Metal and metalloid leaching from tailings into streamwater and sediments in the old Ag–Pb–Zn Terramonte mine,northern Portugal

Tailings deposited over the Castanheira, a stream which flows through the old Ag–Pb–Zn Terramonte mine area, showed a great potential environmental risk due to sulphide weathering, facilitated by the tailings–water interaction. The high concentrations of Al, Fe, Pb and Zn in the tailings are associated with the exchangeable, reducible and sulphide fractions and suggest sphalerite and pyrite occurrences. Oxidation of pyrite is responsible for the low pH values (3.38–4.89) of the tailings. The water from the Castanheira stream is not suitable for human consumption due to high concentrations of SO₄ ^2?, Mn, Al, Cd, Ni, and Pb. The lowest concentrations of metals and metalloids were detected in downstream stretches of the Castanheira. However, As, Fe and Zn in deeper sediments tend to increase downstream. Significant concentrations of trivalent forms of arsenic were detected in water samples. In downstream stretches of the Castanheira, some free ions (Fe²⁺, Mn²⁺ and Zn²⁺) also predominate and the water is saturated with ferrihydrite, goethite, hematite, lepidocrosite and magnetite.     

Radiative forcing and climate impact resulting from SO2 injections based on a 200,000-year record of Plinian eruptions along the Central American Volcanic Arc

We present for the first time a self-consistent methodology connecting volcanological field data to global climate model estimates for a regional time series of explosive volcanic events. Using the petrologic method, we estimated SO₂ emissions from 36 detected Plinian volcanic eruptions occurring at the Central American Volcanic Arc (CAVA) during the past 200,000 years. Together with simple parametrized relationships collected from past studies, we derive estimates of global maximum volcanic aerosol optical depth (AOD) and radiative forcing (RF) describing the effect of each eruption on radiation reaching the Earth’s surface. In parallel, AOD and RF time series for selected CAVA eruptions are simulated with the global aerosol model MAECHAM5-HAM, which shows a relationship between stratospheric SO₂ injection and maximum global mean AOD that is linear for smaller volcanic eruptions (<5 Mt SO₂) and nonlinear for larger ones (≥5 Mt SO₂) and is qualitatively and quantitatively consistent with the relationship used in the simple parametrized approximation. Potential climate impacts of the selected CAVA eruptions are estimated using an earth system model of intermediate complexity by RF time series derived by (1) directly from the global aerosol model and (2) from the simple parametrized approximation assuming a 12-month exponential decay of global AOD. We find that while the maximum AOD and RF values are consistent between the two methods, their temporal evolutions are significantly different. As a result, simulated global maximum temperature anomalies and the duration of the temperature response depend on which RF time series is used, varying between 2 and 3 K and 60 and 90 years for the largest eruption of the CAVA dataset. Comparing the recurrence time of eruptions, based on the CAVA dataset, with the duration of climate impacts, based on the model results, we conclude that cumulative impacts due to successive eruptions are unlikely. The methodology and results presented here can be used to calculate approximate volcanic forcings and potential climate impacts from sulfur emissions, sulfate aerosol or AOD data for any eruption that injects sulfur into the tropical stratosphere.     

A new geotechnical method for natural slope exploration and analysis

Natural Hazards - Geotechnical investigation of natural slopes is challengeable especially when natural slopes having higher gradients and access is difficult. Also, it is even more problematic to...     

Shallow necking depth and differential denudation linked to post‐rift continental reactivation: The origin of the Cenozoic basins in southeastern Brazil

The southeastern Brazilian margin presents post‐breakup Cenozoic tectonism that created a series of grabens and small sedimentary basins, known as the Continental Rift of Southeastern Brazil. The formation of this rift occurred long after the South Atlantic ocean opening and has been attributed to different mechanisms like regional uplift induced by hotspot activity, pulses of Andean orogeny and reactivation of pre‐existing faults. However, the proposed models lack an analytical or numerical verification from a geodynamic point of view. Based on finite element modelling of the lithospheric stress field evolution we conclude that a shallow necking depth, consistent with the hyperextended southeastern Brazilian margin, combined with differential denudation of the continent, resulted in an extensional stress field in the upper crust that induced the observed Cenozoic tectonism.     

