Upscaling of transmissivity,derived from specific capacity: a hydrogeomorphological approach applied to the Doon Valley aquifer system in India

Transmissivity (T) is one of the most important parameters in groundwater studies, and is generally estimated from pumping tests. T can also be deduced from abundantly available specific-capacity (Q/s) data by using analytical and/or empirical approaches, further upscaled by geostatistical methods. A different, remote sensing based, hydrogeomorphological approach is proposed, to upscale T from point- or well-scale to aquifer-scale, and it is applied to the piedmont alluvial aquifer system of Doon Valley in India. In the first step, Q/s and T data-pairs available from aquifer tests were used to establish an empirical, logarithmic relation. Subsequently, satellite imagery along with available data from published and unpublished maps, literature sources and ground surveys were used to divide the aquifer system into major hydrogeomorphological domains that control the groundwater occurrence and flow. Then, the T data derived from Q/s (using the empirical relation) and that available from pumping tests at well-scale were upscaled to aquifer-scale by averaging the T values within each hydrogeomorphological domain. Such a stratification approach is especially useful in areas where availability of only a few data-pairs of known Q/s and T limit the use of geostatistical techniques. A comparative study of the published empirical relations between Q/s and T in various hydrogeologic settings revealed that the relation obtained for Doon Valley aquifer system is close to that found for a similar alluvial aquifer system in Morocco.     

Ground-penetrating radar detection of small-scale channels,joints and faults in the unconsolidated sediments of the Atlantic Coastal Plain

The geological characterization of the shallow subsurface in the unconsolidated sediments of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, and other unconsolidated sediment regimes, may involve jointing, faulting, and channeling not readily detectable by conventional drilling and mapping. A knowledge of these features is required in environmental, geotechnical, and geomorphological studies. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) may be used to routinely map these structures. Three principal shallow subsurface features are readily detectable using GPR: paleochannels, joints or fractures, and faults. The detection of paleochannels is dependent on the scale of the GPR survey and the attitude of the channel within the survey area. Channel morphological features such as scour surfaces, point bars, and thalwegs are observable. Joints and fractures are more difficult to detect depending upon size, patterns, orientation, and fill material. Vertical joints may not be visible to radar unless they are wider than the sampling interval or are filled with radar-opaque materials such as limonite. Angled joints or fractures may be distinguished by an apparent continuous reflector on the radar profile. Faulting on radar profiles may be observed by the offset of reflectors, the image of the fault plane, or the coherent interpretation of a fault system.     

Late Quaternary activity of the Feldbiss Fault Zone, Roer Valley Rift System, the Netherlands, based on displaced fluvial terrace fragments

The Meuse River crosses the Feldbiss Fault Zone, one of the main border fault zones of the Roer Valley Graben in the southern part of the Netherlands. Uplift of the area south of the Feldbiss Fault Zone forced the Meuse River to incise and, as a result, a flight of terraces was formed. Faults of the Feldbiss Fault Zone have displaced the Middle and Late Pleistocene terrace deposits. In this study, an extensive geomorphological survey was carried out to locate the faults of the Feldbiss Fault Zone and to determine the displacement history of terrace deposits.The Feldbiss Fault Zone is characterized by an average displacement rate of 0.041–0.047 mm a⁻¹ during the Late Pleistocene. Individual faults show an average displacement rate ranging between 0.010 and 0.034 mm a⁻¹. The spatial variation in displacement rates along the individual faults reveals a system of overstepping faults. These normal faults developed by reactivation of Paleozoic strike-slip faults.As fault displacements at the bases of the younger terrace deposits are apparently similar to the tops of the adjacent older terrace, the age of these horizons is the same within thousands of years. This implies that the model of terrace development by rapid fluvial incision followed by slow aggradation does apply for this area.     

