New observations on high‐pressure phases in a shock melt vein in the Villalbeto de la Peña meteorite: Insights into the shock behavior of diopside

The petrology and mineralogy of shock melt veins in the L6 ordinary chondrite host of Villalbeto de la Peña, a highly shocked, L chondrite polymict breccia, have been investigated in detail using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and electron probe microanalysis. Entrained olivine, enstatite, diopside, and plagioclase are transformed into ringwoodite, low‐Ca majorite, high‐Ca majorite, and an assemblage of jadeite‐lingunite, respectively, in several shock melt veins and pockets. We have focused on the shock behavior of diopside in a particularly large shock melt vein (10 mm long and up to 4 mm wide) in order to provide additional insights into its high‐pressure polymorphic phase transformation mechanisms. We report the first evidence of diopside undergoing shock‐induced melting, and the occurrence of natural Ca‐majorite formed by solid‐state transformation from diopside. Magnesiowüstite has also been found as veins injected into diopside in the form of nanocrystalline grains that crystallized from a melt and also occurs interstitially between majorite‐pyrope grains in the melt‐vein matrix. In addition, we have observed compositional zoning in majorite‐pyrope grains in the matrix of the shock‐melt vein, which has not been described previously in any shocked meteorite. Collectively, all these different lines of evidence are suggestive of a major shock event with high cooling rates. The minimum peak shock conditions are difficult to constrain, because of the uncertainties in applying experimentally determined high‐pressure phase equilibria to complex natural systems. However, our results suggest that conditions between 16 and 28 GPa and 2000–2200 °C were reached.     

Upgrading of Oil Shale by Flotation Without Collector

Natural Resources Research - Oil shale impurities prevent its direct usage as a source of energy. Removing or reducing of these impurities before retorting can reduce the cost of oil shale...     

Three-Dimensional Petrophysical Modelling and Volumetric Analysis to Model the Reservoir Potential of the Kupe Field,Taranaki Basin,New Zealand

Natural Resources Research - This study addresses the three-dimensional (3D) petrophysical modelling and volumetric analysis of the Farewell Reservoir in the Kupe Field in the southern Taranaki...     

Modeling the Seasonal Dynamics of the Diurnal Variation of the Global Electric Circuit

Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics - On the basis of a parametrization of the ionospheric potential (IP), the seasonal dynamics of the diurnal IP variation for 2016–2017 is simulated...     

Note on the age and fauna of the Lynton Beds (Lower Devonian) of north Devon

The Lynton Beds represent shallow marine sediments with a restricted fauna dominated by brachiopods. The age indicated by the brachiopod fauna is late Emsian, although the possibility of a younger date for the uppermost horizons cannot be discounted.     

Micromorphology of solonetzic horizons as related to environmental events in the Caspian Lowland

Micromorphology of solonetz species with special attention to natric horizon was studied in microcatenas at the Dzhanybek Research Station （northwestern Caspian Lowland）. The solonetzic （natric） horizon is easily identified, and it occurs at varying depths, which are the criteria for subdividing solonetzes into 4 species, namely, crusty, shallow, medium and deep. In this sequence, the depth of humus-accumulative horizons increases, and the upper boundary of salinity manifestations goes down. The following micromorphological features are assumed as typical for natric horizons： angular blocky microstructures with partially accommodated aggregates having sharp boundaries and narrow plane-like packing voids; b-fabric speckled in the aggregates＇ centers and monostriated at their peripheries merging into stress coatings; very few interpedal voids; organo-clay coatings; humus- enriched infillings; no calcite and gypsum pedofeatures. A complete set of ＂natric＂ features was found only in the crusty solonetz; the shallow solonetz lacks only illuviation coatings, while the medium and deep species have several modifications of fabric elements： blocky aggregates have a rounded shape and are penetrated by biogenic channels favoring their further biogenic reworking; plant residues became more abundant and diverse, and blackened tissues occur; illuviation clay coatings evolved into papules; stress coatings gave birth to striated bfabrics, thus maintaining a high plasma orientation. The thin sections of natric horizons made 50 and 20 years ago were examined to study the influence of environmental changes （increase in precipitation and rise of ground water table） on micropedofeatures. The following processes took place： （i） in the topsoil： humus accumulation and biogenic structurization; （ii） in the natric horizon - re-arrangement of clay coatings into micromass b-fabrics; and （iii） in the lower part of the natric horizon - development of pseudosand fabric, calcite and gypsum formation. The trends revealed are in good agreement with the environmental events.     

