Nuclear field shift effects on stable isotope fractionation: a review

An anomalous isotope effect exists in many heavy element isotope systems (e.g., Sr, Gd, Zn, U). This effect used to be called the “odd–even isotope effect” because the odd mass number isotopes behave differently from the even mass number isotopes. This mass-independent isotope fractionation driving force, which originates from the difference in the ground-state electronic energies caused by differences in nuclear size and shape, is currently denoted as the nuclear field shift effect (NFSE). It is found that the NFSE can drive isotope fractionation of some heavy elements (e.g., Hg, Tl, U) to an astonishing degree, far more than the magnitude caused by the conventional mass-dependent effect (MDE). For light elements, the MDE is the dominant factor in isotope fractionation, while the NFSE is neglectable. Furthermore, the MDE and the NFSE both decrease as temperatures increase, though at different rates. The MDE decreases rapidly with a factor of 1/T², while the NFSE decreases slowly with a factor of 1/T. As a result, even at high temperatures, the NFSE is still significant for many heavy element isotope systems. In this review paper, we begin with an introduction of the basic concept of the NSFE, including its history and recent progress, and follow with the potential implications of the inclusion of the NFSE into the kinetic isotope fractionation effect (KIE) and heavy isotope geochronology.     

Fractionation characteristics of rare earth elements (REEs) linked with secondary Fe,Mn, and Al minerals in soils

Soil secondary minerals are important scavengers of rare earth elements (REEs) in soils and thus affect geochemical behavior and occurrence of REEs. The fractionation of REEs is a common geochemical phenomenon in soils but has received little attention, especially fractionation induced by secondary minerals. In this study, REEs (La to Lu and Y) associated with soil-abundant secondary minerals Fe-, Al-, and Mn-oxides in 196 soil samples were investigated to explore the fractionation and anomalies of REEs related to the minerals. The results show right-inclined chondrite-normalized REE patterns for La–Lu in soils subjected to total soil digestion and partial soil extraction. Light REEs (LREEs) enrichment features were negatively correlated with a Eu anomaly and positively correlated with a Ce anomaly. The fractionation between LREEs and heavy REEs (HREEs) was attributed to the high adsorption affinity of LREEs to secondary minerals and the preferred activation/leaching of HREEs. The substantial fractions of REEs in soils extracted by oxalate and Dithionite-Citrate-Bicarbonate buffer solutions were labile (10 %–30 %), which were similar to the mass fraction of Fe (10 %–20 %). Furthermore, Eu was found to be more mobile than the other REEs in the soils, whereas Ce was less mobile. These results add to our understanding of the distribution and geochemical behavior of REEs in soils, and also help to deduce the conditions of soil formation from REE fractionation.     

Characteristics and Genetic Mechanisms of Overpressure in the Depressions of Bohai Bay Basin, China

The distribution and genetic mechanisms of abnormal pressures in the Bohai Bay Basin were systematically analyzed. Abnormal pressures are widely developed in the Bohai Bay Basin, primarily in the Paleogene E2s4, E2s3, Es1, and Ed formations. From the onshore area of the Bohai Bay Basin to the center of the Bozhong area, the top depth of the overpressured zone in each depression increases gradually, the overpressured strata in each depression gradually move to younger formations, and the pressure structure successively alters from single-bottom- overpressure to double-bottom-overpressure and finally to double-top-overpressure. The distribution of overpressured area is consistent with the sedimentary migration controlled by the tectonic evolution of the Bohai Bay Basin, which is closely related to the hydrocarbon-generation capability of active source rocks. The overpressured strata are consistent with the source-rock intervals in each depression; the top of the overpressured zone is synchronous with the hydrocarbon generation threshold in each depression; the hydrocarbon generation capability is positively correlated with the overpressure magnitude in each formation. Undercompaction was the main mechanism of overpressure for depressions with fluid pressure coefficients less than 1.2, whereas hydrocarbon generation was the main mechanism for depressions with fluid pressure coefficients greater than 1.5.     

