青海南部熔积岩的发现:对寻找VMS型矿床的重要启示

熔积岩指的是侵入、混合到未固结或弱固结的湿沉积物中的熔浆分解、原位形成的一类特殊岩石。正确地认识该类岩石,有利于增进人们对岩浆-水(沉积物)相互作用过程的理解,恢复古环境。在青海南部沱沱河地区发现了一套角砾为撕片状、锯齿状及浑圆状的安山岩,胶结物为铁硅质组合的特殊熔积岩。研究表明,该熔积岩的角砾为岩浆遇水后快速淬火、裂解的产物,铁硅质组合为海底喷气沉积形成的含铁建造;且安山岩与含铁建造发生混合时,含铁建造尚未固结。该套熔积岩的发现,改变了长期以来对开心岭铁矿为火山热液交代安山岩而形成的认识,对于在矿区寻找VMS型矿床、区域内寻找海底热水喷流沉积型矿床具有重要的启示意义。     

Effects of irrigation on geochemical processes in a paddy soil and in ground waters in Camargue (France)

In waterlogged soils, dynamics of water influence the redox conditions and thus the mobility of elements. Irrigation of rice in Camargue (South eastern France) induces yearly dynamics of water. In order to determine the impact of irrigation on the geochemical properties of ground waters, a continuously in situ record of physico-chemical parameters (pH, Eh, temperature and electric conductivity) is performed during 1 year in an irrigated rice field. Seasonal dynamics show large Eh and pH variations. An annual irrigation cycle generates fast precipitations of Ca–Mg carbonates and Fe oxides between 50 and 110 cm depth when the soil is waterlogged. The dissolution of these minerals is initiated during a year without irrigation.     

The vibrational frequencies of forsterite Mg2SiO4: an all-electron ab initio study with the CRYSTAL code

The vibrational spectrum of Mg₂SiO₄ olivine was calculated at the Γ point by using the periodic ab initio CRYSTAL program. An all electron localized Gaussian-type basis set and the B3LYP Hamiltonian were employed. The full set of frequencies (35 IR active, 36 Raman active, 10 “silent” modes) was computed and compared to experimental data from different sources (four for IR and four for Raman). A generally good agreement is observed with experiment (the mean absolute difference ranging from 7 to 10 cm⁻¹ for the various sets), when some of the experimental frequencies, whose attribution is uncertain or appears to be affected by large errors, are not taken into account. A small number of observed peaks are not consistent with calculated frequencies, and a few theoretical peaks do not correspond to measured values. The implications are discussed in detail. The full set of modes are characterized using different tools, namely isotopic substitution, direct inspection of the eigenvectors and graphical representation, so as to obtain a consistent mode assignment.     

Paleoliquefaction study of the Clarendon–Linden fault system, western New York State

The lack of earthquake-induced liquefaction features in Late Wisconsin and Holocene sediments in Genesee, Wyoming, and Allegany Counties suggests that the Clarendon–Linden fault system (CLF) did not generate large, moment magnitude, M≥6 earthquakes during the past 12,000 years. Given that it was the likely source of the 1929 M 4.9 Attica earthquake, however, the Clarenden–Linden fault system probably is capable of producing future M5 events. During this study, we reviewed newspaper accounts of the 1929 Attica earthquake, searched for earthquake-induced liquefaction features in sand and gravel pits and along tens of kilometers of river cutbanks, evaluated numerous soft-sediment deformation structures, compiled geotechnical data and performed liquefaction potential analysis of saturated sandy sediments. We found that the 1929 M 4.9 Attica earthquake probably did not induce liquefaction in its epicentral area and may have been generated by the western branch of the Clarendon–Linden fault system. Most soft-sediment deformation structures found during reconnaissance did not resemble earthquake-induced liquefaction features, and even the few that did could be attributed to non-seismic processes. Our analysis suggests that the magnitude threshold for liquefaction is between M 5.2 and 6, that a large (M≥6) earthquake would liquefy sediments at many sites in the area, and that a moderate earthquake (M 5–5.9) would liquefy sediments at some sites but perhaps not at enough sites to have been found during reconnaissance. We conclude that the Clarendon–Linden fault system could have produced small and moderate earthquakes, but probably not large events, during the Late Wisconsin and Holocene.     

Internet teaching foundation for the Remote Sensing Core Curriculum program

The Remote Sensing Core Curriculum (RSCC) was initiated in 1993 to meet the demands for a college-level set of resources to enhance the quality of education across national and international campuses. The American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing adopted the RSCC in 1996 to sustain support of this educational initiative for its membership and collegiate community. A series of volumes, containing lectures, exercises, and data, is being created by expert contributors to address the different technical fields of remote sensing. The RSCC program is designed to operate on the Internet taking full advantage of the World Wide Web (WWW) technology for distance learning. The issues of curriculum development related to the educational setting, with demands on faculty, students, and facilities, is considered to understand the new paradigms for WW-influenced computer-aided learning. The WWW is shown to be especially appropriate for facilitating remote sensing education with requirements for addressing image data sets and multimedia learning tools. The RSCC is located at http://www.umbc.edu/rscc     

