Evaluation of the long term groundwater pollution by the open cast lignite mine Jänschwalde (Germany)

The reconstruction of the hydrogeochemical composition of the dumps in the active Lusatian lignite mining region is necessary to forecast the acid mine drainage into the residual lakes and the natural groundwater systems. Therefore, a three-dimensional geochemical model of the Jänschwalde dump was developed. By analysing the geological situation and the mining technology, it is possible to calculate the pyrite oxidation in different parts of the mine (groundwater lowering in front of the mine, natural and dump slopes, marginal pits and the dump surface).Only 4% of the total pyrite content is oxidised during the mining process within its time of operation (43 years). The major fraction (about 60%) is oxidised on the surface of the dumps, whereas the other zones contribute less to the production of acidity (groundwater lowering 5.4%, short term exposed slopes (1.2% natural slopes; 7.4% dump slopes) and 22.4% inclusion of O₂ during the tipping). It may be concluded that the technology of conveyor belt bridges, combined with the selective tipping of loamy sediments on the surface is very favourable to minimise the oxidation of pyrite. It is also shown that in the open cast mine of Jänschwalde the buffer capacity of the carbonate dominates over the produced acid.     

A TEM investigation of shock metamorphism in quartz from the Vredefort dome, South Africa

The origin of the Vredefort structure in South Africa is still debated. Several causes have been discussed, namely asteroid impact, internal gas explosion or tectonic processes. Evidence of dynamic rock deformation is pervasive in the form of planar features in quartz grains, shatter cones, veins of pseudotachylite and occurrence of coesite and stishovite (high-pressure quartz polymorphs). A number of these characteristics is widely believed to support an impact origin. However, the planar features in quartz, which are generally considered as one of the strongest indicators of impact, are in the Vredefort case considered as anomalous when compared with those from accepted impact structures.

We have investigated by optical and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) the defect microstructures in quartz grains from different lithologies sampled at various places at the Vredefort structure. Whatever the locality, only thin mechanical Brazil twin lamellae in the basal plane are observed by TEM. So far, such defects have only been found in quartz from impact sites, but always associated with sets of thin glass lamellae in rhombohedral planes 10−1n with n = 1, 2, 3, and 4. At the scale of the optical microscope, Brazil twins in (0001) are easily detected in Vredefort quartz grains because of the numerous tiny fluid inclusions which decorate them. Similar alignments of tiny fluid inclusions parallel to other planes are also detected optically, but at the TEM scale no specific shock defects are detected along their traces. If these inclusion alignments initially were shock features, they are now so severely weathered that they can no longer be recognized as unambiguous shock lamellae. Fine-grained coesite was detected in the vicinity of narrow pseudotachylite veinlets in a quartzite specimen, but stishovite was not found, even in areas where its occurrence was previously reported. Finally, definite evidence of high-temperature annealing was observed in all the samples. These observations lead us to the conclusion that our findings regarding microdeformation in quartz are consistent with an impact origin for the Vredefort structure. Most of the original shock defects are now overprinted by an intense post-shock annealing episode. Only the thin mechanical twin lamellae in the basal plane have survived.     

Early Paleozoic rifting and bimodal volcanism in the Ossa-Morena Zone of south-west Spain

Lower Paleozoic volcanic members have been investigated by geological, petrographical and geochemical means in a traverse across the Ossa-Morena Zone (OMZ) in south-west Spain.The volcanism lasted from the Early Cambrian to the Early Ordovician, with a peak in the Middle Cambrian. The volcanism is bimodal, starting up with acidic and ending with basic compositions. From north to south, peralkaline rhyolites change to rhyolites, and strongly enriched alkali basalts change via transitional basalts to mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB-type basalts). The geological and magmatic evolution suggests an extensive Early Paleozoic rifting with its center along the southern boundary of the OMZ. Temporal, spatial and crustal aspects of the rifting event are presented in a geodynamic model.     

Evolution of the Molopo drainage and its possible disruption by the Morokweng impact event at the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary

A large, deeply eroded impact structure, known as the Morokweng impact structure, has recently been positively identified in the North West Province of South Africa, centred on the Ganyesa Dome about 80 km northwest of Vryburg. The marked geomorphic effect of the Morokweng impact event at 145 ± 2 Ma is identified through large-scale analysis of the long-term evolution of the Molopo River drainage system. A comparison of the pre- and post-impact drainage patterns shows that a dramatic change in both drainage direction and pattern occurred after the impact event. Prior to the impact, the regional drainage direction of the proto-Molopo had been towards the northwest, where it connected with the major southwest trending drainage line of the Permo-Carboniferous (300 Ma) Kalahari Basin. Reconstruction of the post-impact drainage pattern, as it existed in the Late Cretaceous ( 75 Ma), just before the formation of the rejuvenated Cenozoic Kalahari Basin, shows a generally southward flowing system with annular drainage pattern components. With the filling of the Kalahari Basin since Tertiary times, the affinity between the Molopo drainage and the Morokweng impact structure became less obvious.     

