Geodynamics of the eastern margin of Sarmatia in the Paleoproterozoic

The eastern margin of Sarmatia comprises the Paleoproterozoic (2.1–2.05 Ga) rock associations of the eastern Voronezh Crystalline Massif, including the Lipetsk-Losevo volcanic-plutonic belt and the adjacent East Voronezh lithotectonic zone composed of metasedimentary rocks of the Vorontsovka Group. The isotopic and geochemical study of the available drill cores that characterize the main rock associations of the Lipetsk-Losevo belt and its nearest framework allowed us to furnish evidence for the formation of this belt in the regime of an island arc at the active margin of the Archean continent above a low-angle subduction zone. The juvenile isotopic and geochemical signatures of metaturbidites of the Vorontsovka Group indicate that only a fast growing mountain edifice with the Lipetsk-Losevo Belt in its highest part (foreland) could have been a provenance of the flysch basin. It is proposed to name this Paleoproterozoic mountain system the East Sarmatian Orogen. The hinterland of this orogen embraced the megablock of the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly as a part of the Voronezh Massif and the Azov Block of the Ukrainian Shield. It has been shown that the East Sarmatian Orogen was formed in the same way as accretionary orogens of the Cordilleran type.     

Polarization of Light Scattered by Solar System Bodies and the Aggregate Model of Dust Particles

The present study considers the dependence of characteristics of light scattering by aggregate particles on the refractive index, size, and number of spherical particles composing the aggregate, as well as on the structure and porosity of the cluster. The parameters were varied in sufficiently wide ranges to let a coherent picture of the polarimetric properties of relatively small aggregate particles emerge (the size parameter of the aggregate is less than 10). It was shown that, in the framework of the aggregate model, the behavior of polarization phase curves observed for both comets and regolith surfaces can be explained. The modeling carried out confirms that the sizes of the cometary dust particles are larger than the wavelength. However, the grains forming the cometary dust particles or the regolith (or details of the particle surface) have a size less than 0.3–0.5 m. This agrees with estimates obtained by other methods. The determining role in the formation of the polarization phase curve is played by the structure of the external layer of the clusters. The appearance of the negative branch of polarization and its shape substantially depend on the effectiveness of the interference of multiply scattered waves and on the interaction in the near field at these phase angles. Interference and interaction in the near field in turn are determined by the sizes of elementary scatterers and the structure of the ensemble. If the number of constituent particles in the aggregate is larger than several tens, its role in the formation of the negative branch of polarization is minor, while the influence on the polarization maximum position is rather substantial. The polarimetric data alone cannot provide a unique estimate of the refractive index: the brightness measurements must be invoked as well. For a more complete quantitative interpretation of the observations, the scattering matrix of aggregates comparable in size to or larger than the wavelength must be calculated in the short- and long-wavelength ranges, which still encounters serious theoretical and technical difficulties. Moreover, in order to obtain unique results, it is obvious that the spectral range of observations must be extended and that other types of measurements, such as spectroscopic ones, must also be used.     

Comparative geochemistry of granitoids and metamorphic country rocks in the western Angara-Vitim batholith, western Baikal area

This paper presents materials of granitoids from the western Angara-Vitim batholith and the country gneisses and migmatites of the Talanchan Metamorphic Complex. The granitoids of the older intrusive phases of the Barguzin Complex are characterized by high dispersions in the contents of most trace element. The similarities in their trace-element signatures to those of metavolcanics of the Talanchan Group indicate that the latter could have served as a source of the granitoid melts. The increase in the K, Rb, Sn, Be, and REE contents from granitoids of the older phase of the Barguzin Complex to the main phase of this complex and further to the granites of the Zazin Complex is a result of melt fractionation which simultaneously became more uniform and acquired Eu minima. The group of calc-alkaline diorites is identical in composition to the metavolcanics and probably complements the latter. Metagabbro of normal alkalinity and synplutonic subalkali gabbro of the Oshurkov type are distinguished by composition and the relationships with the country gneisses and granitoids.     

Isotope-geochemical features of Devonian rocks in the Pripyat Trough: Famennian suprasalt deposits

This work presents the results of isotope studies of the Upper Devonian (Famennian) suprasalt complex carried out with core material of exploratory borehole 71 drilled at the northwestern margin of the Pripyat Trough. Lithological features of the rocks point to a high degree of postsedimentary transformation of rocks. Significant role in these transformations was played by evaporites and related brines and the presence of hydrocarbons in the sequence. Such a combination provides insight into the behavior of isotope systems under conditions of the geochemical transformation of sedimentary material. The combined application of several isotope (δ¹³C, δ¹⁸O, δ³⁴S, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) methods made it possible to consider the complex mechanisms of compositional and isotopic transformation of rocks in the course of their lithogenetic alterations. The source material can be deduced with a high probability from the Rb-Sr systematics of the clayey component of marls.     

THE CURRENT STATUS OF BATHYMETRIC MAPPING

A review article on world bathymetric mapping activity over the last quarter century from a Soviet perspective provides information about Soviet mapping programs of the deep sea and continental shelf. In addition, it addresses a number of methodological issues in bathymetric mapping which are attributed to the lag between advances in practical mapping activity and the development of cartographic theory—the selection of isobath intervals and appropriate scales for different sea floor features and intended map uses, and the proper use of layer tinting and other graphic techniques to depict variations in water depth without obscuring details of submarine topography. Translated from: Vestnik Leningradskogo Universiteta, seriya 7 [geologiya, geografiya], 1987, No. 2, pp. 62-71.     

Hydroecological conditions for the opencast mining of the grib diamond deposit

The geological and hydrogeological structure of a diamond deposit is considered. Forecasts of the technogenic regime of groundwater and changes in river runoff based on modeling are given. The conditions for the compensation of river runoff losses due to the rational discharge of drainage water are determined. The conditions of salt-water dilution by fresh drainage water are evaluated. The tasks and principles of hydrogeological monitoring are formulated.     

Specific features of Lake Ladoga ecosystem under the effect of anthropogenic eutrophication

The evolution of Lake Ladoga ecosystem under the effect of a long period of critical anthropogenic phosphorus load is analyzed. It is shown that relatioships between organic matter accumulation and mineralization with considerable predominance of destruction over autochthonous production have formed in the lake by the moment when the input of P of anthropogenic origin dropped to the estimated admissible level. Studying the transformation of aquatic organic matter of tributaries in the water of Lake Ladoga suggest that a considerable portion of it, primarily, the conservative humic fraction, is now involved in turnover and serves as an additional source of C and P both for producer and destructor organisms. The processes taking place in Lake Ladoga suggest the allochthonous variant of ecosystem evolution.     

Analytical extension of lunar libration tables

Tables of lunar physical libration defining the analytical dependence upon the parameters of the lunar gravitational field are presented. The tables are obtained on the framework of the main problem in lunar libration by integration of the Hamilton equations reduced to the harmonic oscillator equations.The variables of physical libration have been obtained in the form of Poisson series. The distinguishing feature of the tables is that these series are the analytical extension of semianalytical solution computed for a number of dynamical parameters LURE2.A comparison with the Eckhardt's solution is briefly presented. The previously revealed disagreement of the mean inclination of lunar equator to ecliptic with that in Eckhardt's solution 500 has been maintained.