Reduction of ground vibration by means of barriers or soil improvement along a railway track

Trains running in built-up areas are a source to ground-borne noise. A careful design of the track may be one way of minimizing the vibrations in the surroundings. For example, open or infilled trenches may be constructed along the track, or the soil underneath the track may be improved. In this work, the influence of the track design and properties on the level of ground vibration due to a vehicle moving with subsonic speed is examined. A coupled finite element-boundary element model of the track and subsoil is employed, adopting a formulation in the moving frame of reference following the vehicle. The computations are carried out in the frequency domain for various combinations of the vehicle speed and the excitation frequency. The analyses indicate that open trenches are more efficient than infilled trenches or soil stiffening–even at low frequencies. However, the direction of the load is of paramount importance. For example, the response outside a shallow open trench may change dramatically when horizontal load is applied instead of vertical load.     

Direct Current Plasma Emission Spectrometric Determination of Major, Minor and Trace Elements in Microwave Oven Acid Leachates of Powdered Whole Coal Samples

Major concentrations of Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, MgO, CaO, Na₂O and K₂O, minor levels of TiO₂, P₂O₅ and thirty petrologically, geochemically and environmentally significant trace elements have been determined in microwave oven acid leachates of whole powdered coal samples by direct current plasma‐atomic emission spectrometry (DCP‐AES). A single sample preparation procedure was suitable for all the determinations with no additional dilution step for major elements solution. Dried samples (0.5 g) were treated in low‐pressure PFA digestion vessels with HF/HCl/HNO₃/HClO₄ acids to quantitatively extract the analytes from the bulk material, while leaving the major part of organic matrix as a residue. The major constituents of geological samples, in particular the easily ionised elements (EIEs) such as alkali and alkaline earths, may complicate the instrumental determinations in DCP‐AES because of differential enhancements of elemental emission intensities and stray light interferences. Taking account of these factors, the coal matrix is considered to have very low major oxide totals as compared to many other common geo‐environmental and related materials (rocks, sediments, soil, ashes etc.). The sample size employed here, while yielding a relatively concentrated solution to cover a wide range of elemental determinations, provided a sample matrix that significantly diminished interferences for DCP measurements. The need for closely matching the unknowns and calibrators was eliminated except for overall acidity and an excess quantity of caesium for EIE buffering. Calibration of the spectrometer was accomplished by simple aqueous single element solutions as high concentration calibrators in addition to a reagent blank as a low concentration calibrator. Two point working curves were established to allow for the maximum concentrations of each element expected in the unknowns. The precision of determinations under routine conditions as well as the reproducibility of the leaching and precision of instrumental measurements have been evaluated. Relative standard deviations (RSD) were of 1–2% for those elements whose concentrations in solid samples were well above the limits of quantification. Method detection limits in the buffered solutions were also evaluated. To evaluate the accuracy of the microwave oven‐DCP method a suite of eight certified coal reference materials of differing rank, were analysed with good agreement with the certified and/or available published data. Results are presented for the uncertified major oxides in the AR series reference materials.     

Determination of Lithium, Beryllium and Boron at Trace Levels by Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Sector Field Mass Spectrometry

The analytical capabilities of laser ablation (LA)-ICP-MS in determining Li, Be and B at trace levels in geological samples have been tested on a series of glass reference materials and natural samples. The LA-ICP-MS instrument used consisted of a sector-field ICP-MS coupled with a laser ablation microprobe operating at either 266 or 213 nm wavelength. Reference glasses from NIST (SRM 612, 614 and 616) and MPI-DING (KL2-G, ML3B-G, StHs6/80-G, GOR128-G, GOR132-G, T1-G and ATHO-G) were selected to develop the analytical method and to assess the best instrumental configuration. A series of calcic amphiboles with different Li, Be and B concentrations were also analysed using both LA-ICP-MS and SIMS to test the applicability of the method to natural minerals. Results indicated that with a spot size of 40 μm the agreement between measured and reference values of Li, Be and B is generally better than 10% for NIST SRM 612 and 20% for NIST SRM 614. Average reproducibility at the 2s level was 10% for Li, 20% for Be and 15% for B. Limits of detection were approximately 100 ng g^-1 for Be and B and 200 ng g^-1 for Li. These results were confirmed by analyses carried out on natural amphiboles and compared well in terms of precision and accuracy with those commonly achieved by SIMS.     

