Bentonite as a Natural Adsorbent for the Sorption of Iron from the Ground Water Exploited from Aswan Area, Egypt

Sorption of dissolved Fe²⁺ on bentonite was studied using a batch technique. The distribution coefficient, K_d , was evaluated for a bentonite-iron system as a function of contact time, pH, sorbent and sorbate concentrations, and temperature. Sorption results were interpreted in terms of Freundlich's and Langmuir's equations. Thermodynamic parameters for the sorption system were determined at three temperatures: 298°, 308°, and 318°K. The values of ΔH°(-4.0 kjmol⁻¹) and ΔG°(-2.46 Kjmol⁻¹) at 298°K (25°C) suggest that sorption of iron on bentonite is an exothermic and a spontaneous process. The ΔG° value became less negative at higher temperatures and, therefore, less iron was sorbed at higher temperatures. The desorption studies with 0.01 M CaCl₂ and deionized water at iron loading on bentonite showed that more than 90 wt% of the iron is irreversibly sorbed, probably due to the fixation of the iron by isomorphous replacement in the crystal lattice of the sorbent.     

Chrome-rich clinopyroxene in orthopyroxenite from Maowu, Dabie Mountains, central China: A second record and its implications for petrogenesis

A second occurrence of chrome-rich clinopyroxene has been discovered as inclusions in orthopyroxene in orthopyroxenite from Maowu, the Dabie Mountains, Central China. The average formula for chrome-rich clinopyroxene can be expressed as (Na_0.39Ca_0.54)_0.93(Mg_0.57Fe²⁺_0.06Fe³⁺_0.01Cr_0.24Al_0.15)_1.03Si_2.02O₆, with a maximum amount of kosmochlor component of 28.52 mol%. The unit cell parameters obtained from a single-crystal are a  = 9.614 Å, b  = 8.800 Å, c =  5.240 Å, β = 106.59°, space group C2 / c . The indices of refraction are α = 1.697, β = 1.704, γ = 1.726. Chrome-rich clinopyroxene, which coexists with chromite, chromian rutile and chromian pyrope, crystallized at a temperature of 1025 °C and very high pressure, and therefore represents a mantle relic. Together with the appearance of low-pressure inclusion mineral assemblage and the estimation of physical–chemical conditions for matrix minerals, the Maowu eclogite–ultramafic complex is considered to be formed during ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism from the mantle-derived protolith.     

Diamond-bearing and diamond-free metacarbonate rocks from Kumdy–Kol in the Kokchetav Massif, northern Kazakhstan

Abstract Dolomite marble from the Kumdy–Kol area of the Kokchetav Massif contains abundant microdiamond, mainly in garnet and a few in diopside. The mineral assemblage at peak metamorphic condition consists of dolomite + diopside + garnet (+ aragonite) ± diamond. Inclusions of very low MgCO₃ calcite and almost pure calcite occur in diopside and are interpreted as aragonite and/or aragonite + dolomite. Single-phase Mg–calcite in diopside with a very high MgCO₃ component (up to 21.7 mol%) was also found in diamond-free dolomitic marble, and is interpreted as a retrograde product from aragonite + dolomite to Mg–calcite. The dolomite stability constrains the maximum pressure (P) at < 7 GPa using previous experimental data, whereas the occurrence of diamond yields the minimum peak pressure–temperature (P–T) condition at 4.2 GPa and 980 °C at X co ₂ = 0.1. The highest MgCO₃ in Mg–calcite constrains the minimum P–T condition higher than 2.5 GPa and 800 °C for the exhumation stage. As these marbles were subjected to nearly identical P–T metamorphic conditions, the appearance of diamond in some carbonate rocks was explained by high X co ₂. A low X co ₂ condition refers to high oxidized conditions and diamond (and/or graphite) becomes unstable. Difference in X co ₂ for marble from the same area suggests local heterogeneity of fluid compositions during ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism.     

