A comprehensive study of meteorological, hydrological, limnological and sedimentological conditions in the watersheds of density-stratified (meromictic) lakes around Taconite Inlet, Northern Ellesmere Island, N.W.T., Canada was carried out from 1990–1992. Lakes C1 and C2 contain seawater trapped by isostatic uplift as the former embayments became isolated from the sea. These lakes, and Lake C3, contain varved sediments which provide an annually resolvable paleoclimatic record. By studing the major systems influencing sedimentation in one of these lakes (Lake C2) a better understanding of the climatic controls on varve formation, and hence on the paleoclimatic signal in the varved sediment record, was obtained. The varves of Lake C2 provide a proxy record of summer temperature for the region.This is the first in a series of papers published in this issue on the Taconite Inlet Lakes Project. These papers were collected by Dr R. S. Bradley. 相似文献
The volcanic residuals of the Gawler Ranges together form an extensive massif that in its gross morphology differs markedly from most exposures of silicic volcanic rocks. The upland developed in two stages, the first involving differential fracture‐controlled subsurface weathering, the second the stripping of the regolith. As a result, an irregular weathering front was exposed, with domical projections prominent. These bornhardts are etch forms, and they are of considerable antiquity.
The differential weathering of the rock mass reflects the exploitation of various fracture systems by shallow groundwaters. Orthogonal fracture systems at various scales, sheet fractures and columnar joints control the morphology of the bornhardts in gross and in detail.
The exploitation of the structural base, which was established in the Middle Protero‐zoic, probably took place throughout the Late Proterozoic and the Palaeozoic, though only minor remnants of the Proterozoic land surface remain. The major landscape features developed during the Mesozoic. The weathering which initiated the bornhardts occurred in the Jurassic or earlier Mesozoic, and the landforms were exposed in Late Cretaceous to Early Tertiary times.
Though structural forms dominate the present landscape, some major and some minor landforms are best explained in terms of climatic changes of the later Cainozoic. The palaeodrainage system, established under humid conditions by the Early Tertiary, was alluviated during the Cainozoic arid phases, and salinas were formed. The sand dunes of the region also reflect this aridity. 相似文献
The Raniganj Coalfield is the oldest coalfield in India that has been continuously and extensively mined since the late eighteenth century. The present study reports a geochemical investigation and environmental quality assessment using soil and water in the area surrounding a stream, locally known as Singaran Nala (Nala means storm water drains in Bengali), in the Raniganj Coalfield. Soil (top soil, mud, silty clay and laterite) and rock samples (sandstone and shale) were collected from the study area and were analyzed for trace metals (Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni and Zn). Surface waters from the stream and the Damodar River as well as ground waters from hand pumps and underground mine pits were collected. Water samples were analyzed for major ions (Na^+, Ca^2+, Mg^2+, Cl^-, HNO3^- and SO4^2-) and trace metals (Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn). Trace metal concentrations in soil samples are found higher than the average world soil composition. Nevertheless, trace metal (Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn) concentrations in soils exceed or reach the maximum allowable concentrations (MAC) proposed by the European Commission for agricultural soils. In particular, Ni concentrations exceed the typical value for cultivated soils. Chromium, Cu and Ni concentrations in laterite and Cr concentration in topsoil exceed the ecotoxicological limit. 相似文献
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. 相似文献
