矿山酸性废水的环境影响及防治研究进展

矿山酸性废水(AMD)的环境影响是开采矿山或废弃矿山最严重的环境问题之一。介绍了国内外AMD的产生机理、环境危害、控制观点和治理方法。控制观点包括有源头控制和转移控制：源头控制观点就是要在源头防止AMD的形成和转移;转移控制观点就是要中和治理AMD并从中去除金属。治理方法分主动治理和被动治理两种,治理AMD既可以采用非生物路线（化学机制）,也可以采用生物路线（生物机制）。     

Hydrogeochemical Characteristics of Acid Mine Drainage around the Abandoned Youngdong Coal Mine in Korea

Abstract: To determine the geochemical characteristics of the Imgok creek impacted by acid mine drainage (AMD) generated from the abandoned Youngdong coal mine in Korea, chemical analyses of water samples and precipitates and the geochemical modelling of the precipitates were conducted. Acid mine drainage drained from the mine adit and coal refuse piles shows a low pH, high conductivity and high concentrations of Fe, Al, SO₄ and heavy metals such as Co, Cu, Ni and Zn. In the Imgok creek, the concentrations of heavy metals and major cations besides Fe are decreased by dilution, but concentrations of Fe are decreased by the formation of precipitates as well as dilution. From the results of geochemical modelling, goethite is oversaturated, and schwertmannite is the most stable solid phase in the Imgok creek. Yellowish red Fe-precipitates collected at the Imgok creek are recognized as amorphous or poorly crystallized minerals from XRD patterns and Fe_ox/Fe_totratios, and as containing chemically bonded SO₄ and OH by an IR analysis. The mole ratios of Fe/S in these precipitates, which are determined by EPMA, are 5. 1 and 6. 1.     

粤北大宝山酸性矿山废水中梯田状沉积物的次生矿物研究

粤北大宝山酸性矿山废水(AMD)中形成了呈独特梯田状构造的沉积物,其中的次生矿物可以吸持AMD中的重金属离子,对减少矿山环境的重金属污染有重要意义。本文采集了大宝山AMD中呈梯田状构造中的沉积物,利用多种手段分析了其主要矿物组成以及主要次生矿物的表面形貌特征,探究梯田状沉积物的成因。结果表明,梯田状沉积物的次生矿物以针铁矿、施威特曼石、黄钾铁矾为主,含少量石膏、斜方钙沸石等。针铁矿呈针状、球刺状集合体;施威特曼石呈海胆状、鳞片状,粒度为微米级,海胆状施威特曼石与球刺状针铁矿共生;黄钾铁矾呈不规则的球粒状、片状,与施威特曼石共生。研究表明微生物作用可能是形成铁质梯田状构造的关键因素。     

Solid phase characterization and metal deportment in a mussel shell bioreactor for the treatment of AMD,Stockton Coal Mine,New Zealand

The Stockton Coal Mine, located on the West Coast of New Zealand, is evaluating the use of a mussel shell bioreactor (MSB) to treat acidic metalliferous runoff from acid forming overburden. This novel approach is similar in concept to vertical flow wetlands (VFWs) and successive alkalinity producing systems (SAPS). The MSB system is a trapezoidal pit 2 m deep, 35 m long, 3–10 m wide with 60° angle sides. During operation it contained 160 tonnes (240 m³) of mussel shell material and was saturated with a 100–200 mm water cap. Influent flowed through the reactor at a mean rate of 0.3 L s⁻¹ resulting in a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of ≈6 days. The prototype MSB was in operation for a total of 1027 days, from June 2009 through March 2012, and effectively sequestered 99.7% of Al, 99.3% of Fe, 98.8% of Ni, 98.4% Tl and 99.3% of Zn, as determined from a previous evaluation of MSB performance. The MSB also effectively neutralized acidity, which resulted in an increase in influent pH from 2.8 to 6.9 in the effluent. Based on an examination of several excavated pits, five distinct reaction zones developed within the MSB. The reaction zones consisted of an allochthonous sediment layer (0–330 mm), an oxidized iron-rich ocherous layer (at 330–350 mm depth), an aluminum layer (at 350–600 mm depth) with geochemical variations throughout (350–500 mm and 500–600 mm); and a chemically reduced bottom shell layer (at 600–1100 mm). Representative samples were collected from each layer and analyzed using a combination of geochemical and physical methods to assess the stability of the secondary minerals and trace metal deportment within the MSB. Major elements Fe, Al, Ni, Tl, and Zn where preferentially associated with particular layers within the MSB. Elevated concentrations of Fe (110,000 mg kg⁻¹) were observed in the allochthonous sediment and ocherous precipitate layers, while Al (27,816 mg kg⁻¹), Ni (55 mg kg⁻¹), and Zn (655 mg kg⁻¹) were elevated within the aluminum and lower reduced depths within the MSB. Trace Tl (21 mg kg⁻¹) showed varying concentrations throughout the MSB, but was strongly correlated to lower layers of the system. Microbial biofilms were observed within the reduced portions of the shell layers often proximal to bacterial shaped sulfides. The geochemical assessment of the MSB presented in this study is the first of its kind for a MSB, and supports the argument that this system is another viable option for passive treatment of AMD.     

