Characterization of the mechanical properties of a claystone by nano-indentation and homogenization

Based on the analyses of mineralogical compositions by X-ray diffraction and microstructure by optical microscopy, the Young’ modulus and hardness of a claystone were characterized by the nano-indentation technique and homogenization method. Three distinct microstructural zones are identified in the claystone: clay matrix, a composite matrix of clay and small mineral grains and imbedded quartz grains. The elastic modulus and hardness of different zones were determined by nano-indentation testing. Based on the statistical analysis of nano-indentation results, the spatial mappings and frequency distributions of elastic modulus and hardness of the different zones were obtained. The elastic moduli of main constituent phases of the claystone are then estimated from the nano-indentation tests. These values were further used for the determination of the macroscopic elastic modulus of the claystone using two different homogenization schemes: the dilute scheme and Mori–Tanaka scheme. The predicted values by the homogenization schemes are compared with experimental data obtained from conventional uniaxial compression tests.     

Periodical mixing of MORB magmas near East Pacific Rise 13°N: Evidence from modeling and zoned plagioclase phenocrysts

Thirty-six basalt samples from near East Pacific Rise 13°N are analyzed for major and trace elements. Different types of zoned plagioclase phenocrysts in basalts are also backscatter imaged, and major element profiles scanned and analyzed for microprobe. Basalts dredged from a restricted area have evolved to different extents (MgO=9.38wt%—6.76wt%). High MgO basalts are modeled for crystalliza-tion to MgO of about 7wt%, and resulted in the Ni contents (≈28 ppm) that are generally lower than that in observed basalts (>60 ppm). It suggests that low MgO basalts may have experienced more intensive magma mixing. High MgO (9.38wt%) basalt is modeled for self-"mixing-crystallization", and the high Ni contents in low MgO basalts can be generated in small scale and periodical self-mixing of new magma (high MgO). "Mixing-crystallization" processes that low MgO magmas experienced accord with recent 226Ra/230Th disequilibria studies for magma residence time, in which low MgO magmas have experi-enced more circles of "mixing-crystallization" in relatively longer residence time. Magma mixing is not homogeneous in magma chamber, however, low MgO magmas are closer to stable composition pro-duced by periodical "mixing-crystallization", which is also an important reason for magma diversity in East Pacific Rise. Zoned plagioclase phenocrysts can be divided into two types: with and without high An# cores, both of which have multiple reversed An# zones, suggesting periodical mixing of their host magmas. Cores of zoned plagioclase in low MgO (7.45wt%) basalt differ significantly with their mantle in An#, but are similar in An# with microlite cores (products of equilibrium crystallization) in high MgO (9.38wt%) basalt, which further shows that plagioclase phenocryst cores in low MgO basalts may have formed in their parental magmas before entering into the magma chamber.     

Ore transport and deposition in the Red Sea geothermal system: a geochemical model

Thermodynamic calculation of distribution of dissolved aqueous species in the Red Sea geothermal brine provides a model of ore transport and deposition in good agreement with observed accumulations of base metal sulfides, anhydrite, and barite.The Red Sea brine is recirculated seawater that acquires high salinity by low-temperature interaction with Miocene evaporites and is subsequently heated to temperatures in excess of 200°C by interaction with recent rift zone intrusive rocks. At temperatures up to 250°C, NaSO^?₄ and MgSO⁰₄ are the dominant sulfur-bearing species. H₂S forms by inorganic sulfate reduction at the higher temperatures but is maintained at a uniform concentration of about 2 ppm by the strength of the sulfate complexes.Chloride complexes solubilize metals at the higher temperatures, and thus sulfide and metals are carried together into the Atlantis II Deep. Below 150°C, the brine becomes supersaturated with respect to chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, and iron monosulfide due to chloride-complex dissociation. Sulfide precipitation rates, based on the rate of brine influx, are in good agreement with measured sedimentation rates. Anhydrite precipitates as crystalline fissure infillings from high-temperature inflowing brine. Barite forms from partial oxidation of sulfides at the interface between the lower hot brine and the transitional brine layer.     

