Oxygen isotopic ratios in fine quartz silt from sediments and soils of southern Africa

Fine quartz silt (1–10μm dia, important in aerosol dust) isolated from a large number of soils, as well as Phanerozoic shales, sandstones and recent sands of the southern African stratigraphie column (Carboniferous, Permian and Triassic) exhibits a mean δ¹⁸O of 12.2 ± 2.1%0. These values are similar to those reported for South Pacific pelagic sediments and adjacent land areas of similar latitude but are lower than those reported for this size fraction of 30 Mesozoic and Paleozoic shales (20.7 ± 1.8%.) and soils from mid-continental U.S.A., for aerosol quartz in the North Pacific pelagic sediments, and for eolian caps in high-elevation soils of Hawaii. The lower oxygen isotopic ratios in fine quartz silt of southern Africa reinforces the earlier indication that Southern Hemisphere detritai sedimentary reservoirs contain a higher proportion of igneous and metamorphic quartz (lower δ¹⁸O) and less lowtemperature authigenic quartz (higherδ¹⁸O) than Northern Hemisphere detritai sediments. The difference reflects climates, as continents drifted in latitude.     

Gold contamination of the fine fraction of till during sampling and sample preparation

Contamination of gold ring and natural gold grains into plastic capsules used in INAA analysis and the fine fraction of till (0.064 mm) have been studied. An artificial contamination of till samples with a gold ring caused Au contents of 100–600 ppb in the fine fraction. A few rubbings of plastic capsules with a gold ring gave Au amounts of 15–170 ng per capsule. Natural gold grains of sizes 0.1–1.0 mm added into “gold-free” till samples before drying and sieving caused Au contents of 1–27 ppb into the fine fraction. In a regional geochemical survey an anomaly of a few hundreds of square kilometers with concentrations of 100–600 ppb Au in the fine fraction of till was observed. Later studies showed that this area was very low in Au, concentrations being generally below one ppb. The anomaly was interpreted as a contamination caused by the gold rings of the samplers.     

Late Quaternary fine silt deposits of Jammu,NW Himalaya: Genesis and climatic significance

The fine silt deposits of Jammu (J & K State, India) stretch all along the Siwalik foothills from Jammu to the Potwar Plateau in Pakistan. The post-Siwalik deposits, first discussed by de Terra and Paterson (1939), are attributed to wind action. The deposits termed as ‘Potwar loessic silt’ comprising sandy silt are essentially of late Quaternary age (75–18 ka) and are re-looked herein from the point of view of genesis and climatic significance. The sorting, skewness and kurtosis parameters of fine silts of Jammu suggest fluvial environment of the deposits wherein the water budget fluctuated. The weak pedogenesis of fine silts at certain intervals corroborate to periods of less or no sedimentation. The bivariant plot studies further suggest fluvial environment of deposition for the fine silt at Jammu, with regular fluctuations in the budget of river water that was perhaps in consonance with oscillations in the climate of the region.     

Investigating high zircon concentrations in the fine fraction of stream sediments draining the Pan-African Dahomeyan Terrane in Nigeria

Sixteen hundred stream sediments (<150 μm fraction) collected during regional geochemical surveys in central and SW Nigeria have high median and maximum concentrations of Zr that exceed corresponding Zr concentrations found in stream sediments collected from elsewhere in the World with similar bedrock geology. X-ray diffraction studies on a sub-set of the analysed stream sediments showed that Zr is predominantly found in detrital zircon grains. However, the main proximal source rocks (Pan-African ‘Older Granites’ of Nigeria and their Proterozoic migmatitic gneiss country rocks) are not enriched in zircon (or Zr). Nevertheless, U–Pb LA-ICP-MS dating with cathodoluminescence imaging on detrital zircons, both from stream sediment samples and underlying Pan-African ‘Older Granites’ confirms a local bedrock source for the stream sediment zircons. A combination of tropical/chemical weathering and continuous physical weathering, both by ‘wet season’ flash flooding and ‘dry season’ unidirectional winds are interpreted to have effectively broken down bedrock silicate minerals and removed much of the resultant clay phases, thereby increasing the Zr contents in stream sediments. The strong correlation between winnowing index (Th/Al) and Zr concentration across the study area support this interpretation. Therefore, ‘anomalous’ high values of Zr, as well as other elements concentrated in resistant ‘heavy’ minerals in Nigeria’s streams may not reflect proximal bedrock concentrations of these elements. This conclusion has important implications for using stream sediment chemistry as an exploration tool in Nigeria for primary metal deposits associated with heavy minerals.     

