Insights into operation of the subduction factory from the oxygen isotopic values of the southern Izu–Bonin–Mariana Arc

Abstract Oxygen is the most abundant element in the earth, and isotopic analysis of this element in island arc lavas potentially provides sensitive constraints on the proportion of oxygen recycled from subducted material, relative to that extracted from the mantle. Here we report on 225 new oxygen isotopic analyses of whole‐rock and glass samples, and clinopyroxene separates, from lavas collected from the southernmost 1500 km of the Izu–Bonin–Mariana (IBM) convergent margin. Whole‐rock samples clustered around a mean of 6.11 ± 0.47‰, whereas Mariana Trough glasses and mafic melts, calculated to be in equilibrium with mafic phenocrysts, clustered narrowly around a mean of 5.7‰. These data demonstrate that unequivocal identification of magmatic oxygen requires analysis of fresh glass or mafic minerals, and that the source of southern IBM Arc melts is entirely, or almost entirely, in equilibrium with normal mantle oxygen. If the elemental enrichments characteristic of the subduction component originate in subducted materials, these oxygen isotopic data are most consistent with the interaction of a small amount of sediment melt (<4%; mostly less than 1%) with mantle peridotite to yield the hybrid mantle that melts to form IBM Arc magmas.     

Research and development on foam breaking and recycling technology in air-foam drilling

In recent years, air-foam combining the advantages of both liquid and air drilling has been utilized as a drilling medium. Air-foam drilling has proved its efficiency in numerous situations where serious problems were encountered, such as in fractured formations and depleted or high permeable zones. However, the major disadvantage of air-foam drilling system is that the foam can only be used once, so that an extremely large pit is required to contain the foam to allow sufficient room for cuttings and for the foam to dissipate. Moreover, it needs enormous volume prepared, consuming abundance of water and ingredient additives, which results in the high cost of foam drilling. The recycling foam fluid by using foam breaking technology is the only effective method to solve these problems associated with the known foam drilling. Various types of equipment and technique have been employed to suppress foam formation in biological and process equipment in foam drilling. The study described various methods of foam breaking technology, and the trend of the foam breaking technology for foam drilling is discussed.     

Benthic remineralization at the land–ocean interface: A case study of the Rhône River (NW Mediterranean Sea)

Biogeochemical processes in sediments under the influence of the Rhône River plume were studied using both in situ microelectrodes and ex situ sediment core incubations. Organic carbon (OC) and total nitrogen (TN) content as well as stable carbon isotopic composition of OC (δ¹³C_OC) were analysed in 19 surface sediments to determine the distribution and sources of organic matter in the Rhône delta system. Large spatial variations were observed in both the total O₂ uptake (5.2 to 29.3 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹) and NH₄⁺ release (−0.1 to −3.5 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹) rates at the sediment–water interface. The highest fluxes were measured near the Rhône River mouth where sedimentary OC and TN contents reached 1.81% and 0.23% respectively. Values of δ¹³C_OC ranged from −26.83‰ to −23.88‰ with a significant seawards enrichment tracing the dispersal of terrestrial organic matter on the continental shelf. The amount of terrestrial-derived OC reaches 85% in sediments close to the Rhône mouth decreasing down to 25% in continental shelf sediments. On the prodelta, high terrestrial OC accumulation rates support high oxygen uptake rates and thus indicating that a significant fraction of terrestrial OC is remineralized. A particulate organic carbon (POC) mass balance indicates that only 3% of the deposited POC is remineralized in prodelta sediments while 96% is recycled on the continental shelf. It was calculated that a large proportion of the Rhône POC input is either buried (52%) or remineralized (8%), mostly on the prodelta area. The remaining fraction (40%) is either mineralized in the water or exported outside the Rhône delta system in dissolved or particulate forms.     

