Native Alloys of the Pd–Pt and Ni–Cu–Al Systems from the AS Luna-24

The close intergrowth of two native alloys of the compositions Ni_0.59Cu_0.24Al_0.15Fe_0.01Mn_0.01 and Pd_0.55Pt_0.36Rh_0.09 with a size of 10 μm has been discovered in the regolith from the Mare Crisium. A conclusion on its exhalative origin is made.     

P-bearing Olivines from the “Luna-20” Soil Samples,Their Sources and Possible Phosphorus Substitution Mechanisms in Lunar Olivine

Rocks with P-bearing olivine were found in soil samples delivered by the “Luna-20” automated station. They are ascribed to the highland anorthosite–norite (more rarely, gabbro-norite)–troctolite rock series enriched in phosphorus and other incompatible elements, but are not related to typical KREEP rocks enriched in incompatible elements. Their source is presumably of hybrid origin and related to primary high- Mg suite (HMS) rocks. The occurrence of high- and low-Cr populations of P-bearing olivine in different structural rock types can be attributed to the annealing-related more rapid chromium diffusion (relative to that of phosphorus) in olivine from metamorphosed rocks. This assumption is supported by stoichiometric formula calculations of these olivines. An alternative explanation for these olivine populations is their derivation from at least two different sources. Disequilibrium crystallization of the P-bearing olivines, which is confirmed by an intricate phosphorus zoning, excludes the existence of P-rich melts, which is consistent with previous observations. At the same time, olivine fractionation can be responsible for the phosphorus content in lunar melts. The incorporation of phosphorus in olivine of the “Luna-20” anorthosite troctolites is presumably controlled by a coupled substitution mechanism of divalent cations and silicon for phosphorus and chromium in the tetrahedral and octahedral sites (Milman-Barris et al., 2008). Another possible mechanism is the substitution of divalent cations in octahedral sites by phosphorus and chromium, which provides the possible presence of P³⁺.     

Yixunite and Damiaoite—A Twin of New Native Alloys of Indium and Platinum from the Yanshan Mountains

Yixunite and damiaoite Were found in a cobalt- and copper-bearing platinum ore vein of a contact metasomatic deposit. The chief ore minerals are bornite, chalcopyrite, magnetite and carrollite. The platinum minerals include moncheite, sperrylite, daomanite, cobalt malanite and cooperite. Yixunite and damiaoite occur as immiscible globules, 1.0 to 2.0 mm in diameter. Yixunite is always in the central part of a globule. It is opaque with metallic lustre, bright white colour and black streak. HM = 5.8; VHN50 = 634 kg/mm2 (573-681 kg/ mm2); insoluble in HCl, HNO3, HF or H3PO4; no cleavage; no magnetism. Density is hard to measure because of small grain size. Calculated density = 18.21 g/cm3. Reflective colour is bright white with a yellowish tint. Isotropic. The mean analytical results (ranges) (%) are: Pt 82.8 (81.8-83.6), In 16.4(15.6-17.1) and total 99.2. The empirical formula (based on 4 atoms) is Pt2.993 In1.007 . The five strongest lines of X-ray diffraction (hkl, d,I) are 111, 2.30 (100); 200, 1.99 (     

Martian regolith in Elephant Moraine 79001 shock melts? Evidence from major element composition and sulfur speciation

