Solubilization of potassium containing minerals by high temperature resistant Streptomyces sp.isolated from earthworm's gut

A potassium solubilizing bacterial strain designated EGT, which is tolerant of high temperature, was isolated from an earthworm's gut to obtain a bacterium that can weather potassium-bearing rock effectively through solid-state fermentation. Molecular phylogeny and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis demonstrated the bacterial strain was a member of the Streptomyces genus. To assess its potential to release potassium from silicate minerals,this strain was used to degrade potassium-bearing rock powder by solid-state fermentation. After fermentation, the amount of water-soluble Al, Fe and K of the substrate with active inoculum was higher than those of the control,which had autoclaved inoculum, and those of the fresh substrate. The result indicated that the strain had the ability to weather potassium-bearing rock and could be used as an inoculum in the production of potassium bio-fertilizer, due to its potassium release activity from rock and tolerance to high temperature.     

Comment on “The July 9 and 23, 1905, Mongolian earthquakes,a surface-wave investigation” by Emile Okal

K-Ar ages have been determined for sulfide minerals for the first time. The occurrence of adequate amounts of potassium-bearing sulfides with ideal compositions K₃Fe₁₀S₁₄ (～10 wt.% K) and KFe₂S₃ (～16 wt.% K) in samples from a mafic alkalic diatreme at Coyote Peak, California, prompted an attempt to date these materials. K₃Fe₁₀S₁₄, a massive mineral with conchoidal fracture, gives an age of 29.4 ± 0.5m.y.(⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar), indistinguishable from the 28.3 ± 0.4m.y.(⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar) and 30.2 ± 1.0m.y.8 (conventional K-Ar) ages obtained for associated phlogopite (8.7 wt.% K). KFe₂S₃, a bladed, fibrous sulfide, gives a younger age, 26.5 ± 0.5m.y.(⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar), presumably owing to Ar loss.     

Quantification of the factors controlling the presence of excess Ar or He

A quantitative physical model is presented which includes the factors that control the presence, or absence, of internally derived excess ⁴⁰Ar or excess ⁴He in geological systems. In particular, the model incorporates the transport and partitioning properties of the rock surrounding the mineral of thermochronologic interest and illuminates the related effects on the amount of excess ⁴⁰Ar or ⁴He preserved in the system. Modeling of a simplified 1-D rock column bounded by an external sink for ⁴⁰Ar or ⁴He shows that a steady-state excess ⁴⁰Ar or ⁴He profile develops, the magnitude of which is determined by a system parameter called the ‘transmissive timescale’, τ_T. The characteristic time required to reach this steady state depends upon τ_T and the ‘total local sink capacity’, TLSC, wherein the important role of local matrix mineral and fluid phases is incorporated. Together, these two system parameters (τ_T and TLSC) determine the evolution of excess ⁴⁰Ar or ⁴He buildup within a system above the closure temperatures of all minerals involved. An analytical expression for the 1-D system describing the evolution of excess ⁴⁰Ar (or by analogy ⁴He) in a particular potassium-bearing (or U-Th-bearing) mineral located at a distance, L, from an external sink has been derived empirically from model results:

     

P, T-dependence of the thermoelectric power of minerals; relations to chemical differentiation,hydration, oxidation and reduction

The thermoelectric power (T.E.P.) or Seebeck effect of minerals is best characterized by the fact that a great many of the Earth's important minerals are semiconducting oxides. Outside the very active research area concerned with oxide semiconductors there have been few determinations of the T.E.P. of minerals, let alone their P, T-dependence. Most minerals have low electrical conductivities and relatively high thermal conductivities, and despite very high Seebeck voltages, are thus generally rather inefficient T.E.P. generators. Measurements of the T.E.P. tie in well with studies of the electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, optical absorption, and diffusion. They provide significant information on the charge carrier concentrations, type of conduction mechanism, band structure, and phonon scattering.Junctions capable of generating T.E.P. include those between materials of different chemical composition, different content and concentration of impurities and defects, different crystal structure or orientation, different states of stress and strain, and reactive junctions or chains of junctions. Considering the local balance of flux of heat and other forms of energy through any of the conduction channels we may visualize as traversing the minerals in the mantle, surely, the conduction channels must involve all of the different types of heterogeneous junctions between minerals. We are, therefore, interested to investigate to what extent, in channels or media subjected to gradients of temperature, electric potential, concentration of chemical constituents and stress or strain, the heat flux density is not identical with the total energy flux density. Measurements of the Seebeck coefficient (S = dE/dT) and preliminary interpretations are discussed with reference to: (1) a simple oxide relative to Pt (corundum); (2) a complex oxide relative to Pt (garnet, almandite); (3) a couple formed of two oxides (corundum-almandite); (4) a couple formed of two minerals with different orientations (quartz_a-quartz_c), and two minerals of different impurity and defect concentrations (quartz-amethyst); and (5) a chain of reactive junctions analogous to oxidation potentials (iron-magnetite, hematite, iron).     

