Considerations for conducting incubations to study the mechanisms of As release in reducing groundwater aquifers

Microbial Fe reduction is widely believed to be the primary mechanism of As release from aquifer sands in Bangladesh, but alternative explanations have been proposed. Long-term incubation studies using natural aquifer material are one way to address such divergent views. This study addresses two issues related to this approach: (1) the need for suitable abiotic controls and (2) the spatial variability of the composition of aquifer sands. Four sterilization techniques were examined using orange-colored Pleistocene sediment from Bangladesh and artificial groundwater over 8 months. Acetate (10 mM) was added to sacrificial vials before sterilization using either (1) 25 kGy of gamma irradiation, (2) three 1-h autoclave cycles, (3) a single addition of an antibiotic mixture at 1× or (4) 10× the typical dose, and (5) a 10 mM addition of azide. The effectiveness of sterilization was evaluated using two indicators of microbial Fe reduction, changes in diffuse spectral reflectance and leachable Fe(II)/Fe ratios, as well as changes in P-extractable As concentrations in the solid phase. A low dose of antibiotics was ineffective after 70 days, whereas autoclaving significantly altered groundwater composition. Gamma irradiation, a high dose of antibiotics, and azide were effective for the duration of the experiment.     

Impact of lightning on organic matter-rich soils: influence of soil grain size and organic matter content on underground fires

A detailed study was carried out on a piece of land that had been struck by lightning during the violent rainstorm that raged over the Island of S?o Miguel (Azores Archipelago) in late October 2006. Temperature and gas measurements (CO₂, CO, H₂S and CH₄) were performed in four study trenches, dug in an area of ∼3 m², where an underground fire had been initiated by the impact with a lightning stroke, followed by the emission of a column of gases and smoke. The soil under study was originally a well-pedogenized about 80 cm thick bed, made of volcanic clayey to silty tephra fallouts and contained 5.5–9.7% of organic matter. The underground fire was monitored for one week and revealed a peak release of 404 ppm CO and 3.4% CO₂ originating from a horizon located about 45 cm under the soil surface. Measurements of temperature, performed one week after the impact, indicated a maximum value of 326°C inside the soil, while 516.5°C were measured on the surface of a lava block interred about 20 cm under the surface. Subsequently, a stratigraphic and sedimentologic study proved the role of the grain-size of the soil and of the organic matter content of the different horizons of the impact area, in determining the ratio between anoxic/oxidised combustion conditions and in the progress of the process itself. It was also noticed that combustion was not total all over in the soil bed and that the process had slightly migrated toward SW during the observation period. The combustion process went on for about ten days, in spite of several other violent rainstorms, until it was artificially extinguished through the excavations made to obtain study trenches. This particular circumstance evidenced the potential natural hazard represented by this kind of atmospheric event, especially in a land where the volcanic nature of the soil may easily mislead inexperienced observers and, consequently, delay proper action.     

Urban consolidation and house prices: a case study of Melbourne 1990–2004

This paper explores the links between a strategic policy, urban consolidation, and house prices by examining the changes in the mix of housing and in house price for the period 1991–2004. We contend that urban consolidation could be seen as a source of additional supply, (which might be expected to be felt in lower prices and so contribute to a local policy objective) but also as a stimulus to demand (by developers who could bid up the price of lots where it was understood more housing could be built). Analyses were carried out at the metropolitan and sub-regional scales using correlation tests. The research finds very weak statistical connections, and concludes that this policy has not been associated with price changes.     

渤海湾盆地新生界生油岩系底界面温度分布

依据渤海湾盆地2000余口测温井的地温梯度数据、地层岩性描述、分层数据以及钻井资料,计算了该盆地各生油岩系底界面的温度。统计结果表明:渤海湾盆地沙河街组大部分凹陷区地层底界面温度介于90℃至150℃,目前仍具有大量生油的温度条件,而在隆起或一些凸起地区,该地层组段温度普遍小于90℃,未能达到生油的温度指标。东营组和孔店组地层也仍具有一定的生油温度条件。研究还表明:地层温度与地层界面埋深密切相关,温度随界面埋深的增大而升高,沉积厚度大的凹陷区地层界面温度大于沉积厚度小的凸起区或斜坡地带,说明地层界面埋深是决定地温高低的主要控制因素,而地温梯度对地层界面温度的影响相对较小。     

The age of the Nantuo Formation and Nantuo glaciation in South China

A U–Pb sensitive high‐resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) age of 654.5 ± 3.8 Ma from an ash bed immediately below the Nantuo Formation in South China provides the lowest age constraint for the Nantuo glaciation, which has been correlated with the global ‘Marinoan’ glaciation. A U–Pb SHRIMP age of 636.3 ± 4.9 Ma from a fallout tuff within the basal layer of the Nantuo Formation, along with the existing age of 635.2 ± 0.6 Ma from its overlying Doushantuo cap carbonate, suggests that the traditionally defined Nantuo Formation may have been deposited in a short time period at the end of the Nantuo glaciation. In combination with available ages globally, the data support a relatively short duration and rapid termination of ‘Marinoan’ glaciations.     