The effects of soil type and chemical treatment on nickel speciation in refinery enriched soils: A multi-technique investigation

Aerial deposition of Ni from a refinery in Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada has resulted in the enrichment of 29 km² of land with Ni concentrations exceeding the Canadian Ministry of the Environment’s remedial action level of 200 mg kg⁻¹. Several studies on these soils have shown that making the soils calcareous was effective at reducing chemically extractable Ni, as well as alleviating Ni phytotoxicity symptoms in vegetable crops grown in the vicinity of the refinery. Conversely, dolomitic limestone additions resulted in increased uptake of Ni in the Ni hyperaccumulator Alyssum murale ‘Kotodesh’, a plant whose use was proposed as a remediation strategy for this area. In this paper we use multiple techniques to directly assess the role soil type and lime treatments play in altering the speciation of Ni in the Welland loam and Quarry muck soils around the refinery and relate these findings to Ni mobility and bioavailability.Stirred-flow dissolution experiments using pH 4 HNO₃ showed that Ni release from the limed Quarry muck and Welland loam soils was reduced (∼0.10%) relative to the unlimed soils (∼2.0%). Electron microprobe analysis (EMPA) identified approximately spherical NiO and Ni metal particles, which are associated with no other metals, and range from 5 to 50 μm in diameter. Synchrotron micro-X-ray absorption fine structure and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopies showed that Ni and Al layered double hydroxide (Ni-Al LDH) phases were present in both the limed and unlimed mineral soils, with a tendency towards more stable (e.g., aged-LDH and phyllosilicate) Ni species in the limed soil, possibly aided by the solubilization of Si with increasing pH. In the muck soils, Ni-organic complexes (namely fulvic acid) dominated the speciation in both limed and unlimed soils.The results reported herein show that both soil type and treatment have a pronounced effect on the speciation of Ni in the soils surrounding the Port Colborne refinery. We provide the first evidence that Ni-Al LDH phases can form in anthropogenically enriched mineral field soils at circumneutral pH, and can lead to a reduction in Ni mobility. In the organic soils Ni is strongly complexed by soil organic matter; a property enhanced with liming. Interestingly, increased accumulation of Ni by A. murale grown in the limed muck and loam soils indicates that the plant may be capable of removing Ni from those fractions typically considered unavailable to most plants.     

Geochemistry and petrography of basalt grindstones from the Karak Plateau,central Jordan

Seventeen basalt grindstone fragments from central Jordan's Karak Plateau were studied. Most of these artifacts are vesicular or amygdaloidal with calcite as the dominant mineral filling the voids. The major minerals are olivine (with iddingsite rims), plagioclase, clinopyroxene, magnetite, and apatite. Glass is present in some samples. One basalt fragment is quite different in appearance and composition and may have come from flows closer to the Dead Sea. Grindstone fragment compositions plot in the tephrite‐basanite and basalt fields. A plot of the concentrations of niobium, zirconium, and yttrium reveal that the sample compositions plot in the “within‐plate alkali basalt” and “within‐plate tholeiite” fields. The acquisition of basalts for preparing such implements appears to have been random. Some may have been introduced through trade and migration. Archaeological and environmental studies on the Karak Plateau are urgently needed because Jordan's population growth and economic development are destroying many sites and their environmental contexts. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

SPATIAL PATTERNS OF SUPPORT FOR A NUCLEAR WEAPONS FREEZE*

Support for a Freeze on nuclear weapons is greatest in the East with pockets of support in the Middle West and Pacific Coast States. Factors influencing the spatial pattern are Walker's innovativeness rankings, the number of peace/Freeze activist groups and the pattern of defense employment.     