Photoreduction of Fe(III) in the Acidic Mine Pit Lake of San Telmo (Iberian Pyrite Belt): Field and Experimental Work

Light-induced reduction of dissolved and particulate Fe(III) has been observed to occur in the surface waters of the acidic mine pit lake of San Telmo (143,600 m², pH 2.8, Fe_total = 2.72 mM). This photochemical production of Fe(II) is directly related to the intensity of solar radiation and competes with biologically catalyzed reactions (i.e., bacterial re-oxidation of Fe(II)) and physical processes (including ionic diffusion, advection, and convection, which tend to homogenize the epilimnetic concentration of Fe(II) at every moment). Therefore, diel cycles of Fe(II) concentration are observed at the lake surface, with minimum values of 10–20 μM Fe(II) (0.35–0.70% Fe_total) at the sunrise and sunset, and maximum values of 90 μM Fe(II) (3.2% Fe_total) at midday in August 2005. Field and experimental work conducted in San Telmo and other pit lakes of the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB) (pH 2.3–3.1, Fe_total = 0.34–17 mM) indicate that the kinetics of the photoreductive reaction is zero-order and is independent of the Fe(III) concentration, but highly dependent on the intensity of solar radiation and temperature. Experimental work conducted with natural Fe(III) minerals (schwertmannite, goethite, and lepidocrocite) suggests that dissolved organic matter is an important factor contributing to the photochemical production of Fe(II). The wavelengths involved in the photoreduction of Fe(III) include not only the spectrum of UV-A radiation (315–400 nm), but also part of the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400–700 nm). This finding is of prime importance for the understanding of the photoreduction processes in the pit lakes of the IPB, because the photo-reactive depth is not limited to the penetration depth of UV-A radiation (upper 1–10 cm of the water column depending on the TDS content), but it is approximately equal to the penetration depth of PAR (e.g., first 4–6 m of the water column in San Telmo on July 2007); thus, increasing the importance of photochemical processes in the hydro(bio)geochemistry of pit lakes.     

The Interaction of Natural Organic Matter with Iron in a Wetland (Tennessee Park, Colorado) Receiving Acid Mine Drainage

Pore water from a wetland receiving acid mine drainage was studied for its iron and natural organic matter (NOM) geochemistry on three different sampling dates during summer 1994. Samples were obtained using a new sampling technique that is based on screened pipes of varying length (several centimeters), into which dialysis vessels can be placed and that can be screwed together to allow for vertical pore-water sampling. The iron concentration increased with time (through the summer) and had distinct peaks in the subsurface. Iron was mainly in the ferrous form; however, close to the surface, significant amounts of ferric iron (up to 40% of 2 mmol L-1 total iron concentration) were observed. In all samples studied, iron was strongly associated with NOM. Results from laboratory experiments indicate that the NOM stabilizes the ferric iron as small iron oxide colloids (able to pass a 0.45μm dialysis membrane). We hypothesize that, in the pore water of the wetland, the high NOM concentrations (>100 mg C L-1) allow formation of such colloids at the redoxcline close to the surface and at the contact zone to the adjacent oxic aquifer. Therefore, particle transport along flow paths and resultant export of ferric iron from the wetland into ground water might be possible. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Dissolved and particulate metals and arsenic species mobility along a stream affected by Acid Mine Drainage in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (SW Spain)

