Flocculation improves uptake of Sr and Cs from radioactive effluents

This paper presents the results of investigation on uptake of radioactive species ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs present in the liquid effluents from nuclear processing plants. Chemical precipitation process is adopted to remove radioactivity from the effluents with low and intermediate level of activity. In this process, radioactive ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs are co-precipitated along with copper ferrocyanide, ferric hydroxide and either calcium phosphate or barium sulphate. These precipitates being fine in size require flocculation for enhanced settling rate in clarifier/thickener. The flocculation by some selected high molecular weight polyacrylamide based polymers has improved the uptake of radioactive metal ions. The adsorption of these radioactive species has been found to increase in the presence of these flocculants thereby improving the decontamination factor (DF). While flocculating the precipitates, there may be some complex formation with Sr²⁺/Cs⁺, flocculant and the substrate. This has enhanced the uptake of the radioactive metal ions from the liquid component. The plant trials have indicated the improvement of DF value due to flocculation by cationic flocculant.     

Évolution de l'onde semi-diurne M2 de la marée à Brest de 1846 à 2005

The work of searching, recovering and quality control of ancient sea-level measurements at Brest is presented. This work enables us to complete a study carried out by Cartwright in 1972, which showed a decrease in the tidal M2 semi-diurnal amplitude of 1% per century. After including these ancient data, as well as the last four decades of observations in the analysis, our results show an increase of the amplitude of M2 after 1960 and a decrease before 1880, suggesting a long-period oscillation rather than a steady secular trend. To cite this article: N. Pouvreau et al., C. R. Geoscience 338 (2006).     

Up-temperature flow of surface-derived fluids in the mid-crust: the role of pre-orogenic burial of hydrated fault rocks

The Walter‐Outalpa shear zone in the southern Curnamona Province of NE South Australia is an example of a shear zone that has undergone intensely focused fluid flow and alteration at mid‐crustal depths. Results from this study have demonstrated that the intense deformation and ductile shear zone reactivation, at amphibolite facies conditions of 534 ± 20 °C and 500 ± 82 MPa, that overprint the Proterozoic Willyama Supergroup occurred during the Delamerian Orogeny (c. 500 Ma) (EPMA monazite ages of 501 ± 16 and 491 ± 19 Ma). This is in contrast to the general belief that the majority of basement deformation and alteration in the southern Curnamona Province occurred during the waning stages of the Olarian Orogeny (c. 1610–1580 Ma). These shear zones contain hydrous mineral assemblages that cut wall rocks that have experienced amphibolite facies metamorphism during the Olarian Orogeny. The shear zone rock volumes have much lower δ¹⁸O values (as low as 1‰) than their unsheared counterparts (7–9‰), and calculated fluid δ¹⁸O values (5–8‰) consistent with a surface‐derived fluid source. Hydrous minerals show a decrease in δD_(H2O) from ?14 to ?22‰, for minerals outside the shear zones, to ?28 to ?40‰, for minerals within the shear zones consistent with a contribution from a meteoric source. It is unclear how near‐surface fluids initially under hydrostatic pressure penetrate into the middle crust where fluid pressures approach lithostatic, and where fluid flow is expected to be dominantly upward because of pressure gradients. We propose a mechanism whereby faulting during basin formation associated with the Adelaidean Rift Complex (c. 700 Ma) created broad hydrous zones containing mineral assemblages in equilibrium with surface waters. These panels of fault rock were subsequently buried to depths where the onset of metamorphism begins to dehydrate the fault rock volumes evolving a low δ¹⁸O fluid that is channelled through shear zones related to Delamerian Orogenic activity.     

The transition from peraluminous to peralkaline granitic melts: Evidence from melt inclusions and accessory minerals

Fractional crystallization of peraluminous F- and H₂O-rich granite magmas progressively enriches the remaining melt with volatiles. We show that, at saturation, the melt may separate into two immiscible conjugate melt fractions, one of the fractions shows increasing peraluminosity and the other increasing peralkalinity. These melt fractions also fractionate the incompatible elements to significantly different degrees. Coexisting melt fractions have differing chemical and physical properties and, due to their high density and viscosity contrasts, they will tend to separate readily from each other. Once separated, each melt fraction evolves independently in response to changing T/P/X conditions and further immiscibility events may occur, each generating its own conjugate pair of melt fractions. The strongly peralkaline melt fractions in particular are very reactive and commonly react until equilibrium is attained. Consequently, the peralkaline melt fraction is commonly preserved only in the isolated melt and mineral inclusions.

We demonstrate that the differences between melt fractions that can be seen most clearly in differing melt inclusion compositions are also visible in the composition of the resulting ore-forming and accessory minerals, and are visible on scales from a few micrometers to hundreds of meters.     

