Slowly moving thermal/mineral waters in deep crystalline basement

Crystalline basement can contain notable quantities of thermal/mineral waters. Knowledge about their movement and it characteristics (fluxes, velocities, trajectories) is of great relevance for subjects like waste disposal or geothermal resources. Geothermal methods enable to quantify these flow characteristics. The use and potential of several methods is demonstrated at three sites, all from Hercynian basement in Western Europe. The results show rather uniform characteristics: Darcy flow velocities on the order of 10⁻¹¹–10⁻¹⁰ m s⁻¹; the domain of flow ranges down to 5–7 km depth.     

Annual variations in the surface radiation budget and soil water and heat content in the Upper Yellow River area

Measurements taken between July 2006 to May 2007 at the Maqu station in the Upper Yellow River area were used to study the surface radiation budget and soil water and heat content in this area. These data revealed distinct seasonal variations in downward shortwave radiation, downward longwave radiation, upward longwave radiation and net radiation, with larger values in the summer than in winter because of solar altitudinal angle. The upward shortwave radiation factor is not obvious because of albedo (or snow). Surface albedo in the summer was lower than in the winter and was directly associated with soil moisture and solar altitudinal angle. The annual averaged albedo was 0.26. Soil heat flux, soil temperature and soil water content changed substantially with time and depth. The soil temperature gradient was positive from August to February and was related to the surface net radiation and the heat condition of the soil itself. There was a negative correlation between soil temperature gradient and net radiation, and the correlation coefficient achieved a significance level of 0.01. Because of frozen state of the soil, the maximum soil thermal conductivity value was 1.21 W m⁻¹°C⁻¹ in January 2007. In May 2007, soil thermal conductivity was 0.23 W m⁻¹°C⁻¹, which is the lowest value measured in the study, likely due to the fact that the soil was drier then than in other months. The soil thermal conductivity values for the four seasons were 0.27, 0.38, 0.55 and 0.83 W m⁻¹°C⁻¹, respectively.     

Exploratory and Instantaneous Swimming Speeds of Amphidromous Fish School in Shallow-Water Coastal Lagoon Channels

Fish school swimming speeds is essential for ecological and management studies. The multibeam sonar in horizontal beaming provided dynamic echo traces of mobile fish schools. We used two school swimming speed indicators: the average of a series of instantaneous speed values, and the exploratory speed. These swimming speeds were estimated for each fish school observed on the basis of their Euclidian position within the sonar beams. The average ISS values per school ranged from 0.15 m s⁻¹ to 4.46 m s⁻¹, while the ESS values per school were lower, ranging from 0.04 m s⁻¹ to 3.77 m s⁻¹. Multibeam sonar technology makes it possible to measure fish school swimming speeds in their natural habitat at small spatio-temporal scales. This methodology can therefore be used to analyse in situ their movements, and has a wide range of applications in behavioural studies and management purposes.     

The relationship between hydrodynamic properties and weathering of soils derived from volcanic rocks,Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)

The aim of this interdisciplinary study is to examine a component of the hydrological cycle in Galapagos by characterizing soil properties. Nine soil profiles were sampled on two islands. Their physical and hydrodynamic properties were analyzed, along with their mineralogical composition. Two groups of soils were identified, with major differences between them. The first group consists of soils located in the highlands (>350 m a.s.l.), characterized by low hydraulic conductivity (<10⁻⁵ m s⁻¹) and low porosity (<25%). These soils are thick (several meters) and homogeneous without coarse components. Their clay fraction is considerable and dominated by gibbsite. The second group includes soils located in the low parts of the islands (<300 m a.s.l.). These soils are characterized by high hydraulic conductivity (>10⁻³ m s⁻¹) and high porosity (>35%). The structure of these soils is heterogeneous and includes coarse materials. The physical properties of the soils are in good agreement with the variations of the rainfall according to the elevation, which appears as the main factor controlling the soil development. The clayey alteration products constrain soils physical and hydrodynamic properties by reducing the porosity and consequently the permeability and also by increasing water retention.     