Shock veins and melt pockets in Lithology A of Martian meteorite Elephant Moraine (EETA) 79001 have been investigated using electron microprobe (EM) analysis, petrography and X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) spectroscopy to determine elemental abundances and sulfur speciation (S²⁻ versus S⁶⁺). The results constrain the materials that melted to form the shock glasses and identify the source of their high sulfur abundances. The XANES spectra for EETA79001 glasses show a sharp peak at 2.471 keV characteristic of crystalline sulfides and a broad peak centered at 2.477 keV similar to that obtained for sulfide-saturated glass standards analyzed in this study. Sulfate peaks at 2.482 keV were not observed. Bulk compositions of EETA79001 shock melts were estimated by averaging defocused EM analyses. Vein and melt pocket glasses are enriched in Al, Ca, Na and S, and depleted in Fe, Mg and Cr compared to the whole rock. Petrographic observations show preferential melting and mobilization of plagioclase and pyrrhotite associated with melt pocket and vein margins, contributing to the enrichments. Estimates of shock melt bulk compositions obtained from glass analyses are biased towards Fe- and Mg- depletions because, in general, basaltic melts produced from groundmass minerals (plagioclase and clinopyroxene) will quench to a glass, whereas ultramafic melts produced from olivine and low-Ca pyroxene megacrysts crystallize during the quench. We also note that the bulk composition of the shock melt pocket cannot be determined from the average composition of the glass but must also include the crystals that grew from the melt - pyroxene (En_72-75Fs_20-21Wo_5-7) and olivine (Fo_75-80). Reconstruction of glass + crystal analyses gives a bulk composition for the melt pocket that approaches that of lithology A of the meteorite, reflecting bulk melting of everything except xenolith chromite.Our results show that EETA79001 shock veins and melt pockets represent local mineral melts formed by shock impedance contrasts, which can account for the observed compositional anomalies compared to the whole rock sample. The observation that melts produced during shock commonly deviate from the bulk composition of the host rock has been well documented from chondrites, rocks from terrestrial impact structures and other Martian meteorites. The bulk composition of shock melts reflects the proportions of minerals melted; large melt pockets encompass more minerals and approach the whole rock whereas small melt pockets and thin veins reflect local mineralogy. In the latter, the modal abundance of sulfide globules may reach up to 15 vol%. We conclude the shock melt pockets in EETA79001 lithology A contain no significant proportion of Martian regolith.     

Lead in food and soil from a mining area in Brazil and human exposure

During the last century, several lead mines and a metal smelter were in production in the Upper Ribeira Valley, southeastern Brazil. After fifty years of activity, the refinery was shut down in November 1995 and, thereafter the last mines in production were closed. Since 1998, a multidisciplinary research group has carried out an ambitious investigation among the population of five municipalities in the Ribeira Valley （sampled population of 472 children and 523 adults） to assess the human exposure to lead. The highest blood lead levels were found among the population of two villages in the vicinity of the smelter where soil and indoor-dust are highly contaminated. During the present study, the lead contents of several food species that are part of local population diet were investigated. Greens, vegetables, corn, chicken eggs and cow milk, were sampled in two occasions, July 2004 and February 2005. The analytical procedures included burning of organic matter, pre-concentration of lead and, finally, determination by AAS using background correction. The quantification limit was 0.05 μg/g Pb. Soil samples were also collected and analyzed by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy with a quantification limit of 2 μg/g Pb. The results are very impressing since 100% of greens, vegetables and eggs yielded lead concentrations exceeding the upper limits established by Brazilian regulations whereas milk and maize samples presented lead contents below the regulated limit of 0.05 μg/g Pb. Lead concentrations in soil varied between 156 and 1292 μg/g Pb, resembling the results of previous studies and far exceeding the threshold of 200 μg/g Pb indicated as the intervention value. Lead contents in some species vary consistently with lead concentrations in soils, however, other factors may account for the bioavailability of lead and its intake by plants, like the soil pH, its cationic exchange capacity, clay and organic matter contents, characteristics of the plant species itself, climate, among others.     

Examining the cooperative governance of occupational safety and health from a “health footprint” perspective

Natural Hazards - Because of the cross-domain status of labor, a characteristic of mobility is often added to individual occupational safety and health. Cooperative governance of occupational...     

Proximal and remote spectroscopic characterisation of regolith in the Albany–Fraser Orogen (Western Australia)

