Occurrence of Uraniferous Iron Grains at Gabal Gattar, El Missikat and El Erediya Granites in Eastern Desert of Egypt

Uraniferous iron grains occur in some radioactive granite plutons in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. Modal analysis of these grains indicates that weight abundance of uraniferous grains amounts to 17.50%, 18.00% and 26.00% of the total accessory heavy minerals of the uranium-mineralized samples of Gabal Gattar, El Missikat and El Erediya, respectively. These grains are mainly restricted to shear zones associated with strong hematitization, and occur either as fracture fillings or as interstitial grains among the main rock-forming minerals. Uraniferous iron grains are mainly composed of uranophane and β-uranophane coated and stained with limonite. These grains represent the main radioactive minerals in addition to the bright canary yellow to yellow uranophane and β-uranophane mineral grains. The data obtained on scanning electron microscopy and electron microprobe analysis confirm the abundance of iron in the darker colored varieties with respect to the light colored varieties. This mode of occurrence of the uranium minerals requires special consideration during mineral processing by physical means.     

Porous and fluffy grains in the regions of anomalous extinction

It has long been established that the ratio of total to selective extinction is anomalously large (>- 5) in certain regions of the interstellar medium. In these regions of anomalous extinction the dust grains are likely to be irregular in shape and fluffy in structure. Using discrete dipole approximation (DDA) we calculate the extinction for porous and fluffy grains. We apply DDA first to solid spheroidal particles assumed to be made of a certain (large) number of dipoles. Then we systematically reduce the number of dipoles to model the porous grains. The aggregates of these particles are suggested to form the fluffy grains. We study the extinction for these particles as a function of grain size, porosity and wavelength. We apply these calculations to interpret the observed extincttion data in the regions of star formation (e.g. the Orion complex).     

掺细料砾石土的动孔压特性探讨

地震荷载作用下发生滑坡的滑动带通常由粗颗粒与细颗粒组成。滑带土的动力性质及动孔隙水压力的发展对边坡的稳定性至关重要。对掺细料砾石混合土进行动三轴试验来探讨细料(粒径小于0.5mm)含量对砾石(粒径6~20mm)混合土的动孔压特性的影响,进行细料含量为0%、20%和40%的三组试样的动三轴试验,采用固结围压为100kPa、固结应力比为1.0、频率为1.0Hz,施加轴向动应力分别为0.50、0.55、0.60和0.65kN,得到动孔压的变化规律。试验发现:(1)相同激振力作用下,随着细料含量的增加,动孔隙水压力增长速度逐渐变缓;相同细料含量时,随着激振力的增大,动孔隙水压力增长速度变快。(2)激振力较大和细料含量较少时,动孔隙水压力在较少的振次下达到较大值并趋于稳定。(3)细料含量为20%的砾石混合土试样在试验终止时的振动次数最大,细料含量为40%的砾石混合土在试验终止时的振动次数最小。(4)当细粒含量为0%和20%时,试验终止时最终的孔压都可以接近固结围压;当细粒含量为40%,激振力较大时,试验终止时最终的孔压才接近固结围压,而激振力较小时最终的孔压远远没有达到固结围压。     

Reliability of equivalent-dose determination and age-models in the OSL dating of historical and modern palaeoflood sediments

The challenge of accurately estimating the deposition age of incompletely-bleached samples in luminescence dating has motivated developments in the analysis of single grain dose distributions, and a number of statistical approaches have been proposed over the last few years. In this study, we compare the behaviour of the arithmetic average, so-called ‘robust statistics’, the Central Age Model (CAM), the Minimum Age Model (MAM) and the Internal–External Consistency Criterion (IEU) and lowest 5% method, when applied to single-grain dose distributions from a sequence of eight recent (40–1000 years) flash-flood deposits. These sediments are expected to be incompletely bleached, but all have age control from historical records. Modifications were made to allow the use of the standard CAM and MAM models with dose distributions containing near zero and negative dose values. An assessment of minimum over-dispersion (OD) is based on dose recovery tests based on gamma-irradiated samples. We then present a detailed analysis of the effect of an additional uncertainty added to the individual dose estimates on the burial dose estimates from the MAM and the IEU approach. The results of the various models are discussed in terms of the accuracy of the resulting age, and we conclude that, overall, the IEU approach generates the most accurate ages. We also demonstrate that accurate doses can be obtained for those older samples for which uncertainties of ∼40 years are unimportant by applying the IEU model to small aliquot (∼30 grains) dose distributions. From our study we conclude that these and similar young slack-water flood deposits can be accurately dated using quartz OSL, opening up the possibility of establishing time series of flood discharge in catchments for which no instrumental or historical record exists.     

