Processes of silicate karstification associated with pan formation in the Darwin–Koolpinya area of northern Australia

Lyons Lagoon, one of many small pans near Darwin, Northern Australia, occurs in lateritized terrain. Formation by structurally facilitated silicate karsti?cation of the parent Cretaceous sandy sediments was earlier proposed. This paper presents the results of thin section microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with energy‐dispersive X‐ray study of pan sediments with a view to assessing the extent to which they re?ect the geomorphological/hydrogeological history. Severe corrosion was found to overprint the impact features of the primary sands, attributed to aggressive leaching and consistent with formation of the depression by karsti?cation when the water table was low. Formation of a smectitic matrix is considered to have followed when the water table was high. Upon subsequent lowering of the water level leaching was resumed, altering smectite to kaolinite and resulting in incongruent dissolution of kaolinite to leave a siliceous residuum. At least two cycles of high followed by low water levels are recognized. Such periodic changes of levels are considered essential to pan formation within freely draining lateritic terrain. The processes of pan formation and alteration of pan sediments (essentially residual deposits) is ongoing, biocorrosion being implicated as an important mechanism. Incongruent kaolinite dissolution, to leave a silica residuum, a hitherto apparently unrecognized process, raises the possibility that silcrete may form as a relative accumulation which is synchronous with lateritic leaching in more elevated topographic positions. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling the OH stretch envelope shape and temperature effects in infrared spectra of hydrous silica and silicate glasses

Simple model calculations show that the reversible temperature effects reported for broad OH-stretching bands in infrared spectra of silica, aluminosilicate, and similar glasses can be explained, in essentials, by homogeneous thermal broadening of the ν(OH) envelope constituents and a decrease in intensity with increasing temperature taking place uniformly across the band. This means that these effects are reasonably consistent with the temperature behaviour of narrow ν(OH) bands of crystalline OH-bearing minerals. These findings leave little room for the previously agreed interpretation in terms of a change in hydrogen-bonding strength, although the dependence of integrated intensity on temperature still remains to be understood. Received: 16 April 1999 / Accepted: 4 April 2000     

Determination of Reference Values for NIST SRM 610–617 Glasses Following ISO Guidelines

We present new reference values for the NIST SRM 610–617 glasses following ISO guidelines and the International Association of Geoanalysts’ protocol. Uncertainties at the 95% confidence level (CL) have been determined for bulk‐ and micro‐analytical purposes. In contrast to former compilation procedures, this approach delivers data that consider present‐day requirements of data quality. New analytical data and the nearly complete data set of the GeoReM database were used for this study. Data quality was checked by the application of the Horwitz function and by a careful investigation of analytical procedures. We have determined quantitatively possible element inhomogeneities using different test portion masses of 1, 0.1 and 0.02 μg. Although avoiding the rim region of the glass wafers, we found moderate inhomogeneities of several chalcophile/siderophile elements and gross inhomogeneities of Ni, Se, Pd and Pt at small test portion masses. The extent of inhomogeneity was included in the determination of uncertainties. While the new reference values agree with the NIST certified values with the one exception of Mn in SRM 610, they typically differ by as much as 10% from the Pearce et al. (1997) values in current use. In a few cases (P, S, Cl, Ta, Re) the discrepancies are even higher.     

Precise Determination of Silicon Isotopes in Silicate Rock Reference Materials by MC‐ICP‐MS

A HF‐free sample preparation method was used to purify silicon in twelve geological RMs. Silicon isotope compositions were determined using a Neptune instrument multi‐collector‐ICP‐MS in high‐resolution mode, which allowed separation of the silicon isotope plateaus from their interferences. A 1 μg g^‐1 Mg spike was added to each sample and standard solution for online mass bias drift correction. δ³⁰Si and δ²⁹Si values are expressed in per mil (‰), relative to the NIST SRM 8546 (NBS‐28) international isotopic RM. The total variation of δ³⁰Si in the geological reference samples analysed in this study ranged from ‐0.13‰ to ‐0.29‰. Comparison with δ²⁹Si values shows that these isotopic fractionations were mass dependent. IRMM‐17 yielded a δ³⁰Si value of ‐1.41 ± 0.07‰ (2s, n = 12) in agreement with previous data. The long‐term reproducibility for natural samples obtained on BHVO‐2 yielded δ³⁰Si = ‐0.27 ± 0.08‰ (2s, n = 42) on a 12 month time scale. An in‐house Si reference sample was produced to check for the long‐term reproducibility of a mono‐elemental sample solution; this yielded a comparable uncertainty of ± 0.07‰ (2s, n = 24) over 5 months.     

