中国土壤环境中Th元素与癌症的关系

利用土壤环境中钍元素７６７个数据,癌死亡调查资料７８７０８０例,研究了胃癌、食管癌、肝癌、宫颈癌、肺癌、大肠癌、白血病、鼻咽癌、乳腺癌死亡率与人群生存区土壤环境中钍元素的关系。结果表明,胃癌、食管癌、宫颈癌、肺癌、鼻咽癌死亡率与钍元素有相关性,等级相关系数分别为－０．３８５７,－０．３２５６,－０．４５４２,－０．３８２８,０．６１５３。     

南京直立人的U/Th和U/Pa年代

中国直立人化石的准确定年对于研究人类演化有着极为重要的意义。1993～1994年在南京汤山葫芦洞发现的两个直立人头盖骨化石和一枚牙化石被称为“南京直立人”。其中1号头盖骨化石之上的方解石钙板的U/Th年龄为53.3_(-1.2)~(+1.5)万年;但考虑到定年的准确性,则为53.3_(-3.0)~(+3.5)万年。其~(231)Pa/~(235)U活度比值为0.998±0.006。这表明“南京直立人”的年代应该大于50万年。与”南京直立人”伴生的动物牙化石U/Th年代为18.5～29.0万年;U/Pa年代为13.7～17.2万年。此外,对于同一颗牙化石,牙釉的年龄小于牙本质的年龄。同一样品的U/Pa年龄也显著小于其U/Th年龄。因此,牙化石的U摄取过程并不符合U早期摄取模式。多数牙化石分析点在~(234)U/~(238)U-~(230)Th/~(238)U图上落在位于U早期摄取和线性摄取模式曲线之间,指示牙化石的U摄取过程很可能介于上述两种模式之间。如果这一假设成立,那么牙化石的U/Th和U/Pa线性摄取模式年龄则为其年代的上限。因为不受U摄取过程~(234)U/~(238)U变化的影响,U/Pa线性摄取模式年龄比U/Th较为可靠。最小的U/Pa线性摄取模式年龄为1Ma,这是”南京直立人”上限年龄的估计。从定年结果看,”南京直立人”可能生活在海洋同位素(MIS)16阶段,但这不是最终结论。     

In Situ U‐Th‐Pb Dating and Sr‐Nd Isotope Analysis of Bastnäsite by LA‐(MC)‐ICP‐MS

Bastnäsite is the end member of a large group of carbonate–fluoride minerals with the common formula (REE) CO₃F·CaCO₃. This group is generally widespread and, despite never occurring in large quantities, represents the major economic light rare earth element (LREE) mineral in deposits related to carbonatite and alkaline intrusions. Since bastnäsite is easily altered and commonly contains inclusions of earlier‐crystallised minerals, in situ analysis is considered the most suitable method to measure its U‐Th‐Pb and Sr‐Nd isotopic compositions. Electron probe microanalysis and laser ablation (multi‐collector) inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry of forty‐six bastnäsite samples from LREE deposits in China, Pakistan, Sweden, Mongolia, USA, Malawi and Madagascar indicate that this mineral typically has high Th and LREE and moderate U and Sr contents. Analysis of an in‐house bastnäsite reference material (K‐9) demonstrated that precise and accurate U‐Th‐Pb ages could be obtained after common Pb correction. Moreover, the Th‐Pb age with its high precision is preferable to the U‐Pb age because most bastnäsites have relatively high Th rather than U contents. These results will have significant implications for understanding the genesis of endogenous ore deposits and formation processes related to metallogenic geochronology research.     

A record of changing redox conditions in the northern Peru Basin during the Late Quaternary deduced from Mn/Fe and growth rate variations in two diagenetic manganese nodules

Two diagenetic manganese nodules from the Peru Basin were investigated by thermal ionization mass spectrometry and high resolution alpha spectrometry for uranium and thorium. The TIMS concentrations for nodule 62KD (63KG) vary as follows: 0.12–1.01 ppb (0.06–0.59) ²³⁰Th, 0.51–1.98 ppm (0.43–1.40) ²³²Th, 0.13–0.80 ppb (0.09–0.49) ²³⁴U, and 1.95–13.47 ppm (1.66–8.24) ²³⁸U. Both nodules have average growth rates of 110 mm per million years. However, from the variations of excess ²³⁰Th with depth we estimate partial accumulation rates which range from 50 to 400 mm per million years. The δ²³⁴U dating method cannot be applied due to remobilization of U from the sediment and subsequent incorporation into the nodules' crystal lattice, reflected by decay corrected δ²³⁴U values far above the ocean water value. Sections of fast nodule growth are related to those layers having high Mn/Fe ratios (up to 200) and higher densities. As a possible explanation we develop a scenario that describes similar glacial/interglacial trends in both nodules as a record of regional changes of sediment and/or deep water chemistry.     