Characterization of the physical and hydraulic properties of the sediment in karst aquifers of the Springfield Plateau,Central Missouri,USA

Physical and hydraulic properties of sediment from two karst aquifers were measured to determine (1) the similarity of sediment between karst aquifer systems and (2) the importance of sediment in modeling flow through karst aquifers. The sediment from the two systems was similar in size and composition. Within both aquifers, the silt-sized sediment was composed primarily of quartz, with minor amounts of plagioclase and clays. Hydraulic conductivity of the sediment measured directly (falling-head test) ranged from 1.61×10⁻⁷ to 1.33×10⁻⁶ m s^–1 and estimated using the Campbell equation ranged from 8.30×10⁻⁸ to 8.98×10⁻⁷ m s^–1. These values of hydraulic conductivity fall within the span of hydraulic conductivities for carbonate rocks, indicating that the sediment and carbonate matrix could be represented as one mathematical unit in modeling flow through karst aquifers. Statistical agreement in the hydraulic conductivity values generated by the two methods indicates that the estimation technique could be used to calculate hydraulic conductivities; thus allowing karst scientist to collect bulk sediment samples instead of having to collect cores from within karst aquifers. Electronic Publication     

Permeability upscaling of fault zones in the Aztec Sandstone,Valley of Fire State Park,Nevada, with a focus on slip surfaces and slip bands

The effect of open and filled slip surfaces on the upscaled permeability of two fault zones with 6 and 14 m strike-slip in an eolian Aztec Sandstone, Nevada, USA is evaluated. Each fault zone is composed of several fault components: a fault core, bounded by filled through-going slip surfaces referred to as slip bands, and a surrounding damage zone that contains joints and deformation bands. Slip band geometry, composition, and petrophysical properties are characterized. Measurements and modeling show that slip band permeabilities can vary over 12 orders of magnitude depending on the degree of fill within the slip bands. The slip bands along with other fault zone components are represented in finite volume numerical calculations and the impact of various slip-band representations on upscaled fault zone permeability is tested. The results show 2 orders of magnitude variation in upscaled fault zone permeability in the fault-normal direction and a factor of 2 variation in the fault-parallel direction. The numerical results presented here are compared to the earlier numerical results in which structured Cartesian grids were used for the numerical simulations, and are in qualitative agreement with earlier calculations but use about a factor of 250–400 fewer numerical cells.     

Correlations between the in situ acoustic properties and geotechnical parameters of sediments in the Yellow Sea,China

Knowledge about the marine sediment acoustic properties is a key to understanding wave propagation in sediments and is very important for military oceanography and ocean engineering. We developed a hydraulic-drived self-contained in situ sediment acoustic measurement system, and measured for the first time the in situ acoustic properties of sediments on 78 stations in the Yellow Sea, China, by employing this system. The relationships between the in situ measured acoustic properties and the onboard or laboratory determined geotechnical parameters were analyzed. Porosity was found to be the dominant factor in reducing velocity in a quadratic fashion; velocity showed an increment with bulk density and a decrement with mean grain size and clay content both with a nonlinear dependence; acoustic attenuation showed a bell-shaped correlation with porosity and mean grain size but reduced with clay content of the sediments. The attenuation results indicate that intergrain friction rather than viscous interactions between pore fluid and solid grains is the dominant loss mechanism in our marine sediments. The relationships established would be used to predict the geotechnical parameters from in situ measured acoustic properties and vice versa, as well as being an indicator of the seafloor processes, potential gas bubbles hazard and gas hydrates resources or other suitable targets of acoustic surveys.     

Paleoclimatic implications of U-series dates for lake sediments and travertines in the Arava Rift Valley,Israel

The Sayif travertines and lacustrine limestones cropping out in the northern Arava Valley, a region of extreme aridity, have been dated by the ${}^{230}\text{Th}{}^{234}\text{U}$ disequilibrium method. The consistency between the stratigraphic position and the apparent ages at each of the sampling sites strongly supports the reliability of the ages. Most of the ages fall within two clusters that are coincident with ages representative of oceanic oxygen-isotope stages 5 and 7. The colder intervening stage 6 was not a period of substantial travertine formation. During the warmer global episodes of isotopic stages 5 and 7 the arid south of Israel apparently was considerably wetter than at present.     

The role of uncertainty in bedrock depth and hydraulic properties on the stability of a variably-saturated slope

We investigate the uncertainty in bedrock depth and soil hydraulic parameters on the stability of a variably-saturated slope in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We couple Monte Carlo simulation of a three-dimensional flow model with numerical limit analysis to calculate confidence intervals of the safety factor using a 22-day rainfall record. We evaluate the marginal and joint impact of bedrock depth and soil hydraulic uncertainty. The mean safety factor and its 95% confidence interval evolve rapidly in response to the storm events. Explicit recognition of uncertainty in the hydraulic properties and depth to bedrock increases significantly the probability of failure.     

