Trace-element composition and zoning in clinopyroxene- and amphibole-group minerals: Implications for element partitioning and evolution of carbonatites

The present work is a first comprehensive study of the trace-element composition and zoning in clinopyroxene- and amphibole-group minerals from carbonatites, incorporating samples from 14 localities worldwide (Afrikanda, Aley, Alnö, Blue River, Eden Lake, Huayangchuan, Murun, Oka, Ozernaya Varaka, Ozernyi, Paint Lake, Pinghe, Prairie Lake, Turiy Mys). The new electron-microprobe data presented here significantly extend the known compositional range of clinopyroxenes and amphiboles from carbonatites. These data confirm that calcic and sodic clinopyroxenes from carbonatites are not separated by a compositional gap, instead forming an arcuate trend from nearly pure diopside through intermediate aegirine–augite compositions confined to a limited range of CaFeSi₂O₆ contents (15–45 mol%) to aegirine with < 25 mol% of CaMgSi₂O₆ and a negligible proportion of CaFeSi₂O₆. A large set of LA-ICPMS data shows that the clinopyroxenes of different composition are characterized by relatively low levels of Cr, Co and Ni (≤ 40 ppm) and manifold variations in the concentration of trivalent lithophile and some incompatible elements (1–150 ppm Sc, 26–6870 ppm V, 5–550 ppm Sr, 90–2360 ppm Zr, and nil to 150 ppm REE), recorded in some cases within a single crystal. The relative contribution of clinopyroxenes to the whole-rock Rb, Nb, Ta, Th and U budget is negligible. The major-element compositional range of amphiboles spans from alkali- and Al-poor members (tremolite) to Na–Al-rich Mg- or, less commonly, Fe-dominant members (magnesiohastingsite, hastingsite and pargasite), to calcic–sodic, sodic and potassic–sodic compositions intermediate between magnesio-ferrikatophorite, richterite, magnesioriebeckite, ferri-nyböite and (potassic-)magnesio-arfvedsonite. In comparison with the clinopyroxenes, the amphiboles contain similar levels of tetravalent high-field-strength elements (Ti, Zr and Hf) and compatible transition elements (Cr, Co and Ni), but are capable of incorporating much higher concentrations of Sc and incompatible elements (up to 500 ppm Sc, 43 ppm Rb, 1470 ppm Sr, 1230 ppm Ba, 80 ppm Pb, 1070 ppm REE, 140 ppm Y, and 180 ppm Nb). In some carbonatites, amphiboles contribute as much as 25% of the Zr + Hf, 15% of the Sr and 35% of the Rb + Ba whole-rock budget. Both clinopyroxenes and amphiboles may also host a significant share (~ 10%) of the bulk heavy-REE content. Our trace-element data show that the partitioning of REE between clinopyroxene (and, in some samples, amphibole) and the melt is clearly bimodal and requires a revision of the existing models assuming single-site REE partitioning. Clinopyroxenes and amphiboles from carbonatites exhibit a diversity of zoning patterns that cannot be explained exclusively on the basis of crystal chemistry and relative compatibility of different trace-element in these minerals. Paragenetic analysis indicates that in most cases, the observed zoning patterns develop in response to removal of selected trace elements by phases co-precipitating with clinopyroxene and amphibole (especially magnetite, fluorapatite, phlogopite and pyrochlore). With the exception of magnesiohastingsite–richterite sample from Afrikanda, the invariability of trace-element ratios in the majority of zoned clinopyroxene and amphibole crystals implies that fluids are not involved in the development of zoning in these minerals. The implications of the new trace-element data for mineral exploration targeting REE, Nb and other types of carbonatite-hosted rare-metal mineralization are discussed.     

