Voids in the Jagiellonian Field

This paper presents arguments relating to the phenomenon of scantily populated regions with intergalactic obscuration.     

Energy interconnection between the plasma cloud ejected from the active region and the shock wave

The relation between the ejected plasma cloud and the shock wave propagating ahead of it is examined for 27 pairs of such events. The flare sprays and the eruptive prominences observed in H line as well as the fast-moving sources of type-IV radio bursts have been considered as such ejected plasma clouds. Propagation of the shock wave in the solar corona has been examined from the observations of type-II radio bursts. Using the Parker model of the propagation of a shock wave, the shock wave velocity has been compared with the plasma cloud velocity. Energy interconnection between these two events has been studied. In the majority of the investigated cases there exists an energetic interconnection between the plasma cloud and the shock wave.     

Combined mine tremors source location and error evaluation in the Lubin Copper Mine (Poland)

A modified method of mine tremors location used in Lubin Copper Mine is presented in the paper. In mines where an intensive exploration is carried out a high accuracy source location technique is usually required. The effect of the flatness of the geophones array, complex geological structure of the rock mass and intense exploitation make the location results ambiguous in such mines. In the present paper an effective method of source location and location's error evaluations are presented, combining data from two different arrays of geophones. The first consists of uniaxial geophones spaced in the whole mine area. The second is installed in one of the mining panels and consists of triaxial geophones. The usage of the data obtained from triaxial geophones allows to increase the hypocenter vertical coordinate precision. The presented two-step location procedure combines standard location methods: P-waves directions and P-waves arrival times. Using computer simulations the efficiency of the created algorithm was tested. The designed algorithm is fully non-linear and was tested on the multilayered rock mass model of the Lubin Copper Mine, showing a computational better efficiency than the traditional P-wave arrival times location algorithm. In this paper we present the complete procedure that effectively solves the non-linear location problems, i.e. the mine tremor location and measurement of the error propagation.     

Assessment of mercury mobility and bioavailability by fractionation method in sediments from coastal zone inundated by the 26 December 2004 tsunami in Thailand

The 26 December 2004 tsunami covered significant portion of a coastal zone with a blanket of potentially contaminated sediments. In this report are presented results on mercury concentrations in sediments deposited by the tsunami in a coastal zone of Thailand. Since the total mercury concentrations are insufficient to assess mercury mobility and bioavailability in sediment, its fractionation was applied. Sediments were sampled within 50 days after the event and analyzed by sequential extraction method. The procedure of sequential extraction involved five subsequent stages performed with solutions of chloroform, deionized water, 0.5 M HCl, 0.2 M NaOH, and aqua regia. The mean concentration of total mercury in sediments was 119 ± 50 ng g⁻¹ dry mass (range 66–230). The fractionation revealed that mercury is mainly bound to the least bioavailable sulphides 75 ± 6% (range 62–86), organomercury compounds 14 ± 7% (range 4–26), and humic matter 9 ± 7% (range 1–27). The lowest contributions bring fractions of water-soluble mercury 0.8 ± 1.0% (range 0.1–3.6) and acid soluble mercury 0.9 ± 0.5% (range 0.2–2.1). Although, the total mercury content is similar in a reference sample and in the tsunami sediments, the highly toxic organomercury fraction contribution is higher in the latter. The results were compared with chemical and sedimentological properties of the sediments but no significant correlations were obtained between them.     

Redbed-type gold mineralisation, Kupferschiefer, south-west Poland

A new type of gold mineralisation containing minor amounts of platinum and palladium has been found proximal to the secondary redox interface located below the Cu-Ag Kupferschiefer orebody of the Polkowice-Sieroszowice mine in the south-western part of the Lubin-Sieroszowice district, Poland. This deposit can be classified as redbed-type gold. Our study shows that gold, platinum and palladium occur in secondary red-coloured sections of the basal Zechstein sedimentary rocks and in the uppermost Weissliegendes sandstone. Noble metal mineralisation occurs within an average interval of 0.22 m, which lies directly below the copper ores. The average grade of the horizon is 2.25 ppm Au, 0.138 ppm Pt and 0.082 ppm Pd with a metal content of several tens of tonnes of gold. A transition zone has been recognised between the gold-bearing horizon and the copper deposit. This transition zone is characterised by the presence of low grades of copper (<0.2 wt%) and elevated gold contents (>0.5 ppm). Native gold accompanied by electrum, mercury-bearing gold, haematite, covellite, chalcocite, bornite and chalcopyrite has been identified in the gold-bearing horizon. In some sections, Pd-arsenides, tetra-auricupride, Co-arsenides, clausthalite, tennantite, digenite, yarrowite, spionkopite and galena have also been noted.     

