A comparative mineralogical and geochemical study of sulfide mine tailings at two sites in New Mexico, USA

A comparative study of sulfide mine tailings from two sites near Silver City in southwest New Mexico has shown the need for environmental monitoring in a geological context. The Cyprus-Piños Altos and Cleveland deposits consist of Cu and Zn skarn mineralization in the Piños Altos Mountains of New Mexico. Primary ore minerals in both deposits include chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and galena. The Cyprus-Piños Altos Mine ceased operation in 1995 and the Cleveland Mill closed in 1950. The deposits have similar mineralogical characteristics; however, the tailings are different in terms of age, degree of oxidation and method of disposal. The Cyprus-Piños Altos tailings (CPAT) are stored in a lined, bermed impoundment. They are dominantly water-saturated and exhibit no secondary-phase formation. The grains are not cemented and show no evidence of primary-mineral dissolution. The geochemical data show a predominantly primary signature. The tailings pond water is neutral to slightly alkaline (pH?from 7 to 8.3), partly as a result of processing methods. The Cleveland mill tailings (CMT) were deposited in a valley at the headwaters of an ephemeral stream. They are highly oxidized and differentially cemented. They have undergone numerous wet/dry cycles resulting in extensive oxidation. Secondary minerals predominate, and consist mainly of jarosite, goethite, hematite, and Fe-oxyhydroxides and -oxyhydroxysulfates. The pH of the stream draining the CMT is as high as 2.15. Maximum metal contents in the stream immediately downstream from the tailings are 5305?ppm Zn, 454?ppm Cu, 1.16?ppm Pb, 17.5?ppm Cd, 1.4?ppm As, and 0.01?ppm Hg.     

西藏玉龙铜矿床次生氧化富集作用机制

作文阐述了西藏玉龙铜矿床成矿过程中的“沉积初步富集期”和“西藏玉龙铜矿床次生氧化成矿作用模式”,这不仅对指导当前生产具有重要的现实意义,而且为在玉龙铜矿带进一步找矿共作劈了新的方向。     

松辽盆地西南部层间氧化带砂岩型铀矿找矿方向

松辽盆地西南部层间氧化带砂岩型铀矿找矿方向赵忠华刘广传崔长远（核工业东北地质局２４０研究所,沈阳１１００３２）关键词开鲁盆地层间氧化带砂岩型铀矿找矿松辽盆地西南部系指内蒙古自治区哲里木盟及昭乌达盟所辖地区,西临大兴安岭,南依辽西山地,面积约６００００...     

Fast Oxidation Reaction of Nitrite by Dissolved Oxygen in the Freezing Process in the Tropospheric Aqueous Phase

Nitrite oxidation in the tropospheric aqueous phase by freezing was evaluated by freezing a field sample. Nitrite oxidation by dissolved oxygen in the freezing process is much faster than by other oxidation processes, such as reactions with ozone, hydrogen peroxide or dissolved oxygen in an aqueous solution at pHs 3 to –6. At pH 4.5 and 25°C, the lifetime of nitrite in the aqueous phase is ca. 1 hr in oxidation by ozone (6×10^-10 mol dm^-3), ca. 10 hr in oxidation by H₂O₂ (2×10^-4 mol dm^-3), and 7.5 hr (Fischer and Warneck, 1996) in photodissociation at midday in summer. Under the same conditions at a temperature below 0°C, the lifetime of nitrite in the freezing process is estimated as ca. 2 sec when the droplets are frozen within a second. The reaction by freezing is affected by the presence of salts, such as NaCl or KCl, or orgnaic compounds, such as methanol or acetone. The results of freezing a field rain or fog sample showed that nitrite oxidation proceeds below pH 6, and the conversion ratio of nitrate from nitrite increases with decreasing pH. The oxidation of nitrite by freezing was also observed in freezing fog particles generated by an ultrasonic humidifier. The ratios of the concentrations of ions in the winter sample to those in the summer sample (or those in the fog sample) were almost the same values. However, the concentration of nitrite in the winter sample was lower than that estimated by the ratios of other ions. From the present study, it seems that the freezing process plays an important role in the nitrite sink process in the tropospheric aqueous phase.     

A Three-Dimensional Global Model Study of Carbonyl Sulfide in the Troposphere and the Lower Stratosphere

Global distributions of carbonyl sulfide and carbon disulfide have been calculated with a three-dimensional global model of the atmospheric general circulation (ECHAM). The model calculates a global sink strength for carbonyl sulfide of 0.3 Tg S yr^-1, with vegetation uptake being the largest sink. With this sink strength, the sources have to be close to the lower limit of the present estimate in the literature. The calculated mixing ratios are higher in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere. This interhemispheric gradient is the opposite of what is observed demonstrating that the present knowledge of the distribution of sinks and sources is not fully adequate. The model calculations support the idea that the open oceans could act as a net sink of carbonyl sulfide. The calculated stratospheric photolysis of carbonyl sulfide constitutes about 4% of the total sink of carbonyl sulfide. A stratospheric production of sulfate from carbonyl sulfide of 0.013 Tg S yr^-1 is obtained, which is 3 to 12 times less than what is needed to maintain the stratospheric sulfate aerosol layer. Although these results are associated with uncertainties, due to the low upper boundary and coarse vertical resolution of the model, they support recent findings of a low stratospheric production of sulfate from carbonyl sulfide. Instead, sulfur dioxide transported from the troposphere is calculated to be the most important precursor for the stratospheric sulfate aerosol layer.     