Excess heat capacity and entropy of mixing in the high-structural state (K,Ca)-feldspar binary

Low- and high-temperature heat capacities were measured for a series of synthetic high-structural state (K,Ca)-feldspars (Or–An) using both a relaxation and a differential scanning calorimeter. The data were collected at temperatures between 5 and 800 K on polycrystalline samples that had been synthesised and characterised in a previous study. Below T = 300 K, Or₉₀An₁₀, and Or₈₀An₂₀ showed excess heat capacities of mixing with maximum values of ~3 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹. The other members of this binary (An > 20 mol%) had lower excess heat capacity values of up to ~1 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹. Above T = 300 K, some compositions exhibited negative excess heat capacities of mixing (with maximum values of −2 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹). The vibrational entropy at 298.15 K for Or₉₀An₁₀ and Or₈₀An₂₀ deviated strongly from the behaviour of a mechanical mixture, with excess entropy values of ~3.5 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹. More An-rich members had only small excess vibrational entropies at T = 298.15 K. The difference in behaviour between members with An > 20 mol% and those with An ≤ 20 mol% is probably a consequence of the structural state of the (K,Ca)-feldspars, i.e., (K,Ca)-feldspars with An ≤ 20 mol% have monoclinic symmetry, whereas those with An > 20 mol% are triclinic. At T = 800 K, the vibrational entropy values were found to scatter around the values expected for a mechanical mixture and, thus, correspond to a quasi-ideal behaviour. The solvus for the (K,Ca)-feldspar binary was calculated based on the entropy data from this study in combination with enthalpy and volume of mixing data from a previous study.     

Structure of magnetite (Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>) above the Curie temperature: a cation ordering study

A pristine magnetite (Fe₃O₄) specimen was studied by means of Neutron Powder Diffraction in the 273–1,073 K temperature range, in order to characterize its structural and magnetic behavior at high temperatures. An accurate analysis of the collected data allowed the understanding of the behavior of the main structural and magnetic features of magnetite as a function of temperature. The magnetic moments of both tetrahedral and octahedral sites were extracted by means of magnetic diffraction up to the Curie temperature (between 773 and 873 K). A change in the thermal expansion coefficient around the Curie temperature together with an increase in the oxygen coordinate value above 700 K can be observed, both features being the result of a change in the thermal expansion of the tetrahedral site. This anomaly is not related to the magnetic transition but can be explained with an intervened cation reordering, as magnetite gradually transforms from a disordered configuration into a partially ordered one. Based on a simple model which takes into account the cation-oxygen bond length, the degree of order as a function of temperature and consequently the enthalpy and entropy of the reordering process were determined. The refined values are ΔH⁰ = −23.2(1.7) kJ mol⁻¹ and ΔS⁰ = −16(2) J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹. These results are in perfect agreement with values reported in literature (Mack et al. in Solid State Ion 135(1–4):625–630, 2000; Wu and Mason in J Am Ceramic Soc 64(9):520–522, 1981).     

Environmental aspect of radon potential in terra rossa and eutric cambisol in Slovenia

Terra rossa and eutric cambisol soils were surveyed in Slovenia. At both sites, 6–13 boreholes were drilled in a regular 24 m × 24 m square grid. Soil samples from various depths were taken for gamma spectrometric analysis, and radon in soil gas was measured at a depth of 80 cm using an AlphaGuard instrument. The following ranges of activity concentration (Bq kg⁻¹) were obtained for ²³⁸U, ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra, ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs: in terra rossa, 64–74, 70–84, 45–49, 293–345, 20–30 and, in eutric cambisol, 55–80, 132–147, 50–57, 473–529, 106–272. Radon activity concentrations in both soils ranged from about 100 kBq m⁻³ to 370 kBq m⁻³.     

