Pb isotope signatures of sediments from Guanabara Bay, SE Brazil: Evidence for multiple anthropogenic sources

Sediments from Guanabara Bay and two rivers were analyzed for Pb isotope composition. The results define linear groups interpreted as different sources of Pb. The samples from Iriri and Surui rivers present different Pb compositions probably resulting from two active pollutants which are transported in the waters to the Guanabara Bay, where they are mixed. The ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb values of 1.151 and 1.091 presented here are in the range of Brazilian galena ore signature.     

Spatial distribution of heavy metals in surficial sediments from Guanabara Bay: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Ninety-two surface sediment samples were collected in Guanabara Bay, one of the most prominent urban bays in SE Brazil, to investigate the spatial distribution of anthropogenic pollutants. The concentrations of heavy metals, organic carbon and particle size were examined in all samples. Large spatial variations of heavy metals and particle size were observed. The highest concentrations of heavy metals were found in the muddy sediments from the north western region of the bay near the main outlets of the most polluted rivers, municipal waste drainage systems and one of the major oil refineries. Another anomalous concentration of metals was found adjacent to Rio de Janeiro Harbour. The heavy metal concentrations decrease to the northeast, due to intact rivers and the mangrove systems in this area, and to the south where the sand fraction and open-marine processes dominate. The geochemical normalization of metal data to Li or Al has also demonstrated that the anthropogenic input of heavy metals have altered the natural sediment heavy metal distribution.     

Natural and anthropogenic factors affecting groundwater quality of an active volcano (Mt. Etna,Italy)

New geochemical data on dissolved major and minor constituents in 276 groundwater samples from Etna aquifers reveal the main processes responsible for their geochemical evolution and mineralisation. This topic is of particular interest in the light of the progressive depletion of water resources and groundwater quality in the area. Multivariate statistical analysis reveal 3 sources of solutes: (a) the leaching of the host basalt, driven by the dissolution of magma-derived CO₂; (b) mixing processes with saline brines rising from the sedimentary basement below Etna; (c) contamination from agricultural and urban wastewaters. The last process, highlighted by increased concentrations of SO₄, NO₃, Ca, F and PO₄, is more pronounced on the lower slopes of the volcanic edifice, associated with areas of high population and intensive agriculture. However, this study demonstrates that natural processes (a) and (b) are also very effective in producing highly mineralised waters, which in turn results in many constituents (B, V, Mg) exceeding maximum admissible concentrations for drinking water.     

Late Quaternary environmental change of Yellow River Basin: An organic geochemical record in Bohai Sea (North China)

Bulk geochemical characterization (total organic carbon, grain size distribution, carbon isotope composition) and molecular biomarkers (lignin phenols, straight chain aliphatic hydrocarbons, glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers) were analyzed for a 21 m core from the Bohai Sea (North China), spanning ca 21 ka BP. These paleo-proxies presented remarkable differences between the late glacial period and the Holocene, reflecting continental and coastal environments, respectively. Two peat layers were deposited during the period of ca 9000-8460 yr BP. Thereafter the core site has been consistently covered by seawater until recent reclamation of land from the sea. The occurrence of a total organic carbon maximum from ca 6000-3800 yr BP was attributed to delivery of organic carbon enriched sediments via the Yellow River, consistent with increased vegetation density and higher development of soil under warm and humid mid-Holocene climate conditions. The distributions of lignin phenol compositions and C₃₁/C₂₉n-alkane ratio suggested the largest expansion of woody plants between ca 5300 and 4000 yr BP, corresponding to the extremely favorable climatic conditions. Since ca 3800 yr BP, an abrupt increase in the C₃₁/C₂₉n-alkane ratio suggested higher abundance of grasses, consistent with a drying climate trend after the mid-Holocene. Since our coastal sediments close to the Yellow River outflow contain catchment-integrated environmental signals of the river basin, molecular proxies demonstrate that the variability of vegetation distributions in the Holocene is a widespread phenomenon in those areas adjacent to Yellow River Basin.     

