Sulphate-related equilibria in the hypersaline brines of the Tyro and Bannock Basins, eastern Mediterranean

The Tyro and Bannock Basins, which are depressions in the eastern Mediterranean, contain hypersaline anoxic brines. These brines are of different composition: Tyro brine is primarily an early-stage halite (NaCl) brine, whereas Bannock brine includes the more soluble ions of late-stage evaporite minerals. Accordingly, the Bannock brine contains a much greater sulphate concentration than the Tyro Brine. This difference in sulphate concentration is reflected in the concentrations of ions such as Ca, Sr and Ba, which form sparingly soluble sulphate minerals.Equilibrium calculations using the Pitzer specific ion interaction model indicate that the brines in both basins are saturated with respect to gypsum (CaSO₄-2H₂O) and supersaturated to saturated with respect to dolomite (CaMg(CO₃)₂). The degree of saturation with respect to dolomite is greater in the Bannock Basin than it is in the Tyro Basin. Correspondingly, recent gypsum crystals and dolomite hardgrounds have been found in the Bannock Basin but not in the Tyro Basin.The Tyro brine is homogeneous in composition, whereas the Bannock brine demonstrates a clear two-layer brine structure. At the interface of the upper and the lower brine distinct positive anomalies occur in the total alkalinity and the concentration of phosphate, and negative anomalies occur in the concentrations of Mn²⁺ and the rare earth elements (REE). These anomalies and the observed association of gypsum/dolomite in the sediments are all consistent with a recent precipitation of dolomite and gypsum in the Bannock Basin. The brines in both basins are also saturated with respect to barite (BaSO₄).The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and δ³⁴S ratios of the Bannock brines are amazingly consistent but differ dramatically from the values for modern or Messinian-age seawater. The Sr concentration and Sr and S isotope ratios in the gypsum crystals indicate that most of these crystals have resulted from precipitation/recrystallization from the brine and not from seawater. The observed variations between crystals are thought to reflect the recrystallization of (sub-) outcropping Messinian gypsum with a low ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio in the presence of seawater or brine fluids and with different extents of diagenesis.     

华南西部地区晚中生代与W-Sn矿有关花岗岩的年代学格架及地质意义

华南西部地区是我国重要的大型-超大型锡多金属矿床分布区。本文根据近年来新获得的花岗岩LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb数据,结合近几年以来新报道的高精度成岩成矿年代学资料和地球动力学研究进展,总结发现华南西部地区中生代岩浆-成矿作用的时代主要集中在晚白垩世(76～98Ma)。通过分别总结华南东、西部地区晚白垩岩浆作用及相应的成矿作用的特征,发现华南东、西部的成岩成矿作用特征表现出明显的差异,但是这两地内部各自却表现出高度的一致性;且东部地区明显要比西部地区更为复杂,但二者之间的共同点在于该时期均处于岩石圈伸展的环境和壳幔间的相互作用明显。晚白垩世华南西部地区主要受控于华南陆块陆内背景下岩石圈伸展而导致的岩浆-成矿作用这一因素,而东部地区除此之外还受到太平洋古板块北北东向走滑带来的影响。     

Characterization of biophysical land units using remote sensing and gis

In the present study, an attempt has been made to characterize the biophysical land units in Kanholi bara river basin of sub-humid tropical ecosystem of central India using remotely sensed data, field surveys and GIS based multi-criteria overlay analysis. The geo-spatial database on elevation, slope, landforms, soil depth, soil erosion, land use/land cover and hydrogeomorphological parameters has been generated using IRS-ID LISS-III satellite data coupled with soil survey data in GIS. The methodology followed in characterization of biophysical land units in GIS includes assigning scores for different classes of the layers and weighatges for different layers based on their characteristics and degree of influence on desired output. GIS based ‘multi criteria overlay’ analysis reveals seventeen distinct biophysical land units in the river basin. Severe (50.5-59.5) to very severe (59.5) biophysical stress units are found in plateau spurs, isolated mounds, linear ridges, dissected plateau and escarpments. These zones are associated with severe to very severe erosion, steep to very steep, extremely shallow soils, poor to very poor groundwater prospects, wastelands and scrublands. The characterization of biophysical land units helps in analysis of their potentials, problems and stress environment to plan and execute site-specific landscape management practices and maximize the productivity from each biophysical land unit. The present study demonstrates that generation of geo-spatial database based on remotely sensed data and field surveys in GIS and their analysis helps great extent in characterization of biophysical land units and analysis of their stress environment for management.     

