An investigation of subglacial processes at the microscale from Briksdalsbreen, Norway

The subglacial processes at Briksdalsbreen, Norway, are examined by a combination of sedimentology, thin section and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis of till samples from an exposed subglacial surface and from beneath the glacier. Studies of a fluted surface indicate that subglacial deformation is occurring on a field scale with flutes forming behind most clasts 0·6 m high. At the thin section scale (0·014–2·0 mm) it is seen that deformation is by rotation and attenuation and is dependent on till texture. At the SEM scale (0·1–0·4 mm) it is seen that erosion is controlled by abrasion and percussion which produces distinct grain ‘styles’ as part of an erosional continuum. Overall it is shown that rotation and attenuation is a dominant process at all scales and that the clast interactions associated with different scale perturbations within the shear zone control erosion and deposition, as well as landform and fabric production.     

Environmental Changes at the Desert Margin: An Assessment of Recent Paleolimnological Records in Lake Qarun, Middle Egypt

Lake Qarun has been profoundly affected by a combination of human activities and climatic changes during the past 5000 years. Instrumental records available for the 20th century show that during most of this period both lake water level and salinity increased and that by the late 1980s lake water salinity was approximately that of seawater. Sediment cores (c. 1 m long) were collected from this shallow (Z_max 8.4 m) saline lake in 1998 and the master core (QARU1) was used to examine the potential of paleolimnology for reconstructing the recent environmental history of the site. According to ¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb radio-assay, the recent sediment accumulation rate in QARU1 was around 5 mm year⁻¹ during the latter half of the 20th century but radionuclide levels were low. Spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCPs) were present in the upper c. 30 cm of QARU1 and indicates contamination by low level particulate pollution, probably beginning around 1950. The record of exotic pollen (Casuarina) indicated that sediment at 51–52 cm depth dated to around 1930. Otherwise the pollen spectra indicated a strongly disturbed landscape with high ruderals and increased tree planting particularly since c. 1950. Diatom records were strongly affected by taphonomic processes including reworking and differential preservation but typical marine diatoms increased after the 1920s. Instrumental records show that the lake became more saline at this time. Freshwater taxa were present at approximately similar abundances throughout the core. This distribution probably reflected a combination of processes. Reworking of ancient freshwater diatomites is one likely source for freshwater diatoms in QARU1 but some taxa must also be contributed via the freshwater inflows. Overall, the diatom stratigraphy indicated increasingly salinity since the 1920s but provided no firm evidence of lake eutrophication. Diatom inferred salinity reconstructions were in only partial agreement with instrumental records but inferred for the lower section of the core (pre 20th century to the 1960s) accord with measured water salinity values. Surficial sediments of Lake Qarun contain environmental change records for the 20th century period but high sediment accumulation rate and pollen reflect the high degree of human disturbance in the region. Because of poor preservation and evidence of reworking, the relationships between diatom records and past water quality changes require careful interpretation, especially in the upper section of the core. Nevertheless, early to mid 20th century measurements of increasing lake water salinity are well supported by sediment records, a change that is probably linked to ingress of saline ground water     

Evaluation of three waterborne polymers as stabilizers for sandy soil

This study reports on waterborne polymer emulsion systems that were used for structural modification of sandy soils. The first emulsion used was a styrene-acrylic, copolymer emulsion; the second and third were vinyl-acrylic, copolymer-based emulsions. Specimens were prepared by adding different polymer emulsions to the sand and water in prescribed amounts. The performance of the different emulsion systems as sand stabilizers was estimated through measurement of the hydraulic conductivity and compressive strength. Measurements of hydraulic conductivity were conducted in a flexible membrane test apparatus. The hydraulic conductivity for the three emulsions decreased at different rates, with an increase in polymer content up to 3 wt. (i.e., % by weight). Additional increase of polymer content did not introduce significant decrease in hydraulic conductivity, and, at 5 wt.%, the three emulsions had essentially the same effect. Measurements made on dry cylindrical specimens disclosed remarkable enhancement in the mechanical behavior of the system. The compressive strength and modulus of elasticity of the examined emulsions increased with a higher concentration of polymer. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed that the reduction in the permeability and the improved mechanical properties can be attributed to three dominant structural changes: the development of interconnecting ties between the sand particles, the development of adhesion between neighboring sand particles in contact, and the covering of the sand particles with a thin polymer film.     

ODP204航次天然气水合物的可能有利储层——浊积层

为了解岩性在天然气水合物分布中的作用, 利用岩矿鉴定、扫描电镜和能谱法对ODP204航次的 4个站位 10个钻孔共计 115个沉积物样品进行分析, 发现沉积物中矿物成分基本相近, 以粘土矿物为主, 含少量以石英为主的陆源碎屑。样品中含有丰富的硅藻和有孔虫等微体化石, 可形成硅藻粘土—硅藻土、有孔虫硅藻土或凝灰质硅质生物粘土。石英碎屑大多呈棱角状, 粒径小、含量少, 同时, 样品中可见透镜体、团块或旋涡状层状结构以及杂乱堆积的斑杂构造。上述特征表明沉积物为含有大量深海或半深海的浊流沉积物或其夹层。由于钻井岩心中有相当部分的天然气水合物样品分布在上述沉积物中, 推断这些浊流沉积物很可能是ODP204航次天然气水合物的有利储层。     

