Geologic assessment of environmental impact in Lake Macatawa,Michigan

A historical record of the effects of human development upon Lake Macatawa is established using geologic criteria. Significant cultural events are recognized using the pollen record, particularly ambrosia/vesiculate pollen ratios, and occurrences of detrital and chemical contaminants within the more recent sedimentary column. Detrital contaminants include such things as cinder and ash from coal burning power plants and animal hair from early tanning operations. Trace metal contaminants, frequently associated with specific industrial events, are particularly useful in establishing a modern sedimentary chronology. The impact of human activity upon Lake Macatawa is measured using fossil diatoms. The advantage of this method of environmental impact assessment is that it provides a historical perspective in which changes within an environment are related to its natural conditions.     

Studies in diffusion,II. Oxygen in phlogopite mica

Self-diffusion of oxygen in a natural phlogopite mica (annite 4%) has been measured under hydrothermal conditions at 2000 bars pressure and from 500 to 800°C using water enriched in¹⁸O. Diffusional transport is dominantly parallel to the c crystallographic axis. A linear Arrhenius plot was obtained with a pre-exponential term = (1.03 ± 0.38) × 10^?9cm²sec^?1 a and an activation energy of 29 ± 2kcal/g-atom O. The difference in transport rate between oxygens in the OH groups and those in tetrahedral sites is small to non-existent unless the OH oxygens diffuse much more slowly than the other oxygens, which we consider unlikely. A typical phlogopite crystal, 0.2 mm thick by 1 mm across will lose radiogenic argon faster than it will exchange oxygen at temperatures above 435°C, but the reverse holds at lower temperatures if the diffusion mechanism can be extrapolated to temperatures below 500°C. Such a crystal will lose only 5% of its argon if held at 380°C for 1 m.y., but could exchange 27% of its oxygen in that time. The rate at which phlogopite will undergo deformation by diffusional creep does not appear to be controlled by oxygen diffusion.     

Religious pattern of India with a factoral regionalization

Though over four-fifths of Indian population is Hindu, there are sizeable numbers of other religious groups: Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain and other religion (mainly aboriginal animists). Hindus are spread out all over the country with declining or negligible concentration at the southern, northeastern and northwestern parts of the country. Sikhs are concentrated in Punjab; Muslims have majority in the northwestern Kashmir and Lakhadweep; Buddhists compose over 50% population in Western Kashmir, immediately south of it and Sikkim; Mixed religious areas are in the northeastern and southwestern tip of the country. By applying factor analysis technique it is possible to delineate religious regions of India with five major classes: Mainly Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist and Mixed. There are several pockets where Hindus form the main religious group, but Muslims, Christians and others are secondary.     

Correlation of lunar far-side magnetized regions with ringed impact basins

By the method of electron reflection, we have identified seven well-defined magnetized regions in the equatorial belt of the lunar far side sampled by the Apollo 16 Particles and Fields subsatellite. Most of these surface magnetic fields lie within one basin radius from the rim of a ringed impact basin, where thick deposits of basin ejecta are observed or inferred. The strongest of the seven magnetic features is linear, at least 250 km long, and radial to the Freundlich-Sharonov basin. The apparent correlation with basin ejecta suggests some form of impact origin for the observed permanently magnetized regions.     

Sedimentary processes and trace metal contaminants in the buccaneer oil/gas field,northwestern gulf of Mexico

Sediments are the ultimate sink for contaminants in the marine environment, and physical processes of sedimentation influence the distribution and accumulation of these contaminants. Evaluation of contaminant levels in sediments is one approach to assessing environmental impact; data interpretation depends on consideration of sediment texture and mineralogy, however, which profoundly influence chemical composition. In this study, comparison of potentially contaminated sediments from the production field with control populations was done only within the context of similar (as to texture and organic carbon and carbonate content) sample groups as determined by cluster analysis. Ba, Cd, and Sr are identified as contaminants. Supported by the identification of a well-crystallized expandable clay—possibly bentonite—drilling fluids are a potential source of Ba. Ba and Sr may be unnaturally high because of their abundance in discharged produced formation waters, but may also be naturally controlled by the unique faunal assemblage associated with the structures. Cd is probably derived from corrosion of the structures and assorted debris on the seafloor. In general, contamination is limited to an area within 100 m of the platforms. Furthermore, substantial erosion around platforms has probably effectively removed and dispersed the bulk of the contaminants introduced into the marine environment by the offshore exploration/production operations.