SHRIMP zircon dating and Nd isotopic systematics of Palaeoproterozoic migmatitic orthogneisses in the Epupa Metamorphic Complex of northwestern Namibia

The Epupa Metamorphic Complex constitutes the southwestern margin of the Congo Craton and is exposed in a hilly to mountainous terrain of northwestern Namibia, bordering the Kunene River and extending into southern Angola. It consists predominantly of granitoid gneisses which are migmatized over large areas. This migmatization locally led to anatexis and produced crustal-melt granites such as the Otjitanda Granite. We have undertaken reconnaissance geochemical studies and single zircon U–Pb SHRIMP and Pb–Pb evaporation dating of rocks of the Epupa Complex. The granitoid gneisses, migmatites and anatectic melts are similar in composition and constitute a suite of metaluminous to peraluminous, calc-alkaline granitoids, predominantly with volcanic arc geochemical signatures. The zircon protolith ages for the orthogneisses range from 1861 ± 3 to 1758 ± 3 Ma. Anatexis in the migmatitic Epupa gneisses was dated from a melt patch at 1762 ± 4 Ma, and the anatectic Otjitanda Granite has a zircon age of 1757 ± 4 Ma. Migmatization and anatexis therefore occurred almost immediately after granitoid emplacement and date a widespread high-temperature Palaeoproterozoic event at ∼1760 Ma which has not been recorded elswhere in northern Namibia. The Nd isotopic systematics of all dated samples are surprisingly similar and suggest formation of the protolith from a source region that probably separated from the depleted mantle about 2.4–2.0 Ga ago. A major Archaean component in the source area is unlikely.     

Groundwater targeting in a hard-rock terrain using fracture-pattern modeling, Niva River basin, Andhra Pradesh, India

In hard-rock terrain, due to the lack of primary porosity in the bedrock, joints, fault zones, and weathered zones are the sources for groundwater occurrence and movement. To study the groundwater potential in the hard-rock terrain and drought-prone area in the Niva River basin, southern Andhra Pradesh state, India, Landsat 5 photographic data were used to prepare an integrated hydrogeomorphology map. Larsson's integrated deformation model was applied to identify the various fracture systems, to pinpoint those younger tensile fracture sets that are the main groundwater reservoirs, and to understand the importance of fracture density in groundwater prospecting. N35°–55°E fractures were identified as tensile and N35°–55°W fractures as both tensile and shear in the study area. Apparently, these fractures are the youngest open fractures. Wherever N35°–55°E and N35°–55°W fracture densities are high, weathered-zone thickness is greater, water-table fluctuations are small, and well yields are high. Groundwater-potential zones were delineated and classified as very good, good to very good, moderate to good, and poor. Electronic Publication     

Adsorption of copper, nickel and lead ions from synthetic semiconductor industrial wastewater by palm shell activated carbon

Granular activated carbon produced from palm kernel shell was used as adsorbent to remove copper, nickel and lead ions from a synthesized industrial wastewater.Laboratory experimental investigation was carried out to identify the effect of pH and contact time on adsorption of lead, copper and nickel from the mixed metals solution. Equilibrium adsorption experiments at ambient room temperature were carried out and fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich models. Results showed that pH 5 was the most suitable, while the maximum adsorbent capacity was at a dosage of 1 g/L, recording a sorption capacity of 1.337 mg/g for lead, 1.581 mg/g for copper and 0.130 mg/g for nickel. The percentage metal removal approached equilibrium within 30 min for lead, 75 min for copper and nickel, with lead recording 100 %, copper 97 % and nickel 55 % removal, having a trend of Pb²⁺ > Cu²⁺ > Ni²⁺. Langmuir model had higher R² values of 0.977, 0.817 and 0.978 for copper, nickel and lead respectively, which fitted the equilibrium adsorption process more than Freundlich model for the three metals.     

V-3θ图的结构与"98.6"暴雨过程预测分析

V-3θ图是成都气象学院欧阳首承教授设计出来的运用图像结构来预测天气的结构预测方法。主要利用大气中的压、湿、湿、风的垂直分布,判断大气滚流对天气演变的影响来预报天气转折性变化。利用V-3θ图对桂林站1998年6月份的暴雨过程作一个综合分析。结果几次特强的降水都在V-3θ图上有较好的反映。该方法对无明显降水的天气也能作定性的判断。     

A statistical analysis applied to the Rf/φ method

A statistical analysis for the R_f/φ method is developed in the paper. The technique provides estimates of R_s, R_i and θ according to R_f and φ. Moreover, we can restore the pattern of initial orientations of marker objects by means of their frequency histogram, provided the strain is homogeneous. It is unnecessary to postulate random initial orientations if the principal directions of strain ellipsoid are known.     

Biofilms, microbial mats and microbe-particle interactions: electron microscope observations from diatomaceous sediments

Sediments and diatoms from the mudflats of the Bay of Bourgneuf in western France were examined in an electron microscope study of biofilms and microbial mats. The sediments were kept in an aquarium for study and a diatom culture was made of the benthic diatoms. The sediment biofilm was composed of exopolymeric substances (EPS), incorporated clay particles and, rarely, bacteria. This film coated all particles at the sediment-water interface. Its surface morphology reflected its composition and internal structure. Thin films were smooth, whilst a lumpy structure or incorporated fibrils produced either a mammillated or ropy surface, and clays in the structure gave rise to a flaky morphology. At shallow depths in the sediment column (0.5 cm) the biofilm was already degraded. The biofilm coating degraded diatom frustules in the benthic diatom culture consisted of EPS and bacteria and presented a ragged appearance. Microbial mats occurred on the surface of the fresh littoral sediments as well as those in the aquarium, and on the wall of the aquarium. The mat on the surface of the aquarium sediments had an open structure with webs of fibrils and bacteria in the pore space. It formed in a relatively quiet environment. Pore space was more limited in the mat from the surface of the fresh littoral sediments, in which direct contact between biofilm coated particles was common. In the exposed environment of the aquarium wall there was a thick, resistant coating of EPS. In addition to binding particles together, the presence of mats and biofilms in sediments affects sediment physical properties such as porosity and permeability, the flux of dissolved substances in pore waters and the dissolution of particles and can, therefore, influence early diagenesis. Mats and biofilms seem to be more readily preserved in the geological record than the micro-organisms, such as bacteria, which produce them. Their identification in the sedimentary record would greatly aid interpretation of sediment genesis and evaluation of the microbial role in sediment formation.     

The Filament Disappearance of 7 May 1992 (the Ebi)

The 7 May 1992 filament disappearance in the low corona is analyzed. The cool and hot components of this event are studied, using H, soft X-ray and radio data. We first show the general effect of the disparition brusque (DB) on the life of the filament, which was a quiescent filament in the vicinity of an active region, and then give the history of the development of the 7 May event. The main stages of the event are: (i) the formation of hot arches spanning the cool filament; (ii) rise of the filament, with plasma ejection into the corona, in which we note some spreading of loops from the main body, with two distinct rising velocity phases of the H filament; (iii) formation of X-ray arches below the filament, the foot points of the arcades being two-ribbon H flare patches. The dynamics of H and X-rays features are given.