Geological aspects of decomposition of corpses in mass graves from WW1 and 2, located in SE Poland

The investigations were carried out to identify processes and mineral products in the diversified subsoil sediments of mass graves from WW1 (four graves) and 2 (five graves) and their surroundings, as well as the relations between the development of sediments within the mass graves and the scale of migration of the products of corpse decomposition. The author studied the role of iron compounds and clay minerals in the decomposition of human corpses buried in mass graves, followed by the migration of selected elements. In particular, he concentrated on the list of elements found in the diversified sediments of nine mass graves from SE Poland and to their relationship with phosphorus compounds. The methods applied included scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical polarizing microscopy. Samples were collected from various depths in trenches and holes dug in the vicinity of the graves, the sediments from the burial horizon and, when possible, the sediments underlying the grave (studied downslope). Detected phosphorus occurs as a weakly crystalline compound in silt-rich sediments with relatively stable water conditions. In silt-rich sediments with relatively stable moisture content, phosphorus occurs as a weakly crystalline compound. More stable aggregates of decomposition products have been found on quartz grains covered with clay-ferruginous rims. Fragments of human soft tissue were found only in those graves from WW2. There is no link between the spectrum of elements in the sediments of the graves and the period of burials. The decomposition products that form depend primarily on the type of sediments in which the mass graves were dug and, secondarily, although related, on the moisture content of the sediments. It has been found that stabilization of decomposition products in situ is related to the presence of iron compounds and clay minerals, particularly in finer-grained, aleuritic–pelitic sediments.     

Spatio-temporal variation of trace element contents in Rwanda necrosols

In this study, the spatio-temporal variation of selected trace elements in cemetery soils (necrosols) was investigated. Preliminary results revealed that onsite mean concentration for As, Ba, Cr, Cs, Ga, Ni, Rb, Sc, Th, V, Y, and Zr was generally higher than background offsite values. The trace metal contents of the cemetery soils also showed higher accumulation ratio for As, Cr, Ni, and Sc relative to world averages for soils (Clarke values). Similarly, it was observed that the cemetery soils showed significant enrichment with As and Cr in comparison with world averages for agricultural soils. The exchangeable sodium percentage showed that most of the onsite soil samples are sodic, which may have adverse effect on the growth and yield of crops grown in the study area. The study concludes that decomposition of human remains and grave contents play a significant role in elevating the total trace element contents in soils associated with cemeteries. For this reason, there is need for proactive measures to be taken with respect to the choice of raw materials used for the construction of coffins and funeral materials. There is need for local funeral industries particularly in developing countries and the government to begin to consider and adopt such green or environmental friendly burial options to prevent the potential environmental degradation of cemetery areas.     

A preliminary carbon and nitrogen isotopic investigation of bone collagen from skeletal remains recovered from a Pre-Columbian burial site,Matanzas Province,Cuba

This preliminary study investigates the diet of a population of humans (n = 28) recovered from a shell-matrix site of Canimar Abajo on the Canimar River, Matanzas Province, Cuba. The site is characterized by two cemetery levels separated by a layer of occupation/ritual/midden activity that lasted 1.5 ka. Stable C (δ¹³C) and N (δ¹⁵N) isotope analysis of human bone collagen samples obtained from individuals (7 infant/juveniles, and 21 adults) from both cemetery levels was conducted in order to reconstruct the diet of these two populations, investigate the relative importance of marine vs. terrestrial resources, and reveal any sex- and age-related distinctions in their food sources. Initial indications suggest that individuals from both cemetery levels consumed diets that were marine resource intensive but also supplemented with varied additions of terrestrial (mostly plant) resources. This supplementation is particularly evident in the later cemetery population. Though there are no significant differences in diet according to sex, there is a trophic level and terrestrial-based shift for breastfed and weaning infant/juveniles. The infant/juveniles showed evidence of being weaned through distinct δ¹⁵N enrichments and δ¹³C depletions over adult females.     

甲烷水合物生成和分解的X射线断层扫描试验研究

通过X-射线断层扫描系统(CT)开展甲烷水合物生成和分解试验研究,结果表明:CT可以清楚地描述甲烷水合物形成和分解过程.通过生成和分解的密度图像变化和CT数频率分布以及均方差变化,能够较好地理解甲烷水合物的生成和分解过程变化,同时CT数在生成和分解过程中的变化有助于准确地判断甲烷水合物的生成和分解的相平衡条件.     

