High-Pressure crystal chemistry of spinel (MgAl2O4) and magnetite (Fe3O4): Comparisons with silicate spinels

High-pressure crystal structures and compressibilities have been determined by x-ray methods for MgAl₂O₄ spinel and its isomorph magnetite, Fe₃O₄. The measured bulk moduli, K, of spinel and magnetite (assuming K′=4) are 1.94±0.06 and 1.86±0.05 Mbar, respectively, in accord with previous ultrasonic determinations. The oxygen u parameter, the only variable atomic position coordinate in the spinel structure (Fd3m, Z=8), decreases with pressure in MgAl₂O₄, thus indicating that the magnesium tetrahedron is more compressible than the aluminum octahedron. In magnetite the u parameter is unchanged, and both tetrahedron and octahedron display the 1.9 Mbar bulk modulus characteristic of the entire crystal. This behavior contrasts with that of nickel silicate spinel (γ-Ni₂SiO₄), in which the u parameter increases with pressure because the silicon tetrahedron is relatively incompressible compared to the nickel octahedron.     

Creep parameters of rocks on an engineering scale

Vertical shafts of 137 cm diameter were excavated to measure creep deformations of carbonate shale, weathered limestone and tuff. Changes of diameter at successive time intervals were recorded under constant, radial pressure. Three typical models were chosen for a regression analysis of the experimental data and their fitness were compared to one another in a statistical approach.The introduction of a steady state flow term improves the data fit considerably, and the power law was found to yield an even better result. It was also determined that rock masses in the field contain numerous discontinuities which increase the plasticity of the three types of rock tested. The viscosities determined in-situ were found to be much lower than those derived from small intact specimens by up to several orders of magnitude.     

A study of intergranular and fissure permeability in Chalk and Permian aquifers,using double-packer injection testing

Double-packer injection tests have been carried out in a borehole in the Chalk of Hampshire and a borehole in the Permian Penrith Sandstone of Cumbria, England. The tests have been supplemented by borehole logging and television inspections and by laboratory measurements on cores. A new mathematical treatment has enabled results to be calculated for injection test intervals containing fissures. In both formations, transmissivity immediately around the borehole is dominated by a few major fissures. In the Penrith Sandstone there is good agreement between intergranular hydraulic conductivity measurements and packer-test results in the portions of the borehole which do not contain major fissures. In the Chalk, the packer-test values are always higher than the intergranular measurements, suggesting that some degree of fissuring is present throughout.     

山东山旺盆地中新世两个蚂蚁新属（Heteromyrmex Zhang,1989和Tolylasius Zhang,1989）的修正

1989年,张俊峰发表了山东山旺盆地中新世（N2）2个蚂蚁新属新种：Heteromyrmex atopogaster Zhang,1989和Tolylasius inflatus Zhang,1989。经检验,前一个属是基于不实的观察结果,新属、种应予废除,作为未定属种归人蚁亚科（Formicinae);后一个属的建属根据都非建属的根据,其他的特征系毛蚁属（Lasius)的属征范围,没有建属条件,属应予废,保留其种,转移到毛蚁属。     

Response of littoral chironomid communities and organic matter to late glacial lake—level,vegetation and climate changes at Lago dell’Accesa (Tuscany,Italy)

This study focuses on the response of lacustrine littoral chironomid communities to late glacial changes in limnological, environmental and climate conditions in the Mediterranean context. Late glacial chironomid (Diptera: Chironomidae) assemblages, organic petrography and geochemistry were analysed in a sediment core from the littoral zone of Lago dell’Accesa (Tuscany, Italy), where the lake-level fluctuations and the vegetation history have been previously reconstructed. Comparison of the chironomid stratigraphy to other proxies (pollen assemblages, organic petrography and geochemistry, lake-level) and regional climate reconstruction suggested the predominant influence of lake-level changes on the littoral chironomid fauna. The main lowering events that occurred during the Oldest and the Younger Dryas were followed by higher proportions of taxa typical of littoral habitats. A complementary study of organic matter suggested the indirect impact of lake-level on the chironomids through changes in humic status and habitat characteristics, such as the type of substrate and aquatic macrophyte development. Several chironomid taxa, such as Glyptotendipes, Microtendipes and Cricotopus type patens, were identified as possible indicators of low lake-level in the late glacial records. Nevertheless, this study suggested that parallel analyses of organic matter and chironomid assemblages may be needed to circumvent misinterpretation of littoral chironomid assemblage stratigraphy. There was a weak response of the chironomid assemblages to small lake-level lowerings that corresponded to the Older Dryas and Preboreal oscillations. A higher level of determination, e.g. to the species group level, may be necessary to increase the sensibility of the indicators to lake-level changes.     

Inversion of interference hydraulic pumping tests in both homogeneous and fractal dual media

This work proposes a complete method for automatic inversion of data from hydraulic interference pumping tests based on both homogeneous and fractal dual-medium approaches. The aim is to seek a new alternative concept able to interpret field data, identify macroscopic hydraulic parameters and therefore enhance the understanding of flow in porous fractured reservoirs. Because of its much contrasted sensitivities to parameters, the dual-medium approach yields an ill-posed inverse problem that requires a specific optimization procedure including the calculation of analytical sensitivities and their possible re-scaling. Once these constraints are fulfilled, the inversion proves accurate, provides unambiguous and reliable results. In the fractal context inverting several drawdown curves from different locations at the same time reveals more accurate. Finally, hydraulic parameters drawn from inversion should be taken into account to improve in various situations the conditioning of up-scaled flow in fractured rocks.     

张广才岭燕山早期白石山岩体成因与壳幔相互作用

出露于东北地区张广才岭的白石山岩体,其全岩-矿物Rb-Sr等时线年龄为196士4 Ma,表明形成于中生代的燕山早期,而非传统认识上的印支期.岩体主岩和闪长质包体均具有低ISr(≈0.705)和正εNd(t)(+1.7～+2.2)值的特点,反映岩体成因与地幔具有密切的联系.地质学、岩石学和地球化学的详细研究表明该岩体具有壳幔混合成因,闪长质包体是较基性的地幔岩浆进入主岩浆中淬火结晶而成,花岗质岩浆的源区主要为新生的地壳物质.动力学分析表明,本区在华北板块和西伯利亚板块碰撞拼合后,由于东侧大洋板块的俯冲及后续的岩石圈拆沉效应,导致软流圈地幔上隆及幔源岩浆的板底垫托,并进而造成先存和新生地壳的部分熔融和不同源区岩浆的混合作用.底垫的新生地壳是兴蒙造山带造山后晚期形成的.因此,古生代-中生代是本区地壳生长的重要时期,且这种地壳生长是在垂向构造机制下进行的.