Geochemical characteristics of mineral air particles emitted inside a clay atomisation plant which introduces waste recycling processes

The objective of this work is to assess the concentrations of three factions of air particles (settable particles, TSP and PM10) and the levels of several toxic elements in a clay atomisation industry through aerosol sampling at several points inside an industrial plant. Mechanical activities, which produce diffuse emissions, are the main process of discharge of particles in both indoor and outdoor workplace environments in the atomisation plant. The levels of As, Cd, Pb, Zn, Ba and Ni increase in the zones with higher concentrations of particles and lower ventilation. The concentrations of As and F are not influenced by the recycling processes. The levels of Cd and Pb do not show great enrichment in air particles collected inside the atomisation plant although the content of both elements is associated with ceramic muck recycling. Finally, the content of B in waste water is mainly transferred in gaseous phase to the atmosphere during the process of drying by atomisation.     

Seasonal records of climatic change in annually laminated tufas: short review and future prospects

Many Recent and fossil freshwater tufa stromatolites contain millimetre‐scale, alternating laminae of dense micrite and more porous or sparry crystalline calcites. These alternating laminae have been interpreted to represent seasonally controlled differences in the biotic activity of microbes, and/or seasonally controlled changes in the rate of calcification. Either way, couplets of these microbially mediated alternating calcified laminae are generally agreed to represent annual seasonality. Combined stable isotope (δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C) and trace element (Mg, Sr, Ba) geochemistry from Recent tufa stromatolites show that seasonal climatic information is available from these calcites. Variability in δ¹⁸O (and in one case Mg concentration) has been shown to be controlled primarily by stream temperature change, usually driven by solar insolation. In arid climates, seasonal evaporation can also cause δ¹⁸O enrichment by at least 1‰. Variability in δ¹³C results potentially from: (1) seasonal change in plant uptake of ¹²C‐enriched CO₂; (2) seasonal change in degassing of ¹²C‐enriched CO₂ in the aquifer system; and (3) precipitation of calcite along the aquifer or river flow path, a process that increases δ¹³C of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the remaining water. Mechanisms 2 and 3 are linked because calcite precipitates in aquifers where degassing occurs, e.g. air pockets. The latter mechanism for δ¹³C enrichment has also been shown to cause sympathetic variation between trace element/Ca ratios and δ¹³C because trace elements with partition coefficients much greater than 1 (e.g. Sr, Ba) remain preferentially in solution. Since degassing in air pockets will be enhanced during decreased recharge when water saturation of the aquifer is lowest, sympathetic variation in trace element/Ca ratios and δ¹³C is a possible index of recharge and therefore precipitation intensity. High‐resolution geochemical data from well‐dated tufa stromatolites have great potential for Quaternary palaeoclimate reconstructions, possibly allowing recovery of annual seasonal climatic information including water temperature variation and change in rainfall intensity. However, careful consideration of diagenetic effects, particularly aggrading neomorphism, needs to be the next step. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