The use of maximum entropy to increase the informational content of hydrological networks by additional gauges

ABSTRACT

The optimization and extension of existing gauging networks are a challenging task, which can be done under consideration of many different aspects. One possibility is to maximize the obtained information on regional hydrological characteristics by new gauges compared to existing ones. For this, information theory approaches are most suitable. Here, the principle of maximum entropy is applied to calculate the probability of non-similarity of catchments to determine locations of new gauges according to the catchment characteristics that are most relevant for the hydrological conditions. The realization in an interactive application, provided online, makes use easy for practitioners and scientists. Goodness-of-fit measures are applied to investigate the explanatory power of the model and the contribution of each characteristic to the model, which gives information on the most influential properties of the catchment. The relevance of the proposed approach is proven by comparing hydrological signatures between similar and non-similar catchment.     

Long-term measurements of surface ozone in the German Democratic Republic

The ozone concentration near the earth's surface has been measured at some stations in the GDR for more than 30 yr using the wet chemical method. Even at rural stations the ozone data show a significant linear increase by about 1–3% yr^–1. The ozone increase being stronger in summer than in winter is assumed to be due to photochemical ozone production from increasing anthropogenic emissions of trace gases that are transported over long distances. A weaker ozone increase by only about 0.2% per year was observed in the free troposphere (5.5 km) from balloon-soundings at Lindenberg within the period 1975–1984. If the ozone trends continue, the ozone concentration near the surface and its seasonal amplitude will have doubled around the turn of the century as compared to the mid-fifties.     

The lower atmosphere of the polar regions

Alfred Wegener initiated the study of the free polar atmosphere with more than 100 kite and tether balloon soundings to above 3000 m at Danmarkshavn, North Greenland, during 1906–09. From this beginning polar aerology advanced through a series of similar point studies to the first full upper air network during the IGY (1957/8). While its replacement by satellite remote sensing is gradually taking shape, the accumulated polar information has been thoroughly analyzed; a series of comprehensive accounts is referenced. The aspects singled out for this review are themes that would have been of special interest to Wegener — the surface energy balance and the polar inversion, the katabatic winds and snow drift, and the aerosols of the polar atmosphere.

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Zusammenfassung Alfred Wegener begann das Studium der freien Polaratmosphäre mit über 100 Drachen- und Fesselballonaufstiegen auf Höhen über 3000 m bei Danmarkshavn in Nordgrönland während der Jahre 1906–1909. Von diesem Anfang entwickelte sich die Polaraerologie durch eine Reihe ähnlicher Lokalstudien bis zum ersten vollständigen Beobachtungsnetz der freien Atmosphäre während des IGY (1956–8). Während des allmählichen Ersatzes dieses Systems durch Fernmessungen von Satelliten aus wurde die angesammelte Polarinformation gründlich analysiert; eine Reihe von umfassenden Berichten wird angeführt. Die hier behandelten Studien wären für Wegener von besonderem Interesse gewesen, da sie die Energiebilanz der Oberfläche und die Polarinversion, den katabatischen Wind und das Schneetreiben, und das Aerosol der Polaratmosphäre betreffen.

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Résumé C'est Alfred Wegener qui a commencé l'étude de l'atmosphère polaire par des sondages à l'aide de cerfs-volants et de ballons attachés jusqu'à une hauteur de 3000 m. à Danmarks-Havn au Groenland nord, de 1906 à 1909. Après ce début l'aérologie polaire se développa sur la base d'études locales jusqu'à l'établissement d'un premier réseau de stations d'observations pendant l'année géophysique internationale 1957–58. La recherche exposée ici aurait probablement intéressé Wegener car elle se rapporte à la balance énergétique de surface et à l'inversion polaire, aux vents katabatiques, à le chasse neige et aux aérosols de l'atmosphère polaire.

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Comparison of microseisms of Cuban and Central European stations

Summary Oscillatory paths of microseisms and special characteristics of these paths at Central European and Cuban stations have been examined and compared. The question of the origin of the microseisms is also discussed.