Geochemistry,petrogenesis and radioactive mineralization of two coeval Neoproterozoic post-collisional calc-alkaline and alkaline granitoid suites from Sinai,Arabian Nubian Shield

The Younger Granites of Yahmid-Um Adawi area, located in the southeastern part of Sinai Peninsula, comprise two coeval Late Neoproterozoic post-collisional alkaline (hypersolvous alkali-feldspar granites; 608–580?Ma) and calc-alkaline (transsolvous monzo- and syenogranites; 635–590?Ma) suites. The calc-alkaline suite granitoids are magnesian and peraluminous to metaluminous, whereas the alkaline ones are magnesian to ferroan alkaline to slightly metaluminous. Both granitoid suites exhibit many of the typical geochemical features of A-type granites such as enrichment in Nb (>20?ppm), Zr (>250?ppm), Zn (>100?ppm) and Ce (>100?ppm) and high 10000*Ga/Al₂O₃ ratios (>2.6) and Zr?+?Nb?+?Y?+?Ce (>350?ppm). Accessory mineral saturation thermometers demonstrated former crystallization of apatite at high temperatures prior to zircon and monazite separation from the magma for both granitoid suites. The mild zircon saturation temperatures of the studied Younger Granites (around 800?°C) imply low-temperature crustal fusion and incomplete melting of the largely refractory zircon. The two Younger Granite suites were semi-synchronously evolved during the post-collisional stage of the Arabian-Nubian Shield subsequent to the collision between the juvenile shield crust and the older pre-Neoproterozoic continental blocks of west Gondwana. Their parental magmas has been generated by melting of crustal source rocks with minor involvement from mantle, which might participated chiefly as a source of heat necessary for fusion of the crustal precursor. Extensive in-situ gamma-ray spectrometry revealed anomalously high radioactivity of some Younger Granite exposures along Wadi Um Adawi (eU; 388–746?ppm and eTh; 1857–2527?ppm) and pegmatitic pockets pertaining to the calc-alkaline suite (equivalent U and Th; 212–252?ppm and 750–1757?ppm, respectively). The radioactivity of the syngenetic pegmatites arises from the primary radioactive minerals uranothorite and thorite together with the U- and/or Th-bearing minerals zircon, columbite, samarskite and monazite. The anomalously high radioactivity of some Younger Granite exposures in Wadi Um Adawi stem from their appreciable enclosure of the epigenetic uranium minerals metatorbenite and uranophane.     

Lithospheric structure of Southeast Anatolia from joint inversion of local and teleseismic data

A joint tomographic inversion of local and teleseismic arrival times recorded at 41 seismic stations in southeast Anatolia is conducted to study the 3-D lithospheric velocity structure and its relation to the prevailing tectonic processes. A total of 21300 arrivals from local and teleseismic events are used in the final inversion. The tomographic model reveals prominent lower crustal/uppermost mantle low-velocity anomalies. High-velocity zones are imaged in the western part of the study area. The background seismic activity occurs mainly at the low-velocity areas and to a lesser extent in some high-velocity zones. Large crustal earthquakes occur in average velocity zones, but not in high-velocity areas that can resist stress. Results of the checkerboard resolution test indicate the reliability of the obtained images; while the large hit counts at most depth slices denote reasonable ray-path coverage for most parts of the study area. The obtained velocity anomalies are generally consistent with many previous geophysical measurements and give much deeper understanding of the current seismotectonic processes occurring in the region.     

Road traffic nanoparticle characteristics:Sustainable environment and mobility

Human effects and environment impacts associated with nanoparticles generated from road traffic have recently attracted wide attention.Knowledge of the influencing variables on both number and mass of nanoparticles,sources,characteristics and limitations of advanced commercially accessible instruments for monitoring nanoparticles,are still scarce and not sufficient to make regulatory decision on solid particles smaller than 23 nm(SPN<23 nm).Given the harmful effects of nanoparticles on human health(i.e.visibility impairment,cardiac-rhythm disturbance,heart attacks,premature death,etc.),their control and assessment seem to be an absolute priority.In this overview,we classify and analyze the existing knowledge of nanoparticles in road traffic atmosphere,recent progress,and emerging priorities in research related to these topics.The major aspects of ongoing research in this field,and a brief discussion of the main sources of atmosphere nanoparticles are presented.The subsequent section focuses on the influencing parameters of nanoparticles including climate conditions,height above the road surface and distance between source(road traffic)and sampling site.The next section provides a comprehensive summary on sampling measurement methodologies and instrumental techniques.We also review the health and environment implications associated with particle exposure.Finally,an evaluation of the state of research related to nanoparticles together with highlights for future research activities are also presented.     

