Analysis of two-decade meteorological and air quality trends in Rome (Italy)

Theoretical and Applied Climatology - The extreme temperature events are a concern in recent years due to climate variability particularly in India as there is an increase in the temperature...     

Evolution des hydrocarbures dans des sédiments côtiers méditerranéens prélevés à proximité d'un emissaire d'une raffinerie de pétrole

Coastal Mediterranean sediments highly polluted by refinery effluents have been studied for their hydrocarbon content and bacterial activity. The study has taken into account both the distance from the refinery and depth of sampling. Very high hydrocarbon concentrations have been found (1–250 g/kg dry sediment). Micro-organisms in the sediments have a high bacterial activity and a good correlation exists between hydrocarbon concentrations and bacteria able to use these substrates as a carbon and energy source.     

Gem corundum deposits of Madagascar: A review

Madagascar is one of the most important gem-producing countries in the world, including ruby and sapphires. Gem corundum deposits formed at different stages in the geological evolution of the island and in contrasting environments. Four main settings are identified: (1) Gem corundum formed in the Precambrian basement within the Neoproterozoic terranes of southern Madagascar, and in the volcano-sedimentary series of Beforona, north of Antananarivo. In the south, high-temperature (700 to 800 °C) and low-pressure (4 to 5 kbar) granulites contain deposits formed during the Pan-African orogenesis between 565 and 490 Ma. They accompany mafic and ultramafic complexes (ruby deposits of the Vohibory group), skarns at the contact between Anosyan granites and the Proterozoic Tranomaro group (sapphire deposits of the Tranomaro–Andranondambo district), and shear-zone corridors cross-cutting feldspathic gneisses, cordieritites and clinopyroxenites in the Tranomaro, Vohimena and Androyan metamorphic series (biotite schist deposits of Sahambano and Zazafotsy, cordieritites of Iankaroka and Ambatomena). The circulation of fluids, especially along discontinuities, allowed in-situ alkaline metasomatism, forming corundum host rocks related to desilicified granites, biotitites, “sakenites” and “corundumites”. (2) Gem corundum also occurs in the Triassic detrital formations of the Isalo group, as giant palaeoplacers in the Ilakaka–Sakaraha area. Here, sapphires and rubies may come from the metamorphic granulitic terranes of southern Madagascar. (3) Gem corundum deposits occur within the Neogene-Quaternary alkali basalts from Ankaratra (Antsirabe–Antanifotsy area) and in the Ambohitra Province (Nosy Be, Ambato and Ambondromifehy districts). Primary deposits are rare, except at Soamiakatra where ruby in gabbroic and clinopyroxenite xenoliths within alkali-basalts probably derive from mantle garnet peridotites. The blue-green-yellow sapphires typical of basaltic fields are always recovered in palaeoplacer (in karst formed upon Jurassic limestones from the Montagne d'Ambre, Antsiranana Province) and alluvial and soil placers (Ankaratra volcanic massif). (4) Deposits occur within Quaternary eluvial, colluvial and alluvial concentrations, such as high-quality rubies from the Andilamena and Vatomandry deposits.     

Hydrogeochemical modeling of organo-metallic colloids in the Nsimi experimental watershed,South Cameroon

This paper presents a hydrogeochemical modeling code HYDROS, which combines the multi-component transport model with equilibrium speciation module MINTEQA2. The processes of adsorption, aqueous speciation and mineral precipitation/dissolution are represented in the model. The numerical model uses a sequential iterative approach for solving the solute transport and the equilibrium geochemistry modules. Further the transport part is solved using an operator split approach wherein a finite volume method is used for solving the advective equations while a classical finite difference method is employed for solving the dispersive equations. The model performance is evaluated by comparing it with MINTOX for a literature problem. HYDROS is then applied to the case study of the transfer of transition metals with organic colloids in the swamp groundwater system of the experimental Nsimi watershed, representative of the humid tropical ecosystem of the South Cameroon Plateau. Field observations at the site swamp system suggest that the carbon is mainly transferred as organic colloids (i.e., dissolved organic carbon) produced by the slow biodegradation of the swamp organic matter. Using HYDROS, the behaviour of Al(III) and Fe(III) elements in the base flow system is simulated during inter rain events of a short rainy season (May–June 1996). The elemental time-series for Al, Fe, Cl, pH compare well with the simulation results. The colloids are found to have a strong impact on the mobilization and transfer of Al(III) and Fe(III), which are considered to have low mobility in weathering environment.     