An Evaluation of the Inter‐Method Discrepancies in Ferromanganese Nodule Proficiency Test GeoPT 23A

Round 23 of the GeoPT international proficiency testing scheme included the ferromanganese nodule powder FeMn‐1 which was distributed as an additional sample (23A). The aim of this initiative was to assess overall analytical performance for such a challenging oxide matrix with a view to the possible certification of such a material in accordance with ISO Guide requirements. To investigate inter‐method discrepancies, precision data and the method means for the most frequently used analytical methods (XRF, ICP‐MS and ICP‐AES) and sample preparation techniques were calculated and then compared using statistical tests of equivalence. For most major elements, XRF and ICP‐AES data dominated and these were found to give equivalent results. In contrast, for most trace elements significant discrepancies were detected between data obtained by different analytical methods. Possible causes are discussed with a view to attributing their origin to calibration strategy, sensitivity or interferences. It is assumed that the unusual oxide matrix generated unexpected interferences and thus method bias. Discrepancies observed between data from different analytical methods provide valuable information for the participating analysts, helping them to avoid systematic errors and thus minimising bias. They also suggest actions necessary to improve results for any future certification of such a material.     

Multi‐Element Determination of Trace Elements in Natural Water Reference Materials by ICP‐SFMS after Tm Addition and Iron Co‐precipitation

We report on an improved method for determining trace element abundances in seawater and other natural waters. The analytical procedure involves co‐precipitation on iron hydroxides after addition of a Tm spike, and measurement by inductively coupled plasma‐sector field mass spectrometry (ICP‐SFMS). The validity of the method was assessed through a series of co‐precipitation experiments, using ultra‐diluted solutions of a certified rock reference material (BIR‐1). Results obtained for four natural water reference materials (NASS‐5, CASS‐4, SLEW‐3, SLRS‐4) are in agreement with published working values for rare earth elements, yttrium, vanadium and, when available, for hafnium, zirconium, thorium and scandium. A set of proposed values with uncertainties typically better than 8% RSD is proposed for Hf, Zr and Th.     

New Chinese National Reference Materials for Hydrogen and Oxygen Isotopes in Water

The Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences recently prepared four certified reference materials for hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes in water, which are called ‘China Standard Water' (CSW)‐HO1–HO4 (hereafter referred to as HO1–HO4). These reference materials are intended for calibration purposes and provide reference values of their relative difference in ²H/¹H and ¹⁸O/¹⁶O isotope‐amount ratios expressed in delta notation, normalised to the VSMOW–SLAP scale. The certified values of the reference materials were determined by an interlaboratory comparison of results from eleven participating laboratories. This paper describes in detail the production and certification procedure of the four reference materials. The first analytical data for the reference materials are also provided using a variety of analytical techniques, namely CO₂–H₂O equilibration and laser spectroscopy for δ¹⁸O and Cr reduction, as well as H₂–H₂O equilibration, laser spectroscopy, and high‐temperature conversion for δ²H. The reference values for materials HO1–HO4 and their associated uncertainties are assigned.     

Sn-Ni化学镀硅酸钙镁矿物晶须的制备与表征

以硅酸钙镁晶须为原料,采用化学镀方法制备一种镀Sn-Ni硅酸钙镁晶须,并用SEM,XRD,EDS和FT-IR对镀Sn-Ni硅酸钙镁晶须进行表征。结果表明:镀Sn-Ni硅酸钙镁晶须是一种针状结构的硅酸盐晶须材料,除有部分聚集增粗外,其形貌几乎没有变化;镀Sn-Ni硅酸钙镁晶须的主要化学组成为:w(O)48.24%,w(Si)10.78%,w(Mg)5.44%,w(Ca)2.26%,w(Sn)22.45%,w(Ni)2.19%,w(Na)4.38%,w(P)2.46%和w(S)1.80%;镀Sn-Ni硅酸钙镁晶须在1100cm-1～850cm-1强吸收区的振动频率的增加值与在750cm-1～600cm-1弱吸收区的振动频率的降低值均为4.98cm-1;镀Sn-Ni硅酸钙镁晶须的主体结构和化学键没有发生根本上改变,Sn-Ni化学镀在本质上是一种物理包覆过程。该研究为提高矿产资源的综合开发和利用水平提供了一种新的思路和方法。     

Iron Isotopic Compositions of Geological Reference Materials and Chondrites

High‐precision iron isotopic compositions for Fe‐bearing geological reference materials and chondrites with a wide range of matrices (e.g., silicates, oxides, organic‐bearing materials) are reported. This comprehensive data set should serve as a reference for iron isotopic studies across a range of geological and biological disciplines for both quality assurance and inter‐laboratory calibration. Where comparison is available, the iron isotopic compositions of most geological reference materials measured in this study were in agreement with previously published data within quoted uncertainties. Recommendations for the reporting of future iron isotopic data and associated uncertainties are also presented. Long‐term repeat analyses of all samples indicate that highly reproducible iron isotopic measurements are now obtainable (± 0.03‰ and ± 0.05‰ for δ⁵⁶Fe and δ⁵⁷Fe, respectively).     

利用天然粉石英制作耐高温硅酸钙保温材料的研究

研究以天然粉石英为硅质原料,普通建筑用石灰为钙质原料生产硬硅钙石型硅酸钙保温材料的基本反应原理、反应过程和可用于工业化生产的工艺技术。用该项新技术所生产的硬硅钙石型硅酸钙保温材料,其性能达到美国和日本同类产品标准。