Studying the effect of partial drainage on the response of soft clays reinforced with sand column groups

Acta Geotechnica - The drained and undrained response of soft clays reinforced with granular columns has been the subject of numerous geotechnical research efforts to date. Although these studies...     

The Condition of Hydrostatic Equilibrium of Stellar Models Using Optimal Control

The condition of hydrostatic equilibrium of relativistic stellar models is formulated as an optimal control problem. Application of Pontryagin's maximum principle leads directly to the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equation. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Untersuchungen an Grundwässern der Ost-Sahara

In a joint enterprise, mostly Eastern Sahara artesian waters have been investigated. Age determinations and geochemistry allow geological conclusions. The rains responsible for the waters probably fell in a Pluvial about 25–35000 years ago. Their infiltration took place (simultaneously with or shortly after the lowest Würm-level of the Mediterranean) mainly in Nubian sandstone regions and within Oasis-depressions of Western Egypt. The upper levels of the geological reservoir seem to have been leaked out during the eustatic lowering of the Mediterranean level via an overdeepened Nile-bed. Infiltration trapped air within the pore-space of Nubian sandstone. This air re-appears to-day — after having lost its Oxygene etc.-content — as Nitrogene-gas.Münnich andVogel describe (?Untersuchungen an pluvialen Wässern etc.“) detailed investigations concerning the absolute age of these (and generally such) waters. E. T.Degens, in his part ?Geochemische Untersuchungen etc.“, deals with the geochemistry of the occurrences, mainly with some stable isotopes.     

Estimation of dielectric permittivity,water content,and porosity for environmental engineering and hydrogeological studies using ground penetrating radar,a short review

Ground penetrating radar is a noninvasive geophysical technique that can be used to infer subsurface geological, geotechnical, and petrophysical attributes. For water contamination studies, ultimate target, i.e., contaminant flow, is demarcated with the help of dielectric permittivity, water content, and porosity. The dielectric permittivity facilitates to evaluate water content; whereas the dielectric permittivity can be estimated by using the interval velocity, and porosity can be estimated by using the information of water content and dielectric permittivity. All these parameters are interlinked. This paper describes different empirical and mixing relationships to calculate approximately these parameters and their utilization in predicting the hydrogeological model of the area.     

Geology of the Early Devonian oolitic iron ore of the Gara Djebilet Field, Saharan Platform, Algeria

The oolitic iron ore of the Gara Djebilet field occurs within the Early Devonian sediments of the Tindouf Basin (Algerian Sahara), particularly in the Upper Djebilet Formation of Pragian age. Three large lenses form three individual deposits, extending E-W for about 60 km, namely Gara West, Gara Center and Gara East.The mineralization is interbedded with argillaceous to sandy sediments and it can be related to a barrier island palaeoenvironment, bordered by an inner lagoon or shallow embayment and an epicontinental sea. Trapped by Palaeozoic shoals, the oolitic sediments show a mineralogy marked mainly by magnetite, hematite, goethite, maghemite, chamosite (bavalite), siderite, apatite and quartz. Three paragenetic associations present a vertical distribution with a Lower non-magnetitic ore, a magnetitic ore and an Upper non-magnetitic ore.Three petrographical facies types have been defined: a cemented facies (FOC); a detrital facies (FOD); and a non-detrital facies (FOND).Chemical data for the whole field show a difference between the Lower non-magnetitic ore (Fe=54.6%), the Magnetitic ore (Fe=57.8%) and the Upper non-magnetitic ore (Fe=53%). The Magnetitic ore, which corresponds mainly to the workable ore (cutoff grade at 57%), has the following composition: SiO₂=4.9%, Al₂O₃=4.2%, Fe₂O₃=61.43%, FeO=19.2%, and P₂O₅=1.8%. The corresponding calculated economical ore reserves are 985×10⁶t, with 57.8% Fe.Regarding the genesis of the oolitic iron ore, a southern source is suggested for the iron, with deposition taking place in a quiet environment. There, the ooids developed by an intrasedimentary accretion mechanism around detrital grain within an iron-rich mud.The Gara Djebilet field is an important occurrence of the “North African Palaeozoic Ironstone Belt” extending from the Zemmour to Libya which also includes ironstones of Ordovician, Silurian and Devonian age.