Experimental study on the deterioration and natural remediation of the Ariake Sea tidal mud caused by the sea laver treatment acid practice and the upward seepage of pore water liquid

This study presents a laboratory study of the following two aspects: (1) the influence of sea laver treatment acid on the geoenvironmental properties of Ariake Sea tidal mud, and (2) the natural remediation effect on the sea laver treatment acid contaminated Ariake Sea tidal mud caused by the upward seepage of pore water liquid in the mud. Firstly, the mechanisms of the transport of sea laver treatment acid in the Ariake Sea tidal mud and the generation mechanisms of the upward seepage flow in the Ariake Sea tidal mud are discussed. Secondly, a series of one-dimensional laboratory infiltration tests were carried out to investigate the deterioration of the Ariake Sea tidal mud caused by the sea laver acid treatment practice. Test results reveal that the acid treatment practice caused considerable change in the geochemical properties of the mud in terms of increase in sulfide content and decrease in pH value. After the treatment by the sea laver treatment acid, the sulfide content of the mud even exceeded the safe limit value for the benthos, which represents undesirable living condition for benthos. Thirdly, series of laboratory fresh seawater infiltration tests for the deteriorated Iida site mud were conducted to illustrate this natural remediation efficiency. It is found that with the infiltration of the fresh seawater, the sulfide content of the Iida site mud was considerably reduced and pH value increased to an acceptable range for benthos living in the tidal flat mud. With the increase in the infiltration time and the hydraulic gradient, the remediation efficiency could be increased.     

Geotechnical properties of evaporite soils of the Dead Sea area

The Dead Sea Basin is the lowest point on earth and is tectonically subsiding. During the Holocene Period the climate became much drier with increasing evaporation whereby initially lacustrine sediments were deposited from the non-marine brines, giving a multi-layered stratigraphy of lime carbonate and halite sediments. The lime carbonate sediments are comprised of laminated, clay to silt sized, clastic sediments (calcite) and authigenic aragonite and gypsum. The halite commonly appears as rock salt. Chemical industries, based on harvesting the salts from the Dead Sea, have developed on both the Israeli and the Jordanian sides of the basin. The lime carbonate soils are used for dike construction, and these soils, together with significant salt layers, are encountered in the foundations of structures, dikes, and tailings dams, requiring definition of their geotechnical properties. Use of standard soil mechanics definitions and testing approaches for the lime carbonates have been found inapplicable, particularly in view of their exceptionally high saline content, and it has been necessary to develop new concepts. The rock salt is encountered at shallow depths, with unit weights considerably lower than those usually discussed in the literature, and with correspondingly different mechanical properties. The geotechnical properties of these soils, and approaches used to define them, are discussed in the paper.     

Sedimentary petrology and geochemistry of siliciclastic rocks from the upper Jurassic Tordillo Formation (Neuquén Basin, western Argentina): Implications for provenance and tectonic setting

The Upper Jurassic Tordillo Formation is exposed along the western edge of the Neuquén Basin (west central Argentina) and consists of fluvial strata deposited under arid/semiarid conditions. The pebble composition of conglomerates, mineralogical composition of sandstones and pelitic rocks, and major- and trace-element geochemistry of sandstones, mudstones, and primary pyroclastic deposits are evaluated to determine the provenance and tectonic setting of the sedimentary basin. Conglomerates and sandstones derived almost exclusively from volcanic sources. The stratigraphic sections to the south show a clast population of conglomerates dominated by silicic volcanic fragments and a predominance of feldspathic litharenites. This framework composition records erosion of Triassic–Jurassic synrift volcaniclastic rocks and basement rocks from the Huincul arch, which was exhumed as a result of Late Jurassic inversion. In the northwestern part of the study area, conglomerates show a large proportion of mafic and acidic volcanic rock fragments, and sandstones are characterised by a high content of mafic volcanic rock fragments and plagioclase. These data suggest that the source of the sandstones and conglomerates was primarily the Andean magmatic arc, located west of the Neuquén Basin. The clay mineral assemblage is interpreted as the result of a complex set of factors, including source rock, climate, transport, and diagenesis. Postdepositional processes produced significant variations in the original compositions, especially the fine-grained deposits. The Tordillo sediments are characterised by moderate SiO₂ contents, variable abundances of K₂O and Na₂O, and a relatively high proportion of ferromagnesian elements. The degree of chemical weathering in the source area, expressed as the chemical index of alteration, is low to moderate. The major element geochemistry and Th/Sc, K/Rb, Co/Th, La/Sc, and Cr/Th values point to a significant input of detrital volcanic material of calcalkaline felsic and intermediate composition. However, major element geochemistry is not useful for interpreting the tectonic setting. Discrimination plots based on immobile trace elements, such as Ti, Zr, La, Sc, and Th, show that most data lie in the active continental margin field. Geochemical information is not sufficiently sensitive to differentiate the two different source areas recognized by petrographic and modal analyses of conglomerates and sandstones.     