Intensive mining has taken place in the Iberian Pyrite Belt since 3000 B.C. generating Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) and releasing high amounts of SO₄, acidity, metals and metalloids into surface water. Concentrations of elements in AMD-impacted waters are regulated by the precipitation of Fe-rich materials and particulate matter can influence the mobility and the bioavailability of metals. In this paper a study on the dissolved As species concentration along a polluted stream has been performed. Two sampling campaigns were conducted during the dry and the rainy seasons. Concentrations of dissolved elements are higher during the dry season and increase progressively along the water course in both seasons. Concentrations up to 80 μg L⁻¹ of As³⁺ and 5 mg L⁻¹ of As⁵⁺ were determined. The concentration of As species increases and the As³⁺/As⁵⁺ ratio decreases downstream. The Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ and As³⁺/As⁵⁺ ratios show the same pattern with respect to pH for all the examined samples, except those taken from Au cyanidation wastes. The particulate phase is mainly composed of Fe, As and Pb, with As being associated with the Fe minerals while Pb seems to be associated with the clay colloids.     

Depositional processes in a kimberlite crater: the Upper Cretaceous Orapa South Pipe (Botswana)

The Orapa A/K1 Diamond Mine, Botswana, exposes the crater facies of a bilobate kimberlite pipe of Upper Cretaceous age. The South Crater consists of layered volcaniclastic deposits which unconformably cross‐cut massive volcaniclastic kimberlite of diatreme facies in the North Pipe. Based on the depositional structure, grain‐size, sorting and composition of kimberlite in the South Crater, six units are distinguished in the ～70 m thick stratiform crater‐fill sequence and talus slope deposits close to the crater wall, which represents a multistage infill of the volcanic crater. Monolithic basalt breccias (Unit 1) near the base of the crater‐fill are interpreted as rock‐fall avalanche deposits, generated by the sector collapse of the crater walls. These deposits are overlain by a basal imbricated lithic breccia and upper massive sub‐unit (Unit 2), interpreted as the deposits of a pyroclastic flow that entered the South Crater from another source. Vertical degassing structures within the massive sub‐unit show evidence for elutriation of fines and probably were formed after emplacement by fluidization due to air entrainment. Units 3 and 5 are thinly stratified deposits, characterized by diffuse bedding, reverse and normal grading, coarse lenticular beds, mudstone beds, small‐scale scour channels and load casts. These units are attributed to rapidly emplaced sheet floods on the crater floor. Units 3 and 5 are directly overlain by poorly sorted volcaniclastic kimberlite (Units 4 and 6) rich in basalt boulders, attributed to debris flows formed by the collapse of crater walls. Unit 7 comprises medium sandstones to cobble conglomerates representing talus fans, which were active throughout the deposition of Units 1 to 6. The study demonstrates that much of the material infilling the South Crater is derived externally after eruption, including primary pyroclastic flow deposits probably from another kimberlite pipe. These findings have important implications for predicting diamond grade. Results may also aid the interpretation of crater sequences of ultra‐basic, basaltic and intermediate volcanoes, together with the deposits of topographic basins in sub‐aerial settings.     

Impact of AMD on water quality in critical watershed in the Hudson River drainage basin: Phillips Mine,Hudson Highlands,New York

A sulfur and trace element enriched U–Th-laced tailings pile at the abandoned Phillips Mine in Garrison, New York, releases acid mine drainage (AMD, generally pH < 3, minimum pH 1.78) into the first-order Copper Mine Brook (CMB) that drains into the Hudson River. The pyrrhotite-rich Phillips Mine is located in the Highlands region, a critical water source for the New York metro area. A conceptual model for derivation/dissolution, sequestration, transport and dilution of contaminants is proposed. The acidic water interacts with the tailings, leaching and dissolving the trace metals. AMD evaporation during dry periods concentrates solid phase trace metals and sulfate, forming melanterite (FeSO₄·7H₂O) on sulfide-rich tailings surfaces. Wet periods dissolve these concentrates/precipitates, releasing stored acidity and trace metals into the CMB. Sediments along CMB are enriched in iron hydroxides which act as sinks for metals, indicating progressive sequestration that correlates with dilution and sharp rise in pH when mine water mixes with tributaries. Seasonal variations in metal concentrations were partly attributable to dissolution of the efflorescent salts with their sorbed metals and additional metals from surging acidic seepage induced by precipitation.     

