Influence of Cyclic Wetting Drying on Collapse Behaviour of Compacted Residual Soil

The climatic zones where residual soils occur are often characterized by alternate wet and dry seasons. Laboratory studies of earlier workers have established that the alternate wetting and drying process affects the swell-shrink potentials, water content, void ratio and particle cementation of expansive soils. The influence of cyclic wetting and drying on the collapse behaviour of residual soils has not been examined. This paper examines the influence of alternate wetting and drying on the collapse behaviour of compacted residual soil specimens from Bangalore District. Results of such a study are useful in anticipating changes in collapse behaviour of compacted residual soil fills. Experimental results indicated that the cyclic wetting and drying process increased the degree of expansiveness of the residual soils and reduced their collapse tendency. Changes in the swell/collapse behaviour of compacted residual soil specimens from wetting drying effects are attributed to reduction in water content, void ratio and possible growth of cementation bonds.     

Fast computation of Hankel Transform using orthonormal exponential approximation of complex kernel function

The computation of electromagnetic (EM) fields, for 1-D layered earth model, requires evaluation of Hankel Transform (HT) of the EM kernel function. The digital filtering is the most widely used technique to evaluate HT integrals. However, it has some obvious shortcomings. We present an alternative scheme, based on an orthonormal exponential approximation of the kernel function, for evaluating HT integrals. This approximation of the kernel function was chosen because the analytical solution of HT of an exponential function is readily available in literature. This expansion reduces the integral to a simple algebraic sum. The implementation of such a scheme requires that the weights and the exponents of the exponential function be estimated. The exponents were estimated through a guided search algorithm while the weights were obtained using Marquardt matrix inversion method. The algorithm was tested on analytical HT pairs available in literature. The results are compared with those obtained using the digital filtering technique with Anderson filters. The field curves for four types (A-, K-, H-and Q-type) of 3-layer earth models are generated using the present scheme and compared with the corresponding curves obtained using the Anderson sc heme. It is concluded that the present scheme is more accurate than the Anderson scheme     

Arsenic, antimony and other toxic elements in the drinking water of Eastern Thessaly in Greece and its possible effects on human health

Twenty-six groundwater samples were collected from the Eastern Thessaly region and analysed by ICP-ES for these elements: Al, As, P, Pb, Zn, Mn, Fe, Cr, Sb, Cu, Na, Br, Cl, Si, Mg, Ag, Be, Bi, Dy, Er, Eu, Au, Ge, Ho, In, Ir, Os, Pt, Re, Rh, Ru, Lu, Hf, Hg, Tm, Zr and Nb. The objectives of the study were to assess the level of water contamination with respect to the EC and the USEPA health-based drinking water criteria. The geology of the studied area includes schists, amphibolites, marbles of Palaeozoic age, ophiolites, limestones of Triassic and Cretaceous age, Neogene and Quaternary deposits. The element ranges for groundwater samples are: Al 7–56 μg l⁻¹, As 1–125 μg l⁻¹, Br 6–60 μg l⁻¹, Cl 500–25,000 μg l⁻¹, Cr 1–6 μg l⁻¹, Cu 1–15 μg l⁻¹, Fe 10–352 μg l⁻¹, Mg 2,940–40,100 μg l⁻¹, Mn 0–8 μg l⁻¹, Na 3,650–13,740 μg l⁻¹, P 20–48 μg l⁻¹, Pb 0–7 μg l⁻¹, Sb 0–21 μg l⁻¹, Si 3,310–13,240 μg l⁻¹ and Zn 7–994 μg l⁻¹. The results of groundwater analyses from the region of Eastern Thessaly showed elevated concentrations of As and Sb. Factor analysis explained 77.8% of the total variance of the data through five factors. Concentration of Br, Cl, Mg, Na and Si is directly related to the presence of saltwater in the aquifer, so grouping of these variables in factor 1 probably reflects the seawater intrusion. Al, As and Sb are known to form complexes in the environment, so grouping of these elements in factor 2 indicates their similar geochemical behaviour in the environment. The high negative loading of Mn in factor 2 indicates the presence of manganese oxides–hydroxides in the study area. Pb and Zn are associated together in sulphide mineralisation; so grouping of these elements in factor 3 reflects the sulphide mineralization paragenesis in the Melivoia area. P and Cu are associated together in phosphate fertilizers; so grouping of these variables in factor 4 could be related to agricultural practices. Cr, Fe, Mn and Mg are associated together in iron and manganese oxides–hydroxides and the weathering products of the olivine of the ultrabasic rocks; so grouping of these elements in factor 5 reflects the lithology of the area. There is a natural contamination of groundwaters with elevated concentrations of As and Sb due to the presence of the arsenopyrite and stibnite mineralisation in the Melivoia, Sotiritsa and Ano Polydendri areas. Contamination over the health-based drinking water guidelines given by EC and EPA has been investigated from nine sampling sites out of 26 of Eastern Thessaly region.     

