Thermochemistry of glasses along joins of pyroxene stoichiometry in the system Ca2Si2O6-Mg2Si2O6-Al4O6

Enthalpies of solution in 2PbO · B₂O₃ at 974 K have been measured for glasses along the joins Ca₂Si₂O₆ (Wo)-Mg₂Si₂O₆ (En) and Mg₂Si₂O₆-MgAl₂SiO₆ (MgTs). Heats of mixing are symmetric and negative for Wo-En with W_H = ?31.0 ± 3.6 kJ mol^?. Negative heats of mixing were also found for the En-MgTs glasses (W_H = ?33.4 ± 3.7 kJ mol^?).Enthalpies of vitrification of pyroxenes and pyroxenoids generally increase with decreasing alumina content and with decreasing basicity of the divalent cation.Heats of mixing along several glassy joins show systematic trends. When only non-tetrahedral cations mix (outside the aluminosilicate framework), small exothermic heats of mixing are seen. When both nontetrahedral and framework cations mix (on separate sublattices, presumably), the enthalpies of mixing are substantially more negative. Maximum enthalpy stabilization near compositions with Al/Si ≈ 1 is suggested.     

Thermochemistry of carbonate-pyroxene equilibria

The enthalpies of drop solution of calcite, magnesite, dolomite, wollastonite and diopside have been measured in a lead borate solvent at 977 K in a Calvettype microcalorimeter. The carbonate calorimetry was done under flowing gas atmosphere. Both natural and synthetic samples were used. From these calorimetric data, the enthalpies of several reactions of carbonate with quartz were calculated. The enthalpies of these reactions (kJ/mol) at 298 K are: calcite+quartzwollastonite+CO₂, 92.3±1.0; magnesite+quartzenstatite+CO₂, 82.9±2.8; dolomite+quartzdiopside+CO₂, 163.0±1.9. These values generally are in agreement with those calculated from Robie et al., Helgeson et al., Berman and Holland and Powell. The enthalpy of dolomite-quartz reaction overlaps marginally with those from Berman and Holland and Powell. The enthalpy of formation of dolomite from magnesite and calcite (-11.1±2.5 kJ/mol) was also derived from the measured enthalpies, and this value is consistent with that from acid solution calorimetric measurements as shown by Navrotsky and Capobianco, but different from values in the earlier literature. These results support the premise that drop-solution of carbonates into molten lead borate results in a well-defined final state consisting of dissolved oxide and evolved CO₂. This was also confirmed by weight change experiments. Thus, oxide melt calorimetry is applicable to carbonates.     

Seismic hazard impact of the Lower Tagus Valley Fault Zone (SW Iberia)

The seismic hazard of SW Iberia is composed of two contributions: offshore, large to very large events on the plate boundary between Africa and Eurasia such as the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 or the Gorringe Bank earthquake of 1969; and onshore, moderate to strong intraplate earthquakes on inherited crustal fractures. One of these zones of crustal weakness is the Lower Tagus Valley (LTV) fault zone, which displays the highest level of seismic hazard in Western Iberia. In this paper we review the active tectonics and seismicity of the LTV, integrating previous geophysical data with recent results of paleoseismological investigations, and discuss its impact on the seismic hazard of SW Iberia. We conclude that the seismic zonation for hazard assessment currently in force in the building code is biased towards the scenario of distant offshore rupture, and does not take adequately into account the LTV seismic source.     

Application of geostatistical methods in gold geochemical anomalies identification (Montemor-O-Novo, Portugal)

The study described herein concerns the application of geostatistical methods to data soil from Montemor-O-Novo area (Southern Portugal). In the area, the gold mineralised zones (Banhos, Caeiras, Falés, Gamela, Malaca and Monfurado) are characterised by different geological settings and mineralogical assemblages. A total of 1211 soil samples were collected in Montemor-O-Novo area and analysed for Cu, Pb, Zn, As, Ba and Au by atomic absorption spectrometry.To account for spatial structure, simple and cross variograms were computed for the main directions of the grid sampling. From the experimental variograms a linear model of coregionalization composed of three structures, a nugget effect and two anisotropic spherical structures, was fitted to each of the six variables. The coregionalization matrices deduced from the theoretical model show the relationships between the variables at different scales. These matrices were compared with those obtained by principal component analysis (PCA).This methodology was the basis for estimating the corresponding spatial components (Y0, Y1 and Y2) using factorial kriging analysis (FKA). Maps of raw data, Y0, Y1 and Y2 were made for each variable.The use of multivariate analysis permit the study of the spatial structure intrinsic to geochemical data and the identification and refinement of significant anomalies related to Au-bearing mineral deposits.     

Using Ontologies for Integrated Geographic Information Systems

Today, there is a huge amount of data gathered about the Earth, not only from new spatial information systems, but also from new and more sophisticated data collection technologies. This scenario leads to a number of interesting research challenges, such as how to integrate geographic information of different kinds. The basic motivation of this paper is to introduce a GIS architecture that can enable geographic information integration in a seamless and flexible way based on its semantic value and regardless of its representation. The proposed solution is an ontology-driven geographic information system that acts as a system integrator. In this system, an ontology is a component, such as the database, cooperating to fulfill the system's objectives. By browsing through ontologies the users can be provided with information about the embedded knowledge of the system. Special emphasis is given to the case of remote sensing systems and geographic information systems. The levels of ontologies can be used to guide processes for the extraction of more general or more detailed information. The use of multiple ontologies allows the extraction of information in different stages of classification. The semantic integration of aerial images and GIS is a crucial step towards better geospatial modeling.     

