Chemical and environmental isotope study of precipitation in Syria

Waters from a network of rainfall collection covering nine meteorological stations distributed mainly in the western part of Syria have been assayed using chemical and environmental isotope techniques for a period of 5 months from Dec 1989 to Apr 1990. The chemistry of rain waters falling over the mountainous stations shows a low solute concentration (20–105 mg⁻¹/L) compared with those falling over the coastal and anterior stations (50–210 mg⁻¹/L). The rain waters are generally characterized by a high deuterium excess (d = 19 ‰) compared with that of typical global meteoric waters (d = 10 ‰). The estimated deuterium excess is lower than that for the eastern Mediterranean meteoric waters (d = 22 ‰). The altitude effect is shown up by a depletion of heavy stable isotopes of about −0·23 ‰ and −1·65 ‰ per 100 m elevation of δ¹⁸O and δD, respectively. The spatial distribution pattern of tritium contents shows a gradual build up with increasing distance from the Syrian coast. The weighted mean tritium content in rain waters falling over the country is estimated to amount to 9·5 tritium units (TU) during the period of observation.     

Magmatism and metallogeny of the Ridanj-Krepoljin belt (eastern Serbia) and their correlation with northern and eastern analogues

In the southwestern Carpathians of SW Romania and E Serbia calc-alkaline Upper Cretaceous-Paleogene subduction related magmatic rocks occur in two main zones. The Ridanj-Krepoljin belt (E Serbia) represents the southern part of the western zone. In this belt Early Maastrichtian dacites and subordinate andesites occur, but there are indications of an unexposed granodioritic (?) magmatism about 60 Ma old. Pb-Zn-Ag and only subordinate Cu mineralization is associated with this igneous activity. The Timok magmatic complex (E Serbia) composed of Upper Cretaceous (-Paleocene?) andesites and analogue intrusives represents the eastern zone south of the Danube. Associated with this magmatism are Cu (+Au) and very subordinate Zn (±Pb) mineralization. To the north (SW Romania) in both zones mainly intrusive bodies (diorites, quartz diorites, granodiorites, monzonites) of Campanian-Paleocene age are exposed. Porphyry copper (+Mo) and in north Pb-Zn (±Cu) mineralization are related to those intrusives. The petrological and geochemical features of all these calc-alkaline rocks are very similar. It appears, however, that the associated polymetallic and the copper mineralization are both spatially and vertically separated.     

Phlogopite in the generation of olivine-melilitites from Namaqualand, South Africa and implications for element fractionation processes in the upper mantle

Major and trace element and Sr, Nd and Pb isotope analyses are presented for thirteen olivine-melilitites from Namaqualand, South Africa. Major element variations are consistent with derivation from carbonated garnet-peridotite at depths of at least 100 km and trace element abundances indicate melt fractions of 4%. Ubiquitous negative K anomalies and low, buffered K₂O concentrations are interpreted to reflect the effect of residual phlogopite during melting. It is suggested that phlogopite stability and low melt potassium saturation concentrations are enhanced by high CO₂/(CO₂ + H₂O) conditions. Residual phlogopite can also account for low measured Rb/Sr, Ba/Sr and Th/U ratios in the melilitites. REE abundances are controlled by residual garnet and hence Sm/Nd ratios are low (0.13–0.18). U/Pb ratios vary from 0.05 to 5 and are a function of Pb concentration which is in turn controlled by residual Pb-rich phase (probably sulphide). Nd and Sr isotopes are comparable with OIB from St. Helena, although two samples extend to higher ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios. Present day Pb isotopes are much more variable and partly reflect radiogenic growth since emplacement as a result of the highly variable U/Pb ratios.

Many of the trace element characteristics of the melilitites are distinct from those of within-plate potassic magmas despite both being derived from phlogopite-bearing, enriched mantle source regions. This can be attributed to the depth at which source enrichment occurred and the subsequent control exerted by phlogopite and carbonate during melting. In contrast to melilitites, potassic magmas are derived from shallower depths under low CO₂/(CO₂ + H₂O) conditions and at higher temperatures at which phlogopite melts more readily.

The incompatible element ratios of the melilitites are also similar to those both observed in HIMU ocean island basalts (OIB) and inferred for HIMU OIB source regions from isotope variations (viz, low Sm/Nd, Rb/Sr, K/Nb, Th/U and high U/Pb and Ce/Pb). It is suggested that HIMU OIB's may be derived from sources that have been subject to enrichment by a melt generated in the presence of residual phlogopite.     