Kr and Xe isotopic compositions of Fe-Mn crusts from the western and central Pacific Ocean and implications for their genesis

Kr and Xe nuclide abundance and isotopic ratios of the uppermost layer of Fe-Mn Crusts from the western and central Pacific Ocean have been determined. The results indicate that the Kr and Xe isotopic composi-tions, like that of He, Ne and Ar, can be classified into two types： low3He/4He type and high3He/4He type. The low3He/4He type crusts have low84Kr and132Xe abundance, while the high3He/4He type crusts have high84Kr and132Xe abundance. The82Kr/84Kr ratios of the low3He/4He type crusts are lower than that of the air, while the83Kr/84Kr and86Kr/84Kr ratios are higher than those of the air. The Kr isotopic ratios of the high-er3He/4He type crusts are quite similar to those of the air. The128Xe/132Xe,130Xe/132Xe and131Xe/132Xe ratios of the low3He/4He type sample are distinctly lower than those of the air, whereas the129Xe/132Xe,134Xe/132Xe and136Xe/132Xe ratios are higher than those of the air. The low3He/4He type samples have the diagnostic characteristics of the MORB, with excess129, 131, 132, 134, 136Xe relative to130Xe compared with the solar wind. The128Xe/132Xe,130Xe/132Xe and131Xe/132Xe ratios of the high3He/4He type samples are slightly higher than those of the air, and the129Xe/132Xe,134Xe/132Xe and136Xe/132Xe ratios are qiute similar to those of the air. The noble gases in the Fe-Mn crusts are derived from the lower mantle, and they are a mixture of lower mantle primitive component, radiogenic component and subduction recycled component. The helium isotopic ra-tios of the low mantle reservoir are predominantly controlled by primitive He （3He） and U and Th radiogenic decayed He （4He）, but the isotopic ratios of the heavier noble gases, such as Ar, Kr and Xe, are controlled to different extent by recycling of subduction components. The difference of the noble isotopic compositions of the two type crusts is the result of the difference of the noble isotopic composition of the mantle source reservoir underneath the seamounts the crusts occurred, the noble gases of the high3He/4He type crusts are     

Adaptation, innovation and domestic food production in Jamaica: Some examples of survival strategies of small-scale farmers

Small-scale farmers' experimental innovations have not generally been considered for on-farm research trials as those in the traditional sector have been perceived as recipients, rather than originators, of technical knowledge and sustainable and viable practices. Yet there is abundant evidence throughout the tropics that small-scale farmers are adaptive and experimental problem solvers, and experts at devising innovative survival strategies. While literature on the topic is rich with accounts from Africa, Asia and Latin America, there is a general dearth of examples from the Caribbean. This paper highlights some examples of farm- and village-level problem solving and survival practices among small-scale domestic food producers in the challenging agroecological environment of Jamaica.     

Environmentalism and Natural Aggregate Mining

Sustaining a developed economy and expanding a developing one require the use of large volumes of natural aggregate. Almost all human activity (commercial, recreational, or leisure) is transacted in or on facilities constructed from natural aggregate. In our urban and suburban worlds, we are almost totally dependent on supplies of water collected behind dams and transported through aqueducts made from concrete. Natural aggregate is essential to the facilities that produce energy—hydroelectric dams and coal-fired powerplants. Ironically, the utility created for mankind by the use of natural aggregate is rarely compared favorably with the environmental impacts of mining it. Instead, the empty quarries and pits are seen as large negative environmental consequences. At the root of this disassociation is the philosophy of environmentalism, which flavors our perceptions of the excavation, processing, and distribution of natural aggregate. The two end-member ideas in this philosophy are ecocentrism and anthropocentrism. Ecocentrism takes the position that the natural world is a organism whose arteries are the rivers—their flow must not be altered. The soil is another vital organ and must not be covered with concrete and asphalt. The motto of the ecocentrist is man must live more lightly on the land. The anthropocentrist wants clean water and air and an uncluttered landscape for human use. Mining is allowed and even encouraged, but dust and noise from quarry and pit operations must be minimized. The large volume of truck traffic is viewed as a real menace to human life and should be regulated and isolated. The environmental problems that the producers of natural aggregate (crushed stone and sand and gravel) face today are mostly difficult social and political concerns associated with the large holes dug in the ground and the large volume of heavy truck traffic associated with quarry and pit operations. These concerns have increased in recent years as society's demand for living space has encroached on the sites of production; in other words, the act of production has engendered condemnation. Many other environmental problems that are associated with dust and noise and blasting from quarry and pit operations have been reduced through the efficient use of technology. Recycling concrete in buildings, bridges, and roads and asphaltic pavements will ultimately reduce the demand for virgin natural aggregate. The impact created by the large holes in the ground required for the mining of natural aggregate can be greatly reduced by planning their reclamation before mining begins.     

