Formation of freshwater Fe-Mn coatings on gravel and the behavior of 60Co, 90Sr,and 137Cs in a small watershed

Iron and manganese oxide coatings are actively forming on stream substrates in the White Oak Creek watershed in East Tennessee. Although oxidizing conditions are required for Fe-Mn oxide precipitation, coatings accumulate only if dissolved iron and manganese exceed 50 μg/L. Below this, coatings are lost by abrasion as fast as or faster than they form. Annual rates of formation of 3 mg/g on substrate (gravel) were observed. Manganese is dissolved from coatings between Eh values of 100 to 300 mV and below 1 mg/L dissolved O₂ at pH 6.5 to 7.5. Iron oxides can be precipitated under these conditions.Uncontaminated gravels with oxide coatings (composed of illite, quartz, and feldspar) adsorbed radionuclides rapidly from waters below MPC (Maximum Permissible Concentration) levels. Contaminated gravels placed in uncontaminated waters lost ⁶⁰Co by abrasion in oxidizing conditions and by dissolution of manganese coatings in reducing conditions. Exchangeable ⁹⁰Sr was completely lost after one month whereas nonexchangeable ⁹⁰Sr was lost more slowly; ¹³⁷Cs was totally retained by the gravels. Gravels such as these can be used to monitor the radionuclide content of waters in the environment.     

Tholeiitic, calc-alkaline and (?)alkaline igneous rocks of the Shortland Islands, Solomon Islands

The Shortland Islands lie in a northeast-southwest line across the western end of Solomon Islands, immediately adjacent to Bougainville. Three major islands dominate the group.Fauro and surrounding islands, in the northeast, have an altered basement suite comprising tholeiite, icelandite and tholeiitic dacite. This is intruded by a high-level calc-alkaline assemblage of microdiorite, hornblende andesite and rhyodacite and overlain by volcanogenic sandstones derived from an andesitic to dacitic volcano. Pyroclastics comprising high-alumina basalt and pyroxene andesite overlie the volcanogenic sandstones. The tholeiitic basement lavas may be of Late Oligocene to Early Miocene age, and the calc-alkaline rocks are probably also pre-Pliocene in age.Alu, in the centre of the group, also has an altered tholeiitic lava basement, which is intruded by a quartz diorite body and overlain by hypersthene-augite basaltic andesite. Pliocene siltstone and Quaternary shallow marine carbonates cover these igneous rocks over much of the island.Mono, in the southwest, has a small basement exposure of altered pillowed hawaiite, overlain by Miocene pelagic limestone, Pliocene siltstone and Quaternary reef limestone. Isolated clasts of pyroxene andesite and ?benmoreite occur in streams and on beaches.The younger, calc-alkaline suites on all islands were formed in an island arc environment, possibly related to subduction from the southwest beneath the New Britain Trench. The basement lavas on Alu are probably early island arc tholeiites, and both these lavas and the calc-alkaline rocks of Alu share a common trend on variation diagrams. The two igneous suites of Fauro, however, have distinctly different trends. The basement lavas have some chemical similarities with oceanic tholeiites, but an early island arc origin for these lavas cannot be ruled out. The altered hawaiite and benmoreite on Mono probably originated in an oceanic island environment.     

Kinetic fractionation of carbon-13 during calcium carbonate precipitation

Kinetic isotope fractionation of ¹³C during precipitation of CaCO₃ under open system conditions has been investigated. The isotope enrichment factor ?_HCO3^?-CaCO₃ varies between ?0.35 ± 0.23 and ?3.37 ± 0.36%. at 25°C depending on the rate of precipitation and mineralogy, the enrichment of ¹³C in the solid carbonate phase decreasing with increasing precipitation rate. An estimate of equilibrium ?_HCO3-Calcite of between ?1.83 ± 0.32 and ?2.26 ± 0.31%. is calculated from slow precipitation runs. A surface diffusion crystal growth model is used to describe the combination of kinetic isotope effects on thermodynamic isotope fractionation during rapid diffusion controlled crystal growth. Under slow precipitation conditions ?_{Calcite-Aragonite} was estimated as ?1.4%.; however, during rapid precipitation this fractionation appears to diminish and aragonite becomes less enriched in ¹³C.     

