The uranium deposits in the basin of Franceville (Gabon) host the only natural fission reactors known in the world. Unique
geological conditions favoured a natural fission reaction 2 Ga ago. This was detected by anomalous isotopic compositions of
uranium and rare earth elements (REE), which are produced by the fission reaction. In total, 16 reactor zones were found.
Most of them are mined out. The reactor zone of Bangombé, is only 10–11 m below the surface. This site has been influenced
by surface weathering processes. Six drill cores have been sampled at the site of the reactor zone of Bangombé during the
course of the study and only one drill core (BAX 08) hit the core of the reactor. From these data and previous drilling campaigns,
the reactor size is estimated to be 10 cm thick, 2–3 m wide and 4–6 m long. The migration of fission products can be traced
by the anomalous isotope ratios of REE because of the fission process. The 149Sm/147Sm ratio close to the reactor zone is only 0.28 (normal: 0.92) because of the intense neutron capture of 149Sm and subsequent transmutation, whereas 147Sm is enriched by the fission reaction. Similar changes in isotopic patterns are detectable on other REE. The isotope ratios
of Sm and Nd of whole rock and fracture samples surrounding the reactor indicate that fission-genic REE migrated only a few
decimetres above and mainly below the reactor zone. Organic matter (bitumen) seems to act as a trap for fission-genic REE.
Additional REE-patterns show less intense weathering with increasing depth in the log profile and support a simple weathering
model.
Received: 26 November 1999 · Accepted: 2 May 2000 相似文献
A new map of chrons for the American-Antarctic Ridge area has been compiled. Its analysis and the calculations performed showed that the seafloor spreading with respect to its axis started before 85 My B.P. The spreading directions were 115° (chrons C34-C29), 145° (chrons C29-C21), 110° (chrons C21-C5C), and 85° (chrons C5C-C1). The maximum rates of about 4 cm/year were reached earlier than 52 My B.P.; subsequently, a progressive general decrease in the spreading rate has been observed. According to our forecast, the spreading may cease in the following 3.5 My. 相似文献
Spaceborne Imaging Radar (SIR-C) data acquired over Gujarat, India in 1994 were processed and analysed using differnet techniques
applicable to polarimetric SAR data such as polarization signatures, polarization index, decomposition of the signal and polarization
phase difference and limited groundtruth data. It has been observed that multi-frequency polarimetric data enhances the potential
of retrieving geo-physical parameters. The polarization signatures are found to vary with the nature of the target. Target
decomposition of the returned signal will be useful for the classification of various features. Polarization Phase Difference
(PPD) gives good information about the vegetation parameters. 相似文献
Computational Geosciences - The modeling of thermodynamic equilibria leads to complex nonlinear chemical systems which are often solved with the Newton-Raphson method. But this resolution can lead... 相似文献
During and after the very wet 1991/1992 winter experienced in Jordan, significant slope failures occurred along several sections of the new Irbid-Amman highway in Jordan. The topography over most of the route is hilly, and significant amounts of cut and fill were used to construct the highway. One such slope failure lies at 44+800 km on the highway south of Jerash City at a distance of about 5.0 km from Wadi Zerqa bridge. A landslide occurred downslope of the highway embankment resulting in a collapse of the most of the gabbion wall supporting the embankment. This paper deals with the overall stability of the slope at 44+800 km. It presents the geological and geotechnical studies carried out at this site, identifies the causes and mechanism of instability, and presents appropriate remedial measures. The study concluded that the landslide movement occurred within the colluvium material. It resulted primarily from excess piezometric pressures generated within the slope as a direct consequence of inadequate drainage. It is recommended to reconstruct the entire gabbion wall with its foundation seated on the sandstone that underlies the colluvium and to install a surface drainage system at the site. 相似文献
The Kugarchi folded complex is located on the western slope of the Southern Urals; it is a region of complex disharmonic folding in the Lower Carboniferous limestones. We revealed and studied two systems of mineral veins and accompanying veinlets in limestones. The microstructural analysis was used to recognize several deformation stages and orientations of the principal strain directions. This folded complex is interpreted to have formed under conditions close to uniaxial compression accompanied by a progressive change in the extensional strain direction from vertical to horizontal. 相似文献
The ichnogenus Arachnostega Bertling, 1992 is recorded for the first time from a bioeroded, coral-rich, Middle Miocene limestone bed in the middle Siwa Escarpment Member (Marmarica Formation) at Siwa Oasis, northern Western Desert of Egypt. These burrowing traces are preserved on the surface of a few internal moulds of bivalves and gastropods. Until now, the ichnogenus Arachnostega included a single ichnospecies, A. gastrochaenae Bertling, 1992. In the material studied herein, two ichnospecies are identified, described, illustrated and compared with other, similar traces. One of these is a new ichnospecies of Arachnostega; this is here named A. siwaensis ichnosp. nov. It is distinguished from A. gastrochaenae in the possession of tunnels that usually branch in a V-pattern; intervals of ramification are longest in the main branch and decrease in second- and third-order branches. Arachnostega traces were produced in a warm, low-energy, shallow-marine (<10?m water depth) environment. Polychaetes are the most likely producers of marine Arachnostega, which are commonly occurred in the same studied bed. This new occurrence is significant in extending the known stratigraphical and geographical ranges of Arachnostega into the Middle Miocene of Egypt. 相似文献
Understanding and developing groundwater resources in arid regions such as El Salloum basin, along the northwestern coast of Egypt, remains a challenging issue. One-dimensional (1D) electrical sounding (ES), two-dimensional (2D) electrical resistivity imaging (ERI), and very low frequency electromagnetic (VLF-EM) measurements were used to investigate the hydrogeological framework of El Salloum basin with the aim of determining the potential for extraction of potable water. 1D resistivity sounding models were used to delineate geoelectric sections and water-bearing layers. 2D ERI highlighted decreases in resistivity with depth, attributed to clay-rich limestone combined with seawater intrusion towards the coast. A depth of investigation (DOI) index was used to constrain the information content of the images at depths up to 100 m. The VLF-EM survey identified likely faults/fractured zones across the study area. A combined analysis of the datasets of the 1D ES, 2D ERI, and VLF-EM methods identified potential zones of groundwater, the extent of seawater intrusion, and major hydrogeological structures (fracture zones) in El Salloum basin. The equivalent geologic layers suggest that the main aquifer in the basin is the fractured chalky limestone middle Miocene) south of the coastal plain of the study area. Sites likely to provide significant volumes of potable water were identified based on relatively high resistivity and thickness of laterally extensive layers. The most promising locations for drilling productive wells are in the south and southeastern parts of the region, where the potential for potable groundwater increases substantially.