Natural fluid phases at high temperatures and low pressures

Gas phases at low pressures and high (magmatic) temperatures have certain peculiar properties. The fluid is mainly water vapour, which is usually observed during discharging of crystal magmatic melts. At >700°C and <100 bar these peculiar properties include: formation of near ‘dry' salt melts as second fluid phase, very strong fractionation of hydrolysis products between vapour and melts, subvalence state of metals during transport processes, and high sensitivity of the gas to conditions of sublimate precipitation. Phase diagram analysis as well as results of field and laboratory experiments are presented in this article. The processes could be a model for industrial technologies to clean wastes from toxic, rare and heavy metals. Transport forms of some elements in volcanic gases are very similar to the species which were formed first in the protosolar nebula.     

高岭石形成赛隆过程相变初探

本文对比了高岭石热分解及经碳热还原氮化作用制备赛隆过程中的相变情况，我们发现高岭石在这两种过程中发生的相变并不尽相同，加热高岭石最终形成莫来石和方石英过程中的相变，在其经碳热还原氮化作用制备赛隆的过程中是否出现，取决于温度、时间、Ｃ／Ｓｉ原子比、Ｎ２流量等实验条件，后者因受众多实验因素的影响，其相变过程远较前者复杂。因此，笔者认为这两种过程中相变是相同的观点有进一步探讨的必要。     

Gas–oil fluids in the formation of travertines in the Baikal rift zone

Active participation of gas–oil fluids in the processes of mineral formation and petrogenesis in travertines of the Arshan and Garga hot springs is substantiated. The parageneses of the products of pyrolytic decomposition and oxidation of the gas–oil components of hydrothermal fluids (amorphous bitumen, graphite-like CM, and graphite) with different genetic groups of minerals crystallized in a wide range of P–T conditions were established. Travertines of the Baikal rift zone were formed from multicomponent hydrous–gas–oil fluids by the following basic mechanisms of mineral formation: chemogenic, biogenic, cavitation, fluid pyrometamorphism, and pyrolysis.     

硅酸盐体系的化学平衡:(3)反应动力学

通过具体实例,简要介绍了矿物材料学研究中有关反应动力学研究的基本原理,给出了对硅酸盐体系若干典型过程的反应动力学研究结果,包括:(1)高铝粉煤灰-Na2CO3体系的中温烧结反应和钾长石-石膏-碳酸钙体系钾长石的热分解反应;(2)KA lS i3O8-Ca(OH)2-H2O体系钾长石水热分解-雪硅钙石晶化反应;(3)S iO2-A l2O3-CaO体系微晶玻璃的β硅灰石晶化反应;(4)13X微孔分子筛和MCM-41介孔分子筛对Hg2+的吸附反应。反应动力学研究成果可望对矿物材料制备实验方案优化、工业生产过程的条件控制以及改进矿物材料性能提供理论指导。     

Immobilization of uranium in the presence of Fe0(s): Model development and simulation of contrasting experimental conditions

A geochemical model is developed for the immobilization of U in the presence of metallic Fe. Zero-valent iron (ZVI) serves as a reducing agent inducing the reductive-precipitation of U, and ZVI corrosion products can serve as absorbing agents for U. The numerical model developed allows the complex interactions of U in solution in differing concentrations to be examined, under variable pH and redox conditions, with or without carbonate, in the presence of ZVI of different size and surface area. It incorporates Fe corrosion, Fe(II) and Fe(III) corrosion product formation, reductive-precipitation of U from the soluble U(VI) valence to the poorly soluble U(IV) valence, adsorption/de-sorption of U onto the Fe oxide corrosion products, and aqueous speciation. The processes of Fe corrosion and reductive precipitation of U are simulated as non-equilibrium, an improvement over other geochemical models. The reductive-precipitation process may use either ZVI or Fe(II) as the reducing agent. The model is calibrated using 3 separate sets of experimental data from published literature that cover a wide range of redox conditions. Sensitivity of the model predictions to variations in input parameters is examined. The simulation results show that the different published experimental results can be explained by different solution chemistries in the studies, specifically O₂ and CO₂ availability and pH, and the amount and surface area of the metallic Fe. With this numerical model the behavior of U in ZVI containing systems over a range of conditions realistic for groundwater can be investigated. By synthesizing observations across several experimental studies, it will lead to a broader understanding of the processes controlling U immobilization under varied geochemical conditions.     

