Environmental controls on clay mineralogy of an Early Jurassic mudrock (Blue Lias Formation,southern England)

We present a dataset including clay mineralogy, gamma-ray spectrometry, organic matter content and magnetic susceptibility of the Hettangian to lowest Sinemurian successions of Dorset and Somerset, southern UK (Blue Lias Formation, Bristol Channel and Wessex basins). In both areas, the clay assemblages comprise predominantly detrital illite, kaolinite and illite/smectite mixed layers. Clays probably originated from the erosion of the Hercynian massifs, the relative proportions of kaolinite and illite being modulated by arid-humid climatic fluctuations. The organic matter (OM) content (types II to IV) ranges up to 12% in both areas. A clear stratigraphical trend in clay mineral assemblages is apparent in Somerset, whereas in Dorset sharp contrasts between adjacent horizons and a greater dilution by carbonate mask the long-term evolution. Correlations between both areas based on similar vertical trends in clay mineral abundance support the suggestion of a hiatus within the angulata Zone of the Dorset succession. As expected, the kaolinite/illite ratio correlates with the Th/K ratio deduced from gamma-ray spectrometry. However, significant departures from the correlation occur in OM-rich intervals, suggesting that Th may be partly adsorbed on to OM particles. Surprisingly, high magnetic susceptibility correlates with abundant kaolinite, not with Fe-rich clays, indicating either that kaolinite is accompanied by a soil-inherited magnetisable phase (possibly iron oxide) or that illite-rich rocks are more strongly diluted by carbonate than are kaolinite-rich strata.     

The concentrations of the noble metals in Southern African flood-type basalts and MORB: implications for petrogenesis and magmatic sulphide exploration

Concentrations of the platinum-group elements have been determined in several suites of southern African flood-type basalts and mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB), covering some 3 Ga of geologic evolution and including the Etendeka, Karoo, Soutpansberg, Machadodorp, Hekpoort, Ventersdorp and Dominion magmas. The magmas cover a compositional range from 3.7 to 18.7% MgO, 26–720 ppm Ni, 16–250 ppm Cu, and <1–255 ppb total platinum-group elements (PGE). The younger basalts (Etendeka, Karoo) tend to be depleted in PGE relative to Cu, while most of the older basalts (Hekpoort, Machadodorp, Ventersdorp, Dominion) show no PGE depletion relative to Cu. Further, the younger basalts tend to have lower average Pt/Pd ratios than the older basalts, and the MORBs have lower average Pt/Pd than the continental basalts within the broad groupings of "old" and "young" basalts. This may reflect (1) a decreasing degree of mantle melting through geologic time, and (2) source heterogeneity, in that the MORBs are derived from predominantly asthenospheric mantle, whereas the continental basalts also contain a lithospheric mantle component enriched in Pt. In addition to these factors, some PGE fractionation also occurred during differentiation of the magmas, with Pd showing incompatible behaviour and the other PGE variably compatible behaviour. The examined southern African flood-type basalts and MORB appear to offer limited prospects for magmatic sulfide ores, largely because they show little evidence for significant chalcophile metal depletion that could be the result of sulphide extraction during ascent and crystallization.Editorial responsibility: I. Parsons     

北极涛动和南极涛动的年变化特征

北极涛动(Arctic Oscillation,简称AO)和南极涛动(Antarctic Oscillation,简称AAO)分别用于描述北半球和南半球热带外气候变率的主要模态,它们分别是北半球和南半球中纬度和高纬度之间气压变化的跷跷板结构.作者利用1958年1月～1999年12月的NCEP/NCAR全球再分析月平均资料、北极涛动指数IAO和南极涛动指数IAAO来研究AO和AAO的年变化特征以及AO和AAO与纬向平均的月平均各要素场的相关系数随纬度和月份的变化规律.     

