Sr,Nd,Pb Isotope Geochemistry and Magma Evolution of the Potassic Volcanic Rocks,Wudalianchi,Northeast China

Wudalianchi volcanic rocks are the most typical Cenozoic potassic volcanic rocks in easten China.Compositional comparisons between whole rocks and glasses of various occurrences indicate that the magma tends to become rich in silica and alkalis as a result of crystal differentiation in the course of evolu-tion.They are unique in isotopic composition with more radiogenic Sr but less radiogenic Pb.^87Sr/^86Sr is higher and ^143Nd/^144Nd is lower than the undifferentiated global values.In comparison to continental pot-ash volcanic rocks,Pb isotopes are apparently lower.These various threads of evidence indicate that the rocks were derived from a primary enriched mantle which had not been subjected to reworking and shows no sign of incorporation of crustal material.The correlation between Pb and Sr suggests the regional heterogeneity in the upper mantle in terms of chemical composition.     

The effects of soil sand contents on characteristics of humic acids along soil profiles

It is generally accepted that the compositions and properties of soil organic matter (SOM) are influenced by many factors. In order to reveal the effects of soil texture on characteristics and dynamics of SOM and its sub-fraction, humic acid (HA), along two soil profiles, a yellow soil profile and a purplish soil profile, under the same climate and vegetation conditions were determined. Results indicate that the decomposition and humification degrees of SOM and HA of the purplish soils are higher than those of the corresponding yellow soils indicated by A/O–A ratios of HAs, TOCs and HA yields of bulk soil samples, nevertheless, the development degree of the purplish soil is lower than that of the yellow soil. The variations of E₄/E₆ ratios of HAs along the soil profiles indicate the overall molecular sizes of HAs decreased downward along the soil profiles. A/O–A ratios of HAs decreased downward along both the soil profiles indicate that humification processes decrease downward along both the soil profiles. Leaching of SOM shows significant effects on the distribution and characteristics of HAs in the yellow soil profile but the purplish soil profile, which is consistent with the higher hydrophobicity of HAs in purplish soils, shows that the distribution characteristics of SOM along the soil profiles are a complex result of the combination of soil texture and characteristics of SOM itself. The remarkably different sand contents are concluded tentatively as one of reasons to the different distributions and dynamics of HAs along the soil profiles, however, to profoundly understand the evolution and transport of SOM along soil profiles needs more researches.     

Considerations on the European Standard EN 14157 Test Methods: Abrasion Resistance of Natural Stones Used for Flooring in Buildings

In Europe, the Wide Wheel abrasion (WWA) test and the B?hme abrasion (BA) test are among the most widely used standard test methods for determining abrasion resistance of natural stones, the former being the reference test method in EN 14157 Standard. However, it is stated in the Annex-A (Informative) of EN 14157 Standard that very limited data are available to provide correlations between these two test methods. To be able to fill this gap, in this study, 25 different natural stones belonging to sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous groups were tested for their abrasion resistance as well as physico-mechanical properties. Also, for a better interpretation of abrasion resistance characteristics of the tested stone materials, relationships between abrasion resistance and physico-mechanical properties were statistically examined. A statistically significant linear correlation (R ² = 0.85; P value = 0.000) was established between the WWA test and the BA test, which could be used in practice for converting the measured abrasion resistance values from one testing method to another. It was also found that the correlation between these two test methods improved significantly (R ² = 0.93; P value = 0.001) when relatively high-porosity stone materials (porosity ≥1%) were separately evaluated. Both methods of abrasion resistance employed in the present study showed statistically significant linear correlations with uniaxial compressive strength and Brazilian tensile strength, the former proving to be a more influencing parameter on resistance to abrasion. Also, from the point view of representing actual abrasion mechanism of stone materials in practice, the necessity of simulating multi-directional foot traffic in abrasion testing methods was discussed. In this respect, the reference test method in the EN 14157 Standard was criticized for not fully meeting this requirement. It was also pointed out that the reference method could have some drawbacks when applied to coarse-grained granitic rocks having cleavable minerals such as plagioclase and orthoclase feldspars.     

Method of Data Reduction and Uncertainty Estimation for Platinum-Group Element Data Using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry

A data reduction method is described for determining platinum-group element (PGE) abundances by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) using external calibration or the method of standard addition. Gravimetric measurement of volumes, the analysis of reference materials and the use of procedural blanks were all used to minimise systematic errors. Internal standards were used to correct for instrument drift. A linear least squares regression model was used to calculate concentrations from drift-corrected counts per second (cps). Furthermore, mathematical manipulations also contribute to the uncertainty estimates of a procedure. Typical uncertainty estimate calculations for ICP-MS data manipulations involve: (1) Carrying standard deviations from the raw cps through the data reduction or (2) calculating a standard deviation from multiple final concentration calculations. It is demonstrated that method 2 may underestimate the uncertainty estimate of the calculated data. Methods 1 and 2 do not typically include an uncertainty estimate component from a regression model. As such models contribute to the uncertainty estimates affecting the calculated data, an uncertainty estimate component from the regression must be included in any final error calculations. Confidence intervals are used to account for uncertainty estimates from the regression model. These confidence intervals are simpler to calculate than uncertainty estimates from method 1, for example. The data reduction and uncertainty estimation method described here addresses problems of reporting PGE data from an article in the literature and addresses both precision and accuracy. The method can be applied to any analytical technique where drift corrections or regression models are used.     

