GEOELECTRIC DETERMINATION OF QUALITY CHANGES AND TECTONIC DISTURBANCES IN COAL DEPOSITS*

A new underground geoelectric method is presented for the determination of small tectonic disturbances and barrenings in coal seams. The distribution of the apparent resistivity can be mapped from the measured apparent resistance data by using a recently developed geoelectric imaging method. The applicability of the methods are proved by in situ measurements and by a model experiment.     

Geochemistry of Sediments from the Lopare Basin (Bosnia and Herzegovina): Implications for Paleoclimate, Paleosalinity, Paleoredox and Provenance

A combined inorganic and organic geochemical study was carried out on marls and mudstones collected from the Lower Miocene Lopare Basin, Bosnia and Herzegovina. A total of 46 samples collected from two boreholes, Pot 1 (depth of 193 m) and Pot 3 (depth of 344 m), showed that element abundances like boron (B), lithium (Li), strontium (Sr), uranium (U), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na) and calcium (Ca) are much higher than average than in the upper continental crust (UCC). Chemical composition indicates at least two sources: (i) Mesozoic ophiolites occurring in the north of the investigated area, and (ii) dacito-andesitic pyroclastics (Mesozoic to Cenozoic). Lopare Basin sedimentation was influenced by strong evaporation resulting in a partly hypersaline lake, which formed during a warm climatic period, probably during the Miocene Climatic Optimum. A brief episode of humid climate conditions resulted in the basin filling-up and deposition of felsic sediments enriched in thorium (Th). Organic geochemistry shows that the majority of studied sediments contains predominantly immature to marginally mature algal organic matter (OM). The biomarker patterns are generally in agreement with the geological history of the Lopare Basin and inorganic and mineralogical data. Conversely, the molecular distribution of n-alkanes as reliable climatic and δ-MTTC as paleosalinity indicators do not support this conclusion.     

Influence of climate on the variability of snails of the genus Viviparus in deposits of the Holsteinian (Mazovian) Interglacial from Ortel Krolewski, eastern Poland

Sediments of palaeolakes located in eastern Poland represent the Holsteinian (Mazovian) Interglacial, which corresponds to the Marine Isotope Stage 11 (MIS 11). Some of these sediments are characterized by an extremely rich occurrence of mollusc shells. A total of 1795 specimens of the snail Viviparus diluvianus were measured from 5 samples collected from a succession of lake deposits at Ortel Krolewski. The sample from the lowermost part of the succession (2.5 m) represents the Picea-Alnus pollen zone of the Holsteinian Interglacial. Samples from 2.0, 1.5, 1.0m are related to the Taxus Zone. Samples collected from the uppermost part of the succession (0.5 m) correspond to the Pinus Zone representing the so-called intra-interglacial cooling. The population of V. diluvianus displays variability correlated with climatic changes. The population from the Taxus Zone is characterized by a higher content of mature forms compared to the earlier population from the Picea-Alnus Zone. Because the mature individuals are slimmer than the juvenile forms, their last whorl is relatively lower and the aperture relatively smaller. In populations from the Taxus Zone the mean slimness of the shell therefore increases, followed by a decrease in the mean relative height of the last whorl and the mean relative aperture height.     

The observed concentration–mass relation for galaxy clusters

The properties of clusters of galaxies offer key insights into the assembly process of structure in the universe. Numerical simulations of cosmic structure formation in a hierarchical, dark matter dominated universe suggest that galaxy cluster concentrations, which are a measure of a halo's central density, decrease gradually with virial mass. However, cluster observations have yet to confirm this correlation. The slopes of the run of measured concentrations with virial mass are often either steeper or flatter than that predicted by simulations. In this work, we present the most complete sample of observed cluster concentrations and masses yet assembled, including new measurements for 10 strong-lensing clusters, thereby more than doubling the existing number of strong-lensing concentration estimates. We fit a power law to the observed concentrations as a function of virial mass, and find that the slope is consistent with the slopes found in simulations, though our normalization factor is higher. Observed lensing concentrations appear to be systematically larger than X-ray concentrations, a more pronounced effect than that found in simulations. We also find that at a fixed mass, the bulk of observed cluster concentrations are distributed lognormally, with the exception of a few anomalously high concentration clusters. We examine the physical processes likely responsible for the discrepancy between lensing and X-ray concentrations, and for the anomalously high concentrations in particular. The forthcoming Millennium simulation results will offer the most comprehensive comparison set to our findings of an observed concentration–mass power law relation.     

A comparative study of Pleistocene phosphorites from the continental slope off western India

