The engineering geology of the Lower Lias Clay at Blockley,Gloucestershire, UK

Summary The Lower Lias Clay at Blockley, 20 km due south of Stratford-upon-Avon, UK, is thought to be representative of this clay formation over much of the Severn Basin. As far as the mineralogy of the clay is concerned, illite is the dominant clay mineral, kaolinite being subsidiary, with quartz, calcite, pyrite and chlorite/vermiculite present in subsidiary or accessory amounts. Weathering changes the mineralogy, with illite being degraded and calcite and pyrite being removed. Furthermore free iron oxide coatings become important as a result of weathering, with the maximum concentrations being present in the highly weathered material.The unweathered clay possesses a preferred orientation associated with turbostratic structures. At certain horizons microfolding and remoulding occurs in the unweathered clay and silty layers are displaced. Weathering has progressively destroyed the micro-structures present in the weathered clay horizons.The fissures in the Lower Lias Clay occur in five uniplanar sets. In the unweathered clay the intensity is fairly constant but it increases in a narrow zone just below the weathered horizons. The number of curved fissures also increases at this depth. This intense fissuring continues into the lowest zone of weathered clay where weathering is confined to the fissure surfaces. Fissures become less apparent in the more weathered horizons as more and more degradation has taken place. However, new smaller fissure systems are developed in the weathered clay, as are desiccation cracks.Engineering index properties and values of shear strength are given. Relationships between moisture content and strength, liquid limit and iron (Fe) content were observed, and a relationship between weathering zones and the shear strength-depth curve was established.     

贵州丹寨汞矿方解石的微观特征及其与构造成矿关系初探

鉴于方解石是研究低温碳酸盐型汞矿床构造应力作用的良好对象,作者对贵州丹寨汞矿床中24件方解石样品进行构造形变及构造成矿模拟试验,经光学显微镜及透射电子显微镜对比观察指出:多种应力作用叠加及微观构造形变的先后生成关系,可视为多期次构造动力作用的结果;汞矿的成矿作用和构造作用的相关和同步性,说明构造作用既可提供成矿的空间,又是促进成矿的动力。     

Paleostress fields from calcite twins in the Pyeongan Supergroup, South Korea

Abstract   Paleostress fields of the Late Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic Pyeongan Supergroup that is distributed along the northeastern part of the Ogcheon Belt in South Korea were investigated using the calcite strain gauge (CSG) technique. Combining the results of this study with those of other studies investigating the relationship between twin strain, twin density and width, which are used as indicators of deformation conditions in the natural low-temperature deformation of limestone, it was estimated that calcite twins in the study area were probably formed at temperatures lower than 170°C. From two samples, two different principal paleostress directions were inferred from calcite twins, while only one direction was inferred from two other samples. This result suggests that deformation occurred during two or more different tectonic events in the Pyeongan Supergroup during the Mesozoic era. The maximum shortening axis was oriented in two directions, northeast–southwest and northwest–southeast, respectively, which coincide well with the paleostress directions inferred from the stress inversion for many fault sets. Combining the results of the paleostress analysis from this and other studies, we hypothesize that the directions of the maximum shortening axis in the Pyeongan Supergroup changed from northeast–southwest during the pre-Daebo orogeny period (Late Triassic period) to northwest–southeast during the syn-Daebo orogeny period (Early Jurassic to Early Cretaceous period) in the Mesozoic era.     

洛川黄土纳米尺度观察：纳米棒状方解石

本文对洛川黄土剖面典型样品进行了透射电镜分析，发现黄土中存在纳米棒状方解石。此类方解石直径30～50nm，长度几百纳米至几微米。纳米棒状晶体有圆滑地粗细变化和弯曲现象，偶见晶体连接成树枝状或晶体直角连接形成框架状形态。X-射线能谱分析显示方解石有少量的镁、磷和硫，这种纳米棒状方解石在国内外文献中鲜有报道。根据纳米尺度研究结果推测，这种纳米棒状方解石形成与生物衍生物诱导的定向结晶有关。纳米棒状方解石是一种重要的黄土堆积时期干旱环境指示矿物，其碳、氧稳定同位素组成代表黄土堆积时气候参数。纳米棒状方解石的发现，对环境中纳米矿物研究、黄土中碳酸盐碳成因及古气候研究具有重要价值。     

Iron, calcite, and oxidative stress in coal dust-induced lung diseases

Backgrounds： Coal is and will remain a major energy resource worldwide with P.R. China and the U.S. the leading producers. It has long been known that coal mining causes health problems such as coal workers＇ pneumoconiosis （CWP） and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （e.g., emphysema）. Yet, there are no accurate methods for predicting their occurrence. The goals of the present study are to determine whether bioavailable iron （BAI） is the active component in coal dust-induced lung diseases and to develop a model using BAI for the prediction of coal＇s pneumoconiotic potency. Methods： Thirty coal samples from Utah （UT）, West Virginia （WV） and Pennsylvania （PA） coalmine regions with a low, moderate, and high prevalence of CWP, respectively,     

