In situ and satellite observations of the eastward migration of the Western Alboran Sea Gyre

During October 2003 an intensive oceanographic survey (BIOMEGA) was carried out in the Alboran Sea, coinciding with a migration event of the Western Alboran Sea Gyre (WAG). The observations gathered during that cruise constitute the first field evidence of a migrated stage of the WAG. In this work we present the main differences between the 3D hydrodynamic fields observed during BIOMEGA and those corresponding to a WAG located at its usual position. The migration of the gyre was followed by satellite (altimetry and sea surface temperature) imagery. The causes of the gyre migration are explored in terms of the quasi-geostrophic tendency equation, in particular of the dynamics governing scales larger than the Rossby radius of deformation. It is shown that the steady state gyre must be almost equivalent barotropic and that the key process to break down the stationarity would be a density advection at gyre scale. The mechanisms to explain the migration of the WAG proposed by previous authors are discussed in light of the explanation proposed in this work.     

Estimation of hydraulic permeability considering the micro morphology of rocks of the borehole YAXCOPOIL-1 (Impact crater Chicxulub,Mexico)

Internal surface, formation factor, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)-T2 relaxation times and pore radius distributions were measured on representative core samples for the estimation of hydraulic permeability. Permeability is estimated using various versions of the classic Kozeny–Carman-equation (K–C) and a further development of K–C, the fractal PaRiS-model, taking into account the internal surface. In addition to grain and pore size distribution, directly connected to permeability, internal surface reflects the internal structure (“micro morphology”). Lithologies could be grouped with respect to differences in internal surface. Most melt rich impact breccia lithologies exhibit large internal surfaces, while Tertiary post-impact sediments and Cretaceous lithologies in displaced megablocks display smaller internal surfaces. Investigations with scanning electron microscopy confirm the correlation between internal surface and micro morphology. In addition to different versions of K–C, estimations by means of NMR, pore radius distributions and some gas permeability measurements serve for cross-checking and calibration. In general, the different estimations from the independent methods and the measurements are in satisfactory accordance. For Tertiary limestones and Suevites bulk with very high porosities (up to 35%) permeabilites between 10⁻¹⁴ and 10⁻¹⁶ m² are found, whereas in lower Suevite, Cretaceous anhydrites and dolomites, bulk permeabilites are between 10⁻¹⁵ and 10⁻²³ m².     

初至层析静校正在复杂山地三维地震勘探中的应用

随着地形高差增大、地貌单元多变、近地表模型复杂,目前被广泛应用的初至折射静校正的精度已无法满足精细勘探的要求。初至层析静校正技术,由给定的初始模型进行正演,用射线追踪方法得到初始模型的初至波,利用该初至波和实际拾取的初至波进行比较,计算地表模型的修正量,反复迭代求得准确的地表模型。山西省国阳新能股份有限公司二矿390水平九采扩区地表标高940～1100m,地貌单元复杂,在对该区资料处理时,利用初至层析折射静校正,经9次迭代计算后,真实地刻划出近地表模型。在二种静校正技术对比中,初至折射静校正不但近地表模型精度低于层析折射静校正,而且其叠加剖面精细程度也远低于层析静校正,如在初至折射静校正叠加剖面同相轴上呈现的凹凸形态,在层析静校正叠加剖面并无显示,且后者剖面的信噪比也比前者明显提高。     

三维地震小面元采集技术在晋城矿区的应用

依托“西部煤炭资源高精度三维地震勘探技术”工程,对晋城矿区进行了旨在提高小断层,小陷落柱探测能力的高密度三维地震勘探。根据面元选择因素及该区地质任务,采用5m×5m网格进行野外数据采集;考虑炮检距、方位角、覆盖次数、排列片横纵比及煤层埋深（350～500m）等因素,采用中点放炮、60道接收,24次覆盖（横向4次,纵向6次）的8线16炮束状观测系统,基岩中激发。原始资料经同一处理流程后,获得5m×5m×1ms、5m×10m×1ms、10m×10m×1ms及2.5m×2.5m×1ms不同单元的三维数据体多个,通过对比可以发现小断层,小陷落柱在其小面元叠加时间剖面、顺层切片及相干切片都有清晰的反映。实例说明,小面元采集技术可以提高对小构造的纵、横向分辨能力,满足山区对三维地震精确勘探的要求。     

钾霞石制备体系碱性滤液的利用技术

为处理钾长石水热制备钾霞石所产生的碱性滤液,本文采用水热法,考察了氢氧化铝溶解时间、晶化时间、晶化温度、水碱比对钾霞石产率和白度的影响,并对合成钾霞石物相进行了表征。结果表明,合成钾霞石的最佳条件为,氢氧化铝溶解时间为1.5 h,晶化时间为4 h,晶化温度280℃,水碱比为1.8。XRD结果表明,产物为钾霞石粉体。傅里叶变换红外光谱表明,Al(OH)₃中的Al在水热条件下进入到Si—O骨架中形成了Si—O—Al官能团,从而印证了钾霞石的合成。差热分析结果表明,合成钾霞石具有良好的热稳定性。氮气吸附结果表明,合成钾霞石比表面积为5.18 m²/g,平均孔径为32.98 nm。实现了钾长石水热制备钾霞石所剩碱性滤液的资源化利用,并为钾长石水热制备钾霞石提供了一种母液循环的思路,使水热制备钾霞石工业化成为一种可能。     

