Geochemistry and petrogenesis of the post-orogenic bimodal dyke swarms in NW Sinai, Egypt: constraints on the magmatic–tectonic processes during the late Precambrian

The study area in the northwest Sinai represents one of the most significant regions in the Egyptian basement intensely invaded by post-orogenic calc-alkaline dyke swarms. Two post-orogenic dyke swarms have been recognized in NW Sinai namely: (1) mafic dykes of basalt, basaltic andesite and andesite composition and (2) felsic dykes of dacite, rhyodacite and rhyolite composition. These basaltic to rhyolitic dykes intruded contemporaneously and shortly after the intrusion of the post-orogenic leucogranite. The mafic and felsic dykes are enriched in incompatible elements, especially in the large ion lithophile elements (e.g. K, Rb, Ba) and depleted in high field strength elements with negative P, Ti and Nb anomalies. Major and trace element geochemistry indicates that investigated mafic and felsic magma types are not related via fractional crystallization. The protoliths of the mafic and felsic dykes appear to have evolved from different parental magmas. The incompatible trace element patterns favour a derivation of the mafic dykes from melting of a garnet peridotite source followed by fractional crystallization of olivine, clinopyroxene amphibole and zircon. The felsic dykes, on the other hand, could be generated by melting of garnet-free source modified subsequently by fractional crystallization of plagioclase, apatite and titanomagnetite. This implies variable source characteristics at the end of the Pan-African in the NW Sinai.The mafic and felsic dykes can be related to an intracontinental setting and that this was accompanied by a chemical evolution of the subcontinental lithosphere. Magma generation and ascent in the area was favoured by extensional movements, which is already known from other areas in NE Africa.     

Application of topo-edaphic factors and remotely sensed vegetation indices to enhance biomass estimation in a heterogeneous landscape in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania

Estimating tropical biomass is critical for establishment of conservation inventories and landscape monitoring. However, monitoring biomass in a complex and dynamic environment using traditional methods is challenging. Recently, biomass estimates based on remotely sensed data and ecological variables have shown great potential. The present study explored the utility of remotely sensed data and topo-edaphic factors to improve biomass estimation in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. Twenty-nine vegetation indices were calculated from RapidEye data, while topo-edaphic factors were taken from field measurements. Results showed that using topo-edaphic variables or vegetation indices, biomass could be predicted with an R² of 0.4. A combination of topo-edaphic variables and vegetation indices improved the prediction accuracy to an R² of 0.6. Results further showed a decrease in biomass estimates from 1162 ton ha^?1 in 1980 to 285.38 ton ha^?1 in 2012. This study demonstrates the value of combining remotely sensed data with topo-edaphic variables in biomass estimation.     

Management of shock loads wastewater produced from water heaters industry

Water heater manufacturing represents one sector of household electrical appliance industry. It includes several batch processes which resulted in a highly polluted wastewater as shock loads. The objective of this study was to manage the shock loads wastewater with a simple and cost-effective approach prior to final discharge into municipality. To achieve this objective, two approaches were studied. The first approach was the chemical treatment of the accumulated shock loads wastewater using alum and an anionic polymer. Although this approach produced a very high-quality effluent, it was economically and technically infeasible. The second approach was a controlled release of the shock loads to the normal daily discharge in a way that guarantees the compliance of the end-off-pipe with the National Regulatory Standards. This solution required establishment of an equalization tank for normal daily flow and a holding tank for controlled release of the shock loads. Mathematical calculations were carried out to determine the most violating parameters in order to calculate the mixing ratio the of shock loads with the normal daily flow. Full engineering design of the proposed solution was carried out. This approach was implemented and proved to be simple, easy to operate, cost-effective and can be replicated in similar batch processing manufacturing plants.     

Statistical study of visual binaries

In this paper, some statistical distributions of wide pairs included in the Washington Double Star Catalog are investigated. Frequency distributions and testing hypothesis are derived for some basic parameters of visual binaries. It was found that the magnitude difference is distributed exponentially, which means that the majority of the components of the selected systems are of the same spectral type. The distribution of mass ratios is concentrated at about 0.7 which agrees with Salpeter mass function. The distribution of the linear separation appears to be exponential which contradicts previous studies for close binaries.     