Geochemical characterisation and erosion stability of fine‐grained groyne field sediments of the Middle Elbe River

Because of the significant reduction of flow velocity relative to the main current there is an accumulation of sediment material in the centre of the groyne fields over time (years to decades) up to a maximum of 1.5 m. Based on the element‐ and compound‐specific depth functions of this fine‐grained material with high organic matter content the sedimentation history of the Elbe River sediments concerning the environmentally relevant nutrients and pollutants can be reconstructed. It could be shown that the fresh sediments are less polluted than the deeper older ones. During the extreme flood of the river Elbe in August 2002 the critical erosion shear stress in the groyne fields was high enough to remobilise a considerable portion of the sediment depot. The hazard to the environment is high due to the fact that a significant part of the remobilised polluted sediments was distributed over the recent floodplain which is normally used as pasture. Thus these groyne field sediments represent a temporary danger for the water quality of the river Elbe. But the hazard of the solids sedimented in the recent floodplain of the river can be viewed as long‐lasting.     

鄂西超细重碳酸钙产品开发应用研究

鄂西超细重碳酸钙产品开发应用研究沈上越潘铁虹张德李珍周明张汉凯（中国地质大学,武汉４３００７４）关键词方解石矿工艺流程超细重碳酸钙鄂西１鄂西方解石矿质量概述鄂西方解石矿有数个矿区,每个矿区的矿体厚为几米至几十米,长几百米至上千米,储量巨大。经系统化学...     

Biomineralization in Agglutinating Foraminifera: An Analytical SEM Investigation of External Wall Composition in Three Small Test Forms

The walls of many deep-sea foraminiferal tests containabiogenic and biogenic, precipitated and agglutinated,components. Both environmental and genetic factorscan contribute to the great diversity in test form andcomposition in benthic foraminifera. Yet, smallspecimen size and the remoteness of the deep-seaenvironment have limited our ability to describe therelative influence of these biological and chemicalfactors. The use of fossilized foraminiferal tests aspaleo-indicators requires that we understand thecontrols on test composition. Test wall morphologyand composition were examined inforaminifera that colonized experimental substratesdeployed on a seamount in the central North Pacific. Three types of agglutinated forms were identified. Atriserial (Eggerella-like) and two-chambered(Hyperammina-like) form contained a Ca-rich(CaCO3) precipitate and the chamber walls of anencrusting two-chambered form was Ba-rich(BaSO4). We discuss the composition of thesebiologically precipitated minerals in the context ofthe environmental conditions during the life of theseforaminifera.     

Dissolution Enthalpies of Magnesian Calcites

A series of synthetic and biogenicmagnesian calcites was dissolved in weak acetic acidsolutions to measure the enthalpies of dissolution at25°C. For the synthetic phases, heat releasedwas 33.5 kJ/mol for calcite, decreasing to 33 kJ/molfor a phase of 2 mol % MgCO3, and increasing to35 kJ/mol for a phase of 15 mol %. Values of excessenthalpies, ΔHxs, calculated using calciteand magnesite end-members, average about -1 kJ/mol forthe synthetic phases. Total entropies of solidsolution formation, ΔSSS, also werecalculated using available data on Gibbs free energiesof formation and these excess enthalpies. Values ofΔSSS range from -2 J/(mol-K) at 2 mol % to-5 J/(mol-K) at 15 mol % MgCO3. These negativevalues of ΔHxs and ΔSSSsuggest that some form of ordering (cation?) isobtained in the synthetic phases, and that vibrationalentropies of the solid solution are diminished incomparison to the end-members. In contrast, biogenic samples generally have positivevalues of ΔHxs, increasing from +1 kJ/molat 5 mol % to +3 kJ/mol at 20 mol % MgCO3. Mostvalues of ΔSSS are equal (within errors)to values expected from configurational enthalpyalone. Thus, in most biogenic materials cationordering probably is not obtained, and most phases aremore typical of equivalent-site solid solutions.     

湖北随州薛家店地区灯影组去白云石化特征及意义

湖北随州薛家店地区灯影组去白云石化特征及意义翟永红郭成贤（江汉石油学院，湖北荆沙４３４１０２）关键词去白云石化方解石储层灯影组湖北随州去白云石化是一种白云石被方解石交代的成岩现象。目前，国内外有关文献报道，但多侧重于实验室研究机理和条件的研究，如Ｄｅ...