Physicochemistry and Mineralogy of Storm Dust and Dust Sediment in Northern China

Dust sediments collected from 1995 to 1998 in Beijing, Dunhuang, Inner Mongolia, Kashi, the Kunlun Mountains, Lanzhou, Ningxia, the Taklimakan Desert, and Xi‘an, China, were characterized in terms of their physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties. Most aerosols and dust analysed ranged in texture from silty clay to clay loam. Their median particle diameters (Mds) generally ranged between 5 to 63μm,coinciding with those of loess from central China and the finest sand from northwestern China. The dust sediments were characterized by a predominance of SiO2 and Al2O3, followed by K2O. Their SiO2/Al2O3and K2O/SiO2 molar ratios ranged from 5.17 to 8.43 and from 0.009 to 0.0368, respectively. The mass concentration spectrum during a dust storm showed a single peak, rather than the triple peak generally observed under clear sky conditions. The dominant minerals were chlorite, illite, calcite, and dolomite.These physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties were consistent with those of aeolian soils and loess in western and central China. The results suggest that aerosols and fine-gained fractions of dust sediments collected in northern China are mainly composed of soil material transported from the arid and semiarid regions of China and Mongolia by prevailing winds. The rate of deposition and properties of dust falling on eastern China were strongly influenced by meteorological conditions, season, latitude, longitude, and altitude of the sampling sites.     

三峡库区梁滩河流域水化学与硝酸盐污染

运用水化学和水质分析技术,测定了三峡库区梁滩河流域地表水体和地下水体中的水化学组成和硝酸盐氮含量,揭示了梁滩河流域地表水和地下水水体的水化学组成和硝酸盐污染的空间分布规律、来源及循环过程。结果表明:梁滩河流域地表水的硝酸盐污染表现为沿着地表径流从上游到下游呈现出加重的趋势,这种污染趋势与养殖业、生活和工农业废污水的沿程直接排放有着直接关系;而地下水硝酸盐污染呈现出流域上游和下游较轻、而中游东侧支流区域较重的空间分布特征,这种空间分布特征与地表水体中氨氮和有机氮的含量、地表水与地下水之间的补给排泄关系、厚层土壤包气带的存在以及土地利用状况等因素有着密切的关系。     

Clustering of groundwater chemistry data with implications for reservoir appraisal in West Siberia

Division of sedimentary strata according to groundwater chemistry is discussed with implications for petroleum reservoir potential. It is suggested to process multiparametric water chemistry data from West Siberia using formalized clustering techniques. The efficiency of this approach has been tested for Neocomian clinoform reservoirs with reference to regional-scale appraisal and subregional petroleum division.     

不同滑坡推力模式下圆截面嵌岩抗滑桩受力特性研究

为分析嵌岩抗滑桩在不同分布模式推力下的变形与内力情况,将基于研究桩-土可分离模型的CPSP解析程序运用于嵌岩圆截面抗滑桩的嵌固段计算,可以计算得到不同推力模式下抗滑桩嵌固段的变形与内力结果。本文将ABAQUS软件的数值模拟结果与CPSP程序的解析计算结果进行了对比,论证了CPSP程序嵌岩圆截面抗滑桩嵌固段计算的适用性。通过改变计算参数,运用CPSP程序计算了嵌岩抗滑桩在均质地基不同分布模式滑坡推力下的桩身位移、剪力、弯矩的分布结果,并总结出最大桩身位移、剪力、弯矩的相关规律。此外,在基于CPSP程序的计算结果上,并且考虑抗滑桩满足滑面处连续条件的情况下,经过解析计算,计算得到不同滑坡推力模式下抗滑桩受荷段的挠度公式,计算得出并对比了不同滑坡推力分布模式下抗滑桩的变形受力结果,分析了滑坡推力分布模式对抗滑桩桩身的变形与内力的影响。     

Heliocentric evolution of the degradation of polyoxymethylene: Application to the origin of the formaldehyde (H2CO) extended source in Comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp)

The H₂CO production rates measured in Comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) from radio wavelength observations [Biver, N., and 22 colleagues, 2002a. Earth Moon Planets 90, 5-14] showed a steep increase with decreasing heliocentric distance. We studied the heliocentric evolution of the degradation of polyoxymethylene (formaldehyde polymers: (CH₂O)_n, also called POM) into gaseous H₂CO. POM decomposition can indeed explain the H₂CO density profile measured in situ by Giotto spacecraft in the coma of Comet 1P/Halley, which is not compatible with direct release from the nucleus [Cottin, H., Bénilan, Y., Gazeau, M.-C., Raulin, F., 2004. Icarus 167, 397-416]. We show that the H₂CO production curve measured in Comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) can be accurately reproduced by this mechanism with a few percents by mass of solid POM in grains. The steep heliocentric evolution is explained by the thermal degradation of POM at distances less than 3.5 AU. This study demonstrates that refractory organics present in cometary dust can significantly contribute to the composition of the gaseous coma. POM, or POM-like polymers, might be present in cometary grains. Other molecules, like CO and HNC, might also be produced by a similar process.     

