Assessing the potential underestimation of sediment and nutrient loads to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon during floods

Much of the sediment and nutrient load to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) lagoon happens during over bank floods, when discharge can be significantly underestimated by standard river gauges. This paper assesses the potential need for a flood load correction for 28 coastal rivers that discharge into the GBR lagoon. For each river, daily discharge was divided into flows above and below a 'flood' threshold to calculate the mean annual percentage flow above this threshold. Most GBR rivers potentially need a flood load correction as over 15% of their mean annual flow occurs above the minor flood level; only seven rivers need little/no correction as their flood flows were less than 5% of the mean annual flow. Improved assessment of the true load of materials to the GBR lagoon would be an important contribution to the monitoring and reporting of progress towards Reef Plan and associated marine load targets.     

Hydrophobic modification of polyurethane foam for oil spill cleanup

To improve the oleophilic/hydrophobic properties of polyurethane (PU) foams for oil spill cleanup, PU samples were modified by grafting with oleophilic monomer Lauryl methacrylate (LMA) in solvent and/or coating with LMA microspheres through heating and curing. Modified PU cubes were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The water sorption of modified PU cubes was decreased by 24-50%, while the diesel or kerosene sorption of modified PU cubes was increased by 18-27%. In water-oil system, compared with blank PU cubes, the sorption capacity of PU cubes grafted with LMA was increased by 44% for diesel and 100% for kerosene. The sorption capacity of PU cubes coated with LMA microspheres was increased by 20% for diesel and 7% for kerosene. The solvent sorption of modified PU cubes could reach 50-69 g/g. The modified PU cubes can be effectively used in oil/solvent spill cleanup.     

Environmental geochemistry:Introduction

Assessing the physical,geographic,chemical,and geological aspects are important to understand environmental impacts as well as health concerns in view of building a more sustainable planet with circular economies that would last for the foreseeable future.In the recent years,the significance of incorporating ecosystem,anthropogenic activities,and climate has fortified from being an academic concern(e.g.,WEF,2011)into a broadly societal concern as the forecasted realities of environmental deterioration and global climate change come to pass.     

Sources,characteristics,toxicity,and control of ultrafine particles:An overview

Air pollution by particulate matter(PM)is one of the main threats to human health,particularly in large cities where pollution levels are continually exceeded.According to their source of emission,geography,and local meteorology,the pollutant particles vary in size and composition.These particles are conditioned to the aerodynamic diameter and thus classified as coarse(2.5–10μm),fine(0.1–2.5μm),and ultrafine(<0.1μm),where the degree of toxicity becomes greater for smaller particles.These particles can get into the lungs and translocate into vital organs due to their size,causing significant human health consequences.Besides,PM pollutants have been linked to respiratory conditions,genotoxic,mutagenic,and carcinogenic activity in human beings.This paper presents an overview of emission sources,physicochemical characteristics,collection and measurement methodologies,toxicity,and existing control mechanisms for ultrafine particles(UFPs)in the last fifteen years.     

哈萨克斯坦东部斋桑盆地恐龙蛋壳化石与白垩系-古近系界线

在晚白垩世期间,哈萨克斯坦东部的斋桑盆地形成了一个湖盆,一直延续到现在。古斋桑湖中最老的沉积是Tayzhuzgen组,由厚达136m的泥岩、粉砂岩、页岩、石英砂岩、砾岩和淡水石灰岩红层组成。按照当地的地层名称,Tayzhuzgen组包括Manrak、Tayzhuzgen、Aulisbulak、Aktobe、Dysum bay和Kiin Kerish层。在斋桑湖以南的Tayzhuzgen河附近一个地点的Tayzhuzgen组下部,发现了恐龙蛋壳碎片,蛋壳至少包括有两个主要类型:圆形蛋类和长形蛋类。恐龙蛋壳指示了Tayzhuzgen组下部的时代为晚白垩世(可能是马斯特里赫特期)。在本组的较高层位,发现了晚?古新世的植物化石,因此斋桑盆地的白垩系-古近系界线在Tayzhuzgen组内部。在Tayzhuzgen组中,白垩纪与古新世化石层之间的地层间隔只有约50m,由此推测在Tayzhuzgen组内部可能存在一个或多个不整合,或是本组的中部为凝缩沉积,即在白垩系-古近系界线处的沉积速率非常缓慢。Tayzhuzgen组顶部有一个显著的不整合,那里中或晚始新世(Arshantan,Irdinmanhan或Egilian陆生哺乳动物"期")的地层存在于含哺乳动物化石剖面的底部。斋桑盆地的白垩系-古近系界线位于古斋桑湖沉积剖面的下部。这不是一个完整的界线剖面,可能是一个包含有一个或多个不整合和/或一个由慢速沉积造成的凝缩剖面。     

