Origin of the difference in the distribution behavior of tellurium and selenium in a soil-water system

The distribution behavior of tellurium (Te) between soil and water in a synthetic soil-water system was studied coupled with the speciation of Te both in soil and water phases by using X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy and a high-performance liquid chromatography connected to an ICP-MS (HPLC-ICP-MS), respectively. The results were compared with a similar data set for Se, which was simultaneously obtained in this study. The oxidation states and host phases of Te and Se in the soil samples were given by XAFS, while the oxidation states in water were given by HPLC-ICP-MS. It was found that both Te and Se in soil are mainly associated with Fe(III) hydroxides under oxic conditions. From the EXAFS analyses, the outer-sphere complex is important for the Se(VI) sorbed on Fe(III) hydroxides in soils, while Se(IV), Te(IV), and Te(VI) form inner-sphere complexes. Under reducing condition, it was found that Te(0) and Se(0) species were formed and that Se was more readily reduced to Se(0) than Te, as is predicted from their Eh-pH diagrams. The reduction process from hexavalent to zerovalent species was different between Se and Te, that is, the direct reduction from Se(VI) to Se(0) was observed for Se, while Te was reduced stepwise from Te(VI) to Te(0) via Te(IV). In terms of the distribution between soil and water, Se distribution to water was much higher than that of Te under wide redox conditions. For Se, selenate is the predominant species in water even under reducing condition due to the much higher solubility of Se(VI) than Se(IV). Furthermore, a much smaller distribution of Te in water was primarily due to the larger affinities of Te(IV) and Te(VI) to Fe(III) hydroxides than Se(VI), which originates from the formation of the inner-sphere complexes of Te(IV) and Te(VI) to Fe(III) hydroxides.     

我国首次发现的锌—砷黝铜矿

锌-砷黝铜矿产于内蒙的某一铅锌矽卡岩矿床中,呈它形粒状集合体,粒径0.2-0.5mm,铅灰色,硬度HvHN=339-388kg/mm2。反射色呈灰蓝色微带绿色。均质性。其成分经电子探针分析(平均值)为:S 25.94,As 10.70,Cu 39.67,Zn 7.36,Sb 9.81,Bi 5.81,Ag 0.18,Fe 0.37(%),化学式为:(Cu10.02Age03)10.05(Zn1.81Fe0.11)1.82(As2.29Sb1.29Bi0.45)4.03S18。X射线分析:晶胞参数a=10.322,粉末衍射强线是2.98,1.82,1.56。     

Types and distribution of silver ore deposits in China

Silver is generally recovered as a by- and co-product along with Au, Pb, Zn, Cu, Sb, Bi, Hg, Sn and W from polymetallic and gold mines in China. Chinese silver deposits can be classified into five principal types according to host rocks. These types and their host rocks are: (1) marine volcanic-sedimentary rocks hosting (la) massive sulfide Pb-Zn-(Cu)-Ag ores and (1b) stratiform Ag-(Au) ores; (2) continental volcanic-sedimentary rocks containing (2a) various polymetallic-silver veins and/or stockworks, and (2b) Ag-(Au) veins in pyroclastic rocks; (3) rocks affected by metasomatic processes including (3a) complex Sn-polymetallic-Ag ores, (3b) Pb-Zn-(Cu)-Ag skarns, (3c) associated W-Ag quartz veins and/or skarns, and (3d) Ag-(Au) zones and veins in altered carbonate rocks; (4) metamorphic-intrusive rocks, principally Ag-(Au) veins in sheared and brecciated metamorphic rocks; and (5) sedimentary rocks including (5a) stratiform Pb-Zn-Ag ores in carbonate rocks, (5b) Ag-V mantos in black shales, and (5c) Cu-(Ag) layers in red sandstones. A sixth grouping includes gossans. The tectonic settings, geological features, and temporal and spatial distribution of these different types of silver occurrences indicate that silver mineralization reflects to a great extent the evolution of tectonic environments in China throughout geological time. Type 1 is generally developed in association with several fold belts from the Caledonian to Yanshanian orogens, while types 2, 3 and 4 correlate with rejuvenation of the eastern China continent during the Mesozoic period. The three subgroups of type 5 are recognized in different stages and various sedimentry and diagenetic environments during the development of paraplatforms and fold belts. Type 6 results from recent weathering of existing sulfide ores or protores. Editorial handling: DR     

