http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111001344

The Rehai Geothermal Field,located in Tengcbong County,in central-western Yunnan Province, is the largest and most intensively studied geothermal held in China.A wide physicochemical diversity of springs(ambient to ~97℃;pH from≤.8 to≥9.3) provides a multitude of niches for extremophilic microorganisms.A variety of studies have focused on the cultivation,identification,basic physiology,taxonomy,and biotechnological potential of thermophilic microorganisms from Rehai.Thermophilic bacteria isolated from Rehai belong to the phyla Firmicutes and Deinococcus-Thenmts. Firmicutes include neutrophilic or alkaliphilic Anoxybacillus,Bacillus,Caldalkalibacillus.Caldanaerobacier, Laceyella,and Geobacillus,as well as thermoacidophilic Alicyclobacillus and Sulfobacillus. Isolates from the Deinococcus-Thermus phylum include several Meiothermus and Thennus species.Many of these bacteria synthesize thermostable polymer-degrading enzymes that may be useful for biotechnology. The thermoacidophilic archaea Acidianus.Melal/osp/utera.and Suljolobus have also been isolated and studied.A few studies have reported the isolation of thermophilic viruses belonging to Siphoviridae(TTSP4 and TTSPIO) and Fuselloviridae(STSVl) infecting Thennus spp.and Suljolobus spp..respectively.More recently,cultivation-independent studies using 16S rRNA gene sequences, shotgun metagenomics,or "functional gene" sequences have revealed a much broader diversity of microorganisms than represented in culture.Studies of the gene and mRNA encoding the large subunit of the ammonia monooxygenase(imioA) of ammonia-oxidizing Archaea(AOA) and the tetraether lipid erenarchaeol. a potential biomarker for AOA.suggest a wide diversity,but possibly low abundance,of thermophilic AOA in Rehai.Finally,we introduce the Tengchong Partnerships in International Research and Education(PIRE) project,an international collaboration between Chinese and U.S.scientists with the goal of promoting international and interdisciplinary cooperation to gain a more holistic and global view of life in terrestrial geothermal springs.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111001319

The microbial diversity in Wuli Area,Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau was investigated using 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic analyses.A total of 117 bacterial and 66 archaeal 16S rRNA gene clones were obtained from the Wuli cold springs.The bacterial clones could be classified into Pwteobacteria,Acidobacteria, Deinococci,Sphingobacteria,Flavobacteria.Nitrospirae,Actinobacteria,Gemmatimonadetes, and unclassified-bacteria;and the archaeal clones could be classified into Crenarchaeota and Thaumarchaeota.Among the major groups,Pwteobacteria and Crenarchaeota were dominant in the bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA gene clone libraries,respectively.The clone sequences obtained in Wuli cold springs were closely related to those from cold habitats,such as snow/ice/soils on high mountains or at high latitude.Especially,the microbial community composition of Wuli Area was more similar to that in Tibetan glaciers than cold environments of other locations.The data presented in this study have implications for a better understanding of microbial diversity in cold springs on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987114000668

Microbial diversity in the hydrate-containing (sites SH3B and SH7B) and-free (sites SH1B, SH5B, SH5C) sediments collected from the Shenhu area of the South China Sea (SCS) was investigated using 16S rR...     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111001307

South China Sea(SCS) is the largest Western Pacific marginal sea.However,microbial studies have never been performed in the cold seep sediments in the SCS.In 2004."SONNE" 177 cruise found two cold seep areas with different water depth in the northern SCS.Haiyang 4 area,where the water depth is around 3000 m.has already been confirmed for active seeping on the seafloor.such as microbial mats,authigenic carbonate crusts and bivalves.We investigated microbial abundance and diversity in a 5.55-111 sediment core collected from this cold seep area.An integrated approach was employed including geochemistry and 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic analyses.Here,we show that microbial abundance and diversity along with geochemistry profiles of the sediment core revealed a coupled reaction between sulphate reduction and methane oxidation.Acridine orange direct count results showed that microbial abundance ranges from 10~5 to 10~6 cells/g sediment(wet weight).The depth-related variation of the abundance showed the same trend as the methane concentration profile.Phylogenetic analysis indicated the presence of sulphate-reducing bacteria and anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea.The diversity was much higher at the surface,but decreased sharply with depth in response to changes in the geochemical conditions of the sediments,such as methane,sulphate concentration and total organic carbon.Marine Benthic Group B.Chloroflexi and JSl were predominant phylotypes of the archaeal and bacterial libraries,respectively.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987113000832

