The behavior of 232Th and the 238U decay chain nuclides during magma formation and volcanism

Concentrations of the members of the ²³⁸U decay chain and ²³²Th were determined in volcanic rocks from convergent plate margins, intraplate volcanoes and oceanic spreading centers. Contemporary and historical volcanic rocks from Mt. St. Helens, Arenal, El Chichon, Hawaii and Iceland and submarine basaltic glass from the Galapagos spreading center all show no fractionation of U and Th in the mantle source or during magma formation at least for the past 300,000 years. Mauna Kea (Hawaii) rocks of alkaline composition greater than 4000 years old and an old submarine basalt show disequilibrium for several of the nuclides in the ²³⁸U decay chain. We interpret these as resulting from post-emplacement processes.     

The biogeochemical sulfur cycle in the marine boundary layer over the Northeast Pacific Ocean

The major components of the marine boundary layer biogeochemical sulfur cycle were measured simultaneously onshore and off the coast of Washington State, U.S.A. during May 1987. Seawater dimethylsulfide (DMS) concentrations on the continental shelf were strongly influenced by coastal upwelling. Concentration further offshore were typical of summer values (2.2 nmol/L) at this latitude. Although seawater DMS concentrations were high on the biologically productive continental shelf (2–12 nmol/L), this region had no measurable effect on atmospheric DMS concentrations. Atmospheric DMS concentrations (0.1–12 nmol/m³), however, were extremely dependent upon wind speed and boundary layer height. Although there appeared to be an appreciable input of non-sea-salt sulfate to the marine boundary layer from the free troposphere, the local flux of DMS from the ocean to the atmosphere was sufficient to balance the remainder of the sulfur budget.     

A Raman spectroscopic study of H/D isotopically substituted hydrous aluminosilicate glasses

We have obtained high quality Raman spectra for two H/D isotopically substituted hydrous aluminosilicate glasses with compositions along the NaAlSi₃O₈-SiO₂ join. Consistent with the results of previous studies, the isotope shift for the band near 900 cm^–1, whose intensity grows with increasing water content, is extremely small: v _h /v _d = 1.004 ± 0.004. The lack of a definite H/D isotope shift for this band does not, however, preclude its association with a vibration of a hydrous species in the glass, because of likely strong coupling between different vibrational modes of hydrated framework species. The 900 cm^–1 band could well be due to a T — OH (T = Si, Al) stretching or bending vibration in the hydrous glass, as required by the presence of a combination band near 4500 cm^–1 in near-infrared spectra.     

Axisymmetry in protoplanetary nebulae – II. A near-infrared imaging polarimetric survey

In an imaging polarimetry survey of candidate post-AGB stars, scattering envelopes are detected around 20 objects. These envelopes represent the final mass-loss phases at the end of the AGB. In all cases, evidence for axisymmetry in the dust density is seen, suggesting that the presence of an axisymmetric outflow may be a ubiquitous phenomenon of the AGB to post-AGB transition. We use the polarized flux images to classify the objects into detached shell, bipolar and unresolved targets. Modelling based on a simple axisymmetric shell geometry supports the contention that post-AGB objects fall into one of two classes that differ in the amount of dust in the circumstellar environment: the detached shells correspond to stars with an optically thin expanding circumstellar envelope (CSE) whereas the bipolar and unresolved targets have optically thick dust structures, probably in the form of discs, which remain bound to the star, rather than partaking in the expansion of the AGB CSE. It is suggested that this bifurcation in morphology is rooted in the presence or absence of a binary companion, which determines whether or not a disc forms. Because the detached shell objects also appear axisymmetric, an additional mechanism for generating the axisymmetry, such as a magnetically shaped outflow, is needed if they do indeed have single star progenitors.     

Trace element geochemistry of CR chondrite metal

We report trace element analyses by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) of metal grains from nine different CR chondrites, distinguishing grains from chondrule interior (“interior grains”), chondrule surficial shells (“margin grains”), and the matrix (“isolated grains”). Save for a few anomalous grains, Ni‐normalized trace element patterns are similar for all three petrographic settings, with largely unfractionated refractory siderophile elements and depleted volatile Au, Cu, Ag, S. All three types of grains are interpreted to derive from a common precursor approximated by the least‐melted, fine‐grained objects in CR chondrites. This also excludes recondensation of metal vapor as the origin of the bulk of margin grains. The metal precursors were presumably formed by incomplete condensation, with evidence for high‐temperature isolation of refractory platinum‐group‐element (PGE)‐rich condensates before mixing with lower temperature PGE‐depleted condensates. The rounded shape of the Ni‐rich, interior grains shows that they were molten and that they equilibrated with silicates upon slow cooling (1–100 K h^?1), largely by oxidation/evaporation of Fe, hence their high Pd content, for example. We propose that Ni‐poorer, amoeboid margin grains, often included in the pyroxene‐rich periphery common to type I chondrules, result from less intense processing of a rim accreted onto the chondrule subsequent to the melting event recorded by the interior grains. This means either that there were two separate heating events, which formed olivine/interior grains and pyroxene/margin grains, respectively, between which dust was accreted around the chondrule, or that there was a single high‐temperature event, of which the chondrule margin records a late “quenching phase,” in which case dust accreted onto chondrules while they were molten. In the latter case, high dust concentrations in the chondrule‐forming region (at least three orders of magnitude above minimum mass solar nebula models) are indicated.     