From in-situ coal to fly ash: a study of coal mines and power plants from Indiana

This paper presents data on the properties of coal and fly ash from two coal mines and two power plants that burn single-source coal from two mines in Indiana. One mine is in the low-sulfur (<1%) Danville Coal Member of the Dugger Formation (Pennsylvanian) and the other mines the high-sulfur (>5%) Springfield Coal Member of the Petersburg Formation (Pennsylvanian). Both seams have comparable ash contents (11%). Coals sampled at the mines (both raw and washed fractions) were analyzed for proximate/ultimate/sulfur forms/heating value, major oxides, trace elements and petrographic composition. The properties of fly ash from these coals reflect the properties of the feed coal, as well as local combustion and post-combustion conditions. Sulfur and spinel content, and As, Pb and Zn concentrations of the fly ash are the parameters that most closely reflect the properties of the source coal.     

Deciphering late Devonian–early Carboniferous P–T–t path of mylonitized garnet-mica schists from Prins Karls Forland,Svalbard

Quartz-in-garnet inclusion barometry integrated with trace element thermometry and calculated phase relations is applied to mylonitized schists of the Pinkie unit cropping out on the island of Prins Karls Forland, western part of the Svalbard Archipelago. This approach combines conventional and novel techniques and allows deciphering of the pressure–temperature (P–T) evolution of mylonitic rocks, for which the P–T conditions could not have been easily deciphered using traditional methods. The results obtained suggest that rocks of the Pinkie unit were metamorphosed under amphibolite facies conditions at 8–10 kbar and 560–630°C and mylonitized at ~500 to 550°C and 9–11 kbar. The P–T results are coupled with in-situ Th–U-total Pb monazite dating, which records amphibolite facies metamorphism at c. 359–355 Ma. This is the very first evidence of late Devonian–early Carboniferous metamorphism in Svalbard and it implies that the Ellesmerian Orogeny on Svalbard was associated with metamorphism up to amphibolite facies conditions. Thus, it can be concluded that the Ellesmerian collision between the Franklinian margin of Laurentia and Pearya and Svalbard caused not only commonly accepted brittle deformation and weak greenschist facies metamorphism, but also a burial and deformation of rock complexes at much greater depths at elevated temperatures.     

Rapid ground deformation corresponding to a mining-induced seismic event followed by a massive collapse

Natural Hazards - On 17 April 2015, the Wujek/?l?sk underground coal mine in Poland was struck by a strong induced tremor of magnitude M4.0. The event was followed by a massive rock burst...     

Late Holocene environmental conditions in Coronation Gulf,southwestern Canadian Arctic Archipelago: evidence from dinoflagellate cysts,other non‐pollen palynomorphs,and pollen

Boxcore 99LSSL‐001 (68.095° N, 114.186° W; 211 m water depth) from Coronation Gulf represents the first decadal‐scale marine palynology and late Holocene sediment record for the southwestern part of the Northwest Passage. The record was studied for organic‐walled microfossils (dinoflagellate cysts, non‐pollen palynomorphs), pollen, terrestrial spores, and sediment characteristics. ²¹⁰Pb, ¹³⁷Cs, and three accelerator mass spectrometry ¹⁴C dates constrain the chronology. Three prominent palaeoenvironmental zones were identified. During the interval AD 1470–1680 (Zone I), the climate was warmer and wetter than at present, and environmental conditions were more favourable to biological activity and northward boreal forest migration, with reduced sea‐ice and a longer open‐water (growing) season. The interval AD 1680–1940 (Zone II) records sea‐ice increase, and generally cool, polar conditions during the Little Ice Age. During AD 1940–2000 (Zone III), organic microfossils indicate an extended open‐water season and decreased sea‐ice, with suggested amelioration surpassing that of Zone I. Although more marine studies are needed to place this record into an appropriate context, the succession from ameliorated (Zone I) to cooler, sea‐ice influenced conditions (Zone II) and finally to 20th‐century warming (Zone III) corresponds well with several terrestrial climatic records from the neighbouring mainland and Victoria Island, and with lower‐resolution marine records to the west. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.