铅同位素比值法研究辽宁东大杖子战国墓地出土铜器的矿料来源

东大杖子墓地作为辽宁乃至东北亚地区等级极高的战国时期墓地,自发掘以来一直受到学术界的高度关注,前期的研究工作主要集中在墓葬以及随葬品类型学、文化性质等方面,缺乏对该墓地出土青铜器矿料来源的研究。本文采用电感耦合等离子体发射光谱仪、扫描电镜能谱仪和表面电离型固体质谱仪对该墓地出土的7件青铜样品进行了成分和铅同位素比值分析。成分测试结果显示7件样品中有4件为铅锡青铜,2件为锡青铜,1件未知,器物功用和合金性能基本相匹配;铅同位素示踪结果显示部分器物的铜料不大可能来自内蒙古林西大井、辽宁红透山以及山西中条山等铜矿; 5件铅含量大于2%的样品铅同位素比值~(206)Pb/~(204)Pb、~(207)Pb/~(204)Pb、~(208)Pb/~(204)Pb变化范围分别为17. 685～17. 941、15. 530～15. 612、38. 080～38. 404,其铅料来自辽宁青城子铅锌矿的可能性极大。本研究有助于探索辽宁东大杖子战国墓地出土铜器的矿料来源,同时为研究战国时期辽西与辽东半岛的金属资源贸易和流通以及辽东半岛资源开发历史提供了科学的证据。     

Experimental study of the hydrothermal reactivity of organic acids and acid anions: II. Acetic acid, acetate, and valeric acid

Organic acids and acid anions occur in substantial concentrations in many aqueous geologic fluids and are thought to take part in a variety of geochemical processes ranging from the transport of metals in ore-forming fluids to the formation of natural gas to serving as a metabolic energy source for microbes in subsurface habitats. The widespread occurrence of organic acids and their potential role in diverse geologic processes has led to numerous experimental studies of their thermal stability, yet there remain substantial gaps in our knowledge of the factors that control the rates and reaction pathways for the decomposition of these compounds under geologic conditions. In order to address some of these uncertainties, a series of laboratory experiments were conducted to examine the behavior of organic acids and acid anions under hydrothermal conditions in the presence of minerals. Reported here are results of experiments where aqueous solutions of acetic acid, sodium acetate, or valeric acid (n-pentanoic acid) were heated at 325°C, 350 bars in the presence of the mineral assemblages hematite + magnetite + pyrite, pyrite + pyrrhotite + magnetite, and hematite + magnetite. The results indicate that aqueous acetic acid and acetate decompose by a combination of two reaction pathways: decarboxylation and oxidation. Both reactions are promoted by minerals, with hematite catalyzing the oxidation reaction while magnetite catalyzes decarboxylation. The oxidation reaction is much faster, so that oxidation dominates the decomposition of acetic acid and acetate when hematite is present. In contrast to previous reports that acetate decomposed more slowly than acetic acid, we found that acetate decomposed at slightly faster rates than the acid in the presence of minerals. Although longer-chain monocarboxylic acids are generally thought to decompose by decarboxylation, valeric acid appeared to decompose primarily by “deformylation” to 1-butene plus formic acid. Subsequent decomposition of 1-butene and formic acid generated a variety of short-chain (≤C₄) hydrocarbons and moncarboxylic acids as well as CO₂. Valeric acid decomposition proceeded more rapidly (by a factor of 2) in the presence of hematite-magnetite-pyrite than with the other mineral assemblages, with the greater reaction rate apparently attributable to the effects of fluid chemistry. Valeric acid was observed to decompose at a substantially faster rate than acetic acid under similar conditions. The results suggest that decomposition of aqueous monocarboxylic acids may make a significant contribution to the conversion of petroleum to light hydrocarbons in natural gas and thermal fluids.     