Evidence from the Northeastern Atlantic basin for variability in the rate of the meridional overturning circulation through the last deglaciation

A first study from the subtropical western Atlantic, using ²³¹Pa/²³⁰Th ratios as a kinematic proxy for deep water circulation, provided compelling evidence for a strong link between climate and the rate of Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC) over the last deglaciation. However, these results warrant confirmation from additional locations and water depths because the interpretation of the sedimentary ²³¹Pa/²³⁰Th ratio in terms of circulation vigor can be biased by variations in particle flux and composition. We have measured ²³¹Pa/²³⁰Th in a core from the Iberian margin, in the Northeastern Atlantic basin, and have compared these new results to the data from the western Atlantic basin. We find that the reduction in the circulation during H1 and YD and the subsequent increases first recognized in the sediment deposited on Bermuda Rise are also evident in the eastern basin, in a totally different sedimentary regime, confirming that sedimentary ²³¹Pa/²³⁰Th ratios record basin-wide changes in deep water circulation. However, some differences between the eastern and western records are also recognized, providing preliminary evidence to differentiate between renewal rates in the two North Atlantic basins and between shallower and deeper overturning. Our results suggest the possible existence of two sources of Glacial North Atlantic Intermediate Deep Water (GNAIW), one in the south Labrador Sea and another west of Rockall Plateau. Both sources contributed to the meridional overturning but the two had different sensitivity to meltwater from the Laurentide and the Fennoscandian ice sheets during the deglaciation. These results indicate that additional information on the geometry and strength of the ventilation of the deep Atlantic can be obtained by contrasting the evolution of sediment ²³¹Pa/²³⁰Th in different sections of the Atlantic Ocean.     

Testing a new combined (U,Th)–He and U/Th dating approach on Plio-Pleistocene calcite speleothems

The geochronology of cave deposits in the Cradle of Humankind UNESCO World Heritage Site in South Africa provides a timeframe essential for the interpretation of its fossils. The uranium-lead (U–Pb) and uranium-thorium disequilibrium (U/Th) dating of speleothems, mostly flowstones that underlie and blanket the fossil-bearing sediments, have been effective in this sense, but U–Pb is limited by the requirement of ∼1 ppm U concentrations and low common Pb contents, and U/Th has a c. 500 ka limit of applicability. Here we report age results for calcite-aragonite speleothems obtained using a new combined uranium-thorium-helium ((U,Th)–He) and U/Th dating routine. We reproduced within analytical uncertainty, the published U–Pb or U/Th ages for (a) flowstone in three drill core samples in the range 2000–3000 ka, (b) a flowstone hand sample taken at surface with an age of 1800 ka, and (c) five underground flowstone samples in the range 100–800 ka. Calcite retentivity for He under cave conditions is thus demonstrated. In the few cases where helium loss was observed in speleothems, only some of the subsamples were affected, and to varying degrees, suggesting loss by lattice damage not related to diagenetic processes, rather than volume diffusion. In the 100 to 800 ka range, the combined U/Th disequilibrium and (U,Th)–He method also yielded reliable values for initial (²³⁰Th/²³⁸U) and (²³⁴U/²³⁸U) activity ratios. Importantly, most subsamples had high initial (²³⁰Th/²³⁸U) values, ranging from 1.0 to 19.7, although having low Th/U ratios. This is probably due to incorporation of Fe–Mn oxides-hydroxides dust, on which ²³⁰Th was previously adsorbed. Such samples are mostly not dateable by U/Th without the additional input from the He analysis. If not detected and corrected for, such high initial (²³⁰Th/²³⁸U) values can lead to inaccurate U/Th and U–Pb ages. Our study shows that the incorporation of He analysis in U/Th dating has broad potential application, with four methods for calculating the ages, in carbonates from different environments where U-Pb or U/Th dating would not work.     