Hydrogeochemistry,environmental isotopes and the origin of the Hamamayagi-Ladik thermal spring (Samsun,Turkey)

Hamamayagi thermal spring (HTS) is located along the North Anatolian Fault Zone. The thermal spring has a temperature of 36°C, with total dissolved solids ranging from 485.6 to 508.5 mg/L. Hard, brittle, and gray limestones Permian aged are the reservoir rocks of the HTS. δ¹⁸O–δ²H isotope ratios clearly indicate a meteoric origin for the waters. The δ³⁴S value of sulfate in the thermal water is nearly 4.1‰ and implies a diagenetic environment characterized by reduced sulfur compounds. The δ¹³C ratio for dissolved inorganic carbonate in the HTS lies between −1.78 and −1.62‰, showing that it originates from the dissolution of fresh-water carbonates. Quartz geothermometry suggests a reservoir temperature of 52–85°C for the Hamamayagi geothermal field, but chalcedony geothermometers suggest reservoir temperatures between 30 and 53°C.     

A case-study of complex gas–water–rock–pollutants interactions in shallow groundwater: Šalek Valley (Slovenia)

The complex geochemical interactions in the groundwater of the industrial area of Šalek Valley (Slovenia) between natural and anthropogenic fluids were studied by means of major (Ca, Mg, Na, K, HCO₃ ⁻, Cl⁻ and SO₄ ²⁻) and trace elements’ (As , Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Hg, Se and V) abundances, geochemical classification and statistical analysis of data. Cation abundances indicate mixing between a dolomitic end-member and an evaporitic or geothermal end-member. Anion abundances indicate mixing between bicarbonate waters and either sulphate-enriched waters (suggesting hydrothermalism) or chlorine-rich waters. Principal component analysis (PCA) allowed the extraction of seven factors, which describe, respectively: water–rock interaction mainly on dolomitic rocks; redox conditions of water; Cd–Zn enrichment in chlorine-rich waters (probably from industrial wastes); hydrothermal conditions in waters close to major faults; Pb and Cu pollution; V and K enrichments, indicating their common organic source; the role of partial pressure of CO₂ dissolved in water, which is highest in three wells with bubbling gases. Average underground discharge rates of solutes from the Valley range between 0.09 t/a (V) and 1.8 × 104 t/a (HCO₃ ⁻) and indicate how natural fluids can significantly contribute to the levels of elements in the environment, in addition to the amount of elements released by human activities.     

Heat capacity,entropy, and phase equilibria of dmitryivanovite

The heat capacity (C _p ) of dmitryivanovite synthesized with a cubic press was measured in the temperature range of 5–664 K using the heat capacity option of a physical properties measurement system and a differential scanning calorimeter. The entropy of dmitryivanovite at standard temperature and pressure (STP) was calculated to be 110.1 ± 1.6 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹ from the measured C _p data. With the help of new phase equilibrium experiments done at 1.5 GPa, the phase transition boundary between krotite and dmitryivanovite was best represented by the equation: P (GPa) = −2.1825 + 0.0025 T (K). From the temperature intercept of this phase boundary and other available thermodynamic data for krotite and dmitryivanovite, the enthalpy of formation and Gibbs free energy of formation of dmitryivanovite at STP were calculated to be −2326.7 ± 2.1 and −2,208.1 ± 2.1 kJ mol⁻¹, respectively. It is also inferred that dmitryivanovite is the stable CaAl₂O₄ phase at STP and has a wide stability field at high pressures whereas the stability field of krotite is located at high temperatures and relatively low pressures. This conclusion is consistent with natural occurrences (in Ca–Al-rich inclusions) of dmitryivanovite and krotite, where the former is interpreted as the shock metamorphic product of originally present krotite.     

