Composition-related microstructures in zinc-bearing carbonate assemblages from Broken Hill,New South Wales

Summary Analytical transmission electron microscopy has been used to investigate two zincian dolomites occurring as overgrowths on calcite from the oxidized zone of the ore bodies at Broken Hill, New South Wales. Particular attention has been focussed on the nature of the microstructures, and any correlations between microstructure and local composition, especially zinc content. The possible occurrence of tiny amounts of the zinc dolomite, minrecordite, has also been explored.The most notable features in the zincian dolomite are fine-scale distributions of ribbonlike calcitic second phase, growth bands, and modulated microstructures (strong modulations in diffraction contrast). Their occurrence is correlated with calcium in excess of stoichiometric requirements, but is not directly influenced by zinc content. The associated calcites are low in zinc, but they also exhibit carbonate second phase, which is thought to be dolomitic although giving no detectable order (b-type) reflections. Long-exposure electron diffraction patterns, however, revealed the presence of diffuse c-type superstructure reflections, which are thought to arise from smaller volumes in which Ca and Mg cations are ordered, for which a model is proposed.

---

Zusammensetzungsabhängige Mikrogefüge in Zn-haltigen Karbonat-Vergesellschaftungen von Broken Hill, New South Wales

Zusammenfassung Analytische Transmissionselektronenmikroskopie wurde benutzt um zwei Zn-haltige Dolomite zu untersuchen, die als Überzüge von Calcit aus der Oxidationszone der Erzkörper von Broken Hill, New South Wales, auftraten. Besondere Aufmerksamkeit wurde der Art der Mikrogefüge und möglichen Korrelationen zwischen Mikrogefüge und der lokalen Zusammensetzung, vor allem dem Zn-Gehalt, gewidmet. Dem möglichen Auftreten von geringen Mengen des Zn-Dolomit, Minrecordit, wurde ebenfalls nachgegangen.Die bemerkenswertesten Erscheinungen im Zn-haltigen Dolomit sind feine bandartige Verteilung einer calcitischen Phase, Wachstumsbänder und modulierte Strukturen (starke Modulationen im Beugungskontrast sichtbar). Ihr Auftreten ist mit über das stöchiometrische Verhältnis hinaus vorhandenem Ca korreliert; es ist aber vom Zn-Gehalt nicht direkt beeinflußt. Die mitvergesellschafteten Calcite haben einen niedrigen Zn-Gehalt, zeigen aber eine weitere Karbonatphase. Diese wird für dolomitsch gehalten, obwohl keine entsprechenden Ordnungsreflexe (b-Reflexè) nachweisbar waren. Sehr lange belichtete Elektronenbeugungs-Aufnahmen zeigen jedoch diffuse c-Typ-Über-struktur-Reflexe. Diese sind wahrscheinlich auf kleine Bereiche beschränkt, in dener die Ca und Mg Kationen geordnet sind, wofür ein Modell vorgeschlagen wird.

---

---

With 10 Figures     

Geodynamic significance of granitoid magmatism in the southeast Anatolian orogen: geochemical and geochronogical evidence from Göksun–Afşin (Kahramanmaraş, Turkey) region

In southeast Anatolia, there are number of tectonomagmatic units in the Kahramanmaraş–Malatya–Elazığ region that are important in understanding the geological evolution of the southeast Anatolian orogenic belt during the Late Cretaceous. These are (a) metamorphic massifs, (b) ophiolites, (c) ophiolite-related metamorphics and (d) granitoids. The granitoids (i.e. Göksun–Afşin in Kahramanmaraş, Doğanşehir in Malatya and Baskil in Elazığ) intrude all the former units in a NE–SW trending direction. The granitoid in Göksun–Afşin (Kahramanmaraş) region is mainly composed of granodioritic and granitic in composition. The granodiorite contains a number of amphibole-bearing mafic microgranular enclaves of different sizes, whereas the granite is intruded by numerous aplitic dikes. The granitoid rocks have typical calcalkaline geochemical features. The REE- and Ocean ridge granite-normalized multi-element patterns and tectonomagmatic discrimination diagrams, as well as biotite geochemistry suggest that the granitoids were formed in a volcanic arc setting. The K–Ar geochronology of the granitoid rocks yielded ages ranging from 85.76±3.17 to 77.49±1.91 Ma. The field, geochemical and geochronological data suggest the following Late Cretaceous tectonomagmatic scenario for southeast Anatolia. The ophiolites were formed in a suprasubduction zone tectonic setting whereas the ophiolite-related metamorphic rocks formed either during the initiation of intraoceanic subduction or late-thrusting (∼90 Ma). These units were then overthrust by the Malatya–Keban platform during the progressive elimination of the southern Neotethys. Thrusting of the Malatya–Keban platform over the ophiolites and related metamorphic rocks was followed by the intrusion of the granitoids (88–85 Ma) along the Tauride active continental margin in the southern Neotethys.     

