Total mercury content in some marine fish from the Indian Ocean

Total mercury was estimated in liver, gonads and muscle of some of the marine fishes from the Indian Ocean. The highest mercury concentration was observed in the muscle of sharks while the total mercury concentration was practically non-detectable in the liver and gonads. The range of all the values was 0.09–0.21 ppm (wet weight basis) and is quite low to reflect any possible mercury contamination.     

Absorption spectra of Cr3+ in Al2O3 under shock compression

Unpolarized absorption spectra of single crystals of Cr³⁺ doped Al₂O₃ (synthetic ruby) have measured using a new, time-resolving, dispersive, streak photographic system over the range ～350 to ～700 nm during a series of shock loading experiments. The crystal field absorptions assigned to the transition ⁴ A _2g→⁴ T _2g were observed to shift in a series of experiments from 555±1 nm at atmospheric pressure to 503±5 nm at 46 GPa. In a single experiment at 32 GPa the ⁴ A _2g→⁴ T _1g transition was observed to shift from 405±1 to 386±5 nm. The present data extrapolate downwards in compression toward the 10 GPa data of Stephens and Drickamer (1961) although both crystal field absorption energies increase considerably less with compression than predicted by the simple ionic point charge model. The single datum observed for the Racah parameter B, 588±38 cm^?1 at 32 GPa, is consistant with previous results to 10 GPa and the trend of decreasing B, with compression expected from the divergence of the data from the point charge model due to increasing covalancy.     

Core formation in terrestrial planets

Calculations of the radial distribution of the energy released in core formation indicate that the cores of all the terrestrial planets may be expected to receive a disproportionate share of the gravitational energy released. Since the model of the process used in these calculations favors transfer of energy to the mantle, it is likely that other reasonable models of the process will result in even more energy being deposited in the cores of the early planets. The calculations also show that it is necessary for a certain amount of core phase to separate and accumulate, before the energy released by gravitational settling is sufficient to supply the latent heat of fusion of the core phase. The amount of melting required to reach this point varies according to the total mass of the planet, and mass fraction of core, but is not particularly great (<5% for the Earth to ～ 37% for the Moon). In the case of the Moon, this amount of segregation, although large, amounts to a surface layer about 260 km thick, similar to the proposed depth of early wholesale melting. Core separation in terrestrial planets appears to be a self-sustaining process even for fairly small bodies, provided that a small amount of a dense potential core phase is present. Although it seems likely to occur rapidly (within 10⁶–10⁷ years) even for small (Moon-size) bodies, detailed kinetic models will be necessary to specify the time scale.     

Generation and dispersal of fine ash and dust by volcanic eruptions

The volcanic eruptions which generate the greatest quantities of fine ash and dust are those of ignimbrite-forming, plinian, vulcanian and phreatomagmatic types; these are also the eruptions which produce the widest dispersal of this material, attributed to the superior height attained by their eruptive columns. However, much of the fine ash and dust may be rapidly flushed out of the eruptive plume by water, particularly in phreatomagmatic eruptions. Recent studies made on the dispersal and grain-size of pyroclastic deposits produced by examples of plinian and phreatomagmatic types, have yielded estimates of the quantities of material generated in each grain-size class, besides the extent of their dispersal. Not all of the fine volcanic particles are produced by fragmentation at the eruptive vent; in ignimbrite eruptions, there is good evidence for their large-scale generation in and loss from the moving ash flows.     

Channel constituents in beryl

The electronic absorption spectra of Fe²⁺ in non-chromium beryls are examined. Fe²⁺ in the Al-rich six-coordinate site produces absorption bands at about 820 nm and 970 nm polarizedE‖c. Fe²⁺ in the channel produces bands at 820 nm (⊥c) and 2100 nm (‖c). Some blue beryls which are more intensely colored than most aquamarines, have an absorption band at ～700 nm (‖c) which is suggested to arise from an Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ intervalence interaction. Fe²⁺ in both the six-coordinate site and the channel is identified in the Mössbauer spectra. The Mössbauer spectra of deep blue beryls are unusual and have not been satisfactorily explained. Color changes which accompany heating and irradiation are strongly influenced by the channel iron.     

Tunicate species as marine pollution indicators

Tunicates may serve as marine pollution indicators for monitoring the release of industrial and/or radioactive wastes into the marine environment. Their ability to accumulate certain trace elements from the seawater can be employed in order to define a suitable organism as indicator for some specific pollutants. In this work the concentration of the elements cobalt, zinc, chromium, caesium, silver, iron, rubidium, selenium, scandium and antimony has been determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis and γ-ray spectroscopy, in two tunicates, Microcosmus sulcatus (Pyuridae) and Ciona intestinalis (Cionidae).According to the concentration factors found for these species Ciona intestinalis can be used as indicator for iron, while Microcosmus sulcatus as indicator for the elements selenium, chromium, zinc and cobalt.