Glacial Erosion in the Abisko Mountains: Kärkevagge and Vassivagge, Northern Sweden

This paper discusses direct current resistivity soundings and geomorphological studies of Quaternary deposits in two glacial troughs in the Abisko Mountains of northern Sweden. The subject of the fieldwork is the depth of Pleistocene glacial erosion. Studies were carried out in 1998 and 2003 in the Kärkevagge and Vassivagge. The estimated thickness of Quaternary deposits and bedrock properties are discussed in the broader context of glacial erosion studies in the Abisko area. Geophysical and geomorphological studies suggest that the depth of glacial erosion was highly differentiated from –190 m in the Torneträsk basin to the metric overall erosion on the upland plateau. In medium‐sized valleys several kilometres long, erosion depth measures 30–50 m. Present‐day stream channel patterns reveal a strong relation to the bedrock configuration in valley floors     

Environmental impacts of bench blasting at Hisarcik Boron open pit mine in Turkey

This paper presents the results of ground vibration measurements carried out in Hisarcik Boron open pit mine located on the west side of central Anatolia near Kütahya province in Turkey. Within the scope of this study to predict peak particle velocity (PPV) level for this site, ground vibration components were measured for 304 shots during bench blasting. In blasting operations, ANFO (blasting agent), gelatin dynamite (priming), and delay electric detonators (firing) were used as explosives. Parameters of scaled distance (charge quantity per delay and the distance between the source and the station) were recorded carefully and the ground vibration components were measured for all blast events using two different types of vibration monitors (one White Mini-Seis and one Instantel Minimate Plus Model). The absolute distances between shot points and monitor stations were determined using GPS. The equation of square root scaled distance extensively used in the literature was taken into consideration for the prediction of PPV. Then, the data pairs of scaled distance and particle velocity obtained from the 565 event records were analyzed statistically. At the end of statistical evaluation of the data pairs, an empirical relation which gives 50% prediction line with a reasonable correlation coefficient was established between PPV and scaled distance.     

Reliability Based Assessment of Shallow Foundations Using Mathcad

A reliability based method was used to design and analyse shallow foundations using first-order Taylor series approximation. The computer program Mathcad was used to facilitate all mathematical and computional efforts. This method is an effective tool to assist the foundation designers and analyists to investigate how reliable their designs or analyses are in relation to the ultimate bearing capacity of the foundations. The approach presented in this paper provides a reliable alternative for design and analysis of shallow foundations, rather than the conventional design methods, which employs the assumptions of a specified saftey factor. Several examples were presented for design and analysis of strip footings embedded in sandy soil, and rectangular and square footings analysis embedded in clayey soils. The program input and output of each example are also presented and discussed.     

Estimation of ship velocities from MODIS and OCM

Detection of ships and their tracks in the atmosphere from satellites was earlier demonstrated by Porch, Noone, and Kaufman, among others. In this letter, we have gone one step further to estimate the ship speed and direction by locating them and their tracks from multisatellite imagery. Exhausts from the ships create streaks of clouds in the atmosphere that help identify the same ship from two satellites. Ship velocities are estimated from displacements of ships. We have used optical sensors data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Ocean Color Monitor (OCM) to demonstrate this technique. Estimated velocities of ships are within the expected range. Application of this approach has general interest to the navy, coast guards, shipping corporations, commercial ship owners, and fishermen. More satellite observations can be used to continuously monitor the ship velocities.     

Impact of Southern Oscillation on the Frequency of Monsoon Depressions in the Bay of Bengal

The impact of Southern Oscillation on thecyclogenesis over the Bay of Bengal duringthe summer monsoon has been investigated.The analysis of correlation coefficients(CCs) between the frequency of monsoondepressions and the Southern OscillationIndex (SOI) reveals that more depressionsform during July and August of El Niñoyears. Due to this, the seasonal frequencyof monsoon depressions remains little higherduring El Niño epochs even though thecorrelations for June and September are notsignificant. The CCs for July and August aresignificant at the 99% level.The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)is known to affect Indian MonsoonRainfall (IMR) adversely. The enhancedcyclogenesis over the Bay of Bengal duringJuly and August is an impact of ENSO whichneeds to be examined closely. Increasedcyclogenesis over the Bay of Bengal may bereducing the deficiency in IMR duringEl Niño years by producing more rainfallover the eastern parts of India duringJuly and August. Thus there is a considerablespatial variation in the impact of ENSOon the monsoon rainfall over India and El Niñoneed not necessarily imply a monsoonfailure everywhere in India.The area of formation of monsoon depressionsshifts eastward during El Niño years.Warmer sea surface temperature (SST) anomaliesprevail over northwest and adjoiningwestcentral Bay of Bengal during premonsoon andmonsoon seasons of El Niño years.May minus March SOI can provide useful predictionsof monsoon depression frequencyduring July and August.     

