The uranium deposits in the basin of Franceville (Gabon) host the only natural fission reactors known in the world. Unique
geological conditions favoured a natural fission reaction 2 Ga ago. This was detected by anomalous isotopic compositions of
uranium and rare earth elements (REE), which are produced by the fission reaction. In total, 16 reactor zones were found.
Most of them are mined out. The reactor zone of Bangombé, is only 10–11 m below the surface. This site has been influenced
by surface weathering processes. Six drill cores have been sampled at the site of the reactor zone of Bangombé during the
course of the study and only one drill core (BAX 08) hit the core of the reactor. From these data and previous drilling campaigns,
the reactor size is estimated to be 10 cm thick, 2–3 m wide and 4–6 m long. The migration of fission products can be traced
by the anomalous isotope ratios of REE because of the fission process. The 149Sm/147Sm ratio close to the reactor zone is only 0.28 (normal: 0.92) because of the intense neutron capture of 149Sm and subsequent transmutation, whereas 147Sm is enriched by the fission reaction. Similar changes in isotopic patterns are detectable on other REE. The isotope ratios
of Sm and Nd of whole rock and fracture samples surrounding the reactor indicate that fission-genic REE migrated only a few
decimetres above and mainly below the reactor zone. Organic matter (bitumen) seems to act as a trap for fission-genic REE.
Additional REE-patterns show less intense weathering with increasing depth in the log profile and support a simple weathering
model.
Received: 26 November 1999 · Accepted: 2 May 2000 相似文献
Abstract. An experiment to test C have's hypothesis on temperature dependent MgCO3 concentrations in marine calcareous skeletons was undertaken by transplanting colonies of Heliopora coerulea. The corals were transferred from a shallow lagoon with high average temperatures to the outer bottom of a fringing reef, 16 m depth, with low average temperatures. Against expectation, a statistically significant increase of average mol % concentrations from 0.48 to 0.54 % for upper growth regions and from 0.49 to 0.62% for lower growth regions was obtained. Temperature records during the experimentation period and the above data indicate that the mol% MgCO3 concentration in the skeleton of living Heliopora colonies increases when transplanted to an environment with a lower temperature average than that of their original growth site, and with seasonal temperature fluctuations which are smaller in the experimental site than in the control site. Temperature fluctuations at the control site were up to 2.5 times greater than at the experimental site for most of the observation months. This supports the conclusion that the parameters a) minimum temperature and b) temperature stability of the environment are essential for the incorporation of Mg into the carbonate skeleton matrix of marine organisms. Within this study the results of a quantitative chemical analysis of the carbonate skeleton of H. coerulea are presented and growth data of transplanted colonies compared with those from the control site. 相似文献
We simulate direct current (DC) borehole resistivity measurements acquired in steel-cased deviated wells for the assessment
of rock formation properties. The assumed data acquisition configuration considers one current (emitter) and three voltage
(collector) electrodes that are utilized to measure the second difference of the electric potential along the well trajectory.
We assume a homogeneous, 1.27-cm-thick steel casing with resistivity equal to 10 − 5 Ω· m. Simulations are performed with two different numerical methodologies. The first one is based on transferring two-dimensional
(2D) axisymmetric optimal grids to a three-dimensional (3D) simulation software. The second one automatically produces optimal
3D grids yielded by a 3D self-adaptive goal-oriented algorithm. Both methodologies utilize high-order finite elements (FE)
that are specially well-suited for problems with high-contrast coefficients and rapid spatial variations of the electric field,
as it occurs in simulations that involve steel-cased wells. The method based on transferring 2D-optimal grids is efficient
in terms of CPU time (few seconds per logging position). Unfortunately, it may produce inaccurate 3D simulations in deviated
wells, even though the error remains below 1% for the axisymmetric (vertical) well. The method based on optimal 3D grids,
although less efficient in terms of CPU time (few hours per logging position), produces more accurate results that are validated
by a built-in a posteriori error estimator. This paper provides the first existing simulations of through-casing resistivity
measurements in deviated wells. Simulated resistivity measurements indicate that, for a 30° deviated well, measurements in
conductive layers 0.01 Ω· m) are similar to those obtained in vertical wells. However, in resistive layers (10,000 Ω· m),
we observe 100% larger readings in the 30° deviated well. This difference becomes 3,000% for the case of a 60° deviated well.
For this highly-deviated well, readings corresponding to the conductive formation layer are about 30% smaller in magnitude
than those in a vertical well. Shoulder effects significantly vary in deviated wells. 相似文献
The Late Cretaceous–Cenozoic evolution of the eastern North Sea region is investigated by 3D thermo-mechanical modelling. The model quantifies the integrated effects on basin evolution of large-scale lithospheric processes, rheology, strength heterogeneities, tectonics, eustasy, sedimentation and erosion.
The evolution of the area is influenced by a number of factors: (1) thermal subsidence centred in the central North Sea providing accommodation space for thick sediment deposits; (2) 250-m eustatic fall from the Late Cretaceous to present, which causes exhumation of the North Sea Basin margins; (3) varying sediment supply; (4) isostatic adjustments following erosion and sedimentation; (5) Late Cretaceous–early Cenozoic Alpine compressional phases causing tectonic inversion of the Sorgenfrei–Tornquist Zone (STZ) and other weak zones.
The stress field and the lateral variations in lithospheric strength control lithospheric deformation under compression. The lithosphere is relatively weak in areas where Moho is deep and the upper mantle warm and weak. In these areas the lithosphere is thickened during compression producing surface uplift and erosion (e.g., at the Ringkøbing–Fyn High and in the southern part of Sweden). Observed late Cretaceous–early Cenozoic shallow water depths at the Ringkøbing–Fyn High as well as Cenozoic surface uplift in southern Sweden (the South Swedish Dome (SSD)) are explained by this mechanism.
The STZ is a prominent crustal structural weakness zone. Under compression, this zone is inverted and its surface uplifted and eroded. Contemporaneously, marginal depositional troughs develop. Post-compressional relaxation causes a regional uplift of this zone.
The model predicts sediment distributions and paleo-water depths in accordance with observations. Sediment truncation and exhumation at the North Sea Basin margins are explained by fall in global sea level, isostatic adjustments to exhumation, and uplift of the inverted STZ. This underlines the importance of the mechanisms dealt with in this paper for the evolution of intra-cratonic sedimentary basins. 相似文献