Asbestos and other fibrous minerals contained in the serpentinites of the Gimigliano-Mount Reventino Unit (Calabria,S-Italy)

Serpentinites are metamorphic rocks with good technological properties and valuable ornamental characteristics, which have been exploited since ancient times. Actually, their use is limited and monitored in several countries worldwide because they can contain fibrous asbestos minerals that may be carcinogenic. Furthermore, certain types of fibrous minerals can be confused with asbestos, and must therefore be carefully investigated. We have investigated the possible presence of the asbestos and non-asbestos fibrous phases contained in serpentinitic rocks in a meta-ophiolitic sequence from the Gimigliano-Mount Reventino Unit (Southern Italy), which had not been previously assessed. The detection and quantification of asbestos and the correct distinction of the fibrous non-asbestos minerals are very important not only from a scientific point of view, but also from a legislative one. This is especially the case for the administrative agencies that have to take decisions with regards to the implementation of public and occupational health protection measures (e.g., in road yards and quarry excavations). As a consequence of this, serpentinitic rock samples have been characterized in detail through X-ray powder diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive spectrometry, analytical electron microscopy (SEM–EDS and TEM–AEM), differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Two kinds of asbestos and four kinds of non-asbestos fibrous silicates have been detected in the examined samples. In order of decreasing abundance these are polygonal serpentine, chrysotile, fibrous antigorite, tremolite, gedrite and magnesiohornblende. The size, morphology, crystallinity and chemical composition of the fibres were also discussed, in the light of the possible role these properties could play in the carcinogenic effect on human health.     

Comparison of pumping at constant head and at a constant rate for determining the sustainable yield of a well

Determining the yield of a production well remains one of the main problems in hydrogeological studies. Starting from the results of a 3-year-long monitoring of a continuously exploited well functioning at constant head (i.e., at a variable discharge rate), a new pumping style has been examined using numerical models. The objective is to control the impact of pumping on the aquifer in accordance with the principle of sustainability. Different models were developed in a transient state and were calibrated using discharge data of the well during the recession periods. Successively, the trends of the residual outflow from the aquifer system with the well operating at variable discharge and at constant discharge were simulated. The results indicate that the ratio of the volume of water pumped from the well to the volume of residual outflow is a significant indicator of the sustainability of groundwater withdrawals. Modeling confirms that a constant discharge rate can be derived from the information gained through a preliminary production phase of a well at constant head. This approach appears to be particularly useful when the problem is determining the sustainable yield of a single well from aquifers with low hydraulic diffusivity.     

A Functional Data Analysis Approach to Surrogate Modeling in Reservoir and Geomechanics Uncertainty Quantification

Uncertainty quantification for geomechanical and reservoir predictions is in general a computationally intensive problem, especially if a direct Monte Carlo approach with large numbers of full-physics simulations is used. A common solution to this problem, well-known for the fluid flow simulations, is the adoption of surrogate modeling approximating the physical behavior with respect to variations in uncertain parameters. The objective of this work is the quantification of such uncertainty both within geomechanical predictions and fluid-flow predictions using a specific surrogate modeling technique, which is based on a functional approach. The methodology realizes an approximation of full-physics simulated outputs that are varying in time and space when uncertainty parameters are changed, particularly important for the prediction of uncertainty in vertical displacement resulting from geomechanical modeling. The developed methodology has been applied both to a subsidence uncertainty quantification example and to a real reservoir forecast risk assessment. The surrogate quality obtained with these applications confirms that the proposed method makes it possible to perform reliable time–space varying dependent risk assessment with a low computational cost, provided the uncertainty space is low-dimensional.     

桐庐、相山火山-侵入杂岩单颗粒锆石U-Pb年龄

利用单颗粒锆石Ｕ－Ｐｂ法分别测定了桐庐和相山火山－侵入杂岩中早期及晚期形成的岩石单元的结晶年龄,桐庐杂岩体中早期火山岩的喷发年龄为１３４．９Ｍａ,晚期浅成岩的结晶年龄为１３４．４Ｍａ,杂岩体基本上属于同时形成,为早白垩世岩浆活动的产物;相山杂岩体中第二阶段岩石的结晶年龄为１４０．３Ｍａ,最晚阶段超浅成岩的结晶年龄为１３５．４Ｍａ,杂岩体各单元的形成时间相近,为晚侏罗世末期岩浆活动的产物。可见利用单颗粒锆石Ｕ－Ｐｂ年龄能非常有效地讨论一套岩石组合是否是同时间形成的,而这正是火山－侵入杂岩研究的重要内容之一。     

Petrology of potassic alkaline ultramafic and carbonatitic rocks from Planalto da Serra (Mato Grosso State), Brazil

