An example of cluster analysis applied to a large geologic data set: Aerial radiometric data from Copper Mountain, Wyoming

One objective of the aerial radiometric surveys flown as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) program was to ascertain the spatial distribution of near-surface radioelement abundances on a regional scale. Some method for identifying groups of observations with similar -ray spectral signatures and radioelement concentration values was therefore required. It is shown in this paper that cluster analysis can identify such groups with or without a priori knowledge of the geology of an area. An approach that combines principal components analysis with convergentk-means cluster analysis is used to classify 6991 observations (each observation comprising three radiometric variables) from the Precambrian rocks of the Copper Mountain, Wyoming area. This method is compared with a convergentk-means analysis that utilizes available geologic knowledge. Both methods identify four clusters. Three of the clusters represent background values for the Precambrian rocks of the area, and the fourth represents outliers (anomalously high²¹⁴Bi). A segmentation of the data corresponding to geologic reality as interpreted by other methods has been achieved by perceptive quantitative analysis of aerial radiometric data. The techniques employed are composites of classical clustering methods designed to handle the special problems presented by large data sets.     

Systematique U-Pb et Evolution du Gisement d'Uranium de Lodève (France)

Résumé Considérée comme syngénétique ou diagénétique précoce, la minéralisation uranifère de la couche 0 de l'Autunien du bassin de Lodève a été étudiée par la méthode U-Pb sur roches totales. Les données U-Pb démontrent l'existence de perte en radon, principalement dans la chaine de désintégration de ²³⁸U, et l'intérêt de l'utilisation du couple ²⁰⁷Pb-²³⁵U pour la détermination des âges de cristallisation des concentrations uranifères. Pour la couche 0, deux phases de remobilisation de l'uranium et du plomb ont pu être déterminées respectivement à 173±6 Ma et 108±5 Ma. La plus ancienne de ces deux phases est la plus marquée dans les échantillons étudiés, dont les systèmes U-Pb ne montrent pas la mémoire d'une concentration uranifère permienne. La première mobilisation de l'uranium et du plomb s'est faite lors d'une phase de distension à 160–170 Ma, affectant la croûte continentale du Sud du Massif Central. Cette phase a provoqué la circulation de fluides minéralisés et est marquée par une recristallisation des illites des pélites permiennes entre 100 et 200 °C (du fait de l'élévation du gradient géothermique) et par la mise en place d'un volcanisme d'origine mantellique daté à 155±6 Ma. La composition isotopique en plomb d'une galène de l'Autunien du Lodévois, est analogue à celles des feldspaths des granitoïdes du Massif Central français et à celles des galènes des minéralisations stratiformes de Pb-Zn des Causses, ce qui fournit un argument pour faire dériver au moins une partie des métaux en traces dans les pélites autuniennes de l'altération de la croûte continentale hercynienne environnante.

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In the Lodeve basin, the uraniferous mineralization associated with the autunian pelitic layer 0 is usually considered as syngenetic or early diagenetic. U-Pb isotopic data performed on U bearing whole rocks demonstrate occurrence of radon losses, mainly in the ²³⁸U decay series; the ²⁰⁷Pb-²³⁵U geochronometer is particularly suitable to date U-Pb systems disturbed by such radon losses. For the autunian layer 0, two U-Pb mobilization phases have been respectively recognized at 173±6 Ma and 108±5 Ma. The oldest phase is the most clearly expressed in the studied samples, no memory of a permian age could be recognized in the U-Pb systems. The first U-Pb mobilization occurred 170 Ma ago, during a distension phase of the continental crust. This phase induced circulations of mineralized fluids, illite recristallization in the permian pelites at temperatures ranging from 100 to 200 °C and emplacement of a mantellic volcanism recently dated at 155±6 Ma. A galena from the Autunian of the Lodeve basin, the feldspars of the surrounding variscan granitoïds and galenas of mesozoïc stratiform deposits in the Causses, present similar Pb isotopic composition, which is in agreement with the hypothesis that some metals of the autunian pelites originated in the surrounding weathered variscan continental crust.