Applicability of CPT-based methods in predicting toe bearing capacities of driven piles in sand

This paper presents a study on applicability of predicting toe bearing capacities from cone penetration test (CPT) for PHC (pretensioned spun high-strength concrete) driven piles into deep sandy deposits in the Nakdong River deltaic area west of Busan City in South Korea. Using toe bearing capacities obtained from pile driving analyzer (PDA) tests as reference values, which were reliably calibrated by on-site O-cell tests, the applicability of the CPT-based methods was evaluated using a statistical rank index (RI). A total of 82 piezocone penetration test soundings and 190 PDA test piles were used for reliability analysis in this study. Three correction steps were applied to obtain reliable PDA and CPT data sets before ranking is carried out. The RI index is combined from four criteria: (1) the best-fit line, (2) the arithmetic mean and standard deviation, (3) the cumulative probabilities, and (4) the log-normal and histogram distributions. Based on these criteria the performance of some SPT-based methods in the literature is evaluated.     

江苏晚古生代孢粉组合序列

结合新得的孢粉材料 ,总结了江苏泥盆纪—二叠纪孢粉组合序列 ,共计 7个组合 (带 ) :1)五通组下部观山段AL组合 (Fa2 b- c) ;　 2 )擂鼓台段中下部 L H组合 (Fa2 d) ;　 3)擂鼓台段中上部 L C组合 (Tn1 a— Tn1 b早期 ) ;　 4a)擂鼓台段顶部 MD组合 (Tn1 b晚期— Tn2 ) ;　 4b)“老坎组”MC组合 (Tn1 b晚期— Tn2 ) ;　 5 )高骊山组 DP组合(Tn3— V1 - 2 ) ;　 6 )龙潭组 GM组合 (P21 — P1 2 ) ;　 7)大隆组 CS组合 (暂名 ) (P22 )。简要介绍了每个组合的内容和特征并对某些地层的时代作了进一步讨论。     

Concentration of gold in in situ laterites from Mato Grosso

The gold concentration studied is located in lateritic soils overlying Precambrian schists of the Cuiaba Group in Mato Grosso, Brazil. The following five horizons may be recognized from bottom to top: (1) a gray-blue altered schist horizon, (2) a red argillaceous alterite, (3) a horizon characterized by iron oxihydroxide-rich pebbles and quartz fragments in an iron oxihydroxide-rich matrix and clays, (4) an iron crust, and (5) the present soil. The most significant gold content is found in the third horizon just below the iron crust. According to geological study and morphological observations of the gold particles, the gold ore mined today is the result of two combined processes, i.e., the ferrallitic alteration of quartz lodes enclosed in schists and the effect of the red argillaceous alterite which acts as an impervious structure preventing the largest gold grains from migrating downward during their mechanical concentration.     

Preservation of large titanosaur sauropods in overbank fluvial facies: A case study in the Cretaceous of Argentina

