Authigenic zeolites in the sedimentary mantle of the world ocean

The paper deals with results of general and systematic analysis of data from deep-sea drilling (360 stations) and a personal study carried out by the authors on the distribution and facies location of authigenic zeolites in the sedimentary mantle of the World Ocean.The scheme of zeolite distribution, compiled for the Holocene—Pleistocene, Miocene, Eocene and Cretaceous periods confirmed the previously established global stratification of zeolites. It showed that the main mass of phillipsite was formed during the Pleistocene—Holocene, while clinoptilolite was a predominant mineral in Eocene and Cretaceous rocks. Both zeolites were wide-spread in the Oligocene and Miocene. Facies location and paragenesis of associated minerals as well as the original material of their formation are different for phillipsite and clinoptilolite.The most probable reasons for vertical stratification of oceanic zeolites of global significance are changes of the character of volcanism in time and general evolution of sedimentation in the World Ocean.     

Geochemical types of Volkhovites and possible diamond resource potential of areas occupied by Holocene fluidisites

Volkhovites—tektite-like glasses—have been detected in the Holocene glacial drift along the right bank of the Volkhov River. A cryptomagmatic model of their formation and pre-Holocene age of volkhovite melts, cinder, and frothed glasses has been suggested (Skublov et al., 2007). Four geochemical types of volkhovites are distinguished: (1) manganous (Mn, Fe, Cr, V, Si, Nb, Pb, H), (2) magnesian (Mg, Al, Ti, F, B), (3) potassic (K, Rb, Cs), and (4) calcic (Ca, REEs, Ba, U, Th, Ta, Hf, Y, Sc, Cl). In light of the geochemical data, volkhovites are regarded as natural silicate glasses of kimberlite-carbonatite composition. Their types are called kimberlitic (Mn type), kimberlitic-carbonatitic (Mg type), lamproitic-carbonatitic (K type), and carbonatitic (Ca type). Volkhovites are suggested to be indicators of undiscovered diamond mineralization of kimberlite or carbonatite (Chagatai) types.     

Citizens as sensors: the world of volunteered geography

In recent months there has been an explosion of interest in using the Web to create, assemble, and disseminate geographic information provided voluntarily by individuals. Sites such as Wikimapia and OpenStreetMap are empowering citizens to create a global patchwork of geographic information, while Google Earth and other virtual globes are encouraging volunteers to develop interesting applications using their own data. I review this phenomenon, and examine associated issues: what drives people to do this, how accurate are the results, will they threaten individual privacy, and how can they augment more conventional sources? I compare this new phenomenon to more traditional citizen science and the role of the amateur in geographic observation.     

黔西南水银洞金矿床流体包裹体研究

水银洞金矿床是黔西南典型的特大型卡林型金矿床之一。但其成矿流体来源尚有争议。通过对水银洞金矿床脉石英和方解石中流体包裹体的温度与压力、盐度与密度、包裹体成分和包裹体H和O同位素等方面的研究,指出水银洞卡林型金矿床成矿流体属中低温(96.7~220℃)、低盐度(NaCl)0.635%~9.861%,平均值为4.282%±2.260%、中等密度(0.725~0.977 g/cm3,平均值为0.910±0.061 g/cm3);脉石英阶段流体水化学类型属Cl--Na+型或SO42--Cl-Na+型,方解石阶段属SO42--Cl--Ca2+型。成矿流体压力可能为高-超高压(160±40 MPa);成矿流体主要是大气降水形成的地下热水,可能有部分岩浆热液的掺入。     

锰矿石脱硫产物处理含铜废水动态实验研究

氧化型锰矿石脱硫产物含大量硫化锰,利用这种材料装填固定床进行净化水中铜离子的动态试验.在材料粒径0.45～0.9mm、进水pH=5.8、进水滤速4.58 m/h条件下,1 t锰矿石脱硫产物可以处理923 tρ(Cu~(2+))=50 mg/L的含铜废水,出水ρ(Cu~(2+))<0.5 mg/L,低于国家一级排放标准.控制进水pH在4～9之间、降低进水滤速、采用较小粒径的材料有利于提高锰矿石脱硫产物处理含铜废水的容量.利用X射线粉末衍射(XRD)和扫描电镜-能谱分析(SEM-EDS)对材料和产物进行表征,证明锰矿石脱硫产物去除水中铜离子是基于离子交换反应的原理.     

Adsorption of phenanthrene on Al (oxy)hydroxides formed under the influence of tannic acid

Although there has been substantial research done on adsorption of metals/metalloids by Al (oxy)hydroxides, little is known regarding the adsorption of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on Al (oxy)hydroxides, especially those formed in the presence of organic acid. This paper investigated the adsorption of phenanthrene on Al (oxy)hydroxides formed with initial tannate/Al molar ratios (MRs) 0, 0.001, 0.01, and 0.1 (referred to MR0, MR0.001, MR0.01, and MR0.1, respectively) through batch adsorption experiments and FTIR study. The results showed that Al (oxy)hydroxides were important sorbents for phenanthrene. The adsorption kinetic data were fitted well with the pseudo-second-order equation. According to a modified Freundlich model, the adsorption capacities of Al (oxy)hydroxides followed a descending order of MR0.1 > MR0 ≥ MR0.01 > MR0.001, which was inconsistent with the organic carbon content in the Al (oxy)hydroxides. Adsorption capacity correlated with the specific surface area, micropore area, and micropore diameter of Al (oxy)hydroxides, yet the relationships were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). FTIR results showed that physical interaction was essential in phenanthrene adsorption onto the Al (oxy)hydroxides, which could be explained by an entropy-driven process. Surface hydrophobicity of Al (oxy)hydroxides played a key role in phenanthrene adsorption. Additional π–π electron donor–acceptor interaction of phenanthrene (acting as electron donor) with aromatic ring of tannic acid (electron acceptor) could be also important in phenanthrene adsorption by high MR Al (oxy)hydroxides, yet it needs further study. The findings obtained in the present study are of fundamental significance in understanding the mechanism of immobilization of PAHs in low organic matter but oxide-rich soils.     