基于核密度估计的碎屑颗粒年龄分析及应用:松辽盆地构造事件定年

碎屑矿物热年代学是了解板块碰撞、造山带抬升剥露以及盆地沉积等地质事件的重要途径之一。同一沉积区内碎屑颗粒通常是多来源的,含有不同的年龄组分,如何获得真实的年龄组分分布样式,进而准确地提取出地质年龄信息是碎屑颗粒年龄分析的关键。由于受到数学原理、组距选择和样品分析测试误差等因素的影响,常用的地质年龄频率分布图和概率密度曲线难以得到真实的年龄分布样式。本文引入一种新的同位素年龄数据统计方法--核密度估计法。该方法以同位素年龄数据为基础,根据数据密度和测试误差自适应变换带宽函数,减少了测试误差和样本数量的干扰,有效地提高了年龄分解精度。该方法尤其适用于同位素年龄样本数量少的研究新区以及测试误差大的碎屑颗粒年代学数据分析。本文应用核密度估计法,对大兴安岭地区显生宙花岗岩锆石U Pb年龄数据库和松辽盆地碎屑磷灰石裂变径迹年龄数据进行了分析,所得到的年龄分布样式不但与区域地质背景、盆地构造沉积记录等地质事实相吻合,还进一步准确约束了区域构造事件的年代界限。因此核密度估计法是一种能合理有效地进行地质年龄分布样式分析的先进统计方法。     

骊山北缘山前断层的活动特征

骊山北缘山前断层是渭河盆地东部一条具重要地震地质意义的活断层,第四纪以来活动标志明显。断层一带的断错地貌显示,该断层以引张倾滑兼反扭活动为特征;断层泥中石英碎屑的SEM形貌特征显示,断层粘滑活动标志显著;断面擦痕电算结果显示,断裂带引张构造应力场格局为:σ~1—NE64°∠12°,σ_2—NE20°∠74°,σ_3—SE154°∠2°;冲沟裂点的实测分析结果显示,全新世以来该断层可能有过七次以上的快速活动;陡坎扩散方程计算和热释光测年确定出了该断层距今12万年左右的一次强烈活动的年代。     

Presolar grains from meteorites: Remnants from the early times of the solar system

This review provides an introduction to presolar grains - preserved stardust from the interstellar molecular cloud from which our solar system formed - found in primitive meteorites. We describe the search for the presolar components, the currently known presolar mineral populations, and the chemical and isotopic characteristics of the grains and dust-forming stars to identify the grains’ most probable stellar sources.     

黄土粒度分布中的超细粒组分及其成因*

多个剖面的粒度测量表明,黄土高原的黄土和古土壤中普遍存在超细粒组分,其平均粒径大致0.4μm,在全样中的含量大致5 ％ ~6 ％。 超细粒组分的含量在黄土中低,在古土壤中高;并且同一地层自西北至东南增加,这些特征都显示超细粒组分的形成与成壤作用强度相关。一般情况下超细粒组分的粒度在黄土中粗,在古土壤中细。黄土高原各季节的现代天然粉尘中同样存在超细粒组分,然而干旱区成壤作用较少的天然降尘中基本不存在超细粒组分。以上特征说明,黄土中的超细粒组分的形成与成壤作用有关,成壤作用中次生矿物的粒度和含量特征也支持这一解释。     

U–Pb LA-ICP-MS geochronology of detrital zircon grains from low-grade metasedimentary rocks (Neoproterozoic – Cambrian) of the Mojotoro Range,northwest Argentina

The first results of U–Pb detrital zircons were obtained in three lithostratigraphic units of the Puncoviscana Complex in NW Argentina: Chachapoyas, Alto de la Sierra and Guachos Formations. The Chachapoyas Formation has a maximum sedimentation age of 569 Ma and a minimum age of 533 Ma, based on the U–Pb age of an intrusive porphyry granitic. The Alto de la Sierra Formation, composed by sandstones and volcaniclastic rocks, has a maximum age of 543 Ma. A maximum age of 517 Ma is here reported for the deposition of the Guachos Formation, the youngest unit. The contact between the Chachapoyas and Guachos formations is by a tectonic relation, and it's probably coincident with a stratigraphic unconformity between them (unconformity Tilcara I). The Lizoite Formation is overlying by an unconformity (Tilcara II unconformity) the Puncoviscana Complex, and represents the basal unit of the Mesón Group. The provenance zircon data for that formation indicate a maximum depositional age of 513 Ma.     

宁武天池干海湖泊沉积物的部分非磁滞剩磁研究

应用部分非磁滞剩磁(pARM)谱,对山西宁武天池干海湖泊沉积物携带的磁信息研究表明,粗磁铁矿颗粒(MD)是主要载磁矿物颗粒,其pARM谱在低矫顽力区间(AF20 mT)达到最高值;而细磁铁矿颗粒(PSD-SD)为次要载磁颗粒,其pARM谱在高矫顽力区间(AF20 mT)稍有突起。但是,剖面三个层位具有不同特征,上层(大约7.3~4.0 ka)的粗磁性矿物颗粒含量最高,下层(大约12.0~13.0 ka)次之,而中层(大约12.0~7.3 ka)相对最低;中层的细磁性颗粒含量最高,下层和上层的细磁性颗粒含量次之。pARM谱分析结果与磁滞曲线测量获得的磁畴结果一致。在较高的交变磁场区间获得的pARM可以有效地压抑粗磁颗粒的信息,进而使细磁颗粒的信号增强。应用pARM谱分析,能有效判别样品中磁性矿物的磁畴状态,有助于沉积物的古气候、岩石磁学和古地磁学研究。