The geochemistry of iron in Recent tidal-flat sediments of the Wash area,England: a mineralogical,Mössbauer,and magnetic study

Undisturbed core samples of Recent sediments from the Wash tidal flats, East Anglia, England, obtained using a Delft corer, were studied with special reference to the diagenesis and geochemical behaviour of iron. The Mössbauer effect in ⁵⁷Fe was used to monitor the distribution of Fe between different phases as a function of depth, together with the magnetic mineralogy and palaeomagnetic properties.The cores consist of, successively downwards: 0.36 m brown clay; 1.5 m finely laminated silts and fine sands, and 7.14 m homogeneous fine sands. The dominant minerals are quartz, feldspar, calcite and clay minerals, and chemical analysis for Al, Si, Mg, Mn, Ca, Fe, Na, K showed variations closely linked to lithological changes. Illite is the most abundant clay mineral (mean 48%), followed by mixed layer illite-montmorillonite and montmorillonite, kaolinite and chlorite. Chlorite is the major iron-bearing clay mineral and represents 4 to 10% of the <2 μm fraction throughout the core. Sulphide minerals are present throughout the core, including framboidal pyrite.Computer fit analysis of the Mössbauer spectra of best quality showed contributions from Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ in clay minerals (essentially chlorite), low-spin Fe²⁺ in pyrite, and magnetically ordered iron in greigite (Fe₃S₄). Systematic variations, as a function of sample depth, indicate a relative increase in the amount of Fe in pyrite at the expense of the clay minerals.Magnetite and titanium-bearing magnetite are the carriers of natural magnetic remanence in these sediments.The direction and intensity of natural remanence in the samples compare well with the known secular variation of the Earth's magnetic field derived from the historic-archaeomagnetic record and this enables the samples to be dated and sedimentation rates to be determined (1.5 mm yr^?1 for the upper 2 m and ~7.7 mm yr^?1 for the lower 7 m).     

Comment on the paper by M. Ozima et al., “Temperature and pressure effects on40Ar39Ar systematics”

Layered sills and flows are conspicuous in the komatiitic volcanics of the Chukotat Group of the Aphebian Cape Smith fold belt in New Quebec. These bodies consist of a lower ultramafic member with an overlying gabbroic complex and are bound by margins of quench-textured, pyroxene-rich melanogabbro. Features such as cyclic layering of pyroxenite and peridotite, successive appearance of euhedral olivine, clinopyroxene, and plagioclase, and polarized compositional variation indicate that the ultramafic member and lower gabbro are crystal cumulates. The uppermost gabbros, however, appear to represent liquids derived by removal of these cumulates. The significance of these bodies is that their initial liquids were at least as basic as pyroxenitic komatiites (14 wt.% MgO) while the residual liquids are Fe-Ti-rich tholeiites. Similarity between the liquid line of descent within these differentiated bodies and the spectrum of volcanic composition of the Chukotat Group as a whole suggests that the komatiites and tholeiites of the latter may constitute a single magmatic suite whose chemical diversity is a function of low-pressure, crystal fractionation.     

The identification of magnetite in limestones using the low-temperature transition

The low-temperature (K₁) transition has been measured in prepared samples with a low concentration of magnetite to test the validity of the technique for identifying magnetite in weakly magnetized rocks. Using an astatic magnetometer, magnetite concentrations as low as 1 part in 100,000 can be satisfactorily detected.Measurements on natural samples show the presence of magnetite in a variety of limestones which are known to have a stable natural remanent magnetization.     

Origin of red beds in the Ringerike Group (Silurian) of Norway

The Ringerike Group is a meandering fluviatile succession which is about 60% red. Most of the red zones are formed of mudrocks and siltstones and correspond to the fine members of fining-upwards cyclothems. The majority of coarse members are drab coloured.Textural studies of thin and polished sections show that the red colour is caused by finely crystalline hematite as matrix and grain-coatings. This hematite apparently crystallized post-depositionally. Hematite also occurs in other textural sites: within altered phyllosilicates, as detrital grains and as totally pseudomorphed phyllosilicates. This, and the lack of consistency between colour and clay mineralogy, suggests that the red beds have had a long and complex diagenetic history.Iron analyses indicate that the red beds are enriched in Fe³⁺ and total iron (FeO) by about 1%. This is thought to have been derived from the pre-depositional weathering of iron minerals and introduced into the sediments as amorphous iron hydroxide or iron-bearing clays. Crystallization of iron hydroxide under oxidizing conditions and the post-depositional alteration of iron-silicates and oxides is thought to be responsible for the formation of the red beds.     

The andes of northwestern Argentina

This paper is a synthesis of the geological information available at present. The area studied comprises the Andes of Salta and Jujuy and the Puna; these geographical regions approximately correspond to the geological provinces of the Cordillera Oriental and the Puna.The geologic column comprises Precambrian metamorphics and intrusives, marine Lower Paleozoic, continental Upper Paleozoic, Cretaceous, and Upper Cenozoic. In the Puna, the Upper Cenozoic is characterized by extensive volcanism with dacitic and andesitic flows and tuffs, and with final basalt flows.Numerous unconformities have been recognized. In the Cordillera Oriental and in the basin range of the Puna, folds and faults occur, the latter are mainly high-angle reverse faults, dipping west in the eastern and east in the western portion of the area studied. The Cordillera Oriental, which is a shear zone at the eastern border of the Puna, is slightly younger than the Puna.