海南岛早白垩世红层磁组构和古地磁新结果

海南岛白垩纪红层是迄今产出古地磁结果最多的地层,但古地磁结果难以在海南岛周边古地磁结果和地质限制条件下作出合理解释.为了更好地认识海南岛白垩纪红层古地磁方向的可靠性,我们对采自前人工作地区的14个采点132个样品开展了古地磁和磁组构的综合研究.磁化率各向异性测试显示14个采点样品平均各向异性度为1.018,线理度为1....     

Hydraulic Conductivity Measurements in the Unsaturated Zone Using Improved Well Analyses

The flow of ponded water into and through the unsaturated zone depends on both the saturated and unsaturated components of the hydraulic conductivity. Recent studies indicate that the ratio of the saturated (K_fs) to the unsaturated (φ_m) components (K_fs/φ_m=α*) of flow lies within prescribed bounds for most field soils, i.e., 1m⁻¹≤α*≤ 100 m⁻¹. In addition, the fact that the calculation of K_fs and φ_m is not strongly dependent on the choice of α*, suggests that a site estimation of α* leads to reasonable "best estimates" of K_fs and φ_m when using the constant head well permeameter technique. As a consequence, measurement of the steady flow rate using only one ponded head may be all that is necessary for many practical applications. Multiple head measurements or independent measurements of α* or φ_m can be used, however, to give more accurate estimates of K_fs if required.     

Azimuth-dependent AVO in reservoirs containing non-orthogonal fracture sets

Azimuthal anisotropy in rocks can result from the presence of one or more sets of partially aligned fractures with orientations determined by the stress history of the rock. The symmetry of a rock with horizontal bedding that contains two or more non-orthogonal sets of vertical fractures may be approximated as monoclinic with a horizontal plane of mirror symmetry. For offsets that are small compared with the depth of the reflector, the azimuthal variation in P-wave AVO gradient for such a medium varies with azimuth as     where φ is the azimuth measured with respect to the fast polarization direction for a vertically polarized shear wave. φ ₂ depends on both the normal compliance B _N and the shear compliance B _T of the fractures and may differ from zero if B _N B _T varies significantly between fracture sets. If B _N B _T is the same for all fractures,     and the principal axes of the azimuthal variation in P-wave AVO for fixed offset are determined by the polarization directions of a vertically propagating shear wave. At larger offsets, terms in     and     are required to describe the azimuthal variation in AVO accurately. φ ₄ and φ ₆ also depend on B _N B _T. For gas-filled open fractures     but a lower value of B _N B _T may result from the presence of a fluid with non-zero bulk modulus.     

Geothermal gradient of the upper mantle beneath Jeju Island, Korea: Evidence from mantle xenoliths

Abstract Ultramafic xenoliths found in alkali basalts from Jeju Island, Korea are mostly spinel lherzolites accompanied by subordinate amount of spinel harzburgites and pyroxenites. The combination of results from a two-pyroxene geothermometer and Ca-in-olivine geobarometer yields temperature–pressure (T–P) estimates for spinel peridotites that fall in experimentally determined spinel lherzolite field in CaO-Fe-MgO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂-Cr₂O₃ (CFMASCr) system. These T–P data sets have been used to construct the Quaternary Jeju Island geotherm, which defines a locus from about 13 kbar at 880°C to 26 kbar at 1040°C. The geothermal gradient of Jeju Island is greater than that of the conventional conductive models, and may be as a result of a thermal perturbation by the heat input into the lithospheric mantle via the passage and emplacement of magma. Spinel–lherzolite is the main constituent rock-type of the lithospheric mantle beneath Jeju Island. Pyroxenites may be intercalated in peridotites at similar depth and temperature as re-equilibrated veins or lenses.     