Multiple stressors in an estuarine system: Effects of nutrients, trace elements, and trophic complexity on benthic photosynthesis and respiration

The effects of nutrients, trace elements, and trophic complexity on benthic photosynthesis and respriation were studied in the Paxtuxent River estuary near St. Leonard, Maryland. Experiments were conducted over three years (1995–1997) in mesocosms containing riverine sediment and water. The experimental design was 2×2×3 factorial with two levels of nutrients (ambient and + nutrients), two of trace elements (ambient and + trace elements) and three of trophic complexity (plankton, plankton + fish, and plankton + fish + benthos). Trace elements included arsenic (As), copper (Cu), and cadmium (Cd). The experiment was conducted three times in 1995 and 1997 and four times in 1996. In 1995 and 1996, sediments were muddy, while in the final year sediments were sandy. In mesocoms with sandy sediments, nutrient additions increased benthic photosynthesis overall, while trace element additions increased benthic photosynthesis in two of three experimental runs. Benthic photosynthesis in these mesocosms appeared to be related to nitrogen loading. Benthic respiration increased in nutrient and trace element amended mesocosms with sandy sediments, apparently in response to higher benthic photosynthesis. Increasing trophic complexity, particularly the presence of benthic organisms, also increased benthic respiration in mesocosms with sandy sediments. There were no effects of nutrient or trace element additions on benthic photosynthesis and respiration when the sediments were muddy. The lack of consistent responses to nutrient additions was surprising given that benthic respiration rates (and presumably nutrient regeneration) were similar in all three years, regardless of sediment type. Muddy, sediments did not mask, the effects of nutrient addition by supplying more nutrients to benthic microalgae than sandy sediments. In 1996, the presence of filter feeding bivalves increased the relative heterotrophy of sediments, measured as production: respiration. Consistent with increased heterotrophy, effluxes of ammonium and soluble reactive phosphorus from sediments were greater in mesocosms containing benthic organisms. Anthropogenically-induced changes in estuaries, such as loading of nutrients and trace elements or reduced trophic complexity, can have important effects on benthic processes and potentially pelagic processes through feedback mechanisms.     

Viscous damping formulation and high frequency motion propagation in non-linear site response analysis

Non-linear time domain site response analysis is widely used in evaluating local soil effects on propagated ground motion. This approach has generally provided good estimates of field behavior at longer periods but has shortcomings at relatively shorter periods. Viscous damping is commonly employed in the equation of motion to capture damping at very small strains and employs an approximation of Rayleigh damping using the first natural mode only. This paper introduces a new formulation for the viscous damping using the full Rayleigh damping. The new formulation represents more accurately wave propagation for soil columns greater than 50 m thick and improves non-linear site response analysis at shorter periods. The proposed formulation allows the use of frequency dependent viscous damping. Several examples, including a field case history at Treasure Island, California, demonstrate the significant improvement in computed surface response using the new formulation.     

Role of the Kazerun fault system in active deformation of the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt (Iran)

Field structural and SPOT image analyses document the kinematic framework enhancing transfer of strike-slip partitioned motion from along the backstop to the interior of the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt in a context of plate convergence slight obliquity. Transfer occurs by slip on the north-trending right-lateral Kazerun Fault System (KFS) that connects to the Main Recent Fault, a major northwest-trending dextral fault partitioning oblique convergence at the rear of the belt. The KFS formed by three fault zones ended by bent orogen-parallel thrusts allows slip from along the Main Recent Fault to become distributed by transfer to longitudinal thrusts and folds. To cite this article: C. Authemayou et al., C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).     