Types and spatial combinations of Danxia landform of Fangyan in Zhejiang Province

The prominent types of Danxia landform in Fangyan include enclosed valleys, mesas, peaks, stone columns and grooves etc. Their spatial combinations have regular configurations along the northwest–southeast direction: typical grooves and caves are located in the northwestern Wufengshuyuan mainly; abundant fresh collapsed stones may be observed in central Jimingfeng and Taohuafeng; stone drums and stone columns are in the southeastern Shiguliao particularly; enclosed valleys are encircling joints of peaks and plains from three directions east, west, and south. Their spatial combinations reflect that the developments of Danxia landform have undergone stages of geomorphic cyclical erosion in the form of weathering, collapse, transportation, sedimentation and other processes, together with the “sculpture” of external forces mainly as tectonic uplift. The picturesque Danxia landform began its formation at that point. Danxia landform developed mainly in the strata of Fangyan Formation (K1f) caused by the alluvial fan-braided river phase of anterior fan in the late period of the Early Cretaceous. Regular patterns of weathering of stones and features of braided alluvial phase sediments may be verified by the analysis of three groups of experimental data. Danxia landform of Fangyan is a unique representative of the “adolescent” development type in the application of the World Natural Heritages status in China, by virtue of its outstanding universal aesthetic and scientific value.     

A mass ratio limit for primordial black holes

We augment our scenario for the formation of astronomical objects from macroscopic superstrings by the assumption that the central matter keeps its identity in the fragmentation. From the condition that the angular momentum per mass squared of this matter should be less than the Kerr limit G/c, we obtain upper limits for the ratio of the mass of central black holes M(BH) to the mass M of the host object. This limit is M(BH)/M ≈ 0.001, and, expressed in observed quantities, approximately M(BH)/M ≈ σ²/(v · c) where σ is the r.m.s. velocity, v the rotational velocity and c the velocity of light. The valuesM(BH) agree with the observed behaviour both in order of magnitude and in the variation with velocity dispersion. (© 2003 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Long-term statistics of extreme tsunami height at Crescent City

Historically, Crescent City is one of the most vulnerable communities impacted by tsunamis along the west coast of the United States, largely attributed to its offshore geography. Trans-ocean tsunamis usually produce large wave runup at Crescent Harbor resulting in catastrophic damages, property loss and human death. How to determine the return values of tsunami height using relatively short-term observation data is of great significance to assess the tsunami hazards and improve engineering design along the coast of Crescent City. In the present study, the extreme tsunami heights observed along the coast of Crescent City from 1938 to 2015 are fitted using six different probabilistic distributions, namely, the Gumbel distribution, the Weibull distribution, the maximum entropy distribution, the lognormal distribution, the generalized extreme value distribution and the generalized Pareto distribution. The maximum likelihood method is applied to estimate the parameters of all above distributions. Both Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and root mean square error method are utilized for goodness-of-fit test and the better fitting distribution is selected. Assuming that the occurrence frequency of tsunami in each year follows the Poisson distribution, the Poisson compound extreme value distribution can be used to fit the annual maximum tsunami amplitude, and then the point and interval estimations of return tsunami heights are calculated for structural design. The results show that the Poisson compound extreme value distribution fits tsunami heights very well and is suitable to determine the return tsunami heights for coastal disaster prevention.     

GIS支持下的全球武装冲突数据体系建设评介

地缘环境安全是国家安全的重要组成部分。准确、精细、及时更新的各类地缘冲突信息是全球地缘风险评估和预警的基础。本文全面回顾了以武装冲突为核心的全球地缘冲突数据体系建设的发展历程,剖析了地理时空定位、大数据挖掘等技术的应用进展。在地理信息系统（GIS）技术支持下,对武装冲突内涵和武装冲突事件数据体系总体框架的理解不断深入,生产出一大批高质量的数据集合或数据产品;地缘冲突在主题上逐渐细化,冲突事件记载的空间定位精度从国家发展到更小尺度的地理位置（经纬度）;在网络信息搜索与大数据挖掘技术支持下,武装冲突信息的更新频率从年度更新提高到每小时更新,全球武装冲突数据体系建设初见成效。地缘环境系统科学与地理科学的深度融合、地理大数据与人工智能技术的广泛应用将是推动本学科领域发展的重要动力。     

地震后水汽异常变化初探

研究东日本地震、汶川地震和玉树地震震中及其附近区域在地震前后的水汽时间序列变化。首先分析震中MODIS水汽序列和震中附近探空站点水汽序列在地震前后的变化;然后基于GNSS ZTD与水汽之间的高相关性,以GNSS ZTD代替GNSS水汽,讨论震源区周围IGS站点的ZTD序列变化。研究发现,震后震中及其附近区域水汽值变化出现异常,且距离越近所受影响越大;水汽不断聚积,达到峰值后发生降水。     