The depositional environment of Mauddud limestone,Greater Burgan oil field,Kuwait

Six microfacies are defined on quantitative petrographic data in a carbonate/clastic sequence from the subsurface, oil producing Mauddud Formation of early Middle Cretaceous age. These are, in descending order of importance and abundance: (1) biomicritic wackestone-packstone, (2) argillaceous mudstone, (3) micritic mudstone, (4) glauconitic sandstone, (5)Orhitolina pelsparitic grainstone, and (6) argillaceous dolomite.Sedimentation took place during a marine transgression onto a very shallow, intertidal, restricted marine shelf lagoons. Facies variations appear to be related to depth and energy changes and proximity to areas of clastic deposition. These changes may have been controlled by slight tectonic events in the hinterland and changes in the rate of basin subsidence.

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Zusammenfassung Auf der Grundlage quantitativer petrographischer Daten werden sechs Mikrofazies in einer karbonat/klastischen Folge aus der unter der ErdoberflÄche liegenden, ölliefernden Mauddud-Formation der frühen Mittelkreide definiert. In absteigender Reihenfolge der Bedeutung und HÄufigkeit sind dieses: (1) biomikritischer wackestone-packstone, (2) toniger Schlickstein, (3) unkritischer Schlickstein, (4) glaukonitischer Sandstein, (5) Orbitolina-führender pelsparitischer Grainstone und (6) toniger Dolomit.Die Sedimentation erfolgte wÄhrend einer marinen Transgression auf sehr flache, intertidale Lagunen eines begrenzten marinen Schelfs. Die Fazies-Variationen scheinen mit den Wechseln in Wassertiefe und Energie sowie der mit NÄhe von Gebieten mit klastischer Sedimentation zusammenzuhÄngen.Diese Wechsel könnten durch kleinere tektonische Ereignisse im Hinterland und durch VerÄnderungen der Absenkungsrate des Beckens ausgelöst worden sein.

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Résumé Des données pétrographiques quantitatives permettent de définir six microfacies dans une série clasto-carbonatée d'âge crétacé inférieur du sous-sol de la région pé trolifère de Mauddud. Ce sont par ordre décroissant d'importance et d'abondance: (1) des wacstones-pacstone biomicritiques; (2) des argilites; (3) des argilites micritiques; (4) des grès glauconitiques; (5) des grainstone pelsparitiques à orbitolines; (6) des dolomies argileuses.La sédimentation se produisit au cours d'une transgression marine dans des lagunes très plates, intercotidales, d'une plate-forme continentale de faible étendue. Les variations de facies semblent Être dues à des changements de profondeur et d'énergie, ainsi qu'à la proximité de régions à sédimentation clastique.Ces changements pourraient résulter de légers mouvements tectoniques dans l'arrière-pays et de variations dans le degré de subsidence du bassin de sédimentation.

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Hydrogeologic Units Of Lebanon

Based on geomorphologic and hydrogeologic characteristics of its territory, Lebanon is divided into three provinces: the West Lebanon province, the Bekaa province, and the East Anti-Lebanon province. These provinces are subdivided into smaller hydrogeologic units, the basins and subbasins. Significant features used in the subdivision are faults, relief, anticlinal axes, river channels, and water divides. Recharge to groundwater is a percentage of the intake area, the percipitation rate over this area, and the infiltration rate of outcropping rocks. The amounts of recharged water over the three provinces are 1609, 914, and 19 Mm³, respectively. Discharge is surface water from springs and water wells along the Lebanese coast. The discharge from the Lebanese rivers exceeds 3700 Mm³/year, an appreciable amount of which comes from natural springs. The quantity of groundwater pumped by wells or flowing into neighboring countries and to the sea as submarine springs, may exceed 800 Mm³/year.     