粤东五华河流域的化学风化与CO2吸收

基于对粤东五华河干流和支流水体的物理、化学组成测试数据,应用质量平衡法和相关分析法探讨湿热山地丘陵地区岩石化学风化过程对大气CO₂的吸收.结果表明:五华河水体的总溶解性固体含量(77.11 mg/L)接近于世界河流的平均值(65 mg/L);离子组成以Ca²⁺、Na⁺和HCO₃^-为主,可溶性Si次之.五华河流域化学径流组成主要源自硅酸盐矿物化学风化过程的贡献,碳酸盐矿物的贡献较少;大气和土壤CO₂是流域内岩石化学风化的主要侵蚀介质.与同一气候带其他河流相比较,五华河流域岩石化学风化过程对大气CO₂的吸收通量(2.14×105mol/(km²·a))较低,这主要是由于流域内缺乏碳酸盐岩所导致.     

Sandstone diagenesis of the Lower Cretaceous Sindong Group, Gyeongsang Basin, southeastern Korea: Implications for compositional and paleoenvironmental controls

Abstract The Gyeongsang Basin is a non‐marine sedimentary basin formed by extensional tectonism during the Early Cretaceous in the southeastern Korean Peninsula. The sediment fill starts with the Sindong Group distributed along the western margin of the basin. It consists of three lithostratigraphic units: the Nakdong (alluvial fan), Hasandong (fluvial) and Jinju (lacustrine) formations with decreasing age. Sindong Group sandstones are classified into four petrofacies (PF) based on their detrital composition: PF‐A consists of the lower Nakdong Formation with average Q₇₃F₁₂R₁₅; PF‐B the upper Nakdong and lower Hasandong formations with Q₆₆F₁₅R₁₈; PF‐C the middle Hasandong to middle Jinju formations with Q₄₉F₂₉R₂₂; and PF‐D the upper Jinju Formation with Q₂₆F₃₄R₄₁. The variations of detrital composition influenced the diagenetic mineral assemblage in the Sindong Group sandstones. Illite and dolomite/ankerite are important diagenetic minerals in PF‐A and PF‐B, whereas calcite and chlorite are dominant diagenetic minerals in PF‐C and PF‐D. Most of the diagenetic minerals can be divided into early and late diagenetic stages of formation. Early diagenetic calcites occur mostly in PF‐C, probably controlled by arid to semiarid climatic conditions during the sandstone deposition, no early calcite being found in PF‐A and PF‐B. Late‐stage calcites are present in all Sindong Group sandstones. The calcium ions may have been derived from shale diagenesis and dissolution of early stage calcites in the Hasandong and Jinju sandstones. Illite, the only diagenetic clay mineral in PF‐A and lower PF‐B, is inferred to be a product of kaolinite transformation during deep burial, and the former presence of kaolinite is inferred from the humid paleoclimatic conditions during the deposition of the Nakdong Formation. Chlorites in PF‐C and PF‐D are interpreted to be the products of transformation of smectitic clay or of precipitation from alkaline pore water under arid to semiarid climatic conditions. The occurrence of late‐stage diagenetic minerals largely depended on the distribution of early diagenetic minerals, which was controlled initially by the sediment composition and paleoclimate.     