磷灰石U-Th/He法——一种低温热年代计

回顾了U Th/He测年方法的发展过程 ,简要介绍了该方法测年的原理、分析流程和长α -粒子停止距离校正。然后介绍了近年来在磷灰石He扩散性研究及数值模拟方面取得的一些成果和磷灰石U Th/He热年代计在研究古地貌、岩体构造抬升、盆地热历史演化方面的应用。最后分析了U Th/He测年方法的优、缺点 ,说明这一方法既存在广阔的应用前景 ,又有待于进一步完善、提高。     

Pb and Th in settling particles in the western Northwest Pacific Ocean: Particle flux and scavenging

A mooring of three conical time-series sediment traps was deployed at two sites in the western Northwest Pacific Ocean for 9 months. Total mass fluxes and activities of ²¹⁰Pb and ²³⁰Th were determined for the settling particles to elucidate their scavenging and transport processes. Sediment samples also were analyzed for ²¹⁰Pb activities. Total mass fluxes, ²¹⁰Pb fluxes and ²³⁰Th fluxes showed large seasonal variations and their weighted mean fluxes tended to increase with depth, with an especially large increase near-bottom. The ratios of the observed ²¹⁰Pb fluxes to the ²¹⁰Pb deficiency fluxes in the upper traps at the two sites were only 0.02 and 0.12, and were attributable to advective export of ²¹⁰Pb from the surface waters. Those ratios in the near-bottom traps ranged between 1.22 and 2.63. This suggests that these high ratios are due to effective particle scavenging, large lateral ²¹⁰Pb import and input of resuspended particles that have not become incorporated into the sediments. The mean total ²³⁰Th fluxes at the near-bottom traps were 4.2–6.7 times higher than that expected from production in the overlying water column. The ²¹⁰Pb activities in the surficial sediments were much lower than those in the near-bottom traps. The ²¹⁰Pb accumulation rates estimated from the excess ²¹⁰Pb inventory in the sediment column were 40–70% higher than the mean ²¹⁰Pb fluxes at the near-bottom traps. The ratios of the ²¹⁰Pb accumulation rates to the ²¹⁰Pb deficiency fluxes at the near-bottom traps ranged between 2.0 and 3.7. The high fluxes of particulate ²¹⁰Pb and ²³⁰Th at the near-bottom traps reflected a combination of enhanced scavenging of dissolved nuclides and the lateral redistribution of particulate matter by downslope and alongshore transports. However, it was not possible to discriminate among the various processes contributing to high nuclide fluxes.     

Rates of cave and landform development in the Yorkshire Dales from speleothem age data

Uranium-series ages have been obtained for 87 speleothems collected from nine major cave systems in the Craven district of northern England. Large systems such as Ease Gill Caverns, the West Kingsdale caves, and Gaping Gill-Ingleborough Cave, which contain relict high-level tunnels, are found to be older than 350,000 years (the limit of the ²³⁰Th/²³⁴U dating method). There is little evidence to indicate a significant enlargement of these passages since this time. Estimates of the age of Victoria Cave from ²³⁴U/²³⁸U isotopic ratios suggest that the cave has been fully relict for more than 500,000 years. Ages of in situ speleothems immediately adjacent to local base level cave streams show that mean maximum downcutting rates in limestone channels are about 2 to 5 cm 1000 yr. These rates are significantly lower than those obtained from direct measurements on limestone bedrock in stream channels but are comparable to areal denudation rates based on solute budgets. Using the present elevation of caves with respect to adjacent valley floor levels, mean maximum valley entrenchment rates are found to range between 5 cm/ky and < 20cm/ky, which corresponds to 6 m to < 24 m of lowering per glacial/interglacial cycle. These rates suggest that upper beds of the limestone were incised to form the Yorkshire Dales between 1 and 2 million years ago. The results indicate that the erosional effects of individual glaciations are not as severe as previously proposed in the literature.     

浅述五大连池火山区浅层气体钍、氡与断裂构造和火山活动的关系

在五大连池火山区流体化学研究原有工作的基础上，对火山群的重要区段开展了野外踏勘、气体普查，特别是用放射性气体测量方法对火烧山、老黑山、笔架山、药泉山等火山区进行了Tn、Rn测量。通过大量实测资料，分析和研究了Tn、Rn等气体和火山、火山活动、断裂构造、断裂活动性及其他地质条件的关系，初步查明了五大连池火山区的气体组成特征、分布和形成规律，对地下主要气体的成因、气体和火山构造活动及其它地质条件的关系进行了初步探讨，并提出了对五大连池火山区气体观测的初步设想和建议。