Iron-water reaction at high pressure and temperature, and hydrogen transport into the core

We observed a direct reaction of metallic iron with water to form iron hydride and iron oxide, 3Fe + H₂O–>2FeH_x + FeO, at pressures from 6 GPa to 84 GPa and temperatures above 1,000 K in diamond anvil cell (DAC). Iron hydride is dhcpFeH_x or -FeH_x, and iron oxide has the rhombohedral or B1 structure at pressures at least up to 37 GPa. The formation of an assembly composed of dhcpFeH_x and FeO with the B8 structure was observed at 84 GPa. In primordial Earth, water formed by dehydration of the low temperature primitive materials reacts with metallic iron in the high temperature component to form iron hydride FeH_x and iron oxide FeO. The former would be incorporated in the iron forming the core. Thus hydrogen could be an important element of the Earths core. This reaction would be essential for transport of hydrogen into the core in the accretion stage of the Earth.     

Altitudinal Distribution Of 20 Persistent Meteor Trains: Estimates Derived From Metro Campaign Archives

Observations of persistent meteor trains are limited because of the extreme rarity of the phenomenon. The altitudinal distribution of persistent trains has previously been investigated via limited instances of simultaneous observation from multiple sites, however, a statistical study of persistent trains has yet to be realized. The meteor train observation (METRO) campaign was established in Japan in 1998 to obtain images of persistent trains. From 1998 to 2002, the METRO campaign, involving Japanese amateur collaborators, captured more than 400 image sequences of persistent trains, resulting in 53 simultaneous multi-site observations. Several Japanese observers were involved in imaging persistent trains prior to the METRO campaign, producing 6 simultaneous observations over the period 1988–1997. In this paper, simultaneous multi-site observations of high spatial and temporal resolution are used to determine, via triangulation, the altitudinal distribution of persistent trains for 20 events. The altitudinal range of 2 Orionid trains was slightly higher than that of 18 Leonid trains. The Leonid train data reveal no clear dependence of upper and lower altitude on the brightness of the associated fireball. The upper altitude of the 18 observed Leonid trains were almost invariant with respect to local time (LT) of observation, however, a possible dependence of lower altitude on LT of observation was also found, indicating a near-constant penetrating path-length in the upper atmosphere for each train. The average upper altitude of persistent Leonid trains was 99.8 km, while the average central altitude was 93.0 km. These trends are probably determined by atmospheric conditions such as the abundance of O and O₃.     

地壳表层砷的循环与污染地下水模式

为了更好地监测和预测地下水砷污染,揭示由自然原因引起的地下水砷污染规律和机制,通过多年来对内蒙古河套平原地下水砷污染的调查研究,在充分了解和掌握砷的化学与地球化学性质以及世界各国地下水砷污染状况与分布特征的基础上,总结了砷在自然环境中的分布和污染地下水的机理。文章阐述了4种地下水砷污染类型的形成机理,并提出了地壳表层砷的循环与污染地下水模式,通过该模式在基本掌握某一地区地质环境背景的情况下,可以初步预测其可能发生地下水砷污染的地段。地下水砷污染是砷在地壳表层循环过程中发生的一种环境水文地球化学现象,污染区的分布与特定的地质、地理背景和环境条件有关。在还原解吸污染类型中,封闭的环境、硫元素和有机碳的存在是地层中砷溶出的主要控制因素。今后应加强对封闭的冲积或湖积平原、河流入湖或入海三角洲等地区地下水砷污染的调查与监测。