湘南荷花坪锡多金属矿床成矿年代研究

荷花坪锡多金属矿床是本世纪初在南岭中段湘南地区新发现的一个大型矿床,区内的锡多金属矿化产在王仙岭岩体东南内、外接触带,已发现有Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ和Ⅳ号4个主要锡多金属矿体。其中,Ⅰ、Ⅱ和Ⅳ号矿体由早期矽卡岩型和晚期蚀变碎裂岩型矿石组成,Ⅲ号矿体则由独立产出的蚀变碎裂岩型矿石组成,且包含有部分碎裂花岗斑岩。以往研究已对Ⅳ号矿体中的矽卡岩型矿石和Ⅲ号矿体中含矿斑岩脉分别采用辉钼矿Re-Os法和锆石SHRIMP U-Pb法进行了测年,获得的年龄分别为224.0±1.9Ma和142±2Ma。本文补充了晚期蚀变碎裂岩型矿石的~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar测年,结果显示,Ⅱ号矿体中蚀变碎裂岩型矿石白云母样品和石英样品的坪年龄分别为151.88±1.58Ma和155.39±7.04Ma;Ⅳ号矿体中蚀变碎裂岩型矿石石英样品的坪年龄为156.94±1.64Ma。结合前人研究资料综合分析,认为荷花坪矿区存在印支晚期(224Ma)、燕山早期(151~156Ma)和燕山晚期(142Ma)三期成矿作用,分别与区内印支期中粗粒含电气石黑云母花岗岩、燕山早期中粗粒黑云母花岗岩和燕山晚期花岗斑岩脉有关,不同期成岩、成矿作用的构造环境均为岩石圈的拉张伸展。湘南地区印支期(205~224Ma)基性岩浆活动及荷花坪矿床印支期成岩、成矿过程中均有幔源物质的参与,它们共同指示南岭地区中生代构造体制的转换或岩石圈伸展减薄可能始于印支主期(230~244Ma)之后的224Ma左右,即晚三叠世。     

低固相冲洗液在赣南再里地区的应用研究

钻进过程中,孔壁的稳定性和冲洗液的渗漏是影响钻进效率和钻孔质量的重要因素。孔内情况越复杂,施工周期越长,对冲洗液性能的要求也越高。赣南再里地区施工区构造发育复杂,地层中存在大量的松散、胶结性差的砂岩以及高岭土、绿泥石等水敏性地层,钻探施工钻孔容易缩径,孔壁稳定性差,极易出现剥落、掉块、坍塌等现象,试验采用了低固相不分散冲洗液,取得了良好的钻进效果。     

定向钻进敷设电缆保护管轨迹优化设计研究

在老旧城区内采用定向钻进敷设地下管线,常常需要从已有的各类地下建（构）筑物或管线下方穿过,方案设计时就应考虑新建管道与之安全距离的取值问题。以厦门市某110 kV电力电缆的定向钻进工程的实际需求为出发点,在对国内现有规程规范及工程实例调查的基础上,对电力电缆保护管定向钻进敷设安全距离取值的影响因素进行分析,优化工程定向钻进敷设方案,指导该工程的建设,并为类似工程建设提供参考。     

Rainfall over Oman and its teleconnection with El Niño Southern Oscillation

The Sultanate of Oman is located in the south-eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula and covers the larger part of the southern coasts of the Arabian Peninsula in both arid and semi-arid environments except for the southern part which is swept by the monsoon affecting the Arabian Sea during the period from June to September. The summer rainfall over Oman shows year-to-year variability, and this is caused by oceanic and atmospheric influences. In the present study, we tried to explore the influence of El Niño on the rainfall over Oman using different data sets. The empirical orthogonal function (EOF) technique employed to the zonal wind at 850 hPa for the 30-year period shows that the second and third modes of EOF are showing high variability over the Oman regions. The corresponding PCs were subjected to FFT analysis, and it showed a peak about 5–6 years. In addition to this, the zonal wind over the Oman regions is correlated with the global zonal wind and found a significant correlation (1 % significant level). It has already been proved that the wind and rainfall during summer monsoon is in phase. Moreover, the spectral analysis of rainfall at Masirah station and the Niño3.4 index show the similar mode of variability indicating a direct relationship. The correlation between rainfall and the Niño3.4 index is also showing a positive significant value, and therefore, it can be concluded that the El Niño in the Pacific favours rainfall over the Oman region.     

Multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) for seismic site characterization using 2D genetic algorithm at Bahrah area,Wadi Fatima,Saudi Arabia

The present study deals with the seismic site classification of Bahrah area, Wadi Fatima, to characterize the local site conditions. The dynamic behavior of sediments was studied by the application of surface wave inversion. The multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) shallow geophysical technique was utilized for site classification. MASW survey was carried out at 66 sites along with 13 seismic refraction profiles at suitable localities. MASW and seismic refraction profiles were processed and compared with the available borehole data. The integration of MASW techniques with seismic refraction and borehole data progressively enhanced the subsurface visualization and reliability of the shear wave velocity estimation in the subsurface in the study area. The subsurface shear-wave velocity model was achieved by the solution of an inverse problem-based dispersion of surface waves and propagation in a vertically heterogeneous medium. The 2D genetic algorithm was employed for the inversion of dispersion curves to obtain velocity and thickness of subsurface layers. The depth to engineering bedrock and velocity of shear waves in the first 30 m was deciphered and mapped. The depth of bedrock in study area varies from 4 to 30 m, and V _{S 30} ranges from 320 to 800 m/s. The most of study area falls in B and C class categories in addition to few sites of D class according to the NEHRP guidelines.     

Assessing groundwater storage changes in the Nubian aquifer using GRACE data

Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) level two (L2) data is used in estimating the groundwater storage changes (GWSC) in the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS). This set of data consists of spherical harmonics coefficients with specific degree and order. The GRACE data is de-correlated using a sixth degree polynomial in order to reduce the effect of the noise error resulting from the correlation between the spherical harmonics coefficients with the same degree parity. The GRACE estimates of GWSC are smoothed using Gaussian filter with half width of 1000 km. This half width is chosen in order to maximize the correlation between the GRACE estimates of GWSC and previous modeling results of the NSAS. The loss in groundwater storage occurring in each of the four countries sharing the NSAS is calculated to assess the sustainability of using the NSAS as a water resource in each country. The overarching finding in this study is that NSAS is losing its groundwater storage at a very high rate. Also, it is found that Egypt is the fastest in losing its groundwater storage from the NSAS. This loss of groundwater storage in Egypt may not necessarily be resulting from in-country extractions because of the trans-boundary nature of this aquifer. The GRACE-based estimates are found to be close to available data and previous modeling results of the NSAS.     

Detachment folding in a Lower Cambrian–Upper Permian karst reservoir: 3D model of the Yubei 3D area (eastern Markit Slope,Tarim Basin,Northwest China)

A three-dimensional (3D) structural modeling of the Lower Cambrian–Upper Permian Yubei 3D area was performed to understand its structural evolution. This model reproduces the present-day structure of the basin and comprises 11 horizons within Lower Cambrian to Upper Permian rocks. The analysis is based on 3D depth views and faults. The results image salt movements due to tectonics and/or burial. From these observations, this paper deduces that salt structures are correlated to the main faults and tectonic events. From the model analysis, we interpret the timing and geometry of Tarim Basin tectonics. The fault geometry can be resolved based on the strike of the fault, the morphology of hanging wall strata, and the stratigraphic distribution. Emphasis is placed on gypsum rock detachment, considering its movements during the Middle Caledonian event and decoupling effects during tectonic evolution. Moreover, we point to the structural control of the Paleozoic basement and the crustal architecture (Yubei 3D Zone) on the geometry of the Tarim Basin.