Redbed-type gold mineralisation, Kupferschiefer, south-west Poland

A new type of gold mineralisation containing minor amounts of platinum and palladium has been found proximal to the secondary redox interface located below the Cu-Ag Kupferschiefer orebody of the Polkowice-Sieroszowice mine in the south-western part of the Lubin-Sieroszowice district, Poland. This deposit can be classified as redbed-type gold. Our study shows that gold, platinum and palladium occur in secondary red-coloured sections of the basal Zechstein sedimentary rocks and in the uppermost Weissliegendes sandstone. Noble metal mineralisation occurs within an average interval of 0.22 m, which lies directly below the copper ores. The average grade of the horizon is 2.25 ppm Au, 0.138 ppm Pt and 0.082 ppm Pd with a metal content of several tens of tonnes of gold. A transition zone has been recognised between the gold-bearing horizon and the copper deposit. This transition zone is characterised by the presence of low grades of copper (<0.2 wt%) and elevated gold contents (>0.5 ppm). Native gold accompanied by electrum, mercury-bearing gold, haematite, covellite, chalcocite, bornite and chalcopyrite has been identified in the gold-bearing horizon. In some sections, Pd-arsenides, tetra-auricupride, Co-arsenides, clausthalite, tennantite, digenite, yarrowite, spionkopite and galena have also been noted.     

Geochemical stream sediment survey in Winder Valley, Balochistan, Pakistan

A pilot scale geochemical survey of sediments from the Winder Stream (SW Pakistan) and its tributaries was carried out. The Winder Stream mainly receives sediment from the southern extensions of the Mor and Pab Ranges in the District of Lasbela (Balochistan). In these two mountain ranges, rocks from Jurassic to Cretaceous age are exposed. Rocks of the Ferozabad Group comprise of carbonates and siliciclastics of Lower–Middle Jurassic age and occupy the dominant part of the Mor Range. These strata host syngenetic and epigenetic Zn–Pb–Ba mineralizations of Stratiform Sediment-Hosted (SSH) and Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) deposits.Quantitative estimates of mobile and immobile elements were made from active stream sediments of the Winder stream and its tributaries. The samples were analyzed for Ag, Zn, Pb, Cu, Ni, Co, V, Mn, Fe and Ba using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The abundance of these elements is discussed in relation to local geological conditions such as bedrock, climate, weathering, mobility and pH of the dispersing waters. A number of Zn anomalies have been distinguished in the study area. Kharrari (Zn, 360 ppm), Sand (Zn, 340 ppm) and Draber (Zn, 210 ppm) are demarcated as new areas for Zn mineralization. The present study also indicates prospects of Ag, Cu and V in the rocks of the Mor Range.Relationships between various elements have been identified from scattergrams and reflect genetic associations. Whereby the positive correlation between Cu–Zn (0.55, n=18) and Cu–Pb (0.63) is related to possible sulphide mineralization.     

Rates of Deglaciation during the Last Glaciation and Holocene in the Cordillera Vilcanota-Quelccaya Ice Cap Region, Southeastern Perú