Patagonia exhibits a particularly abundant record of Cretaceous dinosaurs with worldwide relevance. Although paleontological studies are relatively numerous, few include taphonomic information about these faunas. This contribution provides the first detailed sedimentological and taphonomical analyses of a dinosaur bone quarry from northern Neuquén Basin. At Arroyo Seco (Mendoza Province, Argentina), a large parautochthonous/autochthonous accumulation of articulated and disarticulated bones that represent several sauropod individuals has been discovered. The fossil remains, assigned to Mendozasaurus neguyelap González Riga, correspond to a large (18–27-m long) sauropod titanosaur collected in the strata of the Río Neuquén Subgroup (late Turoronian–late Coniacian). A taphonomic viewpoint recognizes a two-fold division into biostratinomic and fossil-diagenetic processes. Biostratinomic processes include (1) subaerial biodegradation of sauropod carcasses on well-drained floodplains, (2) partial or total skeletal disarticulation, (3) reorientation of bones by sporadic overbank flows, and (4) subaerial weathering. Fossil-diagenetic processes include (1) plastic deformation of bones, (2) initial permineralization with hematite, (3) fracturing and brittle deformation due to lithostatic pressure; (4) secondary permineralization with calcite in vascular canals and fractures, and (5) postfossilization bone weathering. This type of bone concentration, also present in Rincón de los Sauces (northern Patagonia), suggests that overbank facies tended to accumulate large titanosaur bones. This taphonomic mode, referred to as “overbank bone assemblages”, outlines the potential of crevasse splay facies as important sources of paleontological data in Cretaceous meandering fluvial systems.     

Vulnerability of water resources in northern Cameroon in the context of climate change

Water resources in northern Cameroon have continuously been reducing over the past years. Many studies have suggested two principal causes: (1) human activities such as poor farming practices, unsustainable use of water resources, increased demand of water, deforestation, land-use change, etc., (2) human-induced climate change. Northern Cameroon in this study includes: the Adamawa, North and Far North regions located closer to the Sahel regions of Africa. These regions are already water stressed because of their location and any further change in climate with rising temperature would impact water resource either positively or negatively. Time series analysis and a 12-month standardized precipitation index (SPI12) with digital data between 1957 and 2006 were used to investigate the variation of water resources in northern Cameroon. Results obtained varies between the different regions with an increased annual trend in temperature and precipitation for Ngaoundere (Adamawa region) and Garoua (north region), whereas Maroua (far north region) had a decreased annual trend in both precipitation and temperature. Further variability results obtained from a SPI12 show that wetter period out number drought period in all three regions. The study concluded that water resources vary with the changing climatic condition and the severity of the impact varies from region to region. Furthermore, water deficiency in northern Cameroon might not be due to climate change. The reasons might be a combination of poor water management and other factors such population growth, the environmental condition, etc.     

河北平原第四系地下水氦同位素特征

通过对河北平原第四系地下水He同位素进行比较分析,根据过剩He(4Heexc)、3He/4He比值、δ3He值分析认为,河北平原第四系地下水He同位素有5个特征:(1)地下水中过剩He浓度沿着地下水的流向而增高;(2)地下水中的过剩He浓度随着地下水埋深加大而增高;(3)满城—沧州剖面上过剩He浓度大于石家庄—衡水剖面上的过剩He浓度;(4)河北平原第四系地下水主要是由大气降水补给的;(5)衡水热水过剩He浓度很高(>674 83×10-8cm3STPg-1),这表明以放射成因He为主,地幔成因的He极少。另外地下水的3He/4He比值、R/Ra、δ3He值是判断氦源的一个灵敏的指示剂。     

Assessment of sand encroachment in Kuwait using GIS

Assessment of sand encroachment in Kuwait using Geographical Information System (GIS) technology has been formulated as a Multi-Criteria Decision Making problem. The Delphi method and Analytical Hierarchy Process were adopted as evaluating techniques, in which experts’ judgments were analyzed for objectively estimating and weighting control factors. Seven triggering factors, depicted in the form of maps, were identified and ordered according to their priority. These factors are (1) wind energy; (2) surface sediment; (3) vegetation density; (4) land use; (5) drainage density; (6) topographic change and (7) vegetation type. The factor maps were digitized, converted to raster data and overlaid to determine their possible spatial relationships. Applying a susceptibility model, a map of sand encroachment susceptibility in Kuwait was developed. The map showed that the areas of very high and high sand encroachment susceptibility are located within the main corridor of sand pathway that coincides with the northwesterly dominant wind direction.     