The Planalto da Serra igneous rocks form plugs, necks and dykes of carbonate-rich ultramafic lamprophyres (aillikites and glimmerites with kamafugitic affinity) and carbonatites (alvikites and beforsites). Phlogopite and/or tetraphlogopite, diopside and melanitic garnet are restricted to aillikitic rock-types, whereas pyroclore occurs only in carbonatites. Aillikites and carbonatites are altered to hydrotermalites, having chlorite and serpentine as dominant minerals. Planalto da Serra igneous rock association has kamafugitic affinity (i.e. effusive, ultrapotassic. High LREE/HREE fractionation, incompatible elements data and Sr-Nd isotopes, suggest that the K-ultramafic alkaline and carbonatite rocks originated from a variably metasomatized mantle source enriched in radiogenic Sr. Crustal contamination is negligible or absent. Age values of 600 Ma rule out the geochronological relationship between the investigated intrusions and the Mesozoic alkaline bodies from the Azimuth 125° lineament. The TDM model ages allow to conclude that Planalto da Serra magma is derived from the partial melting of a mantle source metasomatised by K-rich carbonatated melt during the Early to Late Neoproterozoic. On the basis of alkaline magmatism repetitions at 600 Ma and 90–80 Ma we question the subsistence of a stationary mantle plume for so long time.     

华南东段加里东期花岗岩类形成构造背景探讨

根据近年对区域地质调查取得的认识和前人的研究成果,研究了华南东段加里东期花岗岩类的地质产状、分布规律、形成时代以及Nd、Sr同位素特征;结合研究区超镁铁质-镁铁质岩及火山岩的形成时代、震旦纪—奥陶纪的沉积环境、加里东期构造事件的构造变形特征,对加里东期花岗岩类的形成背景进行了探讨。结果表明,加里东期花岗岩类形成于410～460Ma,大部分岩体属于S型花岗岩,岩浆来源于地壳物质的部分熔融;极少数为I型花岗岩,有幔源物质参与。研究区在早古生代不存在与俯冲有关的弧火山岩,也不存在大面积的早古生代I型花岗岩,震旦纪—奥陶纪地层主要形成于浅海环境。研究提出,加里东期花岗岩类主体形成于板内构造环境。     

江西武功山穹隆花岗岩岩石地球化学特征与成因

江西武功山地区发育典型的穹隆花岗岩（变质核杂岩），该区中心部位出露中生代花岗岩类和花岗质片麻岩，近EW向展布的晚古生代－中生代萍乡、安福盆地分别位于其北、南两侧。武功山中生代花岗岩类以富SiO2、K2O，Rb、Th、LREE，贫Ba、Nb，且具明显Eu负异常为特点，同时花岗岩中含有夕线石、石榴子石等富铝矿物，表明属于S型花岗岩，反映陆内构造环境。与中生代花岗岩相比，山庄加里东期花岗闪长岩具有不同的岩石地球化学特点，ISr为0．7066，接近于I型，其构造背景与大陆边缘岩浆弧环境较为相似。中生代花岗岩类具有3个不同的岩相分带，岩石学与地球化学研究表明，不同岩相带具有相似的岩石学和地球化学特征，说明武功山穹隆状花岗岩经历了从三叠纪到早白垩世的演化过程，武功山变质核杂岩伸展构造发育在一个古老的加里东期变质基底之上。通过对该区花岗岩类及花岗质片麻岩的岩石学、地球化学特征分析，为揭示穹隆花岗岩构造的形成机制和地球动力学背景提供了依据。     

浙江泰顺洋滨黄玉斑岩地球化学特征和成因

浙江泰顺洋滨斑岩锡矿成矿母岩为黄玉斑岩类岩脉，长约２ｋｍ，宽２－２０ｍ，岩性可分黄玉钾长花岗斑岩、黄玉二长花岗斑岩和黄英斑岩三种。黄玉含量占１０％－２０％，具火成斑状结构。岩石为强过铝质（Ａ／ＮＫＣ＝１．５７４－１２．９４），高Ｆ／Ｃｌ值（１４６－３０３），高Ｒｂ／Ｓｒ值（５－１２２），高的不相容元素丰度（Ｓｎ＝３１３×１０－６－１０４２×１０－６）而相容元素丰度较低（Ｓｒ＝１０×１０－６－２８×１０－６），稀土配分呈海鸥型，成因上应是Ｓ型含锡斑岩。     

Horashim East: a newly discovered Middle Palaeolithic site in central Israel

Horashim East is a newly discovered Middle Palaeolithic open-air occurrence in central Israel, revealed during a thematic prehistoric survey. Hundreds of lithic items were found, including an early-stage biface, Levallois cores and products. As only a few open-air settlements are known from the Middle Palaeolithic Levant, the discovery of Horashim East sheds new light on human land-use patterns during this period and reinforces the notion that central-eastern Israel was favourable for human settlement throughout the Palaeolithic.     

江西相山火山—侵入杂岩及中基性脉岩形成时代研究

单颗粒锆石U-Pb同位素定年结果表明,在相山西部(尤其是邹家山矿床)两火山旋回的界面之间,存在另一类潜火山岩的侵位,其形成年龄为136.0士2.6 Ma,岩性为潜流纹英安斑岩;相山火山-侵入杂岩中心相碎斑熔岩中的花岗质"团块"属潜火山岩,其形成年龄为134.2土1.9 Ma.火山期后的潜石英二长斑岩及煌斑岩脉的形成年龄分别为129.5士2.0 Ma及125.1±3.1 Ma,从而揭示相山地区的伸展、裂解作用从早白垩世就开始了,明显早于浙、闽沿海地区.