Zeolitic diagenesis of late Quaternary fluviolacustrine sediments and associated calcrete formation in the Lake Bogoria Basin, Kenya Rift Valley

Late Quaternary fluviolacustrine siltstones, mudstones and claystones (Loboi Silts) on the northern margins of the saline, alkaline Lake Bogoria in the Kenya Rift Valley contain up to c. 40% authigenic analcime and minor natrolite. The zeolitic sediments are reddish brown and up to 1 m thick. The amount of analcime increases upward in the profile, but decreases with distance from the lake. The altered sediments show many pedogenic features including zeolitic root mats, rootmarks, concretions and carbonate rhizoliths. Residual patches of calcrete locally cap the zeolitic rocks. The profile is interpreted as an exhumed palaeosol and land surface on the former margins of the lake. The analcime occurs as submicroscopic (0–5–2–5 μ.m) subhedral and euhedral crystals, which have an average Si/A 1 ratio of 2–33 (as determined by X-ray microanalysis) or 2–18 (d-value of 639 analcime peak). The analcime formed in lake marginal sediments (soils) by reaction of silicate detritus with Na₂CO₃ rich pore waters concentrated close to the land surface by evaporative pumping and evapotranspiration. Poorly ordered clay minerals were probably the main reactants. Authigenic illite may have been a by-product of the reactions. Chemical analyses suggest that pore waters supplied some of Na⁺, and possibly K⁺ and SiO₂. The associated calcrete and rhizoliths were formed during or shortly after the main period of zeolitic alteration. The Ca²⁺ may have originated from infiltrating dilute runoff and groundwater. Authigenic smectite was precipitated in open porosity following analcime formation. The zeolitic alteration at Lake Bogoria provides a relatively recent analogue for lake marginal zeolites found in many ancient saline, alkaline lake sediments.     

Analysis of input data and seismic hazard assessment for the low seismicity area ‘Belgium,The Netherlands and NW Germany’

From the earthquake catalogue of the region of interest 2–8°E, 49–52°N, only events with intensity > 3 are considered. The fore/aftershocks and the induced seismicity are removed. The completeness and other properties of the remaining data set are investigated. The seismic data, as well as the geological, tectonic, and other geophysical data of the area are used for the determination of the seismotectonic zones. For each zone, the cumulative intensity-frequency relation (taking into account the completeness of the catalogue), the attenuation depending on the direction, the upper bound of intensity and the average depth are calculated. When the seismic activity is changing within a zone, this zone is divided into subzones with an almost constant activity and a b value equal to the value of the whole zone. When necessary for each subzone, a different attenuation coefficient can be used, to take into account more regional effects. Then the seismic hazard is assessed with the modified McGuire program. Annual probability versus intensity for several sites and hazard intensity and probability maps are calculated. Finally, an error discussion of the whole procedure for one test site is given.     

Assessment of hydraulic properties of sedimentary and volcanic aquifer systems under arid conditions in the Republic of Djibouti (Horn of Africa)

The Republic of Djibouti (23,000 km²; 500,000 inhabitants), located within the Horn of Africa, undergoes an arid climate with an average annual rainfall less than 150 mm. Water resources are provided up to 98% by groundwater. Two types of aquifers are encountered: volcanic and sedimentary aquifers. This paper focuses on the assessment of their hydraulic properties, which is necessary for future tasks regarding the management of these aquifers. To this end, a data base consisting of all available pumping test data obtained since the 1960s was compiled. Pumping tests have been interpreted to determine transmissivity. Solely for volcanic aquifers, transmissivity also has been estimated through an empirical relationship using specific capacity corrected for turbulent well losses. The transmissivity of each type of aquifer can span up to four orders of magnitude, pointing out their strong heterogeneity. For the various volcanic rocks, the younger the rock, the higher the transmissivity. The transmissivity of volcanic rocks has therefore decreased in the course of geological time. At present, a much better understanding of the hydraulic properties of these complex aquifers has been obtained, which should enable optimal management of their groundwater resources through the use of numerical modeling.