岩浆补给作用对硅质火山岩浆系统演化的制约

硅质火山喷发作为大陆地壳岩浆活动的重要表现，在研究大陆地壳形成与演化、探讨岩浆过程与动力学机制等方面具有重要的价值，其通常所表现的强烈爆炸式喷发，甚至可以导致全球性的环境和气候变迁。硅质岩浆系统在开放体系中不同来源岩浆的贡献和相互作用是目前研究的热点问题。持续的岩浆补给可以延长岩浆存储的时间，促进岩浆房的对流、岩浆的分异演化以及晶体 熔体的分离和晶粥的再活化，同时也是触发火山喷发的重要机制之一。此外，岩浆补给以及硅质岩浆的晶体 熔体演化过程也是火山喷发产物多样性的原因，导致同一火山在其活动过程中喷发产物规律性的变化，如富晶体火山岩、贫晶体火山岩、火山岩成分分层、以及复活岩穹和中央侵入体等。因此，岩浆补给作用是制约硅质火山岩浆系统演化和火山岩成分多样性的重要因素，也是活动火山监测和灾害评估的重要依据。岩石学、岩石地球化学、矿物(长石、石英、石榴子石、锆石等)同位素及成分变化，以及模拟实验、地震层析成像等研究为揭示硅质岩浆系统中的岩浆补给作用和复杂岩浆过程提供了多种视角。     

Rock weathering on the eastern mountains of southern Africa: Review and insights from case studies

The mountains in the eastern region of southern Africa are of significant regional importance, providing for a diverse range of land use including conservation, tourism and subsistence agriculture. The higher regions are comprised of flood basalts and are immediately underlain by predominantly aeolian-origin sandstones. Our understanding of the weathering of these basalts and sandstones is reviewed here, with particular focus on the insights gained from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and an ongoing study into the deterioration of rock art. While the chemical weathering attributes of the basalts have been substantially investigated, it is evident that the environmental surface conditions of rock moisture and temperature, as affecting weathering processes, remain largely unknown. Within the sandstones, studies pertaining to rock art deterioration present insights into the potential surface weathering processes and highlight the need for detailed field monitoring. Outside of these site-specific studies, however, little is understood of how weathering impacts on landscape development; notably absent, are detail on weathering rates, and potential effects of biological weathering. Some palaeoenvironmental inferences have also been made from weathering products, both within the basalts and the sandstones, but aspects of these remain controversial and further detailed research can still be undertaken.     

Rock weathering on the eastern mountains of southern Africa: Review and insights from case studies

The mountains in the eastern region of southern Africa are of significant regional importance, providing for a diverse range of land use including conservation, tourism and subsistence agriculture. The higher regions are comprised of flood basalts and are immediately underlain by predominantly aeolian-origin sandstones. Our understanding of the weathering of these basalts and sandstones is reviewed here, with particular focus on the insights gained from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and an ongoing study into the deterioration of rock art. While the chemical weathering attributes of the basalts have been substantially investigated, it is evident that the environmental surface conditions of rock moisture and temperature, as affecting weathering processes, remain largely unknown. Within the sandstones, studies pertaining to rock art deterioration present insights into the potential surface weathering processes and highlight the need for detailed field monitoring. Outside of these site-specific studies, however, little is understood of how weathering impacts on landscape development; notably absent, are detail on weathering rates, and potential effects of biological weathering. Some palaeoenvironmental inferences have also been made from weathering products, both within the basalts and the sandstones, but aspects of these remain controversial and further detailed research can still be undertaken.     

Carbon dioxide and nitrogenous gases in the soil atmosphere

Carbon dioxide and nitrogenous trace gases (N₂O, NO) in the soil atmosphere are mainly the products of microbially mediated processes. Once produced, these gases pass to the overlying atmosphere primarily via molecular diffusion, a process which is described by Fick's law of diffusion.In a diffusion-dominated soil, the partial pressure, or concentration, of CO₂ in the soil atmosphere varies as a function of soil depth and is dependent on the production rate and diffusivities. Since these parameters are highly variable, CO₂ concentrations vary widely both between, and within, differing ecosystems. In a compilation of data from around the world, arranged according to an ecosystem classification, soil CO₂ concentrations varied from 0.04 to 13.0% by volume in the upper several meters of soil. These data also highlight the importance of organic substrate (soil organic matter, roots, root exudates), temperature, and (to some extent) moisture on CO₂ production and the resulting concentration in soil profiles. The δ¹³C of the soil CO₂ also varies as a function of depth due to differences in the δ¹³C of the organic substrate undergoing decomposition and the mixing with CO₂ of the overlying atmosphere. Recent work suggests that the δ¹⁸O of the soil CO₂ may hold some promise in estimating the δ¹⁸O of soil water.Biological production and consumption of N₂O and NO results primarily from activity of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria. Ammonium limitation of nitrification and organic carbon limitation of denitrification usually restricts these processes to surface soil horizons, although denitrification may be an important process for reducing NO₃⁻ in groundwater. These microbial processes and the relative proportions of their gaseous end products are strongly influenced by redox conditions. Microsite variation in sources of electron donors and acceptors is critical to understanding rates and distributions of N trace gas production. Several abiological oxidation and reduction reactions are also important, and interaction of biological and abiological processes deserves more research attention.     