Floral biodiversity and geology of the Talcher Basin,Orissa, India during the Permian–Triassic interval

The review paper provides an updated account of the previous and recently published records concerning the palaeobiology and the geology of the Talcher Basin of Orissa State, India. We conclude that fossil floral species in this basin originated in the earliest Permian Talchir Formation and evolved and diversified through the Karharbari Fm., Barakar Fm., Barren Measures Fm. and the uppermost Kamthi Fm. (Late Permian–Triassic). The megaflora and the palynology of the different formations of the basin are also discussed briefly. The geological setting of the basin along with the status of different formations (especially the Kamthi Formation) has been redefined. The post‐Barakar Fm. rocks, earlier retained in the Raniganj/Kamthi, Panchet and Mahadeva formations in this basin, have been critically assessed and redefined as the Lower and Upper Kamthi formations of Late Permian and Triassic ages, respectively. Accordingly, the geological map of the basin has been modified. Permian deposits (particularly the Barakar and the lower Kamthi formations) not only have the best preserved flora but also possess the highest diversity, whereas the upper Kamthi Triassic sediments have a meagre number of taxa. The plant diversity of the basin has been discussed in detail to interpret the development of the flora, evolutionary trends and palaeoenvironments of the basin. The patchy Gangamopteris vegetation of the Talchir glacial phase has ultimately evolved and diversified through time (Karharbari Fm. to Lower Kamthi Fm.) and gave rise to the thick dense swampy forests consisting of large Glossopteris trees and other shade‐loving under‐storied pteridophytes. Several groups of plants including spores and pollen have disappeared in a ladder pattern during the Permian–Triassic interval (Lower Kamthi–Upper Kamthi Fm.) and, similarly, in steps, many new fore‐runners appeared in the Upper Kamthi Formation. Records of marine acritarchs and ichnofossils in this basin at various Permian–Triassic levels demonstrate that there were marine influences. These features suggest a paralic (coastal marine to deltaic) mode of origin of the coal beds and associated sediments in the basin. The present study also advocates the continued survival of plants, rather than a mass extinction near the vicinity of the Permian–Triassic (P–T) boundary in this basin. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nature and source of the ore-forming fluids associated with orogenic gold deposits in the Dharwar Craton

Neoarchean orogenic gold deposits, associated with the greenstone-granite milieus in the Dharwar Craton include(1) the famous Kolar mine and the world class Hutti deposit;(2) small mines at HiraBuddini, Uti, Ajjanahalli, and Guddadarangavanahalli;(3) prospects at Jonnagiri; and(4) old mining camps in the Gadag and Ramagiri-Penakacherla belts. The existing diametric views on the source of ore fluid for formation of these deposits include fluids exsolved from granitic melts and extracted by metamorphic devolatilization of the greenstone sequences. Lode gold mineralization occurs in structurally controlled higher order splays in variety of host rocks such as mafic/felsic greenstones, banded iron formations, volcaniclastic rocks and granitoids. Estimated metamorphic conditions of the greenstones vary from lower greenschist facies to mid-amphibolite facies and mineralizations in all the camps are associated with distinct hydrothermal alterations. Fluid inclusion microthermometric and Raman spectroscopic studies document low salinity aqueous-gaseous(H_2O + CO_2 ± CH_4 + NaCl) ore fluids,which precipitated gold and altered the host rocks in a narrow P-T window of 0.7-2.5 kbar and 215-320℃. While the calculated fluid O-and C-isotopic values are ambiguous, S-isotopic compositions of pyrite-precipitating fluid show distinct craton-scale uniformity in terms of its reduced nature and a suggested crustal sulfur source.Available ages on greenstone metamorphism, granitoid plutonism and mineralization in the Hutti Belt are tantamount, making a geochronology-based resolution of the existing debate on the metamorphic vs.magmatic fluid source impossible. In contrast, tourmaline geochemistry suggests involvement of single fluid in formation of gold mineralization, primarily derived by metamorphic devolatilization of mafic greenstones and interlayered sedimentary rocks, with minor magmatic contributions. Similarly, compositions of scheelite, pyrite and arsenopyrite point toward operation of fault-valves that caused pressure fluctuation-induced fluid phase separation, which acted as the dominant process of gold precipitation,apart from fluid-rock sulfidation reactions. Therefore, results from geochemistry of hydrothermal minerals and those from fluid inclusion microthermometry corroborate in constraining source of ore fluid,nature of gold transport(by Au-bisulfide complex) and mechanism of gold ore formation in the Dharwar Craton.