Geochemistry of the High Dam Lake sediments,south Egypt： implications for environmental significance

The goal of the present work is to perform a geochemical assessment of High Dam Lake bottom sediments for determining the fate, dispersion and levels of trace elements causing environmental pollution, and provided an access to their probable sources. The sediment samples were analyzed using ICP-MS for 20 elements; Ag, Ba, Cr, Cu, Ga, Hf, Mn, Pb, Rb, Sc, Se, Sn, Sr, Ta Th Ti, T1, U, V and Zr, and their obtained data were treated using statistical, graphical and mapping techniques. The results showed the data set of all analyzed elements affected by outliers and extreme values that caused deviation away from normality. Kruskal-Wallis test revealed that median of some trace element levels in Lake sediments, was not significantly different and other elements rejected the Null hypothesis. Most analyzed elements had high values of median and mean in sediments of Lake Nubia rather than Lake Nasser and their normalization gave the same results of calculated environment factors. Subsequently, Lake Nubia sediments possessed high combined EF levels ofTh, Sc, Sn, Ag, Zr, Hf, Ta, Sr, U, Ti, V, Cr, and Mn, causing significant contamination, which was great potentially related to industrial, agricultural, urbanization and mining activities. Whereas, combined EF of Se, Cu, Ga, Pb, Ba, Rb, and Tl, which are highly elevated in southern Lake Nasser sediments owing to their source are great possibly derived from Lake Nubia and geogenic activities. With decreasing distance towards the High Dam body, the contaminant elements were diminished due to reduction in the environmental factors and Sudanese pollution sources leading to the northern Lake Nasser considered to be less contaminated. Overall, the present study is an environmental alert for contaminated sediments that carried contaminants and considered the secondary source of pollution impact on ecosystem, and subsequently, their environmental risk on Human health.     

Drying climate in Ghana over the period 1960–2005: evidence from the resampling-based Mann-Kendall test at local and regional levels

Abstract

Trends in rainfall series were investigated at 16 stations in Ghana over the period 1960–2005. Time series were first de-correlated using an effective pre-whitening methodology and then submitted to the resampling-based Mann-Kendall test. Field significances were assessed using the regional average Kendall statistic. Although no significant changes were observed in annual rainfall, the analysis reveals: (a) a reduction in the number of wet season days totalling less than 20 mm of rainfall, between latitudes 6° and 9.5°N; (b) a delay (about 0.5 d year^‐1) in the wet season onset at several locations throughout the country; and (c) a lengthening (about 0.1 d year^‐1) of rainless periods during the wet season in the south and centre of Ghana. All these changes, which remained insignificant at more than half of the individual stations, were found to be regionally significant at the 95% confidence level. The results highlight the importance of evaluating regional significance when investigating climate trends.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz

Citation Lacombe, G., McCartney, M., and Forkuor, G., 2012. Drying climate in Ghana over the period 1960–2005: evidence from the resampling-based Mann-Kendall test at local and regional levels. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (8), 1594–1609.     

Neural network prediction of bed material load transport

Abstract

Bed material load, which comprises bed load and suspended load, has been extensively studied in the past few decades and many equations have been developed, but they differ from each other in derivation and form. If a process can be related to various flow conditions on a general basis, a proper understanding of bed material load movement can be ascertained. As the process is extremely complex, obtaining a deterministic or analytical form of it is too difficult. Neural network modelling, which is particularly useful in modelling processes about which knowledge of the physics is limited, is presented here as a complimentary tool for modelling bed material load transport. The developed model demonstrated a superior performance compared to other traditional methods based on different statistical criteria, such as the coefficient of determination, Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient and discrepancy ratio. The significance of the different input parameters has been analysed in the present work to understand the influence of these parameters on the transport process.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis

Citation Kumar, B., 2012. Neural network prediction of bed material load transport. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (5), 956–966.     

山西省盂县羊泉冶镁白云岩矿床地质特征、成因及经济意义研究

金属镁是新世纪重要的绿色金属能源,而冶镁白云岩是生产金属镁不可缺少的原料,是山西省能源重化工基地的一种十分重要的矿产资源.盂县羊泉冶镁白云岩矿床位于吕梁、太行断块-五台山块隆东侧,白云岩矿体赋存于寒武系上统-奥陶系下统三山子组,总体上呈走向NW、倾向SW的单斜构造.含矿岩石主要为中-厚层细-粗晶白云岩,粉晶-细晶或中粗晶粒状结构,块状或薄层状构造.矿床的形成演化经历了沉积-白云岩化-重结晶三个阶段.矿体平均品位ω(MgO)为21.20％、ω(SiO2)为0.67％、ω(K2O+ Na2O)为0.076％,品位变化较均匀.该区共求得冶镁用白云岩矿资源量约3.45亿吨,属一大型矿山,具有较大的开发前景.     