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Zusammenfassung Die vorliegende Arbeit stellt eine Zusammenfassung der augenblicklich vorhandenen geologischen Kenntnisse dar.Die Anden von Salta und Jujuy einerseits und die Puna andererseits sind die beiden geographischen Gebiete, mit denen sich die Untersuchungen befassen und die ungefähr mit den geologischen Provinzen der Ostkordillere und der Puna zusammenfallen.Die geologische Folge umfaßt metamorphe Gesteine und Intrusiva des Präkambriums, marine Sedimente des Alt-Paläozoikums, kontinentale Sedimente des Jung-Paläozoikums, der Kreide und des jüngeren Känozoikums, das letztere mit einem ausgedehnten vulkanischen Zyklus, aus dem dacitische und andesitische Laven und Tuffe hervorgingen, die mit basaltischen Ergüssen abschlossen.Es wurden zahlreiche Diskordanzen angetroffen. In der Ost-Kordillere und in den Gebirgsblöcken (basin range) der Puna besteht die Struktur aus Faltung und Klüftung. Die Mehrzahl der Klüfte sind inverse Störungen mit großer Sprunghöhe, die im östlichen Gebiet nach Westen und im westlichen nach Osten einfallen. Die Ost-Kordillere, die Scherzone am östlichen Rand der Puna, ist etwas jünger als letztere.

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Resumen El trabajo es una síntesis de la información geológica disponible en la actualidad. Los Andes de Salta y Jujuy y la Puna son las dos regiones geográficas que abarca la comarca en estudio, que corresponden aproximadamente a las provincias geológicas Cordillera Oriental y Puna.La columna geológica comprende metamorfitas y rocas intrusivas del Precámbrico, sedimentos marinos del Paleozoico inferior, sedimentos continentales del Paleozoico superior, Cretácico y Cenozoico superior. En esté último hubo un amplio ciclo volcánico, que originó coladas y tobas dacíticas y andesíticas y, finalmente, coladas basálticas.Se han reconocido varias discordancias. La estructura es de plegamiento y fallamiento en la Cordillera Oriental y de montañas de bloque en la Puna. En su mayoría, las fracturas son fallas inversas de alto-ángulo, que inclinan hacia el oeste en el tramo oriental y hacia el este en el tramo occidental. La Cordillera Oriental, zona de cizalla en el borde oriental de la Puna, es algo más joven que ésta.

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Résumé La présente contribution est une synthèse de toute l'information géologique disponible actuellement. Les régions étudíées sont, au point de vue géographique, les Andes de Salta et Jujuy et la Puna qui correspondent approximativement aux provinces géologiques de la Cordillera Oriental et de la Puna.Le Précambrien est représenté par des roches métamorphiques et intrusives. Au Paléozoïque inferieur correspondent des sédiments marins, tandis que des sédiments continentaux sont datés du Paléozoïque supérieur, du Crétacé et du Cénozoïque supérieur. Un important cycle volcanique est représenté par coulées et tufs dacitiques et andésitiques, couronnées par des coulées basaltiques.Plusieurs discordances ont été reconnues. La Cordillera Oriental et les montagne de la Puna présentent une structure de plissement et fracturation. La plupart des fractures sont inverses à fort pendange vers l'ouest du côté oriental et vers l'est du côté occidental. La Cordillera Oriental, la zone de cisaillement au bord oriental de la Puna, est plus jeune que celle-ci.

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Publication authorized by the Director, Dirección Nacional de Geología y Minería.     

The Mechanism involved in the Reversals of the Sun's Polar Magnetic Fields

Models of the polarity reversals of the Sun's polar magnetic fields based on the surface transport of flux are discussed and are tested using observations of the polar fields during Cycle 23 obtained by the National Solar Observatory at Kitt Peak. We have extended earlier measurements of the net radial flux polewards of ±60° and confirm that, despite fluctuations of 20%, there is a steady decline in the old polarity polar flux which begins shortly after sunspot minimum (although not at the same time in each hemisphere), crosses the zero level near sunspot maximum, and increases, with reversed polarity during the remainder of the cycle. We have also measured the net transport of the radial field by both meridional flow and diffusion across several latitude zones at various phases of the Cycle. We can confirm that there was a net transport of leader flux across the solar equator during Cycle 23 and have used statistical tests to show that it began during the rising phase of this cycle rather than after sunspot maximum. This may explain the early decrease of the mean polar flux after sunspot minimum. We also found an outward flow of net flux across latitudes ±60° which is consistent with the onset of the decline of the old polarity flux. Thus the polar polarity reversals during Cycle 23 are not inconsistent with the surface flux-transport models but the large empirical values required for the magnetic diffusivity require further investigation.