陆面过程对气候影响的数值模拟:SSiB与IAP/LASG L9R15 AGCM耦合及其模式性能

利用陆面过程模式 SSi B与 IAP/LASG发展的 L9R1 5AGCM的耦合 1 0 a积分试验 ,研究了全球尺度大气与地表的水分和能量交换以及陆地与大气环流和气候的相互作用。模拟表明 :SSi B模式可模拟出陆地上较为真实的表面通量及其日变化 ,较好地定量描述土壤 -植被 -大气连续体系 ( SPAC)中能量和水分的传输过程。因此 ,将其引入气候模式中能够模拟出比 CTL- AGCM更合理的气候平均状态、水汽分布以及水汽输送的气候特征 ,特别是亚洲夏季风水汽输送独特的地域性 ,再现了大气环流 ,尤其是陆面气候的基本特征。并指出 ,陆面过程参数化的引进及其陆面状况的变化显著地改善了全球陆地上的水分平衡状况。利用改进的再循环降水模式 ,进一步研究了陆面过程参数化明显改进降水模拟的物理机制。指出全球陆地 ,特别是盛夏北半球干旱、半干旱地区的再循环降水率明显减小 ,与陆面上表面潜热通量的显著减小区一致 ,从而克服了许多未耦合陆面过程的 AGCMs因对地表水过程非常简单地参数化导致的普遍存在着整个陆地降水偏高 ,改善了全球陆地上的水分平衡状况。因此 ,在充分耦合的陆气环流模式中模拟的降水分布与实况接近。     

Long-distance atmospheric moisture dominates water budget in permafrost regions of the Central Qinghai-Tibet plateau

Precipitation plays an important role in permafrost hydrology; it can alter the hydrothermal condition of the active layer and even influence the permafrost aggradation or degradation. Moisture recycling from evaporation and transpiration can greatly contribute to local precipitation in some regions. This study selected four monitoring sites and used an isotope mixing model to investigate local moisture recycling in permafrost regions of the central Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). The results showed that the local water vapour flux in the summer and autumn were dominantly influenced by westerlies and the Indian monsoon. Moistures for precipitation in Wudaoliang (WDL) and Fenghuoshan (FHS) mainly came from the western QTP, eastern Tianshan Mountains, western Qilian Mountains, and the surrounding regions. In comparsion, more than half of precipitation at Tanggula (TGL) was mostly sourced from the Indian monsoon. Local moisture recycling ratios at the four sites ranged from 14% ± 3.8% to 31.6% ± 4.8%, and depended on the soil moisture and relative humidity. In particular, the higher soil moisture and relative humidity promoted local moisture recycling, but frozen ground might be a potential influencing factor as well. The moisture recycling ratios of the study area were consistent with the results from both the Qinghai Lake Basin and the Nam Co Basin, but differed from those of the northwestern QTP. This difference may indirectly confirm the great spatial variability in precipitation on the QTP. Moreover, the rising air temperature and ground temperature, increasing precipitation, higher soil moisture, higher vegetation cover, and expanding lakes in the study area may be conductive to enhancing future local moisture recycling by altering ground surface conditions and facilitating the land surface evaporation and plant transpiration.     

Modelling grain‐recycling zoning during metamorphism

Chemical zoning, recorded by grain growth during metamorphism, is a key source of information about P–T–t paths. Interpretation of these data must be carried out using appropriate models and recognizing their inherent assumptions. To assist with defining how zoned minerals form, a set of geometric criteria for three types of chemical zoning developed in minerals (diffusion, growth and grain recycling) is outlined. Re‐equilibration of minerals by lattice diffusion causes zoning if the re‐equilibration is incomplete. Growth of porphyroblasts is commonly considered in pelites, but in metagranitoids, large monophase domains undergo coarsening by recycling of material from one grain to another as grain boundaries migrate driven by surface energy. This type of grain size increase is termed here ‘grain recycling’. Zoning developed during grain recycling due to equilibration of the recycled material with grain‐boundary chemistry is termed ‘grain‐recycling zoning’. Furthermore, short lattice diffusion lengths relative to grain sizes cause metamorphic fractionation because material in the grain cores is not in communication thermodynamically with the rest of the rock. A new model is derived for this sort of grain size increase coupled with metamorphic reactions using Theriak–Domino. An example is given of plagioclase undergoing an increase in anorthite content as epidote breaks down during amphibolite facies metamorphism of a metagranitoid. Agreement between naturally occurring zoning profiles and those derived from modelled P–T–t paths shows that this model can be used to extract metamorphic conditions from rocks which are not accessible using conventional thermobarometry.