---

Resumen La República de Yibuti (23.000 km², 500.000 habitantes) está situada en el Cuerno de África, donde se han formado diversas unidades volcánicas—basaltos y riolitas—y rocas sedimentarias desde la expansión de los continentes acaecida al inicio de la deriva continental (hace 30 millones de años). La precipitación media anual es inferior a 150 mm. Las rocas volcánicas y sedimentarias, con dimensión inferior a 2.000 km², constituyen acuíferos locales. Los basaltos estratificados forman un acuífero regional que se extiende a más de 9.000 km². La multitud de datos existente ha sido almacenada desde los años 1960 en una base de datos. La transmisividad de estos acuíferos ha sido determinada mediante datos de ensayos de bombeo y una relación empírica que usa la capacidad específica corregida con las pérdidas turbulentas en el pozo. La transmisividad de estos acuíferos se comporta como una variable lognormal, hecho importante para los trabajos previstos de modelación con métodos estadísticos. La transmisividad de cada acuífero puede variar hasta en cuatro órdenes de magnitud, manifestando su gran heterogeneidad. Para los materiales volcánicos, la transmisividad es mayor cuanto más joven es la roca. La permeabilidad de las rocas volcánicas ha evolucionado por tanto con el tiempo geológico. Actualmente, se posee un mayor conocimiento sobre las propiedades hidráulicas de estos acuíferos complejos, de manera que se puede hacer una gestión óptima de sus recursos hídricos subterráneos con la utilización de modelos numéricos.

---

Résumé La République de Djibouti (23,000 km²; 500,000 habitants), située dans la Corne de lAfrique, subit un climat aride avec une pluviométrie moyenne annuelle inférieure à 150 mm. Les ressources en eau sont fournies à plus de 98% par les eaux souterraines contenues dans des aquifères sédimentaires ou volcaniques. Cet article a pour objectif lévaluation des propriétés hydrauliques de ces aquifères, étape indispensable pour entreprendre par la suite des études en vue de la gestion de ces aquifères. Une base rassemblant les données dessais par pompage disponibles depuis les années Soixante a dabord été établie. Les essais par pompage ont été interprétés pour déduire la transmissivité. Concernant les aquifères volcaniques, la transmissivité a également été estimée à laide dune relation empirique reliant la transmissivité et le débit spécifique corrigé des pertes de charge anormales. La transmissivité pour chaque aquifère couvre jusquà quatre ordres de grandeur, montrant la forte hétérogénéité de ces milieux. Pour les roches volcaniques, on observe que la transmissivité est dautant meilleure que la roche est plus jeune. Leur transmissivité a ainsi diminué durant les temps géologiques. La compréhension des propriétés hydrauliques de ces aquifères complexes est à présent bien meilleure, ce qui permet denvisager une gestion optimale de leurs ressources à laide de modèles numériques.

     

Terraced fills of Pleistocene and Holocene age in the Rheidol Valley,Wales

The legacy of repeated Pleistocene glaciations has endowed many Welsh river valleys with locally thick successions of glacial and alluvial sediments. Investigations of a well-preserved flight of terraced sediments with good exposures at Capel Bangor, on the Afon Rheidol, mid-Wales, has allowed its Quaternary valley fill stratigraphy to be examined in detail. Study has revealed five terraced fills consisting of seven distinct sedimentary units. These range from Late Devensian ice-contact and ice-marginal deposits, to Holocene high-sinuosity stream sediments with episodes of man-induced accelerated deposition of fine-grained alluvium, and to aggradation and subsequent incision associated with historic metal mining. Examination of general sedimentary properties (e.g., granulometry, sedimentary structures, terrace surface morphology) show both differences in the pattern and controls of deposition and also progressive changes over Late Devensian and Holocene times. The sediments of the Rheidol Valley record the response and subsequent recovery of a drainage basin to glaciation, and the increasing influence of man on sediment yields, channel processes, and sediment quality.     

A comparison of electrical and electromagnetic methods for the detection of hydraulic pathways in a fractured rock aquifer,Clare Valley,South Australia