自然铜、铜合金矿物及其矿床形成机理新探索

描述了自然铜、铜合金矿物及其矿床形成的新机制。在岩浆及热液中，铜及铜合金可呈氢化物、羧基配合物及纳米粒子活性、迁移、富集形成自然铜矿床，或经以后的地质事件，长期、多次迁移富集，叠加形成富而大的自然铜矿床。在表生条件下，铜的硫化矿物被氧化分解，可形成亚铜的硫代硫酸盐及氯配合物，部分可形成铜的硫酸盐配合物迁移，由于硫代硫酸盐被氧化，亚铜岐化可形成高纯度的自然铜，但它易氧化形成孔雀石、蓝铜矿、赤铜矿、黑铜矿、硅孔雀石等，因此很难形成自然铜矿床。     

Simultaneous radio and optical observations of the mid-latitude atmospheric response to a major geomagnetic storm of 6–8 April 2000

Basic properties of the mid-latitude traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) during the maximum phase of a major magnetic storm of 6–8 April 2000 are shown. Total electron content (TEC) variations were studied by using data from GPS receivers located in Russia and Central Asia. The nightglow response to this storm at mesopause and termospheric altitudes was also measured by optical instruments FENIX located at the observatory of the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics (51.9°N,103.0°E), and MORTI located at the observatory of the Institute of Ionosphere (43.2°N, 77.0°E). Observations of the O (557.7 and 630.0 nm) emissions originating from atmospheric layers centered at altitudes of 90 and 250 km were carried out at Irkutsk and of the O₂(b¹∑_g⁺−X³∑_g⁻) (0-1) emission originating from an atmospheric layer centered at altitude of 94 km was carried out at Almaty. Our radio and optical measurement network observed a storm-induced solitary large-scale wave with duration of 1 h and a wave front width of no less than 5000 km, while it traveled equatorward with a velocity of 200 m/s from 62°N to 38°N geographic latitude. The TEC disturbance, basically displaying an electron content depression in the maximum of the F2 region, reveals a good correlation with growing nightglow emission, the temporal shift between the TEC and emission variation maxima being different for different altitudes. A comparison of the auroral oval parameters with dynamic spectra of TEC variations and optical 630 nm emissions in the frequency range 0.4–4 mHz (250–2500 s periods) showed that as the auroral oval expands into mid-latitudes, also does the region with a developed medium-sale and small-scale TEC structure.     

Interpretation of charging on fracture or frictional slip surface of rocks

Fracturing and frictional sliding of quartz and granite under dry condition generates fractoluminescence, charged particle emission and electromagnetic radiation. Various kinds of experiments indicate that surface charge density on fracture or frictional slip surface of quartz and granite is 10⁻⁴ to 10⁻² C/m² which is larger than bound charges induced by the disappearance of piezoelectricity due to the release of stress. Hole and electron trapping centers, which is found in semiconductor devices with the Si–SiO₂ system, are causes of surface charging on fracture or frictional slip surface of quartz crystal. The quantity of the surface charge is enough to cause corona discharge that can generate earthquake lights. The mechanism considering the hole and electron trapping centers has a probability to explain why non-piezoelectric minerals or rocks generate electromagnetic phenomena. It can be one of origins of seismo-electromagnetic phenomena (SEP).     

天然含钒金红石加热、淬火及电子辐射改性实验研究

天然含钒金红石样品经过1273K加热、淬火和高能电子辐照处理后性质发生不同程度的变化。XRD谱峰显示处理前后样品没有发生物相变化，显微IR图谱证明原样、加热、淬火样品的表面有少量吸附水存在，而辐射样品的显微IR图谱上没有检测到吸附水的吸收峰。用XPS分析比较了处理前后样品表面主要元素Ti、O和V的价态及含量，结果表明，原样经过处理后表面钒和氧的原子百分含量增加，其中淬火样品表面吸附水和钒的含量相对于原样增加最为明显，光催化活性相应较高；加热样品表面的吸附水和钒的含量比原样稍有增加，光催化活性与原样相当；电子辐射样品表面钒的原子百分含量相对原样增加不明显，而对水的吸附能力相对原样较低，光催化效率也略低。     

电子探针化学测年方法

介绍含Th U Pb矿物电子探针化学测年方法的基本原理 ,并利用应用实例说明该方法在研究岩石形成年龄、构造热事件年代等方面的重要作用 ,最后简要评价该方法的优、缺点 ,并指出它的应用前景 ,认为电子探针化学测年方法将有可能在深源岩石包体年龄研究、含放射性元素矿床形成年代研究等方面大有作为 ,并使地质年代学研究更加精细化 ,有助于深入探讨复杂地质事件及其演化历程。     

激光测速粒子对复杂流动的响应研究——Ⅱ典型流场中粒子跟随性的数值分析

以修正后适用于高颗粒雷诺数的粒子非恒定运动方程为基础,将该方程无量纲化,定义了一般流场中粒子跟随性的概念,给出了粒子跟随性的数学表述。据此对典型流场中粒子的运动进行了数值计算,并定量分析了粒径、密度等参数对不同流动中示踪粒子跟随特性的影响。