The influence of weathering on the geotechnical properties and slope angles of mudstone in the Mineoka earth-slide area,Japan

Three active earth-slide slopes of Tertiary mudstone were investigated: Slope 1 has an angle of 17 ?4°, Slope 2 of 12.9°, and Slope 3 of 11.6°. Infinite slope analysis indicated that the instability of these three slopes can be well explained by using the residual strength parameters of earth-slide soils near the sliding surface in conjunction with the highest ground water table. The residual angle of shearing resistance, ø'_r, plays an important role in the determination of slope angle because it differs greatly among slopes. Mineralogical studies and X-ray diffraction analyses were performed for the clay minerals included in the slope material. The results showed that illite and chlorite were found in Slope 1, and also in Slopes 2 and 3 together with interstratified illite/montmorillonite and montmorillonite. The degree of weathering is progressive in order of Slopes 1, 2 and 3. The alteration of clay minerals by weathering causes the reduction in ø'_r -values, i.e., 19.4° in Slope 1 (steep, less weathered) and 12.1-9.2° in Slopes 2 and 3 (gentle, much more weathered). This result indicates that the degree of weathering has a great influence on the value of ø'_r, which in turn determines the slope angle.     

Chemical weathering and CO2 consumption in the glaciated Karuxung River catchment,Tibetan Plateau

Climate factors play critical roles in controlling chemical weathering, while chemically weathered surface material can regulate climate change. To estimate global chemical weathering fluxes and CO₂ balance, it is important to identify the characteristics and driving factors of chemical weathering and CO₂ consumption on the Tibetan Plateau, especially in glaciated catchments. The analysis of the hydro-geochemical data indicated that silicate weathering in this area was inhibited by low temperatures, while carbonate weathering was promoted by the abundant clastic rocks with fresh surfaces produced by glacial action. Carbonate weathering dominated the riverine solute generation (with a contribution of 58%, 51%, and 43% at the QiangYong Glacier (QYG), the WengGuo Hydrological Station (WGHS), and the lake estuary (LE), respectively). The oxidation of pyrite contributed to 35%, 42%, and 30% of the riverine solutes, while silicate weathering contributed to 5%, 6%, and 26% of the riverine solutes at the QYG, WGHS, and LE, respectively. The alluvial deposit of easily weathering fine silicate minerals, the higher air temperature, plant density, and soil thickness at the downstream LE in comparison to upstream and midstream may lead to longer contact time between pore water and mineral materials, thus enhancing the silicate weathering. Because of the involvement of sulfuric acid produced by the oxidation of pyrite, carbonate weathering in the upstream and midstream did not consume atmospheric CO₂, resulting in the high rate of carbonate weathering (73.9 and 75.6 t km⁻² yr⁻¹, respectively, in maximum) and potential net release of CO₂ (with an upper constraint of 35.6 and 35.2 t km⁻² yr⁻¹, respectively) at the QYG and WGHS. The above results indicate the potential of the glaciated area of the Tibetan Plateau with pyrite deposits being a substantial natural carbon source, which deserves further investigation.     

Probing deep weathering in the Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory,Pennsylvania (USA): the hypothesis of nested chemical reaction fronts in the subsurface

Weathering is both an acid‐base and a redox reaction in which rocks are titrated by meteoric carbon dioxide (CO₂) and oxygen (O₂). In general, the depths of these weathering reactions are unknown. To determine such depths, cuttings of Rose Hill shale were investigated from one borehole from the ridge and four boreholes from the valley at the Susquehanna Shale Hills Observatory (SSHO). Pyrite concentrations are insignificant to depths of 23 m under the ridge and 8–9 m under the valley. Likewise, carbonate concentrations are insignificant to 22 and 2 m, respectively. In addition, a 5–6 m‐thick fractured layer directly beneath the land surface shows evidence for loss of illite, chlorite, and feldspar. Under the valley, secondary carbonates may have precipited. The limited number of boreholes and the tight folding make it impossible to prove that depth variations result from weathering instead of chemical heterogeneity within the parent shale. However, carbonate depletion coincides with the winter water table observed at ~20 m (ridge) and ~2 m depth (valley). It would be fortuitous if carbonate‐containing strata are found under ridge and valley only beneath the water table. Furthermore, pyrite and carbonate react quickly and many deep reaction fronts for these minerals are described in the literature. We propose that deep transport of O₂ initiates weathering at SSHO and many other localities because pyrite commonly oxidizes autocatalytically to acidify porewaters and open porosity. According to this hypothesis, the mineral distributions at SSHO are nested reaction fronts that overprint protolith stratigraphy. The fronts are hypothesized to lie subparallel to the land surface because O₂ diffuses to the water table and causes oxidative dissolution of pyrite. Pyrite‐derived sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) plus CO₂ also dissolve carbonates above the water table. To understand how reaction fronts record long‐term coupling between erosion and weathering will require intensive mapping of the subsurface. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Identifying spatio-temporal variation and controlling factors of chemistry in groundwater and river water recharged by reclaimed water at Huai River,North China