Model Simulations on the Variability of Particulate MSA to Non-Sea-Salt Sulfate Ratio in the Marine Environment

A box model was constructed to investigate connections between the particulate MSA to non-sea-salt sulfate ratio, R, and DMS chemistry in a clean marine boundary layer. The simulations demonstrated that R varies widely with particle size, which must be taken into account when interpreting field measurements or comparing them with each other. In addition to DMS gas-phase chemistry, R in the submicron size range was shown to be sensitive to the factors dictating sulfate production via cloud processing, to the removal of SO₂ from the boundary layer by dry deposition and sea-salt oxidation, to the entrainment of SO₂ from the free troposphere, to the relative concentration of sub- and supermicron particles, and to meteorology. Three potential explanations for the increase of R toward high-latitudes during the summer were found: larger MSA yields from DMS oxidation at high latitudes, larger DMSO yields from DMS oxidation followed by the conversion of DMSO to MSA at high latitudes, or lower ambient H₂O₂ concentrations at high latitudes leading to less efficient sulfate production in clouds. Possible reasons for the large seasonal amplitude of R at mid and high latitudes include seasonal changes in the partitioning of DMS oxidation to the OH and NO₃ initiated pathways, seasonal changes in the concentration of species participating the DMS-OH reaction pathway, or the existence of a SO₂ source other than DMS oxidation in the marine boundary layer. Even small anthropogenic perturbations were shown to have a potential to alter the MSA to non-sea-salt sulfate ratio.     

东疆红山Cu-Au矿床氧化带硫酸盐矿物穆斯堡尔谱特征及其意义

穆斯堡尔谱对确定铁离子占位、核外环境及氧化态方面有着独特的优势。在红山铜金矿床氧化带硫酸盐矿物的XRD、TA、湿法化学分析和红外光谱测试的基础上,测定了板铁矾、针绿矾等8种硫酸盐矿物的室温57Fe穆斯堡尔谱,并根据常温下硫酸盐矿物穆斯堡尔谱参数和其晶体结构中Fe3+和Fe2+的占据位置对其谱峰进行了指派。结果表明本矿床氧化带硫酸盐矿物的穆斯堡尔谱的同质异能位移较小、四级矩分裂值分布范围较大、无磁超精细分裂等特征,且硫酸盐矿物结构中存在着共价键。通过与青海锡铁山铅锌矿氧化带硫酸盐矿物的穆斯堡尔谱相比较,两者在近地表风化及氧化过程中所处的物理化学条件基本相同,酸性和氧化性的环境为硫酸盐矿物的产生和保存提供了良好条件,但红山矿床更为干旱少雨,导致两者硫酸盐的穆斯堡尔谱参数略有不同。     

酒东盆地红山地区下白垩统新民堡群灰白色蚀变带特征及其与铀成矿的关系

研究区位于酒东盆地东北缘红山地区。通过对下白垩统新民堡群后生氧化改造作用的研究,认为灰白色弱氧化、强水解蚀变带是层间氧化带的一部分。铁和有机质是沉积岩中常见的色素,当含氧水进入目的层砂体时,砂体中的有机质、低价铁(Fe2+)等化合物被氧化,导致岩石褪色;同时氧化作用导致砂岩中长石水解,形成以高岭石为主的白色黏土矿物,使岩石增白。增白与褪色的双重作用是砂岩总体上变白的重要原因,其所形成的灰白色蚀变岩位于强氧化的紫红色-黄色蚀变亚带与灰色原生岩石带之间的一定范围内。铀矿化(体)产在弱氧化、强水解灰白色砂岩与原生灰色砂岩界面附近偏灰色岩石一侧[1-2]。灰白色蚀变带与铀成矿关系密切,可作为区域性白垩系砂岩型铀矿的找矿标志之一。     

Effects of Interference and Oxidation on the UV/Visible Rejection Properties of Filters for Soft X-ray Detectors

We report on UV/Visible transmission measurements of aluminum coated Lexan filters designed as UV blocking filters for soft x-ray detectors. Transmission of the filters in the 2300-8000 Å wavelength range is significantly higher than expected. It cannot be accounted for applying a simple slab model of the transmission and adopting material properties reported in the literature. We show that this is due to interference effects which are strongly dependent on the filter geometry, and to oxidation of exposed aluminum surfaces and/or chemical interaction with the plastic support. The results of this work have led to the redesign of the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility High Resolution Camera UV blocking filters.     

成冰纪全球冰期事件的环境效应研究进展

成冰纪全球冰期是地球历史上最极端的冰室气候事件,冰川作用波及赤道区域,全球可能都遭受了冰封,海洋广泛缺氧,生物演化进程迟滞。然而,冰期结束之后,大气氧浓度迅速升高,海洋发生逐步氧化,大型带刺疑源类和真核多细胞藻类在埃迪卡拉纪开始繁盛,出现最早的动物,地表生物圈发生了翻天覆地的变化。显然,成冰纪全球冰期事件是地球系统演化的重要转折。认识冰期的环境效应是认识埃迪卡拉纪生物演化的关键,也是打开地表宜居环境演化的钥匙。本文总结了近年来成冰纪全球冰期的气候假说、冰期沉积特征、海洋氧化还原条件及冰期后的大气与海洋环境剧变等方面的研究进展,简要分析了全球冰期研究中存在的问题,并对该领域未来研究提出了展望与建议。