福建行洛坑钨矿床白钨矿Sm-Nd等时线年龄及微量元素地球化学特征

行洛坑超大型钨矿床位于福建省宁化县东部,是武夷山成矿带内最大的钨矿床,具有储量大、品位低、黑钨矿与白钨矿资源量相近的特点。白钨矿作为含钨矿物,其形成年龄可以代表矿床的成矿时代,其地球化学特征反映了成矿作用环境和过程。文章在对行洛坑钨矿床钨矿脉特征、黑钨矿与白钨矿赋存状态开展调查的基础上,挑选白钨矿单矿物进行了Sm-Nd等时线测年和微量元素测试。研究结果显示,白钨矿结晶年龄为（142.6±2.8）Ma,略小于黑钨矿原位U-Pb年龄（150.5±8.1）Ma和石英流体包裹体Rb-Sr等时线年龄（147.5±2.9）Ma,与矿区隐伏岩体成岩年龄143.5~149.5 Ma在误差范围内完全吻合,也与矿物结晶世代关系吻合,都属于晚侏罗世的产物,说明钨成矿与隐伏岩体成岩近于同时或稍晚发生。白钨矿中微量及稀土元素特征显示第一世代成矿流体中Eu³⁺ < < Eu²⁺,指示成矿流体为还原性流体;第二世代成矿流体中Eu³⁺ > > Eu²⁺,指示成矿流体为氧化性流体。行洛坑钨矿成矿与华南中生代大规模成矿作用及其大地构造背景和动力学环境密切相关。     

马超营断裂带区域地球化学特征

该文探讨了马超营断裂带内各地层的成矿元素丰度特征,阐述了该带内成矿元素的分布特征及分布规律,总结了Ａｕ及有关元素Ａｇ、Ｐｂ、Ｚｎ、Ｍｏ、Ｃｏ、Ｎｉ、Ｍｎ、Ｂａ、Ｓｒ、Ａｓ、Ｓｂ、Ｂｉ等异常的特征及其分布规律。研究成果表明：马超营断裂带的韧性—韧脆性剪切带是本区Ａｕ及与其相关的Ａｇ、Ｐｂ、Ｚｎ等成矿元素异常规模、形态和空间分布的控制因素。     

巯基棉富集分离—冷原子吸收法测定天然水中痕量汞

用巯基棉富集水中痕量汞,用饱和氯化钠的盐酸溶液解吸,冷原子吸收法测定。当水样取１ Ｌ时,最低检测浓度可达０－００３ μｇ／Ｌ,方法相对标准偏差为３－８ ％ ～６－９ ％ ,巯基棉汞平均回收率为９１－１％ 。该法操作简单、快速、富集倍数大,适用于天然水中痕量汞的分析。     

贵州盘县土城向斜南西翼二叠系龙潭组地球化学特征及意义

为探讨盘县土城向斜龙潭组物源及沉积环境,对ZK402号孔龙潭组样品进行微量元素及稀土元素测试分析,结果显示:龙潭期的水体为微咸水—半咸水的淡水环境,水体分层不强的厌氧环境—水体分层及底层水体呈现H2S的厌氧环境;泥岩中稀土含量高,源岩主要为钙质泥岩和碱性玄武岩。根据砂岩粒度分析、薄片鉴定、电子探针等综合分析,在龙潭组中识别出三角洲和障壁砂坝—潟湖沉积相以及三角洲前缘、下三角洲平原、上三角洲平原、潮坪、潟湖等亚相,龙潭早、晚期以潟湖相为主,龙潭中期以分流河道和分流间湾广泛发育为特征。     

A Compilation of Silicon,Rare Earth Element and Twenty‐One other Trace Element Concentrations in the Natural River Water Reference Material SLRS‐5 (NRC‐CNRC)

The natural river water certified reference material SLRS‐5 (NRC‐CNRC) was routinely analysed in this study for major and trace elements by ten French laboratories. Most of the measurements were made using ICP‐MS. Because no certified values are assigned by NRC‐CNRC for silicon and 35 trace element concentrations (rare earth elements, Ag, B, Bi, Cs, Ga, Ge, Li, Nb, P, Rb, Rh, Re, S, Sc, Sn, Th, Ti, Tl, W, Y and Zr), or for isotopic ratios, we provide a compilation of the concentrations and related uncertainties obtained by the participating laboratories. Strontium isotopic ratios are also given.