Reclaimed water is efficiently used to recover the dry river, but river water and groundwater may be impacted considering the water quality. Thus, it is critical to study the factors controlling water chemistry. Samples of reclaimed water, river and groundwater were collected monthly from January to September in 2010, in Huai River (North China). And samples were analyzed for major 15 physio-chemical parameters. Using hierarchical cluster analysis, 9 months are divided into two distinct groups, which show the clear temporal variation. In reclaimed water and river water, one group includes February, while the other includes other months. In shallow and deep groundwater, one group includes months from January to April, while the other encompasses others. Monitoring stations are classified into three groups. Group A with high value of ions and nitrogen (order: NH₄-N > NO₃-N > NO₂-N) includes reclaimed water and river water. Group B with moderate concentration and nitrogen (order: NO₃-N > NH₄-N > NO₂-N) includes all shallow groundwater and one deep groundwater. Group C with the low value and nitrogen (order: NO₃-N > NO₂-N > NH₄-N), includes two deep groundwater. Using multivariate analysis and ionic relationships, river water chemistry is found to be controlled by reclaimed water and evaporation process; chemistry in shallow groundwater and one deep groundwater, with type of Na–Ca(Mg)–HCO₃–Cl, is controlled by dissolution of calcite, carbonate weathering. Additionally, reactions of nitrification, denitrification and cation exchange occur in the infiltration of reclaimed water; chemistry in the other deep groundwater, with type of Ca–Mg–HCO₃–Cl, is controlled by dissolution of calcite, carbonate weathering and denitrification.     

Mass‐balance modeling of mineral weathering rates and CO2 consumption in the forested,metabasaltic Hauver Branch watershed,Catoctin Mountain,Maryland, USA

Mineral weathering rates and a forest macronutrient uptake stoichiometry were determined for the forested, metabasaltic Hauver Branch watershed in north‐central Maryland, USA. Previous studies of Hauver Branch have had an insufficient number of analytes to permit determination of rates of all the minerals involved in chemical weathering, including biomass. More equations in the mass‐balance matrix were added using existing mineralogic information. The stoichiometry of a deciduous biomass term was determined using multi‐year weekly to biweekly stream‐water chemistry for a nearby watershed, which drains relatively unreactive quartzite bedrock. At Hauver Branch, calcite hosts ~38 mol% of the calcium ion (Ca²⁺) contained in weathering minerals, but its weathering provides ~90% of the stream water Ca²⁺. This occurs in a landscape with a regolith residence time of more than several Ka (kiloannum). Previous studies indicate that such old regolith does not typically contain dissolving calcite that affects stream Ca²⁺/Na⁺ ratios. The relatively high calcite dissolution rate likely reflects dissolution of calcite in fractures of the deep critical zone. Of the carbon dioxide (CO₂) consumed by mineral weathering, calcite is responsible for approximately 27%, with the silicate weathering consumption rate far exceeding that of the global average. The chemical weathering of mafic terrains in decaying orogens thus may be capable of influencing global geochemical cycles, and therefore, climate, on geological timescales. Based on carbon‐balance calculations, atmospheric‐derived sulfuric acid is responsible for approximately 22% of the mineral weathering occurring in the watershed. Our results suggest that rising air temperatures, driven by global warming and resulting in higher precipitation, will cause the rate of chemical weathering in the Hauver Branch watershed to increase until a threshold temperature is reached. Beyond the threshold temperature, increased recharge would produce a shallower groundwater table and reduced chemical weathering rates. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrochemical and isotopic characterization of groundwater in the southeastern part of the Plateaux Region,Togo

