Mineral composition of gold-bearing veins and typomorphic features of their minerals in the Kirovskoe deposit (Upper Amur region)

A collection of quartz veinlets with ore mineralization sampled from the dumps of the abandoned pit of the Kirov mine was analyzed with defining the mineral assemblages productive for gold mineralization and determining the composition of the main ore minerals and their typomorphic features, which are used for interpreting the genesis of the mineral associations and the deposit as a whole.     

The formation of porphyry copper deposits

Copper is a moderately incompatible chalcophile element. Its behavior is strongly controlled by sulfides. The speciation of sulfur is controlled by oxygen fugacity. Therefore, porphyry Cu deposits are usually oxidized (with oxygen fugacities > ΔFMQ +2) (Mungall 2002; Sun et al. 2015). The problem is that while most of the magmas at convergent margins are highly oxidized, porphyry Cu deposits are very rare, suggesting that high oxygen fugacity alone is not sufficient. Partial melting of mantle peridotite even at very high oxygen fugacities forms arc magmas with initial Cu contents too low to form porphyry Cu deposits directly (Lee et al. 2012; Wilkinson 2013). Here we show that partial melting of subducted young oceanic slabs at high oxygen fugacity (>ΔFMQ +2) may form magmas with initial Cu contents up to >500 ppm, favorable for porphyry mineralization. Pre-enrichment of Cu through sulfide saturation and accumulation is not necessarily beneficial to porphyry Cu mineralization. In contrast, re-melting of porphyritic hydrothermal sulfide associated with iron oxides may have major contributions to porphyry deposits. Thick overriding continental crust reduces the “leakage” of hydrothermal fluids, thereby promoting porphyry mineralization. Nevertheless, it is also more difficult for ore forming fluids to penetrate the thick continental crust to reach the depths of 2–4 km where porphyry deposits form.     

Dauphiné twinning and texture memory in polycrystalline quartz. Part 3: texture memory during phase transformation

Samples of quartz-bearing rocks were heated above the α (trigonal)–β (hexagonal) phase transformation of quartz (625–950°C) to explore changes in preferred orientation patterns. Textures were measured both in situ and ex situ with neutron, synchrotron X-ray and electron backscatter diffraction. The trigonal–hexagonal phase transformation does not change the orientation of c- and a-axes, but positive and negative rhombs become equal in the hexagonal β-phase. In naturally deformed quartzites measured by neutron diffraction a perfect texture memory was observed, i.e. crystals returned to the same trigonal orientation they started from, with no evidence of twin boundaries. Samples measured by electron back-scattered diffraction on surfaces show considerable twinning and memory loss after the phase transformation. In experimentally deformed quartz rocks, where twinning was induced mechanically before heating, the orientation memory is lost. A mechanical model can explain the memory loss but so far it does not account for the persistence of the memory in quartzites. Stresses imposed by neighboring grains remain a likely cause of texture memory in this mineral with a very high elastic anisotropy. If stresses are imposed experimentally the internal stresses are released during the phase transformation and the material returns to its original state prior to deformation. Similarly, on surfaces there are no tractions and thus texture memory is partially lost.     

The study of metal contamination in urban topsoils of Mexico City using GIS

This research presents and discusses information concerning the spatial distribution of heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Zn, Ba, Co, Cr, Ni and V) in the urban environments of Mexico City using geographical information system and statistical analysis. Superficial soil samples (n = 146) were analyzed. The highest contamination indices were found in the north and center zone of the metropolitan area. In contrast, the surrounding rural fields show a lower impact grade. The higher concentrations of Pb, Cu, Zn and Ba were observed as being related to high vehicular traffic, nevertheless other elements such as Co, Cr, Ni and V do not show anthropogenic influence and their content can be attributed to the parental rock. The results are compared with previous surveys carried out in 2003 in order to evaluate temporal deposition trends. No changes were found on reported concentrations except for Cu and Zn, whose concentration has increased in later years. The results suggest that spatial distribution analysis and results in comparison with previous studies could be useful for the management and sustainable development of the metropolitan area of Mexico City.     

