A Preliminary Evaluation on the Prospects of Hydrocarbon Potential in the Carbonaceous Shales of Spiti and Chikkim Formations,Tethys Himalaya,India

In the present investigation, an attempt has been made to explore the possibility of hydrocarbon prospects in the carbonaceous shale deposits of Spiti and Chikkim formations exposed in the Spiti valley of the Tethys Himalaya. Twenty samples, collected from successive levels of these litho-units, have been subjected to maceral analysis, Rock-Eval Pyrolysis and six samples to Fourier Transform Infra-red Spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses. The study reveals the presence of mainly kerogen-III type of organic matter but some of the shale samples have shown a good amount of total organic carbon (TOC) to the tune of 3.19% which is sufficient to produce hydrocarbon. The results indicate the presence of methane occurring as free and fixed hydrocarbon in the shale samples. Few levels are especially rich in hydrocarbon. They have shown encouraging results with potential for generating liquid as well as lighter hydrocarbon. The data is also supported by the FTIR and NMR studies.     

Intercomparison of IRS-P4-MSMR derived geophysical products with DMSP-SSM/I and TRMM-TMI finished products

In this paper, MSMR geophysical products like Integrated Water Vapour (IWV), Ocean Surface Wind Speed (OWS) and Cloud Liquid Water (CLW) in different grids of 50, 75 and 150 kms are compared with similar products available from other satellites like DMSP-SSM/I and TRMMTMI. MSMR derived IWV, OWS and CLW compare well with SSM/I and TMI finished products. Comparison of MSMR derived CLW with that derived from TMI and SSM/I is relatively in less agreement. This is possibly due to the use of 37 GHz in SSM/I and TMI that is highly sensitive to CLW, while 37 GHz channels are not available on MSMR. Monthly comparison of MSMR geophysical products with those from TMI is all carried out for climatological purpose. The monthly comparisons were much better compared to instantaneous comparisons. In this paper, details of the data analysis and comparison results are presented. The usefulness of the MSMR vis-à-vis other sensors is also discussed.     

Data-based modelling approach for variable density flow and solute transport simulation in a coastal aquifer

Data-based models, namely artificial neural network (ANN), support vector machine (SVM), genetic programming (GP) and extreme learning machine (ELM), were developed to approximate three-dimensional, density-dependent flow and transport processes in a coastal aquifer. A simulation model, SEAWAT, was used to generate data required for the training and testing of the data-based models. Statistical analysis of the simulation results obtained by the four models show that the data-based models could simulate the complex salt water intrusion process successfully. The selected models were also compared based on their computational ability, and the results show that the ELM is the fastest technique, taking just 0.5 s to simulate the dataset; however, the SVM is the most accurate, with a Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) ≥ 0.95 and correlation coefficient R ≥ 0.92 for all the wells. The root mean square error (RMSE) for the SVM is also significantly less, ranging from 12.28 to 77.61 mg/L.     

Anthropogenic platinum,palladium and rhodium concentrations in road dusts from Hyderabad city,India

This paper presents the first study of accessing the Pt, Pd and Rh levels in road dusts collected from Hyderabad city, India, as these metals, emitted from automobile catalytic converters, are accumulating in the environment causing concern about human health and ecological risks. Samples were analyzed by ICP-MS following preconcentration by NiS-fire assay and Te coprecipitation. Pt (1.5–43 ng/g), Pd (1.2–58 ng/g) and Rh (0.2–14.2 ng/g) concentrations obtained were above upper crust values, but were lower when compared with several other cities around the world. Dust samples from road junctions and traffic signals with heavy and erratic traffic flow showed higher PGE levels than those from roads with low and free flow traffic suggesting that traffic flow conditions greatly influenced emission of PGE from the catalyst. Significant correlation of Pt, Pd and Rh indicate a common source for these metals. PGE were also positively correlated with Ce, Zr, Hf and Y. These positive inter-element correlations identified traffic as the main source of PGE emission to the roadway environment. The results obtained indicate to an appreciable increase in auto catalyst-derived PGE. In consideration of the adverse effects of PGE, monitoring their level and transformation paths is of prime importance.     

Tropical storm motion and structure in a fine mesh primitive equation model

Summary Convective to planetary scale processes govern the motion and structure of tropical storms. A model with a high resolution and a large domain is required for accurate prediction of a storm's track and intensity. A series of integrations are performed using a primitive equation model and an initial state that defines a tropical storm that later developed into a hurricane in the real atmosphere. Increasing the horizontal resolution or domain of the model improves the forecast track. However only the increase in the horizontal resolution produces a better hurricane structure.Banded structure in the vertical motion field, asymmetries in the low tropospheric winds similar to those observed and upper tropospheric cyclonic outflow develop in high horizontal resolution experiments. It is shown that horizontal advection and pressure gradient terms produce wind tendencies in the low troposphere that displace the vortex in the observed direction. A high pressure area surrounding the central low pressure area appears in the upper troposphere. Around this high pressure area large pressure gradients develop that induce outflow winds in the distal storm area.     

