Environmental geochemistry of Zarshuran Au-As deposit, NW Iran

Zarshuran deposit is the most famous and important As-Au mine in Iran. However, there is no information on the impact of mining activity on the surrounding environment, especially on water systems. This paper attempts to document the concentration of arsenic and associated elements in waters and sediments resulting from the mining history of Zarshuran, a period covering hundreds of years. Water and sediment samples collected from Zarshuran Stream indicate high content of some potentially toxic elements, especially of As which ranges from 0.028 to 40 ng/l in water and 182 to 36,000 mg/kg in sediment samples. Mining activity, exposure of a large volume of mining wastes to weathering, and the anomalously high background of trace metals in the mining area are considered to be the main sources of heavy metal pollution.     

Particularités de la contamination crustale des phonolites : exemple du Velay oriental (Massif central)

Sr and Nd isotopic compositions of one trachyte, eight phonolites and five basalts have been measured. The isotopic characteristics of the trachyte can be explained by a combined assimilation–fractional crystallization process within an upper crustal magmatic chamber. Some phonolites display isotopic signatures identical to basalts, suggesting that they have been protected against any crustal assimilation during their formation. Some others have low Sr contents, whereas they are enriched in radiogenic Sr (0.70451<⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i<0.71192), and display basaltic ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios. Both observations could be explained by very strong alkali feldspar fractionation and by subsequent very low assimilation of surrounding rocks (between 0.3 and 4%) during intrusion. To cite this article: J.-M. Dautria et al., C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).     

Recent Environmental Change and Atmospheric Contamination on Svalbard as Recorded in Lake Sediments – an Introduction

This paper outlines an interdisciplinary project on recent environmental change and atmospheric contamination on the high Arctic archipelago of Svalbard (76°30′N–80°30′N). It describes the rationale and aims of the project and summarises the location, climate, geology, vegetation, and land-use of Svalbard.     

Influences of wastewater discharges on the water quality of Mamasın dam watershed in Aksaray, Central Anatolian part of Turkey

Sustaining the human ecological benefits of surface water requires carefully planned strategies for reducing the cumulative risks posed by diverse human activities. Municipal governments in Aksaray City play a key role in developing solutions to surface water management and protection problems. The responsibility to provide drinking water and sewage works, regulate the use of private land, and protect public health provides the mandate and authority to take action. A large part of Aksaray City uses Mamasın dam water as its primary source for drinking water. Several point sources of contamination may result from direct wastewater discharges from Melendiz and Karasu rivers, which recharge the Mamasın dam watershed. Relevant studies were carried out for monitoring the eutrophication process, which usually occurs in the static water mass of the Mamasın dam lake. This process may be caused by the continual increase in nutrients and decrease of O₂ levels, causing anaerobic conditions. Stimulated algae growth in these water bodies consequently reduces water quality. Hydrochemical parameters were evaluated to estimate the types of pollution sources, the level of pollution, and its environmental impacts on the Mamasın dam drinking water reservoir.     

Origin of Exceptionally Abundant Phonolites on Ua Pou Island (Marquesas, French Polynesia): Partial Melting of Basanites Followed by Crustal Contamination

On the basis of the first systematic mapping of Ua Pou, longknown for its exceptionally abundant phonolites, we estimatethat these rocks cover 65% of the surface of the island whereasmafic lavas cover 27% and intermediate ones 8%. The silica-undersaturatedsuite was erupted in a restricted time span (2·9–2·35Myr), following the emplacement of tholeiites derived from ayoung HIMU-type source at c. 4 Ma. Primitive basanites, derivedfrom a heterogeneous mantle source with a dominant EM II + HIMUsignature, represent likely parental magmas. The series is characterizedby a Daly gap defined by a lack of phonotephrites. We considerthat the most likely model for the origin of evolved lavas ispartial melting at depth of primitive basanites, leaving anamphibole-rich residuum and producing tephriphonolitic magmas.These tephriphonolitic magmas may have evolved by closed-systemfractional crystallization towards Group A phonolites. Threeother groups of phonolites could have been derived from tephriphonoliticmagmas by open-system fractional crystallization processes,characterized respectively by seawater contamination (GroupB), assimilation of nepheline syenite-type materials (GroupC) and extreme fractionation coupled with assimilation of theunderlying oceanic crust (Group D). The prominence of evolvedlavas is a consequence of their origin from partial meltingof mafic precursors followed by crustal contamination. KEY WORDS: Marquesas; French Polynesia; phonolite; partial melting; contamination     