与花岗岩有关的矿床的评述及成矿模式

作者在总结与花岗岩有关的矿床（亲花岗岩矿床）重要特征的基础上，对比了康沃尔锡矿与玻利维亚锡矿、帕纳什凯位（葡萄牙）钨矿与Pasto Bueno(秘鲁）钨矿以及法国Margnac、Fanay铀矿与Bois Noirs-Limouzat铀矿的重要差异，并根据Tanco伟晶岩的研究和实验岩石学资料，讨论了从岩浆条件向热液条件的过渡以及矿化类型与特征的相应改变。此外，分析了与花岗岩有关的矿床中，元素的地球化学行为和不同成分流体在成岩成矿中的作用以及岩浆和源岩对成矿的控制作用，并提出了与花岗岩有关的矿的成矿模式。     

湖南沃溪钨-锑-金建造矿床海底喷流热水沉积成因的组构学和地球化学证据

湖南沃溪矿床是扬子地台南缘江南元古代造山带内产出的为数众多的钨-锑-金的建造矿床的典型代表。有关该矿床的成因,曾先后提出过岩浆热液成因、变质热液成因、变质水和大气降水混合热液成因、热卤水沉积．变质成因、层控构造动力再造成因等观点。我们的研究表明,沃溪钨-锑-金建造矿床系晚元古代弧后拉张环境下盆地喷发热流体同生化学沉积的产物。本仅从组构学和岩矿石及流体的微量元素地球化学方面的证据加以论述。     

湖北恩施地区硒地质地球化学环境背影

我国湖北省恩施州存在一个高Ｓｅ环境区和一个低Ｓｅ环境区。它们曾分别暴发流行过人体Ｓｅ中毒和克山病。在高Ｓｅ区的地层岩石中共有５个含Ｓｅ层位,因而本区在各个地质历史时期都存在高Ｓｅ地质背景,但Ｓｅ中毒只发生于下二叠统茅口组上段和吴家坪组控制的范围内。富Ｓｅ的二叠系岩石中以硅质炭质页岩含Ｓｅ最高（平均２４７．７２×１０－６）,其次为含炭硅质岩（平均５２．４×１０－６）,最低为硅质白云岩（平均３．１３×１０－６）。Ｓｅ质量分数随上述岩石类型降低的趋势与这些岩石中有机炭浓度依次降低有关。高Ｓｅ区同一地层岩石在不同地点发育的土壤总Ｓｅ质量分数和水溶性Ｓｅ质量分数的分布存在明显的差异。根据这种差异可划分出３种土壤Ｓｅ的分布类型,并据此提出进行高Ｓｅ中毒危险区的地球化学预测。高Ｓｅ与低Ｓｅ土壤出露范围的大小决定于其源岩所处的地质构造、岩石性质与产状和地形坡度综合作用的结果。富Ｓｅ岩石和缺Ｓｅ岩石各自产于褶皱的两翼和向斜核部。产状平缓且与坡度方向一致,呈面状大面积出露,其派生的土壤Ｓｅ影响范围较大。在挤压褶皱两翼的富Ｓｅ岩层产状陡,呈狭窄条带出露,其派生的土壤Ｓｅ影响范围取决于搬运介质的性质、强度以及所处的地形条件。     

板块构造贯穿太古宙的地质证据:来自太古宙古板块边界的记录

正"板块构造何时启动"是当今地球科学领域最重大科学问题之一.不同领域学者基于地质学、地球化学、数值模拟和纯粹猜想等多方证据及约束条件提出多种理论假说.近期,针对这一重大科学问题和热点话题,Timothy M.Kusky等3位长期从事全球大地构造,尤其是前寒武纪大地构造研究的学者根据多年在全球不同时代克拉通、汇聚板块边界和造山带的研究和地质实例,在《Journal of Earth Science》发表了