The Sinus Iridum region, the first choice for China＇s＂Lunar Exploration Project＂is located at the center of the lunar LQ-4 area and is the site of Chang＇e-3 （CE-3）＇s soft landing. To make the scientific exploration of Chang＇e-3 more targeted and scientific, and to obtain a better macro-level understanding of the geotectonic environment of the Sinus Iridum region, the tectonic elements in LQ-4 region have been studied and the typical structures were analyzed statistically using data from CE-1, Clementine, LRO and Lunar Prospector missions. Also, the mineral components and periods of mare basalt activities in the study area have been ascertained. The present study divides the tectonic units and establishes the major tectonic events and sequence of evolution in the study area based on morphology, mineral constituents, and tectonic element distribution.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987114000401

In this paper, a new discrimination diagram using absolute measures of Th and Nb is applied to post-Archean ophiolites to best discriminate a large number of different ophiolitic basalts. This diagram ...     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111000405

This study has focused on the processes of soil degradation and chemical element concentration in tea-growing regions of Rwanda, Africa. Soil degradation accelerated by erosion is caused not only by topography but also by human activities. This soil degradation involves both the physical loss and reduction in the amount of topsoil associated with nutrient decline. Soil samples were collected from eleven tropical zones in Rwanda and from variable depth within each collecting site. Of these, Samples from three locations in each zone were analyzed in the laboratory, with the result that the pH of all soil samples is shown to be less than 5 (pH < 5) with a general average of 4.4. The elements such as iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) are present in high concentration levels. In contrast calcium (Ca) and sodium (Na) are present at low-level concentrations and carbon (C) was found in minimal concentrations. In addition, elements derived from fertilizers, such as nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K) which is also from minerals such as feldspar, are also present in low-level concentrations. The results indicate that the soil in certain Rwandan tea plantations is acidic and that this level of pH may help explain, in addition to natural factors, the deficiency of some elements such as Ca, Mg, P and N. The use of chemical fertilizers, land use system and the location of fields relative to household plots are also considered to help explain why tea plantation soils are typically degraded.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987110000307

The Polar Urals region of northern Russia is well known for large chromium (Cr)-bearing massifs with major chromite orebodies, including the Centralnoye I deposit in the Ray-Iz ultramafic massif of the Ural ophiolite belt. New data on platinum (Pt)-group elements (PGE), geochemistry and mineralogy of the host dunite shows that the deposit has anomalous iridium (Ir) values. These values indicate the predominance of ruthenium–osmium–iridium (Ru–Os–Ir)-bearing phases among the platinum-group mineral (PGM) assemblage that is typical of mantle-hosted chromite ores. Low Pt values in chromites and increased Pt values in host dunites might reflect the presence of cumulus PGM grains. The most abundant PGM found in the chromite is erlichmanite (up to 15 μm). Less common are cuproiridsite (up to 5 μm), irarsite (up to 4–5 μm), and laurite (up to 4 μm). The predominant sulfide is heazlewoodite, in intergrowth with Ni–Fe alloys, sporadically with pentlandite, and rarely with pure nickel. Based on the average PGE values and estimated Cr-ore resources, the Centralnoye I deposit can be considered as an important resource of PGE.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111000545

By applying the ’theory of synchronization’ from the science of complexity to studying the regional regularity of ore formation within the Nanling region of southern China,a characteristic target-pattern regional ore zonality has been discovered.During the early and late Yanshanian epoch(corresponding respectively to the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods),two centers of ore formation emerged successively in the Nanling region;the former is mainly for rare metals(W,Sn,Mo,Bi,Nb) and one rare-earth element (La) and was generated in the Jurassic period;whereas the latter is mainly for base metals(Cu,Pb,Zn,Sb, Hg),noble metals(Au,Ag),and one radioactive element(U) and was generated in the Cretaceous period. Centers of ore formation were brought about by interface dynamics respectively at the Qitianling and Jiuyishan districts in southern Hunan Province.The characteristic giant nonlinear target-pattern regional ore zonality was generated by spatio-temporal synchronization process of the Nanling complex metallo-genic system.It induced the collective dynamics and cooperative behavior of the system and displayed the configuration of the regional ore zonality.Then dynamical clustering transformed the configuration into rudimentary ordered coherent structures.Phase dynamics eventually defined the spatio-temporal structures of the target-pattern regional ore zonality and determined their localization and distribution.A new methodology for revealing regional ore zonality is developed,which will encourage further investigation of the formation of deep-seated ore resources and the onset of large-scale mineralization.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987114000449

