Correlation between Loess profiles on the basis of mineralogical,malacological, and anthropogenic indicators: A case study from Moravany-Lopata,western Slovakia

Moravany-Lopata, located in the complex of sites in the middle Vah basin, dates to the period immediately preceding the LGM. The authors use this site to demonstrate the usefulness of mineralogical, sedimentological, palaeomalacological, and anthropogenic criteria for the correlation of loess profiles. This analysis is especially concerned with sites in loess territories where the loess layers covering archaeological levels are not thick. Such sites occur frequently on the plateaus of the northern part of Central Europe, though they appear most notably in the areas in which the last loess cover, corresponding to the period after the last Pleniglacial and/or Late Glacial postloess sediments, is absent. The archaeological levels dated to before or directly after the LGM occur in the upper portion of the loess, overlain by the Holocene soil. The investigations at the Moravany-Lopata site have confirmed the usefulness of the anthropogenic indicators in the 0.1–1.0 mm fraction for the identification of occupation levels extending even beyond the area of occurrence of macrofinds and evident type structures. On this basis, a relationship could be established between two occupational levels and two ice-wedge generations in the period from 21.4 to 20 ky. Gravettian settlement in western Slovakia seems to have persisted up to the maximum of the LGM. Population groups representing the end of the shouldered points horizon (pointes à cran) appeared in western Slovakia in the intervals between the formation of large networks of ice wedges. The next settlement phase in that territory falls at about 18–17 ky B.P. This is the Epigravettian settlement, which is culturally unrelated to the shouldered points horizon. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Zur geomorphologischen und geologischen Entwicklungsgeschichte der Ostabdachung der Zentralalpen in der Miozänzeit

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Identification of seismic anomalies caused by gas saturation on the basis of theoretical P and PS wavefield in the Carpathian Foredeep,SE Poland

The thin-layer build of the Carpathian Foredeep Miocene formations and large petrophysical parameter variation cause seismic images of gas-saturated zones to be ambiguous, and the location of prospection wells on the basis of anomalous seismic record is risky. A method that assists reservoir interpretation of standard recorded seismic profiles (P waves) can be a converted wave recording (PS waves). This paper presents the results of application of a multicomponent seismic survey for the reservoir interpretation over the Chałupki Dębniańskie gas deposit, carried out for the first time in Poland by Geofizyka Kraków Ltd. for the Polish Oil and Gas Company. Seismic modeling was applied as the basic research tool, using the SeisMod program based on the finite-difference solution of the acoustic wave equation and equations of motion. Seismogeological models for P waves were developed using Acoustic Logs; S-wave model (records only from part of the well) was developed on the basis of theoretical curves calculated by means of the Estymacja program calibrated with average S-velocities, calculated by correlation of recorded P and PS wavefields with 1D modeling. The conformity between theoretical and recorded wavefields makes it possible to apply the criteria established on the basis of modeling for reservoir interpretation. Direct hydrocarbon indicators (bright spots, phase change, time sag) unambiguously identify gas-prone layers within the ChD-2 prospect. A partial range of the indicators observed in the SW part of the studied profile (bright spot that covers a single, anticlinally bent seismic horizon) points to saturation of the horizon. The proposed location is confirmed by criteria determined for converted waves (continuous seismic horizons with constant, high amplitude) despite poorer agreement between theoretical and recorded wavefields.     

On the nature of the excess heat capacity of mixing

The excess vibrational entropy (ΔS _vib^ex) of several silicate solid solutions are found to be linearly correlated with the differences in end-member volumes (ΔV _i ) and end-member bulk moduli (Δκ _i ). If a substitution produces both, larger and elastically stiffer polyhedra, then the substituted ion will find itself in a strong enlarged structure. The frequency of its vibration is decreased because of the increase in bond lengths. Lowering of frequencies produces larger heat capacities, which give rise to positive excess vibrational entropies. If a substitution produces larger but elastically softer polyhedra, then increase and decrease of mean bond lengths may be similar in magnitude and their effect on the vibrational entropy tends to be compensated. The empirical relationship between ΔS _vib^ex, ΔV _i and Δκ _i , as described by ΔS _vib^ex = (ΔV _i  + mΔκ _i )f, was calibrated on six silicate solid solutions (analbite–sanidine, pyrope–grossular, forsterite–fayalite, analbite–anorthite, anorthite–sanidine, CaTs–diopside) yielding m = 0.0246 and f = 2.926. It allows the prediction of ΔS _vib^ex behaviour of a solid solution based on its volume and bulk moduli end-member data.     

Automatic Extraction of Filaments in Hα Solar Images

This paper presents a new method which allows for the automatic extraction and tracking of the evolution of filaments in solar images. Series of Hα full-disk images are taken in regular time intervals to observe the changes of the solar disk features. In each picture, the solar chromosphere filaments are identified for further evolution examination. Two alternative preprocessing techniques converting grayscale images into black-and-white pictures with enhanced chromosphere granularity are examined: local thresholding based on median values and global thresholding with brightness and area normalization. The next step employs morphological closing operations with multi-directional linear structuring elements to extract elongated shapes in the image. After logical intersection of directional filtering results, remaining noise is removed from the final outcome using morphological dilation and erosion with a circular structuring element. Experimental results show that the developed technique can achieve excellent results in detecting large filaments and good detection rates for small filaments.     