细粒含量对粉土动孔压发展模式影响的试验研究

采用多功能静动液压剪切仪进行了粉土动荷载下的孔压试验,探讨了黏粒含量和粉粒含量对重塑粉土动孔压发展的影响。试验模拟大震时细粒含量影响的孔压发展规律,对已有的指数形式孔压模式进行修正,以便模拟初始液化发生后达到一定液化程度的实际情况,该模式包含2个参数a和b。研究结果表明,细粒含量对粉土动孔压发展影响较大,其影响主要体现在孔压发展模式参数b上。粉土中粉粒含量与孔压参数b的关系呈单调的线性关系,而黏粒含量与孔压参数b的关系则不是单调的线性关系,是在黏粒含量为8 %时孔压参数b达到的最大值,试验数据验证该修正的动孔压模式有更广泛的应用性。     

Lignin as an indicator of the sedimentation conditions on the Arctic shelf

It is shown for the first time that the proportion of lignin in shelf deposits may range from 1/3 to the total concentration of organic carbon. The distribution of wood residues and lignin in the studied sedimentary formation is very uneven, which reflects the dynamic flux environment of sedimentation and OM supply. The calculated molecular indexes showed that most of the OM in deposits underwent insignificant diagenetic alterations.     

Variability in oceanic dissolved iron is dominated by the colloidal fraction

Oceanic surface and deep iron distribution and size fractionation were investigated on three cruises in the sub-tropical and tropical Atlantic Ocean. Detailed profiles and transects were collected and analyzed for “dissolved” Fe (DFe, 0.4 μm filtered) and “soluble” Fe (SFe, 0.02 μm filtered). The difference between DFe and SFe is inferred to be the “colloidal” fraction of Fe (CFe). SFe concentration distributions and profiles showed little variability in the Atlantic Ocean with slightly lower concentrations of SFe in the upper ocean than the relatively uniform concentrations observed in deep-water (≈0.3 to 0.4 nmol/kg). In contrast, variability in the Atlantic DFe was dominated by variability in CFe. DFe and CFe followed dust deposition trends, and observed surface maxima in DFe profiles were always due to maxima in the CFe fraction. Where dust deposition and surface DFe were low (i.e., the South Atlantic), the CFe fraction of DFe was low and frequently negligible in surface waters. Below the surface maxima in CFe and DFe, CFe always decreased to negligible levels at 30-80 m, remained low or negligible throughout the pycnocline, and increased with depth below the pycnocline. At a site located on the edge of the equatorial system (10°N), high DFe and CFe concentrations were associated with an oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) at depths of 130 to 1100 m. Deep-water DFe and CFe concentrations varied between water masses depending on the source, age, and path of the water masses. DFe in NADW decreased by 30% from the North Atlantic to the South Atlantic site with most of the decrease due to loss of CFe. At the South Atlantic site, NADW had higher DFe and a higher fraction of CFe than the Antarctic water masses.     

振动沉管碎石桩在淤泥质土地基中的应用研究

对地基土进行加固处理的方法有很多种,但是,对于某一种土质,应用那一种方法效果更好,这是地基加固处理成功的关键。本文通过工程实例,详细介绍了振动沉管碎石桩地基处理技术在淤泥质地基土中的具体应用,对地基加固方法进行了比较,提出了该地基处理方法施工注意事项。该工程竣工已两年时间,地基变形稳定,加固效果良好,值得推广。     

The origin of silt particles in the loess question

Many researchers consider loess as solely the product of glacial activity. Investigations throughout South America, however, have demonstrated that loess and loess-like sediments can be formed during geological periods when glaciation was absent. Loess deposits may be derived from volcanic action, from weathering processes, and as a result of pedogenic activity. Production of silt, regardless of the geologic process, can result in loess formation under suitable climatic conditions.     