Hydrochemical, inverse geochemical modelling and isotopic approaches are used to assess the hydrogeochemical evolution of groundwater from the basement aquifers in the southeastern part of the Plateaux Region, Togo. Groundwater originates from present-day rainwater infiltration and is mostly fresh and slightly acidic to neutral. Hydrochemical facies are predominantly mixed cations-HCO₃ associated with Ca/Mg-Cl, Na-HCO₃ and Na-Cl water types in equilibrium with kaolinite and Ca/Mg-smectites. They are related to silicates hydrolysis, anthropogenic contamination, nitrification/denitrification, mixing along flowpaths and dissolution/precipitation of secondary minerals. The pattern of flow paths is in accordance with an increasing trend in total dissolved solids (TDS) toward the potentiometric depression located in the central and southern parts of the aquifer system. Inverse geochemical modelling using the NETPATH-WIN model showed the relative importance of biotite, plagioclase and amphibole weathering and dissolution of secondary carbonate minerals along the flowpath, suggesting that an abundance of minerals is not necessarily the main factor controlling the groundwater chemistry evolution.     

Heat flow studies: Constraints on the distribution of uranium,thorium and potassium in the continental crust

To study the amount of heat generated by radioactive decay in the continental crust, the usual practice in the literature is to fit to the heat flow and radioactivity data a relationship of the form: Q = Q_r + D · A where Q and A are the observed heat flow and radiogenic heat production. Q_r is the “reduced” heat flow and D is a depth scale. This procedure implicitly assumes that uranium, thorium and potassium have identical distributions in the crust. We suggest that significant information may be lost as the three radioelements may in fact be affected by processes operating over different depths.Data published for four heat flow provinces throughout the world are used to estimate the distributions of uranium, thorium and potassium in the continental crust. These distributions are characterized by a depth scales defined as follows: D_i =∫0h C_i(z)C_i(0)dz where h is the thickness of the layer containing the bulk of radioactivity and C_i(z) the concentration of element i at depth z. Three depth scales are computed from a least-squares fit to the following relationship: Q = Q_r + D_U · A_U + D_T · A_T + D_K · A_T where Q is the observed heat flow and Q_r some constant (a reduced heat flow). A_i is the heat generation rate due to the radioactive decay of element i, and D_i is the corresponding depth scale.The analysis suggests that the three distributions are different and that they have the same basic features in the four provinces considered. The depth scale for potassium is large in granitic areas, that for thorium is small and that for uranium lies between the other two.We propose a simple model according to which each radioelement essentially provides a record for one process. Potassium gives a depth scale for the primary differentiation of the crust. Thorium gives the depth scale of magmatic or metamorphic fluid circulation. Finally, the uranium distribution reflects the late effects of alteration due to meteoric water. We show that the heat flow and radioactivity data are compatible with this model.Our analysis and numerical results are supported by data from deep boreholes and by geochemical evidence, such as detailed investigations of plutonic series and studies of U-Th-Pb systematics.     

The Enrichment Process of Groundwater Fluorine in Sea Water Intrusion Area of Gaomi City,China