Thermoelasticity and high-<Emphasis Type="Italic">T</Emphasis> behaviour of anthophyllite

The thermoelastic behaviour of anthophyllite has been determined for a natural crystal with crystal-chemical formula ^ANa_0.01 ^B(Mg_1.30Mn_0.57Ca_0.09Na_0.04) ^C(Mg_4.95Fe_0.02Al_0.03) ^T(Si_8.00)O₂₂ ^W(OH)₂ using single-crystal X-ray diffraction to 973 K. The best model for fitting the thermal expansion data is that of Berman (J Petrol 29:445–522, 1988) in which the coefficient of volume thermal expansion varies linearly with T as α _V,T  = a ₁ + 2a ₂ (T − T ₀): α₂₉₈ = a ₁ = 3.40(6) × 10⁻⁵ K⁻¹, a ₂ = 5.1(1.0) × 10⁻⁹ K⁻². The corresponding axial thermal expansion coefficients for this linear model are: α _a ,₂₉₈ = 1.21(2) × 10⁻⁵ K⁻¹, a _2,a  = 5.2(4) × 10⁻⁹ K⁻²; α _b ,₂₉₈ = 9.2(1) × 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹, a _2,b  = 7(2) × 10⁻¹⁰ K⁻². α _c ,₂₉₈ = 1.26(3) × 10⁻⁵ K⁻¹, a _2,c  = 1.3(6) × 10⁻⁹ K⁻². The thermoelastic behaviour of anthophyllite differs from that of most monoclinic (C2/m) amphiboles: (a) the ε ₁ − ε ₂ plane of the unit-strain ellipsoid, which is normal to b in anthophyllite but usually at a high angle to c in monoclinic amphiboles; (b) the strain components are ε ₁ ≫ ε ₂ > ε ₃ in anthophyllite, but ε ₁ ~ ε ₂ ≫ ε ₃ in monoclinic amphiboles. The strain behaviour of anthophyllite is similar to that of synthetic C2/m ^ANa ^B(LiMg) ^CMg₅ ^TSi₈ O₂₂ ^W(OH)₂, suggesting that high contents of small cations at the B-site may be primarily responsible for the much higher thermal expansion ⊥(100). Refined values for site-scattering at M4 decrease from 31.64 epfu at 298 K to 30.81 epfu at 973 K, which couples with similar increases of those of M1 and M2 sites. These changes in site scattering are interpreted in terms of Mn ↔ Mg exchange involving M1,2 ↔ M4, which was first detected at 673 K.     

Thermal Expansion of Periclase (MgO) and Tungsten (W) to Melting Temperatures

 In situ x-ray data on molar volumes of periclase and tungsten have been collected over the temperature range from 300 K to melting. We determine the temperature by combining the technique of spectroradiometry and electrical resistance wire heating. The thermal expansion (α) of periclase between 300 and 3100 K is given by α=2.6025 10⁻⁵+1.3535 10⁻⁸ T+6.5687 10⁻³ T⁻¹−1.8281 T⁻². For tungsten, we have (300 to 3600 K) α=7.862 10⁻⁶+6.392 10⁻⁹ T. The data at 298 K for periclase is: molar volume 11.246 (0.031) cm³, α=3.15 (0.07) 10⁻⁵ K⁻¹, and for tungsten: molar volume 9.55 cm³, α=9.77 (10.08) 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹. Received: July 18, 1996 / Revised, accepted: February 14, 1997     

Thermal expansion and dehydroxylation of phengite micas

Phengite samples (2M ₁ and 3T politypes) and a synthetic end-member muscovite specimen were studied by in situ high-temperature synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction. The measured volume thermal expansion of 2M ₁ phengite (<α _V> ≈ 36.6 × 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹) was systematically greater than <α _V> of the 3T polytype (≈33.3 × 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹). A positive linear correlation between the average thermal expansion on (001) plane and the mean tetrahedral rotation angle at ambient condition is proposed on the ground of new measurements and literature data. Dehydroxylation processes were observed in 2M ₁, starting at 1,000 K in 3T at 800 and 945 K in synthetic muscovite. Rietveld refinements allowed a determination of structural variations upon heating of phengite samples and their dehydroxylate phases. The phengite structure expands by regularizing the tetrahedral sheet and by reducing the bond length differences between the outer and inner coordination shell of the interlayer site. The dehydroxylate phase derived from 2M ₁ is characterized by fivefold polyhedra in the low temperature form as a consequence of two OH groups reacting to form H₂O + O (residual). The dehydroxylate exhibits an increase of the cation–cation distances along the M–Or–M bonds with respect to low-temperature phengite structures. For the 3T phase, we were unable to achieve completion of dehydroxylation. The refined structural model of the dehydroxylate phase shows two hydroxyl sites, but at a short distance from one another. This result suggests that the dehydroxylation reaction did not proceed to completion. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Excess heat capacity and entropy of mixing along the chlorapatite–fluorapatite binary join