Use of remote sensing in characterization and management of Dhamni micro-watershed of Chandrapur district of Maharashtra

Soil resource characterization of Dhamni micro-watershed in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra was carried out using IRS-1D LISS-III data in conjunction with field survey and ancillary data. The study indicates that nearly 84.2 per cent of the total geographical area of the watershed is under cultivation. Forest (mainly degraded) occupy only 4.5 per cent area Whereas wasteland with scrub cover 9.4 per cent area of the watershed. Nine soil series were tentatively identified and mapped as soil series association in to five mapping units. These soils belong to order Inceptisol, Vertisol and Mollisol. Except the soils of wasteland with scrub, other soils are moderately suitable for pigeonpea and soybean and have average to good productivity.     

Numerical modelling of deep sea air-lift

Deep sea air-lifting of solid particles from depth of 1600 m is simulated with a mathematical model of the three-phase flow in an upward pipe. The computations are carried out for an axisymmetric domain in a transient way. Phase distributions, pressure and velocity profiles together with flow rates for all phases are presented and analysed. The influence of the pipe diameter on the air-lift efficiency was studied for air-lift pipes of different lengths and found to be significant. The lifting efficiency increases with the increase of the pipe diameter due to the reduction of the wall friction influence on the flow. In addition, the efficiency also increases with the increase of the solid particles volume fraction at the inlet. The presented numerical model can be utilized during various stages of the design of the air-lift pumps to help answer fundamental questions on the process, and during their operation to select optimal process parameters and to address possible problems.     

Use of SPOT 5 and IKONOS imagery for mapping biocenoses in a Tunisian Coastal Lagoon (Mediterranean Sea)

Mapping marine biocenoses is an efficient method for providing useful data for the management and conservation of Mediterranean lagoons. Fused images from two satellites, SPOT 5 and IKONOS, were tested as management tools for identifying specific ecosystems in the El Bibane lagoon, situated in southern Tunisia near the Libyan border. The objectives of this study were to provide a precise map of the entire El Bibane lagoon using fused images from SPOT 5 and to compare fused images from SPOT 5 and IKONOS over a test-area. After applying a supervised classification, pixels are automatically classified in four classes: low seagrass cover, high seagrass cover, superficial mobile sediments and deep mobile sediments. The maps of the lagoon revealed and confirmed an extremely wide distribution of seagrass meadows within the lagoon (essentially Cymodocea nodosa; 19 546 ha) and a large area of mobile sediments more or less parallel to the shore (3 697 ha). A direct comparison of overall accuracy between SPOT 5 over the entire area, SPOT 5 over the test-area and IKONOS over the test-area revealed that these tools provided accurate mapping of the lagoon environment (83.25%, 85.91% and 73.41% accuracy, respectively). The SPOT 5 images provided greater overall accuracy than the IKONOS image, but did not take into account the heterogeneous spatial structure of the seagrasses and sediments present in the lagoon environment. Although IKONOS imagery provided lower overall accuracy than SPOT 5, it proved a very useful tool for the mapping of heterogeneous structures as it enabled the patchiness of formations to be better taken into account. The use of SPOT 5 and IKONOS fused images appears to be very promising for completing the mapping of lagoons in other regions and countries of the Mediterranean Sea.     

Causes of rockfalls in Al-Huwayshah area,Yemen

According to topography of Yemen,most areas and villages are located at obligated crest,toe of mountain and under cliffs.Therefore Al-Huwayshah consisting of Tawilah sandstone group is characterized by steep slope reach to 90° in some areas.This area is affected by strong tectonic movements and faults that occurred during the geological epochs.This effect enhances to find out fractures and joints as well as the rocks become brittle and ready to slide depending on the position of area.And there are some frac...