Two types of phosphorite recovered from the continental slope off western India are described. The first type, phosphorite 1, comprises a hard, grey nodule composed of carbonate fluorapatite (CFA) and calcite as major minerals. The phosphorite consists of light‐brown microcrystalline apatite containing a few skeletal fragments and planktonic foraminifera. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) studies show evidence of dissolution of skeletal calcite and filling of the resulting cavities by phosphate composed of ovoid to rod‐shaped apatite microparticles. Apatite also occurs as coatings on these particles. The P₂O₅ content of the phosphorite is 29%, and the CO₂ content of the CFA is about 4·5%. The rare‐earth element (REE) abundance (ΣREE=2·02 μg g^–1) is lower than in other modern phosphorites. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio and ?Nd value of this sample are 0·70921 and –9·9 respectively. The ¹⁴C age found through accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dating (18 720 ± 120 years BP) is much younger than that determined by the U‐series method (100 ka). The second type, phosphorite 2, comprises a friable, light‐brown nodule consisting of CFA as the only major mineral, with a CO₂ content of the CFA of 4·5%. In thin section, the phosphate is light brown and homogeneous, and a few bone fragments are present. The P₂O₅ content is 33%, and REE contents (ΣREE = 0·18 μg g^–1) are lower than in phosphorite 1. The age of phosphorite 2 is >300 ka. Phosphorite 1 appears to have formed during the late Pleistocene through replacement of carbonate by phosphate; phosphorite 2 is also of Pleistocene age but is much older than phosphorite 1. The initial substrate for phosphorite 2 was a fish coprolite, which was subsequently phosphatized during slow sedimentation under low‐energy conditions. Microbial mediation is evident in both phosphorites. The colour, density and P₂O₅ content of the phosphorites are found to be dependent on the nature of the initial substrates and physico‐chemical conditions during phosphatization. The CO₂ content of the CFA is not related to the precursor carbonate phase. The nature of sediments, rates of sedimentation and the time spent undergoing phosphogenesis at the sediment–water interface may control REE concentrations in phosphorites.     

The Morávka meteorite fall: 2. Interpretation of infrasonic and seismic data

Abstract— The sound production from the Morávka fireball has been examined in detail making use of infrasound and seismic data. A detailed analysis of the production and propagation of sonic waves during the atmospheric entry of the Morávka meteoroid demonstrates that the acoustic energy was produced both by the hypersonic flight of the meteoroid (producing a cylindrical blast wave) and by individual fragmentation events of the meteoroid, which acted as small explosions (producing quasispherical shock waves). The deviation of the ray normals for the fragmentation events was found to be as much as 30° beyond that expected from a purely cylindrical line source blast. The main fragmentation of the bolide was confined to heights above 30 km with a possible maximum in acoustic energy production near 38 km. Seismic stations recorded both the direct arrival of the airwaves (the strongest signal) as well as air‐coupled P‐waves and Rayleigh waves (earlier signals). In addition, deep underground stations detected the seismic signature of the fireball. The seismic data alone permit reconstruction of the fireball trajectory to a precision on the order of a few degrees. The velocity of the meteoroid is much less well‐determined by these seismic data. The more distant infrasonic station detected 3 distinct signals from the fireball, identified as a thermospheric return, a stratospheric return, and an unusual mode propagating through the stratosphere horizontally and then leaking to the receiver.     

Fluid-driven Hydrovolcanic Activity along Fracture Zones and near Seamounts: Evidence from Deep-sea Fe-rich Spherules,Central Indian Ocean Basin

An insight on occurrence of Fe-rich spherules from the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) provides an understanding of their distribution at a water depth of >5,000 m. In the present study, Fe-rich spherules are identified to occur in two different sediment types (i.e., siliceous and pelagic) and tectonic settings (i.e. near seamounts and fracture zones). These are single spheres or aggregates, of different sizes (63 to 390 μm) and show textural variability (smooth/quenched, brickwork, corkscrew, interlocking and dendritic). A comparative study based on physical morphology and chemical composition suggests a common mechanism of formation. The association of spherules with fracture zones (FZ) and seamounts signifies that morpho-tectonic features play an important role in fluid-driven hydrovolcanism. Based on the evidence and geologic conditions existing in the basin, we conclude that molten fuel-coolant interaction (MFCI) coupled with submarine hydrothermal exhalations could be an ideal mechanism for the formation of spherules and Fe-particles. The accretion of the spherules on the surface sediments could be a result of recent volcanic phenomena, while those occurring at different depths (280–355, and 460–475 cm-bsf) within the sediment core indicate two different episodes. The study provides a global implication in understanding fluid-driven magmatism in a deep-sea intraplate environment.     

Cluster lenses

Clusters of galaxies are the most recently assembled, massive, bound structures in the Universe. As predicted by General Relativity, given their masses, clusters strongly deform space-time in their vicinity. Clusters act as some of the most powerful gravitational lenses in the Universe. Light rays traversing through clusters from distant sources are hence deflected, and the resulting images of these distant objects therefore appear distorted and magnified. Lensing by clusters occurs in two regimes, each with unique observational signatures. The strong lensing regime is characterized by effects readily seen by eye, namely, the production of giant arcs, multiple images, and arclets. The weak lensing regime is characterized by small deformations in the shapes of background galaxies only detectable statistically. Cluster lenses have been exploited successfully to address several important current questions in cosmology: (i) the study of the lens(es)—understanding cluster mass distributions and issues pertaining to cluster formation and evolution, as well as constraining the nature of dark matter; (ii) the study of the lensed objects—probing the properties of the background lensed galaxy population—which is statistically at higher redshifts and of lower intrinsic luminosity thus enabling the probing of galaxy formation at the earliest times right up to the Dark Ages; and (iii) the study of the geometry of the Universe—as the strength of lensing depends on the ratios of angular diameter distances between the lens, source and observer, lens deflections are sensitive to the value of cosmological parameters and offer a powerful geometric tool to probe Dark Energy. In this review, we present the basics of cluster lensing and provide a current status report of the field.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111001277

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