Within fractured rock, the irregular and often unpredictable distribution and geometry of hydraulically conductive fractures produces large spatial variations in bore yield and groundwater quality. As fractures act as conduits for flow of both groundwater and electrical charge, methods which can efficiently detect the distribution of electrical pathways can be used to infer characteristics of significant hydrological parameters. This study compares the capabilities and limitations of electrical data obtained from direct current (DC) and electromagnetic (EM) surface azimuthal measurements, and from DC borehole-to-surface and cross-borehole measurements, for the interpretation of major hydrological structures in Clare Valley, South Australia. Electrical and EM surface methods are limited by poor depth sensitivity and the presence of conductive overburden, but provide useful tools for determining directional variations in resistivity at sites lacking bedrock exposure and boreholes. Application of borehole-to-surface methods yielded a better-resolved interpretation of sub-vertical fracture strike and was useful in identifying lateral variations in bedrock heterogeneity. Improved flexibility and sensitivity to measurements at depth permitted cross-borehole electrical tomography data to be used in reconstructing the spatial distribution of sub-horizontal, laterally extensive, electrically conductive zones. While the technique is restricted to small-scale sites with multiple boreholes, inferences can be made on fluid connections over a much larger regional scale. It is important to note, however, that while electrical methods provide valuable information about in-situ hydraulic pathways, they do not provide a complete hydraulic characterisation. Such a task requires integration of surface and borehole geophysics, geologic mapping, sampling and pumping tests of wells with packed-off intervals.

---

Resumen La geometría, y con frecuencia impredecible, distribución irregular de fracturas hidráulicamente conductivas dentro de roca fracturada genera variaciones espaciales grandes en producción de pozos y calidad de agua subterránea. Debido a que las fracturas actúan como conductos de flujo de agua y carga eléctrica, los métodos que detectan eficientemente la distribución de trayectorias eléctricas pueden utilizarse para inferir las características de parámetros hidrológicos significativos. Este estudio compara las capacidades y limitaciones de datos eléctricos obtenidos de mediciones azimutales superficiales electromagnéticas (EM) y de corriente directa (DC), y de mediciones de DC realizadas en la superficie y pozos así como mediciones realizadas entre pozos para la interpretación de estructuras hidrológicas principales en el Valle Clare, sur de Australia. Los métodos superficiales eléctricos y EM están limitados por sensitividad de profundidad pobre y la presencia de cubierta conductiva, pero aportan herramientas útiles para determinar variaciones direccionales de resistividad en sitios que carecen de pozos y afloramientos rocosos. La aplicación de métodos superficiales y de pozos aportan una mejor interpretación del rumbo de fracturas sub-verticales y fue útil en identificar variaciones laterales en la heterogeneidad del macizo rocoso. El mejoramiento de flexibilidad y sensitividad en las mediciones profundas permitió que los datos de tomografía eléctrica de los pozos fuera utilizado en la reconstrucción de la distribución espacial de zonas eléctricas conductivas, sub-horizontales y lateralmente extensas. Aunque la técnica está restringida a sitios de pequeña escala con múltiples pozos, puede realizarse inferencias sobre relaciones entre fluidos en una escala regional mucho más grande. Sin embargo, es importante notar que aunque los métodos eléctricos aportan información valiosa acerca de las trayectorias hidráulicas in-situ, aún no proporcionan una caracterización hidráulica completa. Esta tarea requiere integrar geofísica superficial y de pozos, mapeo geológico, muestreo y pruebas de bombeo en pozos con intervalos sin empaque.

---

Résumé Au sein des roches fracturées, lirrégularité et limprédictible distribution et géométrie des fractures par lesquelles sécoulent leau souterraine produit de larges variations spatiales entre les débits des forages et les paramètres de la qualité de leau. Comme les fractures conduisent et leau et les charges électriques, les méthodes qui peuvent de manière efficiente détecter la distribution des courants électriques peuvent être utilisées pour analyser les caractéristiques des principaux paramètres hydrologiques. Cette étude compare les capacités et les limites des données produites par Courant Direct (DC en Anglais) et par mesure Electromagnétique azimutale de surface (EM en Anglais), et par DC entre surface et forage et entre plusieurs forages, pour linterprétation de la structure hydrologique de la Vallée de Clare, Australie du Sud. Les méthodes électriques et électromagnétiques sont limitées par la faible sensitivité à la profondeur et la présence dune couverture conductrice, mais procure des outils utiles pour déterminer les variations directionnelles en terme de résistivité là où la roche nest pas affleurante et dans les puits. Lapplication de la méthode dinvestigation «forage à surface» apporte une meilleure interprétation des fractures sub-verticales et des hétérogénéités latérales. Les tomographies électriques entre forage bénéficient de la flexibilité et de la sensibilité des mesures en profondeur, et permettent de délimiter lextension latérale des hétérogénéités sub-horizontales de zones conductrices. Alors que la technique est restreinte à de petits sites comprenant de nombreux forages, il est possible de reconstituer les connections hydrauliques à des échelles régionales. Il est important de noter que les méthodes fournissent des informations intéressantes mais pas des caractérisations hydrauliques complètes. Pour cela les données pourraient être complétées par des études plus poussées intégrant les différentes prospections géophysique, les données des cartes géologiques, des échantillonnages et des essais de pompage à différents intervalles de profondeur.

