Geochemistry and Metallogeny of Phosphorus in the Russian Platform during the Jurassic–Cretaceous

The composition and metallogeny of igneous rocks and relevant weathering crusts of Jurassic–Cretaceous provenances of the Russian Platform are considered. It is shown that the association of metals that accumulated in the process of weathering and erosion of ancient substratum includes P, Fe, Ti, V, and Cr. This process is reflected in the formation of nodular phosphorites, Ti and Zr placers, and iron ore deposits in the Jurassic–Cretaceous seas of the platform.     

Zweiachsig erscheinende Calcite und Dolomite

Zusammenfassung Die Zweiachsigkeit von Calciten und Dolomiten wird durch Zwillingslamellen erklärt. Die Größe des Achsenwinkels hängt vom Volumenanteil der gleich orientierten Lamellen und vom Zwillingswinkel ab. Die Doppelbrechung hat nur geringen Einfluß.

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Biaxial interference figures in calcite and dolomite

The biaxiality of calcites and dolomites is explained by twin lamellae. The amount of the axial angle depends from the part of volume built up by the lamellae of equal orientation, and from the twin angle. The birefringence is of minor influence.

     

On the accuracy of initial seismological data in the problem of seismic hazard assessment

The parameters of the September 3, 1978, earthquake in the Western Caucasus are presented according to data from different seismological agencies. This event, along with the 1966 earthquake in Anapa, is the strongest seismic event in the region. The solutions suggested in the main international and national seismological agencies contradict the well-known fact that the earthquake did not have catastrophic consequences. This is confirmed only by the position of the epicenter according to GCMT data intended for determining somewhat different earthquake parameters: the focal mechanism and seismic moment. Despite the fact that there was no expedition to perform a macroseismic study of the earthquake, some information was collected by phone survey. Information on the spatial distribution of the macroseismic effect made it possible to more accurately determine the epicenter position according to the GCMT data.     

The effect of biological soil crusts of different successional stages and conditions on the germination of seeds of three desert plants

Biological soil crusts greatly affect soil surface properties, which, in turn, may alter seed germination of vascular plants. We investigated the effects of two types of biological soil crusts (moss crust and algal crust) at different ages on the seed germination of Bassia dasyphylla and Artemisia ordosica. We also investigated the effects of crust conditions (living crust and dead crust) on seed germination of B. dasyphylla, A. ordosica and Eragrostis poaeoides. The presence of both algal and moss crusts significantly enhanced the germination of B. dasyphylla and A. ordosica compared with uncrusted soil. Crust age had no significant effect on the germination of either B. dasyphylla or A. ordosica for both moss and algal crusts. Germination of B. dasyphylla differed significantly between moss and algal crusts, but germination of both A. ordosica and E. poaeoides did not. Germination of A. ordosica, E. poaeoides and B. dasyphylla was significantly higher on living algal crust than on dead crust and uncrusted soil, while living moss crust enhanced the germination of both A. ordosica and B. dasyphylla but had no significant effect on E. poaeoides.     

Periodic Hartree-Fock study of minerals: Tetracoordinated silica polymorphs

Periodic Hartree-Fock STO-3G calculations have been performed on several tetracoordinated silica polymorphs: low and high quartz, low and idealized high cristobalite and prototype tridymite. The optimized structural parameters are in overall good agreement with experimental data. In the particular case of -quartz, the SiO₄ tetrahedra are found to be irregular. The optimized values of the two different SiO bond lengths are respectively 1.608 Å and 1.613 Å. The potential energy versus tilt angle curves suggest a picture of the high temperature phases in terms of delocalized oxygen atoms which is consistent with a disordered structure. Finally, the bonding in silica polymorphs is discussed from electron density maps and Mulliken population analysis.     

Performance of sand and shredded rubber tire mixture as a natural base isolator for earthquake protection

The performance of a well-designed layer of sand, and composites like layer of sand mixed with shredded rubber tire(RSM) as low cost base isolators, is studied in shake table tests in the laboratory. The building foundation is modeled by a 200 mm by 200 mm and 40 mm thick rigid plexi-glass block. The block is placed in the middle of a 1m by 1m tank filled with sand. The selected base isolator is placed between the block and the sand foundation. Accelerometers are placed on top of the footing and foundation sand layer. The displacement of the footing is also measured by LVDT. The whole setup is mounted on a shake table and subjected to sinusoidal motions with varying amplitude and frequency. Sand is found to be effective only at very high amplitude( 0.65 g) of motions. The performance of a composite consisting of sand and 50% shredded rubber tire placed under the footing is found to be most promising as a low-cost effective base isolator.     

CO2 feedbacks and the 100 K year cycle in climate

Summary In an earlier paper (Lindzen, 1986), it was shown that allowing CO₂ to vary with snow/sea ice position could lead to a greatly enhanced response in glaciation to 100 K year orbital forcing—even when 20 K year forcing was much stronger. In that model, snow/sea ice position (SSIP) and glaciation were different: the former was the forcing for the latter. However, SSIP and glaciation were not decorrelated. Observations (Berner et al., 1979; Lorius et al., 1985; Neftel et al., 1982) suggest that CO₂ may be independently related to both SSIP and glaciation. In the present paper, we allow (in a highly simplified manner) such independent dependence, and show how it alters the earlier results. Briefly, the dependence of CO₂ on glaciation can contribute to and even cause a highly enhanced response to the 100 K year component of the forcing. However, the CO₂ dependence on SSIP is, on the whole, more effective in this regard. Thus, we expect time series of CO₂ to show variation on the faster time scales than does glaciation.With 5 Figures