Dinosaur material from the Lower Greensand Group of Upware,Cambridgeshire, and the age of ‘Wealden’ vertebrates from the ‘Bedfordshire Straits’

Post-Wealden dinosaur remains are rare in the UK, so any material from late Early or Late Cretaceous deposits is potentially of palaeoecological and palaeobiogeographical significance. Four dinosaur specimens collected from the Woburn Sands Formation (Aptian) of Upware, Cambridgeshire were described briefly by Walter Keeping in 1883, but have not been reappraised since. These specimens are identified herein as a ?turiasaurian sauropod tooth and indeterminate iguanodontian ornithopod remains (a tooth, middle caudal vertebra, pollex ungual). Although collected from the Woburn Sands Formation, it is likely that all of these fossils were reworked from older (now absent) sediments and they have usually been regarded as either ‘Wealden’ or Neocomian in age, presumably due to previous identifications of some of these specimens as Iguanodon. However, consideration of UK dinosaur faunas and regional geology indicates that these fossils could potentially be older. Further work is needed on the derived terrestrial fossils of the Lower Greensand Group in order to constrain their ages more precisely so that they can be incorporated into broader studies of regional diversity and palaeoecology.     

Sources of clastic material of the Neoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks of the Baikal–Patom belt,Northern Transbaikalia: Evidence from Sm-Nd isotope data

First systematic data on the variations of ε_Nd(T) in the Neoproterozoic sedimentary sequence of the Baikal–Patom fold belt (Northern Transbaikalia) are reported. The range of obtained εNd(T) is–19.4…–2.0. It was established that the rocks of the Ballaganach and most part of the Dal’nyaya Taiga groups are characterized by ε_Nd(T) from–19.4 to–16.3. Upsection, beginning from the Khomolkha Formation, the rocks show a sharp change in the initial Nd isotope composition (ε_Nd(T)–8.3…–2.0). The results of Sm-Nd study of metasedimentary rocks of the BPB, as well as the comparison of their Sm-Nd characteristics with those of the inferred source areas suggest that the input of terrigenous material at the early stage of sedimentation in the Baikal–Patom belt was mainly related to the destruction of the Early Proterozoic crust of the Siberian craton. Owing to a change of sedimentation setting from passive continental margin to the “foreland” basin at the late stage, the terrigenous material of the Siberian craton was diluted by clastics from juvenile Neoproterozoic crust of the Baikal–Muya belt.     

Combined membrane–oxythermographic method in the solution of the geochemical problems of migration of material of natural waters

Two methods for obtaining information on the fractional composition of organic matter in natural waters (membrane filtration and oxythermography) are combined in this study. The method has a number of indisputable advantages, which distinguish it among the currently available methods of analytical chemistry. In earth science, the fractional composition of organic materials in natural waters is estimated by the concentration of organic carbon (C_org) in fractions. In our opinion, an indicator of chemical consumption of oxygen (CCO) for ecological estimation of water reservoir state is more informative, because this indicator carries specific ecological information on the necessary oxygen consumption for oxidation of pollutants coming into the natural water environment. Therefore, estimation of the CCO parameter in fractions provides real information on the availability of organic matter and the probable danger from its content in water. This is the principal novelty of the information obtained and our study. The method was tested in the study of variation of the fractional composition of water matter during passage of Volga water through the waterworks (upon removal of water from the storage reservoir through the dam of the Ivan’kovskaya hydro power plant in the Dubna area). Analogous results are almost absent in earth science literature. There is a lack of data on the influence of water release through the dam even with respect to the major-component chemical composition. Variation of the fractional composition of matter (both organic and inorganic) upon water release through a waterworks is not discussed in literature. Thus, this study is of fundamental character.     

Geckos from the middle Miocene of Devínska Nová Ves (Slovakia): new material and a review of the previous record

New species of a gecko of the genus Euleptes is described here—E. klembarai. The material comes from the middle Miocene (Astaracian, MN 6) of Slovakia, more precisely from the well-known locality called Zapfe`s fissure fillings (Devínska Nová Ves, Bratislava). The fossil material consists of isolated left maxilla, right dentary, right pterygoid and cervical and dorsal vertebrae. The currently known fossil record suggests that isolation of environment of the Zapfe`s fissure site, created a refugium for the genus Euleptes in Central Europe (today, this taxon still inhabits southern part of Europe and North Africa—E. europea), probably resulting from the island geography of this area during the middle Miocene. The isolation of this territory might have facilitated allopatric speciation.     