Infrared speckle imaging: Data reduction with application to binary stars

The extended Knox-Thompson reduction scheme currently in use at Kitt Peak National Observatory and Steward Observatory for the reduction of infrared speckle interferometry is described in detail. Applications of this algorithm and the less computationally intensive shift-and-add analysis to both simulated and real binary star data is presented demonstrating that the latter may be successfully used for image reconstruction by using a separately measured point source. The performance of both techniques is shown to improve by application of an iterative deconvolution algorithm to apply a priori image constraints without degradation of photometric information.Operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc. (AURA) under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation     

The scale of ore-depositional systems: an important restraint on epigenetic vs remobilized syngenetic origins for Archaean mesothermal gold deposits

There is general consensus that the majority of gold deposits in the important group hosted by volcanic or intrusive host rocks within Archaean granitoid-greenstone terrains have an epigenetic origin. However, there is controversy surrounding those stratabound deposits hosted by Fe-rich sedimentary rocks, such as banded iron formation (BIF), for which epigenetic, syngenetic and remobilized syngenetic (lateral secretion) origins have all been proposed.In Western Australia, such controversial gold deposits in Fe-rich sedimentary units have similar ore mineralogies, ore-element ratios and, in places, alteration assemblages and, on the craton scale, show very similar structural controls to the other deposits: equivalent relationships are recorded for similar deposits in other cratons. All Western Australian deposits occur along kilometre-scale shear or fault zones linked to trans-craton, obliqueto strike-slip shear zones that were a focus for: i) carbonation with a mantle-like isotopic signature, and ii) emplacement of high-level A- and I-type granitoids, felsic porphyries and/or calc-alkaline lamprophyres. The scale of the mineralizing systems and the broad contemporaneity of mineralization, as indicated by radiogenic isotope studies, is much larger than that envisaged in conceptual secretion models which involve volumetrically small, locally-enriched source rocks. Instead, Archaean gold mineralization in Western Australia, at least, is probably the result of high fluid-flux during deformation, hightemperature metamorphism and magmatism which may be related to tectonism at convergent plate margins, as in modern examples. There is strong evidence for similar tectonic and mineralizing processes from the Canadian Shield.

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Zusammenfassung Goldlagerstätten in vulkanischen oder intrusiven Gesteinskörpern innerhalb von Granitoid-Grünstein Regionen archaischen Alters gelten im allgemeinen als epigenetisch. Unklarheit besteht dagegen bei Lagerstätten, die an eisenreiche Sedimentgesteine wie gebänderte Roteisensteine (banded iron formation (BIF) gebunden sind und für die epigenetische, syngenetische sowie remobilisierte syngenetische (laterale Sekretion) Entstehungstheorien diskutiert werden.In West-Australien gibt es diese kontroversen Goldvorkommen in eisenreichen Sedimentgesteinen. Sie haben ähnliche Lagerstättenmineralogien, Elementverteilungen und z. T. auch ähnliche Umwandlungsprodukte wie die zuerst genannten, eindeutig epigenetischen Goldvorkommen, außerdem erkennt man vergleichbare strukturelle Kontrollen der Lagerstätte und Ähnlichkeiten, wenn sie mit Vorkommen in anderen Kratonen verglichen werden. Alle westaustralischen Lagerstätten befinden sich in trans-kratonischen Scher- und Störungszonen mit kilometergroßen Versatzbeträgen. An diesen Störungszonen fand Inkohlung mit einer den Mantel ähnlichen Isotopensignatur und der Aufstieg von A- und I-Typ Granitoiden, felsischen Porphyren und/oder kalk-alkalischen Lamprophyren statt. Das Größenverhältnis des mineralisierenden Systems und die weitreichende, zeitgleiche Mineralisation, auf die Untersuchungen an radiogenen Isotopen hindeuten, ist viel größer als sie durch Sekretions-Modelle, die auf kleinen Volumina und nur lokal angereichertem Gold im Gestein basieren, prognostiziert werden können.In der Zeit des Archaikums resultiert die Goldanreicherung in West-Australien wahrscheinlich aus einem enormen Lösungsdurchfluß während der Deformation, aus Hoch-Temperatur-Metamorphose und Magmatismus, was in möglichem Zusammenhang mit tektonischen Vorgängen an konvergierenden Plattenrändern, ähnlich modernen Beispielen, steht. Es gibt zahlreiche Hinweise auf entsprechende tektonische und mineralogische Prozesse des Kanadischen Schildes.

