Environmental Redox Changes of the Ancient Sea in the Yangtze Area during the Ordo-Silurian Transition

Extensive organic-matter （OM） rich facies （black shales） occur in the Ordo-Silurian boundary successions in the Yangtze area, South China. To investigate the redox changes of the Yangtze Sea during the Ordo-Silurian transition, two OM sections （Wangjiawan in Yichang, Hubei Province, and Sanjiaguan in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province） straddling the Ordo-Silurian boundary are studied. The measurements finished in this study include contents of the total organic carbon （TOC）, pyrite sulphur, and different species of Fe, including dithionite-extractable Fe （FED）, pyrite Fe （FeP）, HCl-extractable Fe （FeH）, and total Fe （FeT）, in black shales, as well as other redox proxies, such as the SIC ratio, the ratio between highly reactive Fe （FeHR = FeD ＋ FeP） and FeT, and the FeP/（FeP ＋ FeH） ratio, known as the degree of pyritization （DOP）. In the Wangjiawan section, the Middle Ashgill sediments have high FeHR/FeT ratios （0.20-0.77; avg. 0.45）, high DOP values （0.21-0.72; avg. 0.54）, and a relatively constant sulfur content independent of the organic carbon content. By the contrast, the mid-early Hirnantian deposits generally have low FeHR/FeT ratios （0.10-0.35; avg. 0.21）, low DOP values （0.11- 0.40; avg. 0.28）, and SIC values are clustering on the normal marine value （SIC = 0.36）. The late Hirnantian and early Rhuddanian deposits, similar to those of the Middle Ashgill deposits, are characterized by high FeHR/FeT ratios （0.32-0.49; avg. 0.41）, high DOP values （0.46-0.68; avg. 0.53） and fairly constant sulfur contents. These data suggest the occurrences of marine anoxia on the Yangtze Sea shelf during intervals of the Mid Ashgill, Late Hirnantian and Early Rhuddanian, and ventilated and oxygenated marine conditions during the mid-early Hirnantian time. The mid-early Hirnantian ventilated event was concomitant with the global glacial period, likely resulted from the glacio-eustatic sea-level fall and subsequent circulation of cold, dense oxygenated waters     

基于非充分掺混模式的流域来水组成模型

针对如何减小数值求解对流输运方程耗散误差的问题,引进断面计算浓度的概念来计算河段平均浓度,提出了非充分掺混模式的有限控制体积法离散对流输运方程的新算法,据此构建了模拟流域内的水源组成以及不同水源在流域内的时空变化情况的流域来水组成模型。通过数值试验与具体实例验证,结果表明所提出的非充分掺混模式的新算法可有效地提高流域来水模型的计算精度。     

红枫湖夏季分层期间pCO2分布规律的研究

在夏季分层期间对红枫湖南、北湖湖心的水样进行分层采集,同时测定了分层水样的温度、pH、HCO₃-浓度、溶解氧(DO)、叶绿素a(Chl-a)及铵根离子(NH₄+)、硝酸根离子(NO₃-)、磷酸根离子(PO₄3-)的浓度,水体中CO₂的分压(pCO₂)由化学平衡及亨利定律求得。研究结果表明:光合作用、有机质降解及水体热分层是影响红枫湖夏季pCO₂分布的主要因素。其中,温水层CO₂欠饱和是光合作用吸收CO₂引起的,温跃层中pCO₂的急剧增加是光合产物降解产生CO₂引起的。静水层沉积物附近pCO₂最高并且还有持续增加的趋势,说明沉积物中有机质降解是静水层中CO₂增加的主要原因,夏季湖底水温较高加快了沉积物中有机质的降解。分层现象使pCO₂在水体中的分布差别明显,并且使静水层中CO₂得到积累。此外,夏季红枫湖水体中pCO₂的变化与NH₄+、PO₄3-的变化密不可分,表现为温水层中光合作用消耗NH₄+、PO₄3-,有机质降解过程伴随NH₄+、PO₄3-的释放。     