Organic geochemical evaluation of organic acids to assess anthropogenic soil deposits of Central Amazon,Brazil

Terra Preta de Índio (TPI) and Terra Mulata (TM) are anthropogenic soils from the Amazon region and are rich in stable organic matter (OM). The formation and incorporation of OM in these soils has recently been under investigation. Organic geochemical analysis is an appropriated tool for the assessment of the sources of OM. Therefore, we have used the distribution of different acid classes preserved in the free and bound soil fractions of 12 samples from two contrasting anthropogenic soils (TPI, TM) and an adjacent soil, in order to infer the sources of OM and the magnitude of non-cultural influence on the formation of anthropogenic soils. The major acids in both fractions (i.e. free and bound) were n-saturated, branched and unsaturated alkanoic acids, hydroxyalkanoic acids, bile acids and lignin/suberin derived aromatic acids. In general, the acids in the free and bound fractions appeared to be complementary and together provided valuable information about OM incorporation into anthropogenic soils. Different incorporation of ω-hydroxyalkanoic acids (C₂₂, C₂₄ and C₂₈) and 9(10),16-dihydroxyhexadecanoic acid, and presence/absence of bile acid showed a distinct genesis for the soils. The influence of modern vegetation was revealed by bound ω-hydroxyalkanoic acid (C₂₂, C₂₄ and C₂₈) distributions only in the topsoil profiles of TPI and TM, indicating that organic geochemical analysis is a useful approach in the investigation of ancient human deposits in tropical archaeological soils.     

The sedimentary record of climatic and anthropogenic influence on the Patuxent estuary and Chesapeake Bay ecosystems

Ecological and paleoecological studies from the Patuxent River mouth reveal dynamic variations in benthic ostracode assemblages over the past 600 years due to climatic and anthropogenic factors. Prior to the late 20th century, centennial-scale changes in species dominance were influenced by climatic and hydrological factors that primarily affected salinity and at times led to oxygen depletion. Decadal-scale droughts also occurred resulting in higher salinities and migration of ostracode species from the deep chanel (Loxoconcha sp.,Cytheromorpha newportensis) into shallower water along the flanks of the bay. During the 19th century the abundance ofLeptocythere nikraveshae andPerissocytheridea brachyforma suggest increased turbidity and decreased salinity. Unprecedented changes in benthic ostracodes at the Patuxent mouth and in the deep channel of the bay occurred after the 1960s whenCythermorpha curta became the dominant species, reflecting seasonal anoxia. The change in benthic assemblages coicided with the appearance of deformities in foraminifers. A combination of increased nitrate loading due to greater fertilize use and increased fresh-water flow explains this shift. A review of the geochemical and paleoecological evidence for dissolved oxygen indicates that seasonal oxygen depletion in the main channel of Chesapeake Bay varies over centennial and decadal timescales. Prior to 1700 AD, a relatively wet climate and high freshwater runoff led to oxygen depletion but rarely anoxia. Between 1700 and 1700, progressive eutrophication occurred related to land clearance and increased sedimentation, but this was superimposed on the oscillatory pattern of oxygen depleton most likely driven by climatological and hydrological factors. It also seems probable that the four-to five-fold increase in sedimentation due to agricultural and timber activity could have contributed to an increased natural nutrient load, likely fueling the early periods (1700–1900) of hypoxia prior to widespread fertilizer use. Twentieth-century anoxia worsened in the late 1930s–1940s and again around 1970, reaching unprecedented levels in the past few decades. Decadal and interannual variability in oxygen depletion even in the 20th century is still strongly influenced by climatic processes influencing precipitation and freshwater runoff.     

The sedimentary record of recent (last 500 years) environmental changes in the Seixal Bay marsh,Tagus estuary,Portugal

The inner Tagus estuary is essentially a sedimentation basin that receives cohesive sediment from terrestrial, marine, biological and anthropogenic sources. Three short cores from one site in a marsh area of this estuary (Seixal Bay) were analysed for sedimentary, geochemical and micropalaeontological contents (benthic foraminifera and nannoplankton). The length of the cores represents about half a millennium of sedimentation. Textural analysis suggests a highly uniform mud sedimentation for most of the cores but geochemical, mineralogical and micropaleontological results indicate climatic and environmental changes and anthropogenic disturbance. Three Foraminifera zones were identified. The lower part of the lower zone indicates sedimentation in an open channel or a lower domain of an exposed high-energy sandflat. Sediments of the upper part of the lower zone and of the middle zone were deposited in a lower-energy environment, probably associated with a sheltered, vertically aggrading mudflat located within the Seixal Bay. Biological and mineralogical indicators suggest that periods of total or partial closure of this bay occurred. Clay minerals indicate that drier and colder conditions prevailed in the lower half of this zone evolving gradually to a wetter and warmer environment towards the top. The upper zone indicates persistence of low-energy sedimentation and evolution towards the present salt-marsh conditions. Anthropogenic pollution is clear in geochemical proxies at the top of the sedimentary column and was used for dating purposes.     