The Bonnifield district hosts 26 tmmined volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) occurrences. Environmental geochemical samples of water and stream sediment were collected at several occurrences, concentrating on the two best-exposed and largest deposits, Red Mountain (RM) and Sheep Creek (SC). Limited samples were also collected at the poorly exposed WTF deposit. The deposits are Late Devonian to Early Mississippian, and are hosted by felsic metavolcanic and carbonaceous schist members of the Totatlanika Schist or Keevy Peak Fm. Spring and stream waters at RM and SC have pH values commonly 〈3.5 (as low as 2.4 at RM and 2.5 at SC), high conductivity (up to 11000 μS/cm), and very high (Is to 100s mg/L) dissolved contents of Al, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, and Pb. Waters at RM are characterized by extremely high REE contents (summed REE median 3200 μg/L, n=33). At both RM and SC, pyrite oxidation and dissolution produce low pH waters that interact with and dissolve bedrock minerals, resulting in acidic, metal-laden, naturally degraded streams that are mostly devoid of aquatic life. Ferricrete is common. In contrast, WTF barely produces a surficial environmental footprint, mostly due to topography and relief. RM and SC are well exposed in the areas of relatively high relief, and both exhibit extensive areas of quartz-sericite-pyrite-alteration. While WTF shares many of the same deposit-and alteration characteristics, it is concealed by tundra in a large, nearly flat area. Surface water at WTF is absent and outcrops are sparse. Even though WTF is roughly the same size as Red Mountain (both around 3 million tonnes) and has similar base- and precious-metal grades, the surficial geochemical manifestation of WTF is minimal. However, exposure through mining of the altered, mineralized rock at WTF potentially could initiate the same processes of pyrite oxidation, acid generation, and mineral dissolution that are observed naturally at RM and SC. 相似文献
Stable isotopic compositions and concentrations of total sedimentary sulphur (S) were determined in cores from 6 lakes in
the acid-sensitive Muskoka-Haliburton region of south-central Ontario. The isotopic composition of S in deep sediment (> ~
20 cm) was approximately constant in all lakes, and indicated a pre-industrial δ34S value between +4.0 and +5.3‰, which is similar to current bulk deposition. Similarly, total S concentrations in deep sediment
were relatively low (1.9–5 mg S g−1 dwt) and approximately constant with depth within cores. All lakes exhibited up-core increases in total S and decreases in
δ34S at a depth corresponding to the beginning of industrialization in the Great Lakes region ( ~ 1900), resulting in a generally
reciprocal depth pattern between total S concentration and δ34S ratios. While initial shifts in total S and δ34S were likely due to enhanced SO4 reduction of newly available anthropogenic SO4, both the magnitude and pattern of up-core S enrichment and shifts in δ34S varied greatly among lakes, and did not match changes in S deposition post 1900. Differences between lakes in total S and
δ34S were not related to any single hydrologic (e.g., residence time) or physical (e.g., catchment-area-to-lake area ratio) lake
characteristic. This work indicates that sediment cores do not provide consistent records of changes in post-industrial S
deposition in this region, likely due to redox-related mobility of S in upper sediment. 相似文献
Abstract: Recent research has indicated river basin outlets draining linear sections of large, uplifting mountain belts often show a regularity of spacing, transverse to the main structural trend. A morphometric analysis of part of the Ruahine Range, on the North Island was undertaken to test whether drainage regularity may exist in smaller, younger mountain ranges. The ratio, R , of the half-width of the mountain belt, W , and the outlet spacing, S , was used to characterize drainage networks on the eastern side of the range. The spacing ratio for the range of 1.31 is lower than R results from studies of larger mountain belts ( R = 1.91–2.23). We suggest the cause of this lower ratio is related to eastward migration of the Ruahine drainage divide. 相似文献
Permeability is one of the most important parameters in the design of hydraulic backfilling of mine stopes. A simple and reproducible
method was developed for preparing reconstituted hydraulic fill sample in the laboratory, that is representative of the hydraulic
fill in the mine stope, replicating the slurry sedimentation process taking place in the mine. Constant head and falling head
permeability tests were carried out on the samples, giving consistent results. A brick permeameter was developed to study
the flow characteristics of the porous barricade bricks under one-dimensional flow, simulating the flow conditions in the
mine. Three different methods were used to determine the permeability of the brick and the results showed very good agreement.
This is the first rational attempt to measure the permeability of the porous barricade bricks that are used to close the horizontal
access drives in the mines, thus retaining the hydraulic fill. The measurements show that the permeability of the barricade
brick is about two to three orders of magnitude greater than that of the hydraulic fill. 相似文献