Thermal structure and uplift of the Cretaceous Shimanto Belt, Kii Peninsula, Southwest Japan: An illite crystallinity and Mite bo, lattice spacing study

Abstract Illite crystallinity (IC) and illite b, lattice spacing were measured across the Cretaceous Shimanto Belt, Kii Peninsula, Southwest Japan. For the IC survey, 103 samples of argillaceous rocks were analyzed from the central area and the western area of the belt. Values of IC (Kubler Index) vary between 0.28 and 0.71 Δ°2θ and indicate diagenetic and anchizone metamorphism respectively. The IC distribution reveals two contrasting patterns of thermal maturity. The Hanazono Formation, exposed in the northern area of the belt, generally dips north, but IC values increase systematically from 0.28 Δ°2θ in the north to 0.54 Δ°2θ in the south and indicate an inverted thermal structure. Values in other formations vary widely in the southern area of the belt ranging between 0.45 and 0.71 Δ°2θ, but the values do not show any systematic change from north to south and on average remain almost constant. Illite b_o, lattice spacing values for 56 samples vary between 9.006 and 9.041 Å corresponding to intermediate pressure conditions of the metamorphic facies. These values, combined with paleotemperatures estimated from IC, indicate paleogeothermal gradients of 22 and 31°C/km for the northern and southern areas of the belt, respectively. The inverted thermal structure of the Hanazono Formation, together with a lower paleogeothermal gradient, possibly is a result of the subduction of a relatively cold oceanic plate during the Late Cretaceous. The higher geothermal gradient could be a product of late thermal overprinting caused by the later subduction of a comparatively younger and hotter oceanic plate during the Eocene.     

Tectonic implications of paleomagnetic data from upper Cretaceous sediments in the Oyubari area, central Hokkaido, Japan

Abstract   Paleomagnetic studies provide constraints on the geometric configuration of the eastern Eurasian margin on geological time scales. Characteristic remanent magnetization components were isolated from eight sites by progressive demagnetization executed on samples from 25 sites in the Oyubari area, central Hokkaido where the Late Cretaceous Yezo Group is distributed. After tilt-correction, all sites show normal polarity site-mean directions, and well-clustered directions pass a positive fold test and a correlation test. Planktonic foraminifera indicate an age range of Cenomanian to Turonian, and the studied section is correlated to the geomagnetic polarity chron C34n. Reliable formation-mean directions that have been corrected for post-depositional shallowing (D = 7.5°, I = 65.9°, α₉₅ = 6.6°) are characterized by inclination data indicative of no significant latitudinal translation since the Late Cretaceous. Central Hokkaido has, therefore, been situated adjacent to easternmost Mongolia including Sikhote Alin around the present latitude since the Late Cretaceous. Declination data require significant differential rotation between Hokkaido and the eastern Asian margin, which may be indicative of rearrangement of crustal blocks along the continental margin.     

A discussion on the boundary between diagenesis and metamorphism with reference to zeolite facies

Abstract A Triassic formation in the Turpan-Hami and Ordos basin of China gives two typical examples of occurrence of laumontite belonging to diagenetic facies. Sandstones of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation in the eastern sector of the Ordos basin are formed at the mature stage of mesodiagenesis at temperatures in the range of 71-120°C, while the temperatures of the oil-bearing beds Chang-6 and Chang-7 where laumontite is present are about 81-88°C. The laumontite-bearing beds of the Middle Triassic in the Hami depression are presently at the supermature stage of organic matter, the corresponding diagenetic temperature being about 140 °C. The term zeolite facies should be rejected, and the features of metamorphic stage should be clearly denned, such as closely packed grains, absence of pores and cements, and characteristic mineral assemblages including sericite, epidote, muscovite, illite (2M₁), chlorite (IIb, β= 97°), dickite, pyrophyllite, graphite, chlorozeolite formed at temperatures of 200°C and Ro values of 2.5%; the stage is also characterized by schistosity and illite crystallinity of IC = 0.42°Δ 2θ. The anchimetamorphic zone is characterized by some characteristic minerals such as paragonite, rectorite, albite, laumontite, illite (1M), chlorite (Ib, P = 90°+ IIb, β= 97°) formed at temperatures of 130-200°C and Ro values of 1.3-2.5% as well as other quantitative parameters of organic matter.     