Hydrogeology and sustainable future groundwater abstraction from the Agua Verde aquifer in the Atacama Desert,northern Chile

The hyper-arid conditions prevailing in Agua Verde aquifer in northern Chile make this system the most important water source for nearby towns and mining industries. Due to the growing demand for water in this region, recharge is investigated along with the impact of intense pumping activity in this aquifer. A conceptual model of the hydrogeological system is developed and implemented into a two-dimensional groundwater-flow numerical model. To assess the impact of climate change and groundwater extraction, several scenarios are simulated considering variations in both aquifer recharge and withdrawals. The estimated average groundwater lateral recharge from Precordillera (pre-mountain range) is about 4,482 m³/day. The scenarios that consider an increase of water withdrawal show a non-sustainable groundwater consumption leading to an over-exploitation of the resource, because the outflows surpasses inflows, causing storage depletion. The greater the depletion, the larger the impact of recharge reduction caused by the considered future climate change. This result indicates that the combined effects of such factors may have a severe impact on groundwater availability as found in other groundwater-dependent regions located in arid environments. Furthermore, the scenarios that consider a reduction of the extraction flow rate show that it may be possible to partially alleviate the damage already caused to the aquifer by the continuous extractions since 1974, and it can partially counteract climate change impacts on future groundwater availability caused by a decrease in precipitation (and so in recharge), if the desalination plant in Taltal increases its capacity.     

Contamination and distribution of heavy metals in urban and suburban soils in Zhangzhou City,Fujian, China

The urban environment is of growing concern as its continued population increase in China. Due to the urbanization and industrialization, heavy metals have been continuously discharged into the soil recently, and creating the anthropogenic contamination. This study investigated heavy metals contamination in urban and suburban soils in Zhangzhou City, Fujian, China. Multivariate analysis and geographical information system technology were employed in source identification and contamination assessment of heavy metals in the city soils. The survey results indicated that the urban soils were contaminated by heavy metals, especially by Hg, Cd and Pb. The multivariate analysis demonstrated that the distribution of Cu, Zn, Cr and Ni was controlled by pedogenesis, Cd and Pb had been disturbed by industrialization in some urban locations, and Hg was mainly influenced by the hot-spring in some urban park sites. The distribution of heavy metals and soil pollution index suggested the soils of Zhangzhou City have been affected by human activities.     

Raman spectra of methane hydrate up to 86 GPa

High-pressure Raman studies of methane hydrate were performed using a diamond anvil cell in the pressure range of 0.1–86 GPa at room temperature. Raman spectra of the methane molecules revealed that new softened intramolecular vibration mode of ν ₁ appeared at 17 GPa and that the splitting of vibration mode of ν ₃ occurred at 15 GPa. The appearance of these two modes indicates that an intermolecular attractive interaction increases between the methane molecules and the host water molecules and between the neighboring methane molecules. These interactions might result in the exceptional stability of a high-pressure structure, a filled ice Ih structure (FIIhS) for methane hydrate, up to 40 GPa. At 40 GPa, a clear change in the slope of the Raman shift versus pressure occurred, and above 40 GPa the Raman shift of the vibration modes increased monotonously up to 86 GPa. A previous XRD study showed that the FIIhS transformed into another new high-pressure structure at 40 GPa. The change in the Raman spectra at 40 GPa may be induced by the transition of the structure.     

Mineralogy and chemistry of ferromanganese crusts from the Atlantic Ocean

The mineral and chemical compositions of a set of crust samples collected from the North, Central and South Atlantic were examined by means of analytical electron microscopy and ICP-MS, chemical, and microchemical elemental analysis. The dominant mineral phases of the crusts are vernadite, asbolane, and goethite, with minor ferrihydrite, and rare hematite and feroxyhyte. The samples show wide variability in major and trace elements; however, their characteristic geochemical signatures indicate hydrogenetic origin. A comparison between the compositions of oceanic hydrogenetic and hydrothermal crusts and metalliferous hydrothermal sediments from different ocean areas suggests that the geochemical approach may be insufficient in some cases and fail to identify a hydrothermal input in ferromanganese crusts of a mixed composition.     

Surfactants enhanced recovery of endosulfan from contaminated soils

Soil pollution due to hydrophobic organic compounds is a wide environmental problem. Extensive use of endosulfan in cotton and paddy to meet the needs of the growing population has led to contamination of soil and other ecosystems. Endosulfan is hydrophobic, highly toxic to aquatic and human population and persists in soil for more than a year. To overcome the problem of hydrophobicity and limited availability, surfactants play a major role in soil remediation. In the present study, the potential of non-ionic synthetic surfactants (Tween 80, Triton X-100) and biosurfactant (Surfactin produced by Bacillus subtilis) for enhancing the release of endosulfan from contaminated agricultural soils was evaluated using the batch method. Incorporation of the surfactant concentrations at above Criticle Miceller Concentration (0.5, 1 and 2 g/L) into soil enhances the release of endosulfan. Surfactin produced from Bacillus subtilis recorded maximum (91.5%) recovery. The observed order of recovery being surfactin > Tween 80 > Triton X-100. The result suggest that surfactants could help in the remediation of soils polluted by pesticides.