Revised estimate of δ34S for marine sulfates from the Upper Ordovician: data from the Williston Basin,North Dakota,U.S.A.

Analyses for δ³⁴S of 13 bedded, marine anhydrite samples from the “C” anhydrite member of the Red River Formation (Upper Ordovician) in the North Dakota portion of the Williston basin represent an addition of δ³⁴S data to a portion of the S isotope age curve with few data. Previously published estimates of δ³⁴S for Upper Ordovician marine sulfates apparently are limited to 4 samples from the Saskatchewan portion of the same basin. An adjusted mean value of +25.5‰ was calculated for all known Upper Ordovician δ³⁴S determinations. This value is approximately 2 to 3‰ lighter than the previous estimate, which suggests that δ³⁴S of the world ocean during the Upper Ordovician may have been lighter than previously thought. However, because all δ³⁴S data are from one sedimentary basin, additional S isotopic data from several globally-distributed evaporite basins are needed to evaluate this hypothesis and further constrain δ³⁴S for the Upper Ordovician. Similar re-examination of other portions of the S isotope age curve with limited amounts of data may increase our understanding of the secular variation in δ³⁴S.     

Constraints on the early cooling rates of Mt. Dabie from diffusion modeling of chemical zoning of garnet

Diffusion modeling of zoning profiles in eclogite garnets from three different tectonic units of Mt. Dabie, UHPM unit, HPM unit and northern Dabie, was used to estimate the relative time span and cooling rates of these rocks. Modeling result for the Huangzhen eclogite garnet shows that the maximal time span for the diffusion-adjustment process is about 22 Ma since the peak-temperature metamorphism, which is the maximum time span from amphibolite facies metamorphism to greenschist facies metamorphism. The Bixiling eclogites had subjected to a cooling process at a rate of - 10℃/Ma from 750℃ to 560℃ during 20 Ma. The second cooling stage of the Raobazhai eclogite following granulite-facies metamorphism is an initial fast cooling process at a rate of about 25℃/Ma and then slowed down gradually. All these belong to a coherent Dabie collision orogen with differences in subduction depth and exhumation/uplifting path.     

A. V. Peyve — the founder of the concept of deep faults

The further development of Peyve’s concept of deep faults in the Earth’s crust and brittle part of the lithosphere is discussed. Three aspects are accentuated in this paper: (1) the modern definition of the term deep fault; (2) the parameters of deep faults as ruptures of the geological medium and three-dimensional, often boundary, geological bodies; and (3) reactivation of deep faults, including the development of this process in real time. Peyve’s idea of deep faults readily fitted into the concept of new global tectonics (plate tectonics). This was facilitated, first of all, by the extensive efforts made to elaborate Peyve’s ideas by a large group of researchers at the Geological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (GIN RAS) and other scientists. At present, the term deep fault has been extended and transformed to cover three-dimensional geological bodies; the geological and geophysical properties and parameters of these bodies, as well as their reactivation (recurrent activation) in real time, have been studied.     

Constraints on the evolution of the Paleo.Tethys Ocean from the Elashan Formation andesites in Xiarihamu area,western segment of East Kunlun.SCIEI北大核心CSCD

东昆仑西段夏日哈木地区出露一套鄂拉山组火山岩,其成因对古特提斯洋演化过程具有重要的指示意义。通过对其进行锆石U-Pb年代学、Hf同位素和全岩主、微量元素、Sm-Nd同位素等研究确定其形成时代、岩石成因及其构造意义。安山岩中锆石的^(206)Pb/^(238)U加权平均年龄为223±2Ma,属于晚三叠世。岩石具有较低的SiO_(2)(59.45%~63.10%)和Mg^(#)值(28~51)、较高的Al_(2)O_(3)(16.19%~17.66%)和K_(2)O含量(1.42%~3.50%),表现为弱过铝高钾钙碱性系列。岩石具有富集轻稀土和大离子亲石元素,亏损高场强元素的特征,结合全岩ε_(Nd)(t)值(-4.3~-3.1)和锆石ε_(Hf)(t)值(-3.4~+1.1),表明其可能来源于受富集地幔熔体底侵的古老下地壳部分熔融。结合区域地质资料,认为这些安山岩形成于碰撞后伸展环境,而古特提斯洋在晚三叠世已关闭。本文研究结果也说明在造山带研究中需谨慎利用火成岩的岛弧性质来判断其俯冲环境这一构造属性。     

Radiation resistant of native Deinococcus spp. isolated from the Lout desert of Iran “the hottest place on Earth”