Moraine chronology is combined with digital topography to model deglacial rates of paleoglacier volumes in both the Huancané Valley on the west side of the Quelccaya Ice Cap and the Upismayo Valley on the northwest side of the Cordillera Vilcanota. The fastest rates of deglaciation (39×10⁻⁵ to 114×10⁻⁵ km³ yr⁻¹ and 112×10⁻⁵ to 247×10⁻⁵ km³ yr⁻¹ for each valley, respectively) were calculated for the most recent paleoglaciers, corresponding to the last few centuries. These results are consistent with observations in the Venezuelan Andes showing high rates of deglaciation since the Little Ice Age. These rates also fall within the range of 20th century rates of deglaciation measured on the Quelccaya Ice Cap (29×10⁻⁵ to 220×10⁻⁵ km³ yr⁻¹, Brecher and Thompson, 1993; Thompson, 2000). These results imply that rates of deglaciation may fluctuate significantly over time and that high rates of deglaciation may not be exclusive to the late 20th century. Equilibrium line altitude (ELA) depressions for the ice volumes of the last glaciation modeled here were computed as 230 m for the Quelccaya Ice Cap and 170 m for the Cordillera Vilcanota. Maximum ELA depressions are lower than previously published: <500 m for the Cordillera Vilcanota and <400 m for the Quelccaya Ice Cap. These lower values could imply a topographic control over paleoglacier extent.     

Analyzing CO2 emissions mitigation by technology improvement in Central and Eastern Europe

As a legacy of the centrally planned economy, the economies in transition of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) have a unique potential to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions through the improvement in their high energy intensities. Since much of this `low-hanging fruit' in energy-efficiency improvements can be highly cost-effective, many developed countries facing difficulties in meeting their greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets domestically are eager to find such opportunities in the CEE region. Therefore, studies analysing the potentials and costs of carbon dioxide reduction through technology improvement in the region have come into the limelight. While there are a few excellent studies in the region aimed at analysing climate change abatement potentials, they all embark on different assumptions, methodologies and boundary conditions. It is hence difficult, if not impossible, to compare and analyse the results of these studies across different authors, countries or time horizons. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to place four leading studies on GHG mitigation through technology improvement from the CEE region into an internationally comparable framework. Four studies were selected from three countries, Poland, Hungary and Estonia, which are all the results of major national and international efforts to assess costs and potentials of GHG reduction. The paper places their assumptions, methods and final results into a framework which enables policy-makers and project designers to compare these across geographical and technological boundaries. Since other studies from around the globe have been analysed in this framework in the literature, this paper provides a vehicle for the findings of these four studies to be compared to others worldwide. In addition, the paper highlights a few areas where similar studies to be completed in the future in the region may be enhanced by incorporating features used in GHG mitigation research in other parts of the world. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Pressure effect on Ti- or P-rich accessory mineral saturation in evolved granitic melts with differing K2O/Na2O ratios

The solubility of Ti- and P-rich accessory minerals has been examined as a function of pressure and K₂O/Na₂O ratio in two series of highly evolved silicate systems. These systems correspond to (a) alkaline, varying from alkaline to peralkaline with increasing K₂O/Na₂O ratio; and (b) strongly metaluminous (essentially trondhjemitic at the lowest K₂O/Na₂O ratio) and remaining metaluminous with increasing K₂O/Na₂O ratio (to 3). The experiments were conducted at a fixed temperature of 1000 °C, with water contents varying from 5 wt.% at low pressure (0.5 GPa), increasing through 5–10 wt.% at 1.5–2.5 GPa to 10 wt.% at 3.5 GPa. Pressure was extended outside the normal crustal range, so that the results may also be applied to derivation of hydrous silicic melts from subducted oceanic crust.

For the alkaline composition series, the TiO₂ content of the melt at Ti-rich mineral saturation decreases with increasing pressure but is unchanged with increasing K content (at fixed pressure). The P₂O₅ content of the alkaline melts at apatite saturation increases with increased pressure at 3.5 GPa only, but decreases with increasing K content (and peralkalinity). For the metaluminous composition series (termed as “trondhjemite-based series” (T series)), the TiO₂ content of the melt at Ti-rich mineral saturation decreases with increasing pressure and with increasing K content (at fixed pressure). The P₂O₅ content of the T series melts at apatite saturation is unchanged with increasing pressure, but decreases with increasing K content. The contrasting results for P and Ti saturation levels, as a function of pressure in both compositions, point to contrasting behaviour of Ti and P in the structure of evolved silicate melts. Ti content at Ti-rich mineral saturation is lower in the alkaline compared with the T series at 0.5 GPa, but is similar at higher pressures, whereas P content at apatite saturation is lower in the T series at all pressures studied. The results have application to A-type granite suites that are alkaline to peralkaline, and to I-type metaluminous suites that frequently exhibit differing K₂O/Na₂O ratios from one suite to another.