Environmental impacts from mining at Taojiang Mn ore deposit, central Hunan, China

The Taojiang Mn ore deposit was exploited in the early 1960s, and waste rocks were developed since then. Because the Mn ores were hosted within the metal-enriched black shales （Peng et al., 2004）, the continuous mining has led to the exposure of an immense quality of black shales, which might cause serious impacts on environments. The present study deals with this environmental issue with samples from the waste rocks, and from the surrounding soils and surface water. The mineralogy of the waste rock was studied using EMPA, then a large number of elements in all waste rock, soil, and water samples were analyzed at a wide range of concentrations with high accuracy using an Elan6000 ICP-MS machine at Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The waste rock is composed mostly of black shales, with minor Mn carbonates. Both black shales and Mn carbonates of the waste rock contain many sulfide minerals, mainly pyrite, with minor galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, and others. The waste rocks are enriched in many metals including Sc, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Th, U, Mo, Sb, Sn, Tl, and others, and the metals are mostly hosted within the sulfides. Weathering of waste rocks might cause emission of the following metals： V, Cd, Ni, Th, U, Mo, Sb, Tl, Sc, Cr, Cu, Zn, Sn, and minor Co, and Pb. The surrounding soils are highly enriched in Cr, Co, Cu, Zn, Mn, Mo, Cd, Tl, and Pb, with the enrichment factors of 2.67.3.8, 7.26, 7.27, 8.2, 5.7, 13, and 5.4, respectively. The element ratios （Rb/Cs, Fe/Mn, Nb/Zr, Hf/Zr, and Ba/Sr） and REE distribution patterns of the soils are similar to those of the waste rocks and bedrocks.     

Attenuation of aqueous metal transport at two natural acid rock drainage occurrences in the Yukon Territory, Canada

Naturally acidic drainage associated with pyritic black shale has been observed in many locations in the Yukon Territory. While not necessarily linked to known mineral deposits, most of these natural acid rock drainage occurrences show elevated dissolved concentrations of trace elements, especially zinc, nickel, copper, cadmium and arsenic. Based on field observations, microbial investigation, chemical analyses and geochemical modeling, the fate and transport of potentially deleterious elements at two natural acid drainage occurrences with slightly different settings are examined. The Macintosh Creek is a small, acidic stream （pH 2.98-3.40）, 2 km long, located in the Macmillan Pass area of east-central Yukon amidst known sedimentary exhalative massive sulfide mineralization but remains undisturbed by exploration activities. Its trace metal content is apparently derived from groundwater discharges, which gave as much as 5.0, 2.5, 0.7, 0.13 and 0.03 mg/L ofZn, Ni, Cu and As, respectively. Interaction and sorption reactions with algal mats, biofilms and iron oxyhydroxides appear to be the dominant mechanisms attenuating aqueous contaminant transport along the stream. Cryogenic precipitation further consolidates the ferricrete formation and reduces the mobility of the sorbed metals. The tributaries of the Engineering Creek along the Dempster Highway in northern Yukon drain through a series of dolomite, phyllite, argillite, limestone, black shale, sandstone and conglomerate with no known concentration of mineralization. In this area, the water chemistry fully reflects the local geology with acidic streams invariably associated with black shale occurrences. Groundwater seeps in the headwaters area of the km-180 Creek completely enclosed in black shale gave pH 3.0 and as much as 148, 39, 2.9 and 9.1 mg/L of Zn, Ni, Cu and As, respectively. Sorption with iron oxyhydroxide and organic matter appear to dominate the attenuation of contaminant transport along the stream. However, once entered into carbonate-dominated terrains, secondary carbonate minerals exercise additional geochemical control on the local water chemistry as a result of neutralization.     

Atmospheric Surface-Layer Processes During the Total Solar Eclipse Of 11 August 1999

The central path of the total solar eclipse (TSE) of 11 August 1999 mostly passedthrough a region of active monsoon in India, with the eclipse ending around localsunset. Measurements in the surface layer (SL) were carried out close to the eclipseaxis at Akola (20°42' N, 77°2' E) in central India. The globalradiation flux reaching the surface vanishes around totality at 1803:24 (LT), followedby a small recovery before again dipping to zero at sunset. The temperatures in the SL, and subsoil at 50-mm depth, show a local minimum with a lag of about 10 min after the second contact, whereas the lag appears to vanish when the temperature series is detrended. The SL exhibits near-neutral, though generally stable, conditions from about 1500 hr itself due to heavy cloud cover followed by the eclipse-induced cooling of the surface. The wind component across the eclipse axis vanishes at totality, the wind vector aligning with the azimuth of the traversing moon shadow. The deceleration of the mean flow can be due to the combined effect of the colder surface and downward heat flux, where the locally altered horizontal temperature gradients may cause, as in this instance, the cessation of the cross flow.The oscillations in temperature and wind that show significant peaks, around 90–100 min as well as the semi-period of the eclipse near 60 min, persist for several hours past the eclipse event. A fresh analysis of the published data on the TSE of 7 March 1970 shows spectral peaks in the temperature nearly coincident with those already reported from the surface pressure records. The oscillations in the SL fields during the two TSE events are very similar implying that the source mechanism is also likely to be the same in both the cases.