Partial melting and P–T evolution of the Kodaikanal Metapelite Belt, southern India

The Kodaikanal region of the Madurai Block in southern India exposes a segment of high-grade metamorphic rocks dominated by an aluminous garnet–cordierite–spinel–sillimanite–quartz migmatite suite, designated herein as the Kodaikanal Metapelite Belt (KMB). These rocks were subjected to extreme crustal metamorphism during the Late Neoproterozoic despite the lack of diagnostic ultrahigh-temperature assemblages. The rocks preserve microstructural evidence demonstrating initial-heating, dehydration melting to generate the peak metamorphic assemblage and later retrogression of the residual assemblages with remaining melt. The peak metamorphic assemblage is interpreted to be garnet + sillimanite + K-feldspar + spinel + Fe–Ti oxide + quartz + melt, which indicates pressure–temperature (P–T) conditions around 950–1000 °C and 7–8 kbar based on calculated phase diagrams. A clockwise P–T path is proposed by integrating microstructural information with pseudosections. We show that evidence for extreme crustal metamorphism at ultrahigh-temperature conditions can be extracted even in the cases where the rocks lack diagnostic ultrahigh-temperature mineral assemblages. Our approach confirms the widespread regional occurrence of UHT metamorphism in the Madurai Block during Gondwana assembly and point out the need for similar studies on adjacent continental fragments.     

Application of the QUILF thermobarometer to the peralkaline trachytes and pantellerites of the Eburru volcanic complex, East African Rift, Kenya

The Quaternary Eburru volcanic complex in the south-central Kenya Rift consists of pantelleritic trachytes and pantellerites. The phenocryst assemblage in the trachytes is sanidine + fayalite + ferrohedenbergite + aenigmatite ± quartz ± ilmenite ± magnetite ± pyrrhotite ± pyrite. In the pantellerites, the assemblage is sanidine + quartz + ferrohedenbergite + fayalite + aenigmatite + ferrorichterite + pyrrhotite ± apatite, although fayalite, ferrohedenbergite and ilmenite are absent from more evolved rocks (e.g. with SiO₂ > 71%). QUILF temperature calculations for the trachytes range from 709 to 793 °C and for the pantellerites 668–708 °C, the latter temperatures being among the lowest recorded for peralkaline silicic magmas. The QUILF thermobarometer demonstrates that the Eburru magmas crystallized at relatively low oxidation states (ΔFMQ + 0.5 to − 1.6) for both trachytes and pantellerites. The trachytes and pantellerites evolved along separate liquid lines of descent, the trachytes possibly deriving from a more mafic parent by fractional crystallization and the pantellerites from extreme fractionation of comenditic magmas.     

Heavy metals in freshly deposited sediments of the river Subernarekha, India: an example of lithogenic and anthropogenic effects

Heavy metal distribution patterns in river sediments aid in understanding the exogenic cycling of elements as well as in assessing the effect of anthropogenic influences. In India, the Subernarekha river flows over the Precambrian terrain of the Singhbhum craton in eastern India. The rocks are of an iron ore series and the primary rock types are schist and quartzite. One main tributary, the Kharkhai, flows through granite rocks and subsequently flows through the schist and quartzite layers. The Subernarekha flows through the East Singhbhum district, which is one of India’s industrialised areas known for ore mining, steel production, power generation, cement production and other related activities. Freshly deposited river sediments were collected upstream and downstream the industrial zone. Samples were collected from four locations and analysed in <63-μm sediment fraction for heavy metals including Zn, Pb, Cd and Cu by anodic stripping voltammetry. Enrichment of these elements over and above the local natural concentration level has been calculated and reported. Sediments of the present study are classified by Muller’s geo-accumulation index (I _geo) and vary from element to element and with climatic seasons. During pre-monsoon period the maximum I _geo value for Zn is moderately to highly polluted and for Cu and Pb is moderately polluted, respectively, based on the Muller’s standard. Anthropogenic, lithogenic or cumulative effects of both components are the main reasons for such variations in I _geo values. The basic igneous rock layer through which the river flows or a seasonal rivulet that joins with the main river may be the primary source for lithogenic components.     

Modeling of Beams on Reinforced Granular Beds

The paper describes a mechanical model for estimating the flexural response of a strip footing, supporting a column (imposing a concentrated load), resting on a compacted granular bed overlying a reinforcement layer for example, geogrids, geomats etc. below which lies a loose soil deposit. The footing is idealized as a beam and the reinforcing element is assumed to have finite bending stiffness and negligible frictional resistance. The upper and lower soil layers are idealized by a series of linear and discrete springs (Winkler springs) of different stiffness values. To find the response of such a model the governing differential equations have been derived and expressed in a nondimensional form. A closed form analytical solution of the same has been obtained subjected to appropriate boundary conditions. Using the present approach the resulting solution for a degenerated case of a long beam is found to be identical to the same of Hetenyi (1946, Beams on elastic foundations, University of Michigan press, Ann Arbor, MI). Parametric studies reveal that the ratio of flexural rigidity of upper and lower beam and the ratio of stiffness of the upper and lower soil layers affect significantly the response of the foundation.