Lacustrine sediments provide geochemical evidence of environmental change during the last millennium in southeastern Brazil

A 172 cm-long sediment core was collected from a small pristine lake situated within a centripetal drainage basin in a tropical karst environment (Ribeira River valley, southeastern Brazil) in order to investigate the paleoenvironmental record provided by the lacustrine geochemistry. Sediments derived from erosion of the surrounding cambisoils contain quartz, kaolinite, mica, chlorite and goethite. Accelerator mass spectroscopy (AMS) ¹⁴C dating provided the geochronological framework. Three major sedimentary units were identified based on the structure and color of the sediments: Unit III from 170 to140 cm (1030±60–730±60 yr BP), Unit II from 140 to 90 cm (730±60–360±60 yr BP) and Unit I from 90 to 0 cm (360±60–0 yr BP). Results of major and trace element concentrations were analysed through multivariate statistical techniques. Factor analysis provided three factors accounting for 72.4% of the total variance. F1 and F2 have high positive loadings from K, Ba, Cs, Rb, Sr, Sc, Th, light rare earth element (LREE), Fe, Cr, Ti, Zr, Hf and Ta, and high negative loadings from Mg, Co, Cu, Zn, Br and loss on ignition (LOI). F3, with positive loadings from V and non-metals As and Sb, accounts for a low percentage (9.7%) of the total variance, being therefore of little interpretative use. The profile distribution of F1 scores reveals negative values in Units I and III, and positive values in Unit II, meaning that K, Ba, Cs, Rb, Sr, Sc, Th, LREE, Fe, Cr, Ti, Zr, Hf and Ta are relatively more concentrated in Unit II, and Mg, Co, Cu, Zn and Br are relatively more abundant in Units I and III. The observed fluctuations in the geochemical composition of the sediments are consistent with slight variations of the erosion intensity in the catchment area as a possible response to variations of climatic conditions during the last millennium.     

广西廉州湾海水环境质量综合监测

随着广西最大的河口三角洲廉州湾海洋环境压力的不断加大,地质环境综合监测评价工作难以满足经济发展和环境保护需求。结合前人研究成果和岸段排污特征,在廉州湾布设了20个监测站位,于夏、冬两季通过取样分析、现场测量等手段相结合进行数据采集,并分析了需氧量、营养盐、重金属等要素的时空分布以及变化特征。结果表明: 受径流输入和沿岸排污共同影响要素而变化较大,要素等值线呈现带状或者小尺度半闭合状分布,在南流江出海口等值线较为密集; 氮营养盐以硝酸盐(NO₃-N)为主,平均含量0.066~4.35 mg/L,含量较高的重金属有Pb、Zn、Cd、As; 与历史数据对比显示营养盐增加明显,且化学需氧量(chemical oxygen demand,COD)较高的状况并未有改善; 以滩涂养殖区污染最为严重,夏、冬两季几乎均为富营养化和重污染级,重污染等级比例两季平均值超过50.00%。总体上来看,该湾成为河流污染输入和周边陆源污染物的承纳海盆,并受到地质环境条件的限制而导致海水交换能力较差,现有污染状况同时还与人类对海岸利用开发加大有关。监测成果为进一步实施广西重点规划区海岸带立体化地质监测提供基本资料,并为当地海岸带防灾减灾等提供依据。     

Hydrological and geochemical characteristics of the Jamari and Jiparana river basins (Rondonia,Brazil)