Management of karst water resources in mining area: dewatering in mines and demand for water supply in the Dongshan Mine of Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, North China

Coalfields in North China contain six to seven coal seams in the Permo-Carboniferous strata. The coal seams are underlain by the Ordovician limestone. Large-scale dewatering or depressurizing of the karst aquifer was considered essential to avoid water inrushes and keep the mines safely operational. This practice, however, has caused water supply shortage in the mining areas. The most effective solution to this conflict is to use the uncontaminated karst water from the mines for water supply. This paper explores a management model to maximize the utilization of the karst water while maintaining the safe operation of the mines. The model can provide essential information on water resource distribution for decision makers. The model was applied to the Dongshan Coal Mine in Taiyuan City, China.     

Evidence of An Early Cretaceous Giant Dyke Swarm in Northeast Brazil(South America): A Geodynamic Overview

正The Mesozoic break-up and drifting of the Equatorial Atlantic margin in the northeast Brazil(South America)is characterized by a modest magmatic activity compared with the Southern Atlantic margin,where the Paraná-     

Hydrochemistry of reservoirs of Damodar River basin, India: weathering processes and water quality assessment

Water samples collected from the six reservoirs of Damodar River basin in pre- and post-monsoon, have been analysed, to study the major ion chemistry and the weathering and geochemical processes controlling the water composition. Ca, Na and HCO₃ dominate the chemical composition of the reservoir water. The seasonal data shows a minimum concentration of most of the ions in post-monsoon and a maximum concentration in pre-monsoon seasons, reflecting the concentrating effects due to elevated temperature and increased evaporation during the low water level period of the pre-monsoon season. Water chemistry of the reservoirs strongly reflects the dominance of continental weathering aided by atmospheric and anthropogenic activities in the catchment area. Higher concentration of SO₄ and TDS in Panchet, Durgapur and Tenughat reservoirs indicate mining and anthropogenic impact on water quality. The high contribution of (Ca+Mg) to the total cations, high concentration of dissolved silica, relatively high (Na+K)/TZ⁺ ratio (0.3) and low equivalent ratio of (Ca+Mg)/(Na+K) suggests combined influence of carbonate and silicate weathering. Kaolinite is the possible mineral that is in equilibrium with the water, implying that the chemistry of reservoir water favours kaolinite formation. The calculated values of SAR, RSC and sodium percentage indicate the ‘excellent to good quality’ of water for irrigation uses.     

榆神矿区南部中小煤矿突水危险性研究

论述了榆神矿区部分中小煤矿突水实例,分析了矿井突水的地质、水文地质条件,认为,榆神矿区萨拉乌苏组含水层厚度大,富水性强,煤层埋藏浅,煤层开采后产生的冒落带、裂隙带发育到萨拉乌苏组含水层底部,从而引起突水灾害。本文提出了矿井突水预测的思路和方法,认为应该加强矿井水文地质条件研究,开展水文地质补充勘探,查明水文地质条件,做好防治水工作,减少矿井涌水量,保护萨拉乌苏组含水层结构完整性。     

Phenolics occurrence in surface water of the Dniester river basin (West Ukraine): natural background and industrial pollution

Phenolics’ occurrence in surface water of the Dniester river basin (West Ukraine) with the definition of the natural background is studied. The main attention is given to the Upper Dniester basin and its tributary Stryj as the parts of the Sub-Carpathian oil- and gas province with the numerous objects of oil industry. The total amount of phenolics in water is studied. Phenolics’ concentrations from the first micrograms to the first milligrams per litre have been found in the surface water of the region. The natural background is defined as 0.012 mg l⁻¹ for the areas out of the industrial influence. The anthropogenic part of phenolics is caused mainly by oil industry. The oil-producing objects provide the main phenolics’ releases in the region, due to the low protection level of mechanical facilities as well as to breach of technological norms on the oil-extracting objects. A man-made pollution of the basin water has a regional character and the natural self-purification processes seem to be insufficient for its neutralisation on the plains in particular.     