Epithermal environments and styles of mineralization: Variations and their causes, and guidelines for exploration

Epithermal precious- and base-metal deposits are diverse, reflecting the different tectonic, igneous and structural settings in which they occur, the complexities of their local setting, and the many processes involved in their formation. Most epithermal deposits form at shallow crustal levels where abrupt changes in physical and chemical conditions result in metal deposition and attendant hydrothermal alteration. The principal factors that influence the conditions prevailing in the epithermal environment, and which ultimately determine the sites and character of mineralization, include: geology (structure, stratigraphy, intrusions and rock type, which affect the style and degree of permeability and the reactivity of the host); pressure and temperature (which in the epithermal environment are related on the boiling point with depth curve); hydrology (the relationship between permeability and topography which governs fluid flow, and discharge/recharge characteristics, as well as access of steam-heated waters); chemistry of the mineralizing fluid (which determines the metal-carrying capacity, as well as the associated vein and alteration assemblage); and syn-hydrothermal development of permeability and/or changes in hydraulic gradients.Many attempts have been made to classify epithermal deposits based on mineralogy and alteration, the host rocks, deposit form, genetic models, and standard deposits. All have their strengths and weaknesses. We prefer a simple approach using the fundamental fluid chemistry (high or low sulfidation, reflecting relatively oxidized or reduced conditions, respectively) as readily inferred from vein and alteration mineralogy and zoning, together with the form of the deposit, and using comparative examples to clarify the character of the deposit.Guidelines for exploration vary according to the scale at which work is conducted, and are commonly constrained by a variety of local conditions. On a regional scale the tectonic, igneous and structural settings can be used, together with assessment of the depth of erosion, to select areas for project area scale exploration. At project area scale, direct (i.e. geochemical) or indirect guidelines may be used. Indirect methods involve locating and interpreting hydrothermal alteration as a guide to ore, with the topographic and hydrologic reconstruction of the system being of high priority. These pursuits may involve mineralogic, structural, geophysical or remote sensing methods. On a prospect scale, both direct and indirect methods may be used; however, they can only be effective in the framework of a sound conceptual understanding of the processes that occur in the epithermal environment, and the signatures they leave.     

Fitting variogram models by weighted least squares

The method of weighted least squares is shown to be an appropriate way of fitting variogram models. The weighting scheme automatically gives most weight to early lags and down-weights those lags with a small number of pairs. Although weights are derived assuming the data are Gaussian (normal), they are shown to be still appropriate in the setting where data are a (smooth) transform of the Gaussian case. The method of (iterated) generalized least squares, which takes into account correlation between variogram estimators at different lags, offer more statistical efficiency at the price of more complexity. Weighted least squares for the robust estimator, based on square root differences, is less of a compromise.     

Robust kriging—A proposal

Geological data frequently have a heavy-tailed normal-in-the-middle distribution, which gives rise to grade distributions that appear to be normal except for the occurrence of a few outliers. This same situation also applies to log-transformed data to which lognormal kriging is to be applied. For such data, linear kriging is nonrobust in that (1)kriged estimates tend to infinity as the outliers do, and (2)it is also not minimum mean squared error. The more general nonlinear method of disjunctive kriging is even more nonrobust, computationally more laborious, and in the end need not produce better practical answers. We propose a robust kriging method for such nearly normal data based on linear kriging of an editing of the data. It is little more laborious than conventional linear kriging and, used in conjunction with a robust estimator of the variogram, provides good protection against the effects of data outliers. The method is also applicable to time series analysis.     

Spontaneous potential corrections for groundwater salinity calculations — Carter County,Oklahoma, U.S.A.

The spontaneous potential log was used to compute the thickness and distribution of groundwater with a total dissolved solids (TDS) of less than 1000 mg l^?1 for Carter County, Oklahoma. To compute accurate salinities from the spontaneous potential in high-resistivity zones, empirical correction factors had to be developed and applied. For the formations present equivalent water resistivity vs. water resistivity curves were developed from chemical analyses and digitized. Water resistivity vs. TDS curves were also developed and digitized. The existing empirical thin-bed corrections were curve-fit with equations and applied to each zone. Except in beds less than 3.65 m thick they had little effect.It was found that after applying the thin-bed corrections used by logging companies, the computed TDS was a function of resistivity of the mud filtrate at 24°C. An empirical relationship was developed between spontaneous potential and resistivity of the mud filtrate at 24°C, using well logs of beds with known water chemistry. This relationship was entered as a correction equation into a computer program developed by the author. The correction is necessary since the voltage drop in a freshwater formation is greater than predicted by earlier electric analog modeling, and the spontaneous potential is less than the static spontaneous potential. Testing of the correction factors shows that in a formation with TDS of ～750 mg l^?1 the average error decreases from ～37% to 10%.A data set of 704 well logs was built with data from each freshwater zone from the base of the regolith to a depth where the TDS was greater than 10,000 mg l^?1. The TDS was computed for each zone. Two maps were prepared from the results; an isopach of the formations with TDS of less than 1000 mg l^?1, and a depth to the base of the water with TDS of 1000 mg l^?1.