The authors investigate the hydrological and geochemical characteristics of the Jamari (30430 km²) and Jiparana (60350 km²) river basins (Amazonia), during the period 1978–1984. A spectral analysis of Fourier is applied to time series of mean monthly river discharges, in order to assess the contribution (7 to 8%) of the surface runoff to the total river flow. The mean annual runoff coefficient calculated for the Jiparana river basin (36%), is higher than for the Jamari (32%), and this coefficient increases during the study period, only for the Jiparana. The total specific suspended sediment discharge calculated for both rivers shows the same value 13 t/km²/y, and the estimated suspended sediment concentration in the surface runoff is slightly superior for the Jiparana river (0.3 g/l) than for the Jamari one (0.2 g/l). The river suspended sediments are mainly composed of kaolinite, quartz and feldspar, but the Jiparana is more enriched in quartz. For both rivers, the dominant clay mineral is the kaolinite which is in agreement with the rock weathering type determined for both basins using the Tardy's weathering index: the monosiallitisation. The total chemical erosion rate calculated after correction for the atmospheric inputs (ions and CO₂), is higher for the Jiparana (10.11 t/km²/y) than for the Jamari river basin (7.75 t/km²/y). These values are lower than the mechanical denudation rate calculated previously for both river basins.     

Impact assessment of anthropogenic activities on air quality, using lichen Remototrachyna awasthii as biomonitor

The study was carried out with an aim to assess the heavy metal (HM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the air of a biodiversity as well as tourist-rich area of Western Ghats by applying a most frequent growing lichen Remototrachyna awasthii (Hale and Patw.) Divakar and A. Crespo, as biomonitor. Thalli of R. awasthii were collected from eight sites of Mahabaleshwar area located in Western Ghats. Samples were prepared for HM and PAHs quantification by ICP-MS and HPLC, respectively. Total metal concentration (HM) ranged from 644 to 2,277.5 μg g^?1 while PAHs concentration between 0.193 and 54.78 μg g^?1. HM and PAHs concentrations were the highest at Bus Stand while control site (Lingmala Fall) exhibited the lowest concentration of HM as well as PAHs followed by samples from Wilson point (both these sites are having trekking route). It was also evident from this study that vehicular emission played a significant role in the release of HM and PAHs as pollutants in the environment. The effectiveness of R. awasthii as biomonitor could be further investigated by comparing this species with other biomonitors.     

First record of stereospondyls (Tetrapoda,Temnospondyli) in the Upper Triassic of Southern Brazil

Stereospondyls survived the Permo-Triassic extinctions in a refuge probably located in the landmass that nowadays comprises Australia. Subsequently, they radiated to other parts of Pangaea, reaching their highest distribution and diversification during the Early Triassic. An incomplete interclavicle from the Caturrita Formation represents their first record in the Upper Triassic of Brazil. Previously, Upper Triassic South American stereospondyls were restricted to Argentina. This new record reinforces a former hypothesis that suggests the presence of a more diverse stereospondyl fauna in South America during the Late Triassic than previously assumed. Additionally, the presence of a stereospondyl and a phytosaur in the Caturrita Formation reinforces the hypothesis of a change to more humid climatic conditions in the Paraná Basin during the Upper Triassic. The record of Early Triassic stereospondyls in South America suggests that they first colonized Brazil and/or Uruguay, spreading from South Africa during the Early Triassic, subsequently reaching Argentina. Up till now, there is no record of Middle Triassic stereospondyls in either Argentina and Brazil, probably due to either taphonomic bias or insufficient prospecting. Despite the lack of direct evidence, one should not dismiss an earlier stereospondyl colonization of Argentina still during the Early or Middle Triassic.     

The effects of anthropogenic nutrient enrichment on turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum) in Sarasota Bay,Florida

Four meadows of turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum Banks ex Konig) in Sarasota Bay, Florida were sampled on a bimonthly basis from June 1992 to July 1993 to determine spatial and temporal variation in short shoot density, biomass, productivity, and epiphyte loads. Concurrent with the seagrass sampling, quarterly water-quality monitoring was undertaken at ≥3 sites in the vicinity of each studied seagrass meadow. Three months after termination of the seagrass sampling effort, a biweekly water-quality monitoring program was instituted at two of the seagrass sampling sites. In addition, a nitrogen loading model was calibrated for the various watersheds influencing the seagrass meadows. Substantial spatial and temporal differences in turtle grass parameters but smaller spatial variation in water quality parameters are indicated by data from both the concurrent quarterly monitoring program and the biweekly monitoring program instituted after termination of the seagrass study. Turtle grass biomass and productivity were negatively correlated with watershed nitrogen loads, while water quality parameters did not clearly reflect differences in watershed nutrient inputs. We suggest that traditional water-quality monitoring programs can fail to detect the onset or continuance of nutrient-induced declines in seagrass health. Consequently, seagrass meadows should be monitored directly as a part of any effort to determine status and/or trends in the health of estuarine environments. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY074 00029