Flowing against the current: The socio-technical mediation of water (in)security in periurban Gurgaon,India

This research is located at the intersection of three canals in periurban Gurugram. Two of these canals were built to provide water for the growing city of Gurugram and one of them carries the wastewater of the city back to the villages. These canals cut through periurban villages that are excluded in principle from taking benefit of these canals. They are meant to be at their receiving end, as recipients of these waters. The paper, using a socio-technical lens, explores the mixed impacts of these canals on the villages through which they traverse. The paper further describes the strategies that periurban communities devise to circumvent the situation of exclusion. Using a qualitative, ethnographic research design, the paper describes the socio-technical mediation of periurban water insecurity, focusing on the mix of technologies and institutions that spring up around these canals that shape the periurban water users’ access to water. The paper concludes that approaches for promoting community resilience and periurban water security need to start from an understanding of the strategies devised by periurban communities to improve their access to water. In the larger discourse on building community resilience in the face of urbanization and climate change it is important to pay attention to local norms of cooperation that enable periurban communities to access water, rather than start from a premise that water insecurity caused by urbanization and climate change will lead to conflicts or necessitate capacity-building to promote avoid conflict and promote cooperation.     

Origin of complex zoning in olivine from diverse,diamondiferous kimberlites and tectonic settings: Ekati (Canada), Alto Paranaiba (Brazil) and Kaalvallei (South Africa)

Olivine in kimberlites can provide unique insights into magma petrogenesis, because it is the most abundant xenocrystic phase and a stable magmatic product over most of the liquid line of descent. In this study we examined the petrography and chemistry of olivine in kimberlites from different tectonic settings, including the Slave craton, Canada (Ekati: Grizzly, Koala), the Brasilia mobile belt (Limpeza-18, Tres Ranchos-04), and the Kaapvaal craton, South Africa (Kaalvallei: Samada, New Robinson). Olivine cores display a wide range of compositions (e.g., Mg# = 78–95). The similarity in olivine composition, resorption of core zones and inclusions of mantle-derived phases, indicates that most olivine cores originated from the disaggregation of mantle peridotites, including kimberlite-metasomatised lithologies (i.e. sheared lherzolites and megacrysts). Olivine rims typically show a restricted range of Mg#, with decreasing Ni and increasing Mn and Ca contents, a characteristic of kimberlitic olivine worldwide. The rims host inclusions of groundmass minerals, which implies crystallisation just before and/or during emplacement. There is a direct correlation between olivine rim composition and groundmass mineralogy, whereby high Mg/Fe rims are associated with carbonate-rich kimberlites, and lower Mg/Fe rims are correlated with increased phlogopite and Fe-bearing oxide mineral abundances. There are no differences in olivine composition between explosive (Grizzly) and hypabyssal (Koala) kimberlites. Olivine in kimberlites also displays transitional zones and less common internal zones, between cores and rims. The diffuse transitional zones exhibit intermediate compositions between cores and rims, attributed to partial re-equilibration of xenocrystic cores with the ascending kimberlite melt. In contrast, internal zones form discrete layers with resorbed margins and restricted Mg# values, but variable Ni, Mn and Ca concentrations, which indicates a discrete crystallization event from precursor kimberlite melts at mantle depths. Overall, olivine exhibits broadly analogous zoning in kimberlites worldwide. Variable compositions for individual zones relate to different parental melt compositions rather than variations in tectonic setting or emplacement mechanism.

     

Geochemical signatures and mechanisms of trace elements dispersion in the area of the Vale das Gatas mine (Northern Portugal)

A geochemical survey involving the collection and analysis of 170 stream sediment samples was carried out in Vale das Gatas area in order to delineate geochemical signatures and to detect pollution hazards due to mining.Factor analysis applied to the data showed that the most important variables accounting for the first factor are Ag, Pb, Bi, As, W, Cd, Zn and Cu. These variables represent the most significant metalliferous elements of the original paragenesis, which still maintain a close relationship in the secondary geological environment. The spatial distribution of the factor scores referred to factor 1 indicates that positive scores occur predominantly in the Vale das Gatas and Sabrosa streams and in the main Pinhão river. The results also show that the Vale das Gatas mine is the most important contamination source in the Vale das Gatas district.In order to study the dispersion, transfer and uptake mechanisms of trace elements from the Vale das Gatas mine, additional sample media were collected, i.e., stream sediments, tailings, coatings, waters (surficial and mine waters) and specific biological species. Four sample stations were selected, namely two in connection with abandoned adits of the Vale das Gatas mine, one located in the Vale das Gatas stream and one located in the Pinhão River. The results show that chemical reactions of leaching and precipitation took place controlling the heavy metals in areas near the Vale das Gatas mine.At the same time, positive anomalous patterns are visible along the Pinhão river for about 20 km. The mineralogical composition of the stream sediments suggests that processes of mechanical dispersion also interfere in the secondary distribution of the metalliferous elements in that media.     

