Ecological variations in diatom assemblages in the Paleo-Kathmandu Lake linked with global and Indian monsoon climate changes for the last 600,000 years

Variations in fossil diatom assemblages and their relationship with global and Indian monsoon climate changes for the last 600,000 yr were investigated using a core of ancient lake (Paleo-Kathmandu Lake) sediments drilled at the Kathmandu Basin, Nepal Himalaya. Chronological scales of the core were constructed by tuning pollen wet and dry index records to the SPECMAP δ¹⁸O stack record. Examinations of biogenic silica contents and fossil diatom assemblages revealed that variations in productivity and compositions of diatom assemblages were closely linked with global and Indian monsoon climate changes on glacial and interglacial time scales. When summer monsoonal rainfall increased during interglacials (interstadials), diatom productivity increased because of increased inputs of terrestrial nutrients into the lake. When summer monsoonal rainfall reduced and/or winter monsoonal aridification enhanced during glacials (stadials), productivity of the diatoms decreased and lake-level falling brought about changes in compositions of diatom assemblages. Monospecific assemblages by unique Cyclotella kathmanduensis and Puncticulata versiformis appeared during about 590 to 390 ka. This might be attributed to evolutionary fine-tuning of diatom assemblages to specific lake environmental conditions. Additionally, low-amplitude precessional variations in monsoon climate and less lake-level changes may have also allowed both species to dominate over the long periods.     

华南武功山地区韧性剪切带的纳米尺度测量研究

在华南加里东造山带中段区域构造调查和中法合作研究的基础上, 对武功山地区从新元古代到中生代的韧性板劈理带、逆冲断层带、挤压片理带和拉伸构造带等多种构造类型的变形带, 就其超微观纳米粒子结构和动力薄膜进行了扫描电镜(SEM) 测量和新的探讨。 上述4类韧性剪切带的表层高应变域ab、ac组构面上均发现纳米粒子, 颗粒直径一般为50~90nm, 并因研磨滚动而形成磨粒(grinding grains)。 由纳米粒、纳米线和纳米层构成一套纳米微线理、面理和组构系统, 与宏观的线理和面理平行一致, 还可见到完好的超微SC面理和优选方位的纳米级应力矿物。 韧性剪切的所谓静态摩擦, 实际上是纳米界限层以微弱摩擦力推进滑移量(slippage)形成的平滑运动, 这种平滑运动是纳米级单体和复体磨粒滚动滑移所致。 本文从上述几方面揭示了韧性剪切带中纳米粒子存在的普遍性; 纳米结构与显微构造的可比性; 韧性剪切滑移机理的特殊性。 最后, 以区内韧性剪切带在地壳浅构造位异常发育的特点, 从一个方面讨论华南加里东构造带在系统动力学行为上的时间滞后性。     

High‐resolution synchrotron X‐ray fluorescence investigation of calcite coralloid speleothems: Elemental incorporation and their potential as environmental archives

Synchrotron high‐resolution and micro‐X‐ray fluorescence elemental mapping of two coeval coralloid speleothems from Lamalunga Cave (Italy) are complemented with petrographic, morphological and microstratigraphic studies. The importance of these speleothems relies on their direct and indirect association with a complete Neanderthal skeleton (‘Altamura Man’) found inside the cave. The coralloids grew discontinuously between 64·6 ka and the Holocene and reveal exceptionally high concentrations of Mg, Sr and Si, particularly on convex surfaces, where evaporation is more intense. The incorporation of trace elements depends on several factors including location, shape and geometrical evolution during their growth, as well as climate and environmental parameters. This resulted in calcite precipitation with Sr compositions from 100 to 1200 ppm and an average concentration of 7000 ppm Mg. An unusually high Si content (up to 16%) is possibly derived from volcanic ash transported as particulate and in solution inside the cave. The most common fabrics observed consist of non‐fluorescent elongated columnar calcite forming clean isopachous bands and fluorescent fibre‐like crystals associated with laminated, lenticular bands high in Sr, Mg and Si. Variability in Sr, Mg and Si concentrations appears to induce fabric changes in the coralloids. Elongation and lattice distortion of the crystals was found to coincide with high Mg concentrations. The transition from compact elongated to open to fibre‐like, is here interpreted as due to high concentrations of Si and Sr, which are preferentially incorporated in the speleothem at crystal boundaries and intra‐laminae. It is here inferred that coralloid fabric changes and their elemental content potentially record local rainfall variations through time, with the clean compact calcite marking high infiltration and open fibre‐like and micrite fabrics recording dry periods.     