     

The origin of high bicarbonate and fluoride concentrations in waters of the Main Ethiopian Rift Valley, East African Rift system

Thermal waters in the Main Ethiopian Rift Valley are characterized by high Na, bicarbonate and fluoride concentrations, and near-neutral to alkaline pH. Sodium, bicarbonate and fluoride are positively correlated in the waters. The principal reason for the bicarbonate in the area is the high rate of carbon dioxide outgassing. This, combined with acid volcanics, geothermal heating, low Ca and low salinity, is also one of the causes of high fluoride in this part of the active volcanic zone of the East African Rift. Evaporative concentration is responsible for the high salinity, alkalinity and fluoride in the closed-basin lakes of the region. The waters are undersaturated with respect to fluoride and anhydrite. Calcium tends to be fixed in Ca bearing minerals such as calcite and epidote, which are abundant in the system. Hence, it appears that fluoride is a mobile component in acid volcanic geothermal systems.     

The hydraulic conductivity field and groundwater flow in the unconfined aquifer system of the Keta Strip,Ghana

This study investigates the hydraulic conductivity field and the groundwater flow pattern as predicted by a calibrated steady state groundwater flow model for the Keta Strip, southeastern Ghana. The hydraulic conductivity field is an important parameter in evaluating aquifer properties in space, and in general basin-wide groundwater resources evaluation and management. This study finds that the general hydraulic conductivity of the unconsolidated unconfined aquifer system of the Keta Strip ranges between 2 m/d and 20 m/d, with an average of 15 m/d. The spatial variation in horizontal hydraulic conductivity appears to take the trend in the variations in the nature of the material in space. Calibrated groundwater recharge suggests that 6.9–34% of annual precipitation recharges the shallow aquifer system. This amount of recharge is significant and suggests high fortunes in terms of groundwater resources development for agriculture and industrial activities in the area. A spatial distribution of groundwater recharge from precipitation is presented in this study. The spatial pattern appears to take the form of the distribution in horizontal hydraulic conductivity, and suggests that the vertical hydraulic conductivity takes the same pattern of spatial variation as the horizontal hydraulic conductivity. This is consistent with observations in other areas. The resulting groundwater flow is dominated by local flow systems as the unconfined system is quite shallow. A general northeast – southwest flow pattern has been observed in the study area.     

Competitive adsorption,release and speciation of heavy metals in the Yellow River sediments,China

The competitive adsorption and the release of selected heavy metals and their speciation distribution before and after adsorption in the Yellow River sediments are discussed. The adsorption of metals onto sediments increases with increasing pH value and decreases with increasing ionic strength. The competitive coefficient K _c and the distribution coefficient K _d are obtained to analyze the competitive abilities of selected heavy metals, which are ranked as Pb > Cu >> Zn > Cd. The competition among selected heavy metals becomes more impetuous with increasing ion concentration in water. Speciation analysis was done by an improved analytical procedure involving five steps of sequential extraction. Cu, Pb and Zn were mainly transformed into the carbonate-bound form (50.8–87.7%) in adsorption. Most of (60.7–77.3%) Cd was transformed into the exchangeable form, and the percentage of carbonate-bound Cd was 19.7–30.4%. The release reaction was so quick that the release capacity of selected heavy metals from sediments to aqueous solution reached half of the maximum value only in 30 s. As opposed to adsorption, the release capacities of selected heavy metals were ranked as Cd > Zn >> Cu > Pb. In this study, Cd produces the most severe environmental hazards, because its concentration in the release solution is 85.8 times more than the human health criteria of US EPA.     