Sequence hierarchy in a Mesoproterozoic interior sag basin: from basin fill to reservoir scale,the Tombador Formation,Chapada Diamantina Basin,Brazil

The Tombador Formation exhibits depositional sequence boundaries placed at the base of extensive amalgamated fluvial sand sheets or at the base of alluvial fan conglomeratic successions that indicate basinward shifts of facies. The hierarchy system that applies to the Tombador Formation includes sequences of different orders, which are defined as follows: sequences associated with a particular tectonic setting are designated as ‘first order’ and are separated by first‐order sequence boundaries where changes in the tectonic setting are recorded; second‐order sequences represent the major subdivisions of a first‐order sequence and reflect cycles of change in stratal stacking pattern observed at 10² m scales (i.e., 200–300 m); changes in stratal stacking pattern at 10¹ m scales indicate third‐order sequences (i.e., 40–70 m); and changes in stratal stacking pattern at 10⁰ m scales are assigned to the fourth order (i.e., 8–12 m). Changes in palaeogeography due to relative sea level changes are recorded at all hierarchical levels, with a magnitude that increases with the hierarchical rank. Thus, the Tombador Formation corresponds to one‐first‐order sequence, representing a distinct intracratonic sag basin fill in the polycyclic history of the Espinhaço Supergroup in Chapada Diamantina Basin. An angular unconformity separates fluvial‐estuarine to alluvial fan deposits and marks the second‐order boundary. Below the angular unconformity the third‐order sequences record fluvial to estuarine deposition. In contrast, above the angular unconformity these sequences exhibit continental alluvial successions composed conglomerates overlain by fluvial and eolian strata. Fourth‐order sequences are recognized within third‐order transgressive systems tract, and they exhibit distinct facies associations depending on their occurrence at estuarine or fluvial domains. At the estuarine domain, they are composed of tidal channel, tidal bar and overlying shoreface heterolithic strata. At the fluvial domain the sequences are formed of fluvial deposits bounded by fine‐grained or tidal influenced intervals. Fine grained intervals are the most reliable to map in fourth‐order sequences because of their broad laterally extensive sheet‐like external geometry. Therefore, they constitute fourth‐order sequence boundaries that, at the reservoir approach, constitute the most important horizontal heterogeneity and, hence, the preferable boundaries of production zones. The criteria applied to assign sequence hierarchies in the Tombador Formation are based on rock attributes, are easy to apply, and can be used as a baseline for the study of sequence stratigraphy in Precambrian and Phanerozoic basins placed in similar tectonic settings.     

Organic carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in the intertidal sediments from the Yangtze Estuary, China

The natural isotopic compositions and C/N elemental ratios of sedimentary organic matter were determined in the intertidal flat of the Yangtze Estuary. The results showed that the ratios of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes were respectively −29.8‰ to − 26.0‰ and 1.6‰–5.5‰ in the flood season (July), while they were −27.3‰ to − 25.6‰ and 1.7‰–7.8‰ in the dry season (February), respectively. The δ¹³C signatures were remarkably higher in July than in February, and gradually increased from the freshwater areas to the brackish areas. In contrast, there were relatively complex seasonal and spatial changes in stable nitrogen isotopes. It was also reflected that δ¹⁵N and C/N compositions had been obviously modified by organic matter diagenesis and biological processing, and could not be used to trace the sources of organic matter at the study area. In addition, it was considered that the mixing inputs of terrigenous and marine materials generally dominated sedimentary organic matter in the intertidal flat. The contribution of terrigenous inputs to sedimentary organic matter was roughly estimated according to the mixing balance model of stable carbon isotopes.     

Radiation–hydrodynamical collapse of pre-galactic clouds in the ultraviolet background

To explain the effects of the ultraviolet (UV) background radiation on the collapse of pre-galactic clouds, we implement a radiation–hydrodynamical calculation, combining one-dimensional spherical hydrodynamics with an accurate treatment of the radiative transfer of ionizing photons. Both absorption and scattering of UV photons are explicitly taken into account. It turns out that a gas cloud contracting within the dark matter potential does not settle into hydrostatic equilibrium, but undergoes run-away collapse even under the presence of the external UV field. The cloud centre is shown to become self-shielded against ionizing photons by radiative transfer effects before shrinking to the rotation barrier. Based on our simulation results, we further discuss the possibility of H₂ cooling and subsequent star formation in a run-away collapsing core. The present results are closely relevant to the survival of subgalactic Population III objects as well as to metal injection into intergalactic space.