Inducing mineral precipitation in groundwater by addition of phosphate

Background

Induced precipitation of phosphate minerals to scavenge trace elements from groundwater is a potential remediation approach for contaminated aquifers. The success of engineered precipitation schemes depends on the particular phases generated, their rates of formation, and their long term stability. The purpose of this study was to examine the precipitation of calcium phosphate minerals under conditions representative of a natural groundwater. Because microorganisms are present in groundwater, and because some proposed schemes for phosphate mineral precipitation rely on stimulation of native microbial populations, we also tested the effect of bacterial cells (initial densities of 10⁵ and 10⁷ mL^-1) added to the precipitation medium. In addition, we tested the effect of a trace mixture of propionic, isovaleric, formic and butyric acids (total concentration 0.035 mM).

Results

The general progression of mineral precipitation was similar under all of the study conditions, with initial formation of amorphous calcium phosphate, and transformation to poorly crystalline hydroxylapatite (HAP) within one week. The presence of the bacterial cells appeared to delay precipitation, although by the end of the experiments the overall extent of precipitation was similar for all treatments. The stoichiometry of the final precipitates as well as Rietveld structure refinement using x-ray diffraction data indicated that the presence of organic acids and bacterial cells resulted in an increasing a and decreasing c lattice parameter, with the higher concentration of cells resulting in the greatest distortion. Uptake of Sr into the solids was decreased in the treatments with cells and organic acids, compared to the control.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the minerals formed initially during an engineered precipitation application for trace element sequestration may not be the ones that control long-term immobilization of the contaminants. In addition, the presence of bacterial cells appears to be associated with delayed HAP precipitation, changes in the lattice parameters, and reduced incorporation of trace elements as compared to cell-free systems. Schemes to remediate groundwater contaminated with trace metals that are based on enhanced phosphate mineral precipitation may need to account for these phenomena, particularly if the remediation approach relies on enhancement of in situ microbial populations.     

Correlation of the middle devonian formations of Australia

In the Precambrian rocks west and southwest of the Mount Isa Fault three significant fold generations are recognized. Within individual successions, units containing an early phase of deformation are juxtaposed by a late fault against a sequence that does not share these earlier events.

Many of the large‐scale structures in the Judenan Beds are first‐generation folds, whereas west of the Judenan Beds the area is dominated by second‐generation folds. These two sets of folds are tentatively correlated and are referred to as the Judenan Folds. An earlier set of pre‐Judenan folding is only found in the units west of the Judenan Beds. One phase of the Sybella Granite is also associated with the Judenan folding. Later small‐scale folds associated with a crenulation cleavage are, however, of little regional importance and are commonly found only in zones of highly deformed rocks.     

A highstand oolitic sequence and associated facies from a Late Triassic lake basin, south-west England

High energy, lake‐shoreline carbonate sequences are rarely documented in the geological record. However, one example occurs in the Upper Triassic Mercia Mudstone Group (MMG) of southern Britain. The MMG is one of a number of thick, non‐fossiliferous mudstone deposits associated with North Atlantic Mesozoic rift basins. The origin of the MMG mudstones is the subject of current debate, with marine, playa‐lacustrine and alluvial–aeolian models having been proposed. Shoreline features have been documented from the northern margin of the basin, but the rarity of such features elsewhere in the MMG has led many workers to doubt a lacustrine origin for the mudstones. Wave‐dominated, lake‐shoreline deposits have been recognized in several sections from the southern basin margin in the Clevedon area of the Bristol Channel in south‐west England. These deposits provide evidence for the development of a sizeable perennial to semi‐perennial hypersaline lake in which the MMG mudstones accumulated. Shoreline sediments overlie alluvial stream and sheet‐flood deposits, and pass from transgressive gravel–conglomerate beach units with bioclasts, influenced by shore‐normal waves (deposited under semi‐humid conditions), to lower gradient, highstand oolitic sands affected by more varied wave approach (deposited under progressively more arid conditions), which culminated in lowstand, oolitic strand‐plain deposits overlain by a playa‐mudflat unit. Shoreline deposits record a simple shallowing‐upward transgressive–highstand–lowstand sequence. However, a change from a reflective (transgressive) to dissipative (highstand) shoreline is believed to represent a climatically induced change in prevailing wind direction. Shoreline features recognized in the MMG are similar to those of recent playa‐lacustrine basins of the western United States. Ooids display a variety of size, fracture and dissolution features in addition to beachrock fabrics, suggesting that they were originally composed of radial aragonite, similar to modern ooids from the Great Salt Lake, Utah.     

Tufa Accumulations in Ephemeral Streams: Observations from The Kimberley,north-west Australia

Four types of tufa occur along creeks draining the Oscar Range in the Kimberley region of Western Australia; stream-bed tufa, tufa dams, stream-bed tufa waterfalls, and rimstone pools. Well-developed tufa dam and waterfall formations occur at significant breaks of slope within the channel long profile. This suggests that disruption of the hydraulic flow regime and increased turbulence at these points has an important role to play in determining the location of tufa deposits. However, the best-developed stream-bed tufa deposits are located immediately upstream of dam and waterfall formations, which indicates that the evaporation of water ponded behind these flow obstructions may lead to calcium carbonate precipitation during the dry season. The presence of plant and cyanobacterial communities on, and the incorporation of organic material into, the best-developed tufa formations indicates that biological activity may have an important role to play in determining both the rate of tufa deposition and the internal structure of the resulting accumulations.     