We review petrologic observations of reaction textures from high-grade rocks that suggest the passage of fluids with variable alkali activities. Development of these reaction textures is accompanied by regular compositional variations in plagioclase, pyroxenes, biotite, amphibole and garnet. The textures are interpreted in terms of exchange and net-transfer reactions controlled by the K and Na activities in the fluids. On the regional scale, these reactions operate in granitized, charnockitized, syenitized etc. shear zones within high-grade complexes. Thermodynamic calculations in simple chemical systems show that changes in mineral assemblages, including the transition from the hydrous to the anhydrous ones, may occur at constant pressure and temperature due only to variations in the H2O and the alkali activities. A simple procedure for estimating the activity of the two major alkali oxides, K2O and Na2O, is imple- mented in the TWQ software. Examples of calculations are presented for well-documented dehydration zones from South Africa, southern India, and Sri Lanka. The calculations have revealed two end-member regimes of alkalis during specific metamorphic processes： rock buffered, which is characteristic for the precursor rocks containing two feldspars, and fluid-buffered for the precursor rocks without K-feldspar. The observed reaction textures and the results of thermodynamic modeling are compared with the results of available experimental studies on the interaction of the alkali chloride and carbonate-bearing fluids with metamorphic rocks at mid-crustal conditions. The experiments show the complex effect of alkali activities in the fluid phase on the mineral assemblages. Both thermodynamic calculations and experiments closely reproduce paragenetic relations theoretically predicted by D.S. Korzhinskii in the 1940s.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987110000137

<正>This study attempts to acquire information on tectonic activity in western China from land surface temperature(LST) field data.On the basis of the established relationship between heat and strain,we analyzed the LST distribution in western China using the satellite data product MODIS/Terra.Our results show that:1. There are departures from annual changes of LST in some areas,and that these changes are associated with the activity of some active tectonic zones.2.When annual-change background values caused by climate factors are removed,the long-period component(LST_(LOW)) of temperature residual(△T) of the LST is able to serve as an indicator for tectonic activity.We have found that a major earthquake can produce different effects on the LST fields of surrounding areas.These effects are characterized by both rises and drops in temperature.For example, there was a noteworthy temperature decline associated with the Sumatran M9 earthquake of 2004 in the Bayan Har-Songpan block of central Tibetan Plateau.3.On the other hand,the LST field of a single area may respond differently to major shocks occurring in different areas in the regions surrounding China.For instance,the Kunlun M 8.1 event made the LST on the Longmen Mountains fault zone increase,whereas the Zaisan Lake M 7.9 quake of 2003,and the Sumatran M9 event of 2004.caused decreases in the same area's LST.4.The variations of land surface temperature(LST) over time are different in different tectonic areas.These phenomena may provide clues for the study of tectonic deformation processes.On the basis of these phenomena,we use a combination of temperature data obtained at varied depths,regional seismicity and strain results obtained with GPS measurements,to test the information related to tectonic activity derived from variations of the LST field,and discuss its implications to the creation of models of regional tectonic deformation.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987113000558

Several stratigraphic breaks and unconformities exist in the Mesoproterozoic successions in the northern margin of the North China Block.Geologic characters and spatial distributions of fve of these unconformities,which have resulted from different geological processes,have been studied.The unconformity beneath the Dahongyu Formation is interpreted as a breakup unconformity,representing the time of transition from continental rift to passive continental margin.The unconformities beneath the Gaoyuzhuang and the Yangzhuang formations are considered to be the consequence of regional eustatic fuctuations,leading to the exposure of highlands in passive margins during low sea-level stands and transgressive deposition on coastal regions during high sea-level stands.The unconformity atop the Tieling Formation might be caused by uplift due to contractional deformation in a back-arc setting,whereas the uplift after the deposition of the Xiamaling Formation might be attributed to a continental collision event.It is assumed that the occurrences of these unconformities in the Mesoproterozoic successions in the northern margin of the North China Block had a close bearing on the assemblage and breakup of the Columbia and Rodinia supercontinents.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987112000424