Environments of the Russian Plain during the Middle Valdai Briansk Interstade (33,000–24,000 yr B.P.) Indicated by Fossil Mammals and Plants

Abundant mammal (45 localities) and plant (52 sections) fossil data collected from the Russian Plain deposits of the Middle Valdai Briansk Interstade indicate a period of noticeable warming. These materials were jointly analyzed. The data were organized in the database software PARADOX and then moved to the GIS program ARC/INFO. Mathematical methods as well as traditional research methods were used for the analysis. The reconstructed biogeographical provinces illustrate the specific environmental and climatic conditions of the Briansk Interstade. Analogues of modern natural zones did not exist at this time on the Russian Plain. The Briansk landscapes reflect the moderate-cool climate of this period, when the majority of northern subarctic plant and mammal species extended their ranges considerably to the south to the Central Russian Plain. At the same time, steppe species penetrated farther north and west. This combination shows that the continuous forest zone was destroyed during the Briansk Inter-stade. Five biogeographical provinces have been reconstructed from the north to the south for the Russian Plain during the Briansk warming on the basis of joint analysis of mammalian and botanical data.     

Modification of stochastic ground motion models for matching target intensity measures

Stochastic ground motion models produce synthetic time‐histories by modulating a white noise sequence through functions that address spectral and temporal properties of the excitation. The resultant ground motions can be then used in simulation‐based seismic risk assessment applications. This is established by relating the parameters of the aforementioned functions to earthquake and site characteristics through predictive relationships. An important concern related to the use of these models is the fact that through current approaches in selecting these predictive relationships, compatibility to the seismic hazard is not guaranteed. This work offers a computationally efficient framework for the modification of stochastic ground motion models to match target intensity measures (IMs) for a specific site and structure of interest. This is set as an optimization problem with a dual objective. The first objective minimizes the discrepancy between the target IMs and the predictions established through the stochastic ground motion model for a chosen earthquake scenario. The second objective constraints the deviation from the model characteristics suggested by existing predictive relationships, guaranteeing that the resultant ground motions not only match the target IMs but are also compatible with regional trends. A framework leveraging kriging surrogate modeling is formulated for performing the resultant multi‐objective optimization, and different computational aspects related to this optimization are discussed in detail. The illustrative implementation shows that the proposed framework can provide ground motions with high compatibility to target IMs with small only deviation from existing predictive relationships and discusses approaches for selecting a final compromise between these two competing objectives.     

A conceptual model of the copper–porphyry ore formation based on joint analysis of deep 3D geophysical models: Sorskoe complex (Russia) case study

Joint analysis of deep three-dimensional models of the electrical resistivity, seismic velocity, and density of the complex hosting the Sorskoe Cu–Mo deposit (Russia) is carried out aimed at finding geophysical markers characterizing the areas of ore generation, transportation and deposition. The three-dimensional lithology model of the study area is built based on the empirical relationship between the silica content of the rocks and seismic velocities. It is in agreement with geological and geochemical studies provided in this area earlier and could be used as a basis for forecasting locations of the copper–molybdenum ore deposits at depth. A conceptual model of the copper–porphyry complex explaining the mechanisms of ore generation, transportation from the lower to the upper crust and deposition in the upper crust is suggested. In particular, it is supposed that post-magmatic supercritical gas–water ore-bearing fluids are upwelling through the plastic crust due to the sliding of the fluid films along the cleavage planes of the foliated rocks while at the depths of the brittle upper crust this mechanism could be changed by volumetric fluid transportation along the network of large pores and cracks.     

Do the shallow‐water habitats of a hypersaline tropical estuary act as nursery grounds for fishes?

Fish assemblages were studied in a hypersaline tropical estuary in Northeastern Brazil. A total of 104 species were collected by beach seine during the dry and rainy seasons of 2012. Two families, Atherinopsidae and Gerreidae, were numerically dominant in all zones of the estuary; juveniles of Atherinella brasiliensis, Eucinostomus argenteus, Lile piquitinga, Ulaema lefroyi, Lutjanus analis and Sphoeroides greeleyi contributed 77% of the total catch. The factors that best explained the fish abundance pattern were salinity and depth, which were related to spatial segregation. Species richness was lowest in the upper zone, an area with high salinity and shallow depth. The distinct roles of structurally different habitats (submerged macrophyte beds and mangrove prop‐roots) and the influence of physicochemical conditions in the middle zone of the estuary may influence taxonomic diversity. The middle zone of the estuary is the one most attractive to juveniles of reef species (Lutjanidae and Serranidae). The fish assemblages are clearly dominated by marine estuarine dependent species, highlighting the importance of the ecosystem as a nursery ground for marine species of the Brazilian coast.