230Th/234U and 14C dating of a lowstand coral reef beneath the insular shelf off Irabu Island, Ryukyus, southwestern Japan

Abstract   High-resolution seismic reflection profiles delineated the distribution of mound-shaped reflections, which were interpreted as reefs, beneath the insular shelf western off Irabu Island, Ryukyus, southwestern Japan. A sediment core through one of the mounded structures was recovered from the sea floor at a depth of −118.2 m by offshore drilling and was dated by radiometric methods. The lithology and coral fauna of the core indicate that the mounded structure was composed of coral–algal boundstone suggesting a small-scaled coral reef. High-precision α-spectrometric ²³⁰Th/²³⁴U dating coupled with calibrated accelerator mass spectrometric ¹⁴C ages of corals obtained reliable ages of this reef ranging from 22.18 ± 0.63 to 30.47 ± 0.98 ka. This proves that such a submerged reef was formed during the lowstand stage of marine oxygen isotope stages 3–2. The existence of low-Mg calcite in the aragonitic coral skeleton of 22.18 ± 0.63 ka provides evidence that the reef had once been exposed by lowering of the relative sealevel to at least −126 m during the last glacial maximum in the study area. There is no room for doubt that a coral reef grew during the last glacial period on the shelf off Irabu Island of Ryukyus in the subtropical region of western Pacific.     

Quartz microtextures of the Sambagawa schists and their implications in convergent margin processes

Abstract Quartz c-axis fabrics of the Sambagawa schists produced along a late Mesozoic convergent plate margin were analysed so that their tectono-metamorphic history could be clarified. It has been noted by many authors that quartz fabrics produced by earlier phase deformation are easily modified by strain increment during later phase deformation. This paper attempts to elucidate the high-temperature phases of prograde metamorphism (Sim-Bim phase) and of retrograde metamorphism (Sb₁ phase and Sb₂₋₁ phase) from quartz grains included in garnet and plagioclase porphyroblasts. Quartz c-axis fabrics for all these phases are explained in terms of a type I crossed girdle, without (only rarely with) higher concentration in the principal axis of strain Y (X>Y>Z), that must have been produced by the activity of a dominant slip system such as rhomb and basal. As a result, the plastic deformation of quartz, which was responsible for the formation of the type I crossed girdle, occurred even under temperatures greater than 500°C and pressures a little greater than 10–11 kb, which correspond to the physical condition of the Sim-Bim phase. It has been assumed that a high strain rate (and/or low H₂O content) caused rhomb and basal to be active as dominant slip systems in the subduction zone related to the formation of the Sambagawa schists even under high temperatures (> 500°C).     

Origins of hydrocarbons in the Sagara oil field, central Japan

Abstract   We collected free-gas and in situ fluid samples up to a depth of 200.6 m from the Sagara oil field, central Japan (34°44'N, 138°15'E), during the Sagara Drilling Program (SDP) and measured the concentrations and stable carbon isotopic compositions of CH₄ and C₂H₆ in the samples. A combination of the CH₄/C₂H₆ ratios with the carbon isotope ratios of methane indicates that the hydrocarbon gases are predominantly of thermogenic origin at all depths. The isotope signature of hydrocarbon gases of δ¹³      < δ¹³     suggests that these gases in the Sagara oil field are not generated by polymerization, but by the decomposition of organic materials.     

