Effect of a Flood in the Amur River on Organic Matter Dynamics in Groundwater

The space and time dynamics of organic matter concentration in groundwater in the Tungusskoe deposit during the historical 2013 flood in the Amur River is discussed. For comparison analysis, several methods for determining the quantitative characteristics of organic matter (spectrophotometry, gas-chromatographic mass spectrometry, and high-performance liquid chromatography) were applied to different layers of an aquifer at different distances from the shore line. The genesis of many organic substances is due to the inflow of river filtrate and surface water from the inundated floodplain. In the post-flood 2014, groundwater showed a decrease in the total amount of organic components and the presence of low-molecular hydrocarbons, diphenylamine, cosanes, phenanthrene, naphthalene, and derivatives of stearic and palmitic acids. Toxic methyl benzene was identified in most wells.     

Valunistoe Epithermal Au–Ag Deposit (East Chukotka,Russia): Geological Structure,Mineralogical–Geochemical Peculiarities and Mineralization Conditions

Geology of Ore Deposits - The Valunistoe Au–Ag deposit is the third largest among epithermal deposits in Chukotka after the Kupol and Dvoinoe. It is located at the western closing of the East...     

Albite Metasomatic Rocks and Thorium Mineralization in Uranium Deposits of the Volcanogenic Type (Example of the Streltsovka Ore Field,East Transbaikalia)

Doklady Earth Sciences - The causes of metasomatic albitization of host rocks and the formation of the accompanying thorium mineralization in uranium deposits of the Streltsovka ore field located...     

Compositions of magmas,formation conditions,and genesis of carbonate-bearing ijolites and carbonatites of the Belaya Zima alkaline carbonatite complex,eastern Sayan

Based on the investigation of melt inclusions using electron and ion microprobe analysis, we estimated the composition, evolution, and formation conditions of magmas responsible for the calcite-bearing ijolites and carbonatites of the Belaya Zima alkaline carbonatite complex (eastern Sayan, Russia). Primary melt and coexisting crystalline inclusions were found in the nepheline and calcite of these rocks. Diopside, amphibole (?), perovskite, potassium feldspar, apatite, calcite, pyrrhotite, and titanomagnetite were identified among the crystalline inclusions. The melt inclusions in nepheline from the ijolites are completely crystallized. The crystalline daughter phases of these inclusions are diopside, phlogopite, apatite, calcite, magnetite, and cuspidine. During thermometric experiments with melt inclusions in nepheline, the complete homogenization of the inclusions was attained through the dissolution of a gas bubble at temperatures of 1120–1130°C. The chemical analysis of glasses from the homogenized melt inclusions in nepheline of the ijolites revealed significant variations in the content of components: from 36 to 48 wt % SiO₂, from 9 to 21 wt % Al₂O₃, from 8 to 25 wt % CaO, and from 0.6 to 7 wt % MgO. All the melts show very high contents of alkalis, especially sodium. According to the results of ion microprobe analysis, the average content of water in the melts is no higher than a few tenths of a percent. The most salient feature of the melt inclusions is the extremely high content of Nb and Zr. The glasses of melt inclusions are also enriched in Ta, Th, and light rare earth elements but depleted in Ti and Hf. Primary melt inclusions in calcite from the carbonatites contain a colorless glass and daughter phlogopite, garnet, and diopside. The silicate glass from the melt inclusions in calcite of the carbonatite is chemically similar to the glasses of homogenized melt inclusions in nepheline from the ijolites. An important feature of melt inclusions in calcite of the carbonatites is the presence in the glass of carbonate globules corresponding to calcite in composition. The investigation of melt inclusions in minerals of the ijolites and carbonatites and the analysis of the alkaline and ore-bearing rocks of the Belaya Zima Massif provided evidence for the contribution of crystallization differentiation and silicate-carbonate liquid immiscibility to the formation of these rocks. Using the obtained trace-element compositions of glasses of homogenized melt inclusions and various alkaline rocks and carbonatites, we determined to a first approximation the compositions of mantle sources responsible for the formation of the rock association of the Belaya Zima alkaline-carbonatite complex. The alkaline rocks and carbonatites were derived from the depleted mantle affected by extensive metasomatism. It is supposed that carbonate melts enriched in sodium and calcium were the main agents of mantle metasomatism.     