钾长石分解反应热力学与过程评价

综述了添加各种助剂分解钾长石的研究进展。对不同体系中钾长石分解反应的G ibbs自由能和能耗计算,综合考虑一次性资源、能源消耗量和烧结过程的环境相容性、产品方案等因素,结果表明:只有以石灰石、碳酸钠为配料的工艺路线具有实际工业应用价值;而唯有以碳酸钠为配料时,钾长石原料烧结过程才具有一次性资源消耗量最少、能耗最低、温室气体CO2排放量最小、且可生产高附加值产品、实现完全清洁生产等优点。因此,选择以碳酸钠为配料分解钾长石的技术路线,具有良好的工业化应用前景。     

Comparative study of the kinetics of the thermal decomposition of synthetic and natural siderite samples

The mechanism of the thermal decomposition of two siderites (a pure synthetic and a natural Mg-containing sample) has been determined from comparison of the results obtained from linear heating rate (TG) and constant rate thermal analysis (CRTA) experiments in high vacuum. The thermal decomposition of the synthetic siderite takes place approximately 200 K below the decomposition temperature of the natural sample. The mechanism and the product of the thermal decomposition are different for the siderite samples. In fact, an A₂ kinetic model describes the thermal decomposition of the synthetic siderite, whereas the thermal decomposition of the natural sample obeys an F₁ kinetic law. Decomposition products of the synthetic siderite are iron and magnetite, those of the natural siderite are wüstite and minor magnetite. Received: 22 July 1999 / Accepted: 12 February 2000     

Soil moisture from operational meteorological satellites

In recent years, unforeseen advances in monitoring soil moisture from operational satellite platforms have been made, mainly due to improved geophysical retrieval methods. In this study, four recently published soil-moisture datasets are compared with in-situ observations from the REMEDHUS monitoring network located in the semi-arid part of the Duero basin in Spain. The remotely sensed soil-moisture products are retrieved from (1) the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E), which is a passive microwave sensor on-board NASA’s Aqua satellite, (2) European Remote Sensing satellite (ERS) scatterometer, which is an active microwave sensor on-board the two ERS satellites and (3) visible and thermal images from the METEOSAT satellite. Statistical analysis indicates that three satellite datasets contribute effectively to the monitoring of trends in surface soil-moisture conditions, but not to the estimation of absolute soil-moisture values. These sensors, or rather their successors, will be flown on operational meteorological satellites in the near future. With further improvements in processing techniques, operational meteorological satellites will increasingly deliver high-quality soil-moisture data. This may be of particular interest for hydrogeological studies that investigate long-term processes such as groundwater recharge.     

生物膜脂参与的非晶碳酸钙形成和稳定

非晶碳酸钙(amorphous calcium carbonate,ACC)是碳酸钙矿物体系中极不稳定的矿物相。但由海鞘类动物的研究表明,ACC可作为碳酸钙晶体矿物的前驱体在生物体内稳定存在,并且这些生物成因的ACC常常是由膜包裹着的。文中选用生物膜的主要成分卵磷脂(PC)为主要矿化调节剂,通过调控与碳酸钙矿化过程密切相关的无机离子Mg2+的浓度,模拟生物膜表面碳酸钙矿化作用过程。在空气/水界面处的膜脂调控下合成出可在溶液中稳定存在数天的非晶碳酸钙。该结果有力地证明了在生物矿化过程中,除了受生物体中可溶性有机大分子调控外,生物膜可能对ACC的形成和稳定也有显著的调控作用。     

矿物热分解动力学的研究方法探讨

:矿物分解动力学的研究可以大大提高我们对地质作用过程中矿物生长、元素和流体迁移等过程的了解。本文在介绍固相反应动力学原理的基础上 ,讨论了常压下研究矿物分解动力学的热重分析法和电导率法 ,指出精确确定高压下的反应分数 ,是研究高压下矿物热分解动力学的关键。提出了高压下确定反应分数的方法。