A Re–Os study of sulfide minerals from the Bagdad porphyry Cu–Mo deposit, northern Arizona, USA

Rhenium and osmium isotopes in sulfide minerals from the Bagdad porphyry Cu–Mo deposit have been used to determine timing of mineralization and the source of osmium and, by inference, ore metals. Molybdenite, chalcopyrite and pyrite were analyzed mainly from the quartz monzonite and porphyritic quartz monzonite units, which are characterized by moderate to strong potassic alteration (secondary biotite and K-feldspar). Rhenium concentrations in molybdenite are between 330 and 642 ppm. Four Re–Os analyses of two molybdenite samples from the quartz monzonite and porphyritic quartz monzonite yield a weighted average age of 71.8±0.2 Ma (2s). Analyses of a third sample from a molybdenite vein in Precambrian rocks, outside of the main ore zone, yield a weighted average age of 75.9±0.2 Ma (2s), and provide evidence of two separate mineralization episodes. Chalcopyrite samples contain 6 to 12 ppt Os and 1.7 to 4.1 ppb Re; ¹⁸⁷Os/ ¹⁸⁸Os initial ratios are between 0.1 and 0.8. Pyrite samples have osmium and rhenium concentrations varying in the range 8–17 ppt and 3.9–6.8 ppb, respectively. Analyses from these pyrite samples yield an eight-point isochron with an age of 77±15 Ma (2s) and an initial ¹⁸⁷Os/ ¹⁸⁸Os ratio of 2.1±0.8 (MSWD=0.90). The results presented here add to the growing body of work indicating that porphyry-type mineralization is produced by long-term, multiple episodes of magmatism and associated mineralization. The data also support the hypothesis that a significant part of the metals and magmas may have a crustal source, as has been suggested for other copper deposits and districts in Arizona.     

Preparation and Measurement of Cassiterite for Sn Isotope Analysis

Increased interest in the fractionation of Sn isotopes has led to the development of several techniques for preparing cassiterite (SnO₂, the primary ore of Sn) for isotopic analysis. Two distinct methods have been applied in recent isotopic studies of cassiterite: (a) reduction to tin metal with potassium cyanide (KCN) at high temperature (800 °C), with subsequent dissolution in HCl, and (b) reduction to a Sn solution with hydriodic acid (HI) at low temperature (100 °C). This study compares the effectiveness and accuracy of these two methods and contributes additional methodological details. The KCN method consistently yielded more Sn (> 70% in comparison with < 5%), does not appear to fractionate Sn isotopes at high temperatures over a 2‐hour period and produced consistent Sn isotope values at flux mass ratios of ≥ 4:1 (flux to mineral) with a minimum reduction time of 40 min. By means of a distillation experiment, it was demonstrated that HI could volatilise Sn, explaining the consistently low yields by this method. Furthermore, the distillation generated Sn vapour, which is up to 0.38‰ per mass unit different from the starting material, the largest induced Sn fractionation reported to date. Accordingly, the HI method is not recommended for cassiterite preparation for Sn isotopic analysis.     

Constraining the timing of porphyry mineralization in northwest Iran in relation to Lesser Caucasus and Central Iran; Re–Os age data for Sungun porphyry Cu–Mo deposit

The Neo-Tethyan subduction in Iran is characterized by the Urumieh–Dokhtar magmatic arc (UDMA), formed by northeast-ward subduction of the oceanic crust beneath the central Iran. This belt coincides with the porphyry copper metallogenic belt that comprises several metallogenic zones, including Ahar–Jolfa in northwest Iran. The Ahar–Jolfa metallogenic zone encompasses two main batholiths of Qaradagh and Sheyvardagh and numerous intrusive bodies of Cenozoic, which have produced many base and precious metal deposits and prospects. The former is considered as continuation of the Meghri–Ordubad pluton in South Armenian Block (SAB), which also hosts porphyry copper deposits (PCDs). The Sungun PCD is the largest occurrence in northwest Iran. Rhenium-Osmium ages of Sungun molybdenites are early Miocene and range between 22.9 ± 0.2 and 21.7 ± 0.2 Ma. Comparison of the ages obtained here with published ages for mineralization across the region suggests the following sequence. The earliest porphyry Cu–Mo mineralization event in northwest Iran is represented by Saheb Divan PCD of late Eocene age, which is followed by the second epoch of middle Oligocene, including the Cu–Mo–Au mineralization at Qarachilar and the Haftcheshmeh PCD. Mineralization in Sungun, Masjed Daghi, Kighal and Niaz deposits corresponds to the third mineralization event in northwest Iran. The first epoch in northwest Iran postdates all Eocene mineralizations in SAB, while the second epoch is coeval with Paragachay and the first-stage of Kadjaran PCDs. Its third epoch is younger than all mineralizations in SAB, except the second stage in Kadjaran PCD. Finally, the Cu mineralization epochs in northwest Iran are older than nearly all PCDs and prospects in Central Iran (except the Bondar Hanza PCD), altogether revealing an old to young trend along the UDMA and the porphyry Cu belt towards southeast, resulted from diachronous, later closure of the Neo-Tethyan oceanic basin in central and SE Iran.     

在应用计算机解释印度拉贾斯坦邦西部贾伊萨梅尔地区比尔马尼亚盆地地质特征中地质数据的分析

最近十年来研究的地质数据包括比尔马尼亚盆地岩相的地层、岩性、岩石、粒度和地球化学资料。这些数据已进入专用的"Foxsedba"数据表以建立比尔马尼亚盆地的数据总库。采用Harward制图法在x-y轴(粒度参数和地球化学数据)上作图。该盆地各种岩相的环境解释模式都配备有"图象"软件。最后,上述资料被用来解释所推断的比尔马尼亚盆地各种岩相的沉积环境。该盆地的沉积充填物含硅质碎屑、碳酸盐和磷块岩相的混合组合,指示变幻不定的沉积环境,即有若干具间歇海进事件的沉积海退事件。结果,磷块岩主要形成一种浅水正化学沉积和异化学沉积的复杂组合。