Geochronology of Pliocene volcanism in the Dzhavakheti Highland (the Lesser Caucasus). Part 1: Western part of the Dzhavakheti Highland

Isotopic-geochronological study of the Pliocene magmatic activity in western part of the Dzhavakheti Highland (northwestern region of the Lesser Caucasus) is carried out. The results obtained imply that the Pliocene magmatic activity lasted in this part of the highland approximately 2 million years from 3.75 to 1.75–1.55 Ma. As is established, the studied volcanic rocks correspond in composition mostly to K-Na subalkaline and more abundant normal basalts. Time constraints of main phases in development of basic volcanism within the study region are figured out. We assume that individual pulses of silicic to moderately silicic volcanism presumably took place in the Dzhavakheti Highland about 3.2 and 2.5 Ma ago.     

An Attempt to Predict the Failure Time of Abandoned Mine Pillars

Summary  Left in place pillars of abandoned mines are subject to weathering (e.g action of water, bacteria) that degrades their mechanical strength and eventually leads to collapse. A simple weathering model is proposed, that is governed by two parameters: the rate of progression of weathered front and the rate of degradation of the compressive strength with time. Both plane strain and axisymmetric analyses are performed and closed form solutions of the variation with time of the bearing capacity of the pillar are given. Experimental data of the tests conducted on gypsum and anhydrite specimens attacked by water are presented. It is shown that in order to fit the experimental data a third parameter must be introduced. New closed form solutions are given and the data are used for estimating the time to failure of abandoned gypsum mines in Northern Italy. Authors’ address: Dr. Riccardo Castellanza, Research Assistant, Department of Structural Engineering, Milan University of Technology (Politecnico), Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milan, Italy     

西藏冈底斯带措勤地区则弄群火山岩锆石U-Pb年代学格架及构造意义

大规模的则弄群火山岩呈带状近东西向展布于西藏冈底斯带中北部地区.对出露状况较好的措勤地区则弄群火山岩进行了锆石U-Pb定年,以建立其年代学格架便于区域对比.措勤地区则弄群火山岩多数锆石具有生长振荡环带,部分锆石显示核边结构.在措勤达雄北西部上覆于中二叠统下拉组灰岩的1件则弄群英安岩样品的LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Ph年龄为130±1Ma,1件则弄群流纹岩样品的SHRIMP锆石U-Pb年龄为129±3Ma;在措勤达雄北东部与下白垩统多尼组碎屑岩呈断层接触的1件则弄群英安岩样品中的锆石具有两组LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年龄,最年轻的一组(包括增生边)为121±1Ma,较老的一组(包括核部)为131±1Ma;在措勤南西部1件则异群流纹岩样品的LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年龄为111±1Ma,与措勤地区花岗岩类的侵位时代相当.这些高质量的锆石U-Pb年代学数据表明,措勤地区的则弄群火山作用很可能开始于约130Ma,停息于约110Ma,持续时间约20Ma.区域对比表明,东西延伸约1000km的则弄群火山作用同时发生在约130Ma.区域上目前的年代学数据结合同时代岩浆作用的分布特征表明,冈底斯带中北部地区早白垩世岩浆作用不太可能由新特提斯洋壳向北的低角度或平板俯冲产生.     

南海北部及广东沿海新生代火山活动

调查区新生代火山活动十分活跃。岩性以基性为主,少数属超基性Sr~(87/86)初始值最高0.706189,最低0.703178,陆区和海盆新生代火山岩均来自地幔。 K-Ar年龄最老62.86百万年,最新0.43百万年。从老至新可划分为8个活动期,分别为古新世早期、始新世早期、渐新世末期、中新世中期、中新世晚期、早更新世早期、早更新世晚期和中更新世中期。 海盆与陆区火山活动在岩性、同位素特征、活动时期、喷发方式以及岩浆来源等方面都十分相似,二者属统一的新生代火山岩区。     

南海尖峰海山多金属结壳地球化学

南海尖峰海山多金属结壳富含30多种元素,其锰铁矿物主要由钡镁锰矿,δ-MnO_2和FeOOH·xH_2O组成。与其它海区的结壳相比,尖峰海山结壳富含Cu、Ni、Ba、Zn、Pb等元素,而Co、Ti、稀土元素(REE)、Sr等元素相对较贫。研究表明,HREE亏损,具明显的Ce正异常,较明显的Tb正异常和Yb负异常。这是氧化弱碱性海洋环境所致。结壳是水成作用的产物,它的形成受南海独特的古海洋环境所控制,海底火山热液作用,可能也是影响因素之一。     

