Fertile and barren AlCr-spinel harzburgites from the upper mantle: Ion and electron probe analyses of trace elements in olivine and orthopyroxene: Relation to lherzolites

Ion and electron microprobe analyses of twenty-one CrAl-spinel harzburgite xenoliths from southern African kimberlites show two chemical groups. Orthopyroxenes from “fertile” harzburgites have higher CaO (mean of 11, 0.95 wt.%), Al₂O₃ (3.05 wt.%), Cr₂O₃ (0.85 wt.%) and Li (0.8 ppmw) than those from “barren” harzburgites (mean of 10, CaO 0.24 wt.%, Al₂O₃ 1.10 wt.%, Cr₂O₃ 0.35 wt.%, Li 0.3 ppmw). Olivines from all harzburgites have similar chemistry except that mean values of Li and Na are higher for barren than fertile harzburgites (Li 0.9 vs. 0.4 ppmw; Na₂O 16 vs. 7 ppmw). Orthopyroxenes from fertile harzburgites are chemically distinct from those in garne lherzolites from southern Africa and spinel lherzolites from southwest U.S.A., but orthopyroxenes from barren harzburgites are indistinguishable from those in many coarse garnet lherzolites.Chromium, Ca, Ni, Na and Li in coexisting olivines and orthopyroxenes from the above rock types show complex patterns, which for Ca, Cr and Ni can be related to pressure and temperature. Temperatures from an empirically calibrated thermometer based on Ni-Mg exchange between olivine and orthopyroxene, measured modes of harzburgites (fertile, mean of 10: ol 68, opx 31, spinel-silicate intergrowth <0.5; barren, mean of 8: ol 76, opx 23, spinel and spinel-silicate intergrowth 1), and high-pressure experimental studies suggest (a) that harzburgites are residues of partial melting, (b) that barren harzburgites were melted to a greater extent at a higher temperature (though probably at a similar depth) than fertile harzburgites, and (c) that incomplete reequilibration during retrograde metamorphism has led to development of complex inter- and intragranular textures, probably in the range ～700–900°C.     

Chemistry of micas from kimberlites and xenoliths—II. Primary- and secondary-textured micas from peridotite xenoliths

Micas from coarse granular Iherzolites in S. African kimberlites may be separated into two groups; those showing primary textural relationships with coexisting silicates and those with secondary, alteration relationships with other silicates. Primary-textured micas form a tight cluster with a mean composition from 10 coarse garnet lherzolites of: SiO₂ 41.0, TiO₂ 0.18, Al₂O₃ 13.5, Cr₂O₃ 0.82, total Fe as FeO 2.60, MnO 0.02, MgO 26.0, NiO 0.22, CaO 0.01, BaO 0.29, Na₂O 0.31, K₂O 10.0, Rb₂O 0.028, Cl 0.08, F 0.43 wt%. Primary-textured micas in aggregates with clinopyroxene have higher TiO₂ and four specimens which look similar to the primary group but have textural ambiguities have still higher TiO₂Micas with secondary textures have wide ranges of composition which may be correlated with details of the textural parageneses. Micas from kelyphitic rims around garnets tend to be Cr-rich while those from veinlets are Cr-poor. Both groups tend to have higher FeO and TiO₂ than the primary group. Micas produced by alteration of, or filling veinlets through, orthopyroxene have a wide compositional range which overlaps that of the primary-textured micas, especially for harzburgite specimens.The primary-textured micas show a positive correlation with coexisting pyroxenes for MgO/(MgO + FeO) and TiO₂, but not for Cr₂O₃. Secondary-textured micas do not show correlations with coexisting pyroxenes for any elements.The ‘primary-metasomatic’ micas described by Harte and Gurney (1975) and metasomatic and other micas described by Boettcher et al. (1979) and Boettcher and O'neil (1979) are richer in FeO and TiO₂ than the present primary-textured micas, and are attributed to crystallization from fractionated fluids.     

