The crystal structure of bøgvadite (Na2SrBa2Al4F20)

The crystal structure of bøgvadite, Na₂SrBa₂Al₄F₂₀, has been solved and refined to a R₁ factor of 4.4 % from single-crystal data (MoKα X-ray diffraction, CCD area detector) on a sample from the cryolite deposit at Ivittuut, SW Greenland. Bøgvadite is monoclinic, P2₁/n space group, with unit cell parameters a?=?7.134(1), b?=?19.996(3) and c?=?5.3440(8) Å, β?=?90.02(1)^o. A close proximity of the crystal structure to an orthorhombic symmetry and the presence of the two twin components in a nearly 1:1 ratio suggest that the investigated bøgvadite crystal has originally formed as a high-temperature orthorhombic polymorph which on cooling transformed to the stable low temperature monoclinic structure. The bøgvadite crystal structure has groupings of cation-fluoride coordination polyhedra similar to those found in the crystal structures of the genetically closely associated minerals jarlite and jørgensenite. However, its structure type is different from the latter two. The fluoridoaluminate framework of bøgvadite consists of infinite zig-zag chains of cis-connected AlF₆ coordination octahedra. The ¹ _∞[AlF₅] chains are interconnected by infinite chains of Na-F coordination polyhedra which extend in the same direction. Na is coordinated by nine F atoms if its full surrounding is taken in consideration, but makes significant chemical bonds only to closest five. The chains of AlF₆ and NaF₉ coordination polyhedra form double layers. In the centre of layers, relatively large voids in the form of pentagonal antiprisms are occupied by Sr atoms which make chemical bonds with the closest six F atoms. Between the SrF₁₀ coordinations in the centre of layers run empty channels. The double layers are interconnected by Ba atoms which are coordinated by eight F atoms and fill the spaces between the layers. Bøgvadite belongs to the group of fluoridoaluminates with infinite chains of cis-connected AlF₆ coordination octahedra, alike those found in the crystal structures of Ba-fluoridoaluminates.     

Feeding intensity and molecular prey identification of the mantis shrimp,Oratosquilla oratoria (De Haan, 1844), in the Tianjin coastal zone of Bohai Bay

Bohai Bay, a representative semi-enclosed bay of China, has been severely impacted in recent decades by rapid human development. Although the mantis shrimp Oratosquilla oratoria plays an important role in the Bohai Bay ecosystem and fishery, its feeding ecology and the impact of habitat changes on its feeding habits are poorly known. In this study, we sought to identify its feeding strategy through the separation of stomach contents, and to describe its trophic ecology during maturation in the Tianjin coastal zone of Bohai Bay by the DNA barcoding method using a fragment (about 690 bp) of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (CO I) gene. A total of 594 specimens were collected from March to July 2018, and 347 (58.42%) stomachs were found to have food remains. More than half of the O. oratoria individuals had poor feeding activity, and the degree of feeding of females was higher than that of males, but there was no significant difference in the visual fullness index and the fullness weight index (FWI) between sexes for each month. In addition, the feeding activity of O. oratoria was consistent across the months, suggesting in artificial breeding programs it is not worried too much about the accessional diet supplied to the female bloodstocks except maintaining their normal food. A total of 167 retrieved prey items yielded 187 readable sequences; 86.63% of these sequences could be assigned to the species level. Consequently, 25 different prey taxa covering all readable sequences were identified, showing O. oratoria is a generalist predator. In terms of percent composition by frequency of occurrences (%N), crustaceans and fishes accounted for the same and highest percentage (35.83%) in the mantis shrimp diet, followed by mollusks (24.59%) and the remaining marine organisms (3.73%) including Polychaeta (2.67%), Sagittoidea (0.53%), and Chromadorea (0.53%). The result shows the benthic fish Oxudercidae (family) appears to be an especially important food supply for O. oratoria during maturation. The degree of cannibalism decreased with an increase in diet species and the frequencies of cannibalism in this study was noticeably higher than that in previous studies, suggesting that cannibalism may be a significant feeding strategy in the mantis shrimp O. oratoria in the Tianjin coastal zone of Bohai Bay, and because of the frequently cannibalistic behavior, the high stocking density of broodstocks should be avoided.     

High-latitude dust deposition in snow on the glaciers of James Ross Island,Antarctica

High-latitude dust (HLD) depositions on four glaciers of James Ross Island (the Ulu Peninsula) were analysed. The deposition rate on the selected glaciers varies from 11.8 to 64.0 g m⁻², which is one order of magnitude higher compared to the glaciers in Antarctica or elsewhere in the world. A strong negative relationship between the sediment amount and altitude of a sampling site was found. This is most likely caused by the higher availability of aeolian material in the atmospheric boundary layer. General southerly and south-westerly wind directions over the Ulu Peninsula – with exceptions based on local terrain configuration – help to explain the significantly lower level of sediment deposition on San Jose Glacier and the high level on Triangular Glacier. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrophotometry was used to estimate the relative proportions of the main and trace (lithophile) elements in the sediment samples. Both the sediment amount and the XRF results are analysed in a depth profile at each locality and compared among the glaciers, suggesting long-range transport of fine mineral material from outside James Ross Island. The distribution of aeolian sediment among the glaciers corresponds well with the prevailing wind direction on the Ulu Peninsula. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dinosaur tracks from the Cretaceous of South Korea: Distribution, occurrences and paleobiological significance