High resolution transmission electron microscopy evaluation of silica glaze reveals new textures

We present the first nanoscale investigation of silica glaze. High resolution transmission electron microscopy of a rock coating from the Ashikule Basin, Tibetan Plateau, reveals the presence of spheroids composed predominantly of silicon and oxygen with diameters ranging from 20 nm to 70 nm. While silica glaze spheroids co‐exist with manganese‐rich rock varnish in the same sample, the different rock coatings are texturally and physically distinct at the nanoscale. These observations are consistent with a model of silica glaze formation starting with soluble aluminum‐silicon (Al‐Si) complexes [Al(OSi(OH)³)²⁺], mobilized with gentle wetting events such as dew or frost. The transition between complete and partial wetting on silica surfaces rests at about 20–70 nm for liquid droplets. Upon crossing this transition, a metastable wetting film would be ruptured, initiating formation of silica glaze through spheroid deposition. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Amorphous silica mobilization by inter‐rill erosion: insights from rainfall experiments

Amorphous silica (ASi) carried in suspension by rivers is an important component in the global Si budget. Water erosion processes in cultivated catchments are likely to drive ASi delivery to the river system. However, no studies have investigated the controls on ASi mobilization by erosional processes in croplands. Rainfall experiments were performed on split fields (i.e. a part conventionally ploughed and a part under reduced tillage) to simulate ASi mobilization by inter‐rill erosion in croplands, and identify its dependency on soil, field and rainfall characteristics. The ASi content of the soil and the inter‐rill erosion rate were determined as the major controls on ASi mobilization. Variables such as tillage technique and crop type did not have a consistent direct or indirect effect. Inter‐rill erosion is clearly selective with respect to ASi, indicating association of ASi with the fine soil fraction and with soil organic carbon. Our experiments demonstrate that erosion increases due to human perturbation will increase the delivery of reactive Si to aquatic systems. We estimate that globally, c. 7% of all reactive Si that enters aquatic systems is derived from erosion of agricultural soils. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of Copper in Water Samples after Solid‐phase Extraction Using Dimethylglyoxime‐modified Silica

This work describes the modification of silica gel with dimethylglyoxime, in order to prepare an effective sorbent for the preconcentration and determination of copper. The sorption capacity of dimethylglyoxime‐modified silica‐gel (DMGMS) was 71.37 mg g^–1 and the optimum pH for the quantitative recovery of copper was found to be 5.0. The optimum flow rate, sorbent amount, and sample volume were 1 mL min^–1, 300 mg, and 50 mL, respectively. 10 mL of 0.1 mol L^–1 HCl was the most suitable eluent. The detection limit of copper was 6.0 ng mL^–1. The recommended method, for the determination of copper, is simple and reliable, without any notable matrix effect and can be successfully applied to environmental water samples. Copper recovery in the range from 99–100% was obtained from seawater and thermal spring water using this method. The method was applied to standard reference materials, NIST‐1515 (apple leaves) and NIST‐1643e (simulated fresh water), for the determination of copper and the results were in good agreement with certified values.     