Strategic coastal flood-risk management in practice: Actors’ perspectives on the integration of flood risk management in London and the Thames Estuary

This paper examines constraints and enabling factors towards ‘integration’ as they are perceived by actors involved in an ongoing strategy development process. The paper examines stakeholder perspectives on current progress in coastal flood risk management in London and the Thames Estuary. The case-study suggests that important steps have been taken towards an integrated and adaptive strategy development process, particularly through the development of informal stakeholder networks. However, constraints in enabling learning within the strategy development process mean that practical pathways of integration in such a large, global-scale city remain challenging to identify and perhaps even more so to implement.     

模拟CO_2埋藏的煤储层元素迁移实验研究

采用高压超临界CO2地球化学反应器对CO2在煤储层中的地质埋藏进行模拟,利用电感耦合等离子体发射光谱仪(ICP-OES)以及电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)分别对淋滤液和煤样中的10种微量元素进行测试,对煤中微量元素在CO2的地质埋藏过程中的迁移进行了实验研究。结果表明:在CO2的地质埋藏过程中对煤的有机组成和无机矿物等均具有改造作用,从而影响到煤中微量元素的赋存和迁移特征,Cr、Zn、Cu等元素迁移能力相对较强,而Co、Ba、V等元素相对较弱;元素迁移能力大小顺序为:CrZnCuNiCdMnCoBaV。     

Influence of geocell reinforcement on uplift response of belled piles

Piles are frequently used to transfer the heavy compressive loads to strong soil layers located in the depth of bed. In addition, such piles may be subjected to combination of repeated compressive and tensile loads due to earthquake, wind, etc. This paper describes a series of laboratory model tests, at unit gravity, performed on belled pile, embedded in unreinforced and geocell-reinforced beds. The tests were performed to evaluate the beneficial effect of geocell in decreasing the downward and upward displacements and performance improvement of the uplift response of belled pile under repeated compressive and tensile loads. Pile displacements due to fifty load repetitions were recorded. The influence of the height of geocell above the bell of pile, an additional geocell layer at the base of belled pile, and the number of load cycles on pile displacements were investigated. The test results show that the geocell reinforcement reduces the magnitude of the final upward displacement. It also acts as a displacement retardant, and changes the behaviour of belled pile from unstable response condition due to excessive upward pile displacement in unreinforced bed to approximately steady response condition. Therefore, the geocell reinforcement permits higher tensile loads or increased cycling. The efficiency of reinforcement in reducing the maximum upward displacement of the pile (i.e. pull-out resistance) was increased by increasing the height of geocell above the bell of the pile. Furthermore, the comparison showed that a specific improvement in upward and downward displacement and the stability against uplift can be achieved using an additional geocell layer at the base. The geocell reinforcement may reduce the required length of pile shaft, consequently reducing required excavation, backfill, and pile’s material. Simple dimensional analysis showed the need for an increased stiffness of the geosynthetic components in order to match prototype-scale performance similitude.     

A tracer‐based assessment of hydrological pathways at different spatial scales in a mesoscale Scottish catchment

Geochemically based hydrograph separation techniques were used in a preliminary assessment to infer how runoff processes change with landscape characteristics and spatial scale (1–233 km²) within a mesoscale catchment in upland Scotland. A two‐component end‐member mixing analysis (EMMA) used Gran alkalinity as an assumed conservative tracer. Analysis indicated that, at all scales investigated, acidic overland flow and shallow subsurface storm flows from the peaty soils covering the catchment headwaters dominated storm runoff generation. The estimated groundwater contribution to annual runoff varied from 30% in the smallest (ca 1 km²) peat‐dominated headwater catchment with limited groundwater storage, to >60% in larger catchments (>30 km²) with greater coverage of more freely draining soils and more extensive aquifers in alluvium and other drift. This simple approach offers a useful, integrated conceptualization of the hydrological functioning in a mesoscale catchment, which can be tested and further refined by focused modelling and process‐based research. However, even as it stands, the simple conceptualization of system behaviour will have significant utility as a tool for communicating hydrological issues in a range of planning and management decisions. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evidence for the detection of gamma-rays up to 150 TeV from the active galaxy centaurus A

Evidence is presented for the observation of UHE gamma-rays from the direction of the active galaxy Centaurus A (NGC 5128). An excess of events from this direction is detected only for energies below the expected cosmic microwave background induced cut-off at around 150 TeV.