昆中断裂带南北陆块基底、盖层沉积、岩浆岩对比研究——昆中断裂带构造意义的讨论

本文依据1∶25万区域地质调查成果资料,从昆中断裂带对南北两侧的基底变质岩系(包括变基性火山岩、变泥质岩)、表壳盖层沉积岩系、前寒武纪长英质火成侵入岩以及镁铁-超镁铁质侵入岩的沉积建造、岩石类型组合、岩石地球化学及所反映的源岩物性的控制,系统对比讨论了昆中断裂带南北两侧基底陆块特征及昆中断裂带的构造属性。得出以昆中断裂带为界,南北两侧陆块的大陆岩石圈,无论在表壳沉积岩系、中-下地壳和地幔的层性和物性结构及地球化学成分都存在显著差异。从而提出昆仑造山带实际上是个两陆块碰撞复合陆缘造山带。在元古宇以前南北陆块并非属同一古陆块,或者说昆中断裂带为欧亚大陆和冈瓦纳大陆的真正分界或二者的拼合带。     

湖南慈利溪口震旦系陡山沱组震积岩的发现及其地质意义

湘西慈利溪口地区震旦系陡山沱组地层中首次发现碳酸盐岩原地震积岩。笔者通过剖面实测,详细观察和描述,结合构造背景,识别出阶梯状层内断层、液化碳酸盐岩脉、液化角砾岩、负荷构造以及微褶纹理等典型的震积软沉积变形构造的地质记录;震积序列在剖面结构上显示自下而上由下伏未震动层-阶梯状层内断层-微褶皱层-液化碳酸盐岩层-液化角砾岩层-上覆未震动层的渐变过程及震积作用逐渐衰减的趋势。震积岩发育的层位在时空上显示良好的可对比性,反映陡山沱期晚期构造活动强烈,并具备多旋回、多周期的特点。构造的活跃加速了有机碳库的氧化,为该时期多细胞生物的繁盛和大规模的成磷成矿作用奠定了基础;同时保存完好的震积地层记录对推断研究区的古沉积环境也具有重要意义。     

南天山南缘下二叠统玄武质岩浆的地球化学特征及其构造意义

南天山造山带南缘发育大量的下二叠统火山岩。地球化学指标显示南天山南缘西段拜城县宿相厄肯沟出露的下二叠统小提坎立克组玄武岩为拉斑玄武岩(里特曼指数δ=2.93)。 该套岩石低FeO^T、MgO和全碱(Na₂O+K₂O),高CaO和Al₂O₃,相对高钠,低钾; Rb、K、U和Ba 等大离子亲石元素富集; 稀土配分曲线整体协调一致,为向右缓倾的曲线,轻稀土元素(LREE)相对富集; 微量元素配分型式呈"驼峰状"; 玄武岩的母岩浆经历了以单斜辉石为主的分离结晶作用和强烈的陆壳混染作用。同位素组成 ¹⁴³ Nd/¹⁴⁴ Nd =0.512 849±0.000 005, ⁸⁷ Sr/⁸⁶ Sr =0.706 845±0.000 014; -10<ε_Nd(t)<0,且ε_Sr(t)>0,模式年龄T_DM 为1.463 279 765 Ga。 结合区域地质资料表明,小提坎立克组玄武岩形成于板内伸展环境,具有主动裂谷作用性质,说明南天山造山带南缘当时处于碰撞后伸展背景。     

东天山卡瓦布拉克地区片麻状花岗岩形成时代及地质意义

东天山卡瓦布拉克地区发育大量片麻状花岗岩,据野外特征分为含斑片麻状花岗岩和不含斑片麻状花岗岩,片麻理属后期韧性剪切叠加改造结果.本文获得含斑片麻状花岗岩LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年龄为(942.1±7.2)Ma和(941.9±4.9)Ma;不含斑晶的片麻状花岗岩年龄为(424.2±3.4)Ma,这些年龄数据表明片麻状花岗岩分别形成于新元古代和中志留世.野外调查表明,片麻状花岗岩侵入于长城系星星峡群和卡瓦布拉克群中,被块状石炭纪花岗岩侵入.研究区西侧上覆泥盆纪地层未发生明显韧性变形.据此限定区内韧性剪切变形发生于晚志留世(约424 Ma)之后至泥盆纪之前.     

西昆仑康西瓦断裂西段斜长片麻岩LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb定年及其构造意义

在康西瓦断裂西段发育着一套含石榴子石二云斜长片麻岩。根据锆石的阴极发光图像和Th、U、REE等特征,锆石可分为岩浆成因和变质热液成因2类。利用LA-ICP-MS法进行锆石U-Pb定年,测得含石榴子石斜长片麻岩的源岩形成年龄为254.5Ma±4.2Ma(MSWD=0.16),变质年龄为242.7Ma±2.3Ma(MSWD=0.11)。结合区域地质资料,含石榴子石二云斜长片麻岩的变质作用与古特提斯碰撞造山有关,表明西昆仑造山带在中三叠世早期(243Ma)仍处于古特提斯碰撞造山期。     

粤北地区乳源-潮州MT剖面深部电性结构及地学意义

为了揭示粤北地区岩石圈深部结构、深大断裂性质及花岗岩分布规律等科学问题,布设了乳源-潮州宽频带大地电磁探测剖面。由二维反演得出的电性结构,讨论了粤北地区岩石圈导电性结构特点。沿剖面存在3个花岗岩分布区,呈现不同的类型,可能代表不同的成因模式。沿剖面划分3条北东向断裂带:吉安-四会断裂、赣江断裂于韶关东形成宽度近20km的低阻区域,其间形成断陷盆地;河源-邵武断裂带,其两侧发育壳幔高导层并发育壳幔混合型花岗岩,深部电性结构复杂,可能为壳幔剧烈作用的场所;丽水-海丰断裂带,控制了燕山晚期花岗岩的分布。韶关、连平之间和龙川、丰顺之间50～150km存在2个巨大的低阻体,可能是地幔物质底侵作用的"通道";且底侵方向指向连平和龙川之间的区域,由于底侵作用力贡献,发育了一系列的壳内和上地幔高导层。粤北地区岩石圈从西向东逐渐减薄,从100余km减薄到60km,反映了太平洋板块对欧亚板块的消减作用。潮州100km深度以下的中-低阻特征,推断为太平洋板块俯冲作用留下的"洋壳"物质。