Determination of Rare Earth Elements in Sixteen Silicate Reference Samples by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Using Conventional Energy Filtering Technique*

Rare earth elements were determined by secondary ion mass spectrometry for 13 silicate rock samples, ranging from ultramafic-mafic to acidic compositions, 2 feldspar and 1 biotite separates. As a whole, the investigated samples are characterized by matrices and rare earth elements spectra covering most geological applications. The present data are compared with reference values. The advantage of using secondary ion mass spectrometry as a fundamental tool for trace element detection in bulk samples in the few ppm-ppb region is demonstrated.     

Multi-stage onset of the summer monsoon over the western North Pacific

 The climatological summer monsoon onset displays a distinct step wise northeastward movement over the South China Sea and the western North Pacific (WNP) (110°–160°E, 10°–20°N). Monsoon rain commences over the South China Sea-Philippines region in mid-May, extends abruptly to the southwestern Philippine Sea in early to mid-June, and finally penetrates to the northeastern part of the domain around mid-July. In association, three abrupt changes are identified in the atmospheric circulation. Specifically, the WNP subtropical high displays a sudden eastward retreat or quick northward displacement and the monsoon trough pushes abruptly eastward or northeastward at the onset of the three stages. The step wise movement of the onset results from the slow northeastward seasonal evolution of large-scale circulation and the phase-locked intraseasonal oscillation (ISO). The seasonal evolution establishes a large-scale background for the development of convection and the ISO triggers deep convection. The ISO over the WNP has a dominant period of about 20–30 days. This determines up the time interval between the consecutive stages of the monsoon onset. From the atmospheric perspective, the seasonal sea surface temperature (SST) change in the WNP plays a critical role in the northeastward advance of the onset. The seasonal northeastward march of the warmest SST tongue (SST exceeding 29.5 °C) favors the northeastward movement of the monsoon trough and the high convective instability region. The seasonal SST change, in turn, is affected by the monsoon through cloud-radiation and wind-evaporation feedbacks. Received: 19 October 1999 / Accepted: 5 June 2000     

A case study of warm air advection over a melting snow surface

When relatively warm, moist air moves over a snow surface, sensible heat and moisture are extracted from its lower layers and used to melt the snow. The depth of the cooled layer depends on horizontal wind speeds and the presence of high vertical wind shear. The mechanism for air mass modification appears to be turbulent mixing.     

Copula-based risk evaluation of droughts across the Pearl River basin, China

Daily precipitation data for the period of 1960–2005 from 42 precipitation gauging stations in the Pearl River basin were analyzed using the Mann–Kendall trend test and copula functions. The standardized precipitation index method was used to define drought episodes. Primary and secondary return periods were also analyzed to evaluate drought risks in the Pearl River basin as a whole. Results indicated that: (1) in general, the drought tendency was not significant at a 95 % confidence level. However, significant drought trends could be found in November, December, and January and significant wetting trends in June and July. The drought severity and drought durations were not significant at most of the precipitation stations across the Pearl River basin; (2) in terms of drought risk, higher drought risk could be observed in the lower Pearl River basin and lower drought risk in the upper Pearl River basin. Higher risk of droughts of longer durations was always corresponding to the higher risk of droughts with higher drought severity, which poses an increasing challenge for drought management and water resources management. When drought episodes with higher drought severity occurred in the Pearl River basin, the regions covered by higher risk of drought events were larger, which may challenge the water supply in the lower Pearl River basin. As for secondary return periods, results of this study indicated that secondary return periods might provide a more robust evaluation of drought risk. This study should be of merit for water resources management in the Pearl River basin, particularly the lower Pearl River basin, and can also act as a case study for determining regional response to drought changes as a result of global climate changes.     

Desert vegetation and timing of solar radiation

Timing and amount of solar radiation were examined as factors influencing the distribution of seven perennial plants on a small mountain located in the Chihuahuan Desert. Average direct beam solar radiation fluxes at differing times throughout the day and year were estimated with computer calculations. Principal components analysis was used to reduce the number of solar radiation parameters and include the maximum available information with a manageable number of variables. The remaining solar radiation parameters were compared to plant distributions using redundancy analysis and generalized additive models. Unimodal, bimodal, and monotonic responses were all found depending upon the species and solar radiation parameter. Niche separation at this location depends upon the timing as well as the amount of solar radiation.