Organic carbon and nitrogen isotopes in surface sediments from the western Arctic Ocean and their implications for sedimentary environments

1 IntroductionFor several reasons, the Arctic Ocean and itsmarginal seas are key areas for understanding ocean-ic circulation and global climate system ( Clark,1982; Hansen et al., 1983; Walsh et al., 1996;Overpeck et al., 1997). First, the Arctic Ocean i…     

纳米硅粉水泥土的强度特性及固化机理研究

将性能优异的纳米硅粉作为外掺剂应用于水泥土改性研究。通过室内试验，探讨了纳米硅粉水泥土的强度特性。试验表明，一定掺量下的纳米硅粉能够显著提高水泥土的各个龄期强度。结合试验测试和理论分析，探讨了纳米硅粉在水泥水化硬化过程中的作用以及纳米硅粉与土之间的作用，在此基础上，分析了纳米硅粉改性水泥土工程性状的机理，旨在为纳米硅粉应用于工程实践开展理论和试验研究探索。     

Formation of Colloidal Silica and Alumina During Experimental Granodiorite Weathering

The role of aluminum and silica in the formation of colloids during granodiorite weathering was studied on the basis of long-term experiments in batch reactors. Rock samples were dissolved in un-buffered solutions of initial pH 3.2, 5.4, and 9.9 at ambient conditions for 500 days. During weathering, extremely high supersaturation with respect to various secondary solids was attained in the solutions. Consequently, new solids, part of which was conserved in solutions as colloids, condensed. The mean concentrations of colloidal Si reached values of 70, 50, and 48 mol 1^–1 in the alkaline, neutral, and acid solutions, respectively. The mean concentrations of colloidal Al, reached values of 34, 22, and 12 mol 1^–1 in the alkaline, neutral, and acid solutions, respectively. The concentration of colloids gradually decreased after 200-400 days of experiment. This phenomenon was interpreted as being due to the competition between homogeneous nucleation and crystal growth. At the initial stages of the experiments, the colloidal species (predominantly colloidal Al) comprised a large proportion of the total amounts of aqueous species. Their share, however, decreased with time. The molar Al/Si-ratios of colloids were as high as 2–2.5 at the early stages of the experiment. After 250–300 days of experiments, on the other hand, these ratios decreased to values of about 0.5 in both the neutral and alkaline solutions and to a value of 0.15 in the acid solution. The evolution of colloids was consistent with the evolution of secondary solids in the sequence Al-hydroxides – clay minerals (illite, chlorite), in both the neutral and alkaline solutions. In acid solutions, the evolution of Al/Si-colloids was influenced by the presence of sulfate ion and Al-sulfate precipitation. Besides Al and Si, other elements, in particular Ca or Mg as a major component and Na, K, P, S, and Cl as minor components, readily participated in the formation of colloids.     

地幔富硅交代与大陆岩石圈的演化

富硅交代是弧下地幔中熔体岩石相互作用的主要表现形式 ,是造成古老克拉通陆下岩石圈地幔富硅的主要机制。在弧下地幔捕掳体中 ,橄榄岩被来自俯冲洋壳物质部分熔融生成的含水富硅熔体交代后 ,斜方辉石含量的增加使全岩富集SiO2 ,斜方辉石显示异常低的Al2 O3和Cr2 O3,微量元素上表现为强烈富集LILE ,强烈亏损Nb ,Ta和Ti。在古老克拉通地幔岩样品中 ,方辉橄榄岩具过剩的斜方辉石 ,橄榄石的Ni含量与斜方辉石的组成含量成正比 ,而和橄榄石的x(Mg) /x(Mg +Fe2 +)值没有正比关系 ,被解释为亏损的地幔橄榄岩和来自俯冲板片的富硅熔体相互作用的结果。熔体岩石相互作用最终导致了陆下岩石圈地幔富集SiO2 ,这种被含水富硅熔体改造后的地幔岩石的部分熔融可能是造成陆壳富硅富镁的主要原因。含水富硅熔体对岩石圈地幔的影响程度也可能是大陆岩石圈增生或裂解、增厚或减薄的关键因素之一。