Tracing coalbed natural gas-coproduced water using stable isotopes of carbon

Recovery of hydrocarbons commonly is associated with coproduction of water. This water may be put to beneficial use or may be reinjected into subsurface aquifers. In either case, it would be helpful to establish a fingerprint for that coproduced water so that it may be tracked following discharge on the surface or reintroduction to geologic reservoirs. This study explores the potential of using δ¹³C of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) of coalbed natural gas (CBNG)–coproduced water as a fingerprint of its origin and to trace its fate once it is disposed on the surface. Our initial results for water samples coproduced with CBNG from the Powder River Basin show that this water has strongly positive δ¹³C_DIC (12‰ to 22‰) that is readily distinguished from the negative δ¹³C of most surface and ground water (−8‰ to −11‰). Furthermore, the DIC concentrations in coproduced water samples are also high (more than 100 mg C/L) compared to the 20 to 50 mg C/L in ambient surface and ground water of the region. The distinctively high δ¹³C and DIC concentrations allow us to identify surface and ground water that have incorporated CBNG-coproduced water. Accordingly, we suggest that the δ¹³C_DIC and DIC concentrations of water can be used for long-term monitoring of infiltration of CBNG-coproduced water into ground water and streams. Our results also show that the δ¹³C_DIC of CBNG-coproduced water from two different coal zones are distinct leading to the possibility of using δ¹³C_DIC to distinguish water produced from different coal zones.     

Seismic characterization of reservoirs containing multiple fracture sets

Natural fractures in reservoirs play an important role in determining fluid flow during production and knowledge of the orientation and density of fractures is required to optimize production. Variations in reflection amplitude versus offset (AVO) are sensitive to the presence of fractures but current models used to invert the seismic response often make simplified assumptions that prevent fractured reservoirs from being characterized correctly. For example, many models assume a single set of perfectly aligned fractures, whereas most reservoirs contain several fracture sets with variable orientation within a given fracture set. In addition, many authors only consider the azimuthal variation in the small offset amplitude versus offset and azimuth response (the variation in AVO gradient with azimuth), while the effect of fractures on amplitude versus offset and azimuth increases with increasing offset. In this paper, the variation in the reflection coefficient of seismic P -waves as a function of azimuth and offset due to the presence of multiple sets of fractures with variable orientation within any fracture set is used to determine the components of a second-rank fracture compliance tensor  α _ij   . The variation in the trace of this tensor as a function of position in the reservoir can be used to estimate the variation in fracture density with position in the reservoir and may be used to choose the location of infill wells in the field. The principal axes of  α _ij   reveal the most compliant direction within the reservoir and may be used to optimize the trajectory of deviated wells. The determination of the principal axes of  α _ij   requires wide azimuth acquisition and the use of the small-offset amplitude versus offset and azimuth (the azimuthal variation of the AVO gradient) may give misleading results.     

Stress behavior from fault data sets within a transtensional zone, South Central Cordillera, Luzon, Philippines: Implications for mineral occurrences

The structural signature in the area between the Baguio mineral district and Ansagan, Tuba, Benguet in the South Central Cordillera, northern Luzon, Philippines, is dominated by northeast- to ENE-trending faults, contained within a NNW–SSE-trending transtensional strip. This 50-km-long, 25-km-wide elongated tectonic zone is bounded to the west by the Pugo Fault and to the east by the Tebbo Fault, both being branches of the Philippine Fault System. Detailed structural geological (particularly microtectonic) analysis of fracture and mineral vein systems indicates strong conformity with the regional structural direction. Computed extensional stress axis σ₃ directions are oriented N150° on average, sub-parallel to the strike of the bounding faults. The existence of known mineral deposits and prospects within the tectonic strip implies an intimate relationship between transtension and mineral occurrence.     

