Free-Free Absorption in Solar Atmosphere

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - The free-free i.e. electron-ion inverse “Bremsstrahlung” characteristics are determined for the case of the solar atmosphere as well as solar interior where...     

Geology of the San Isidro iron ore deposit,Venezuela

The iron ore deposits of Cuadrilatero Ferrifero de San Isidro represent the largest iron ore reserves in Venezuela. The district is a part of the iron metallogenic province of northern Guayana, one of the richest iron-bearing regions of the world. All presently known iron ore deposits of Venezuela are situated within this province: Cerro Bolivar, Altamira, Rondon, San Isidro, María Luisa, El Pao and others. Their total ore reserves amount to 2,000 million tons (disregarding the unenriched or slightly enriched iron-formation). The Imataca belt to which the iron ore deposits are confined consists of metamorphosed sedimentary and igneous rocks of Early Precambrian age, the oldest rocks presently known in South America. This belt extends some 450 km from the Orinoco delta southwesterly to the Cauro River. Iron ore is formed from banded iron-formation, a member of the Imataca complex, by removal of silica. The process of supergene enrichment is controlled to a certain degree by structural elements. There are five ore bodies in the San Isidro district, extremely varied in shape and size. Single bodies extend up to 3–4 km in length, approximately parallel to the regional structure pattern, and a few hundred meters in width. The morphology of the bottom of the ore bodies is rather irregular, particularly in transversal sections. Contacts between ore and the unaltered iron-formation beneath are gradational. Maximum vertical section through ore is 260 m; the average is 60 m approximately. The stratigraphic thickness of iron formation has been magnified by structural deformations. The primary stratigraphic thickness is estimated to be some 50–150 m. The iron ore is classified into two main types: a) hard, crustal ore, b) soft, friable ore. Hematite grains which remained after the leaching of silica, and goethite (as cement) are the two main constituents of crustal ore. Hematite and magnetite and a minor amount of quartz are almost the only constituents of friable ore. The crustal ore forms a 15–60 m thick mantle covering friable ore. The overall volume ratio between the friable and the crustal ore is about 2:1. However, it varies in different zones. The mean composition of iron ore on the basis of 10,800 chemical analyses is 64.41% Fe, 2.62% SiO₂, 0.6% Al₂O₃. The ore contains a minor amount of Mn, P, Ti (no S, As, Ba). The ore reserves amount to 750 million tons; in addition, 180–300 million tons of possible ore reserves are estimated.

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Zusammenfassung Die Eisenerzlagerstätten der Cuadrilatero Ferrifero de San Isidro beinhalten die größten Eisenerzreserven in Venezuela. Der Erzbezirk ist ein Teil der reichsten Eisenerzregionen der Welt. Alle bekannten Eisenerzvorkommen Venezuelas befinden sich in dieser Provinz (Cerro Bolivar, Altamira, Rondon, San Isidro, Maria Luisa, El Pao und andere). Die Gesamtvorräte werden auf etwa zwei Milliarden Tonnen geschätzt (ohne die nichtangereicherten oder nur wenig angereicherten Eisenquarzite). Die Imataca-Zone, an die die Eisenerzvorkommen angrenzen, besteht aus metamorphosierten sedimentären und magmatischen Gesteine des Archaikums, die ältesten bisher in Südamerika bekannten Gesteine. Die Imataca-Zone erstreckt sich ungefähr 450 km vom Delta des Orinoco in südwestlicher Richtung bis Rio Cauro. Die Eisenerze entstanden aus feingeschichteten (gebänderten) Eisenquarziten (Itabirite). Die Prozesse der deszendenten Anreicherung werden teilweise durch strukturelle Elemente bedingt. Fünf Erzkörper des San Isidro-Bezirks sind bekannt. Die Lagerstätten sind 3 bis 4 km lang und einige Hunderte Meter breit. Sie sind den regionalen Strukturen vorwiegend parallel gelagert. Die Morphologie der Erzkörperunterlage ist ziemlich unregelmäßig, besonders senkrecht zum Streichen. Der Kontakt zwischen dem Erz und den unterliegenden unveränderten Eisenquarziten ist stufenförmig. Das Erz ist durchschnittlich etwa 60 m mächtig, mit maximalen vertikalen Mächtigkeiten von 260 m. Die primäre stratigraphische Mächtigkeit des Eisenquarzites wurde durch strukturelle Deformationen vergrößert. Man kann die primäre Mächtigkeit auf 50–150 m schätzen. Das Eisenerz wird in zwei Typen klassifiziert: a) hartes Krustenerz, b) weiches, bröckeliges Erz. Die Hämatitkörner, die nach der Entfernung der Kieselsäure übrig blieben nebst Goethit (als Zement), sind die zwei wichtigsten Komponenten des Krustenerzes. Das weiche Erz enthält Hämatit, Magnetit und etwas Quarz. Das Krustenerz bildet eine 15–60 m mächtige Decke über dem bröckeligen, weichen Erz. Das Gesamtvolumenverhältnis zwischen dem weichen und harten Erz ist ungefähr 2:1. In anderen Zonen ist es jedoch unterschiedlich. Die durchschnittliche Zusammensetzung des Eisenerzes ist: Fe 64,41%, SiO₂ 2,62%, Al₂O₃ 0,6%; das Erz enthält auch etwas Mn, P, Ti (kein S, As, Ba). Die Eisenerzvorräte wurden auf 750 Millionen Tonnen berechnet, wozu wahrscheinlich weitere 180–300 Millionen Tonnen kommen.