Two native ionizing radiation-resistant bacteria were isolated and identified from a soil sample collected from extreme conditions of the Lout desert in Iran. The hottest land surface temperature has been recorded in the Lout desert from 2004 to 2009. Also, it is categorized as a hyper arid place. Both ionizing radiation and desiccation may cause damage on genome. Soil sample was irradiated in order to eliminate sensitive bacteria then cultured in one-tenth-strength tryptic soy broth medium. Bacterial suspension used for radiation treatment. Morphological and physiological characterization and phylogenetic studies based on 16S rRNA gene sequence were used for identification. The cells were rod shape, non-motile, non-spore forming and gram positive. The 16S rRNA gene sequence showed 99.5 % of similarity to Deinococcus ficus. Phylogenetic dendrogram demonstrated that the isolates branched with D. xibeiensis, D. ficus and D. mumbaiensis. Both isolates were resistant to >15 kGy of gamma radiation and >600 J m² of UV radiation. This is the first report on radiation resistant bacteria belonging to genus Deinococcus isolated from the Lout desert of Iran.     

A new locality of palygorskite-rich clay from the southeastern Yucatán: a potential material source for environmental applications

A palygorskite unit was discovered in a road cut of undifferentiated Tertiary limestone between the villages of El Pariso and San Roman (18°49.309N, 88°37.861W) in the southeastern Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. This is the southern most locality of a clay-rich sedimentary unit reported in the literature for the Tertiary carbonates of the Yucatán Peninsula. This occurrence indicates a much wider range of palygorskite-rich clay deposition than previously recognized. The lithology is 99% clay and 1% sand to silt size diagenetic quartz grains. The clay consists of approximately 85% palygorskite, 15% montmorillonite and trace amounts of titanium oxides. EDS analyses on palygorskite are largely consistent with sedimentary palygorskites from other coastal marine settings, however palygorskite has a low total Fe content (average = 0.40 wt% expressed as Fe₂O₃) compared to many other sedimentary palygorskites. Montmorillonite chemical compositions are typical and compared to the palygorskite have substantially higher Fe₂O₃ concentrations (average = 3.90 wt%). The low percentage of coarse grains in the lithology combined with a high proportion of palygorskite and lack of detrimental trace minerals suggest the deposit is of industrial grade; however, it has limited reserves (6,000 m³). The unit could be potentially used in a wide array of environmental applications which are needed in the region including liners for landfills and constructed wetlands. The unit is in a geographic location which would serve the expanding economy of the region. This resource has the potential to have great impact on the quality of the local environment and the economy of a region under great environmental threat.     

Interaction of fluid–solid–geomembrane by the material point method

A dynamic, large deformation problem of fluid–solid–geomembrane interaction is analysed by the use of material point method, a variant of the finite element method stated in a Lagrangian–Eulerian format. A low-order element is used for space discretisation and the fluid is treated as a compressible liquid with a high value of bulk modulus. Therefore, two algorithms known from literature are applied to mitigate the effects related to the volumetric locking phenomenon. Moreover, a procedure of detecting the free surface is proposed. The method is applied to problems of determining the shape of geo-tubes, collapsing water column, and finally, to the problem of installation of a geo-container on the bed of a water reservoir. The obtained numerical outcomes are compared with the experimental results and the analytic ones when available.     

Early Stages of the Evolution of Uralides as Evidenced from the U–Pb Systematics of Detrital Zircons from Rift Complexes

The U–Pb isotope data and corresponding ages of detrital zircons from rocks of the basal complexes of the Uralides of different segments of the Ural Fold Belt are considered. It was established that complexes of ancient domains of the East European Platform (Volga-Uralia, Sarmatia, Kola, etc.) seem to have been the main provenance areas of the clastic material for the Southern, Middle, and Northern Urals. This means that there were relatively remote and local (igneous formations of the pre-Uralides) provenance areas. Rift rock associations of the Uralides of the Subpolar and Polar Urals were formed mainly through erosion of local provenance areas (predominantly, Late Riphean–Vendian island-arc and orogenic magmatic complexes of the Proto-Uralides–Timanides). Detrital zircons of Riphean age dominate in rocks of the basal complexes of the Uralides. A source for them could have been rock complexes of Svecofennian-Norwegian Orogen and Cadomides of the Scythian-Turan Plate, intraplate magmatic formations, and metamorphic complexes, as well as blocks accreted to the margin of the East European Platform in the Late Precambrian–Cambrian and later detached and displaced during the Ordovician rifting and spreading. In general, the basal complexes of Uralides were formed owing to supply of clastic material from both remote and local sources. Despite the appearance of information of a totally new level (U–Pb isotope ages of detrital zircons, their Lu–Hf systematics, and the distribution features of rare earth and trace elements), the contribution of these sources to the formation of the Late Cambrian–Early Ordovician clastic strata is hardly possible at present to evaluate.     

