Deformed graptolites, finite strain and volume loss during cleavage formation in rocks of the taconic slate belt, New York and Vermont, U.S.A.

An analysis of graptolites in the Taconic slate belt of eastern New York and western Vermont (U.S.A.) shows that they are nearly ideal strain markers. For the three species used in this study, Orthograptus whitfieldii, Orthograptus calcaratus and Climacograptus bicornis, the spacing of thecae is constant except for the first five or so thecae in the proximal part of the fossil rhabdosome. Further, the thecal apertures are perpendicular to the long axis of the stipe. Observations of the thecal spacing in deformed rocks leads to a determination of extension (e=(l_f−l₀)/l₀) and a measure of the angle between thecal aperture and stipe axis yields a direct determination of angular shear strain. In practice, we find it is most straightforward to use length changes to determine the magnitude of principal strains. In Taconic slates, e₁ ranges from 1.0 to 0.24, e₂ ranges from 0.23 to −0.43 and e₃ ranges from −0.56 to −0.74. Thus, we find that the absolute finite strain in these slates is constrictional at three sites, plane strain at another and a true flattening at only one site. An examination of volume changes based on strain results in determinations of between 81% volume loss and 7% volume gain, with volume losses between 28% and 81% in 9 out of 10 calculations. These conclusions are in accord with previous determinations of volume loss based on reduction spot analyses and are consistent with the observation that pressure dissolution was a common grain scale deformation process in cleavage formation but that these slates lack abundant veins, fibrous overgrowths or other identifiable sites of reprecipitation.     

Engineering implications of the 1985 nahanni earthquakes

A series of strong ground motions was recorded during a set of earthquakes which occurred in the North Nahanni River area of the Northwest Territories of Canada in late 1985. The strongest of these motions were recorded within 10 km of the epicentre of a magnitude 6.9 event; peak accelerations were well above 1g and peak velocities exceeded 0.4 m/s. This paper describes a study of the engineering characteristics of the Nahanni strong motions, particularly as they affect the response of building structures. The response characteristics are analysed in terms of the response spectra and the unit velocity base shear coefficients for multi-degree-of-freedom elastic frame structures. An analysis of the strong motion durations of the records and several measures of intensity is also included. The characteristics of the Nahanni records are compared with those of typical strong seismic ground motions and an ensemble of epicentral region seismic motions recorded under similar conditions. Comparisons are also made with the equivalent parameters in the 1985 edition of the National Building Code of Canada. It is concluded that the Nahanni records are very strong seismic ground motion records with relatively unusual response characteristics, even when compared with those of other records obtained within the epicentral region. The impact of these characteristics on engineering design is most significant for low period structures in epicentral regions. The specifications of typical design codes do not adequately describe the response to such records for very low periods.     

The Climax-Alma granite batholith of oligocene age and the prophyry molybdenum deposits of Climax, Colorado, U.S.A.

The porphyry molybdenum deposits of Climax, Colorado, are stockworks of quartz-molybdenite veinlets. They are apical to intrusive cupolas of leucocratic rhyolite-granite porphyry of Oligocene age (33 to 24 Ma). The upper parts of the orebodies are overprinted by overlying zones of phyllically altered rocks, and by stockworks of greisen-like veinlets, containing quartz, pyrite, topaz and huebnerite. The phyllic and/or greisen-like zones are surrounded by a propylitic zone, characterized by quartz-chlorite-hematite veinlets and chlorite after biotite. Late veins, radial and peripheral to the intrusive center, are common but widely scattered and discontinuous. Such veins typically contain quartz, fluorite, rhodochrosite, pyrite, dark sphalerite, galena, tetrahedrite, and traces of huebnerite, molybdenite, argentite, native gold and/or electrum.

The Alma district, 4 to 10 km southeast of Climax, contains widely scattered clusters of veins and replacement deposits. The veins cut chloritized to sericitized silicate host rocks, and the replacement deposits are in carbonate host rocks. The ore- and gangue-mineral assemblages of the veins of the Alma district resemble those of veins peripheral to the Climax molybdenum deposits. Veins of the Alma district cut dikes of Late white rhyolite (35 Ma), which resemble the rhyolite porphyries of Climax. A swarm of such dikes is parallel to the long axis of an elliptical drainage pattern, which bounds a structural dome, here called the outer Alma dome. The outer Alma dome (8 × 12 km) surrounds an inner Alma dome (6 × 8 km). Veins of the Alma district generally are axial and/or marginal to the outer Alma dome, and/or radial to the inner Alma dome. Veins and alteration minerals associated with the outer Alma dome formed between 35 and 27 Ma ago. Those associated with the inner Alma dome formed about 27 Ma ago, as indicated by fission-track age determinations on thermally annealed zircon grains from hydrothermally altered rocks, within and around the inner Alma dome.

Negative Bouguer gravity anomaly patterns indicate: (1) a regional, northeast-trending gravity low, associated with the composite monzonite-granodiorite-granite B batholith of the Colorado mineral belt (average density about 2.62 g/cm³); (2) a semi-regional gravity trough, within the gravity low of the Colorado mineral belt, extending northeastward across the Mosquito Range; (3) an oval pattern of gravity lows, coincident with the Alma domes; and (4) a closed gravity low associated with the Climax stock (density about 2.56 g/cm³) (Tweto and Case, 1972; Behrent and Bajwa, 1974; Corry, 1981).

The semi-regional gravity trough is interpreted as the gravimetric expression of a granite batholith, here called the Climax-Alma batholith. The gravity lows of the Climax and Alma districts are interpreted as expressions of cupolas on this granite batholith.