Planktonic foraminifers in the southern Bering Sea: Changes in composition and productivity during the Late Pleistocene-Holocene

Taxonomic composition and distribution of planktonic foraminifers are studied in section of Core GC-11 that penetrated through Upper Quaternary sediments of the Bowers Ridge western slope, the southern Bering Sea. As is shown, structure of foraminiferal assemblage and productivity have varied substantially during the last 32000 calendar years in response to changes in surface water temperatures and water mass circulation in the northern part of the Pacific, the Bering Sea included. The productivity was maximal during deglaciation epoch, being notably lower in the Holocene and minimal at the glaciation time.     

南海西部海域新生代构造古地理演化及其对油气勘探的意义

南海西部海域构造复杂,主要发育有北东—北东东向、北西向和近南北向3组深大断裂。其中,北西向断裂与板块汇聚、碰撞有关,多具走滑性质;北东—北东东向断裂具有与中国东部裂谷盆地相似的发育特点,呈张扭性质;近南北向断裂可能是南海在扩张活动期间于洋、陆壳过渡部位形成的走滑调节断裂,是洋盆扩张的西部边界。新生代里,南海经历了4次成盆事件与3期扩张活动,盆地经历了古新世—中始新世陆缘断陷、渐新世—早中新世扩展与中中新世以来的热沉降3个演化阶段。陆缘断陷阶段的充填系列主要是北东—北东东向与北西向的河流—冲积扇、湖泊沼泽等陆相沉积及火山岩等;盆地扩展阶段表现为中-小型断陷、断-坳陷逐渐复合与联合为大-中型坳陷,古地理格局逐渐由河流与湖沼陆相环境演变为滨海至浅海相的沉积环境;热沉降阶段的成盆活动逐渐减弱以至停止,地层表现超覆,盆地出现联合迹象。结合以往勘探与油气资源调查成果分析,认为南海西部海域陆架陆坡区发育的大-中型沉积盆地石油地质条件良好,蕴藏着丰富的油气资源,勘探潜力巨大。     

Soil erosion susceptibility assessment and validation using a geostatistical multivariate approach: a test in Southern Sicily

A certain number of studies have been carried out in recent years that aim at developing and applying a model capable of assessing water erosion of soil. Some of these have tried to quantitatively evaluate the volumes of soil loss, while others have focused their efforts on the recognition of the areas most prone to water erosion processes. This article presents the results of a research whose objective was that of evaluating water erosion susceptibility in a Sicilian watershed: the Naro river basin. A geomorphological study was carried out to recognize the water erosion landforms and define a set of parameters expressing both the intensity of hydraulic forces and the resistance of rocks/soils. The landforms were mapped and classified according to the dominant process in landsurfaces affected by diffuse or linear water erosion. A GIS layer was obtained by combining six determining factors (bedrock lithology, land use, soil texture, plan curvature, stream power index and slope-length factor) in unique conditions units. A geostatistical multivariate approach was applied by analysing the relationships between the spatial distributions of the erosion landforms and the unique condition units. Particularly, the density of eroded area for each combination of determining factors has been calculated: such function corresponds, in fact, to the conditional probability of erosion landforms to develop, under the same geoenvironmental conditions. In light of the obtained results, a general geomorphologic model for water erosion in the Naro river basin can be depicted: cultivated areas in clayey slopes, having fine-medium soil texture, are the most prone to be eroded; linear or diffuse water erosion processes dominate where the topography is favourable to a convergent or divergent runoff, respectively. For each of the two erosion process types, a susceptibility map was produced and submitted to a validation procedure based on a spatial random partition strategy. Both the success of the validation procedure of the susceptibility models and the geomorphological coherence of the relationships between factors and process that such models suggest, confirm the reliability of the method and the goodness of the predictions.     

华北克拉通北缘隆化地区S型花岗岩的独居石年龄图谱

位于华北克拉通北缘中段的隆化S型花岗岩由石榴石黑云母花岗岩、石榴石花岗岩以及片麻理化的黑云母花岗岩组成。其主体岩性石榴石黑云母花岗岩SiO_2和Al_2O_3含量分别为64.09%～69.6%以及14.6%～16.13%,K_2O/Na_2O>1.0,A/CNK>1,0,Mg~#在20.76～34.89之间变化,具有明显的Nb、Ta、P、Ti和Sr亏损以及Rb、K和Th富集。石榴石黑云母花岗岩(样品JB6031-1)采用独居石电子探针U-Th-Pb化学法进行测年,获得了2553±120Ma、2180±42Ma和1854±24Ma三个年龄峰值。一颗独居石内部成分分带上6个分析点定年结果构成2553±120Ma的峰值年龄,这一年龄与我们最新获得的2506±7Ma和2541±8Ma(继承锆石年龄)LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb同位素年龄相似,我们将这一独居石年龄解释为继承独居石的年龄,表明在赤城-隆化断裂以北存在太古宙陆块,并且在后期构造-热事件中发生部分熔融形成S型花岗岩。该独居石颗粒幔部成分分带上10个分析点的测年结果揭示的峰值年龄为2181±42Ma,该年龄也是出现频率最高的年龄值,我们建议2181±42Ma为S型花岗岩的结晶年龄,反映了S型花岗岩的侵位时代。独居石颗粒外部成分分带上8个分析点的测年结果构成1854±24Ma的峰值年龄,该年龄与华北克拉通中部带的变质年龄接近,我们将其解释为S型花岗岩的变质年龄,表明华北克拉通北缘的构造演化与中部带的构造演化密切相关。     