Multiple ophiolite generation preserved in the northern Philippines and the growth of an island arc complex

Although all oceanic arcs grow through the addition of subduction-generated magmas, the geology of the northern Philippines demonstrates that a major contribution to arc crustal growth can come from repeated, episodic, intra-arc, back-arc, and/or fore-arc oceanic crust generation with subsequent preservation of the basic–ultrabasic units in the arc complex. At least five episodes of oceanic crust generation are represented in the northern Philippines by preserved ophiolitic sequences and recent intra-arc seafloor spreading. Each episode is distinct in age as confirmed by modern dating techniques, with the ages ranging from pre(?)-Jurassic to Quaternary. Although the Philippines is widely regarded as an amalgamation of allochthonous terranes, a review of the available data shows that there is currently no compelling evidence that these ophiolites are of exotic origin and that they have been tectonically accreted to the Philippine arc complex. Rather, the evidence suggests that most—and possibly all—of the ophiolites were generated as back-arc, fore-arc, or intra-arc crust within the Philippine arc complex. Hence, there is a close spatial association of several ophiolitic terranes of diverse ages spanning 150 Myr that formed as part of the arc complex. Such an association may have arisen from episodic generation of oceanic crust during periods of local extension in a suprasubduction zone setting, which has experienced changing and possibly overlapping subduction from the east and west sides (in the current reference frame). Disruption of the ophiolitic basement terranes has been, and continues to be, effected primarily by wrench faulting. This style of arc growth has implications for the paleotectonic interpretation of ancient ophiolite-arc terranes in continents and the petrologic evolution of island arcs.     

Geochemistry of the thiourea adduct fraction from an Alberta petroleum

The thiourea adducted saturated hydrocarbon fraction (TUA) from a mature Alberta crude oil has been studied in detail. The predominating classes of compounds were found to be the acyclic isoprenoids, alkylcyclohexanes and alkylmethylcyclohexanes. Simulation experiments indicated that the alkylcyclohexanes and the alkylmethylcyclohexanes may have been formed by the advanced diagenesis of biologically occurring fatty acids.     

江苏徐宿地区粉土的基本特性及加固方法研究

对江苏徐宿地区的粉土进行试验研究,发现该地区粉土具有弱可塑性、低粘结性、高分散性及强度较小等特征。通过对石灰、石灰+水泥和SEU-2型固化剂稳定该地区粉土进行无侧限抗压强度试验及干缩性能试验研究,认为采用SEU-2型固化剂稳定效果较好。     

The Molecular Composition of Lignin as an Indicator of Subaqueous Permafrost Thawing

The concentration and molecular composition of phenols, lignin derivatives, were analyzed. The material for the study was sampled from bottom sediments and subaqueous perennial frozen rocks from a well drilled in the Buor-Khaya Gulf of the Laptev Sea. The analysis was undertaken on the basis of calculation of the molecular factor. The principal difference in the molecular composition of organic matter is shown. This difference is manifested in the decrease in the total concentration of the vanillic lignin derivatives in the thawed formations in comparison with the perennial frozen rocks. This phenomenon is explained by activation of the bacterial transformation of organic matter caused by thawing of the subaqueous permafrost. It was established that the weight percentage of lignin in the organic matter of the analyzed sediments is 17% C_org.

     

Hydromechanical behaviour of an expansive bentonite/silt mixture in cyclic suction-controlled drying and wetting tests

To further our knowledge of coupling between the hydraulic cycles and mechanical behaviour of the swelling soils, this paper presents an experimental study on a bentonite/silt mixture using an odometer with suction controlled by the osmotic technique. A loading/unloading cycle was applied to each of the samples at different constant suctions (0, 2, 3 and 8 MPa). Moreover, successive wetting and drying cycles were applied under constant vertical stress at a suction range of 0 to 8 MPa, followed by a loading/unloading cycle at similar suctions (0, 2, 3 and 8 MPa). Finally, the compression curves of the aforementioned suctions with and without the application of suction cycles were compared, so as to analyse the influence of hydraulic cycles on the soil fabric and the mechanical parameters. It is observed that the wetting and drying cycles applied to both the micro- and macrostructure significantly influenced the virgin compression index λ(s), the apparent preconsolidation stress p₀(s) and the elastic compression index values κ. However, the hydraulic cycles imposed only on the micro- or macrostructure induce negligible changes in the mechanical parameters of the soil.     

