Fine-Grained Aluminosiliciclastic Rocks of the Middle Riphean Stratotype Section in the Southern Urals: Formation Conditions,Composition and Provenance Evolution

General trends of the formation of Middle Riphean fine-grained aluminosiliciclastic rocks in the Bashkir Meganticlinorium are considered. It is shown that Yurmatinian shales do not contain any significant pyroclastic admixture. Judging from the relatively constant Th/Cr ratio throughout the Yurmatinian section, the tectonic regime in the study territory during the early Middle Riphean is suggested to be rather stable. The main paleoclimatic indices and indicators of the pelitic material maturity (CIA, CIW, IVC, PIA, and Ce/Y) suggest that paleodrainage systems in the early Middle Riphean were dominated by humid climate that gave way to the arid or semiarid type in the middle Yurmatinian. The low Mo/Mn ratio and some other indicators of redox conditions in shales from all Yurmatinian lithostratigraphic units show that no explicit reducing conditions existed in the basin during the early Middle Riphean. The shales were characterized by the increase in K₂O/Al₂O₃ ratio, gradual enrichment in REE, and growth of LREE/HREE and La_N/Yb_N ratios toward the middle Yurmatinian, indicating the gain of an appreciable amount of slightly weathered arkosic aluminosiliciclastic material in the sedimentary basin about 1220–1200 Ma ago. The REE distribution and the UCC- and AUC-normalized shale compositions suggest that the eroded upper crust was compositionally close to the UCC. The occurrence of mafic and ultramafic rocks is also inferred. Data points of Yurmatinian shales plotted in the Cr–Ni, Eu/Eu*–Gd_N/Yb_N, and (La/YB)_N–Yb_N diagrams are localized between the fields of Upper Archean and post-Archean rocks or within the latter field. Hence, post-Archean igneous and metamorphic complexes prevailed in paleodrainage systems of the early Middle Riphean. This is also confirmed by the model Nd ages.     

Uncertainties in mean discharges from two large South American rivers due to rating curve variability

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of land application of sewage sludge on phosphorus (P) losses during intense rainfall. Three rainfall simulations (40 mm h^?1 of 30 min duration) were conducted on a field amended with sewage sludge. The overland flow water (OFW) was monitored and sampled every minute. The suspended solid, the dissolved and total phosphorus (respectively SS, TP and DP) concentrations were analysed. The forms of particulate bound P (PP) were investigated. Several results stem from this experiment: (a) sludge application induced a large increase in the DP content of the OFW; the concentrations obtained (0.15–0.57 mg l^?1) were shown to result from desorption processes from the SS; and (b) in contrast, sludge application affected neither the SS content nor the TP concentration of OFW (9.5 g mg l^?1 P, consisting of PP for 95%). However, sludge preserved the structure of soil surface and led to a 45% decrease in runoff rate (150 m³ ha^?1 collected on the test surface compared to 290 m³ ha^?1 on a reference). This indirectly reduced TP losses (2.7 kg ha^?1 on the reference surface compared to 1.4 kg ha^?1 on the test surface).     

Catchment storm runoff modelling using the geomorphologic instantaneous unit hydrograph

A lumped empirical model, the Geomorphologic Instantaneous Unit Hydrograph (GIUH) rainfall-runoff model, is developed for the Can Le catchment in the upstream region of the Sai Gon river Basin (Vietnam). This model can serve to simulate catchment runoff into the Dau Tieng Reservoir and can be used as a flood forecasting tool for the ungauged Can Le catchment. The GIUH couples geomorphology and hydrology quantitatively. The obtained Unit Hydrograph is based on Horton's morphometric parameters; bifurcation, length and area ratios. A new functionality within the ILWIS GIS-RS package, namely ‘DEM-hydro processing’, is applied to effectively process a Digital Elevation Model to extract these ratios from the drainage network. To supplement the limited field data available, various satellites images have been used such as ASTER, SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) and METEOSAT 5. A short field campaign to collect missing ground data was executed between September and October 2005. The data collected included discharge (and stage – discharge curve), meteorological data, soil, land use information that are used for paramerisation, calibration and validation of the GIUH. The model was successfully applied for the Can Le catchment. Using the Horton's morphometric parameters derived from the DEM with estimated overland and stream flow velocities, the model is easy-to-use.     

GEOLOGICAL CONTEMPORANEITY AS VIEWED FROM THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY

The three-dimensional conception of the world is to be replaced by the four-dimensional one according to Einstein's theory of relativity.     