The application of cathodoluminescence to interpreting the diagenesis of an ancient calcrete profile

A laterally extensive calcrete profile has been identified in the Late Asbian (Lower Carboniferous) shallow marine shelf limestones of the Llangollen area, North Wales. The upper surface of the profile is defined by a laterally discontinuous palaeokarstic surface and by laminated calcareous crusts which developed within the underlying limestone. The profile contains a unique series of early pore-filling vadose cements which only occur down to 1 m below the palaeokarstic surface. Cathodoluminescence reveals that these cements pre-date the late pore-filling meteoric phreatic cements which occur throughout local Asbian lithologies. A spar cement stratigraphy has been established for the calcrete profile. Subaerial vadose cements comprise two generations of non-luminescent cement, followed by a brightly luminescent generation which occasionally shows an acicular habit. This needle-fibre calcite represents the final stage of vadose cementation. Precipitation of vadose cements was contemporary with subaerial alteration and micritization of the limestone. Textures, visible only with cathodoluminescence, provide evidence of recurrent periods of fabric dissolution. The most extensive phase of dissolution occurred immediately after the precipitation of the non-luminescent subaerial vadose cements. Several different textures have been recorded, each reflecting the morphology of a partially dissolved substrate. Dissolution textures are generally confined to the walls of the larger pores and to early brecciation fractures. These probably acted as fluid pathways in the calcrete during early subaerial diagenesis. Much of the non-marine micrite in the calcrete profile appears as needle-fibre calcite under cathodoluminescence. This acicular calcite was probably formed in response to localized supersaturation of meteoric pore fluids caused by periods of near-surface evaporation. Since needle-fibre luminescence is strongly variable, these ambient conditions are not believed to have directly controlled the activator ion concentrations of cementing pore waters. Needle-fibre calcite is considered to be a cement precipitate which has almost completely recrystallized to micrite, probably during the late stages of subaerial diagenesis. Two generations of subaerial micrite which define a ‘micrite stratigraphy’, have been distinguished under cathodoluminescence. Reconstructing the diagenetic history of this ancient calcrete profile has revealed that subaerial alteration was multistaged, with many diagenetic processes acting simultaneously during a single phase of emergence.     

Dynamic interaction of bridge–train system under non‐uniform seismic ground motion

The probability that an earthquake occurs when a train is running over a bridge in earthquake‐prone regions is much higher than before, for high‐speed railway lines are rapidly developed to connect major cities worldwide. This paper presents a finite element method‐based framework for dynamic analysis of coupled bridge–train systems under non‐uniform seismic ground motion, in which rail–wheel interactions and possible separations between wheels and rails are taken into consideration. The governing equations of motion of the coupled bridge–train system are established in an absolute coordinate system. Without considering the decomposition of seismic responses into pseudo‐static and inertia‐dynamic components, the equations of motion of the coupled system are formed in terms of displacement seismic ground motions. The mode superposition method is applied to the bridge structure to make the problem manageable while the Newmark‐β method with an iterative computation scheme is used to find the best solution for the problem concerned. Eight high‐speed trains running over a multi‐span steel truss‐arch bridge subject to earthquakes are taken as a case study. The results from the case study demonstrate that the spatial variation of seismic ground motion affects dynamic responses of the bridge–train system. The ignorance of pseudo‐static component when using acceleration seismic ground motions as input may underestimate seismic responses of the bridge–train system. The probability of separation between wheels and rails becomes higher with increasing train speed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cuttability assessment of hard coal seams

Summary A number of field and laboratory tests have been carried out on more than 15 coal seams of compressive strengths ranging from 19 MPa to 44 MPa to evolve methods which would help in the selection of suitable coaling machines for hard coal seams. The effect of physico-mechanical properties on cuttability were studied in the laboratory for all these coal seams to identify the relevant parameters affecting the specific energy of coal cuttability. These data were subjected to regression analysis to find the best fit for estimation of laboratory specific energy of coal samples on the basis of simple laboratory and field tests for the strength parameters. Field studies were also conducted over a large number of active mechanized coal faces to study in situ cuttability along with the geo-mining conditions of the site. The field and the laboratory data so generated were correlated and an attempt is made to establish a relationship for estimating the field specific energy for a particular capacity of coaling machines by considering the geo-mining domain of the field in totality.