Prominence activity during the ascending phase of solar cycle 22

Longitude-latitude and time-latitude distributions of the number and area of prominences observed at Lomnický Stit coronal station in the years 1986–1990 are studied using the method of contour maps construction with different degree of smoothing. Special attention is paid to the bifurcation in the prominence distribution. Comparison with the ascending phase of solar cycle 21 is made.     

Macroseismic manifestations of the Okhotsk earthquake of May 24, 2013 in the territory of Moscow

The results of a study of the macroseismic effects in the territory of Moscow of a remote deepfocus earthquake that occurred on May 24, 2013 in the Sea of Okhotsk are reported. On the surface of the earth and on the first floors of the buildings the seismic effect was not felt. The effect of the shock began to manifest itself at levels higher than the fifth floor of the buildings. The distribution of points on the map where the earthquake was felt is non-uniform. Points where tremor was felt do not appear to correspond with certain types of Quaternary deposits or with zones of different depth. There is also no significant correlation of the parts of the surface with high intensities of tremor and areas of ground-water flooding. Comparison between the surface manifestations of the seismic event and the tectonic features and deep structure of the metropolis was made. Based on the results of the implemented statistical estimation of distribution points where the earthquake was felt on the territory of the city it is visible that fault zones govern the largest number of points, while block structures characterize almost half of them. Thus, we can reasonably suggest a certain macroseismic increase of vibrations from earthquakes in the areas of large faults in the city. The study of deformations of the asphalt cover of walkways on the landslide-affected slope of Vorobyovy Hills showed that the tremor caused by the Okhotsk deep focus earthquake of May 24, 2013, caused the activation of a small landslide at all levels of the hillside.     

Paleomagnetic data on the sedimentation rate near the Mendeleev Rise (Arctic Ocean)

Seven cores of bottom sediments were collected during the cruise of R/V Akademik Fedorov in 2000 along the latitudinal profile crossing the Mendeleev Rise near 82° N, and then studied. The length of cores varies from 240 to 334 cm. In all cores, the boundary of the changing remanent magnetization vector corresponding to the Brunhes-Matuyama boundary was established reliably. In five cores, this boundary is at a depth of 86–102 cm; in two cores, collected to the west of the Mendeleev Rise, at depth levels of 188 and 208 cm. The correlation of paleomagnetic and lithological data demonstrates that the upper boundary of a bench of speckled pelites, overlapped by a bench of variegated pelites, is confined to the Olduvai episode or horizons lying slightly below. The average sedimentation rate of sediments from the Mendeleev Rise during the last 2–2.5 Ma have not exceeded 1–1.3 mm/ka, increasing towards the shelf seas of northeast Russia.     

Tectono-Magmatic Cycles and Geodynamic Settings of Ore-Bearing System Formation in the Southern Cis-Argun Region

The ore-bearing geological structural units of the southern Cis-Argun region are considered in the context of varying geodynamic regimes related to the Proterozoic, Caledonian, and Hercynian tectono-magmatic cycles, as well as during the Late Mesozoic within-plate tectono-magmatic activity, which give rise to the formation of subalkaline igneous rocks of the Shakhtama Complex with Au, Cu–Mo, Pb–Zn–Ag metallogenic specialization; volcano-plutonic complexes of calderas with Mo–U, Pb–Zn, and fluorite ores; and rare-metal granite of the Kukulbei Complex with a Sn–W–Li–Ta spectrum of mineralization. The comparative geochemical characteristics inherent to Mesozoic ore-bearing felsic igneous rocks are considered, as well as geodynamic settings of ore-bearing fluido-magmatic systems, taking into consideration new data on geochemistry of bimodal trachybasalt–trachydacite series and rhyolite of the Turga Series, which fill the Strel’tsovka Caldera, whose trend of evolution is defined as a reference for geological history of the studied territory. The geodynamic conditions, phase composition, and geochemistry of rocks along with metallogenic specialization of Mesozoic volcano-plutonic complexes of southern Cis-Argun region are close to those of the Great Khingan Belt in northeastern China and eastern Mongolia.