     

Management of karst aquifers in Serbia for water supply

Karst aquifers represent one of the main sources of water supply in Serbia. Wide distributions of karstic areas, abundant reserves, and excellent quality of karst groundwater have been the reasons for its extensive use in water supply systems throughout the country. In Serbia, 70 karstic sources have been tapped for centralized water supply, with the assessed minimal capacity exceeding 4.5 m³/s. Most of the large cities of Eastern and Western Serbia currently use karst groundwater for water supply; however, due to unstable flow regime when only natural springflow is tapped, numerous problems arise during the recession period (summer–autumn). During the last two decades, after favorable conditions had been confirmed through hydrogeological survey and feasibility studies, several newly constructed systems for artificial control of karst aquifers (mostly in Eastern Serbia) resulted in significantly improved water supply.     

Heavy metals in sediments—problems concerning determination of the anthropogenic influence. Study in the Krka River estuary,eastern Adriatic coast,Yugoslavia

Factors that govern heavy metal concentration in sediments were examined by a combined analytical, geochemical, and geological approach. The constrains encountered in the determination of the anthropogenic influence are exposed. The region examined was the Krka River estuary located in the typical karst region of the eastern Adriatic, Yugoslavia.Sedimentological research revealed that: the Krka River (main water supplier) is almost free of suspended terrigenous material; the main supplier of suspended terrigenous matter of flysch origin is a small torrent-type Gudua Creek, and that this fine grained terrigenous material is sedimented mostly in the central enlarged part of the estuary, the Prokljan Lake.Three different groups of heavy metals were identified in recent sediments. Increased concentrations of nickel and zinc were found in estuarine sediments due to strongnatural enrichment in source rocks. Manganese and chromium were found to benaturally enriched and depleted in surface layer respectively, due to the different postdepositional geochemical behavior. Lead and copper concentrations were found to be increased in surface sediments in the central part of the estuary, apparently from anthropogenic source.     

Hydrothermally induced diagenesis: Evidence from shallow marine-deltaic sediments,Wilhelmøya,Svalbard