A typical area, Gaomi City in China, was chosen to discuss the enrichment process of groundwater fluorine in sea water intrusion area. The groundwater had fluorine levels of 0.09–10.99 mg/L, with an average concentration of 1.38 mg/L. The high-fluorine groundwater was mainly distributed in the unconsolidated Quaternary sediments, where concentrations in 83.6% of the samples exceeded the national limit of 1.0 mg/L. The groundwater in the Quaternary sediments also had higher levels of Cl⁻, TDS, Mg²⁺, and pH and lower levels of Ca²⁺, Co, Ni, and Cu than that in the bedrock. The groundwater fluorine levels in the Quaternary sediments are positively correlated with Cl⁻, TDS, Mg²⁺, pH, and negatively correlated with Ca²⁺, γCa²⁺/γMg²⁺, Co, Ni, Cu. Geochemical indices of Cl⁻ and TDS indicate sea water intrusion in the Quaternary high-fluorine groundwater area (F⁻ > 1.0 mg/L), while they do not indicate any intrusion in the bedrock area. The chemical weathering of minerals was intensified with the intrusion of sea water. Cation exchange was confirmed to occur in the Quaternary sediments and was promoted by sea water intrusion. Cation exchange consumes part of groundwater Ca²⁺ and permits more F⁻ dissolving. Consequently, in the Quaternary sediments, the groundwater was supersaturated with CaF₂ minerals and undersaturated with MgF₂ minerals when F⁻ > 1.0 mg/L, while CaF₂ and MgF₂ minerals both are undersaturated when F⁻ < 1.0 mg/L. Thus, the chemical weathering of minerals and cation exchange caused by sea water intrusion are the crucial processes controlling the groundwater fluorine levels, which should be considered when the groundwater fluorine enrichment mechanism is discussed along coastal zones.     

The M/V Cosco Busan spill: source identification and short-term fate

Understanding the fate of heavy fuel oils (HFOs) in the environment is critical for sound decisions regarding its usage and spill cleanup. To study weathering of HFOs, we examined the M/V CoscoBusan spill (November 2007; San Francisco Bay, CA, USA). In this baseline report, we identified which ruptured tank (port tank 3 or 4) was the source of the spilled oil and characterized changes in the oil composition across location and time. Samples from three impacted shorelines, collected within 80 days of the spill, were analyzed using one- and two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC and GC × GC, respectively). Weathering varied across sites, but compounds with GC retention times less than n-C₁₆ were generally lost by evaporation and dissolution. Changes in n-C₁₈/phytane and benz[a]anthracene/chrysene ratios indicated some biodegradation and photodegradation, respectively.     

Density profile and modern crustal and uppermost mantle geotherm of the Voronezh crystalline massif

A density profile and a modern temperature distribution in the lithosphere of the Voronezh crystalline massif (VCM) are derived through the use of the V_P(z), V_S(z) seismic velocity models, petrological data, measurements of V_P, V_S, density (ρ) and mean atomic weight ($\text{m}$) for several groups of rocks and minerals of different composition and genesis, as well as from pressure and temperature derivatives for different thermodynamic regimes.     

Dissolved major ions,Sr and 87Sr/86Sr of coastal lakes from Larsemann hills,East Antarctica: Solute sources and chemical weathering in a polar environment

Dissolved major ions, Sr concentrations and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of 10 coastal lakes from the Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica have been studied to constrain their solute sources, transport and glacial weathering patterns in their catchments. In absence of perennial river/streams, lakes serve as only reliable archive to study land surface processes in these low-temperature regions. The lake water chemistry is mostly Na-Cl type and it does not show any significant depth variations. Sr isotope compositions of these lakes vary from 0.7110 to 0.7211 with an average value of 0.7145, which is higher than modern seawater value. In addition to oceanic sources, major ions and Sr isotopic data show appreciable amount of solute supply from chemical weathering of silicate rocks in lake catchments and dissolution of Ca-Mg rich salts produced during the freezing of seawaters. The role of sulphide oxidation and carbonate weathering are found to be minimal on lake hydro-chemistry in this part of Antarctica. Inverse model calculations using this chemical dataset provide first-order estimates of dissolved cations and Sr; they are mostly derived from oceanic (seawater + snow) sources (cations approximately 76%) and (Sr approximately 92%) with minimal supplies from weathering of silicates (cations approximately 15%); (Sr approximately 2%) and Ca-rich minerals (cations approximately 9%); (Sr approximately 7%). The silicate weathering rate and its corresponding atmospheric CO₂ consumption rate estimates for Scandrett lake catchment (3.6 ± 0.3 tons/km²/year and 0.5 × 10⁵ moles/km²/year), are lower than that of reported values for the average global river basins (5.4 tons/km²/year and 0.9 × 10⁵ tons/km²/year) respectively. The present study provides a comprehensive report of chemical weathering intensity and its role in atmospheric CO₂ consumption in low-temperature pristine environment of Antarctica. These estimates underscore the importance of Antarctica weathering on atmospheric CO₂ budget, particularly during the past warmer periods when the large area was exposed and available for intense chemical weathering.     

