Les tholeiites a affinité alcaline du secteur ouest du Siroua (Anti-Atlas central, Maroc): temoins d'une distension au Néoproterozoïque

The Upper Proterozoic granitoids of the western part of the Siroua Massif (central Anti-Atlas, Morocco) are cut by doleritic dykes injected along submeridian and equatorial directions. These dykes were emplaced before deposition of late Neoproterozoic formations (PIII). According to and incompatible element ratios, these dolerites constitue two discrete chemical groups unrelated to orientation and thickness. They are both enriched in large ion lithophile elements, Zr, Th and light rare earth elements, and correspond to continental tholeiites displaying an alkaline affinity. This alkaline affinity is also confirmed by clinopyroxene and amphibole chemistry. Emplacement of these doleritic dykes occurred under an extensional regime active in the Anti-Atlas range during the Upper Proterozoic.     

Electrical Resistivity Imaging technique to delineate coal seam barrier thickness and demarcate water filled voids

Exploration and exploitation of coal seams is one of the major resources for the energy sector in any country but at the same time water filled voids/water logged areas in the old workings of these seams are very critical problems for the coal mining industry. In such situations, disasters like inundation, landslides, collapsing of the old seams may occur. In this regard, it is necessary to find out the water saturated/water filled voids and zones in the mining areas. Since no established technique is available to find such zones, an experimental study using Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) has been carried out in one of the coal mining areas near Dhanbad, to find out the feasibility of finding the barrier thickness and the water logged area in underground coal mines. The area under study forms part of Jharia coalfield in Dhanbad district, Jharkhand state. The coal bearing rocks of Barakar Formation of Lower Permian age (Gondwana period) occur in the area under a thin cover (10 m to15 m) of soil and or alluvium. Coal bearing Barakar Formations consist mainly of sandstone of varying grain size, intercalation of shale and sandstone, grey and carbonaceous-shale and coal seams. Since the water saturation reduces the resistivity of a formation to a large extent, water filled voids and old coal workings are expected to have significant resistivity contrast with the surrounding host rock. Hence, ERI technique was applied in such an environment as this technique uses high-density data acquisition both laterally and vertically by using multiple number of electrodes. Along with ERI, mise-à-la-masse (also called charged body) technique was also employed at one of the promising sites to find out the connectivity of water logged areas and also detection of these old workings from the surface measurements was analyzed. The interpreted 2D resistivity sections have clearly indicated the water bearing zone(s) along the profile which was well confirmed with the existing water level in the nearby borewells. On the other hand, this technique did not identify the size of the coal pillar and gallery (air filled voids), which might be due to the small size of the voids (i.e. about 2 m × 2 m) below a depth of 15m and more but have indicated altogether as a high resistive zone ranging from 600–1000 Ohm-m.     

Groundwater resources evaluation in calcareous limestone using geoelectrical and VLF-EM surveys (El Salloum Basin,Egypt)

Understanding and developing groundwater resources in arid regions such as El Salloum basin, along the northwestern coast of Egypt, remains a challenging issue. One-dimensional (1D) electrical sounding (ES), two-dimensional (2D) electrical resistivity imaging (ERI), and very low frequency electromagnetic (VLF-EM) measurements were used to investigate the hydrogeological framework of El Salloum basin with the aim of determining the potential for extraction of potable water. 1D resistivity sounding models were used to delineate geoelectric sections and water-bearing layers. 2D ERI highlighted decreases in resistivity with depth, attributed to clay-rich limestone combined with seawater intrusion towards the coast. A depth of investigation (DOI) index was used to constrain the information content of the images at depths up to 100 m. The VLF-EM survey identified likely faults/fractured zones across the study area. A combined analysis of the datasets of the 1D ES, 2D ERI, and VLF-EM methods identified potential zones of groundwater, the extent of seawater intrusion, and major hydrogeological structures (fracture zones) in El Salloum basin. The equivalent geologic layers suggest that the main aquifer in the basin is the fractured chalky limestone middle Miocene) south of the coastal plain of the study area. Sites likely to provide significant volumes of potable water were identified based on relatively high resistivity and thickness of laterally extensive layers. The most promising locations for drilling productive wells are in the south and southeastern parts of the region, where the potential for potable groundwater increases substantially.