Sedimentary basins containing igneous intrusions within sedimentary reservoir units represent an important risk in petroleum exploration. The Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic sediments at Wilhelm?ya(Svalbard) contains reservoir heterogeneity as a result of sill emplacement and represent a unique case study to better understand the effect of magmatic intrusions on the general burial diagenesis of siliciclastic sediments. Sills develop contact metamorphic aureoles by conduction as presented in many earlier studies. However, there is significant impact of localized hydrothermal circulation systems affecting reservoir sediments at considerable distance from the sill intrusions. Dolerite sill intrusions in the studied area are of limited vertical extent(～12 m thick), but created localized hydrothermal convection cells affecting sediments at considerable distance(more than five times the thickness of the sill)from the intrusions. We present evidence that the sedimentary sequence can be divided into two units:(1) the bulk poorly lithified sediment with a maximum burial temperature much lower than 60-70 ℃,and(2) thinner intervals outside the contact zone that have experienced hydrothermal temperatures(around 140 ℃). The main diagenetic alteration associated with normal burial diagenesis is minor mechanical plastic deformation of ductile grains such as mica. Mineral grain contacts show no evidence of pressure dissolution and the vitrinite reflectance suggests a maximum temperature of ～40 ℃. Contrary to this, part of the sediment, preferentially along calcite cemented flow baffles, show evidence of hydrothermal alteration. These hydrothermally altered sediment sections are characterized by recrystallized carbonate cemented intervals. Further, the hydrothermal solutions have resulted in localized sericitization(illitization) of feldspars, albitization of both K-feldspar and plagioclase and the formation of fibrous illite nucleated on kaolinite. These observations suggest hydrothermal alteration at T 120-140 ℃ at distances considerably further away than expected from sill heat dissipation by conduction only, which commonly affect sediments about twice the thickness of the sill intrusion. We propose that carbonate-cemented sections acted as flow baffles already during the hydrothermal fluid mobility and controlled the migration pathways of the buoyant hot fluids. Significant hydrothermally induced diagenetic alterations affecting the porosity and hence reservoir quality was not noted in the noncarbonate-cemented reservoir intervals.     

The influence of building materials on salt formation in rural environments

Blocks of limestone and sandstone used in walls of the Manasija Monastery complex showed damage caused by the efflorescence and subflorescence of different salts in a low-pollution rural environment. In addition to common salts such as thenardite, thermonatrite, trona and gypsum, a small amount of eugsterite and darapskite was also present. Although these sodium and sodium–calcium salts formed where cement mortar was used for repairs, the lithological type and chemical composition of the substrate also had an influence on the development of distinct salts. The interaction between limestone and sandstone (substrates) and a solution rich in sodium (without calcium) was successfully simulated in the laboratory. The presence of gypsum and sodium–calcium sulphate, as experimental products, solely on the limestones indicated that, in addition to the cement-mortar solution, part of the calcium required for the formation of calcium and double sodium–calcium salts could occur from this substrate.     

Paleoart: Visions of the Prehistoric Past

Abstract

Cartography in general, and building solid landscape models in particular, requires an interdisciplinary set of skills in order to be done well. Traditional handcrafted construction methods provide quality results, but are extremely labour-intensive and therefore costly. Modern methods using digital terrain models (DTMs) and computer numerical control (CNC) milling are fast and accurate, but the finished models are visually less than optimal. Solutions are proposed using DTMs and CNC milling to create landscape models in which the initial shaping is done mechanically and the fine details are carved by hand. This ‘balanced approach’ to landscape modelling combines the time- and cost-advantages of modern digital technology with the quality of traditional handcrafted techniques resulting in highly accurate landscape models which still retain the artistic ‘feel’ of the human touch.     

Karst rivers’ particularity: an example from Dinaric karst (Croatia/Bosnia and Herzegovina)

The very complex system of sinking, losing and underground transboundary Karst rivers, lakes and aquifers in the central part of the deep and bare Dinaric karst in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina is analysed. The groundwater and surface water are hydraulically connected through numerous karst forms which facilitate the exchange of water between the surface and subsurface. A complex underground conduit system is an inherent characteristic karst system analysed. Groundwater and surface water exchange with both adjacent and distant aquifers through underground routes or inflows from surface streams and artificial reservoirs. Because of a complex surface and underground karst features, which strongly influenced its hydrological and hydrogeological regime, the main open stream flow, with a longitude of about 106 km, undergoes eight name changes. In this paper, it is noted as “the eight-name river”. In fact, it represents one river with losing, sinking and underground stream sections. Different surface and underground karst forms play crucial roles in the way the water flowing over the surface and on the underground sections of its catchment. The analysed area is full of varied and often spectacular surface landforms, including for example the Blue and Red Lakes and the Kravice Waterfall. The analyses made in the paper show the existence of a decreasing trend of mean annual discharges on the eight-name river, which can cause numerous problems in the regional water resource management of this transboundary river and catchment.