The cosmological dependence of galactic specific angular momenta

Hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy formation in spatially flat cold dark matter (CDM) cosmologies with and without a cosmological constant (Λ) are described. A simple star formation algorithm is employed and radiative cooling is allowed only after redshift z =1 so that enough hot gas is available to form large, rapidly rotating stellar discs if angular momentum is approximately conserved during collapse. The specific angular momenta of the final galaxies are found to be sensitive to the assumed background cosmology. This dependence arises from the different angular momenta contained in the haloes at the epoch when the gas begins to collapse and the inhomogeneity of the subsequent halo evolution. In the Λ-dominated cosmology, the ratio of stellar specific angular momentum to that of the dark matter halo (measured at the virial radius) has a median value of ∼0.24 at z =0. The corresponding quantity for the Λ=0 cosmology is over three times lower. It is concluded that the observed frequency and angular momenta of disc galaxies pose significant problems for spatially flat CDM models with Λ=0 but may be consistent with a Λ-dominated CDM universe.     

新疆阿尔泰克因布拉克铜锌矿床地质特征及成矿作用

克因布拉克中型铜锌矿床赋存于早二叠世花岗岩外接触带的上志留统-下泥盆统康布铁堡组黑云石英片岩、变质石英砂岩中。矿床的形成经历了夕卡岩期、热液期和表生期,铜锌矿主要形成于热液期。矿石中石英和方解石流体包裹体划分为H_2O-NaCl型和H_2O-CO_2(±CH_4/N_2)-NaCl型。成矿温度变化于146～448℃,在170℃、270℃和350℃出现峰值;流体盐度变化于0.2%～46.9%NaCl_(eq),峰值为1.5%NaCl_(eq)和5.5%NaCl_(eq);流体的密度0.55～1.19g/cm~3。硫化物的δ~(34)S集中变化于-8.4‰～1.9‰,峰值为0‰,表明硫来自岩浆。石英和方解石δD_(SMOW)介于-130‰～-79‰,δ~(18)O_(SMOW)值介于8.0‰～11.6‰,δ~(18)O_(H2O)值为-1.7‰～4.43‰,表明成矿流体主要是岩浆水,混合大气降水。方解石中δ~(13)C_(PDB)变化于-5.3‰～-1.1‰,暗示碳来自花岗质岩浆。成矿时代为早中二叠世,成矿作用与花岗质岩浆期后的热液活动有关。     

赣南营前岩体的年代学、地球化学、Sr-Nd-Hf同位素组成及其地质意义

赣南营前岩体由早期似斑状花岗闪长岩和晚期细粒黑云母花岗岩组成,在前者中普遍发育暗色基性包体。SHRIMP锆石U-Pb测年显示似斑状花岗闪长岩为172.2±3.1Ma,细粒黑云母花岗岩为168±3Ma,包体为167.6±3.3Ma。所有的岩石均为钙碱性系列,稀土元素显示LREE富集,HREE亏损,Eu负异常并不明显的特征,Nb-Ta负异常显示壳源物质的特征。晚期细粒黑云母花岗岩、早期似斑状花岗闪长岩、暗色包体的(87Sr/86Sr)i和εNd(t)值分别为0.70885～0.70965、0.71058～1.46393、0.70788～0.70923和-6.38～-5.31、-6.51～-5.17、-5.47～-4.31;锆石εHf(t)值分别为-12.4～-5.7、-9.2～-4.2、-9.4～+0.1。结合岩相学、地球化学研究,初步认为营前岩体的两期花岗质岩石源于地壳重熔,地幔底侵导致地壳熔融形成营前岩体,基性岩浆加入到未冷却的酸性岩浆中形成了目前所见到的暗色包体。结合区域上的研究资料,认为中侏罗世期间,沿"十杭"断裂带及与其相平行的一些深断裂发生了板块的撕裂,这些缝合带是岩石圈相对薄弱的地带,有利于幔源物质底侵上升以及壳幔相互作用。     

An approach to modeling climate based on feedback relationships

Feedback occurs between many components of the climate system, and makes the study of climate very difficult. A modeling approach is presented in which feedbacks are represented specifically. Analysis of very simple models shows how feedback between two components affects their behavior; positive feedback increases persistence, and can produce climatic changes even without changes in external forcing. In any quantitative study, the magnitudes of all relevant feedbacks must be known accurately. As an example, it is shown how the effect of CO₂ on global temperature must depend greatly on the feedback between global temperature and ice extent.     

The ammonite faunas of the Osmington Oolite Formation (Jurassic, Middle Oxfordian) of the Dorset coast

A detailed study of the lithologies of each of the beds present in the Osmington Oolite Formation of south Dorset is used to allocate numerous loose-collected ammonites to their correct stratigraphic horizons. Much new material has been collected by the author in addition to the limited amount of material available in museum collections. The age of the faunas of the three constituent members of the Osmington Oolite Formation is each assessed and placed into the context of Middle Oxfordian ammonite sequences elsewhere in England and in Europe.