The effects of soil sand contents on characteristics of humic acids along soil profiles

It is generally accepted that the compositions and properties of soil organic matter (SOM) are influenced by many factors. In order to reveal the effects of soil texture on characteristics and dynamics of SOM and its sub-fraction, humic acid (HA), along two soil profiles, a yellow soil profile and a purplish soil profile, under the same climate and vegetation conditions were determined. Results indicate that the decomposition and humification degrees of SOM and HA of the purplish soils are higher than those of the corresponding yellow soils indicated by A/O–A ratios of HAs, TOCs and HA yields of bulk soil samples, nevertheless, the development degree of the purplish soil is lower than that of the yellow soil. The variations of E₄/E₆ ratios of HAs along the soil profiles indicate the overall molecular sizes of HAs decreased downward along the soil profiles. A/O–A ratios of HAs decreased downward along both the soil profiles indicate that humification processes decrease downward along both the soil profiles. Leaching of SOM shows significant effects on the distribution and characteristics of HAs in the yellow soil profile but the purplish soil profile, which is consistent with the higher hydrophobicity of HAs in purplish soils, shows that the distribution characteristics of SOM along the soil profiles are a complex result of the combination of soil texture and characteristics of SOM itself. The remarkably different sand contents are concluded tentatively as one of reasons to the different distributions and dynamics of HAs along the soil profiles, however, to profoundly understand the evolution and transport of SOM along soil profiles needs more researches.     

The effect of annealing on the luminescence decay-time of synthetic calcite:Mn

Calcite was synthesized by four methods, and the luminescence decay-time was measured for nine samples before and after heating hydrothermally in the temperature range 200–400°C. Decay-time data were collected between room temperature and approximately 15 K. The decay time at room temperature is approximately 50 ms, with little difference between a given calcite before and after hydrothermal treatment. The decay time at 15 K is always greater than at room temperature as the effect of thermal quenching diminishes. Differences in decay time before and after heating are more apparent at low temperature owing to this reduction in thermal quenching. The decay time decreased significantly in two samples, and an increase in decay time was observed in the remaining seven samples following heating. Among the latter group, the change in decay time was insignificant in three samples. The results are compared with previous data in which it was shown that the effect of heating is to increase the intensity of luminescence.     

Iron isotopic analyses of geological reference materials on MC-ICP-MS with instrumental mass bias corrected by three independent methods

Here we report iron (Fe) isotopic data of three pure Fe solution standards (IRMM-014, GSB Fe, and NIST 3126a) and five widely used geological reference materials (RMs) from the United States Geological Survey and Geological Survey of Japan obtained on a Neptune Plus multi-collector–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS) in our laboratory over the past 3 years. The instrumental mass bias was corrected by three independent methods: sample-standard bracketing (SSB), Ni doping?+?SSB, and ⁵⁷Fe–⁵⁸Fe double spike?+?SSB. Measurements reveal that both the Ni doping and double spike methods helped calibrate short-term fluctuations in mass bias. Collectively, almost all measurements of RMs yielded δ⁵⁶Fe within?±?0.05 of recommended values, provided that each sample was measured four times on MC-ICP-MS. For the first time, new recommended values for NIST SRM3126a are reported (δ⁵⁶Fe?=?0.363?±?0.006, 2SE, 95% CI; and δ⁵⁷Fe?=?0.534?±?0.010, 2SE).     

New data on mineralogy and metallogeny of scarns in the Pitkyaranta ore region

A wide application of modern precision research techniques to the studies of Pitkyaranta ores allowed us to find increased contents of indium (to 0.33%), silver (447 g/t), gold (0.2–0.4 g/t), and palladium (0.2 g/t). A series of rare minerals previously not found here was also discovered. Among ore minerals, these are roquesite, zavartskite, electrum, stutzite, altaite, bismite, glaucodot, cervelleite, hedleyite, pavonite, cannonite, plantnerite, lindkvistite, ashoverite, etc. The discovery of roquesite and electrum is the most important in terms of metallogeny. Roquesite (indium sulfide) is found in Karelia for the first time. The highest indium contents in direct correlation to those of zinc are characteristic for polymetallic ores of the Pitkyaranta ore fields with sphalerite as the concentrating mineral (to 0.5% of In). The predicted zinc resources are evaluated to ∼2.5 million t for the Pitkyaranta group of ore deposits, and to 400 000 t for the Hopunvaara region. Respectively, the resources of indium amount to ∼2400 t (total) and 600 t for the Hopunvaara region.