Determination of paleoheat-flux using multiple thermal indicator tomography

Multiple thermal indicator tomography is a non-linear inversion procedure which permits simultaneous determination of geological, chemical kinetic, and thermal parameters in the burial and thermal histories of sediments. The procedure is based on inverting measurements with depth in a well of multiple thermal indicators, each of which must have experienced the same thermal history. For two wells from diverse geological settings, tomography is used to assess the paleoheat-flux variations with time most consistent with all the thermal indicator data. Resolution and sensitivity of the results are also addressed. For the case history of well X in the North Sea, with both vitrinite reflectance and sterane isomer thermal indicators, a generally decreasing heat flux from past to present is obtained roughly halving every 50 Ma. The activation energy for the sterane isomer is also determined simultaneously to be 42±20 kJ/mole. For the second case history of the Irma Mclean well in the onshore Gulf of Mexico, data from four thermal indicators are available: vitrinite reflectance, sterane and hopane isomers, and sterane aromaticity. A general decrease in paleoheat-flux from amount 2.8 heat flux units (HFU) at 100 MaBP to 1.25 HFU at the present day is obtained, the activation energy for the sterane isomer is simultaneously determined to be around 50±20 kJ/mole, while the corresponding values are around 80±20 kJ/mole for the hopane isomer, and around 65±20 kJ/mole for sterane aromatization.     

Turbulent dissipation of cold air lake in a basin

Summary Problems of turbulent dissipation of a cold air lake (CAL) and the inversion layer bordering CAL on the upper boundary are presented and studied with the compound model. In wintertime such cold air lakes can persist for days even if rather strong winds are blowing above them. The required conditions for CAL dissipation are removed processes of its formation or maintenance, as well as a sufficiently strong invasion of turbulence in the inversion layer from above down-wards. By this, the inversion layer at first becomes stronger and dissipation is stopped, until the increase of turbulent kinetic energy of the upper flow enables further dissipation. Such turbulent dissipation process is shown by the model for typical conditions and for different initial values of the relevent variables.With 6 Figures     

Experimental determination of U and Th partitioning between clinopyroxene and natural and synthetic basaltic liquid

Clinopyroxene-silicate liquid partition coefficients for U and Th have been determined by particle track radiography from 1 atm crystallization experiments at controlledfO₂. Two natural basaltic and one synthetic composition were studied atfO₂ values from the NiNiO oxygen buffer to 1 log unit more oxidizing than FeFeO (IW+ 1). Over the range offO₂ values and compositions studied,D_U^cpx/liq = 0.0034–0.015,D_Th^cpx/liq = 0.008–0.036, andD_ThD_U= 3.4–1.1. With decreasingfO₂,D_ThD_U can decrease by up to a factor of 3 for a given composition, primarily from an increase inD_U^cpx/liq, which we interpret as resulting from an increase in the proportion of tetravalent U in the system with decreasingfO₂. This demonstrates that crystal-liquid UTh fractionation isfO₂ dependent and that U in terrestrial magmas is not entirely tetravalent.D_Th^cpx/liq appears to decrease in the two basalts at the lowestfO₂, possibly as a result of changes in composition withfO₂.

Our data show the sense of UTh fractionation by clinopyroxene-liquid partitioning is consistent with previous experimental determinations, in thatD_Th^cpxD_U^cpx> 1 in all cases. This indicates that, during partial melting, the liquid will have aTh/U ratio less than the clinopyroxene in the source. The observed²³⁸U²³⁰Th disequilibrium in MORB requires that the partial melt should have aTh/U ratio greater than the bulk source, and, therefore, cannot result from clinopyroxene-liquid partitioning. Further, the magnitudes of the measured partition coefficients are too small to generate significant UTh fractionation in either direction. Assuming that clinopyroxene contains the bulk of the U and Th in MORB source, our results indicate that²³⁸U²³⁰Th disequilibrium in MORB may not be caused by partial melting at all.     

Numerical instabilities of a local transmitting boundary

A local transmitting boundary is presented in a compact form, which can be directly incorporated into finite elements. The accuracy of the boundary is studied thoroughly for a one-dimensional model in order to clarify numerical instabilities introduced by the boundary. Discretization of the model and reflection from the boundary are rigorously considered in the study, and the mechanism of the instability is then illuminated in the frequency domain by the amplification of reflection from the boundary and the multi-reflection of wave motion in a finite computational region. Typical characteristics of the instability in the time domain are illustrated by numerical results of the simple model and explained completely by the mechanism. On the basis of this understanding of the mechanism, a modified transmitting boundary is devised and its stability criterion is given for the one-dimensional model.     

A nonlinear deformation modulus based on rock mass classification

Summary This paper describes the development of an empirical nonlinear stress dependent expression for the deformation modulus of rock masses based on rock mass classification. The expression defines the deformation modulus as the ratio of the deviator stress at failure to the major principal strain at failure. The Hoek and Brown failure criterion is used to predict the deviator stress at failure. Research was directed toward developing a failure criterion defining the major principal strain at failure. The expression for the deformation modulus was extended to rock mass conditions through correlations with observed deformations from case history studies and predicted deformations from finite element analyses.     

Isoprenoid alkanes with irregular “head-to-head” linkages

A lightly biodegraded crude oil from the Tolkinsk field (Upper Jurassic), situated in north-west Siberia, was found to contain a series of C₂₈–C₃₉ isoprenoid alkanes. Most of these components contain a pristane unit linked head-to-head with other isoprenoid units. The structures of these components were elucidated by mass spectral interpretations, comparisons with a synthesised standard and by reference to data published previously in the literature. These results extend the carbon number range, the variety of structural types, and the number of reported occurrences of these compounds in geological samples. These results provide further evidence for a contribution of bacterial cell-wall lipids to crude oils.