The heat capacity at constant pressure, C _p, of chlorapatite [Ca₅(PO₄)₃Cl – ClAp], and fluorapatite [Ca₅(PO₄)₃F – FAp], as well as of 12 compositions along the chlorapatite–fluorapatite join have been measured using relaxation calorimetry [heat capacity option of the physical properties measurement system (PPMS)] and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in the temperature range 5–764 K. The chlor-fluorapatites were synthesized at 1,375–1,220°C from Ca₃(PO₄)₂ using the CaF₂–CaCl₂ flux method. Most of the chlor-fluorapatite compositions could be measured directly as single crystals using the PPMS such that they were attached to the sample platform of the calorimeter by a crystal face. However, the crystals were too small for the crystal face to be polished. In such cases, where the sample coupling was not optimal, an empirical procedure was developed to smoothly connect the PPMS to the DSC heat capacities around ambient T. The heat capacity of the end-members above 298 K can be represented by the polynomials: C _p^ClAp = 613.21 − 2,313.90T ^−0.5 − 1.87964 × 10⁷ T ⁻² + 2.79925 × 10⁹ T ⁻³ and C _p^FAp = 681.24 − 4,621.73 × T ^−0.5 − 6.38134 × 10⁶ T ⁻² + 7.38088 × 10⁸ T ⁻³ (units, J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹). Their standard third-law entropy, derived from the low-temperature heat capacity measurements, is S° = 400.6 ± 1.6 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹ for chlorapatite and S° = 383.2 ± 1.5 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹ for fluorapatite. Positive excess heat capacities of mixing, ΔC _p^ex, occur in the chlorapatite–fluorapatite solid solution around 80 K (and to a lesser degree at 200 K) and are asymmetrically distributed over the join reaching a maximum of 1.3 ± 0.3 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹ for F-rich compositions. They are significant at these conditions exceeding the 2σ-uncertainty of the data. The excess entropy of mixing, ΔS ^ex, at 298 K reaches positive values of 3–4 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹ in the F-rich portion of the binary, is, however, not significantly different from zero across the join within its 2σ-uncertainty.     

Low T heat capacity measurements and new entropy data for titanite (sphene): implications for thermobarometry of high-pressure rocks

The accepted standard state entropy of titanite (sphene) has been questioned in several recent studies, which suggested a revision from the literature value 129.3 ± 0.8 J/mol K to values in the range of 110–120 J/mol K. The heat capacity of titanite was therefore re-measured with a PPMS in the range 5 to 300 K and the standard entropy of titanite was calculated as 127.2 ± 0.2 J/mol K, much closer to the original data than the suggested revisions. Volume parameters for a modified Murgnahan equation of state: V _P,T  = V ₂₉₈° × [1 + a°(T − 298) − 20a°(T − 298)] × [1 – 4P/(K ₂₉₈ × (1 – 1.5 × 10⁻⁴ [T − 298]) + 4P)]^1/4 were fit to recent unit cell determinations at elevated pressures and temperatures, yielding the constants V ₂₉₈° = 5.568 J/bar, a° = 3.1 × 10⁻⁵ K⁻¹, and K = 1,100 kbar. The standard Gibbs free energy of formation of titanite, −2456.2 kJ/mol (∆H°_f = −2598.4 kJ/mol) was calculated from the new entropy and volume data combined with data from experimental reversals on the reaction, titanite + kyanite = anorthite + rutile. This value is 4–11 kJ/mol less negative than that obtained from experimental determinations of the enthalpy of formation, and it is slightly more negative than values given in internally consistent databases. The displacement of most calculated phase equilibria involving titanite is not large except for reactions with small ∆S. Re-calculated baric estimates for several metamorphic suites yield pressure differences on the order of 2 kbar in eclogites and 10 kbar for ultra-high pressure titanite-bearing assemblages.     