The origin of the strong soft excess and puzzling iron line complex in Mkn 841

Mkn 841 has been observed during 3 different periods (January 2001, January 2005 and July 2005) by XMM‐Newton for a total cumulated exposure time of ∼108 ks. We present in this paper a broad band spectral analysis of the complete EPIC‐pn data sets. These observations confirm the presence of the strong soft excess and complex iron line profile known to be present in this source since a long time. They also reveal their extreme and puzzling spectral and temporal behaviors. Indeed, the 0.5–2 keV soft X‐ray flux decreases by a factor 3 between 2001 and 2005 and the line shape appears to be a mixed of broad and narrow components, both variable but on different timescales. The broad‐band 0.5–10 keV spectra are well described by a model including a primary power law continuum, a blurred photoionized reflection and a narrow iron line, the blurred reflection fitting self‐consistently the soft excess and the broad line component. The origin and nature of the narrow component is unclear. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Sedimentary processes and origin of sediment gravity-flow deposits on the western Algerian margin during late Pleistocene and Holocene

Seven piston cores retrieved from the Algerian margin from Oran to 80 km east of Algiers were studied to identify sediment gravity-flow deposits and their sources. At the foot of the slope, five sediment cores indicate a decreasing frequency of turbidite sequences from the transgressive systems tract to the highstand systems tract resulting in lower off-shelf sediment fluxes during the last highstand episode. There is an approximately log-normal frequency distribution of bed thickness that increases for larger grain-size class, but this relationship is frequently altered by truncation of the top of the turbidite sequence. In the deep basin off Algeria, two sediment cores indicate that turbidite sequences are both thicker and more preserved than at the foot of the slope and are observed through the entire sediment core implying various origin of the gravity flow (eustatic change, seismicity).     

Formation of phyllosilicates in a fault zone affecting deeply buried arkosic sandstones: their influence on petrophysic properties (Annot sandstones, French external Alps)

The Restefond fault, located in the Late Eocene-Early Oligocene Alpine foreland basin, affects the well lithified and low porosity Grès d??Annot. The fault core zone is characterized by the occurrence of highly deformed sandstone lenses. Deformation inside the lenses corresponds to mm to sub-mm-spaced cleavage planes rich in phyllosilicates and up to cm-thick and dm-long quartz-calcite pure extensional veins. The cleavages are mostly composed of newly-formed synkinematic white mica and chlorite. By using thermodynamic thermometers based on the chemical composition of chlorite, a temperature of 200?±?20?°C of fault activity was computed. This temperature shows that the Restefond fault was active at burial conditions comprised between 6.5 and 8?km, assuming a mean geothermal gradient between 25 and 30?°Ckm^?1. The petrophysic properties of sandstones from the core zone and in the hanging and foot wall of the fault were determined on drilled plugs following three spacial directions. The permeability of the highly deformed sandstone from the core zone is about one order of magnitude higher than in the host rock. This increase in permeability occurs in the direction parallel to the S?CC structures and is explained by the occurrence of well-connected micropores localized between platy phyllosilicates. This study shows that the fault petrophysic properties are mostly controlled by the precipitation of synkinematic phyllosilicates under deep burial conditions.     

A New Understanding of the Provinces of the Amazon Craton Based on Integration of Field Mapping and U-Pb and Sm-Nd Geochronology

New conventional and sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe zircon U-Pb dating has led to a new understanding of the subdivision and evolution of the Amazon Craton during Precambrian time, with major improvements and changes made to the previous Rb-Sr based model. The interpretation of U-Pb and Sm-Nd isotopic data identifies eight main Precambrian tectonic provinces in the Craton, with ages ranging from 3.1 to 0.99 Ga. Some of the provinces were generated by accretional, arc-related processes (Carajás, Transamazonic, Tapajós-Parima and Rondônia-Juruena) and others by recycling of continental crust (Central Amazon, Rio Negro and Sunsas). The exposed Archean crust is restricted to the east (Carajás and south Amapá in Brazil) and north (Imataca in Venezuela) of the craton, indicating that the Amazon Craton is largely a Proterozoic crust. The Carajás-Imataca (3.10–2.53 Ga) and Transamazonian (2.25–2.00 Ga) Provinces are composed predominantly of granite-greenstone terranes. The Tapajós-Parima (2.10–1.87 Ga) and Rondônia-Juruena (1.75–1.47 Ga) Provinces represent new crust added as orogenic belts, while the Rio Negro (1.86–1.52 Ga) and Sunsas (1.33–0.99 Ga) Provinces originated mainly by magmatic-tectonic recycling of the above two orogenic belts. The only zone with a prominent northeast trend is the poorly known K'Mudku Shear Belt, characterized by a 1.20 Ga shear zone which deforms the rocks of at least three different provinces (Rio Negro, Tapajós-Parima and Transamazonic). The Central Amazon Province comprises mostly Orosirian volcano-plutonic rocks (Uatumã Magmatism) and is a terrane in which the exposed crustal structure and deformation are pluton-related. The Sm-Nd T_DM model ages and _Nd suggest that the Central Amazon Province was generated by the partial melting of Archean continental crust (Carajás Province?), perhaps related to underplating that began at the end of the Tapajós-Parima Orogeny (1.88–1.86 Ga).