GPS掩星技术低轨卫星计划的现状及进展

主要介绍了几个国际上已经实施的GPS掩星计划（GPS／MET，Φrsted,Sunsat,SAC-C,CHAMP)和在研的（COSMIC，ACE）低轨卫星计划的现状及取得的进展。通过总结可知，下一代GPS掩星接收器应具有体积小、质量轻（几百克）、低功耗的特点；能提供实时的卫星物理状态参数；飞行器上的自主计算和控制；星上数据通信和命令解释；所有跟踪数据应符合厘米级精密定轨的要求；能提供掩星和海洋反射实验的测量。     

基于非结构化有限元的三维井地电阻率法约束反演

电磁探测反演是典型的不适定问题,易造成反演结果的多解性,不适定性是反演自身固有的特征,没有求解的附加信息这一本质困难是很难克服的,解决该问题的有效方法是研究约束反演。本文采用目前较为主流的高斯牛顿—共轭梯度法(GN-CG),在反演目标函数中直接施加约束条件,将介质电阻率的取值范围作为先验信息和约束条件以外点罚函数法的方式引入到反演目标函数中,与常规三维电阻率反演目标函数相比,增加了不等式约束项的目标函数,理论上可以压制反演的多解性。通过多种理论模型的测试结果表明,本文基于不等式约束的三维井地电阻率反演算法有效地改善了反演结果的精度,以惩罚函数法施加不等式约束条件的方式是现实可行及有效的。     

On Evaluating Characteristics of the Solute Transport in the Arid Vadose Zone

The transport of bromide (Br) under matric heads of 0, ?2, ?5, and ?10 cm using undisturbed soil columns was investigated for understanding the solute transport in arid soils. Undisturbed soil cores were collected at ground surface, directly below where tension infiltrometer measurements were made in the Amargosa Desert, Nevada, United States. Laboratory experiments were conducted by introducing water containing Br tracer into a soil column maintained at steady‐state conditions. The observed data of breakthrough curves (BTC) were well fitted to an one‐region model, except for the cores at saturation, and a core at the matric head of ?5 cm, from which the observed data were better fitted to a two‐region model. Fitted pore water velocities with the one‐region model ranged from 1.2 to 56.6 cm/h, and fitted dispersion coefficients (D) ranged from 2.2 to 100 cm²/h. Results for the core analyzed with the two‐region model indicated that D ranged from 27.6 to 70.9 cm²/h at saturation, and 25.7 cm²/h at the matric head of ?5 cm; fraction of mobile water (β) ranged from 0.18 to 0.65, and mass transfer coefficient (ω) ranged from 0.006 to 0.03. In summary, the water fluxes and Br dispersion coefficients at investigated matric heads were very high due to the coarseness of the soils and possibly due to preferential flow pathways. These high water fluxes and Br dispersion coefficients would lead to a higher risk of deeper leaching accumulating nitrate nitrogen to the groundwater, and have significant effects on the desert ecosystem.     

Storage and density of soil organic carbon in urban topsoil of hilly cities: A case study of Chongqing Municipality of China

Rapid urbanization results in the conversion of natural soil to urban soil,and consequently,the storage and density of the soil carbon pools change.Taking Chongqing Municipality of China as a study case,this investigation attempts to better understand soil carbon pools in hilly cities.First,the vegetated areas in the study area were derived from QuickBird images.Then,topsoil data from 220 soil samples(0-20 cm) in the vegetated areas were collected and their soil organic carbon(SOC) densities were analyzed.Using the Kriging interpolation method,the spatial pattern of SOC was estimated.The results show that the SOC density exhibited high spatial variability in the urban topsoil of Chongqing.First,the SOC density in topsoil decreased according to slope in the order 2°-6° < 25°-90° < 0°-2° < 6°-15° < 15°-25°.Second,the newly developed areas during 2001-2010 had a lower SOC density than the areas built before 1988.Third,urban parks and gardens had a higher SOC density in topsoil,residential green land followed,and scattered street green land ranked last.For hilly cities,the variability of terrain affects the distribution of SOC.The Kriging results indicate that Kriging method combining slope with SOC density produced a high level of accuracy.The Kriging results show that the SOC density to the north of the Jialing River was higher than the south.The vegetated areas were estimated to amount to 73.5 km2 across the study area with an SOC storage of 0.192 Tg and an average density of 2.61 kg/m2.