Acid mine drainage and acid rock drainage processes in the environment of Herrerías Mine (Iberian Pyrite Belt, Huelva-Spain) and impact on the Andevalo Dam

The present work describes the process of acid water discharge into the Andévalo Dam (Iberian Pyrite Belt, Huelva-Spain) starting from the interpretation of rainfall data and chemical analyses regarding pH, conductivity, metal and sulphate content in water, from a time series corresponding to the sampling of two confluent channels that discharge water into the referred dam. Statistical data treatment allows us to conclude the existence of acid mine drainage processes in the Chorrito Stream, which are translated into very low pH values and high sulphate and metal concentrations in the water coming from Herrerías Mine. On the other hand, the Higuereta Stream shows, for the same parameters, much lower values that can be interpreted as the channel response to acid rock drainage processes in its drainage basin induced by the rocky outcrops of the Iberian Pyrite Belt.     

Managing groundwater rise: Experimental results and modelling of water pumping from a quarry lake in Milan urban area (Italy)

An innovative approach to solve the problem of lowering water table was carried out in a quarry lake south of the city of Milan (northern Italy): the project, based upon pumping out water at a rate of 1,000 L/s can be considered a strategic medium to long-term solution to hinder the rise of groundwater level interfering with underground structures (foundation, construction, subway) in urban areas. The basic idea is to pump a high groundwater rate as close as possible to the stagnation point of the piezometric depression located in the city. After a pilot-test was carried out in November 1998, experimental activities started in July 2001 and lasted one year; water withdrawal was discharged into artificial channels used in agricultural practice. Maximum drawdowns measured in the quarry lake by the monitoring network resulted in more than 5 m, and a significant drawdown was registered up to 1.5 km of distance from the quarry in the important historical site of Chiaravalle Abbey, threatened by groundwater rise. The results of this pumping activity confirm the importance of the project, its lower cost compared with traditional solutions (such as drainage by wells) and remarkable effects on the improvement of surface water quality. A groundwater model was implemented to evaluate further scenarios of discharge rate and pumping location, too.     

Petrogenetic Aspects of Acid and Basaltic Lavas from the Paran? Plateau (Brazil): Geological, Mineralogical and Petrochemical Relationships

The acid volcanics (Lower Cretaceous) of the Paran? basin coveran area of about 150000 km² and are represented by dominantrhyodacites and subordinate rhyolites. They may be divided intotwo main types, characterized respectively by relatively lowand relatively high contents of Ti, P, and other incompatibleelements (La, Ce, Zr, etc.), i.e. the Palmas acid volcanics(PAY) and Chapec? acid volcanics (CAV), respectively. PAV arewidespread in the southern Paran? basin and are closely associatedwith basaltic and andesitic rock-types similarly characterizedby low Ti, P, and other incompatible elements. In contrast,CAV are dominant in the northern Paran? basin, where they areclosely associated with basalts containing high Ti, P, and otherincompatible elements. The generation of the Palmas and Chapec? acid melts appearsto be in part consistent with crystal fractionation processes,starting from the associated basic rocks and accompanied bycrustal contamination. However the relative absence of intermediaterock-types (‘silica gap’: 54–56 to 63–65wt. per cent), and the confinement of the acid volcanics towardsthe continental margin suggests that a model involving lowercrustal basic material of significantly different compositionin the northern and southern Paran? basin may be a more plausiblealternative. In this preferred model the basic parent materialmay be represented by mafic granulites of different compositions,or by basalts trapped at the crust-mantle discontinuity andcorresponding in composition to the contrasting low- and high-TiO₂basalts that flooded the Paran? basin in Lower Cretaceous times.The melting of these underplated materials may explain the closegeochemical relationships between fissure acid volcanics andthe closely associated basalt types (e.g., Ethiopia, Paran?).The beginning of the major rifting related to continental break-upshould therefore correspond to the stage when the melting processaffected the lower part of the continental crust. ^*Reprint requests to E. M. Piccirillo