Subcooled liquid solubility is the water solubility for a hypothetical state of liquid.It is an important parameter for multicomponent nonaqueous phase liquids(NAPLs) containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs),which can exist as liquids even though most of the solutes are solid in their pure form at ambient temperature.So far,subcooled liquid solubilities were estimated from the solid water solubility and fugacity ratio of the solid and(subcooled) liquid phase,but rarely derived from experimental data.In our study,partitioning batch experiments were performed to determine the subcooled liquid solubility of PAHs in NAPL-water system.For selected PAH,a series of batch experiments were carried out at increased mole fractions of the target component in the NAPL and at a constant NAPL/ water volume ratio.The equilibrium aqueous PAH concentrations were measured with HPLC and/or GCMS. The subcooled liquid solubility was derived by extrapolation of the experimental equilibrium aqueous concentration to a mole fraction of unity.With the derived subcooled liquid solubility,the fugacity ratio and enthalpy of fusion of the solute were also estimated.Our results show a good agreement between the experimentally determined and published data.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987110000149

The structural stability of manganese titanate MnTiO3 at high pressure was investigated by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy with diamond anvil cells. Ilmenite-type MnTiO3 is stable at least to 26.6 GPa, and lithium niobate type MnTiO3 reversibly transforms at room temperature to perovskite at 2.0 GPa. Bulk moduli (K300) of ilmenite, lithium niobate and perovskite are 174(4) GPa, 179(8) GPa, and 208(5) GPa, respectively (at fixed first pressure derivative K′ = 4). The Grüneisen parameter γ has been estimated to be 1.28 for ilmenite and 1.75 for perovskite. In ilmenite phase, TiO6 octahedra become more regular with increasing pressure. In perovskite phase structural distortion increases with pressure increase.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111000831

The IAPWS-95 formulation explicit in Helmholtz free energy proposed by Wagner and Proβ(2002) is the best equation of state of water,from which all thermodynamic properties can be obtained over a wide T—p range from 273.16 to 1273 K and from 0 to 1000 MPa with experimental accuracy.This paper reports the applications of the IAPWS-95 formulation in fluid inclusion and mineral-water phase equilibria. A reliable and highly efficient calculation method is presented for the saturated properties of water so that the formulation can be conveniently applied in the study of fluid inclusion,such as calculating homogenization pressures,homogenization densities(or molar volumes),volume fractions and isochores.Meanwhile,the univariant curves of some mineral-dehydration reactions are calculated based on the IAPWS-95 formulation.The computer code of the IAPWS-95 formulation can be obtained from the corresponding author.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111000399

Using a Diamond Anvil Cell combined with micro Raman spectroscopy,the quantitative relations among Raman shifts,pressure and temperature were obtained for the vibration of O-H in H₂O-NaCl,C-O in CO₃^2-,S-O in SO₄^2- and C-H in n-heptane-cyclohexane.Based on the quantitative relationships obtained,it is possible to determine the inner pressure for single fluid inclusions and to further determine the isochore of the systems.It is not only helpful to obtain the forming temperatures and pressures of the enclosing minerals,but also to be able to provide information concerning the chemical compositions of the fluid inclusions.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987110000319