Application research of enhanced in-situ micro-ecological remediation of petroleum contaminated soil

Experimental study of enhanced in-situ micro-ecological remediation of petroleum contaminated loess soil was carried out in Zhongyuan oil production areas, and the enhanced in-situ micro-ecological remediation technique includes optimistic in-situ microbial communities, physical chemistry methods, alfalfa planting and regulation of soil environmental elements. Experiments showed that the oil content in the contaminated soil with oil content about 2 898.25 mg/kg can be reduced about 98.61% after in-situ micro-ecological remediation for 99 days, which demonstrated the effectiveness of in-situ micro-ecological remediation methods for petroleum contaminated soil in central plains of China, and explored the practical and feasible application of these methods.     

The diagenetic history of Oligocene-Miocene sandstones of the Austrian north Alpine foreland basin

Diagenesis is an essential tool to reconstruct the development of reservoir rocks. Diagenetic processes - precipitation and dissolution - have an influence on pore space. The present paper aims to study the diagenetic history of deep-marine sandstones of the Austrian Alpine Foreland Basin. To reach that goal, sediment petrology and diagenetic features of more than 110 sandstone samples from water- and gas-bearing sections from gas fields within the Oligocene-Miocene Puchkirchen Group and Hall Formation has been investigated. Special emphasis was put on samples in the vicinity of the gas-water contact (GWC). The sediment petrography of sandstones of Puchkirchen Group and Hall Formation is similar; hence their diagenesis proceeded the same way. In fact, primary mineralogy was controlled by paleo-geography with increasing transport distance and diverse detrital input.Sediment petrographically, investigated sandstones from the water-bearing horizon seemed quite comparable to the gas-bearing sediments. In general, they can be classified as feldspatic litharenites to litharenites and display porosities of up to 30% and permeabilities of up to 1300 mD. The carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of bulk carbonate cements from these sandstones range from−3.8 to +2.2 and from −7.5 to +0.2‰ [VPDB]. However, near the Gas-Water Contact (GWC) a horizon with low porosities (<3%) and permeabilities (<0.1 mD) is present. This zone is completely cemented with calcite, which has a blocky/homogenous morphology. A slight, but significant negative shift in δ18O isotopy (−2.5‰) is evident.During early diagenesis the first carbonate generations formed. First a fibrous calcite and afterwards a micritic calcite precipitated. Further siliciclastic minerals, such as quartz and feldspar (K-feldspar and minor plagioclase), exhibit corroded grains. Occasionally, clay minerals (illite; smectite, chlorite) formed as rims around detrital grains. Late diagenesis is indicated by the formation of a low permeable zone at the GWC.     

海洋浮游微食物网结构及其影响因素

微食物环是海洋生态系统中重要的物质和能量过程,是传统食物链的有效补充。微食物环研究是当前海洋生态学研究的热点之一,但对其结构的系统研究较少,海洋微食物网结构在2000年才被Garrison提出。尽管微食物网各个类群的丰度在不同海洋环境中有相对变化,但是这些变化都处于一定的范围之内,其丰度结构约为纤毛虫10 cell ml-1、鞭毛虫103 cell ml-1、微微型真核浮游生物104 cell ml-1、蓝细菌104-5 cell ml-1、异养细菌106 cell ml-1、病毒107 particle ml-1。海洋浮游食物链中捕食者和饵料生物粒径的最佳比值为10:1,实际研究中该比值会略低,例如纤毛虫与其饵料的粒径比值为8:1,鞭毛虫为3:1。Pico和Nano浮游植物的丰度比（Pico:Nano）是研究微食物网结构的指数之一,该指数具有不受研究尺度影响的优点,可用于研究区域性和全球性微食物网结构。近年来,学者们从多角度对海洋微食物网的结构开展了研究,不同海区微食物网各类群丰度、生物量的时间和空间变化研究有很多报道,微食物网的结构可受空间、季节、摄食、营养盐等多种因素影响。在对不同空间微食物网的研究中,学者往往研究不同物理性质的水团中各类群生物丰度的不同,以此来表征微食物网结构的不同;同一海区微食物网结构的季节变化也是使用各个类群丰度和生物量的变化来表示,该变化主要受水文环境因素影响。摄食者对微食物网各类生物的影响通过三种途径：1. 中型浮游动物摄食;2. 中型浮游动物摄食微型浮游动物,通过营养级级联效应影响低营养级生物;3. 中型浮游动物通过释放溶解有机物、营养盐影响细菌和低营养级生物。浮游植物通过产生化感物质和溶解有机物影响微食物网结构,而营养盐的浓度及变化则可以对微食物网产生直接或间接影响。     