Experimental crystallization of chrome spinel in FAMOUS basalt 527-1-1

FAMOUS basalt 527-1-1 (a high-Mg oceanic pillow basalt) has three generations of spinel which can be distinguished petrographically and chemically. The first generation (Group I) have reaction coronas and are high in Al₂O₃. The second generation (Group II) have no reaction coronas and are high in Cr₂O₃ and the third generation (Group III) are small, late-stage spinels with intermediate Al₂O₃ and Cr₂O₃. Experimental synthesis of spinels from fused rock powder of this basalt was carried out at temperatures of 1175–1270°C and oxygen fugacities of 10^?5.5 to 10^?10 atm at 1 atm pressure. Spinel is the liquidus phase at oxygen fugacities of 10^?8.5 atm and higher but it does not crystallize at any temperature at oxygen fugacities less than 10^?9.5. The composition of our spinels synthesized at 1230–1250°C and 10^?9 atmf_O2 are most similar to the high-Cr spinels (Group II) found in the rock. Spinels synthesized at 1200°C and 10^?8.5 atm_O2 are chemically similar to the Group III spinels in 527-1-1. We did not synthesize spinel at any temperature or oxygen fugacity that are similar to the high-Al (Group I) spinel found in 527-1-1. These results indicate that the high-Cr (Group II) spinel is the liquidus phase in 527-1-1 at low pressure and Group III spinel crystallize below the liquidus (～1200°C) after eruption of the basalt on the sea floor. The high-Al spinel (Group I) could have crystallized at high pressure or from a magma enriched in Al and perhaps Mg compared to 527-1-1.     

Optimization of nutrient component for diesel oil degradation by Rhodococcus erythropolis

A novel bacterium T7-2 was isolated from the oil-polluted sea-bed mud of Bohai Sea, northern China, which can degrade diesel oil at 15 °C. This bacterium was identified as a strain of Rhodococcus erythropolis according to its 16S rDNA gene. In order to enhance degradation efficiency, a five-level, three-factor central composite design was employed to optimize the nutrition supplied to artificial seawater. The results indicate that a supplement of 2.53 g (NH₄)₂SO₄ L⁻¹, 2.75 g Na₂HPO₄ L⁻¹ and 0.01 g yeast extract L⁻¹ to artificial seawater increases the degradation rate from 12.61% to 75% within 7 d.     

Quantifying effects of deep and near‐surface chemical erosion on cosmogenic nuclides in soils,saprolite, and sediment

Cosmogenic nuclides in rock, soil, and sediment are routinely used to measure denudation rates of catchments and hillslopes. Although it has been shown that these measurements are prone to biases due to chemical erosion in regolith, most studies of cosmogenic nuclides have ignored this potential source of error. Here we quantify the extent to which overlooking effects of chemical erosion introduces bias in interpreting denudation rates from cosmogenic nuclides. We consider two end‐member effects: one due to weathering near the surface and the other due to weathering at depth. Near the surface, chemical erosion influences nuclide concentrations in host minerals by enriching (or depleting) them relative to other more (or less) soluble minerals. This increases (or decreases) their residence times relative to the regolith as a whole. At depth, where minerals are shielded from cosmic radiation, chemical erosion causes denudation without influencing cosmogenic nuclide buildup. If this effect is ignored, denudation rates inferred from cosmogenic nuclides will be too low. We derive a general expression, termed the ‘chemical erosion factor’, or CEF, which corrects for biases introduced by both deep and near‐surface chemical erosion in regolith. The CEF differs from the ‘quartz enrichment factor’ of previous work in that it can also be applied to relatively soluble minerals, such as olivine. Using data from diverse climatic settings, we calculate CEFs ranging from 1.03 to 1.87 for cosmogenic nuclides in quartz. This implies that ignoring chemical erosion can lead to errors of close to 100% in intensely weathered regolith. CEF is strongly correlated with mean annual precipitation across our sites, reflecting climatic influence on chemical weathering. Our results indicate that quantifying CEFs is crucial in cosmogenic nuclide studies of landscapes where chemical erosion accounts for a significant fraction of the overall denudation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.