Transient seepage analysis in zoned anisotropic soils based on the scaled boundary finite‐element method

The scaled boundary finite‐element method, a semi‐analytical computational scheme primarily developed for dynamic stiffness of unbounded domains, is applied to the analysis of unsteady seepage flow problems. This method is based on the finite‐element technology and gains the advantages of the boundary element method as well. Only boundary of the domain is discretized, no fundamental solution is required and singularity problems can be modeled rigorously. Anisotropic and non‐homogeneous materials satisfying similarity are modeled with no additional efforts. In this study, firstly, formulation of the method for the transient seepage flow problems is derived followed by its solution procedures. The accuracy, simplicity and applicability of the method are demonstrated via four numerical examples of transient seepage flow – three of them are available in the literature. Homogenous, non‐homogenous, isotropic and anisotropic material properties are considered to show the versatility of the technique. Excellent agreement with the finite‐element method is observed. The method out‐performs the finite‐element method in modeling singularity points. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimation of daily stream water temperatures with a Bayesian regression approach

Stream water temperature plays a significant role in aquatic ecosystems where it controls many important biological and physical processes. Reliable estimates of water temperature at the daily time step are critical in managing water resources. We developed a parsimonious piecewise Bayesian model for estimating daily stream water temperatures that account for temporal autocorrelation and both linear and nonlinear relationships with air temperature and discharge. The model was tested at 8 climatically different basins of the USA and at 34 sites within the mountainous Boise River Basin (Idaho, USA). The results show that the proposed model is robust with an average root mean square error of 1.25 °C and Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient of 0.92 over a 2‐year period. Our approach can be used to predict historic daily stream water temperatures in any location using observed daily stream temperature and regional air temperature data.     

Integration of aquifer geology,groundwater flow and arsenic distribution in deltaic aquifers – A unifying concept

Groundwater arsenic (As) presents a public health risk of great magnitude in densely populated Asian delta regions, most acutely in the Bengal Basin (West Bengal, India and Bangladesh). Research has focused on the sources, mobilisation, and heterogeneity of groundwater As, but a consistent explanation of As distribution from local to basin scale remains elusive. We show for the Bengal Aquifer System that the numerous, discontinuous silt‐clay layers together with surface topography impose a hierarchical pattern of groundwater flow, which constrains As penetration into the aquifer and controls its redistribution towards discharge zones, where it is re‐sequestered to solid phases. This is particularly so for the discrete periods of As release to groundwater in the shallow subsurface associated with sea level high‐stand conditions of Quaternary inter‐glacial periods. We propose a hypothesis concerning groundwater flow ( S ilt‐clay layers I mpose H ierarchical groundwater flow patterns constraining A rsenic progression [SIHA]), which links consensus views on the As source and history of sedimentation in the basin to the variety of spatial and depth distributions of groundwater As reported in the literature. SIHA reconciles apparent inconsistencies between independent, in some cases contrasting, field observations. We infer that lithological and topographic controls on groundwater flow, inherent to SIHA, apply more generally to deltaic aquifers elsewhere. The analysis suggests that groundwater As may persist in the aquifers of Asian deltas over thousands of years, but in certain regions, particularly at deeper levels, As will not exceed low background concentrations unless groundwater flow systems are short‐circuited by excessive pumping.     

Calibration of paired watersheds: Utility of moving sums in presence of externalities

Historically, paired watershed studies have been used to quantify the hydrological effects of land use and management practices by concurrently monitoring 2 similar watersheds during calibration (pretreatment) and post‐treatment periods. This study characterizes seasonal water table and flow response to rainfall during the calibration period and tests a change detection technique of moving sums of recursive residuals (MOSUM) to select calibration periods for each control–treatment watershed pair when the regression coefficients for daily water table elevation were most stable to minimize regression model uncertainty. The control and treatment watersheds were 1 watershed of 3–4‐year‐old intensely managed loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) with natural understory, 1 watershed of 3–4‐year‐old loblolly pine intercropped with switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), 1 watershed of 14–15‐year‐old thinned loblolly pine with natural understory (control), and 1 watershed of switchgrass only. The study period spanned from 2009 to 2012. Silvicultural operational practices during this period acted as external factors, potentially shifting hydrologic calibration relationships between control and treatment watersheds. MOSUM results indicated significant changes in regression parameters due to silvicultural operations and were used to identify stable relationships for water table elevation. None of the calibration relationships developed using this method were significantly different from the classical calibration relationship based on published historical data. We attribute that to the similarity of historical and 2010–2012 leaf area index on control and treatment watersheds as moderated by the emergent vegetation. Although the MOSUM approach does not eliminate the need for true calibration data or replace the classic paired watershed approach, our results show that it may be an effective alternative approach when true data are unavailable, as it minimizes the impacts of external disturbances other than the treatment of interest.