The highly differentiated rhyolite-granite intrusions of Climax plunge toward the Alma domes. The Climax intrusions are interpreted as products of apical differentiation of the inferred Climax-Alma granite batholith. Magmatic-hydrothermal fluids, associated with highly differentiated apical magmas, produced the Climax molybdenum orebodies. Most of the veins and replacement deposits of the Alma district are associated with lower, broader cupolas of the inferred granite batholith. The shape of the composite Climax-Alma magmatic-hydrothermal system resembles that of a teapot, with Climax above the spout and the Alma district above the lower, broadly domed lid.     

Sulfur dioxide in the North American Arctic

Determinations of atmospheric sulfur dioxide were made across the North American Aretic using gas chromatography with a detection limit of 25 parts per trillion by volume and a precision of 25% or better. The vertical distribution of sulfur dioxide in the Arctic atmosphere in April, 1986 was highly variable, with concentrations ranging from the detection limit to 15 parts-per-billion by volume (ppbv). While SO₂ exceeded 10 ppbv in an exceptional haze layer in the Alaskan Arctic, sulfur dioxide was sometimes in the 1 – 5 ppbv range when the haze was absent. This was particularly true for the Canadian Arctic in the vicinity of Alert. In the lower stratosphere over Ellesmere Island, sulfur dioxide was 0.85 ppbv.     

Changing thermal topography of the Baltimore-Washington corridor: 1950–1979

A study of the temperature field for the Baltimore-Washington region reveals that since 1950 there has been the development of an urban heat corridor. Trend surface analysis shows that there has been an inversion of the thermal topography in the region as a saddle of rising temperatures has emerged, replacing a trough of lowered temperatures through three decades. Steady population growth throughout the area is seen to be the most important contributor. The strengthening of the heat corridor is best expressed in the summer months and weakest during the winter months. As population continues to grow in this region, the thermal topography is sure to be modified even further.It is recommended that further study be devoted to temperature and precipitation changes in regions experiencing urban growth.     

The thermodynamic properties of radium

The enthalpy, Gibbs free energy, and entropies of aqueous radium species and radium solids have been evaluated from empirical data, or estimated when necessary for 25°C and 1 bar. Estimates were based on such approaches as extrapolation of the thermodynamic properties of Ca, Sr, and Ba complexes and solids plotted against cationic radii and charge to radius functions, and the use of the Fuoss or electrostatic mathematical models of ion pair formation (Langmuir, 1979). Resultant log K (assoc) and ΔH⁰ (assoc) (kcal/mol) values are: for RaOH⁺ 0.5 and 1.1; RaCl⁺ ?0.10 and 0.50; RaCO⁰₃ 2.5 and 1.07; and RaSO⁰₄ 2.75 and 1.3. Log Ksp and ΔH⁰ (dissoc) (kcal/mol) values for RaCO₃(c) and RaSO₄(c) are ?8.3 and ?2.8, and ?10.26 and ?9.4, respectively.Trace Ra solid solution in salts of Pb and of the lighter alkaline earths, has been appraised based on published distribution coefficient (D) data, where D ～- (mM²⁺)(N_RaX)/(mRa²⁺)(N_MX) (m and N are the aqueous molality and mole fraction of Ra and cation M in salt X, respectively. The empirical solid solution data have been used to derive both enthalpies and Gibbs free energies of solid solution of trace Ra in sulfate and carbonate minerals up to 100°C. Results show that in every case D values decrease with increasing temperature. Among the sulfate and carbonate minerals, D values decrease for the following minerals in the order: anhydrite > celestite > anglesite > barite > aragonite > strontianite > witherite > cerussite.     

Alkyl nitrate formation from the reaction of a series of branched RO2 radicals with NO as a function of temperature and pressure

Alkyl nitrate yields from the NO _x photooxidations of neopentane, 2-methylbutane and 3-methylpentane have been determined over the temperature and pressure ranges 281–323 K and 54–740 torr, respectively. The formation of the alkyl nitrates is attributed to the reaction pathway (1b) $${\text{RO}}_{\text{2}} + {\text{NO}}^{{\text{ }}\underrightarrow {\text{M}}} {\text{ RONO}}_{\text{2}}$$ and rate constant ratios k _1b/(k _1a+k _1b) are estimated, where (1a) is the reaction pathway (1a) $${\text{RO}}_{\text{2}} + {\text{NO}} \to {\text{RONO}}_{\text{2}} .$$ A method for estimating this rate constant ratio for primary, secondary and tertiary alkyl peroxy radicals is presented.     

Solid state C NMR studies of selected oil shales from Queensland, Australia

Solid state ¹³C NMR techniques of cross polarization with magic-angle spinning, and interrupted decoupling have been employed to examine the nature of the organic matter in eight kerogen concentrates representing five Tertiary deposits in Queensland, Australia. The NMR results show that five of the kerogens have high proportions of aliphatic carbon in their organic matter and correspond to Type I–II algal kerogens. Three of the kerogens, derived from carbonaceous shales, have a high proportion of aromatic carbon in their organic matter and correspond to Type III kerogens. The fractions of aliphatic carbon in all the kerogens, regardless of type, are shown to correlate with the conversion characteristics of the corresponding raw shales during Fischer assay. Interrupted decoupling NMR results show the presence of more oxygen-substituted carbon in the carbonaceous shales, which may account for the greater CO₂ evolution and phenolic materials found in the pyrolysis products of the carbonaceous shales.