Rare earth elements in the clay fraction of coaliferous sediments of the Arkagalinskoe (Magadan district) and Dolinskoe (Sakhalin Island) coalfields

The study of REE distribution in the clay fraction of sedimentary rocks from two coalfields made it possible to distinguish several types of REE distribution, which correlate with their mineral composition. It is shown that the REE fractionation was related to the mineral reconstruction of the primary clay fraction and some detrital minerals in the course of postsedimentary transformations of rocks during diagenesis, early catagenesis, and beginning of late catagenesis. These transformations were governed by several factors, such as the composition of sediments; hydrochemical features of accumulation environment; the chemical composition, dynamics, and feeding sources of pore solutions; the porosity and permeability of sediments and rocks; and the content of organic matter and its reaction ability.     

Copper(II) humate mobility in kaolinite soil

An investigation of the influence of humate on the mobility of copper(II) ions in a kaolinite soil using leaching tests and electrokinetic experiments is reported. The data are interpreted in terms of humate–copper–clay interactions and humate electrical charge. Humate is mostly immobile below pH8 but is more mobile in alkaline conditions (sorption to kaolinite reduces its mobility in neutral conditions). Copper humate complexes are mobile in both acidic and alkaline conditions, but not in neutral conditions where they are sorbed. The dissolved copper humate complexes that form in acidic conditions are positively charged. The net effect of humate is to increase cupric ion mobility in kaolinite soil, especially in alkaline conditions.     

Improved Petrological Modal Analyses from X-ray Powder Diffraction Data by use of the Rietveld Method I. Selected Igneous, Volcanic, and Metamorphic Rocks

Mineral modes have been determined for specimens of eight rocktypes from CuK X-ray powder diffraction data using the Rietveldmethod. The samples include two granites, a granodiorite, adamellite,gabbro, basalt, trachyte, and two granulite-facies metamorphicrocks. Up to eight individual mineral components have been measuredin each sample (no glassy phases were observed), with a detectionlimit of {small tilde}1 wt.%, depending on the mineral assemblage.Marked variations in grain size (i.e., granite vs. trachyte)provide no difficulties for the X-ray method. The X-ray resultscompare very favourably with (1) optical modes determined forthe medium–coarse-grained samples by point counting, (2)normative calculations obtained using locally enhanced catanormand mesonorm software, and (3) corresponding Rietveld modesdetermined, for two samples, from neutron powder data. Wheredifferences occur, these are discussed in relation to the limitationsof each of the methods. The improved accuracy of the X-ray method is due primarily tothe incorporation of the full diffraction profile in the Rietveldanalysis calculations, and the elimination of preferred orientationby collecting the data from samples packed in glass capillaries(i.e., Debye–Scherrer mode). The good agreement of theX-ray and neutron modes shows that the usual problems encounteredwith microabsorption, extinction, and sampling are of littleconcern in these rocks. The results highlight one of the majoradvantages provided by Rietveld modal analysis over the moretraditional ‘reference intensity’ X-ray methods,namely, that the crystal chemistry (and thus the calibrationconstants) of the individual phases can be adjusted dynamicallyduring each individual analysis. This not only provides moreaccurate phase abundances, but also gives important supplementaryinformation about the mineralogy of the major components.     

Réflexions sur la contingence des lois de la Nature

There are two fundamental conceptions concerning the laws of nature — these laws are eternal or they may vary in the course of time. We suggest an experiment in order to find an intermediary thesis — i.e. to discover that law, if it really exists, according to which a given law of nature varies, or, at least, to find out the direction in which this variation is performed.     

A Spectrophotometric Study of the Be Star HD 164447

Spectra of the Be star HD 164447 have been studied. The equivalent widths and the intensities of the measured lines are given. No emission is apparent on the plates. Applying the thin layer theory some parameters of the stars atmosphere were derived.     

Measures of Parameter Uncertainty in Geostatistical Estimation and Geostatistical Optimal Design

Studies of site exploration, data assimilation, or geostatistical inversion measure parameter uncertainty in order to assess the optimality of a suggested scheme. This study reviews and discusses measures for parameter uncertainty in spatial estimation. Most measures originate from alphabetic criteria in optimal design and were transferred to geostatistical estimation. Further rather intuitive measures can be found in the geostatistical literature, and some new measures will be suggested in this study. It is shown how these measures relate to the optimality alphabet and to relative entropy. Issues of physical and statistical significance are addressed whenever they arise. Computational feasibility and efficient ways to evaluate the above measures are discussed in this paper, and an illustrative synthetic case study is provided. A major conclusion is that the mean estimation variance and the averaged conditional integral scale are a powerful duo for characterizing conditional parameter uncertainty, with direct correspondence to the well-understood optimality alphabet. This study is based on cokriging generalized to uncertain mean and trends because it is the most general representative of linear spatial estimation within the Bayesian framework. Generalization to kriging and quasi-linear schemes is straightforward. Options for application to non-Gaussian and non-linear problems are discussed.     