新疆北部库尔提蛇绿岩中角闪片岩的原岩恢复及其成因

库尔提角闪片岩产于库尔提蛇绿岩南部岩片中,与斜长花岗岩呈互层产出。这套角闪片岩的不相容微量元素组分显示了大洋中脊和岛弧玄武岩的双重特征,主要表现为大离子亲石元素(LILE)富集,高场强元素(HFSE)亏损以及平坦到亏损的轻稀土(LREE)配分模式。原岩恢复的结果表明,该角闪片岩的原岩为亚碱性的拉斑玄武岩类。库尔提角闪片岩亏损的LREE、高ε_(Nd)(t),以及关键元素比值(Th/Nb,La/Yb和Th/Yb)呈正相关都表明,其源区可能以MORB地幔为主,同时还伴有少量弧组分。因此,我们认为其形成于弧后盆地环境,同时推断该区弧后盆地存在一个二阶段的熔融演化模式:第一阶段,大约在晚古生代早期,古亚洲洋向西伯利亚板块发生北向俯冲,在会聚板块边界,弧火山岩被从含水的地幔楔中提取出来,留下一个亏损地幔;第二阶段,随着古亚洲洋板块持续消减,在中-晚泥盆世形成了库尔提弧后盆地,下部的亏损地幔发生了小比例的部分熔融形成了这套角闪片岩的原岩。     

橄榄岩—熔体相互作用过程中Re-Os体系的变化趋势: 对华北新生代地幔橄榄岩Re-Os年龄含义的启示

橄榄岩的Re-Os同位素体系作为探讨岩石圈地幔形成年龄的重要手段已受到人们越来越多的重视。然而,Re-Os体系是否会受到橄榄岩的低温蚀变如蛇纹石化和地幔交代作用或橄榄岩—熔体相互作用的影响并不十分清楚。本文在总结国际上典型造山带橄榄岩剖面研究和地幔橄榄岩捕虏体研究的基础上,发现橄榄岩的Re-Os同位素体系基本不受蛇纹石化等低温蚀变作用的影响; 但橄榄岩—熔体相互作用会造成橄榄岩的Re-Os体系的变化即Re或Os的带入。当熔体/岩石比例较小时(≤1),橄榄岩—熔体相互作用会造成橄榄岩的Re含量显著增加,而放射成因的Os同位素即¹⁸⁷Os增量有限。但当熔体/岩石比例很大时(≥1),会造成¹⁸⁷Os同位素显著增加。同时,橄榄岩的Re含量与中等程度不相容主、微量元素如Al、Ti、Yb的正相关关系可以通过橄榄岩的两阶段演化模式来解释,即早期的部分熔融残留和后期的橄榄岩—熔体相互作用共同影响的结果。橄榄岩的Re含量与Cr含量的正相关关系进一步说明了这一问题。上述结果对华北东部岩石圈地幔的演化过程有重要的启示作用。因为华北东部古生代时期的确存在太古宙岩石圈地幔,然而新生代时期地幔橄榄岩捕虏体普遍具有元古宙而非太古宙的事实证明橄榄岩—熔体的相互作用的确广泛存在,从而造成岩石圈地幔橄榄岩变年轻。因此,新生代地幔捕虏体的Re-Os同位素年龄并不是岩石圈地幔的形成年龄,而是混合作用的结果。汉诺坝地幔橄榄岩的Re含量和Sr、Nd同位素组成符合橄榄岩—多元熔体相互作用的混合趋势,其橄榄岩的全岩Al₂O₃含量和橄榄石Fo的反相关性能够通过橄榄岩—熔体相互作用来解释。     

新疆准噶尔盆地西北缘吐谷鲁群沉积体系分析

根据在新疆准噶尔盆地西北缘乌尔禾-夏子街地区的野外地层露头观察、追索及钻孔资料分析研究,笔者认为,该区下白垩统吐谷鲁群是一套以灰绿色砂岩和红色、棕红色泥岩组成的干燥气候条件下形成的内陆湖相碎屑沉积,发育浅水三角洲体系,主要由三角洲平原和三角洲前缘相组成.吐谷鲁群碎屑岩的碎屑粒度由下而上可分为两个大的韵律旋回,即粗-细-粗-细,反映了水体扩展到萎缩再扩展的过程.有利铀成矿的砂岩层主要集中在两个韵律旋回的底部,形成于三角洲平原分流河道、决口扇、三角洲前缘水下分流河道和水下堤环境.