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Résumé Il existe un consensus général quant à l'origine épigénétique des dépôts d'or contenus dans les ensemble volcaniques ou intrusifs des formations de granitoïdes — greenstones d'âge archéen. Par contre, une controverse subsiste à propos des dépôts stratiformes contenus dans les roches sédimentaires riches en Fe, telle que la «banded iron formation» (BIF), pour lesquels ont été proposées des origines épigénétique, syngénétique et syngénétique de remobilisation (sécrétion latérale).Il existe en Australie occidentale de tels dépôts d'or situés au sein d'unités sédimentaires riches en Fe. Ces dépots présentent, par rapport aux dépôts épigénétiques du premier type, un certain nombre de similitudes: leur minéralogie, les rapports entre leurs éléments, en certains endroits leurs produits d'altération et, à l'échelle du craton, leurs relations avec la structure. Des similitudes analogues peuvent être relevées à propos de gisements de même type situés dans d'autres cratons. Tous les gisements ouest-autraliens sont localisés le long de zones de failles ou de cisaillement d'échelle kilométrique liées à des shear zones transcratoniques à rejet oblique ou horizontal. Ces zones sont marquées par: 1) une carbonisation avec signature isotopique mantélique; 2) la mise en place de granitoïdes peu profonds de type A et I, de porphyres felsitiques et/ou de lamprophyres calco-alcalins. L'échelle du système minéralisant et la simultanéité des minéralisations révélée par la géochronologie isotopique sont bien supérieures à ce qu'impliqueraient les modèles par sécrétion, qui mettent en jeu des sources de faible volume à enrichissement local.En conclusion, les minéralisations de l'Australie de l'ouest ont probablement pour origine l'action d'un flux important de fluide minéralisant au cours de la déformation, du métamorphisme de haute température et du magmatisme, phénomènes que l'on peut mettre en relation avec une convergence de plaques par analogie avec des exemples récents. Il existe de nombreux indices d'une tectonique et d'une minéralisation analogues dans le bouclier canadien.

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Angular momenta in binary systems

The correlations angular momentaL to massesM are studied for different types of spectroscopic binaries. The functionsL=AM ^b have the coefficientb with the values expected from a Keplerian mechanics, but the valuesA(q, T), A(q, a), A(q, v), associated tob=5/3, 3/2, and 2, respectively, are given (statistically speaking) by multiples or submultiples of discrete values of: the mass ratiosq, the semi-major axesa, periodsT, and velocitiesv of the reduced mass. This indicates the existence of a discrete unit of actionL=(1/2)×potential energy xperiod. Postulates about equivalent states of angular momenta for different orbital parameters are introduced, being this coherent with the analysis of the up-to-date data. Among other examples of the application of such equivalence postulates, we haveL(M) (W-type of the WUMa systems)L(M) (main group of the Algol binaries). The quantum units of action seen here are equivalent to those seen in the solar system in one of our previous works. From comparisons with galaxies and single stars, it is evidence that there is not an unique universal functionL=AM ^b, when the fine structure of the relation is analysed: each type of object has its own coefficients,A, b. It sems to be that there are an upper and a lower limit for all the possible functions. The upper limit isL=A _gM^5/3, withA _g1 associated to periodsT Hubble time, and the lower limit isL=GM ^2/c, with 1. The existence of the upper limit can be investigated with studies of pairs of galaxies, and the lower limit can be tested with analysis of single G, K, M stars. The quantical hypothesis introduced here can be checked definitely, when available larger samples of data with low errors, with similar quality as the selected list of almost 80 eclipsing binaries (mainly detached systems) analysed here.     