Adjustments by the Charwell River, New Zealand, to uplift and climatic changes

Major climatic changes and rapid local and regional tectonic movements were common in New Zealand during the late Quaternary and caused a diversity of adjustments in the drainage-basin and piedmont reaches of the Charwell River, which are separated by the Hope Fault. The onset of semi-arid, frigid climates during the latest Pleistocene probably greatly increased hillslope sediment yields in a periglacial environment, and the piedmont reach aggraded as much as 42 m on top of a broad strath. With the return of humid, mesic climates in the Holocene sediment yields decreased as dense forests again mantled the slopes, and the piedmont reach degraded as mush as 81 m. Dating of eleven cut-and-strath terraces by radiocarbon-calibrated weathering rind measurements on greyawake cobbles shows the degradation rates varied greatly during the last 14 ka (1 ka = 1000 yr). Initial degradation rates of < 4 m ka⁻¹ increased to 30 m ka ⁻¹ by 6 ka ago during a mid-Holocene climatic optimum. Since 4 ka ago degradation rates have been only 1.2 m ka⁻¹, comparable to uplift rates in the piedmont reach inferred from marine-terrace studies, and the river is again cutting a broad strath. Each broad strath represents equilibrium conditions attained by this powerful stream during interglacial times despite episodes of being overwhelmed by climatically induced sediment-yield increases during full-glacial climates and having to maintain a long-term degradation rate equal to the uplift rate.The 75–81 m of degradation since formation of the latest Pleistocene fill-terrace tread is the sum of the amount of late Pleistocene valley-floor aggradation and the amount of regional uplift that occurred between the estimated times of major strath formation at about 30 and 0 ka. The 39 m of tectonically induced degradation below the pre-aggradation strath is sufficiently large that post-30 ka uplift may have doubled Holocene degradation rates.Each of the eleven degradation terraces represents pauses of a few centuries in Holocene downcutting. Brief equilibrium conditions were attained by streambed armoring and concurrent growth of riparian plants; both processes progressively increased hydraulic roughness and the shear stresses needed to entrain streambed materials. Occasional floods, possibly from rare cyclones derived from tropical moisture sources, destroyed streambed armor and channel downcutting was renewed. Thus the formation of eleven equilibrium terraces can be accounted for without postulating additional tectonic perturbations or secular climatic changes.     

Groundwater transformation of a low-sulfur to a high-sulfur coal, the Harlem coal of the northern Appalachian basin

The Harlem coal is postulated to have been deposited in raised-bog settings. It was initially deposited as low-sulfur peat, but groundwater of a later origin altered portions of it to high-sulfur coal. The total sulfur content of 172 samples from 31 locations on a moisture- and ash-free basis have a quadrimodal distribution with two major modes at 0.75% S and 2.0%S. Multiple sampling and analyses at specific mine sites indicate that the addition of sulfur of a later origin occurred either laterally adjacent to sandstone channels or vertically adjacent to faults. Significant sulfur addition also occurred above clay partings at these sites. The original low-sulfur nature is preserved where the coal bed is isolated from descending groundwater by a thick impervious layer. Trace-element analyses show high concentrations of mobile elements such as Na and Mn in the high-sulfur coals.     

Morphotectonic evaluation of the Delhi region in northern India,and its significance in environmental management

This paper deals with the morphotectonic evaluation of the Delhi region in northern India to understand its impact on land use and urban development. To accommodate heavy urbanization and population rise (being the capital of India), the area has undergone tremendous environmental degradation resulting from a mismatch between adopted land use and morphotectonic considerations. The geomorphic and drainage signatures of the region have evolved out of interaction of varied geological parameters including neotectonic activities. We have evaluated the changes in the drainage pattern of the Yamuna River in the Delhi region to underline its significance in geomorphic evolution and subsequent land use and/or land suitability. The Yamuna River has shown variations both in channel position and geometry over the last two centuries. The observed migration pattern of the river (shifting of confluences, position and disposition of palaeochannels, etc.,) cannot be attributed to normal river phenomenon and appears to have been effected by neotectonic changes. In addition, some case studies are discussed to underline the significance of geomorphic factors in urban development.