Typochemical features of the rare-earth component of monazites from the Ilmen’ reserve

By means of X-ray fluorescence with synchroton radiation (XRF-SR), the contents of all 14 rare-earth elements (REEs) and that of Y were determined in 12 monazite samples from different veins in the Ilmen’ Reserve (South Urals). It was found that, in anphibole-micaceous-carbonate mineralized zones within metabasites, monazites were pronouncedly depleted in middle and, especially, in heavy rare-earth elements (HREEs) (from 0.25% and below for Sm, 0.08% or below for Gd, 0.03% for Dy, 0.01% for Er and Tm, below 0.005% for Yb, trace amounts of other odd HREEs, at a Y content of 0.1% or below). Monazites from the veins of granitic pegmatites were characterized by vastly decreased La contents (4–8 compared to 11–13% for the group above), at high values for Pr (to 3%), Nd (to 8%), Sm (to 1.3%), Gd (to 1.1%), Dy (to 0.9%), Er (to 0.2%), Yb (to 0.05%), and Y (from 0.2 to 1.7%). Here, the values for odd REEs are also quite high compared to the group above (to 0.2% for Tb, to 0.08% for Ho, and to 0.1% for Tm).

     

Experimental Studies of the Solubility of Cassiterite and the Extraction of Tin from Granitic Melts

Experiments indicate that the solubility of cassiterite can be enhanced by increasing either acidity or alkalinity in hydrothermal solutions as a consequence of the duality of tin.The minimum solubility of cassiterite is found in neutral solutions.F-and CL-coordination compounds of Sn can alternate with hydroxyl coordination compounds with changing pH in the solutions.In this case,F^- and Cl^- and OH^- can be substituted with each other.The dissolution reaction of cassiterite is of reducing nature.High temperature and acidic reducing environment are favorable for the dissolution of cassiterite and the trans-port of Sn^2 compounds in fluids or solutions.High-temperature fluoride and chloride fluids can all dissolve,extract and enrich Sn to form F^- and /or Cl-coordination compounds,However,Fplays a more important role than Cl.F-coordination compounds are more stable and efficient than Cl-coordination compounds during the transport an enrichment of Sn in melts or solutions.The solubili-ty of cassiterite and the amount of Sn extracted from granitic melt depend not only on T,P,pH and Eh in the fluids or solutions,but also on the amounts of dissociated F^- and Cl^- in the fluids.     

Composition characteristics and significance of spinel in the kinibcrlite from No. 30 Pipe in the wafangdian area. China北大核心CSCD

The spinel coexisting with diamonds is often used as indicator mineral to evaluate the diamond-bearing potentiality of the kimberlite. In order to figure out the characteristics of spinels in the No. 30 kimberlite pipe, this paper has carried out detailed morphological observation and electron probe analysis on the spinels. The results show that spinels are elliptical and sub-Angular grains, with large particle diameter( 5(H)-1000 μm). A small amount of spinels shows erosional embay men t shape. With high contents of Cr2O3( up to 66. 56% ) and MgO ( 8. 88% - 16. 68% ) , and low TiO2, contents (mostly相似文献   

Nd-Pb Isotopes of Basement Rocks, Granitoids and Basalts from the Western Margin of the Yangtze Craton. Implications for Crustal Evolution

INTRODUCTION TheYangtzecratonisoneofthemaingeotectonic blocksofChina'scontinent,connectingtheGanzi Song panblockwiththeLongmenMountainsinthewest Geologicalandtectonicstudieshaveshownthatthe basementoftheGanzi Songpanblockissimilartothe Yangtzecraton(Xuet…     

Proceedings of the Special Meeting of the Geological Society on the 3rd November, 1931. With a Half-tone Block of the Pictures of the Grabau Medal.

In opening the meeting, the chairman made the following address: "It is my agreable duty to announce and make the award of the Grabau Medal to two members of our Society, Drs. J. S. Lee and Davidson Black. "The Grabau Medal was founded in 1925 by Mr. C. Y. Wang. the then President of the Geological Society. It was so named in honor of Dr. Grabau