Vast parts of the Australian continent are prospective for precious and base metal mineralisation, but exploration is hindered by extensive cover of often deeply reaching regolith. New operational exploration methods are required that can help to characterise the cover and provide information about bedrock signatures. This paper shows how mineral mapping information from a combination of satellite multispectral Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) imagery and drill core hyperspectral profiling data (HyLogging™) can be used to unravel the regolith stratigraphy and to describe regional variations of regolith landforms, delivering important information for mineral exploration.The case study is located in the Neale tenements in the northeastern Albany–Fraser Orogen (Western Australia), which is prospective for Tropicana-style gold mineralisation. By interpretation of indicator minerals from hyperspectral drill hole logging data the regolith stratigraphy atop a metamorphic basement, comprising saprock, ferrugineous saprolite, kaolinitic saprolite, silcrete and transported cover, is recorded in cm-detail. Important mineralogical parameters extracted from the hyperspectral subsurface data and validated by XRD and FTIR, are 1) the abundance and type of iron oxides, 2) the abundance and crystallinity of kaolinite, 3) the abundance and composition of primary minerals, such as white mica, and 4) the abundance of quartz.The HyLogging™ data served as ground control points for mineral mapping information provided by CSIRO's ASTER Geoscience Products, which are a collection of mineral maps that highlight variations in the abundance, type or chemistry of selected mineral groups. Key ASTER Geoscience Products for regolith characterisation were the Ferric Oxide and AlOH abundance and composition images. The comparison of the surface with the subsurface data suggests three major different regolith landforms, including erosional, depositional and relict areas, which were used to generate a map showing transported versus relict and erosional areas. Erosional domains were mapped out in great detail, providing important information for exploration in saprolite dominated areas. Furthermore, source areas of transported material could be identified, which may help to understand the distribution of geochemical signatures collected during, for example, geochemical soil sampling projects.     

Outcomes and Lessons from Cycle 24—the First Cycle in the Second Epoch of Low Solar Activity

Astronomy Reports - The past 24th cycle of solar activity was developing under the conditions when background magnitudes of the general magnetic field of the Sun had dropped by more than half after...     

On the meaning of the terms “glaciation” and “interglacial” in the framework of studying paleoclimatic records from the Pleistocene continental and deep-water deposits

The terms “glaciation” and “interglacial” are considered from the point of view of palaeoclimatic proxies obtained from the Pleistocene deep-water and continental deposits. It is shown that the crucial factor in substantiation of these notions is determination of the cause-and-effect mechanism in the considered climatic oscillations. It is noted that oxygen isotope data on deep-water deposits have an undoubted advantage because a more accurate quantitative estimate of climatic oscillation parameters can be made on their basis. It is concluded that the role played by quantitative estimates of palaeoclimatic changes, represented by, first of all, amplitude and time characteristics of climatic oscillations, will become more significant as the methods of paleogeographic studies of both continental and deep-water deposits of the Pleistocene improve; in contrast, the formal determination of the rank of palaeoclimatic oscillations will become less significant. Special attention is paid to the cases of misfits between the Pleistocene deep-water and continental paleoclimatic records and to the necessity to make them consistently as good as possible, especially in the case of Early Pleistocene deposits.     

Distribution of trace and major elements in the −180 + 75 μm and −75 μm fractions of the sandveld regolith in northwest Ngamiland,Botswana

An orientation survey was undertaken in northwest Ngamiland to evaluate, among other criteria, an optimum size fraction for trace element analysis in the Kalahari sandveld regolith samples for a regional geochemical mapping project in the area. The most prominent geomorphological features of the region are the longitudinal rolling sand dunes and floodplain sediments adjacent to the unique, mid-continent Okavango Delta. Most of the dune sands were deposited in the Late Quaternary, and they show evidence of both pluvial and and environments. Presently the a lab dunes support varied shrub/grass vegetation with intermittent tree cover. Extensive forest fires have affected the region for generations, and the occurrences of remnants of large trees indicate that the region may have also supported large forests at some stage.The sandveld regolith comprises 70% quartz sand (−1000 + 63 μm) and 10–20% silt/clay (< 63 μm) material. There are no size variations between material from dune crests, dune depressions and down the soil profile to a depth of a metre. The process of regolith formation is relatively young and dynamic, being widely churned by a variety of boring animals, termites, ants and other insects. Hence no distinct zonation of soil horizons in the top 100 cm of the soil catena were observed. Remarkably, the significant proportion of the silt/clay fraction in the regolith indicates progressive weathering and possible deposition of precipitates.Trace element contents are invariably enhanced in the fine fractions, a characteristic widely observed elsewhere in residual soils. On the Xaxa-Cheracheraha traverse Zn values range from 2 to 98 ppm (mean 9 ppm); Pb varies from 1 to 101 ppm (mean 27 ppm) and Cu from 0 to 18 ppm (mean 5 ppm) in the −75 μm fraction. Contents in the −180 + 75 μm are, however, significantly lower than in the fine fractions. The variations in element concentrations along each of the orientation survey traverses at Qangwa-Nokaneng, Nxaunxau-Qurube and Nxaunxau-Ghane, in the coarse and fine fractions, generally remain sympathetic, showing that the enhanced values in the fines are a result of secondary dispersion, rather than mere compositional differences in the sandveld regolith.     