鄂尔多斯盆地西缘奥陶系拉什仲组复合水道沉积特征及演化

鄂尔多斯盆地西缘奥陶系拉什仲组发育一套砂泥互层的深水重力流沉积,其下部重力流复合水道发育。综合野外实测、薄片和粒度分析等,探讨复合水道沉积特征、形成过程及主控因素,最终建立其沉积模式。结果表明：(1)研究区发育5种岩相和3种岩相组合,即块状层理砾屑灰岩相(Cm)、粒序层理细—粉砂岩相(Sg)、平行层理砂岩相(Sp)、交错层理粉砂岩相(Sc)、水平层理(泥)页岩相(Sh),分别代表碎屑流沉积(Cm)、浊流沉积(Sg, Sp, Sc)及深水原地沉积(Sh);(2)根据复合水道内部单一水道形态、岩相组合及粒度等将复合水道分为4个期次,反映重力流能量由强到弱的变化过程;(3)复合水道多期次发育与相对海平面升降、沉积物供给、构造运动和重力流规模及能量变化密切相关;(4)重力流沉积为斜坡—盆地环境中复合水道沉积模式。该研究可补充对研究区重力流水道认识,为油气勘探提供借鉴。     

Mapping of aboveground biomass in Gabon

The aim of this paper is to map the aboveground biomass (AGB) in Gabon. First, a random forest (RF) model that relates reference AGB values to remote sensing (RS)-derived variables (mainly radar and optical images) was built, and the significant predictive variables were determined. Second, the built RF model was applied to the significant RS-derived variables to predict AGB across Gabon. The results showed that the overall RMSE (Root Mean Square Error) on the RS-derived AGB map with a spatial resolution of 50 m was 63.3 t/ha (R² = 0.53).To improve the accuracy of the RS-derived AGB map, the integration of LiDAR data provided by the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) onboard the Ice Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) was investigated. First, an RF model that relates reference AGB values to GLAS-derived metrics and a DEM (Digital Elevation Model) was built. Second, the calibrated RF model was applied to obtain a spatially distributed estimation of AGB (GLAS footprints geolocation) covering forested areas in Gabon, with a density of 0.13 footprints/km². Third, the semivariogram of residuals (RS-derived AGB map – GLAS-derived AGB “surrogate AGB”) was computed. Later, a regression kriging interpolation was performed by taking into account the spatial structure of residuals to provide a continuous residual map. Finally, the RS-derived AGB map and the residual map were summed, and a final AGB map was obtained. The results showed that the integration of GLAS surrogate AGB data slightly improves the accuracy of the RS-derived AGB map only for AGB values lower than 100 t/ha (bias and RMSE reduced by 13.9 and 10 t/ha, respectively).     

Production of dietary feed supplements enriched in microelements in a pilot plant biosorption system

In this work, biosorption was used as a method to enrich biomass (soybean meal) with microelements [such as Zn(II), Cu(II), Mn(II) and Fe(II)] that are essential in livestock nutrition to produce dietary feed supplements. The biosorption process was carried out in a specially designed pilot plant system with two-column reactors according to the principles of the eco-friendly effluent-free technology. The applicative parts of products and innovative biological feed supplements were produced for zoo-technical tests on animals (hens, goats and fatteners). Multielemental analysis showed a multiple increase in the content of each microelement in the soybean meal after biosorption [of Zn(II)—168 times, Cu(II)—179 times, Mn(II)—62 times and Fe(II)—50 times]. The process was analyzed in terms of technological indicators and preliminary economic analysis, including the cost of materials, labor costs and depreciation of the equipment used. It was found that the cost of supplementation of 1 kg of feed for laying hens and fattening pigs with the new preparation enriched with Cu(II) and manufactured on a technical scale was around $0.393.     

The effect of maturation on the configuration of pristane in sediments and petroleum

The absolute stereochemistry of pristane in a sample of contemporary marine Zooplankton, Messel shale (Germany) and Djatibarang (Java) crude has been determined by gas Chromatographic methods. The relative stereochemistry in Irati shale (Brazil), Green River (U.S.) crude, Halibut (Australia) crude has also been determined, and confirmed for a sample of the Green River shale. The stereoisomer distributions indicate a loss of stereospecificity of the phytol-derived 6(R),10(S) pristane with increasing geological maturation. For example, the least mature geological sample, the Eocene Messel shale, contains solely the 6(R),10(S) isomer, whereas a mature sample, Djatibarang crude, contains 50% of the 6(R),10(S) isomer and 25% of each of the 6(R),10(R) and 6(S),10(S) isomers.     

