A statistical analysis of the distribution of cordierite and biotite in hornfels from the Bugaboo contact aureole: implications for the kinetics of porphyroblast crystallization

The three‐dimensional disposition of cordierite and biotite crystals in a hornfels from the contact aureole of the Bugaboo Batholith is quantified using high‐resolution X‐ray micro‐computed tomography and global as well as scale‐dependent pattern statistics. The results demonstrate a random distribution of cordierite and biotite crystal sizes for all scales across the entire rock volume studied indicative of interface‐controlled prograde metamorphic reaction kinetics. The reaction considered responsible for the mineral assemblage and the formation of cordierite and biotite in the hornfels is Ms + Chl + Qtz = Crd + And + Bt + . Rock‐specific phase equilibria point to metamorphic conditions of ~520 –550 °C and 3 kbar for this reaction. The common approach to approximate the shape of crystals as spherical underestimates the influence of the Strauss hard‐core process on rock texture and may be misinterpreted to reflect ordering of crystal sizes by inhibition of nucleation and growth commonly associated with diffusion‐controlled reaction kinetics. According to our findings, Strauss hard‐core ordering develops at length scales equal to and less than the average major axis of the crystal population. This is significantly larger than what is obtained if a spherical crystal geometry would be assumed, and increases with deviation from sphericity. For the cordierite and biotite populations investigated in this research, Strauss hard‐core ordering developed at length scales of up to ～2.2 and 1.25 mm, respectively, which is almost 1 mm longer than the scales that would be obtained if a spherical geometry would have been assumed. Our results highlight the importance of a critical assessment of the geometrical model assumptions commonly applied in the three‐dimensional analysis of crystal size distributions, and underline the need for a quantitative understanding of interface processes in order to appreciate their role in the kinetics of contact metamorphic reactions and rock texture formation.     

Effect of soot on immersion freezing of water and possible atmospheric implications

More than 3000 water droplets with soot particles immersed were monitored individually to identify the effect of heterogeneous freezing and establish the link between soot properties and freezing efficiency. A set of soot samples from many combustion sources, including an aircraft engine combustor were examined. The list of key soot properties affecting freezing were determined. It appears that soot effectiveness in causing the droplets to freeze mainly depends on the soot behaviour in water defined by the mass density of soot agglomerates, size and wetting. When large mass particles were homogeneously distributed through droplets and were stable to sedimentation effects median freezing temperatures of such droplets were significantly warmer than pure water droplets. The long-term presence of large soot agglomerates in water leads to an increase in the freezing efficiency over time because of the slow kinetics of wetting. Small sizes of soot agglomerates stimulate aggregative instability in droplets with large soot mass which decreases the total soot surface area and the freezing temperature. The highest freezing efficiency is found for homogeneously distributed soot agglomerates of high porosity. A gradual increase of the freezing temperature in correspondence with number density of active oxygen-containing sites is observed for soots having surfaces of low or intermediate polarity. However, highly soluble surface compounds, such as sulfates, may be easily dissolved in water leading to a decrease in the potential freezing efficiency. This was the case found for aircraft engine combustor generated soot. Therefore relatively hydrophobic soot with a significant number of oxygen-containing functional groups but not covered totally by hydrophilic sites and soluble compounds is proposed to act as the most efficient immersion freezing nuclei in the atmospheric cloud droplets.     

Implications of a percolation model for earthquake 'nucleation'

A percolation model is applied to the explanation of some of the qualitative and quantitative aspects associated with the recent observations of earthquake 'nucleation'. An additional assumption is introduced that nucleation starts at the critical point of percolation. The model explains the order of magnitude of the seismic moment release during the nucleation, the dependence of the seismic moment of the main shock on the duration of the nucleation process, and the observation that the fraction of the moment release during the nucleation has no systematic variation with the size of the main shock. The model also suggests that the source time function of the nucleation phase may be complex, and also that not all earthquakes are accompanied by a nucleation process, which is supported by observational results. By assuming that there exists a scale invariance associated with the criticality, a Widom scaling model is proposed to describe the electromagnetic emission during earthquake rupture.     

1999年岫岩地震序列研究

用相对定位法对1999年11月29日辽宁省岫岩地区5.4级地震序列的前震、主震和余震进行了重新定位。结果是该序列的主震震源位置为40.538°N,123.026°E,深度为6.958km;重新定位的前震震中分布长短轴差别不大,分布在长轴约1.38km,短轴约1.23km,深度为6～11km的震源范围内,其中4级以上前震明显沿NW向分布,主震位于前震震中NW向分布的东南端;重新定位的余震明显沿NW走向分布,长轴约3.26km,短轴约0.79km,深度为5～12km,余震分布范围比前震分布范围大,主要是后期余震活动向SE向发展的结果。分析表明,1999年岫岩地震序列主要沿NW向分布,这个方向与1975年海城地震序列的NW向分布一致,与海城7.3级主震和岫岩5.4级主震震源机制解NW走向节面一致,也与海城 岫岩震区活动构造方向和岫岩主震的等震线长轴方向一致。并认为岫岩5.4级主震可能被前震触发,这为主破裂成核过程提供了一次实例。     