Geothermal investigations in the Upper Vindhyan sedimentary rocks of Shivpuri area,central India

Heat flow has been determined by combining temperature measurements in 7 boreholes with thermal conductivity measurements in the Upper Vindhyan sedimentary rocks of Shivpuri area, central India. The boreholes are distributed at 5 sites within an area of 15 × 10 km²; their depths range from 174 to 268 m. Geothermal gradients estimated from borehole temperature profiles vary from 8.0–12.7 mK m⁻¹ in the sandstone-rich formations to 25.5–27.5 mK m⁻¹ in the shale-rich formations, consistent with the contrast in thermal conductivities of the two rock types. Heat flow in the area ranges between 45 and 61 mW m⁻², with a mean of 52±6 mW m⁻². The heat flow values are similar to the >50 mW m⁻² heat flow observed in other parts of the northern Indian shield. The heat flow determinations represent the steady-state heat flow because, the thermal transients associated with the initial rifting, convergence and sedimentation in the basin as well as the more recent Deccan volcanism that affected the region to the south of the basin would have decayed, and therefore, the heat flow is in equilibrium with the radiogenic heat production of the crust and the heat flow from the mantle. The present study reports the heat flow measurements from the western part of the Vindhyan basin and provides heat flow information for the Bundhelkhand craton for the first time. Radioelement (Th, U and K) abundances have been measured both in the sedimentary rocks exposed in the area as well as in the underlying basement granite-gneiss of Bundelkhand massif exposed in the adjacent area. Radioactive heat production, estimated from those abundances, indicate mean values of 0.3 μW m⁻³ for sandstone with inter-bands of shale and siltstone, 0.25 μW m⁻³ for sandstone with inter-bands siltstone, 0.6 μW m⁻³ for quartzose sandstone, and 2.7 μW m⁻³ for the basement granitoids. With a total sedimentary thickness not exceeding a few hundred metres in the area, the heat production of the sedimentary cover would be insignificant. The radioactive heat contribution from the basement granitoids in the upper crust is expected to be large, and together with the heat flow component from the mantle, would control the crustal thermal structure in the region.     

River and landslide dynamics on the western Tanganyika rift border,Uvira, D.R. Congo: diachronic observations and a GIS inventory of traces of extreme geomorphologic activity

Uvira occupies a series of narrow alluvial fans squeezed between the NW corner of Lake Tanganyika (±710 m asl) and the W-shoulder of the Tanganyika rift, the Itombwe–Mitumba Plateau (±3,000 m asl). In 50 years, the fans progressed into the lake over distances up to some hundreds of metres. This happened during a few catastrophic flash floods issued from the torrents which cascade from the rift shoulder with a mean longitudinal gradient of 0.2 m m⁻¹. The last event in 2002 led to the destruction of parts of the town and to some 50 casualties. Landslides occurred in the hills. On the base of stereoscopic interpretation of aerial photographs from 1959, complemented with data from 2000 ETM and 2004 IKONOS imagery, a geographical inventory has been made of strongly incising (10^{−1 to 0} m in 43–45 years) river sections, of all types of landslides and of all tectonic structures, visible in the rugged hinterland of the fans. Traces of active N–S as well as E–W trending faults are present. Some of these faults and some surfaces, interpreted as degraded fault facets dip at angles of 40° or less and are probably remnants of formerly active lystric extension faults, originally at a depth of some 2 km, but now at the surface as a result of posterior uplift and erosion. Sixty landslides could be identified. Six slides fall far below the topographic threshold envelope, where the slope at the incision head is expressed as a function of drained surface. Therefore, they are considered to be seismic in origin. Most of the other landslides are located along strongly incising river sections. Temporary landslide barriers contribute to irregular river hydrographs. It is concluded that Uvira is threatened by landsliding, potentially massive (>18 × 10⁶ m³ debris), in the case of heavy seismicity. It is further discussed that the regularisation of the river regime depends on soil and water conservation strategies, to be developed in the headwaters of the torrents Kavimvira, Mulongwe and Kalimabenge.     

