Factors controlling the spatial and temporal variability of dust emissions

New field measurement techniques are allowing researchers to better understand how surficial properties affect the temporal and spatial variability of dust emissions. In this paper we review the current understanding of the dust emission process and present new field measurements that examine how three surface properties： roughness, crust strength, and temporal changes of surface properties affect dust emissions. These data were collected using three unique measurement systems developed by our team. Roughness exerts considerable control on the entrainment threshold and emissions of dust from a surface. We have carried out a series of experiments designed to quantify roughness effects on aeolian sediment entrainment and transport in a shear stress partitioning framework. Our results show that the model of Raupach et al. （1993） provides very good agreement with available data to predict the amount of shearing stress on the intervening surface among roughness elements, relatively independent of their size and distribution. However, element size affects the aeolian sediment transport process beyond that attributable only to the reduction of surface shear stress caused by the roughness. Additional interactions of the elements with the saltation cloud appear to reduce the transport efficiency and potentially dust emissions as well. The effect of crust strength on dust emissions was assessed using a newly-developed pin penetrometer, which can measure crust strength in-situ. Previous researchers suggested that variation in crust strength even within a small area could lead to considerable spatial variability in dust emissions. Our measurements showed that crust strength is highly variable over a scale of centimeters. This variability may help to explain some of the observed scatter in field measurements of dust emissions for what appear to be homogeneous surfaces. Variability of dust emissions in time and space was also evaluated using a new instrument, the Portable In-Situ Wind Erosion Lab （PI-SWERL） developed to measure dust emissions from soil surfaces.     

Attenuation of aqueous metal transport at two natural acid rock drainage occurrences in the Yukon Territory, Canada

Naturally acidic drainage associated with pyritic black shale has been observed in many locations in the Yukon Territory. While not necessarily linked to known mineral deposits, most of these natural acid rock drainage occurrences show elevated dissolved concentrations of trace elements, especially zinc, nickel, copper, cadmium and arsenic. Based on field observations, microbial investigation, chemical analyses and geochemical modeling, the fate and transport of potentially deleterious elements at two natural acid drainage occurrences with slightly different settings are examined. The Macintosh Creek is a small, acidic stream （pH 2.98-3.40）, 2 km long, located in the Macmillan Pass area of east-central Yukon amidst known sedimentary exhalative massive sulfide mineralization but remains undisturbed by exploration activities. Its trace metal content is apparently derived from groundwater discharges, which gave as much as 5.0, 2.5, 0.7, 0.13 and 0.03 mg/L ofZn, Ni, Cu and As, respectively. Interaction and sorption reactions with algal mats, biofilms and iron oxyhydroxides appear to be the dominant mechanisms attenuating aqueous contaminant transport along the stream. Cryogenic precipitation further consolidates the ferricrete formation and reduces the mobility of the sorbed metals. The tributaries of the Engineering Creek along the Dempster Highway in northern Yukon drain through a series of dolomite, phyllite, argillite, limestone, black shale, sandstone and conglomerate with no known concentration of mineralization. In this area, the water chemistry fully reflects the local geology with acidic streams invariably associated with black shale occurrences. Groundwater seeps in the headwaters area of the km-180 Creek completely enclosed in black shale gave pH 3.0 and as much as 148, 39, 2.9 and 9.1 mg/L of Zn, Ni, Cu and As, respectively. Sorption with iron oxyhydroxide and organic matter appear to dominate the attenuation of contaminant transport along the stream. However, once entered into carbonate-dominated terrains, secondary carbonate minerals exercise additional geochemical control on the local water chemistry as a result of neutralization.     