A thousand years of loneliness? Globalization from the perspective of a city in a European periphery

Most cities face the challenge of increasing global and local change. Much of what has been said about cities in a globalized world has been concerned with large metropolitan cites. It has been postulated that increased competitiveness is the relevant response, and that urban governance has to change from managerialism to entrepeneurialism in order to cope with this challenge. The first part of the paper discusses some aspects of this body of theory, and the relevance for sub-national regional capitals. It also discusses how the scope of strategies depend on changing national and regional policies. The second part uses the case of Trondheim to discuss how these cities perceive and deal with globalization. Four policy options are discussed; the clientist strategy, the competitive strategy, the isolationist strategy and finally the option of doing nothing at all. The article concludes that global challenges will force local government in small cities to forge new strategies, but the preferred option is a clientist strategy rather than an entrepreneurial one, and the scope of strategy is national rather than global. Thus, when dealing with small peripheral cities and globalization, the range of perspectives must be extended beyond entrepreneurialism and competitiveness.     

Reply to “Consequences of dike breaches and dike overflow in a bifurcating river system”

Natural Hazards - In this reply, we would like to comment on the discussion paper of AlQasimi and Mahdi (Nat Hazards 97:1–4, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-020-03904-1 ). We discuss...     

The Discovery of Native Ruthenium in Nuanquanzi and Tuling—Shihu Gold Deposits：Implications for Source of Gold

Native ruthenium and platinum-bearing hedleyite were recognized two gold deposits contained in Archaean metamorphic rocks in northern China.They are coexistent with native gold,quartz and pyrite.The high W content of native ruthenium may reflect the precipitation of ores in a W-rich hydrothermal system at moderate to high temperatures,The presence of platinum-group minerals(PGM)in the two deposits suggests that Au and PGE were both derived from mantle-source rocks.     

Preliminary results of a first record of gold and uranium in marble from Central Eastern Desert, Egypt: a witness for (syn- and post-?) metamorphic mineralization in metasediments

This paper records, for the first time, the mineralization of gold (0.98–2.76 ppm) and uranium (133–640 ppm) in marbles from the Arabian-Nubian Shield of the Eastern Desert of Egypt. These auriferous and uraniferous marbles are hosted by sheared and altered ophiolitic serpentinized ultramafic rocks of Gebel El-Rukham (ER), Wadi Daghbag (DG), and Wadi Al Barramiyah (BM). They occur as massive or banded in pod-like or bedded shapes. The ER and BM-mineralized marbles are impure calcitic, whereas the DG marble is impure calcitic to impure dolomitic. Their protolith are pure limestones and dolomitic limestones with probable argillaceous components (BM marble), and their metamorphism (Pan-African) was retrograde. Peaks of metamorphism were at granulite-amphibolite facies for the ER and BM marbles, forming diopside (Al₂O₃?=?0.17–1.07 wt.%) at 600–900°C and augite (Al₂O₃?=?2.45–9.40 wt.%) at 825–975°C, and at the amphibolite facies for DG marble, recrystallising the carbonate minerals and forming tremolite. The lowest temperatures of metamorphism were at the upper subgreenschist facies as chlorite (ER and BM marbles) and kaolinite (DG marble) were formed. Metamorphic fluids were, most probably, essentially binary H₂O–CO₂ mixtures with low NaCl and HF concentrations. Gold in the studied mineralized marbles occurs as native nuggets (10–35 μm) having globule, rod, crescent, and streak shapes, in pores, vugs, and fissures. The source of gold in all marbles is mostly the country ultramafic rocks. Timing of gold mineralization relative to the marblization and metamorphism of the country source ultramafic rocks was both syn- and post-metamorphic. Concerning the ER and DG marbles, it was syn-metamorphic, where Au liberation and transportation were mostly by the metamorphic fluids. The composition and temperature of these fluids were most probably inappropriate for formation of the sulfide complexes of gold. The gold mineralization of BM marble, on the other hand, was mostly post-metamorphic. The mineralising fluid was of surficial origin under oxidizing conditions. The encountered uranium minerals are of secondary origin such as autunite, uranophane, and carnotite. These minerals occur as fine oval aggregates and irregular grains (10–50 μm) usually filling fissures and vugs. The uranium mineralization can be classified as surficial of ages <1.5 Ma. It is proposed that the U was transported from its source (might be flesite and trachyte dikes for the ER and DG marbles and granite rocks for BM marble) to the marble rocks by surface and/or underground water related to the pluvial periods in Egypt. In BM marble, U and Au have mutual mineralizing fluid but different paragenesis.     