New chondrichthyans from the Irati Formation (Early Permian,Paraná Basin), Brazil: origin,paleoenvironmental and paleogeographical considerations

Three genera, known by dorsal finspine, are reported from conglomeratic sandstone at the base of the Lower Permian (Kungurian) Irati Formation (Paraná Basin) near Rio Claro, São Paulo State, Brazil, noteworthy for the great richness of vertebrate fossils. The fossils include: (1) the previously known Sphenacanthus with the species Sphenacanthus sanpauloensis and an indeterminate species; (2) the Permian – Carboniferous genus Amelacanthus; (3) a new indeterminate Chondrichthyes. These fossils are found together with: continental, fresh-water and salt-water vertebrates. The analysis of this assemblage allows inference about the origin of Paraná Basin Chondrichthyes as well as reconstruction of the paleoenvironment and the possible geographic isolation of these fishes during the Permian in Brazil.     

The Use of Stable Sulfur, Oxygen and Hydrogen Isotope Ratios as Geochemical Tracers of Sulfates in the Podwiśniówka Acid Drainage Area (South-Central Poland)

The paper presents the results of determinations of stable S and O isotopes of dissolved sulfates and O and H stable isotopes of waters from three ponds, that is, Marczakowe Do?y acid pond, Marczakowe Do?y fish pond and Podwi?niówka acid pit pond, located in the Holy Cross Mountains (south-central Poland). The δ³⁴S_V-CDT and δ¹⁸O_V-SMOW of SO₄ ^2? in waters of three ponds (n = 14) varied from ?16.2 to ?9.5 ‰ (mean of ?13.6 ‰) and from ?8.1 to ?3.2 ‰ (mean of ?4.8 ‰), respectively. The mean δ³⁴S–SO₄ ^2? values were closer to those of pyrite (mean of ?25.4 ‰) and efflorescent sulfate salts (mean of ?25.6 ‰), recorded previously in the Podwi?niówka quarry, than to sulfates derived from other anthropogenic or soil and bedrock sources. The SO₄ ^2? ions formed by bacterially induced pyrite oxidation combined with bacterial (dissimilatory) dissolved sulfate reduction, and presumably with subordinate mineralization of carbon-bonded sulfur compounds, especially in both Marczakowe Do?y ponds. In addition, the comparison of δ¹⁸O–SO₄ ^2? and δ¹⁸O–H₂O values indicated that 75–100 % of sulfate oxygen was derived from water. Due to the largest size, the Podwi?niówka acid pit pond revealed distinct seasonal variations in both δ¹⁸O–H₂O (?9.2 to ?1.6) and δD–H₂O (?29.7 to ?71.3) values. The strong correlation coefficient (r ² = 0.99) was noted between δ¹⁸O–H₂O and δD–H₂O values, which points to atmospheric precipitation as the only source of water. The sediments of both acid ponds display different mineral inventory: the Marczakowe Do?y acid pond sediment consists of schwertmannite and goethite, whereas Podwi?niówka acid pit pond sediment is composed of quartz, illite, chlorite and kaolinite with some admixture of jarosite reflecting a more acidic environment. Geochemical modeling of two acid ponds indicated that the saturation indices of schwertmannite and nanosized ε-Fe₂O₃ (Fe³⁺ oxide polymorph) were closest to thermodynamic equilibrium state with water, varying from ?1.44 to 3.05 and from ?3.42 to 6.04, respectively. This evidence matches well with the obtained mineralogical results.     

Heat capacity,entropy, and phase equilibria of dmitryivanovite

The heat capacity (C _p ) of dmitryivanovite synthesized with a cubic press was measured in the temperature range of 5–664 K using the heat capacity option of a physical properties measurement system and a differential scanning calorimeter. The entropy of dmitryivanovite at standard temperature and pressure (STP) was calculated to be 110.1 ± 1.6 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹ from the measured C _p data. With the help of new phase equilibrium experiments done at 1.5 GPa, the phase transition boundary between krotite and dmitryivanovite was best represented by the equation: P (GPa) = −2.1825 + 0.0025 T (K). From the temperature intercept of this phase boundary and other available thermodynamic data for krotite and dmitryivanovite, the enthalpy of formation and Gibbs free energy of formation of dmitryivanovite at STP were calculated to be −2326.7 ± 2.1 and −2,208.1 ± 2.1 kJ mol⁻¹, respectively. It is also inferred that dmitryivanovite is the stable CaAl₂O₄ phase at STP and has a wide stability field at high pressures whereas the stability field of krotite is located at high temperatures and relatively low pressures. This conclusion is consistent with natural occurrences (in Ca–Al-rich inclusions) of dmitryivanovite and krotite, where the former is interpreted as the shock metamorphic product of originally present krotite.