Physical properties of the triassic host strata and their relations with gold mineralization in Youjiang Rift, South China

Micro-fine disseminated gold deposits are hosted in the Triassic Baipeng Formation (argillaceous siltstone and arenaceous mudstone)in the Youjiang Rift,South China.Physical properties(grain size,specific surface,porosity and permeability)of the host rocks are studied with respect to ore-fluid cirulation,water-rock reaction and the effective volume from which ore-components could be extracted.On this basis,it is considered that the ore-fluid and oremetals were extracted mainly from the strata and hydrothermal solutions,tending to move to wards low-energy sites,depositing their gold in fault zones at the margins of the basin and in the circle fracture systems around underwater uplifts.The gold deposits resulted from the deepcirculation of hydrothermal solutions,Probably aided by multi-stage superimposition The quantites of ore-fluid necessary to form the deposits were estimated.     

Migration and speciation transformation mechanisms of mercury in undercurrent zones of the Tongguan gold mining area,Shaanxi Loess Plateau and impact on the environment

In order to study the migration and transformation mechanism of Hg content and occurrence form in subsurface flow zone of gold mining area in Loess Plateau and its influence on water environment, the field in-situ infiltration test and laboratory test were carried out in three typical sections of river-side loess, alluvial and proluvial strata in Tongguan gold mining area of Shaanxi Province, and the following results were obtained: (1) The source of Hg in subsurface flow zone is mainly caused by mineral processing activities; (2) the subsurface flow zone in the study area is in alkaline environment, and the residual state, iron and manganese oxidation state, strong organic state and humic acid state of mercury in loess are equally divided in dry and oxidizing environment; mercury in river alluvial or diluvial strata is mainly concentrated in silt, tailings and clayey silt soil layer, and mercury has certain stability, and the form of mercury in loess is easier to transform than the other two media; (3) under the flooding condition, most of mercury is trapped in the silt layer in the undercurrent zone where the sand and silt layers alternate with each other and the river water and groundwater are disjointed, and the migration capacity of mercury is far less than that of loess layer and alluvial layer with close hydraulic connection; (4) infiltration at the flood level accelerates the migration of pollutants to the ground; (5) the soil in the undercurrent zone is overloaded and has seriously exceeded the standard. Although the groundwater monitoring results are safe this time, relevant enterprises or departments should continue to pay attention to improving the gold extraction process, especially vigorously rectify the small workshops for illegal gold extraction and the substandard discharge of the three wastes, and intensify efforts to solve the geological environmental problems of mines left over from history. At present, the occurrence form of mercury in the undercurrent zone is relatively stable, but the water and soil layers have been polluted. The risk of disjointed groundwater pollution can not be ignored while giving priority to the treatment of loess and river alluvial landform areas with close hydraulic links. The research results will provide a scientific basis for water conservancy departments to groundwater prevention and control in water-deficient areas of the Loess Plateau.     

Luminescence chronology of non‐glacial sediments in Changeable Lake,Russian High Arctic,and implications for limited Eurasian ice‐sheet extent during the LGM

A 10.5 m core from Changeable Lake in the Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago just north of the Taymyr Peninsula intersects ca. 30 cm of diamicton at its base, interpreted as a basal till. Because the upper 10.13 m of this core consists of non‐glacial sediments, a maximum numeric age for these non‐glacial sediments would provide a clear lower limit to the timing of the last glaciation in the area of Changeable Lake. Radiocarbon (¹⁴C) dating of several materials from this core yielded widely scattered results. Consequently we applied photonic dating to sediments above the diamicton. The experimental single‐aliquot‐regenerative (SAR) dose fine‐grain method was applied to two samples, using the ‘double SAR’ approach. With one exception, these fine‐grain SAR results and the results of application of the SAR method to sand‐sized quartz grains from two samples, at ca. 9.95 m and ca. 10.05 m depth, are discrepant with age estimates from the multi‐aliquot infrared‐photon‐stimulated luminescence (IR‐PSL) method applied to fine grains. Multi‐aliquot IR‐PSL dating of 10 samples produces ages increasing monotonically from ca. 4 ka at 2 m to 53 ± 4 ka at 9.97 m. These self‐consistent multi‐aliquot IR‐PSL ages, along with limiting ¹⁴C ages of >47 ka at ca. 10 m, provide direct evidence that glacial ice did not advance over this lake basin during the Last Glacial Maximum, and thus delimit the northeastern margin of the Barents–Kara Sea ice‐sheet to somewhere west of this archipelago. The last regional glaciation probably occurred during marine isotope stage (MIS) 4 or earlier. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.