Thermal expansion and decomposition of jarosite: a high-temperature neutron diffraction study

The structure of deuterated jarosite, KFe₃(SO₄)₂(OD)₆, was investigated using time-of-flight neutron diffraction up to its dehydroxylation temperature. Rietveld analysis reveals that with increasing temperature, its c dimension expands at a rate ~10 times greater than that for a. This anisotropy of thermal expansion is due to rapid increase in the thickness of the (001) sheet of [Fe(O,OH)₆] octahedra and [SO₄] tetrahedra with increasing temperature. Fitting of the measured cell volumes yields a coefficient of thermal expansion, α = α₀ + α₁ T, where α₀ = 1.01 × 10⁻⁴ K⁻¹ and α₁ = −1.15 × 10⁻⁷ K⁻². On heating, the hydrogen bonds, O1···D–O3, through which the (001) octahedral–tetrahedral sheets are held together, become weakened, as reflected by an increase in the D···O1 distance and a concomitant decrease in the O3–D distance with increasing temperature. On further heating to 575 K, jarosite starts to decompose into nanocrystalline yavapaiite and hematite (as well as water vapor), a direct result of the breaking of the hydrogen bonds that hold the jarosite structure together.     

Thermal expansion behavior of Ce2Zr2O7 up to 898 K in conjunction with structural analyses by neutron diffraction

The thermal expansion of cubic pyrochlore Ce₂Zr₂O₇ has been measured from room temperature to 898 K on polycrystalline material in conjunction with structural analyses using neutron diffraction. This compound has a thermal expansion coefficient in line with the other comparable lanthanoide pyrochlore oxides. The coefficient can be expressed as α(T) = 8.418 × 10⁻⁶ + 0.9861 × 10⁻⁹ × T. The structural refinements performed for each measured temperature showed a comparable linear evolution of the Ce–O/Zr–O distances (within 0.57%).     

δ<Superscript>18</Superscript>O shifts of geothermal waters in the central of Weihe Basin,NW China

The thermal-waters resources in Weihe Basin of Shaanxi province, NW China are historically classified as middle- to low- temperature thermal-waters in China. Recent exploitation of the deep thermal reservoir in the centre part of the basin (i.e. Xi’an and Xianyang) had observed plentiful supply of thermal fluid with higher measured maximum temperature (120°C) and higher hydraulic pressure (80.50 MPa) in the deeper (more than 4,000 m deep) sedimentary basin. A recent isotope study shows that deep geothermal waters in the cities of Xi’an and Xianyang are characterized by an observable horizontal oxygen-18 (δ¹⁸O) shift and minor deuterium (²H) enrichment. The considerable oxygen shift is possibly due to the following four reasons: water–rock interaction at high temperature, slow circulation rate of water, low water-to-rock ratio, and old age. On the end number of the δ¹⁸O shift, minor δ²H enrichment occur when there is higher concentrations of H₂S, CH₄, I and Br with lower rate of rSO₄ ²⁻/rCl⁻ and r _Na⁺/r _Cl⁻ suggesting relatively isolated geological environment. In a few thermal waters points, r\textNa^\text+ \text/r\textCl^-r{\text{Na}}^{{\text{+}}} {\text{/}}r{\text{Cl}}^{-} < 0.85. This shows possible presence of formation waters. Combining the results from isotopic study and chemical analysis, we can classify the types of geothermal waters into three groups, the shallow and fast circulating system, the semi-circulating system and the deep and slow circulating system.