Characteristics of selenium migration in soil–plant system of East Meshchera and Transbaikalia

Herein some results of comparative researches to determine the parameters of selenium migration in meadow biogeocenoses of East Meshchera and East Transbaikalia are presented. The parameters of selenium mobility in soils (i.e., the element total content, plant-accumulation coefficient (Kb) and/or mobile form ratio) in Urov biogeochemical provinces of the East Transbaikalia are quite comparable to the element migration parameters found in selenium-deficient landscapes of the same area. Selenium mobility indices and ecological status are significantly higher for meadow biogeocenoses of the East Meshchera (Moscow Region) and also for limestone soils.     

'Pseudobreccias' revealed as calcrete mottling and bioturbation in the Late Dinantian of the southern Lake District, UK

Two types of ‘pseudobreccia’, one with grey and the other with brown mottle fabrics, occur in shoaling‐upward cycles of the Urswick Limestone Formation of Asbian (Late Dinantian, Carboniferous) age in the southern Lake District, UK. The grey mottle pseudobreccia occurs in cycle‐base packstones and developed after backfilling and abandonment of Thalassinoides burrow systems. Burrow infills consist of a fine to coarse crystalline microspar that has dull brown to moderate orange colours under cathodoluminescence. Mottling formed when an early diagenetic ‘aerobic decay clock’ operating on buried organic material was stopped, and sediment entered the sulphate reduction zone. This probably occurred during progradation of grainstone shoal facies, after which there was initial exposure to meteoric water. Microspar calcites then formed rapidly as a result of aragonite stabilization. The precipitation of the main meteoric cements and aragonite bioclast dissolution post‐date this stabilisation event. The brown mottle pseudobreccia fabrics are intimately associated with rhizocretions and calcrete, which developed beneath palaeokarstic surfaces capping cycle‐top grainstones and post‐date all depositional fabrics, although they may also follow primary depositional heterogeneities such as burrows. They consist of coarse, inclusion‐rich, microspar calcites that are always very dull to non‐luminescent under cathodoluminescence, sometimes with some thin bright zones. These are interpreted as capillary rise and pedogenic calcrete precipitates. The δ¹⁸O values (?5‰ to ?8‰, PDB) and the δ¹³C values (+2‰ to ?3‰, PDB) of the ‘pseudobreccias’ are lower than the estimated δ¹⁸O values (?3‰ to ?1‰ PDB) and δ¹³C values of (+2‰ to +4‰ PDB) of normal marine calcite precipitated from Late Dinantian sea water, reflecting the influence of meteoric waters and the input of organic carbon.     

澳大利亚十二门徒中新世地层成因研究

澳大利亚维多利亚州南部海岸坎贝尔港（Port Campbell）附近的十二门徒（The Twelve Apostles）地层主要为石灰质地层,偶见海相生物贝壳,一直被认为是浅海大陆架石灰岩（limestone）沉积。野外考察发现,该地层不仅存在海相生物碎片,同时也存在根化石、钙结核层等地表古土壤特征。为了更好地分析其沉积环境,本文对十二门徒剖面样品的粒度、石英颗粒表面形态以及稀土元素进行了系统分析,并将其结果与第四纪西峰黄土古土壤和现代海滩砂进行比较。结果表明,整个剖面序列以细粉砂为主,与典型风积黄土古土壤具有相似的粒度分布与粒度象特征,Sahu判别分析结果表明绝大部分样品值都小于-2.7411,显示了剖面整体以风积成因为主。样品的石英颗粒呈现出不规则的棱角状、次棱角状,显示风成特征;此外,十二门徒剖面样品具有与黄土古土壤以及上地壳（UCC）相似的稀土元素分配模式。因此,我们认为该地层并非海相石灰岩沉积,而是一套在半干旱气候条件下发育的具有多层钙结核的风积序列地层。该地层记录了澳洲东南海岸16.0~5.3Ma以来的风积历史与气候变化,表明澳大利亚的干旱化至少是在16Ma前就开始了。由于这套风积地层靠近海岸,易受地质时期海平面变化的影响,以致在地层中的局部层位出现海相生物碎屑,但地层的物质来源可能来源于澳大利亚的艾尔湖（Lake Eyre）盆地。

     

灰岩岩溶强烈发育区CSAMT法隧道勘查研究

我国有大面积埋藏型可溶岩分布,对灰岩岩溶强烈发育区的地球物理勘查研究对隧道等工程建设有重要意义。对于工程所涉及深度的地层勘察,可控源音频大地电磁法(CSAMT)是一种比较有效的方法。在贵州某铁路隧道应用CSAMT法对灰岩岩溶强烈发育区地层进行了勘查研究。介绍了CSAMT法的基本原理、针对工程实际数据采集的特点,以及针对该地区的地形改正和静态校正的数据处理方法。分析原始曲线特征及反演结果比对,结合研究区地质资料,对CSAMT反演结果进行了地质解释指出了对工程有害的地层范围并提出了相应的建议。     

Nautiloid cephalopods of the Kildare Limestone (Ashgill), Ireland

The nautiloid cephalopod fauna of the Kildare Limestone (Ordovician, Ashgill), County Kildare, eastern Ireland is described as a whole for the first time. It consists of four orthoconic taxa, newly assigned taxonomically, and one coiled form. There are other orthocones, doubtfully determined or undetermined.     

Biostratigraphy of Dinantian limestones and associated volcanic rocks in the Limerick Syncline,Ireland

Rocks of Courceyan to Brigantian age are exposed in the Limerick Syncline. However, a complete Courceyan succession is known only from two boreholes which correlate closely, both faunally and lithologically, with a standard Limerick Province succession in the Pallaskenry Borehole on the Shannon estuary. This is followed by a thick Waulsortian sequence (the newly defined Limerick Limestone Formation) of late Courceyan to early Chadian age and overlying cherty micrites (the newly defined Lough Gur Formation) of early to late Chadian age, whose top is younger to the east. The Lough Gur Formation is succeeded by lavas and tuffs of the Knockroe Volcanic Formation whose upper part is interbedded with and overlain by shallow water oolites and algal-rich bioclastic limestones of the Herbertstown Limestone Formation. The higher part of the latter is in turn interbedded with lavas and tuffs of the Knockseefin Volcanic Formation. The Herbertstown Limestone has rich and diverse coral/brachiopod and foraminiferal assemblages of late Chadian to Asbian age. Its base is markedly diachronous: late Chadian in the west of the syncline and Holkerian in the east. Both the base and top of the Knockroe Volcanic Formation are thus shown to be markedly diachronous and volcanism extends from the Chadian to early Asbian. The Knockseefin Volcanic Formation is entirely of Asbian age. The highest limestones (Dromkeen Limestone Formation) have a diagnostic late Asbian–early Brigantian fauna and are overstepped by mid-Namurian shales.