     

Shear wave velocity and attenuation structure for the shallow crust of the southern Korean peninsula from short period Rayleigh waves

We analyzed the short period Rayleigh waves from the first crustal-scale seismic refraction experiment in the Korean peninsula, KCRUST2002, to determine the shear wave velocity and attenuation structure of the uppermost 1 km of the crust in different tectonic zones of the Korean peninsula and to examine if this can be related to the surface geology of the study area. The experiment was conducted with two large explosive sources along a 300-km long profile in 2002. The seismic traces, recorded on 170 vertical-component, 2-Hz portable seismometers, show distinct Rayleigh waves in the period range between 0.2 s and 1.2 s, which are easily recognizable up to 30–60 km from the sources. The seismic profiles, which traverse three tectonic regions (Gyeonggi massif, Okcheon fold belt and Yeongnam massif), were divided into five subsections based on tectonic boundaries as well as lithology. Group and phase velocities for the five subsections obtained by a continuous wavelet transform method and a slant stack method, respectively, were inverted for the shear wave models. We obtained shear wave velocity models up to a depth of 1.0 km. Overall, the shear wave velocity of the Okcheon fold belt is lower than that of the Gyeonggi and Yeongnam massifs by  0.4 km/s in the shallowmost 0.2 km and by 0.2 km/s at depths below 0.2 km. Attenuation coefficients, determined from the decay of the fundamental mode Rayleigh waves, were used to obtain the shear wave attenuation structures for three subsections (one for each of the three different tectonic regions). We obtained an average value of Q_β^− 1 in the upper 0.5 km for each subsection. Q_β^− 1 for the Okcheon fold belt ( 0.026) is approximately three times larger than Q_β^− 1 for the massif areas ( 0.008). The low shear wave velocity in the Okcheon fold belt is consistent with the high attenuation in this region.     

Strengthening bottom-up and top-down climate governance

Although the UN and EU focus their climate policies on the prevention of a 2 °C global mean temperature rise, it has been estimated that a rise of at least 4?°C is more likely. Given the political climate of inaction, there is a need to instigate a bottom-up approach so as to build domestic support for future climate treaties, empower citizens, and motivate leaders to take action. A review is provided of the predominant top-down cap-and-trade policies in place – the Kyoto Protocol and EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) – with a focus on the grandfathering of emissions entitlements and the possibility of offsetting emissions. These policies are evaluated according to two criteria of justice and it is concluded that they fail to satisfy them. Some suggestions as to how the EU ETS can be improved so as to enable robust climate action are also offered.

Policy relevance

The current supranational climate policy has not been successful and global leaders have postponed the adoption of a meaningful successor to the Kyoto Protocol. In view of this inaction, bottom-up approaches with regard to climate policy should be further developed. It is argued that two of the main top-down policies, grandfathering and offsetting, impede the avowed goals of EU climate policy and pose significant ethical dilemmas with regard to participatory and intergenerational justice. In order to provide a more robust EU climate policy, the EU should inter alia provide a long-term perspective for investors, reduce the volatility of the carbon price, and prepare for the possibility of carbon leakage.     

PAH transport by sinking particles in the open Mediterranean Sea: a 1 year sediment trap study

One year time series of sinking particles were collected at two depths in the open Mediterranean Sea and analysed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Average total PAH concentrations were 593+/-284 ng g(-1) at 250 m and 551 +/- 198 ng g(-1) at 2850 m. Total PAH fluxes averaged 73 +/- 58 ng m(-2) d(-1) at 250 m and 53 +/- 39 ng m(-2) d(-1) at 2850 m. Contamination levels and, thus, exposure of marine organisms to PAH are comparable in surface and deep waters. Deep waters appear as a significant, yet overlooked, PAH sink. PAH temporal patterns show noticeable seasonality. This is partly due to varying levels of specific components such as the winter increase of pyrolytic PAH. Downward transport processes and the nature of sinking particles also impact on PAH fluxes, as inferred during periods of increasing productivity. Different phase-associations and interactions with particulate organic carbon for low-MW fossil PAH and high-MW pyrolytic PAH influence their downward transport efficiency.     

Book Reviews

The Neolithic revolution in the Near East: Transforming the human landscape. Alan H. Simmons, 2007, The University of Arizona Press, Tucson, Arizona, xvii +339 pp., $55.00 (cloth).     

