SporadicE ionization associated with meteor events

Two meteor events which were sighted in the Gujarat skies of India, were accompained by the visibility of sporadicE ionization on the ionograms recorded at Ahmedabad (Geog. Lat. 23·2°N, long. 72·30°E). The first event was the Dhajala fireball which flashed into the geoatmosphere along an E-N to W-S trail at about 20·40 h IST on 28 January 1976; the closest distance of the ground projection of meteor trail from Ahmedabad was 50km. The other event was a possible meteor group sighted over Ahmedabad on 28 May 1978, at about 21·10 h IST. This work describes the nature of the sporadicE ionization observed on Ahmedabad ionograms during the two events. Features of theEs echo during the Dhajala event which indicate that it could be of meteoric origin are discussed. Meteor theory is used to relate the observed ionization with the physical dimensions of the Dhajala meteorite as obtained by other workers.     

长江口地区绿色颗粒的矿物学研究

本文对长江下游河道、长江口现代沉积区、口外残留砂沉积区及大陆架现代沉积区表层沉积物中的绿色颗粒进行了系统的矿物学研究。特别运用透射间和能谱分析对其内部超微结构、单晶结构和单晶化学组成进行了研究。长江口地区的绿色颗粒从宏观形态上可分为三类：颗粒状、书页状和生物状，不同的形态者，其形成机制基本相同，只是微晶聚集的微空间环境不同。绿色颗粒的颜色和成熟度有较密切的关系，颜色愈深，K和Fe含量愈高。其成熟度也愈高，K2O含量为3－7％，仅少数可达8.5％。绿色颗粒主要矿物成分为海绿石、鲕绿泥石、磁绿泥石和蒙4皂石。其中以海绿石为主，因此是一种复合型绿色颗粒。不同形态及不同沉积亚环境中绿色颗粒的矿物成分并无太大差别。     

黑硼锡镁矿孪晶的电子衍射分析

黑硼锡镁矿是1985年在我国发现的一种新矿物,微孪晶特别发育,其电子衍射斑点往往具规律的分裂现像。用选区电子衍射获得[010]、[141]和[121]定向带轴电子衍射斑点分裂图,经矩阵分析,确定两套斑点分裂是由其呈挛晶结构关系所致,孪晶面为(101),属于面律孪晶,这种孪晶的微形貌由明场像(BF)得到证实。根据不同取向的电子衍射图,确定该矿物属单斜晶系,a_0=10.7,b_0=3.01,c_0=5.39,β=94.5°。上述挛晶结构特征及其晶体学数据与X射线单晶研究结果有很好的可比性。     

钙稀土氟碳酸盐矿物中新多型体的HREM研究

利用高分辨电子显微术（ＨＲＥＭ）研究了钙稀土氟碳酸盐矿物系列中氟碳铈矿（Ｂ）／直氟碳钙铈矿（Ｓ）的混层结构。发现并确定了Ｂ＿５Ｓ＿２（ＩＨ，３Ｒ）、Ｂ＿５Ｓ＿４（３Ｒ，６Ｒ）和Ｂ＿（１８）Ｓ＿（１０）（ＩＨ）规则混层矿物中５种新多型的晶体结构类型、晶胞参数以及理论晶体化学式等。ＨＲＥＭ研究揭示出，在Ｂ＿ｍＳ＿ｎ（ｍ＞ｎ）型规则混层矿物新多型体的结晶过程中，成矿地质环境是复杂的。阐明了这些多型体是由该系列矿物中的氟碳铈矿（Ｂ）和直氟碳钙铈矿（Ｓ）结构单元层以不同比例沿ｃ轴方向的有序堆垛构成。     

腐植煤中的超细纹层

利用超薄切片透射电镜分析技术，在华北东部太原组和山西组、吐─哈盆地侏罗系腐植煤中检出了超细纹层。超细纹层在腐植煤中呈分散状、间隔状和密集状，前二者主要存在于无结构镜质体中，后者则存在于沥青质体或层状藻类体条带中。超细纹层来源于微藻类细胞的抗分解外壁，是藻类在超微层次的重要表现形式。腐植煤形成过程中藻类的贡献较藻类体数量所反映的要高。     