一次大陆强震前震成核的实例

地震成核研究受到国内外地震学家的关注 .实验和理论研究表明 ,在地震前成核带内会发生准静态滑动 ( Ohnaka,1 992 ;Dodge,Beroza,1 995;Dodge et al.,1 996;Ohnaka,Kuwahara,1 990 ;Yamashita,Ohnaka,1 991 ) .地震成核过程是指在地震动态破裂前从准静态到准动态破裂的过渡过程 ,它本身就是一种短期前兆 ,直接前震是从准静态过渡到准动态成核过程中发生的局部动态失稳 ( Ohnaka,1 992 ) .最近的理论研究表明 ,可以将直接前震看作为伴随大地震的准静态成核过程的局部破裂 ( Shibazaki,Matsu′-ura,1 995) .因此 ,在成核过程中可能伴随…     

用超声速气流产生冰晶的试验及测定

在２ｍ３等温云室中进行了塑料小泡压爆及超声速气流在过冷雾中产生冰晶性能的试验，在－１℃到－１７℃温度范围内测试其产生冰晶效率。发现这两种方法均能在过冷雾中产生大量冰晶，直到－１℃。在－８℃时每升空气产生的冰晶为１０１１－１０１２量级。是一种经济有效的催化过冷云雾的方法，很有应用前景。     

井水位长周期事件记录及其机理的讨论

选择了几口具有代表性的观测井, 并对这些井孔在强震前记录到长周期波现象的特征进行了分析。从理论上对地震前的长周期事件给出了较为合理的解释, 认为地震前一些敏感井水位长周期事件可能反映了断层蠕动、静地震与慢地震、断裂的预扩展和地震成核等。井— 含水层系统像一个长周期地震仪, 它为记录到有价值的前兆低频波提供了最佳的频率响应范围。     

Heterogeneous bubble nucleation and disequilibrium H2O exsolution in Vesuvius K-phonolite melts

This study focuses on constraining bubble nucleation and H₂O exsolution processes in alkalic K-phonolite melts, using “white pumice” of the 79 AD eruption of Vesuvius as starting material. The first set of experiments consisted of H₂O solubility runs at 1153 to 1250 K and pressures between 50 and 200 MPa, to constrain equilibrium water concentrations along the decompression pathways. The decompression experiments were equilibrated with H₂O at 150 MPa and 1173 and 1223 K, and then decompressed at 3 to 17 MPa/s before rapid quenching. Experiments nucleated bubbles within the first 50 MPa pressure drop, producing maximum bubble number densities (N_V), corrected to melt volume, of 3.8 × 10¹⁴ m^− 3 at 1173 K and 4.3 × 10¹³ m^− 3 at 1223 K. Most bubbles were not visibly attached to crystals, except for a subset attached to pyroxenes primarily in the 1173 K experiments. When compared with prior bubble nucleation studies, the reduced nucleation ΔP and relatively low N_V observed indicate predominantly a heterogeneous nucleation mechanism. Melt–vapor–crystal wetting angles measured in 1173 K experiments from bubbles attached to pyroxene crystals are 36 to 69°, which are similar to those measured on titanomagnetite crystals in calc-alkaline dacite melts. The 1223 K experiments have porosities and water concentrations that largely track equilibrium, despite the rapid decompression rate. The 1173 K experiments deviate strongly from equilibrium trends in both porosity and water concentration, and slower H₂O diffusion rates are likely the cause of the inhibited bubble growth. Bubble number densities from 79 AD Vesuvius natural EU2 pumice are relatively high (2 to 4 × 10¹⁵ m^− 3; [Gurioli, L., Houghton, B.F., Cashman, K.V., Cioni, R., 2005. Complex changes in eruption dynamics during the 79 AD eruption of Vesuvius. Bull. Volcanol. 67: 144–159.]) when corrected to vesicularity. In comparison, corrected N_V's from homogeneous and heterogeneous bubble nucleation experiments from this study and prior work are at least factor of 5 lower, indicating perhaps that the natural magmas initially nucleated bubbles in the presence of CO₂. The disequilibrium H₂O exsolution seen in the 1173 K experiments indicates that inhibited bubble growth could lead to delayed exsolution in the conduit in cooler K-phonolite magmas.     

热水条件下花岗质糜棱岩的摩擦滑动实验研究

为了探讨大陆地壳断层深部的力学性质,我们选择了采自红河断裂带的糜棱岩作为实验样品,进行热水条件下的高温高压摩擦滑动实验.实验在一个以气体为介质的高温高压三轴实验系统中进行.实验条件是：有效正应力为200 MPa;孔隙水压为30 MPa（在400 ℃到600 ℃之间为超临界水条件）;温度为100 ℃到600 ℃;轴向加载的速率范围从0.04 μm/s到0.2 μm/s再到1 μm/s.实验结果表明：（1）当温度小于300 ℃时,糜棱岩的摩擦强度随着温度的上升而增大;当温度大于300 ℃时,糜棱岩的摩擦强度随着温度的上升而减小.这种趋势和以往花岗岩的摩擦滑动数据基本一致;（2）糜棱岩在200 ℃和400 ℃时表现为速度弱化,其余温度下为速度强化;（3）糜棱岩与已有花岗岩的摩擦滑动数据并不完全一致;（4）花岗质糜棱岩速度弱化向速度强化转变的温度在430 ℃附近,以此我们可以推测：在变形机制为摩擦滑动的深部条件下,地震成核的深度范围可以比以往的估计更深.