A comparative isotopic study of the Lady Loretta zinc-lead-silver deposit

Measurements of the ³⁴S/³²S ratios in sulphides from the slightly metamorphosed Lady Loretta deposit show the sphalerite and galena to be in isotopic equilibrium. Pyrite in immediate association with these sulphides is not isotopically related. A similar distribution of sulphur isotopes had previously been noted in the even less altered McArthur deposit, for which a dual sulphur source was postulated. This fresh isotopic evidence from Lady Loretta now suggests that such a genesis for stratiform sulphides from the Proterozoic is not uncommon.     

The metallic microstructures and thermal histories of severely reheated chondrites

The metallographic structures of eight severely reheated chondrites (Farmington, Ramsdorf, Orvinio, Wickenburg, Lubbock, Rose City, Arapahoe and Tadjera) have been studied by optical, scanning electron microscope and electron microprobe techniques. Unreheated chondrites and experimentally heat treated chondritic material have also been examined.The following metallographic characteristics can be used to estimate the post-shock residual temperature of reheated chondrites: melted appearance of metal-troilite, presence of martensite, P enrichment of the metal, and the averaging of central metal grain compositions. Metallographic characteristics used to estimate the cooling rates of the severely reheated chondrites are the Ni content of troilite, the Ni gradients in metal grain rims, and the presence of secondary kamacite and phosphides. Farmington, Ramsdorf, Orvinio, Lubbock, Rose City and several of the heat treatment specimens have substantial P in solution in the metal grains ( > 0.1 wt%). P enrichment is apparently caused by reduction of phosphates upon severe reheating and partial melting of metal-troilite areas in chondritic meteorites.The eight severely reheated chondrites studied showed evidence of reheating to temperatures ranging from ～ 950°C to ～ 1250°C. Ramsdorf has the highest reheating temperature (1200–1250°C) and the fastest cooling rate ～ 100°C/day. Wickenberg has the lowest reheating temperature (950–1000°C) and the slowest cooling rate, ～ 1°C/100yrs. Cooling rate estimates correspond to post-reheating burial depths of less than 1 to ～ 1000m.     

Developing Governance Principles for Public Natural Resources

Wildlife governance principles (WGPs) identify desirable governance characteristics for wildlife conservation in the United States (US). The types of institutional, ecological, and socio-cultural challenges that WGPs are designed to address also affect governance of public natural resources other than wildlife and in places other than the US. This raises the possibility that a similar set of governance principles might help natural resource professionals working in other resource contexts address the particular challenges they face. We describe the process by which we developed WGPs and offer seven practically oriented questions to help natural resource professionals ascertain whether a similar set of principles could improve governance in their context. In some contexts, minor modification of WGPs might be appropriate; in others, the process by which we developed WGPs could serve as a blueprint for formulating appropriate principles.     

Quantifying the loss of available groundwater resource associated with point-source contamination in unused aquifers

Cost-benefit analysis can be used to identify the optimum remedial strategy for contaminated groundwater, but requires that the benefits of remedial action be quantified. When the groundwater is located in an unused part of an aquifer, it can be difficult to estimate the economic loss of resource. ‘Option values’, which represent the value placed on groundwater for possible future use, may be used. Calculation of the overall loss requires consideration of the spatial (physical) extent of an aquifer where groundwater use is constrained by the presence of contamination and economic elements. An approach is presented for estimating the spatial element, represented as the annualised abstraction loss from the groundwater resource. Two distinct components have been identified based on the potential restriction on location of a new abstraction well: (1) the direct resource loss, which relates to the contaminated zone of the aquifer within which new abstraction is no longer an option, and, (2) the indirect location loss, which relates to the loss of an opportunity to site a new abstraction well in the surrounding uncontaminated aquifer due to the presence of the plume. Methods are presented for their calculation and the approach is illustrated with a case study.     

A modification of freeze-core technology for collecting granular fluvial sediment samples

The presence of coarse-grained sediment can potentially reduce the effectiveness of conventional sampling methods in recovering fluvial sediments. A modification to freeze-core technology was used to collect fine to coarse sands, silts, and clays in fluvial deposits that contain significant amounts of gravels, cobbles, and boulders for the purpose of characterizing the extent of heavy metal contamination. This modification uses either a 2.5 or 2.9 cm diameter by 30-cm- long finned mechanical or hand-driven samplers. The sediment is frozen to the outside of the sampler by injecting liquid CO₂ into the sampler. The fins protect the sample from coarse material upon removal. Field testing and laboratory testing of the method were completed to establish a methodology and assess possible cross contamination of the sediment layers during the driving of the sampler. The results indicated that this method is effective for recovering non-cohesive sediment samples at depths up to 6 m for the purpose of characterizing the extent of heavy metal contamination.     