Geochronological constraints on the Legs Lake shear zone with implications for regional exhumation of lower continental crust, western Churchill Province, Canadian Shield

The Legs Lake shear zone marks the southeastern boundary of an extensive region (>20,000 km²) of high-pressure (0.8–1.5+ GPa) granulite-facies rocks in the western Churchill Province, Canada. The shear zone is one of the largest exhumation-related structures in the Canadian Shield and coincides with the central segment of the ∼2,800 km long Snowbird tectonic zone. The movement history of this shear zone is critical for the development of models for the exhumation history of the high-pressure region. We used electron microprobe U–Th–Pb dating of monazite with supplemental ID-TIMS U–Pb geochronology to place constraints on the timing of shear zone activity. Combining these and other data, we suggest that regional exhumation occurred during at least three distinct phases over an ∼150 million year period. The first phase involved high temperature decompression from ∼1.0 to 0.8–0.7 GPa shortly following 1.9 Ga peak metamorphism, possibly under an extensional regime. The second phase involved rock uplift and decompression of the hanging wall to 0.5–0.4 GPa during east-vergent thrusting across the Legs Lake shear zone at ca. 1.85 Ga. This phase was likely driven by early collision-related convergence in the Trans-Hudson orogen. The final phase of regional exhumation, involving the removal of 15–20 km of overburden from both footwall and hanging wall, likely occurred after ∼1.78 Ga and may have been related to regional extensional faulting.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available to authorised users in the online version of this article at .     

Decarbonation reaction of magnesite in subducting slabs at the lower mantle

High-pressure and temperature experiments (28–62 GPa, and 1,490–2,000 K, corresponding to approximately 770–1,500 km depth in the mantle) have been conducted on a MgCO₃ + SiO₂ mixture using a laser-heated diamond anvil cell combined with analytical transmission electron microscope observation of the product phases to constrain the fate of carbonates carried on the subducting basalt into the lower mantle. At these conditions, the decarbonation reaction MgCO₃ (magnesite) + SiO₂ (stishovite) → MgSiO₃ (perovskite) + CO₂ (solid) has been recognized. This indicates that above reaction takes place as a candidate for decarbonation of the carbonated subducting mid ocean ridge basalts in the Earth’s lower mantle.     

Paleoproterozoic accretion in the Northeast Siberian craton: Isotopic dating of the Anabar collision system

Geochronological database considered in the work and characterizing the Anabar collision system in the Northeast Siberian craton includes coordinated results of Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr dating of samples from crustal xenoliths in kimberlites, deep drill holes, and bedrock outcrops. As is inferred, collision developed in three stages dated at 2200–2100, 1940–1760, and 1710–1630 Ma. The age of 2000–1960 Ma is established for substratum of mafic rocks, which probably originated during the lower crust interaction with asthenosphere due to the local collapse of the collision prism. Comparison of Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr isochron dates shows that the system cooling from ≈700 to ≈300°C lasted approximately 300 m.y. with a substantial lag relative to collision metamorphism and granite formation. It is assumed that accretion of the Siberian craton resulted in formation of a giant collision mountainous structure of the Himalayan type that was eroded by 1.65 Ga ago, when accumulation of gently dipping Meso-to Neoproterozoic (Riphean) platform cover commenced.