     

内蒙古查干淖尔湖2000a以来气候环境演变的沉积记录

以内蒙古东部查干淖尔湖西湖深97cm的浅井剖面为对象,根据取得的7个AMS14C测年数据建立其2070cal a BP以来的年代序列,结合孢粉组合特征与粒度组成的综合分析,重建该地区2070cal a BP以来气候环境变化过程。研究结果表明,查干淖尔湖2070cal a BP以来气候环境变化具体可以分为3个阶段:2070~1150cal a BP,孢粉总浓度较高,以蒿属、藜科为主,沉积物各粒级组分变幅较小且以粉砂为主,水动力条件较弱,湖水位较高,气候温凉偏湿;1150~825cal a BP,孢粉总浓度显著降低,耐旱的麻黄属达到最高值,沉积物粗颗粒含量显著增加,水动力条件增强,湖水位降低,气候冷干,其中940~870cal a BP期间气候极端干旱;825cal a BP以来,总体温暖偏湿,有冷干事件发生。太阳活动可能是导致查干淖尔湖过去2000a气候变化的主要驱动力。     

Sedimentary record of the northward flight of India and its collision with Eurasia (Ladakh Himalaya,India)

Abstract

— Stratigraphic and petrographic analysis of the Cretaceous to Eocene Tibetan sedimentary succession has allowed us to reinterpret in detail the sequence of events which led to closure of Neotethys and continental collision in the NW Himalaya.

During the Early Cretaceous, the Indian passive margin recorded basaltic magmaüc activity. Albian volcanic arenites, probably related to a major extensional tectonic event, are unconformably overlain by an Upper Cretaceous to Paleocene carbonate sequence, with a major quartzarenite episode triggered by the global eustatic sea-level fall at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary. At the same time, Neotethyan oceanic crust was being subducted beneath Asia, as testified by calc-alkalic volcanism and forearc basin sedimentation in the Transhimalayan belt.

Onset of collision and obduction of the Asian accretionary wedge onto the Indian continental rise was recorded by shoaling of the outer shelf at the Paleocene/Eocene boundary, related to flexural uplift of the passive margin. A few My later, foreland basin volcanic arenites derived from the uplifted Asian subduction complex onlapped onto the Indian continental terrace. All along the Himalaya, marine facies were rapidly replaced by continental redbeds in collisional basins on both sides of the ophiolitic suture. Next, foreland basin sedimentation was interrupted by fold-thrust deformation and final ophiolite emplacement.

The observed sequence of events compares favourably with theoretical models of rifted margin to overthrust belt transition and shows that initial phases of continental collision and obduction were completed within 10 to 15 My, with formation of a proto-Himalayan chain by the end of the middle Eocene.     

炼锌固体废渣中重金属(Pb、Zn)的存在状态及环境影响

利用XRD、TEM/EDS和连续提取实验研究了土法炼锌固体废渣中重金属的矿物学特征及不同粒度中重金属的相态分布特征。与通常发现的重金属一般富集在小粒径废渣中的情况不同,本工作所研究的废渣样品中大粒径废渣与细粒径废渣相似,甚至有更高的金属含量。化学形态研究表明,冶炼过程形成的矿物(或玻璃质)集合体和堆积后的风化过程形成的次生矿物是废渣中重金属存在的主要化学相。同时发现Pb的残渣态很少(0.39%～15.75%),而Zn的残渣态较高(14.3%～46.2%),这可能与冶炼工艺所形成较多Zn的硅酸盐矿物有关。尽管可交换态Pb、Zn在不同相态中的相对比例非常小(Pb0.03%～1.30%;Zn0.03%～3.30%),但其绝对含量却比一般土壤或沉积物要高(Pb1.5～385μg/g;Zn3～590μg/g)。由于重金属可交换态有比其他化学相态更高的活动性和生物可利用性,因此,对环境有较大的潜在影响。废渣样品的微束分析表明,Pb在废渣中见有金属Pb存在形式或呈纳米金属Pb颗粒包裹于其他矿物或铁合金及熔球集合体中。同时不排除有Pb的碳酸盐矿物存在的可能。而以硅锌矿Zn2(SiO4)、锰硅锌矿(Zn,Mn)2犤SiO4犦和纤维状的丝锌铝石Zn8Al4犤(OH)8(SiO4)5犦·7H2O等矿物形式存在以及Fe、Mn等的铝硅酸盐形式存在的Zn,可能是导致Zn的残渣态较高的原因。与连续提     