Airside velocity measurements over the wind-sheared water surface using particle image velocimetry

An experimental investigation of the airflow structure in the near surface region over the wind-sheared air–water interface is reported. The two-dimensional velocity fields in a plane perpendicular to the water surface were measured using particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique over a wind speed range from 1.5 to 4.4 m s⁻¹. The results show a reduction in the mean velocity magnitudes and the tangential stresses when gravity waves appear on the surface. An enhanced vorticity layer was observed immediately above the water surface that extended to a height of approximately 2 cm. The vorticity was enhanced by an order of magnitude, and the energy dissipation rate was enhanced by a factor of 7 in this layer at all wind speeds. The vertical profiles of Reynolds stress, energy production, and dissipation indicate the contribution of surface waves in the enhanced transfer of momentum and energy between the two fluids. The results in this study show that the flow dynamics in a layer immediately adjacent to the water surface whose thickness is of the order of the significant wave height is significantly different from that at greater heights. Thus, it is concluded that the quantitative investigation of the flow in the immediate vicinity of the interface is vital for an improved understanding of the heat, mass, and momentum exchange between air and water. The present study demonstrates that PIV is an effective technique to accurately measure the velocity fields in this region.     

Environmental effects on distributions of culturable soil oligotrophic bacteria along an elevational gradient in the Chihuahuan Desert

Oligotrophic bacteria have been isolated from many habitats, yet environmental regulation of their distributions in soil has not been elucidated. To address the issue of environmental influence upon oligotrophic distributions, Chihuahuan Desert soils were sampled from five sites along an elevational and vegetational gradient within Big Bend National Park during January and August of 2002 and 2003. Soils were diluted and plated on oligotrophic media, and plates were incubated at 15, 25, 35, 45 and 60 °C. Additionally, measurements of soil organic matter, pH, moisture, extractable nitrate, extractable ammonium and microbial biomass carbon were collected for each sample to relate oligotrophic bacterial distributions to soil nutrient and edaphic characteristics. Analysis of variance indicated significant site, season, incubation-temperature and interaction effects on total oligotroph numbers. Canonical correspondence analysis and multiple regressions indicated that all soil-chemistry variables significantly influenced discrete morphologies of oligotrophs. Oligotroph distributions were most congruent with soil-chemistry variation in three sites, whereas oligotrophic diversity in two sites did not adhere closely to measured environmental variables. While vegetation type may structure oligotroph communities at the two mid-elevational sites, abiotic constraints are drivers in low-desert sites.     

A note on the chemical composition of lake water in the Laguna Amarga,a saline lake in Patagonia,Chile

The chemical composition of lake water in Laguna Amarga, a small, shallow, saline lake near the Torres del Paine National Park (at 51°S), Chilean Patagonia, was studied in January, 1993. The water was strongly alkaline (pH 9.4) conductivity was 71.4 mS cm^–1, and salinity was 77 g L^–1. The major ions were sodium and sulphate.     

Palaeoclimatic studies in South Shetland Islands,Antarctica, based on numerous stratigraphic variables in lake sediments

The hitherto longest found lake sediment sequence on Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands, was analysed with respect to lithology, chronology, diatoms, Pediastrum, pollen and spores, mosses, mineralogy, and sediment chemistry. During the ca. 5000 year long development the sediments were influenced by frequent tephra fall-outs. This volcanic impact played a major role in the lake's history during two periods, 4700–4600 and 2800–2500 BP, but was of importance during the lake's entire history with considerable influence on many of the palaeoenvironmentally significant indicators. The large and complex data set was analysed and zonated with different types of multivariate analysis. This resulted in a subdivision of the sequence into 8 time periods and 21 variables. Redundancy analysis (RDA) of this data set, both without and with the tephra periods, and with 4–6 of the variables as explanatory environmental variables, reveal that climatic/environmental signals are detectable. The palaeoclimatic picture that emerged out of the tephra noise suggests that the first 100 years were characterized by mild, humid conditions. This was followed by a less mild and humid climate until ca. 4000 BP when a gradual warming seems to have started, coupled with increased humidity. These mild and humid conditions seem to have reached an optimum slightly after 3000 BP. At ca. 2500 BP a distinct climatic deterioration occurred with colder and drier conditions and long seasons with ice cover. This arid, cold phase probably reached its optimum conditions at ca. 1500 BP, when slightly warmer conditions might have prevailed for a while. Except for the modern sample with rather mild climate, the last 1400 years seem to have been fairly arid and cold, and the effects of the frequent volcanic activity during this period is only vaguely seen in the records.     

Efficiency of heavy liquid separation to concentrate magnetic particles

Low-temperature rock magnetic measurements have distinct diagnostic value. However, in most bulk marine sediments the concentration of ferrimagnetic and antiferromagnetic minerals is extremely low, so even sensitive instrumentation often responds to the paramagnetic contribution of the silicate matrix in the residual field of the magnetometer. Analysis of magnetic extracts is usually performed to solve the problems raised by low magnetic concentrations. Additionally magnetic extracts can be used for several other analyses, for example electron microscopy or X-ray diffraction. The magnetic extraction technique is generally sufficient for sediments dominated by magnetite. In this study however, we show that high-coercivity components are rather underrepresented in magnetic extracts of sediments with a more complex magnetic mineralogy. We test heavy liquid separation, using hydrophilic sodium polytungstenate solution Na₆[H₂W₁₂O₄₀], to demonstrate the efficiencies of both concentration techniques. Low-temperature cycling of zero-field-cooled, field-cooled and saturation isothermal remanent magnetization acquired at room temperature was performed on dry bulk sediments, magnetic extracts, and heavy liquid separates of clay-rich pelagic sediments originating from the Equatorial Atlantic. The results of the thermomagnetic measurements clarify that magnetic extraction favours components with high spontaneous magnetization, such as magnetite and titanomagnetite. The heavy liquid separation is unbiased with respect to high- and low-coercive minerals, thus it represents the entire magnetic assemblage.