Naturally acidic and metalliferous waters at unmined volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits in the Bonnifield mining district, Alaska Range, east-central Alaska

The Bonnifield district hosts 26 tmmined volcanogenic massive sulfide （VMS） occurrences. Environmental geochemical samples of water and stream sediment were collected at several occurrences, concentrating on the two best-exposed and largest deposits, Red Mountain （RM） and Sheep Creek （SC）. Limited samples were also collected at the poorly exposed WTF deposit. The deposits are Late Devonian to Early Mississippian, and are hosted by felsic metavolcanic and carbonaceous schist members of the Totatlanika Schist or Keevy Peak Fm. Spring and stream waters at RM and SC have pH values commonly 〈3.5 （as low as 2.4 at RM and 2.5 at SC）, high conductivity （up to 11000 μS/cm）, and very high （Is to 100s mg/L） dissolved contents of Al, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, and Pb. Waters at RM are characterized by extremely high REE contents （summed REE median 3200 μg/L, n=33）. At both RM and SC, pyrite oxidation and dissolution produce low pH waters that interact with and dissolve bedrock minerals, resulting in acidic, metal-laden, naturally degraded streams that are mostly devoid of aquatic life. Ferricrete is common. In contrast, WTF barely produces a surficial environmental footprint, mostly due to topography and relief. RM and SC are well exposed in the areas of relatively high relief, and both exhibit extensive areas of quartz-sericite-pyrite-alteration. While WTF shares many of the same deposit-and alteration characteristics, it is concealed by tundra in a large, nearly flat area. Surface water at WTF is absent and outcrops are sparse. Even though WTF is roughly the same size as Red Mountain （both around 3 million tonnes） and has similar base- and precious-metal grades, the surficial geochemical manifestation of WTF is minimal. However, exposure through mining of the altered, mineralized rock at WTF potentially could initiate the same processes of pyrite oxidation, acid generation, and mineral dissolution that are observed naturally at RM and SC.     

Changes to cadmium associations in canal sediments on drying and oxidation

The mainly 19th Century canal system in the UK, largely managed by British Waterways, has been increasingly brought back into operation over the last few decades, and is now widely used for both leisure, and, increasingly, transport. Both initial and routine dredging of the canal sediment is carried out and these sediments are generally disposed of to land. Because many of the canals were connected with primary industries, their sediments can locally be significantly contaminated with heavy metals, and the behaviour of these metals under differing redox conditions, when introduced into a new environment （i.e., on land） is of importance for environmental risk-assessment purposes. Canal sediments are often rich in sulfidic mineral phases, and we have attempted to quantify the influence of these sulfidic phases on the release and retention of metals in dredged canal sediments, using a combination of traditional chemical techniques （e.g. sequential extraction） and X-ray absorption spectroscopy （XAS）. Sediment samples have been collected from urban fresh-water canals, one in the British Midlands and one in Northern France. It appears from XAS that Cd is largely associated with oxygen in air-dried sediment, and with sulphur in vacuum-dried sediment.     

俄罗斯西西伯利亚和外贝加尔区古河道型铀矿床

本文系统地介绍了俄罗斯3个具有工业意义的古河道型铀矿化发育区（外乌拉尔，西西伯利亚和外贝加尔）的地质背景，铀矿化特征和铀成矿条件，指出切割到基底的古河道型铀矿床，既可产于跨地区的造山周围，也可产于活化的年青地台和古老地盾，既可形成于干燥的气候条件，也可形成于潮湿的气候条件。古河道型铀矿化可以从含矿层的沉积开始一直延续到被泥岩层或玄武岩层完全封盖。古河道的后成氧化分带有两种形式：氧化带－铀矿化带－原生灰色岩石；氧化带－氧化铁再沉积带－漂白带－原生灰色岩石。古河道型铀矿床具宽广的元素谱，这主要是与含矿围岩富含有机质和在氧化带尖灭处存在各种地球化学障有关。     

湖泊沉积物中胶黄铁矿的鉴出及其磁学意义

对青藏高原东部若尔盖盆地钻孔获取的湖泊沉积物进行了详细的岩石磁学调查及矿物学鉴定, 发现大量胶黄铁矿存在, 并认定其为主要的磁载体. 该矿物颗粒细小, 粒度均匀, 可能为生物化学成因. 与大量文献报道的相反, 在长期暴露于空气后, 样品中的胶黄铁矿仍未被氧化. 这可能与钻孔内该矿物被硅质胶结物包裹有关. 研究结果初步揭示了湖泊沉积物磁学研究的复杂性, 同时也为环境磁学机理的研究提供了新的线索.     

