Biogeochemical evaluation of Nannorrhops ritchiana： A Mg-flora from Khuzdar, Balochistan, Pakistan

Nannorrhops ritchiana （ Mazari Palm） is a distinctive flora growing in the Saharo-Sindian region. It is well distributed on the ultramafic soil, derived from the Bela Ophiolite in the Khuzdar District, Balochistan, Pakistan. Quantitative estimation of Ca, Mg, Fe and Ni in soil and plant ash has been carried out. The constituents of plant ash have been discussed in relation to soil chemistry, pH, climate, mobility, average abundance in plant ash and exclusion mechanism of the flora. Relationship among Ca, Mg, Fe and Ni has been established using scattergrams to evaluate the biogeochemistry of the plant. High contents of Mg and high coefficient of biological absorption allow it to be classed as Mg-flora. Both Ca and Fe appeared to be antagonistic to Mg. The metal assemblage of N. ritchiana nicely reflected the nature of the bed rock as being serpentinized ultramafic, and its corresponding soils. Good exclusion mechanism of N. ritchiana did not allow it to absorb high Ni from the soil. Relatively high concentrations of Ni in N. ritchiana from the Baran Lak area can be used to localize Ni-mineralization in the study area. Statistical analyses, such as minimum, maximum, mean, mode, median, standard deviations, and coefficient of correlation, were also made to improve raw geochemical data and interpretations.     

燕山地区褶皱冲断带和盆地中的晚侏罗世土城子组/后城组形成分析(英文)

土城子组/后城组为广泛分布在中国北方的燕山褶皱冲断带和盆地中晚侏罗世的典型碎屑岩沉积。本文主要是针对目前在燕山地区的通行的有关土城子组/后城组、及其之下的髫髻山组/蓝旗组,和上覆的张家口组/东岭台组火山岩的相关对比方法提出质疑。其他同行近期发表相关的氩-氩法和铀-铅法同位素测年数据指出髫髻山组/蓝旗组年龄为175~147Ma、土城子组/后城组年龄为156~139Ma、张家口组/东岭台组年龄为147~127Ma,显而易见,上述地层组的年龄是相互重叠的。这些测年数据说明以往的地层对比是有问题的,燕山造山带在中、晚侏罗世所发育的火山岩和沉积岩地层是穿时的。因此,传统上用(165±5)Ma和(135±5)Ma之间的区域不整合来作为划分髫髻山组和后城组的层序界限是值得商榷的。尽管一些髫髻山组的火山岩和土城子组/后城组的沉积岩是与向南或向北的冲断作用相伴生的,但在髫髻山组和土城子组/后城组沉积之间的30~35Ma的时间间隔内却是相对的构造平静期。这一结论是基于以往的髫髻山组和土城子组之间为假整合或平行不整合的观点所得出的。新近基于对承德盆地土城子组地层形成研究分析认为承德冲断层的实际位移距离应小于Davis等2001年所提出的位移距离,笔者接受这一观点。但笔者并不同意在承德地区土城子组的沉积主要是受控于承德北部的向南冲断作用。现今承德向形盆地主要是由于向北冲断的承德县冲断层下盘变形的结果,主要是(1)它向北发生倒转;(2)盆地南部的粗碎屑沉积的物源主要是来源于承德县的异地体。土城子组/后城组的沉积没有必要完全受控于构造作用。土城子组/后城组的沉积是紧随着在燕山部分地区发生的,持续了20~25Ma的髫髻山组/蓝旗组火山及岩浆活动。在中、晚侏罗世期间,燕山地区的岩浆活动必定导致地形的起伏,这就为快速剥蚀及粗碎屑的沉积提供了有利条件。最后需要指出的是,从前所提及的有关燕山带的土城子组/后城组和阴山带的大青山组的地层对比的依据并不存在。     

Biomineralization of Uranium: A Simulated Experiment and Its Significance

A simulated experimental reduction of U^v1 and the synthesis of uraninite by a sulfate-reducing bacteria,Desulfovibrio desulfuricans DSM 642, are first reported. The simulated physicochemical experimental conditions were:35℃, pH=7.0-7.4, corresponding to the environments of formation of the sandstone-hosted interlayer oxidation-zone type uranium deposits in Xinjiang, NW China. Uraninite was formed on the surface of the host bacteria after a one-week‘s incubation. Therefore, sulfate-reducing bacteria, which existed extensively in Jurassic sandstone-producing environments,might have participated in the biomineralization of this uranium deposit. There is an important difference in the orderdisorder of the crystalline structure between the uraninite produced by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans and naturally occurring uraninite. Long time and slow precipitation and growth of uraninite in the geological environment might have resulted in larger uraninite crystals, with uraninite nanocrystals arranged in order, whereas the experimentally produced uraninite is composed of unordered uraninite nanocrystals which, in contrast, result from the short time span of formation and rapid precipitation and growth of uraninite. The discovery has important implications for understanding genetic significance in mineralogy, and also indicates that in-situ bioremediation of U-contaminated environments and use of biotechnology in the treatment of radioactive liquid waste is being contemplated.     