On the origin of bleaching phenomena in red bed sediments of Triassic Buntsandstein deposits in Central Germany

The Lower Triassic Buntsandstein in Central Germany comprises one of the major clastic, lithified hydrocarbon reservoirs, it is a major groundwater aquifer and it is considered as a potential underground gas storage lithology. Thus, sandstones of the Buntsandstein from Thuringia and NE Hesse were used to analyse their geochemical composition combined with mineralogical data in order to investigate the origin of several bleaching phenomena in primary red beds, since these give a hint for mineral alteration, mineral formation and mineral reactivity in the course of fluid-rock-interactions. This is relevant for e.g. recent Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) efforts. The origin of the observed bleaching phenomena is diverse and it is linked to certain stages of diagenesis and different episodes of fluid flow: (1) eodiagenetic bleaching coupled with palaeosoil formation and iron mobilisation, (2) mesodiagenetic bleaching as a result of hydrocarbon migration, (3) Tertiary bleaching due to CO₂ degassing from Miocene volcanism, (4) Tertiary telodiagenetic bleaching due to weathering under humid climate conditions, and (5) weathering processes related to recent telodiagenesis/pedogenesis. This study emphasizes the multiple nature of fluids, which can induce iron mobilisation and bleaching of red beds.     

Application of back-propagation networks in debris flow prediction

Debris flows have caused serious loss of human lives and a lot of damage to properties in Taiwan over the past decades. Moreover, debris flows have brought massive mud causing water pollution in reservoirs and resulted in water shortage for daily life locally and affected agricultural irrigation and industrial usages seriously. A number of methods for prediction of debris flows have been studied. However, the successful prediction ratio of debris flows cannot always maintain a stable and reliable level. The objective of this study is to present a stable and reliable analytical model for occurrence predictions of debris flows. This study proposes an Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) model that was constructed by seven significant factors using back-propagation (BP) algorithm. These seven factors include (1) length of creek, (2) average slope, (3) effective watershed area, (4) shape coefficient, (5) median size of soil grain, (6) effective cumulative rainfall, and (7) effective rainfall intensity. A total of 178 potential cases of debris flows collected in eastern Taiwan were fed into the ANN model for training and testing. The average ratio of successful prediction reaching 93.82% demonstrates that the presented ANN model with seven significant factors can provide a stable and reliable result for the prediction of debris flows in hazard mitigation and guarding systems.     

Absence of seasonal patterns in MBT-CBT indices in mid-latitude soils

The degree of methylation and cyclization of bacteria-derived branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) membrane lipids in soils depends on temperature and soil pH. Expressed in the methylation index of branched tetraethers (MBT) and cyclization ratio of branched tetraethers (CBT), these relationships are used to reconstruct past annual mean air temperature (MAT) based on the distribution of branched GDGTs in ancient sediments; the MBT-CBT proxy. Although it was shown that the best correlation of this proxy is with annual MAT, it remains unknown whether a seasonal bias in temperature reconstructions could occur, such as towards a seasonal period of ‘optimal growth’ of the, as yet, unidentified soil bacteria which produce branched GDGTs. To investigate this possibility, soils were sampled from eight different plots in the USA (Minnesota and Ohio), The Netherlands (Texel) and the UK (Devon) in time series over 1 year and analyzed for their branched GDGT content. Further analyses of the branched GDGTs present as core lipids (CLs; the presumed fossil pool) and intact polar lipids (IPLs; the presumed extant pool) were undertaken for two of the investigated soil plots. The amount of IPL-derived branched GDGTs is low relative to the branched GDGT CLs, i.e. only 6-9% of the total branched GDGT pool. In all soils, no clear change was apparent in the distribution of branched GDGT lipids (either core or IPL-derived) with seasonal temperature change; the MBT-CBT temperature proxy gave similar temperature estimates year-round, which generally matched the mean annual soil temperature. In addition to a lack of coherent changes in relative distributions, concentrations of the branched GDGTs did not show clear changes over the seasons. For IPL-derived GDGTs these results suggest that their turnover time in soils is in the order of 1 year or more. Thus, our study does not provide evidence for seasonal effects on the distribution of branched GDGTs in soils, at least at mid-latitudes, and therefore, no direct evidence for a bias of MBT-CBT reconstructed temperatures towards a certain season of optimal growth of the source bacteria. If, however, there is a slight seasonal preference of branched GDGT production, which can easily be obscured by natural variability due to the heterogeneity of soils, then a seasonal bias may potentially still develop over time due to the long turnover time of branched GDGTs.     