Statistical and geochemical assessment of groundwater quality in Teboursouk area (Northwestern Tunisian Atlas)

Teboursouk region, Northwestern Tunisia, is characterized by the diversity of its natural resources (petroleum, groundwater and minerals). It constitutes a particular site widely studied, especially from a tectonic stand point as it exhibits a complex architecture dominated by multi-scale synclinals and Triassic extrusions. It has typical karst landform that constitutes important water resources devoted for human consumption and agriculture activities, besides to the exploitation of the Mio-Plio-Quaternary aquifer (MPQ). Thus, hydrogeological investigations play a significant role in the assessment of groundwater mineralization and the evaluation of the used water quality for different purposes. Hence, the current study based on a combined geochemical–statistical investigation of 50 groundwater samples from the multilayered aquifer system in the study area give crucial information about the principal factors and processes influencing groundwater chemistry. The chemical analysis of the water samples showed that Teboursouk groundwater is dominantly of Ca–Mg–Cl–SO₄ water type with little contribution of Ca–Mg–HCO₃, Na–K–Cl–SO₄ and Na–K–HCO₃. The total dissolved solids (TDS) values range from 0.37 to 3.58 g/l. The highest values are located near the Triassic outcrops. Furthermore, the hydrogeochemistry of the studied system was linked with various processes such as carbonates weathering, evaporites dissolution of Triassic outcrops and anthropogenic activities (nitrate contamination). Additionally, the main processes controlling Teboursouk water system were examined by means of multivariate statistical analysis (PCA and HCA) applied in this study based on 10 physicochemical parameters (TDS, pH, SO₄, HCO₃, pCO₂, Ca, Mg, Na, K, Cl and NO₃). Two principal components were extracted from PCA accounting 61% of total variance and revealing that the chemical characteristics of groundwater in the region were acquired through carbonates and evaporite dissolution besides to nitrate contamination. Similarly, according to Cluster analysis using Ward’s method and squared Euclidean distance, groundwater from the studied basin belongs to five different groups suggesting that the geochemical evolution of Teboursouk groundwater is controlled by dissolution of carbonates minerals, chemical weathering of Triassic evaporite outcrops, cation exchange and anthropogenic activities (nitrate contamination).     

Pyrochlores from the Lueshe carbonatite complex (Democratic Republic of Congo): a geochemical record of different alteration stages

Magmatic pyrochlores from the Lueshe syenite–carbonatite complex from the northeastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo (ex-Zaı̈re) are characterized by Ta/Nb ratios in an increasing order from pyroxenite, calcite-carbonatite (sövite), silicate xenoliths (nodules) to syenite. Substitutions involving Nb, Ta, Ti and REE have been precisely described. Hydrothermal alteration of Lueshe pyrochlore involves the substitution of Na⁺+F⁻=VA+VY and Ca+O=VA+VY (VA=A-site vacancy and VY=Y-site vacancy). In calcite carbonatite, hydrothermal alteration of pyrochlore took place during and after the precipitation of ancylite-(Ce), strontianite, celestite, baryte and fayalite according to a fluid composition of relatively low pH, a_Na⁺, a_Ca²⁺ and a_HF, and high a_Sr²⁺ and a_LREE³⁺. The supergene alteration is characterized by complete leaching of Na, Ca and F and partial incorporation of K, Ba, Sr and Ce resulting in the formation of kali-, bario-, strontio- and ceriopyrochlore respectively. The Na-poor pyrochlore may be an intermediate variety corresponding to an alteration stage between the hydrothermal and weathered pyrochlores. The IR spectroscopic study has indicated that the weathered pyrochlore is a hydrated variety containing two bands of OH vibration modes at 3413 and 1630 cm⁻¹. During hydrothermal and supergene alterations, the cations at B-site remain relatively constant. The variable chemical compositions of the pyrochlores from the Lueshe complex represent geochemical memories of the different alteration conditions including the variation in the oxidation–reduction environment.