A model of the ground surface temperature for micrometeorological analysis

Micrometeorological models at various scales require ground surface temperature, which may not always be measured in sufficient spatial or temporal detail. There is thus a need for a model that can calculate the surface temperature using only widely available weather data, thermal properties of the ground, and surface properties. The vegetated/permeable surface energy balance (VP-SEB) model introduced here requires no a priori knowledge of soil temperature or moisture at any depth. It combines a two-layer characterization of the soil column following the heat conservation law with a sinusoidal function to estimate deep soil temperature, and a simplified procedure for calculating moisture content. A physically based solution is used for each of the energy balance components allowing VP-SEB to be highly portable. VP-SEB was tested using field data measuring bare loess desert soil in dry weather and following rain events. Modeled hourly surface temperature correlated well with the measured data (r ² = 0.95 for a whole year), with a root-mean-square error of 2.77 K. The model was used to generate input for a pedestrian thermal comfort study using the Index of Thermal Stress (ITS). The simulation shows that the thermal stress on a pedestrian standing in the sun on a fully paved surface, which may be over 500 W on a warm summer day, may be as much as 100 W lower on a grass surface exposed to the same meteorological conditions.     

gLucifer: next generation visualization framework for high-performance computational geodynamics

High-performance computing provides unprecedented capabilities to produce higher resolution 4-D models in a fraction of time. Thus, the need exists for a new generation of visualization systems able to maintain parity with the enormous volume of data generated. In attempting to write this much data to disk, each computational step introduces a significant performance bottleneck, yet most existing visualization software packages inherently rely on reading data in from a dump file. Available packages make this assumption of postprocessing at quite a fundamental level and are not very well suited for plotting very large numbers of specialized particles. This necessitates the creation of a new visualization system that meets the needs of large-scale geodynamic modeling. We have developed such a system, gLucifer, using a software framework approach that allows efficient reuse of our efforts in other areas of research. gLucifer is capable of producing movies of a 4-D data set “on the fly” (simultaneously with running the parallel scientific application) without creating a performance bottleneck. By eliminating most of the human efforts involved in visualizing results through postprocessing, gLucifer reconnects the scientist to the numerical experiment as it unfolds. Data sets that were previously very difficult to even manage may be efficiently explored and interrogated without writing to disk, and because this approach is based entirely on memory distributed across as many processors as are being utilized by the scientific application, the visualization solution is scalable into terabytes of data being rendered in real time.     

A Practical Approach to Mine Equipment Sizing in Relation to Dig-Limit Optimization in Complex Orebodies: Multi-Rock Type,Multi-Process,and Multi-Metal Case

Equipment sizing is a developed field of mining engineering, which considers all aspects related to productivity, and grade distribution. Current methods of equipment sizing consider block dilution, but do not analyze the impact of the selectivity changes on practical dig-limits. This research analyzed the impact of varying equipment sizes on a highly variable three destination, Au and Cu bench, in a sulfide/oxide deposit. The study shows that selectivity sizing profit and size relationships are nonlinear, and exhibit severe break points if insufficiently selective equipment is used. The proposed technique can be used for sizing mine equipment in complex deposits.     

REE fractionation and Ce anomalies in weathered Karoo dolerite

Analyses of samples from a weathering profile on Karoo dolerite allow elements to be divided into three groups depending on their behaviour. Si, K, Na, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba and V are mobilized and removed from weathered products. Fe, Al. Ti, Zr, Hf, Zn, Cu, Sc, Co and Ni are immobile. REE, Y, and to a lesser extent Cr, are mobile and redistributed within the profile without a net loss of these elements from the profile. Large positive Ce anomalies are developed in oxidized weathered products by preferential leaching of the other REE's. Negative Ce anomalies and REE enrichment is a feature of less altered dolerite.