Geochemistry of Late Cretaceous （ 60 - 67 Ma） igneous activities in the Hebrides Terrace seamount （guyot） area, Scotland

Tholeiitic basalts in various stages of alteration were dredged from Late Cretaceous volcanic rocks (60 -67 Ma) in the Hebrides Terrace seamount area in the Atlantic Ocean. These rocks are extrusive olivine basalts, including high- and low-Al basalts. High-Al basalts are depleted in MgO, CaO, Cr,Sc, V, St, Zr and enriched in TiO2, Na2O, Nb, Rb as compared with low-A1 basalts. Petrography and bulk-rock composition (major, trace and rare-earth elements) data defined clear tholeiitic suites displaying possible liquid lines of descent related to different degrees of crystal fractionation and partial melting.Isotopic dating of dredged samples gave the guyot an age of 60 - 67 Ma, in support of the assumption that it was formed during the Late Cretaceous.     

The Characteristics and Its Geological Significance of Fluid Inclusions in Yingchengzi Gold Deposit, Heilongjiang Province

Please refer to the attachment(s) for more details     

Mineralogical and Fluid Characteristics of the Fluorite-rich Monakoff and E1 Cu-Au Deposits, Cloncurry Region, Queensland, Australia: Implications for Regional F-Ba-rich IOCG Mineralization

Please?refer?to?the?attachment(s)?for?more?details.     

Early Cretaceous Climate Changes Recorded in Magnetic Susceptibility and Color Index Variations of the Lower Liupanshan Group, Central China

This study carried out comprehensive analysis on sedimentology, magnetic susceptibility(χlf) and color data of the continental sediments of the Liupanshan Group in Central China so as to obtain climatic change information during the 129.14–122.98 Ma interval. Based on the results of the ?lf and of the redness(a*), the section can be divided into two segments:(1) 129.14–126.3 Ma, with the lowest ?lf values and strongly variable relatively high values of redness and(2) 126.3–122.98 Ma, with high ?lf values and relatively low redness. Analysis of the lithology and facies as well as the magnetic minerals and their contents points to a detrital origin of the magnetic minerals and this allow us to interpret the relationship between magnetic susceptibility variations and climate changes. Our study shows that the climate was significantly dry and hot during the whole studied interval although the interval between 126.3 Ma and 122.98 was a little bit cooler with increased humidity.     

Effects of heavy metal (Pb) concentration on some growth parameters of plants grown in lead polluted soil under organic fertilizer amendment

This study investigated morphological variation and biomass accumulation that occurred in Sida acuta and Chromolaena odorata plants grown in lead polluted soil under organic fertilizer amendment. The study was carried out in the screen house at the Biological Gardens of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State. The experiment was a factorial combination of one heavy metal (Pb) at five levels of concentration (0, 200, 400, 800 and 1,000 mg/kg) in a completely randomized design, and were replicated three times for each of the two plants and two levels (0 g/kg and 9.4 g/kg) of organic fertilizer (OBD-Plus). Each pot was filled with 5 kg of air-dried and sieved soil and placed on a plastic tray for the collection of excess water. Two weeks after planting, seedlings of uniform height were transplanted from the nursery to experimental pots at the rate of one seedling per pot and grown for 10 weeks. The growth parameters of the plants were biomonitored for 7 weeks. After 10 weeks of treatment, the plants were harvested and dried to calculate the biomass accumulation. The two plant species performed better under fertilizer application than without it. For each of the plant species the growth parameters decreased as the levels of Pb concentration increased. Furthermore, the plants' biomass decreased significantly (p<0.05) as the levels of Pb concentration increased. The organic fertilizer helped to improve the plants' performance in lead-polluted soil.     

The Mesoproterozoic to early Neoproterozoic passive margin Lajeado Group and Apiaí Gabbro,Southeastern Brazil

The Lajeado Group in the Ribeira Belt,southeastern Brazil,corresponds to an open-sea carbonate platform,comprised of seven overlapping siliciclastic and carbonatic formations,intruded in its upper portion by the Apiai Gabbro.These rocks have a Neoproterozoic tectonometamorphic overprint related to arc magmatism and the Brasiliano collisional orogeny.Geochronological constraints are given by new UPb SHRIMP and LA-ICP-MS data for Lajeado Group detrital zircons and for magmatic zircons from the Apiai Gabbro.The youngest detrital zircons in the Lajeado Group are 1400-1200 Ma,and constrain its maximum age of deposition to be 1200 Ma,whereas the 877 ± 8 Ma age for magmatic zircons in the Apiai Gabbro give the minimum age.Detritus source areas are mainly Paleoproterozoic(2200-1800 Ma)with some Archean and Mesoproterozoic contribution(1500-1200 Ma),with distal or tectonic stable cratonic character.The Lajeado Group should be a Stenian-Tonian carbonate platform passive margin of a continent at this time,namely the Columbia/Nuna or the Rodinia.The Apiai Gabbro displays similar age to other intrusive basic rocks in the Lajeado and Itaiacoca groups and represents tholeiitic MORB-like magmatism that we relate to the initial break-up of a Mesoproterozoic continent and the formation of the Brasiliano oceans.