The 3-D geometry of the seismicity in Hindu Kush–Pamir–western China region has been defined by seismic records for 1975–1999 from the National Earthquake Information Center, the U.S. Geological Survey, and over 16,000 relocated earthquakes since 1975 recorded by the Xinjiang seismic network of China. The results show that most Ms ≥ 5.0 hypocenters in the area are confined to a major intracontinental seismic shear zone (MSSZ). The MSSZ, which dips southwards in Pamir has a north-dipping counterpart in the Hindu Kush to the west; the two tectonic realms are separated by the sinistral Chaman transform fault of the India–Asia collisional zone. We demonstrate that the MSSZ constitutes the upper boundary of a south-dipping, actively subducting Pamir continental plate. Three seismic concentrations are recognized just above the Pamir MSSZ at depths between 45–65 km, 95–120 km, and 180–220 km, suggesting different structural relationships where each occurs. Results from focal mechanism solutions in all three seismological concentrations show orientations of the principal maximum stress to be nearly horizontal in an NNW–SSE direction. The south-dipping Pamir subduction slab is wedge-shaped with a wide upper top and a narrow deeper bottom; the slab has a gentle angle of dip in the upper part and steeper dips in the lower part below an elbow depth of ca. 80–120 km. Most of the deformation related to the earthquakes occurs within the hanging wall of the subducting Pamir slab. Published geologic data and repeated GPS measurements in the Pamir document a broad supra-subduction, upper crustal zone of evolving antithetic (i.e. north-dipping) back-thrusts that contribute to north-south crustal shortening and are responsible for exhumation of some ultrahigh-pressure rocks formed during earlier Tethyan plate convergence. An alternating occurrence in activity of Pamir and Chaman seismic zones indicates that there is interaction between strike-slip movement of the Chaman transform fault system and deep-subduction of the Pamir earthquake zone. Pamir subduction-related seismicity becomes shallower in depth with increasing distance east of the transform fault. Therefore, sinistral movement of the Chaman transform fault appears to be influencing continental deep-subduction in the Pamir region and may provide an explanation for the unusual south-dipping geometry of the intracontinental Pamir plate.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111001356

A total of 103 surface sediment samples collected from the water depth range of 15—3300 m along Vijaydurg-Karwar stretch of central west coast of India were analyzed for foraminiferal content. Relict benthic foraminiferal assemblage was noted within 50—135 m water depth.The relict benthic foraminiferal assemblage that includes Amphistegina,Operculum and Alveolinetta in sediment samples within the water depth of 85—135 m indicates presence of coral reef at this depth during Early Holocene. The presence of barnacle fouling on Relict foraminifera at 60—90 m confirms the paleo-shoreline. The shallow depth zone is characterized by presence of agglutinated relict foraminifera.The agglutinated forms indicate freshwater influx,which eventually increased the sea level and subsequently deteriorated the paleo-coral reef.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987114000917

Important ecological changes of the Earth(oxidization of the atmosphere and the ocean) increase in nutrient supply due to the break-up of the super continent(Rodinia) and the appearance of multi-cellular organisms(macroscopic algae and metazoan) took place in the Ediacaran period,priming the Cambrian explosion.The strong perturbations in carbon cycles in the ocean are recorded as excursions in carbonate and organic carbon isotope ratio(δ~(13)C_(carb) and δ~(13)C_(org)) from the Ediacaran through early Cambrian periods.The Ediacaran-early Cambrian sediment records of δ~(13)C_(carb) and δ~(13)C_(org),obtained from the drill-core samples in Three Gorges in South China,are compared with the results of numerical simulation of a simple one-zone model of the carbon cycle of the ocean,which has two reservoirs(i.e.,dissolved organic carbon(DOC) and dissolved inorganic carbon(DIC).The fluxes from the reservoirs are assumed to be proportional to the mass of the carbon reservoirs.We constructed a model,referred to here as the Best Fit Model(BFM),which reproduce δ~(13)C_(carb) and δ~(13)C_(org) records in the Ediacaran-early Cambrian period noted above.BFM reveals that the Shuram excursion is related to three major changes in the carbon cycle or the global ecological system of the Earth:(1) an increase in the coefficient of remineralization by a factor of ca.100,possibly corresponding to a change in the dominant metabolism from anaerobic respiration to aerobic respiration,(2) an increase of carbon fractionation index from 25‰ to 33‰,possibly corresponding to the change in the primary producer from rock-living cyanobacteria to free-living macro algae,and(3) an increase in the coefficient of the organic carbon burial by a factor of ca.100,possibly corresponding to the onset of a biological pump driven by the flourishing metazoan and zooplankton.The former two changes took place at the start of the Shuram excursion,while the third occurred at the end of the Shuram excursion.The other two excursions are explained by the tentative decrease in primary production due to cold periods,which correspond to the Gaskiers(ca.580 Ma) and Bikonor(ca.542 Ma) glaciations.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111000235

In this paper we present a review of mineral systems in northern Xinjiang,NW China,focussing on the Tianshan,West and East Junggar and Altay orogenic belts,all of which are part of the greater Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB).The CAOB is a complex collage of ancient microcontinents,island arcs,oceanic plateaux and oceanic plates,which were amalgamated and accreted in Early Palaeozoic to Early Permian times.The establishment of the CAOB collage was followed by strike-slip movements and affected by intrap...