Mineral inclusions in fibrous diamonds: constraints on cratonic mantle refertilization and diamond formation

We analyzed mineral microinclusions in fibrous diamonds from the Wawa metaconglomerate (Superior craton) and Diavik kimberlites (Slave craton) and compared them with published compositions of large mineral inclusions in non-fibrous diamonds from these localities. The comparison, together with similar datasets available for Ekati and Koffiefontein kimberlites, suggest a general pattern of metasomatic alteration imposed on the ambient mantle by formation of fibrous diamond. Calcium and Fe enrichment of peridotitic garnet and pyroxenes and Fe enrichment of olivine associated with fibrous diamond-forming fluids contributes to refertilization of the cratonic mantle. Saline—carbonatitic—silicic fluid trapped by fibrous diamonds may represent one of the elusive agents of mantle refertilization. Calcium enrichment of peridotitic garnet and pyroxenes is expected in local mantle segments during fibrous diamond production, as Ca in the carbonatitic fluids is deposited into the surrounding mantle when oxidized carbon is reduced to diamond. Harzburgitic garnet evolves towards Ca-rich compositions even when it interacts with Ca-poor saline fluids. An unusual trend of Mg enrichment to Fo_95–98 is observed in some olivine inclusions in Wawa fibrous diamonds. The trend may result from the carbonatitic composition of the fluid that promotes crystallization of magnesian olivine and preferentially oxidizes the fayalite component. We propose a generic model of fibrous and non-fibrous diamond formation from carbonatitic fluids that explains enrichment of the mantle in mafic magmaphile and incompatible elements and accounts for locally metasomatized compositions of diamond inclusions.     

An integrated approach for evaluating the effectiveness of landslide risk reduction in unplanned communities in the Caribbean

Despite the recognition of the need for mitigation approaches to landslide risk in developing countries, the delivery of ‘on-the-ground’ measures is rarely undertaken. With respect to other ‘natural’ hazards, it is widely reported that mitigation can pay. However, the lack of such an evidence base in relation to landslides in developing countries hinders advocacy amongst decision makers for expenditure on ex-ante measures. This research addresses these limitations directly by developing and applying an integrated risk assessment and cost–benefit analysis of physical landslide mitigation measures implemented in an unplanned community in the Eastern Caribbean. In order to quantify the level of landslide risk reduction achieved, landslide hazard and vulnerability were modelled (before and after the intervention), and project costs, direct and indirect benefits were monetised. It is shown that the probability of landslide occurrence has been substantially reduced by implementing surface-water drainage measures and that the benefits of the project outweigh the costs by a ratio of 2.7–1. This paper adds to the evidence base that ‘mitigation pays’ with respect to landslide risk in the most vulnerable communities—thus strengthening the argument for ex-ante measures. This integrated project evaluation methodology should be suitable for adoption as part of the community-based landslide mitigation project cycle, and it is hoped that this resource, and the results of this study, will stimulate further such programmes.     

Numerical estimation of effective diffusion coefficients for charged porous materials based on micro-scale analyses

In order to describe diffusive transport of solutes through a porous material, estimation of effective diffusion coefficients is required. It has been shown theoretically that in the case of uncharged porous materials the effective diffusion coefficient of solutes is a function of the pore morphology of the material and can be described by the tortuosity (tensor) (Bear, 1988 [1]). Given detailed information of the pore geometry at the micro-scale the tortuosity of different materials can be accurately estimated using homogenization procedures. However, many engineering materials (e.g., clays and shales) are characterized by electrical surface charges on particles of the porous material which strongly affect the (diffusive) transport properties of ions. For these type of materials, estimation of effective diffusion coefficients have been mostly based on phenomenological equations with no link to underlying micro-scale properties of these charged materials although a few recent studies have used alternative methods to obtain the diffusion parameters (Jougnot et al., 2009; Pivonka et al., 2009; Revil and Linde, 2006 2, 3 and 4). In this paper we employ a recently proposed up-scaled Poisson–Nernst–Planck type of equation (PNP) and its micro-scale counterpart to estimate effective ion diffusion coefficients in thin charged membranes. We investigate a variety of different pore geometries together with different surface charges on particles. Here, we show that independent of the charges on particles, a (generalized) tortuosity factor can be identified as function of the pore morphology only using the new PNP model. On the other hand, all electro-static interactions of ions and charges on particles can consistently be captured by the ratio of average concentration to effective intrinsic concentration in the macroscopic PNP equations. Using this formulation allows to consistently take into account electrochemical interactions of ions and charges on particles and so excludes any ambiguity generally encountered in phenomenological equations.