Rare Earth Deposits of North America

Rare earth elements (REE) have been mined in North America since 1885, when placer monazite was produced in the southeast USA. Since the 1960s, however, most North American REE have come from a carbonatite deposit at Mountain Pass, California, and most of the world’s REE came from this source between 1965 and 1995. After 1998, Mountain Pass REE sales declined substantially due to competition from China and to environmental constraints. REE are presently not mined at Mountain Pass, and shipments were made from stockpiles in recent years. Chevron Mining, however, restarted extraction of selected REE at Mountain Pass in 2007. In 1987, Mountain Pass reserves were calculated at 29 Mt of ore with 8.9% rare earth oxide based on a 5% cut‐off grade. Current reserves are in excess of 20 Mt at similar grade. The ore mineral is bastnasite, and the ore has high light REE/heavy REE (LREE/HREE). The carbonatite is a moderately dipping, tabular 1.4‐Ga intrusive body associated with ultrapotassic alkaline plutons of similar age. The chemistry and ultrapotassic alkaline association of the Mountain Pass deposit suggest a different source than that of most other carbonatites. Elsewhere in the western USA, carbonatites have been proposed as possible REE sources. Large but low‐grade LREE resources are in carbonatite in Colorado and Wyoming. Carbonatite complexes in Canada contain only minor REE resources. Other types of hard‐rock REE deposits in the USA include small iron‐REE deposits in Missouri and New York, and vein deposits in Idaho. Phosphorite and fluorite deposits in the USA also contain minor REE resources. The most recently discovered REE deposit in North America is the Hoidas Lake vein deposit, Saskatchewan, a small but incompletely evaluated resource. Neogene North American placer monazite resources, both marine and continental, are small or in environmentally sensitive areas, and thus unlikely to be mined. Paleoplacer deposits also contain minor resources. Possible future uranium mining of Precambrian conglomerates in the Elliott Lake–Blind River district, Canada, could yield by‐product HREE and Y. REE deposits occur in peralkaline syenitic and granitic rocks in several places in North America. These deposits are typically enriched in HREE, Y, and Zr. Some also have associated Be, Nb, and Ta. The largest such deposits are at Thor Lake and Strange Lake in Canada. A eudialyte syenite deposit at Pajarito Mountain in New Mexico is also probably large, but of lower grade. Similar deposits occur at Kipawa Lake and Lackner Lake in Canada. Future uses of some REE commodities are expected to increase, and growth is likely for REE in new technologies. World reserves, however, are probably sufficient to meet international demand for most REE commodities well into the 21st century. Recent experience shows that Chinese producers are capable of large amounts of REE production, keeping prices low. Most refined REE prices are now at approximately 50% of the 1980s price levels, but there has been recent upward price movement for some REE compounds following Chinese restriction of exports. Because of its grade, size, and relatively simple metallurgy, the Mountain Pass deposit remains North America’s best source of LREE. The future of REE production at Mountain Pass is mostly dependent on REE price levels and on domestic REE marketing potential. The development of new REE deposits in North America is unlikely in the near future. Undeveloped deposits with the most potential are probably large, low‐grade deposits in peralkaline igneous rocks. Competition with established Chinese HREE and Y sources and a developing Australian deposit will be a factor.     

Zircon M257 ‐ a Homogeneous Natural Reference Material for the Ion Microprobe U‐Pb Analysis of Zircon

We introduce and propose zircon M257 as a future reference material for the determination of zircon U‐Pb ages by means of secondary ion mass spectrometry. This light brownish, flawless, cut gemstone specimen from Sri Lanka weighed 5.14 g (25.7 carats). Zircon M257 has TIMS‐determined, mean isotopic ratios (2s uncertainties) of 0.09100 ± 0.00003 for ²⁰⁶pb/²³⁸U and 0.7392 ± 0.0003 for ²⁰⁷pb/²³⁵U. Its ²⁰⁶pb/²³⁸U age is 561.3 ± 0.3 Ma (unweighted mean, uncertainty quoted at the 95% confidence level); the U‐Pb system is concordant within uncertainty of decay constants. Zircon M257 contains ～ 840 μg g^?1 U (Th/U ～ 0.27). The material exhibits remarkably low heterogeneity, with a virtual absence of any internal textures even in cathodoluminescence images. The uniform, moderate degree of radiation damage (estimated from the expansion of unit‐cell parameters, broadening of Raman spectral parameters and density) corresponds well, within the “Sri Lankan trends”, with actinide concentrations, U‐Pb age, and the calculated alpha fluence of 1.66 × 10¹⁸ g^?1. This, and a (U+Th)/He age of 419 ± 9 Ma (2s), enables us to exclude any unusual thermal history or heat treatment, which could potentially have affected the retention of radiogenic Pb. The oxygen isotope ratio of this zircon is 13.9%o VSMOW suggesting a metamorphic genesis in a marble or calc‐silicate skarn.     

About the specification of erosion flux for soft stratified cohesive sediments

The present paper deals with the specification of bed erosion flux that accounts for the effects of sediment-induced stratification in the water column. Owing to difficulties in measuring the bed shear stress _b and the erosive shear strength _s, we suggest a series of methods that combine laboratory and numerical experiments. A simplified turbulent transport model that includes these effects helps to quantify _b and _s. Focusing on soft stratified beds, the present study considers erosion rate formulas of the form =_f exp {[T_b-T_s]} where is a model constant (=1 for Gularte's (1978) formula and =1/2 for Parchure's (1984) formula). First, the bed erosive strength profile _s(Z) is adjusted by forcing the turbulent transport model with measured erosion rates. Second, three procedures are suggested to determine the erosion rate formula coefficients _f and : a global procedure and two different layer-by-layer procedures. Each procedure is applied to an erosion experiment conducted in a rotating annular flume by Villaret and Paulic (1986). The use of the layer-by-layer procedure based on a least squares fitting technique provides a closer fit than the global procedure. The present study points out the complementarity of experimental and numerical approaches and also suggests possible improvements in laboratory test procedures.     

等截面单桩抗拔承载性状试验研究

在基坑中对等截面单桩进行了抗拔静载试验，在桩身设置应变式钢筋计，成功测得桩身各截面的应变数据。分析试验所得数据，对试验抗拔桩抗拔系数的取值、侧摩阻力的发挥、混凝土桩身的开裂等进行了探讨，相应给出了抗拔桩的设计建议。     

Unequal Competition Among Chains of Supercenters: Kmart,Target, and Wal‐Mart

The three largest discount chains, Kmart, Target, and Wal‐Mart, have adopted the supercenter format for expansion. This article examines the locations of and the competition among these supercenters. Wal‐Mart has the greatest number of supercenters and is driving the expansion of the supercenter format. Both Kmart and Target have clustered their supercenters in a small number of metropolitan markets. In contrast to Wal‐Mart and Kmart, Target has focused on a middle‐class rather than a blue‐collar clientele. Now Kmart is struggling following a declaration of bankruptcy. Wal‐Mart has largely defeated its supercenter competitors and now is confronting the major grocery chains for grocery sales.