Structural and magnetic microinhomogeneities in accessory spinel of the system Fe2+(Cr2–xFex3+)O4 from the Kytlym massif (Urals platinum-bearing belt)

The microstructure and magnetic properties of accessory Fe–Cr-spinels from the Kytlym massif of the Urals platinum-bearing belt were studied. Atypical Fe–Cr-spinels in the form of magnetic microareas in grains of primary nonmagnetic Fe–Cr-spinel have been revealed for the first time in the bed dunites of the Kytlym multiphase concentrically zoned massif, North Urals. These spinels are responsible for the magnetic properties of the dunites. It has been established that the microareas are separations in solid solution Fe²⁺(Cr_2–xFe_x³⁺)O₄, which are enriched in Fe^3 + and are probably an intermediate product of the transformation of primary accessory Fe-Cr-spinel during the formation of the dunite massif. These are magnetic microphases with particular chemical composition, cation distribution, and corresponding reversed crystal lattice, which determine the main magnetic properties of the microarea: the magnitude and direction of magnetization vector and Curie temperature. The formation of this earlier unknown type of magnetic Fe–Cr-spinel is probably conjugate with the formation and concentration of PGE mineralization in the bed dunites of the Kytlym platinum-bearing massif. The presence of such magnetization carriers in rocks and ores must be taken into account in geophysical research at the Urals chromite and platinum–chromite deposits.     

Intercalation of kaolinite with acetamide

Upon intercalation of both ordered (low defect) and disordered (high defect) kaolinites with acetamide, two types of interaction are observed. Firstly, hydrogen bonding between the NH₂ groups of the acetamide with the siloxane oxygens is formed, as evidenced by the formation of two new bands at 3400 and 3509 cm^–1. Secondly, the appearance of additional bands at ∼3600 cm^–1 in both the infrared and Raman spectra of the acetamide intercalates is attributed to a second type of hydrogen bonding by the interaction of the C=O group and the inner surface hydroxyls. Changes in the intensity of the hydroxyl deformation modes in the 895 to 940 cm^–1 region are attributed to the changes in the hydrogen bonding of the kaolinite surfaces. It is proposed that the hydrogen bonding between the adjacent kaolinite layers is replaced with hydrogen bonding between both kaolinite surfaces and the acetamide molecule. Changes in the molecular structure of acetamide are observed upon intercalation. The amide 1 band is lost and replaced with a well-defined NH₂ deformation vibration. The loss of the amide 1 band is attributed the hydrogen bond formation between the amide hydrogens and the siloxane surface. The bands of the C=O group at 1680 and 1740 cm^–1 become a single band at 1680 cm^–1. The amide 2 band remains unchanged. The lack of intensity of the 1740 cm^–1 band is attributed to the formation of hydrogen bonding between the inner surface hydroxyl groups and the carbonyl group. Received: 4 February 1998/ Revised, accepted: 30 June 1998     

Numerical modeling of the cross-section structure of the subarctic/subtropical boundary in the North Pacific

A simple variational model of the zonal region between waters has been developed with a specified density gradient and a convergence zone. An approximate analytical solution has been constructed. The boundary between waters is shown to divide into two fronts, a convergence front and a density front. The density front should be shifted equatorward relative to the convergence axis. Such a structure corresponds to the subarctic/subtropical boundary in the Pacific Ocean: the subarctic front and the Kuroshio Extension front that goes into the North Pacific Current.     

NRM engagement between remote dryland communities and government agencies: Success factors from Australia

The management of dryland environments involves the interaction of multiple government agencies and citizens, and is required to respond to a wide range of responsibilities and aspirations for a given region. This paper focuses on the characteristics of engagement between management agencies and citizens in a dryland region, presented here as a series of success factors. These factors are based on empirical research carried out in the Lake Eyre Basin in Australia, one of the world’s largest inwardly draining basins. The results reinforce generic and dryland-specific factors supporting successful community engagement. The former, such as building trust, working in partnership, supporting community champions, and maintaining transparency, are necessary but insufficient for achieving successful community engagement in the case study region. In addition, community engagement in the case study region also required respecting the extreme conditions and extraordinary variability of the Basin and committing to longer timeframes even if the outcomes of community engagement are slow to accrue, in order to take advantage of opportunities in more prosperous times.     

Long-term changes in coral assemblages under natural and anthropogenic stress in Jakarta Bay (1920-2005)

Coral reefs in Jakarta Bay have been subjected to scientific studies since the 1920s. Also from that time on biological collections were made. The reefs in the Jakarta Bay have been under long-term natural and anthropogenic stress. With the biological collections and historical documents the coral species richness in Jakarta Bay around 1920 was reconstructed. New data from this bay and the adjacent offshore Thousand Islands archipelago were obtained during a 2005 research expedition. A comparison of the coral assemblages between 1920 and 2005 reveals a clear decline in species numbers. The most prominent results include the near-shore disappearance of species belonging to the families Acroporidae, Milleporidae, and to a lesser extent Poritidae. The overall coral species composition of the reefs has changed considerably, which is partly reflected in a strong decline in coral species richness. About half the number of species recorded in 1920 was found again in 2005.