An overview of the role of weathering in the production of quartz silt

Quartz silt is a widespread detrital sediment with large aeolian (loess) and alluvial silt deposits forming important components of many contemporary landscapes. Despite research findings which indicate that a range of opportunities exist for the comminution of quartz into silt particles within a wide variety of geomorphic environments (e.g. glacial grinding, fluvial comminution, aeolian abrasion, frost weathering, salt weathering, insolation weathering and deep weathering), the ‘glacial-aeolian’ hypothesis has traditionally been favoured as the most likely explanation for loess formation and loess is seen as primarily a Quaternary phenomenon. As a consequence there has been a tendency to underestimate sediment inputs into loess systems by geomorphological processes operating within pre-Quaternary environments. In particular, earth scientists may have considerably underestimated the role of weathering in global silt generation, as there are now many references to the existence of a patchy but widespread distribution of pre-Quaternary weathering profiles across the glacial and periglacial landscapes of the Northern Hemisphere (e.g. North America, British Isles, north and central Europe), landscapes within which many of the classical loess deposits are located. These observations suggest that weathering profiles may have covered large tracts of the Northern Hemisphere land surface prior to the Quaternary glaciations. This, in turn, may have important implications for quartz silt generation as: (1) experimental studies indicate that many weathering processes are capable of generating significant quantities of silt-sized debris, and (2) particle characteristics displayed by saprolitic material that has developed on quartz rich crystalline source rocks often include significant quantities of either silt-sized material, or quartz grains that are weakened by weathering derived microfractures. Thus, weathering profiles may represent ‘mines’ of actual and potential quartz silt, available for release into sedimentary systems when these profiles are subsequently reworked by geomorphological processes such as glacial, fluvial and aeolian erosion.     

Origin of loess-like silt in Northern Jakutia,USSR

Sediments of different lithological composition of a common feature — a relict system of thick syngenetic ice wedges — are called ice complexes. Three types of ice complex are distinguished in N Jakutia, with different topographic roles. They formed in the second part of the Upper Pleistocene. Author found that it is not the matter of transportation that accounts for the formation of the main features of their composition, but the specifics of lithogenesis first of all determined by the conditions of cryogenic weathering.     

粉土中筒型基础贯入阻力的研究

筒型基础在海洋工程中应用广泛,贯入阻力的准确计算是筒型基础成功应用的关键。在海洋工程中,粉土是介于砂土与黏土间的特殊土,现有计算方法中将粉土等同于砂土,忽略了黏聚力c对贯入阻力的影响。开展了粉土中筒型基础的现场贯入试验,观测了自重下沉阶段与负压贯入阶段筒型基础贯入阻力与贯入深度的关系,提出了粉土中计算沉贯阻力的方法,并对不同筒端形式的减阻效果进行了深入分析。研究结果表明,采用现有规范方法计算粉土中筒型基础的贯入阻力值较实测值偏小20%,提出的两种方法不仅适用于计算粉土中筒型基础的贯入阻力,而且能够反映负压贯入阶段的减阻效果;尖筒端可使筒端阻力减少50%,减阻环可使筒侧摩阻力减少50%,但减阻环会破坏筒壁周围土体,形成渗流通道,导致负压失效。     

Leaching of nitrate from arable land into groundwater in Sweden

The agricultural influence on the quality of the groundwater in Sweden is mostly associated with infiltration areas. The local conditions here determine the extent of the nitrate leakage. It is evident that certain combinations of factors in normal cropping can give unduly high nitrate concentrations in the groundwater.