Analysis of Rainfall Over Different Homogeneous Regions of India in Relation to Variability in Westward Movement Frequency of Monsoon Depressions

Between 1941 and 2002 there has been a decreasing trend in the frequency of monsoon disturbances (MDs) during the summer monsoon season (June–September). This downwards trend is significant at the 99.9% level for the main monsoon phase (July–August) and the withdrawal phase (September); however, it is not significant during the onset phase (June). The variability in rainfall over the homogeneous regions of India on the sub-seasonal scale also shows a significant decreasing trend with respect to the amount of rainfall over Northwest India (NWI) and Central India (CEI) during all three phases of the monsoon. Meteorological observations reveal that there has been an eastward shift of the rainfall belt with time over the Indian region on the seasonal scale and that this shift is more prominent during the withdrawal phase. This decreasing trend in MDs together with its restricted westerly movement seem to be directly related to the decreasing trend in rainfall over CEI during both the main monsoon and withdrawal phases and over NWI during the withdrawal phase. The low-level circulation anomalies observed during two periods (period-I: 1951–1976; period-ii: 1977–2002) are in accordance with the changes in rainfall distribution, with comparatively more (less) rainfall falling over NWI, CEI and Southern Peninsular India (SPI) during period-I (period-ii), and are accompanied by a stronger (weaker) monsoon circulation embedded with an anomalous cyclonic (anti-cyclonic) circulation over CEI during the main monsoon and withdrawal phases. During the onset phase, completely opposite circulation anomalies are observed during both periods, and these are associated with more (less) rainfall over NWI, CEI and SPI during period-ii (period-I).     

Persistence of quartz disequilibrium in groundwater flows

This paper shows how constraints can be placed on the prediction of quartz equilibration distance in subsurface water flows. This is achieved here by coupling kinetic equations for the simple (SiO_2(quartz)-H₂O_(water)) system to various groundwater flow parameters (compaction flow, aquifer, convection flow, and hydrothermal system). This approach determines: (1) the order of magnitude of the downstream distance necessary for equilibrium to be attained, when a flowing solution is initially out of equilibrium; and (2) the minimum flow velocity required to sustain a sufficient quartz undersaturation or oversaturation over a given distance. Geological conditions under which specific water-rock interactions take place can be constrained with those calculations. Water flow in most subsurface environments, as idealized here, tends to equilibrate with the quartz-rich hosting medium on a very short distance (≤ 1 m). Major exceptions are: (1) the topmost part of a compacting pile, (2) shallow and fast-flowing aquifers, and (3) most hydrothermal systems.     

MVT型矿床中闪锌矿结晶的Liesegang环带模拟

在六方晶系方解石被闪锌矿所交代的假设基础上, 用反应扩散方程建立了六方晶系CNN动力学模拟系统, 模拟了闪锌矿的Liesegang环带结构和矿物晶体中结晶颗粒半径分布.结果表明随着交代作用自外向内的减弱, 闪锌矿矿化强度逐渐减弱, 闪锌矿Fe/Zn比呈振荡变化形成Liesegang环带结构, 并且闪锌矿结晶颗粒半径逐渐减小, 最大结晶颗粒半径与边界的距离服从幂律分布(分形).