Formation Mechanism of Mud Bank Along the Southwest Coast of India

Mud bank formation during the southwest monsoon along the southwest coast of India remains an enigma to the researchers and coastal community in spite of several earlier studies. The present study attempts to unravel the mystery through a high-frequency, season-long time-series observation at Alappuzha, located at the southern part of the west coast of India, a region of frequent occurrence of mud bank. Using 7-month-long weekly time-series observation, we identified strong winds and high waves associated with onset of the southwest monsoon and subsequent three episodic atmospheric low-pressure events (LPEs).With the help of in situ time-series data, we show that the strong winds and high waves associated with southwest monsoon pre-conditions the near shore bottom sediment to bring it into suspension. The high amplitude waves associated with the southwest monsoon, while propagating from the deep water to shallow water region, interact with the bottom initiating bottom-sediment movement and its suspension due to wave refraction and shoaling. The sporadic occurrence of the atmospheric LPEs enhances the process of suspension of bottom sediment in the near shore region leading to the formation of fluid mud. Simulations with a cohesive sediment transport model yielded realistic estimates of sediment transport, in the presence of an onshore current, a pre-requisite for transporting the fluid mud toward the coast. The prevailing onshore upwelling current during the southwest monsoon provides the favorable pre-requisite conditions for transporting the fluid mud through depression channel network towards the coast. Once sufficient quantity and thickness of fluid mud is accumulated in the near shore region, it acts as a wave damper for subsequent high monsoon waves, as indicated by the time-series wave data, leading to the formation of tranquil mud bank region. Depression channel networks extending from the shelf to the coast off Alappuzha, Kochi, Ponnani, Beypore, and Ullal were found in the bathymetric charts, thus explaining why mud banks occur only at few locations in spite of the prevalence of similar monsoon conditions.     

Platinum-group elements in alpine-type ultramafic rocks and related chromite ores of the main ophiolite belt of the Urals

On the basis of a representative collection of ultramafic rocks and chromite ores and a series of technological samples from the largest (Central and Western) deposits in the Rai-Iz massif of the Polar Urals and the Almaz-Zhemchuzhina and Poiskovy deposits in the Kempirsai massif of the southern Urals, the distribution and speciation of platinum-group elements (PGE) in various type sections of mafic-ultramafic massifs of the Main ophiolite belt of the Urals have been studied. Spectral-chemical and spectrophotometric analyses were carried out to estimate PGE in 700 samples of ultramafic rocks and chromite ores; 400 analyses of minerals from rocks, ores, and concentrates and 100 analyses of PGE minerals (PGM) in chromite ores and concentrates were performed using an electron microprobe. Near-chondritic and nonchondritic PGE patterns in chromitebearing sections have been identified. PGE mineralization has been established to occur in chromite ore from all parts of the mafic-ultramafic massifs in the Main ophiolite belt of the Urals. The PGE deposits and occurrences discovered therein are attributed to four types (Kraka, Kempirsai, Nurali-Upper Neiva, and Shandasha), which are different in mode of geological occurrence, geochemical specialization, and placer-forming capability. Fluid-bearing minerals of the pargasite-edenite series have been identified for the first time in the matrix of chromite ore of the Kempirsai massif (the Almaz-Zhemchuzhina deposit) and Voikar-Syn’ya massif (the Kershor deposit). The PGE grade in various types of chromite ore ranges from 0.1–0.2 to 1–2 g/t or higher. According to technological sampling, the average PGE grade in the largest deposits of the southeastern ore field of the Kempirsai massif is 0.5–0.7 g/t. Due to the occurrence of most PGE as PGM 10–100 mm in size and the proved feasibility of their recovery into nickel alloys, chromites of the Kempirsai massif can be considered a complex ore with elevated and locally high Os, Ir, and Ru contents. The Nurali-Upper Neiva type of ore is characterized by small-sized primary deposits, which nevertheless are the main source of large Os-Ir placers in the Miass and Nev’yansk districts of the southern and central Urals, respectively.