Emission estimates of methyl chloride from industrial sources in China based on high frequency atmospheric observations

Methyl Chloride (CH₃Cl) is a chlorine-containing trace gas in the atmosphere contributing significantly to stratospheric ozone depletion (Carpenter et al. 2014). In the global CH₃Cl budget, the atmospheric CH₃Cl emissions is predominantly maintained by natural sources, of which magnitudes have been relatively well-constrained. However, significant uncertainties still remain in the CH₃Cl emission strengths from anthropogenic sources. High-frequency and high-precision in situ measurements of atmospheric CH₃Cl concentrations obtained since 2008 at Gosan station (a remote background site in the East Asia) reveal significant pollution events superimposed on the seasonally varying regional background levels. Back trajectory statistics showed that air masses corresponding to the observed CH₃Cl enhancement largely originated from regions of intensive industrial activities in China. Based on an inter-species correlation method, estimates of CH₃Cl emissions from manufacturing industries including coal combustion, use of feedstocks, or process agents in chemical production for China (2008–2012) are 297 ± 71 Gg yr.^?1 in 2008 to 480 ± 99 Gg yr.^?1 in 2009, followed by a gradual decrease of about 25% between 2009 and 2012 (398 ± 92 Gg yr.^?1 for 2010; 286 ± 68 Gg yr.^?1 for 2011; 358 ± 92 Gg yr.^?1 for 2012). The annual average of industrial CH₃Cl emissions for 2008–2012 (363 ± 85 Gg yr.^?1) in China is comparable to the known total global anthropogenic CH₃Cl emissions accounting only for coal combustion and indoor biofuel use. This may suggest that unless emissions from the chemical industry are accounted for, global anthropogenic emissions of CH₃Cl have been substantially underestimated. In particular, since industrial production and use of CH₃Cl have not been regulated under the Montreal Protocol (MP) or its successor amendments, continuous monitoring of Chinese CH₃Cl outflow is important to properly evaluate its anthropogenic emissions.     

Damage evaluation and conservation treatment of the tenth century Korean rock-carved Buddha statues

This study focuses on the lithological characterization, quantitative deterioration assessment and conservation treatment of the tenth century rock-carved Buddha statues in Korea. The Buddha statues were carved on light gray macrocrystalline biotite granite, and features microcline phenocrysts and pegmatite patches. The rock-forming minerals are quartz, plagioclase, microcline and biotite showing micrographic and porphyritic textures. Feldspars and biotite in the host rock have been partly altered into sericite and chlorite by weathering. The surface of the Buddha statues is remarkably irregular due to granular disintegration and the differential weathering of the quartz and microcline. In addition, horizontal and vertical cracks in the host rock have promoted mechanical weathering. Biological colonization of the statues was serious, and featured dark gray and yellowish green lichen, dark green bryophyte and some plants. The Buddha statues were evaluated as the highly weathered rock by ultrasonic survey. The lower parts under the influence of water and areas with severely broken surfaces showed a much more advanced weathering grade. Therefore, scientific conservation treatment was carried out for the long-term maintenance and conservation of the Buddha statues. After pretests, dry, wet and chemical cleanings were applied to the statues. Next, joining of cracked parts and surface consolidating were executed. Finally, the site environment was improved by installation of drain and trimming trees around the statues to ensure more stable long-term conservation.     

29Si and 27Al magic-angle-spinning NMR studies of the thermal transformation of kaolinite

Thermal transformations of kaolinite of different degree of crystallinity have been monitored by ²⁷Al and ²⁹Si high-resolution NMR with magic-angle spinning (MAS NMR), X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, atomic absorption spectrophotometry and thermogravimetric analysis. NMR shows differences in the dehydroxylation process of kaolinites with different degree of crystallinity and reveals the presence of short-range order in metakaolinite. ²⁹Si NMR spectra acquired with a 30 s recycle delay of poorly and highly crystalline samples heated at 480 and 500° C, respectively, contain three distinct signals; we discuss their assignment in the light of experiments involving leaching of the samples with aqueous KOH. Ca. 40% of Si sites retain their original Q ³ symmetry just above the onset of dehydroxylation and the Q ⁴ environment is present showing that a small amount of amorphous silica has already segregated. The spectrum of samples treated at 1000° C contains a signal at -110ppm (from Q ⁴ silicons) and a faint resonance, from mullite, at ca. -87 ppm. ²⁹Si NMR also shows that cristobalite germs are already present at 950–1000° C. The ²⁷Al MAS NMR spectra of metakaolinite reveal the presence of 4-, 5-and 6-coordinated Al. Changes in the three Al populations as a function of temperature have been monitored quantitatively. Below 800° C, 4-and 5-coordinated Al appears at the expense of 6-coordinated Al, but above 800° C the amount of 6-coordinated Al increases again. We suggest a dehydroxylation scheme which accounts for the presence of 4-and 5 coordinated Al. Above 900–950° C the latter signal is no longer present in the ²⁷Al NMR spectra and new 4-and 6-coordinated Al species (mullite and γ-alumina) appear. We propose new ideas for the structure of metakaolinite.