湖南印支期过铝质花岗岩的形成: 岩浆底侵与地壳加厚热效应的数值模拟

在合理构建华南印支期地质-物理模型的基础上, 利用FLAC软件, 模拟了该区印支期过铝质富钾花岗岩形成与基性岩浆底侵, 及陆壳变形叠置加厚两种动力学背景的可能联系. 模拟结果表明, 220 Ma±的基性岩浆底侵能导致地壳含水矿物相岩石的深熔, 但除非印支期存在大规模基性岩浆的底侵作用, 否则其热效应持续时间和热效应波及范围难以形成具大岩基规模的湖南印支期花岗岩. 在陆壳叠置加厚模型中, 地壳的叠置加厚可导致中下地壳界面温度升高到700℃以上, 引起片麻质岩石熔融, 当加厚因子达1.3, 白云母矿物脱水熔融产生的熔体达到熔体流动临界比例(≥20%), 从而形成花岗岩基; 结合印支期挤压逆冲推覆构造和同期基性火山岩极少出露的地质事实, 认为陆壳变形加厚可能是湖南印支期构造岩浆作用形成的主导因素.     

U6+化合物结构构形熵及其对热力学稳定性的影响——在核废料地质处置中的应用

在核废料地质处置库中, UO₂乏燃料将很快被氧化成U⁶⁺化合物. 由于大多数U⁶⁺化合物都具有层状或链状结构, 并且通常含有多个水分子团, 在某些结晶学位置上可能出现不同元素的类质同象混合或空位, 其中与水分子有关的氢键也可能无序排列, 因而产生类质同象混合熵和结构无序熵. 通过系统搜集铀酸盐、UO₂²⁺的氢氧化物、磷酸盐、硅酸盐、碳酸盐和硫酸盐的晶体结构分析测定结果, 发现至少31种U⁶⁺化合物中有类质同象混合, 根据对其理想混合熵的计算结果, 混合熵对某些U⁶⁺化合物的第三定律熵有较大贡献. 此外, 对U⁶⁺化合物中H₂O的晶体化学性质进行了讨论, 认为与间隙水分子有关的氢键的无序定向所产生的结构构形熵也是不能忽视的. 在核废料地质处置库近场地球化学环境中, 结构构形熵的存在可使与某些U⁶⁺ 化合物平衡的水溶液中铀的浓度降低几个数量级. 因此, 应用量热法测定U⁶⁺ 化合物的热力学参数的同时, 必须精确测定样品的化学成分和晶体结构, 并将量热法测定与溶解度实验研究相结合, 以相互印证.     

藏南地壳速度结构与地壳物质东西向“逃逸”──以佩枯错-普莫雍错宽角反射剖面为例

根据佩枯错-普莫雍错480余公里长地震剖面上纵、横波波场特征识别的来自Moho界面反射及壳内界面反射震相, 通过正演拟合解释藏南地区近东西向剖面地壳纵、横波速度与泊松比结构. 结果显示: 该区地壳厚度东西向变化显著, 分别以定日西、定结东为界呈现“块体三分”格局, 西段Moho界面埋深为71 km, 中段约76 km, 东段约74 km; 上地壳底部深度20~30 km左右处存在一低速层, 其厚度沿东西向急剧变化, 即从西段的20 km减薄至东段的6 km左右; 地壳内纵、横波速度变化剧烈, 在东西方向上呈现出跳跃式周期性变化. 下地壳物质低波速与3条近南北向活动正断层的存在可能是伴随印度与欧亚板块碰撞、下地壳物质“拆沉”、地壳增厚与物质东西向“逃逸”耦合作用的结果.     

法国诺曼底地震分布的点模式分析

提出了分析稀疏震中分布的一种新的数学方法。此方法主要是用于评价地震震中分布的线性特征是否显著，从而进一步识别地震断层。将该方法用于合成数据集和旧金山湾地震数据的试验表明，其识别能力还是较好的。如果把该方法应用于实际数据，必须结合地质信息，以此消除人为影响。本文应用该方法分析了西诺曼底地区的震中分布，并由稀疏震中追踪主要的构造方向。