     

Electrochemical studies of sulphides,I. The electrocatalytic activity of galena,pyrite and cobalt sulphide for oxygen reduction in relation to xanthate adsorption and flotation

The electrocatalytic activity of galena, pyrite and Co₃S₄ for oxygen reduction has been studied by potentiostatic methods. Open circuit potentials of the sulphide electrodes have also been measured as a function of pH in nitrogen, air and oxygen atmospheres and also in the presence of H₂O₂ and ethyl xanthate. The adsorption of xanthate on sulphides was followed by observing bubble attachment to the electrodes.The catalytic activity for oxygen (or H₂O₂) reduction (the cathodic currents), the electrode potentials and the xanthate adsorption as shown by bubble attachment within certain pH limits, all varied as $\text{Co}{}_3\text{S}{}_4\text{> pyrite (≈ PbS in H}{}_2\text{O}{}_2\text{) ? PbS}$ indicating considerable dependence of the redox processes in flotation on the d - electron character of the sulphides.In the absence of oxygen, xanthate is probably bonded to the water structure of the surface through hydrogen-bonding, thus keeping the surface hydrophilic. Such adsorption reduces the electrode potential and inhibits oxygen reduction.     

Hydrothermal alteration and evolution of Zr-Th-U-REE mineralization in the microgranite of Wadi Ras Abda,North Eastern Desert,Egypt

Ras Abda plutonic suite, North Eastern Desert of Egypt, consists predominantly of Neoproterozoic calc-alkaline older granites. Minor exposures of pink microgranite are occurring along Wadi Ras Abda within the older granites. Previous studies on this area demonstrated that the microgranite is altered in some parts and contains anomalous concentrations of rare metal elements (Zr, Th, and U). These altered and mineralized zones are re-assessed using field observations, chemical analysis, and by the application of various transmitted light and electron microscopic techniques. The rare metals exist as mineral segregation grew freely into open cavities of the microgranite and concordant with the NNE strike-slip fault movement. The mineralized zones contain an assemblage of secondary magnetite, zircon, uranothorite, columbite-(Mn), fergusonite-(Y), and allanite-(Ce). The extreme abundance of zircon in the mineralized zone, along with other evidence, indicates a hydrothermal origin of this zircon together with associated rare metals. The geochemical investigation and mass balance calculations revealed extreme enrichment of Zr, Th, U, Y, Nb, Ta, and REE. Post-magmatic hydrothermal alterations resulted in such pronounced chemical and mineralogical heterogeneity. The hydrothermal fluids are thought to be oxidizing, alkaline and of medium temperature (>?250 °C). The average contents of the elements Zr (1606 ppm), Th (1639 ppm), U (306 ppm), Nb (955 ppm), and REE (1710 ppm) in the mineralized microgranite reach sub-economic levels and could be a potential source of these elements.     

Analysis of physical factors of climate and bioclimate and their effects on almonds production to increase the economy in Hebron area of Palestine

For the 1993–2009 period, we analyzed the relationship between almond yield and three climatic variables (mean annual temperature, soil water reserve, and precipitation), and four bioclimatic variables (annual ombrothermic index, water deficit, simple continentality index, and compensated thermicity index), for one major Hebron crop (soft and hard almonds). Moreover, we obtained data almond production from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, while the climate data from the Palestinian meteorological station during the study period from 1993 to 2009, and analysis is it by using bioclimatic classification of the Earth of Salvador Rivas-Martinez to study the relationship between the almond yield and climate and bioclimate factors (variables). The climatic and bioclimate variables of greatest importance to almond were used to develop regressions analysis relating yield to climatic conditions. Hebron was positively affected by annual ombrothermic index, simple continentality index, precipitation, water soil reserve, and mean annual temperature, but negatively affected by water deficit, with a large proportion of the variance explained by axis F1 (72.48%), F2 (22.38%), and axes F1and F2 (94. 86%). However, in order to produce a high amount of almonds and quality, it can be grown in the regions of the mesomediterranean region, with the value of annual ombrothemic index more than 3, compensated thermicity index between 220/220 to 350/350, simple continentality index between 14 and 20, and in areas where the average annual temperature is between 15 and 20 °C.     

Biostratigraphy and seismic data analysis to detect the sequence stratigraphic depositional environment of the Miocene succession: Gulf of Suez (Egypt)

This work comprises a study of the sequence stratigraphy, seismic-facies analysis, biostratigraphy and depositional environments of the northern part of the Gulf of Suez, Egypt, using a set of 24 3D seismic profiles, composite logs and sonic logs from ten wells. The syn-rift formations in the studied ten wells are described lithologically and interpreted based on investigating two seismic profiles. Biostratigraphically, the Miocene fossils are identified to correlate the five planktonic foraminiferal biozones in the examined boreholes (RB-A1, RB-B1, RB-B3, EE85-2 and RB-C1). The sequence stratigraphic analysis suggests that the Miocene succession can be subdivided into two major third order depositional sequences (S1 and S2) separated by the three major sequence boundaries (DSB1, DSB2 and DSB3).