台湾海峡西岸林进屿古火山喷口群的地貌成因

由纯火山岩组成的林进屿位于台湾海峡西部近岸海中，熔岩喷发年代为上新世。这个典型的火山岛自早全新世海进到达这里以后的6－7ka以来，长期处于大风浪冲击的环境而导致海岸纸后退，并在海蚀崖滩上塑造出各种奇形怪状的火山地貌，裸露出一系列小型的古火山喷口群和火山颈。研究林进屿火山岛的地貌成因不仅具有一定的科学意义，尤其将引起国内外地学界特别是海峡两岸学术界的兴趣。     

中太平洋CP25岩心的矿物、稀土元素及Sr、Nd同位素组成--晚新生代海底火山活动的证据

中太平洋ＣＰ２５岩心沉积物中钙十字沸石、蒙脱石／伊利石比值（Ｍ／Ｉ）、稀土元素含量、铈异常（δＣｅ）、铕异常（δＥｕ）及Ｓｒ、Ｎｄ同位素特征作为海底火山活动的证据,揭示了中太平洋海盆晚新生代以来火山活动和沉积的历史。其结果是,早中新世约２０～１７ＭａＢ．Ｐ．间,火山活动逐渐强烈,在１７ＭａＢ．Ｐ．最强烈,使得沉积物具有高Ｍ／Ｉ和∈Ｎｄ、低δＣｅ和８７Ｓｒ／８６Ｓｒ。１７～１ＭａＢ．Ｐ．发生沉积间断。１ＭａＢ．Ｐ．至现代,火山活动较早中新世减弱     

火山沉积岩及其矿床研究中伽马测井曲线解释的误区

根据酸性凝灰岩和酸性火山事件粘土岩的自然伽马测井曲线,对当前流传的"沉积岩层的放射性强度(或放射性核素的含量)随泥质含量的增加而增高"的概念和用自然伽马值及经验公式求泥质含量提出质凝。酸性凝灰岩的自然伽马曲线有高异常响应,若解释为泥岩显然是误解,故将沉积岩伽马曲线高异常一律解释为泥岩是片面的。各类火山事件粘土岩的伽马值相差悬殊,但其泥质含量几乎相等,用它们的伽马值计算泥质含量误差甚大。最后对铝土矿层的伽马曲线稍加解释,指出核测井应用的远景。     

Effect of Bacillus mucilaginosus on weathering of phosphorite and a preliminary analysis of bacterial proteins

The authors investigated the effect of Bacillus mucilaginosus on weathering of phosphorite. Analysis of different proteins was of significance in exploring the molecular biological mechanism in the bacterial weathering process. The concrete methods are described as follows： Mineral powder was put into liquid culture medium and B. mucilaginosus was incubated in the medium. The control （group） had no mineral powder in the medium. The treatments and controls were cultured simultaneously under the same condition. In a few days, the supernatant was filtrated, the main cations （Ca^2＋, Mg^2＋, Na^＋, Mn^2＋, Al^3＋, Fe^3＋, K^＋） were measured by ICP-OES, and the contents of water soluble phosphorus （Pws） and silicon （Siws） were determined by colorimetry. The residual solid was weighed on the filter paper, followed by digestion with concentrated HNO3. The concentrations of the main cations and Pws, Siws in the digest liquid were measured by using the method mentioned above. After the supernatant was centrifuged, the precipitation was used to analyze the protein differences between the treatment groups and the control groups by 2-dimentional gel electrophoresis （2-DE）. The experimental results showed that apatite and quartz were partially weathered, but kaolinite was dissolved completely. The population of bacteria increased when mineral powder was added in the liquid medium. Software analysis and comparison of the 2-DE pictures of bacterial proteins revealed 1134 visible protein spots in the treatment group, and 729 visible protein spots in the control group. To compare the bacterial protein expression contents of the treatment group with those of the control group, there were 496 different protein spots, including 214 protein spots which indicated that the protein contents increased, 75 protein spots were indicative of a decrease, and 207 proteins were newly synthesized. It is proposed that the increased bacterial contents may be related to some protein expression and activation after the