青藏高原西部赛利普中新世火山岩源区:地球化学及Sr-Nd同位素制约

青藏高原拉萨地块西部赛利普地区新生代火山岩依据主量元素可划分为超钾质、钾质和钙碱性系列,主要的岩石类型为粗面安山岩、粗面岩,一个超钾质岩石的40Ar-39Ar年龄为17.58Ma,指示出火山活动为中新世.超钾质、钾质和钙碱性火山岩都显示出富集LREE及LILE(Th、U)、亏损HFSE(Nb、Ta、Ti)的特征.超钾质火山岩具有较高的K2O(6.31%～8.55%)、MgO(6.75%～8.96%)、Cr(270.7×10-6～460.4×10-6)、Ni(142.3×10-6～233.9×10-6)含量,较高的(87Sr/86Sr)i(0.71883～0.72732)和较低的εNd(-14.78～-15.37),指示可能起源于一个前期亏损并经后期俯冲作用改造的富钾的方辉橄榄岩富集地幔源区.钾质火山岩具有比超钾质火山岩低的K2O、MgO、Cr、Ni含量以及高的Ba、Sr含量,初始87Sr/86Sr为0.71553～0.71628,初始143Nd/144Nd为0.51197～0.51198,在空间上与超钾质火山岩共生,可能是前者母岩浆的演化产物.钙碱性火山岩具有较高的Sr(881.7×10-6～1309.2×10-6)、Sr/Y比值(50～108)和较低的Y(12.05×10-6～18.02×10-6),明显亏损重稀土Yb(0.93×10-6～1.30×10-6),类似于典型的埃达克质岩成分特征但相对高钾,并具有相对低的(87Sr/86Sr);(0.70928～0.71374)以及高的εNd(-7.90～-10.91),指示起源于富钾增厚下地壳物质的部分熔融.区域上拉萨地块超钾质岩、钾质岩与N-S向地堑系在空间上共存、时间上相吻合,由此本文认为拉萨地块中新世钾质.超钾质岩和南北向地堑系的形成可能与中新世早期北向俯冲的印度大陆岩石圈断离有关.     

青藏高原东南木里地区二叠纪苦橄岩的Os-Sr-Nd同位素地球化学研究

本文报道了在青藏高原东南木里地区发现的二叠纪苦橄岩和与其共生玄武岩的主微量元素地球化学特征以及Os-Sr-Nd同位素组成。苦橄岩和与其共生玄武岩受地壳混染作用影响较小。根据苦橄岩的Ti/Y比值和初始的Os同位素组成,将木里苦橄岩分为两类:高Ti/Y型苦橄岩和低Ti/Y型苦橄岩,其中高Ti/Y型苦橄岩具有高的γ_(Os)= 5.3～ 10.7和ε_(Nd)= 5.9～ 6.4,与全球典型洋岛玄武岩的Os和Nd同位素组成接近,代表了地幔柱源区的同位素特征;而低Ti/Y型苦橄岩具有低的γ_(Os)=-4.1～ 1.2和ε_(Nd)= 3.2～ 5.0,可能表明受到了SCLM(大陆岩石圈地幔)源区物质的混染。与其共生的玄武岩具有低的γ_(Os)=-3.5～-1.6和ε_(Nd)=-0.6～ 0.7,表明其来自于不同于低Ti/Y型苦橄岩也有异于高Ti/Y型苦橄岩的地幔源区,但是也可能受到了SCLM物质的混染。基于Nd-Os同位素的地幔柱与SCLM的二端元混合模型显示:低Ti/Y型苦橄岩可能是SCLM物质组分与地幔柱起源的苦橄质原始岩浆混合形成的;与苦橄岩共生的玄武岩可能是由地幔柱来源的玄武质岩浆与SCLM小比例熔融的熔体混合形成的。     

四川大陆槽稀土矿床碳酸岩-英碱正长岩锆石U-Pb年代学和Hf同位素性质及其地质意义

川西冕宁-德昌稀土成矿带是中国最重要的稀土成矿带之一,所有稀土矿床均与碳酸岩-正长岩杂岩体有关.前人研究表明,牦牛坪、木落寨和里庄碳酸岩-碱性杂岩体成岩年龄与其相应矿床的成矿年龄基本一致,而大陆槽正长岩年龄与REE矿床的成矿年龄相差甚远.本文对大陆槽碳酸岩、英碱正长岩进行了SHRIMP U-Pb锆石年代学和LA-MC-ICPMS锆石Hf同位素原位测量,它们的形成年龄分别为12.99±0.94Ma、14.53±0.31Ma,表明两者是同时形成的,且与其成矿年龄基本一致.碳酸岩和正长岩的εHf(t)值、Hf模式年龄与它们的εNd(t)值、Nd模式年龄所展现出来的特征一致,说明在其形成过程中有地壳物质的加入.     

三峡库区生基包滑坡监测及成果分析

生基包滑坡监测属于三峡库区奉节县三期地质灾害监测预警项目之一,该滑坡位于长江左岸,临近人口稠密的安坪乡集镇,地理位置重要。三峡水库175 m蓄水后,其变形破坏特征有何表现？对航道安全运营有无潜在威胁？是否会对滑坡体上的重要建筑及村民生产生活构成危害？针对这些问题,首先分析了滑坡的工程地质特征及主要的影响因素;其次,确立以4种监测手段为主、人工巡查为辅的监测方案;通过对大地变形GPS、深部位移、滑坡推力等几种监测方法的运用及对其成果进行分析研究,以实例说明其在滑坡监测中的应用;再次,结合宏观人工巡查进行对照分析,以充分说明大地变形、深部位移和滑坡推力监测在实际运用中的可行性;最后,根据监测结论提出对生基包滑坡防治的建议。