Arctic hazes in summer over Greenland and the North American Arctic: II. Nature and concentrations of accumulation-mode and giant particles

Airborne measurements made during August 1985 over Greenland and its environs show that both accumulation-mode (0.1 m D2.0 m) and giant (D2 m) particles were present in relatively high concentrations in arctic haze layers and that the accumulation-mode particles dominated light scattering. Particles with diameters (D) between 1 and 4 m consisted predominately of mixed materials, small and dense inclusions, and probably organic compounds containing sulfur. Many of the particles from 0.1 to 1 m in diameter were also of mixed composition, with sulfuric acid, ammonium sulfate and organics probably the dominant constituents.     

A preliminary scanning electron microscope study of honeycomb weathering of sandstone in a coastal environment

Honeycomb weathering has been observed in a Carboniferous sandstone at a coastal location near Ballycastle on the north coast of Northern Ireland. Specimens of this sandstone have been analysed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectrometry. Results reveal that calcium sulphate (gypsum) is the only salt present and is found only at and immediately below the rock surface. SEM observations suggest that crystallization of salts in pores could easily dislodge quartz grains to promote granular disintegration, whilst etching of quartz grain surfaces attests to chemical weathering activity within the rock However, the reason for the development of the honeycomb pattern is not known.     

Molecular weight distribution,analytical and spectroscopic characterization of humic fractions sequentially isolated by organic solvents from a brown coal humic acid

A sequential fractionation procedure employing a series of selected mild organic solvents of different polarity has been applied for the isolation of chemically different organic fractions from a brown coal humic acid. Elemental composition, molecular weight distribution, i.r. and electron spin resonance analysis were carried out on the isolated humic fractions. They were characterized by: (a) a low polydispersity, (b) a decreasing aliphatic and increasing aromatic character along the series, (c) very different molecular weight which significantly correlated with E₄/E₆ ratios (particle aggregation and molecular association) and free radical concentrations (chemical and biochemical activity). Significant correlations were found between physico-chemical parameters of the isolated humic fractions, i.e. M_n, M_w, E₄/E₆ ratios, spins/g contents and the dielectric constants of the solvents used. This suggested the efficiency of the applied procedure in isolating chemically different organic fractions from the bulk, original humic acid.     

Slope process change and colluvium deposition in Swaziland: An SEM analysis

Electron microscope analysis of sixty samples taken from six colluvium sites in Swaziland has shown that the quartz grains exhibit marked edge abrasion in the uppermost beds of exposures. This edge abrasion is lacking in the lower beds in all sections examined and indicates slope process change during colluvium deposition. A model of slope evolution is provided, in which slope erosion progressively brings about more channelling and causes greater surface roughness because of the exhumation of more core stones and differentially weathered rock. This roughness causes increased edge abrasion.     

The importance of atmospheric input of terrestrial organic material to deep sea sediments

The concentrations of lipids were determined in atmospheric particle, gas and rain samples collected from the tropical North Pacific to assess lipid sources, transport mechanisms and fluxes to the ocean surface. Four lipid compound classes (aliphatic hydrocarbons, fatty alcohols, fatty acid esters, and salts) all unequivocally show a terrestrial vascular plant source. These aerosol lipids originate from wind erosion of Asian and American soils and direct emission from vegetation. The major fluxes result from rain rather than dry deposition. These fluxes are large enough to have a major potential impact on the inventory of terrestrially derived lipid material found in deep-sea sediments. This has been showm for n-alkanes, fatty alcohols, fatty acids, total lipids and for organic carbon. By comparing atmospheric and sediment trap fluxes with sediment accumulation rates, it is suggested that some biogenic terrestrial material is more protected from degradation than marine-derived material.