Early oxidation of organic matter in pelagic sediments of the eastern equatorial Atlantic: suboxic diagenesis

Pore water profiles of total-CO₂, pH, PO^3?₄, NO^?₃ plus NO^?₂, SO^2?₄, S^2?, Fe²⁺ and Mn²⁺ have been obtained in cores from pelagic sediments of the eastern equatorial Atlantic under waters of moderate to high productivity. These profiles reveal that oxidants are consumed in order of decreasing energy production per mole of organic carbon oxidized (O₂ > manganese oxides ~ nitrate > iron oxides > sulfate). Total CO₂ concentrations reflect organic regeneration and calcite dissolution. Phosphate profiles are consistent with organic regeneration and with the effects of release and uptake during inorganic reactions. Nitrate profiles reflect organic regeneration and nitrate reduction, while dissolved iron and manganese profiles suggest reduction of the solid oxide phases, upward fluxes of dissolved metals and subsequent entrapment in the sediment column. Sulfate values are constant and sulfide is absent, reflecting the absence of strongly anoxic conditions.     

Manganese geochemistry near high-temperature vents in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rift valley

In July 1985 the first high-temperature, hydrothermal vents ever discovered on the MAR were found at 26°N (TAG). A transponder-navigated survey of a 4 × 8 km area was begun when on-board measurements of manganese revealed concentrated hydrothermal plumes in the water column comparable in size and intensity to those found over geothermal fields on the EPR. These plumes also possess anomalously high light scattering properties and anomalously warm potential temperatures. Using relay-transponder navigation with a rosette-CTD system, it was possible to sample bottom waters with temperature anomalies of several decidegrees. Samples collected near vent orifices possessed silica anomalies of up to 17 μM and dissolved manganese anomalies as large as 360 nmol/kg. These manganese and silica anomalies are linearly related and predict aMn/Si ratio of 20 mmol/mol for these MAR vent fluids, a value essentially identical to that measured in 350°C fluid from the EPR at 21°N. The distribution of temperature anomalies in the water column over this area requires the presence of more than one active vent site. A rough estimate of the convective heat loss from this section of the MAR based onθ-z profiles is 1.2 × 10⁸ cal/s which is similar to the heat loss estimated for the vent field on the EPR at 21°N.     

SHARE Asia自动气象站网络：喜马拉雅山—喀喇昆仑山地区气候研究的一个必要组成部分

Ev K2 CNR SHARE Asia计划的目标就是建立一个沿喜马拉雅山—喀喇昆仑山脉的监测网络，为气象学和气候研究提供参数，特别是为季风变化、大气化学、冰川学、高海拔湖沼学和古湖沼学等研究，同时也为准确地确定地球表面坐标。SHARE Asia 计划的一个特殊的目的是发展一套完整的测量系统，以满足不断进步的环境与地球科学；促进当地的技术升级和建设的能力。 就像WMO CEOP 和UNEP ABC一样，SHARE Asia 气象—气候及大气化学观测站已经成为重要的国际科学计划的一部分。     

Unified formation of astronomical objects up to stellar mass range

In dense interstellar clouds or in the surroundings of just-formed stars, the larger grains form proto-cores by segregating from the gas under the influence of the gravitational field of the cloud during intervals of the order 10⁸ yr.If the mass of the proto-cores is smaller than a certain limit, the object possesses a negligible atmosphere and remains composed mainly of solid grain material. If the mass of the proto-core exceeds the limiting mass, the proto-core can bind around it an atmosphere. When the temperature of the opaque part of the atmosphere is only fractions of a degree above the temperature of the surrounding tenuous gas, gravitational contraction of the opaque part of the atmosphere sets in, forming gaseous objects up to stellar mass range.Binary and multiple systems originate from neighbouring proto-cores, through gravitational contraction of both their separate and common outer atmospheres.Pycnonuclear reactions are not able to prevent a star with mass 0.08M from cooling to the black dwarf stadium.     

Body and brood sizes of Tenagomysis spp. (Crustacea: Mysida) in southern estuaries in New Zealand

Mysids form a large biomass and mediate the benthic–pelagic coupling of numerous estuaries in southern New Zealand. An intra-annual (2011–2012) field survey in the breeding seasons (i.e. austral spring followed by summer) of mysids Tenagomysis chiltoni and Tenagomysis novaezealandiae, examining the body and brood sizes, was conducted. Samples were collected from six open and eight intermittently open/closed estuaries along the Otago coastline. Brood size of gravid females of T. chiltoni was not significantly related to their body size. Brood size of gravid females of T. novaezealandiae showed a significantly positive relationship with body size in spring but not in summer. It appears that brood size of gravid mysids do not always necessarily depend on body size, but may be influenced by breeding season (e.g. spring) and estuarine typology (e.g. intermittently open/closed).