Distribution of uranium and thorium in Irtysh River and the upriver wastewater from a rare metal mine impact on it

Uranium and Th are important radioactive elements. Most studies were focused on their environmental impact from uranium deposits and mining sites. But other sorts of mines such as rare metals mines are associated highly with uranium and thorium, too. In China, the Irtysh River is the only river that runs into the Arctic Ocean. The famous Koktokay rare metal pegmatite deposit is located in the headwater region of this river and has been exploited for several decades. The waste ore piled along the riverside as long as several kilometers. The wastewater flom the concentrating plant is discharged into the river directly. In addition, uranium and thorium can be leached from the waste ore into the river in the weathering process. So it is necessary to study the uranium and thorium distribution in the branch and trunk streams of the Irtysh River and the wastewater from the mining site impact on it. In this study, the contents of uranium and thorium in water samples from the Irtysh River and rare metal mine wastewater have been detected directly with ICP-MS. Uranium and thorium distribution and geochemical behaviors in the Irtysh River basin have been studied. The environmental uranium and thorium pollution status in the Irtysh River and wastewater from a rare metal mine impact on it have also been evaluated. The study shows that uranium and thorium contents in wastewater from a rare metal mine are as high as 78.311 μg/L and 0.627 μg/L, respectively, so we should also pay attention to the radioactive pollution from the rare metal mine. The average contents of U and Th in the branch streams of the Irtysh River are 0.572 μg/L and 0.015 μg/L, respectively. At the mean time, in the trunk of the Irtysh River, average thorium content is 0.019 μg/L while U is up to 2.234 μg/L, much higher than the average content （0.0309 μg/L） of the world rivers. From upstream to downstream in the trunk of the Irtysh River, thorium content declines gradually due to dilution by other branches and deposition itself.     

Study on the distribution of PAHs in fly ash from coal and residual char combustion in a pressurized fluidized bed

Direct coal combustion not only has a low utilizing efficiency, but also produces a large amount of pollutants such as particulate, CO2, SO2, NOx, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs）, PCDD/PCDFs, and so on. Coal gasification is a clean coal technology that presents good prospects for coal use, mainly for producing electricity with a high coal conversion efficiency and low environmental impact. However, there is a problem about the minimization of PAHs in coal gasification or direct coal combustion. PAHs are harmful to the environment and human health due to their high degree of mutagenicity and carcinogenicity when they enter human bodies through breathing, eating, and drinking. It is said that about 75%-90% cancers of human beings are mainly caused by PAHs. So the US EPA has prioritized 16 PAH compounds as hazardous air pollutants; these compounds are naphthalene （NAP）, acenaphthylene （AcPy）, acenaphthene （AcP）, fluorene （Flu）, phenanthrene （PhA）, anthracene （ANT）, fluoranthene （FluA）, pyrene （Pyr）, benzo （a） anthracene （BaA）, chrysene （Chr）, benzo （b） fluoranthene （BbF）, benzo （k） fluoranthene （BkF）, benzo （a） pyrene （BaP）, indeno（1,2,3,-cd） pyrene [In（1,2,3-cd） P], dibenzo （a,h） anthracene （DbA）, and benzo （ghi） perylene （BghiP）. The residual char is one of the main products during coal gasification, and then it is brought into the combustion chamber to combust. To investigate the distribution of PAHs in fly ash, the combustion of coal and residual char was tested in a pressurized spouted fluidized bed. After Soxhlet extraction and K-D concentration, the contents of 16 PAHs recommended by US EPA in coal, residual char, and fly ash, were analyzed by a HPLC coupled with fluorescence and diode-array detection.