Abstract   Abundant dinosaur fossils including dinosaur footprints, eggs and nests, teeth and bones have been found from the Cretaceous non-marine deposits of Korea. Among them, dinosaur tracks are the most distinctive, and some track sites are among the most famous in the world. Until now, 27 dinosaur track localities have been discovered from the Cretaceous strata in the Gyeongsang Basin and several small basins. Ornithopod tracks are most abundant at most Korean track sites, and most of them are identified as Caririchnium ; that is, large ornithopod footprints with wide hoof impressions. Most theropod tracks are found in Neungju Basin and they consist of various types of small or medium-sized bird-like footprints, and other large footprints. Sauropod tracks are also abundant in the Gyeongsang Basin. The sauropod tracks vary in size, shape, and pattern of trackway, and suggest that diverse sauropods existed in this area. These diverse tracks in South Korea suggest that various dinosaurs flourished at the margins of lakes distributed in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula during the Cretaceous.     

Hydrocarbon accumulation model of the Cretaceous in southern China

The Cretaceous in southern China is mainly a set of red and mauve clastic rock, with evaporation layers. For lack of source rock, it has been paid little attention to in the exploration process. With the development of research on hydrocarbon exploration, the masses of Cretaceous reservoirs and shows have been found in recent years. This means that the Cretaceous has great exploration potential. According to the research, authors find that the high-quality reservoir and efficient cap rocks develop in the Cretaceous. At the same time, the Cretaceous and underlying Paleozoic-Early Mesozoic marine strata and overlying Cenozoic nonmarine strata constitute a superimposed basin. Moreover, high-quality source rocks developed in the above-mentioned two sets of strata. In the south, especially in the middle and lower Yangtze region since the Himalayan strong rift was associated with a large number of faults, These faults connect the Cretaceous reservoir and its overlying and underlying source rocks, forming the fault-based and unconformity-based discontinuous source-reservoir-cap accumulation assemblages. Because the Cretaceous has the abundant oil and gas from Paleogene source rocks or Mesozoic-Paleozoic source rocks with secondary hydrocarbon generation ability, three types of reservoirs develop in the Cretaceous: “new-generating and old-reservoiring” reservoirs, “old-generating andnew-reservoiring” reservoirs, and few “self-generating andself-reservoiring” reservoirs. The hydrocarbon enrichment depends on two key factors. Firstly, Cretaceous reservoirs are near to the source kitchens, so its oil and gas source is ample. Secondly, the fault system is well developed, which provides the necessary conducting systems for hydrocarbon accumulation.     

极端波浪条件下黏土质斜坡海床稳定性解析

海洋资源开发引起海底软黏土的结构性破坏,导致土体强度弱化,在百年一遇的极端波浪作用时极易发生斜坡海床的局部失稳甚至大范围海底滑坡,给海洋工程建设和正常运营带来严重影响。目前,主要采用极限平衡法评价这类海底斜坡,但该法只能给出近似解。基于极限分析上限方法,推导了极端波浪诱发的波压力对斜坡海床的做功功率,建立了外力功与内能耗散率平衡方程;利用最优化方法,结合数值积分和强度折减技术,求解了不同时刻的斜坡海床稳定性系数,并针对扰动后的斜坡海床开展了有限元解的对比验证。在此基础上,深入探讨了不同波浪参数(波长、波高和水深)和坡长小于一个波长等极端条件下的海底斜坡稳定性。     

红层软岩边坡生态防护技术探讨

红层软岩边坡,土质贫瘠,浅层稳定性差,生态防护失效的现象比较突出。为提高西部红层软岩边坡生态防护的可靠性,在对西部红层软岩地区铁路、公路边坡生态防护状况进行调研和分析的基础上,总结红层软岩边坡生态防护失败的原因,吸取经验教训,提出适于红层软岩边坡的生态防护方法和适合该区栽植的草木品种及配置方法。     

Creep of saturated materials as a chemically enhanced rate‐dependent damage process

Material behaviour that exhibits characteristics of creep induced by a spontaneous mineral dissolution enhanced by material damage is studied. It is believed that the characteristic rates of the chemical processes involved determine the time‐rate dependence of the resulting strain. A basic model of a combined chemo‐plastic softening and chemically enhanced deviatoric strain hardening for saturated geomaterials is presented. Chemical softening is postulated to occur as a consequence of the net mass removal resulting from dissolution and precipitation of specific minerals occurring at the damage‐generated inter‐phase interfaces. Closed and open systems are discussed. In the former case, deformation at constant stress results entirely from a local compensation mechanism between the chemical softening and strain hardening. The classical three stages of creep are interpreted in terms of mechanisms of dissolution and precipitation, as well as the variation in the reaction surface areas involved in the mass exchange. In an open system, the above local mechanism is enhanced by the removal of mass via diffusion of species affecting the mass balance. Such a system is addressed via a boundary value problem as shown in an example. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Case Study on the Rapid Rain-to-Snow Transition in Late Spring 2018 over Northern China: Effects of Return Flows and Topography

Phase changes in the precipitation processes of early winter and late spring in midlatitude regions represent chal- lenges when forecasting the timing and magni...