Quaternary tectonic rotation in central Japan: Paleomagnetism of the Eboshidake volcanic rocks

Abstract   Neotectonic crustal deformation in central Japan near a triple-junction of plates is investigated on the basis of paleomagnetic data. The progressive thermal demagnetization test isolated characteristic remanent magnetization from 18 sites of the early Quaternary Eboshidake volcanic rocks erupted around the termination of active strike-slip faults. The site-mean directions show considerably large scatter in declinations, and easterly deflection in average (D_m = −161.7°). On the basis of inclination statistics, measured inclinations (I_m = −48.9°, δI = 6.6°) are concordant with an expected value from latitude of the study area. Because the sampling was planned to cover a wide stratigraphic range and eliminate the effect of geomagnetic secular variation, an easterly deflection is attributed to clockwise rotation around vertical axis. Together with previous paleomagnetic data, the present study indicates that clockwise-rotated areas in central Japan are aligned on a northeast–southwest recent shear zone delineated through geodetic survey. Deflection and scatter of paleomagnetic declinations of the Eboshidake volcanic rocks are much greater than those extrapolated from a recent strain rate, and might be explained by complicated motion anticipated at fault terminations and/or enhanced crustal rotation under elevated temperatures around a Quaternary volcanic province.     

Geophysical implications of Izu–Bonin mantle wedge hydration from chemical geodynamic modeling

Using two-dimensional dynamic models of the Northern Izu–Bonin (NIB) subduction zone, we show that a particular localized low-viscosity (η_LV =  3.3 × 10¹⁹ − 4.0 × 10²⁰ Pa s), low-density (Δρ ∼ −10 kg/m³ relative to ambient mantle) geometry within the wedge is required to match surface observations of topography, gravity, and geoid anomalies. The hydration structure resulting in this low-viscosity, low-density geometry develops due to fluid release into the wedge within a depth interval from 150 to 350 km and is consistent with results from coupled geochemical and geodynamic modeling of the NIB subduction system and from previous uncoupled models of the wedge beneath the Japan arcs. The source of the fluids can be either subducting lithospheric serpentinite or stable hydrous phases in the wedge such as serpentine or chlorite. On the basis of this modeling, predictions can be made as to the specific low-viscosity geometries associated with geophysical surface observables for other subduction zones based on regional subduction parameters such as subducting slab age.     

Empirical Assessment of Ground Water–to-Indoor Air Attenuation Factors for the CDOT-MTL Denver Site

The area surrounding the Colorado Department of Transportation Materials Testing Laboratory in Denver was the subject of intense investigation, involving the collection of thousands of ground water, soil-gas, and indoor air samples in order to investigate indoor air impacts associated with a subsurface release of chlorinated solvents. The preremediation portion of that data set is analyzed and reduced in this work to ground water–to-indoor air attenuation factors (α_gw= the ratio of the measured indoor air concentration to the soil-gas concentration predicted to be in equilibrium with the local ground water concentration). The empirical α_gw values for this site range from about 10⁻⁶ to 10⁻⁴ with an overall average of 3 × 10⁻⁵ (μg/L indoor air)/(μg/L soil gas). The analysis of this data set highlights the need for a thorough data review and data screening when using large data sets to derive empirical relationships between subsurface concentrations and indoor air. More specifically, it is necessary to identify those parts of the data that contain a strong vapor intrusion pathway signal, which generally will require concentrations well above reported detection levels combined with spatial or temporal correlation of subsurface and indoor concentrations.     

Speciation and Kinetics of Trihalomethane Formation in Drinking Water in Mexico

Water chlorination continues to be one of the most common water disinfection processes, especially in developing countries. When natural organic matter (NOM) is present, the process produces disinfection by-products (DBPs), some of them being trihalomethanes (THMs). This study determined the presence, speciation, and kinetics of THMs formation in the water supply for the northern area of the city of Toluca, Mexico. The results show that the concentrations of THMs are below the maximum allowable limits of 200 μg/L in accordance with NOM-127-SSA1-1994. Regarding THMs speciation, the presence of chloroform was more frequently observed in domestic water; furthermore, in one sample in which bromoform was present, it dominated over the chlorine species. Regarding the kinetics of THMs formation, a maximum concentration of THMs (THMs_Max) of 13.02 μg/L was obtained, and the time required to reach 50% THMs_Max ( t ₅₀) was 39.45 min.