Investigation of gas content of organic-rich shale:A case study from Lower Permian shale in southern North China Basin,central China

Measuring gas content is an essential step in estimating the commerciality of gas reserves. In this study,eight shale core samples from the Mouye-1 well were measured using a homemade patented gas desorption apparatus to determine their gas contents. Due to the air contamination that is introduced into the desorption canister, a mathematical method was devised to correct the gas quantity and quality.Compared to the chemical compositions of desorbed gas, the chemical compositions of residual gas are somewhat different. In residual gas, carbon dioxide and nitrogen record a slight increase, and propane is first observed. This phenomenon may be related to the exposure time during the transportation of shale samples from the drilling site to the laboratory, as well as the differences in the mass, size and adsorptivity of different gas molecules. In addition to a series of conventional methods, including the USBM direct method and the Amoco Curve Fit(ACF) method, which were used here for lost gas content estimation, a Modified Curve Fit(MCF) method, based on the 'bidisperse' diffusion model, was established to estimate lost gas content. By fitting the ACF and MCF models to gas desorption data, we determined that the MCF method could reasonably describe the gas desorption data over the entire time period, whereas the ACF method failed. The failure of the ACF method to describe the gas desorption process may be related to its restrictive assumption of a single pore size within shale samples. In comparison to the indirect method, this study demonstrates that none of the three methods studied in this investigation(USBM, ACF and MCF) could individually estimate the lost gas contents of all shale samples and that the proportion of free gas relative to total gas has a significant effect on the estimation accuracy of the selected method. When the ratio of free gas to total gas is lower than 45%, the USBM method is the best for estimating the lost gas content, whereas when the ratio ranges from 45% to 75% or is more than 75%, the ACF and MCF methods, are the best options respectively.     

Geodynamic setting,structure, and composition of continuous trachybasalt-trachyandesite-rhyolite series in the north of Altai-Sayan area: the role of crust-mantle interaction in continental magma formation

The geologic positions and geochemical and isotope parameters of the Ordovician-early Silurian and Early-Middle Devonian continuous volcanic series of the Minusa basin and its mountainous framing are compared. Both series are composed mostly of moderately alkaline rocks with variations in SiO₂ contents from 45 to 77 wt.%. The Ordovician-early Silurian series differs from the Early-Middle Devonian one in lower contents of TiO₂ (< 1.7 wt.%) and Fe₂O_3tot and higher contents of Al₂O₃ in all rock varieties and in the more fractionated REE patterns of trachybasalts. The compositions of both series reflect two simultaneous mechanisms of magma evolution. The main process was fractional crystallization leading to the formation of rocks from trachybasalts to trachyrhyodacites. The accessory mechanism was the contamination of fractionated melts by crustal material, anatectic melting of crust, and mixing of deep-seated magmas with crustal melts. These processes had specifics at each stage and were controlled by the composition of the sources of parental melts. Their geochemical and isotopic parameters (high alkalinity, high contents of lithophile elements, negative anomalies of Nb, Ta, and Ti, and enrichment in radiogenic Sr) point to the interaction of mantle plumes with the lithospheric mantle that was metasomatically transformed during the preceding Vendian-early Cambrian subduction processes.