

Indexing the engineering properties of residual soils in the southern slopes of Mashhad,NE Iran

Residual soils are weathering products of rocks that are commonly found under unsaturated conditions. The properties of residual soils are a function of the degree of weathering. A series of index properties, engineering properties and geophysics survey examinations were performed on residual soils from two major geological formations in Iran. In the present research, the index properties of residual soils in the south of Mashhad city in Iran are investigated.Natural and artificial trenches were analyzed for evaluating the weathering profiles and collecting soil samples. Disturbed and undisturbed samples were obtained from each of the soil profile horizons resulting from weathering of different parent rocks.Subsequently, physical properties and mechanical properties of the soil samples were determined in accordance with ASTM standards. Also, the mineralogical composition, chemistry, and texture of the soil were evaluated in 51 profiles. The field observations showed the difference in the weathering profile of residual soils deposited on various rocks(igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic). These profiles mainly consisted of two horizons includingresidual soil on top and saprolite at the bottom. The results of laboratory tests and geotechnical data showed that the properties of residual soil samples change by depth. Moreover, depending on the type of origin rock, the properties are different in various types of residual soils. In most of the samples, the moisture content of soil horizons was also increased by depth. Based on the unified soil classification(USCS), the soils of the upper horizons appeared to be classified as ML(Lean silt) and CL(Lean clay) while the soils of the lower horizons(saprolite zone) fall in SC(clayey sand), SM(silty sand), and SW(wellgraded sand) classes. Moreover, the results demonstrated that the particle size of the soil was increased by depth. Comparison of results of the geotechnical tests showed that properties of residual soils are changed by variations of depth, weathering level, and type of parent rock. Considering the concentration of the number of lines and the concentration of the points of intersection, the length and dimension fractal of lineaments in the southeastern part of the study area, it is evident that this zone possesses weathering severity and soil thickness. Fieldwork data from this zone have also verified the severity of weathering conditions. The analysis of lineaments trends in different parts of the study area indicated that the lineaments with the NW-SE trend have a strong effect on weathering development. The weathering depth depends on the orientation of bedding joints with respect to the slope in the study area. Slope inclination and soil thickness are controlled by weathering and erosion processes.     

Spatial variability of soil development indices and their compatibility with soil taxonomic classes in a hilly landscape: a case study at Bandar village,Northern Iran

Soil complexity and its multivariable nature restrict the precision of soil maps that are essential tools for soil sustainable management. Most methods developed for reducing impurities of soil map units focus on soil external properties. Taking into account the soil internal properties like geochemical weathering indices could increase the map unit’s purity. However, the compatibility of these indices with Soil Taxonomic Classes has not been studied yet. This study has been performed in a hilly region with different soil types, vegetation and diverse topographic attributes to illustrate the spatial variability of soil weathering indices and their compatibility with Soil Taxonomic Classes. The grid sampling is at 100 m interval. Physico-chemical and total elemental analyses were performed on 184 and 56 soil samples respectively. Eight topographic attributes and 14 common soil development indices were determined. Principal components analysis (PCA) was done to identify the most important components. The results indicated that Morphological Index (MI) was the best index to show the degree of soil development in the studied region. Spatial distribution of Soil Taxonomic Classes showed relatively good compatibility with the first principal component (PC1), Vogt (V) and morphological indices. This study showed that using soil development indices with the conventional methods could be helpful tools in soil survey investigations     

风化壳型砂质高岭土矿床以钻代井取大样方法简介

本文仅就被第四系所覆盖、埋藏在潜水面下的风化壳型砂高岭土矿床以钻代井取大样方法简介。通过实践认为:此法特点是施工速度快、样品质量高、成本低、工作条件好,适用于风化壳型砂质高岭土矿床。     

辽东地区水系样品中铬尖晶石特征

铬尖晶石以在风化过程中稳定性高,分布广等特征作为寻找金刚石的重要指示矿物已在找矿中取得了较满意的结果。根据普查找矿中的水系重砂样品所获取的大量铬尖晶石的分布特征、晶体形态、化学成分,以及辽宁已知金伯利岩中铬尖晶石的物理化学特征,将水系重砂中铬尖晶石与金伯利岩中铬尖晶石进行对比。研究表明,辽东北部、中部地区的铬尖晶石基本上不是来自有价值的金伯利岩,而南部地区的铬尖晶石许多是来自有价值的金伯利岩。     

Formation and evolution of Emeishan basalt saprolite in vadose zones of Touzhai landslide source rockmass

In order to explain the formation process of slope hazards, and to identify the key factors leading to instability of a slope, Emeishan basalt saprolite in vadose zones of the Touzhai landslide in Zhaotong, Yunnan, was studied. The formation and evolution of Emeishan basalt saprolite was examined using, amongst other techniques, field investigations, thin section analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations, chemical analysis, physical and water-physical property tests of rock masses. Field observations revealed that the majority of the weathered rock blocks were presented as a concentric layer structure in which an internal corestone was enveloped with several layers of external saprolized crust. Chemical and mineralogical analysis identified that iron was the most sensitive element and that the weathering progress usually started with the oxidation of Fe²⁺ to Fe³⁺ in rock blocks. Alkaline elements such as Si, Ca, Mg, Na and K were also dissolved and Fe and Al were concentrated in saprolized crusts. Results indicated that loss on ignition (LOI) also increased significantly. SEM results showed that the weathering intensity of the basalt blocks decreased gradually from the outside to the inside, and the mineral morphology significantly differed on both sides of the weathering front. The saprolized crusts presented cellular microstructure features due to the generation of micropore and clay minerals. Thin section analysis showed that plagioclase was relatively more stable than pyroxene and chlorite during weathering. With a centripetal propagation of the weathering front, saprolized crusts became thicker and corestones became smaller; fresh Emeishan basalt blocks gradually turned into saprolized blocks. Due to the loose structure and low strength of saprolite, the quality of the Emeishan basalt mass significantly deteriorated, this being a potentially important factor which caused the Touzhai landslide to occur.     

桂西铝多金属矿床地质地球化学特征与成矿机理

对桂西地区铝土矿及其围岩系统取样,进行了微量元素分析。结果表明,原生铝土矿的成矿母岩主要为下二叠统茅口灰岩,其次有少量古陆风化物的加入;区内原生铝土矿形成于海相的沉积环境,堆积型铝土矿由原生沉积型铝土矿风化淋滤而成。