Diamondiferous eclogites from Yakutia,Siberia: evidence for a diversity of protoliths

Major-element and REE compositions of 14 diamondiferous eclogites from the Udachnaya kimberlite in Yakutia, Siberia have been determined by electron microprobe and secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS). Based on previous clinopyroxene classification schemes (e.g., Taylor and Neal 1989), all of these eclogite xenoliths belong to Group B/C, although some of the garnet compositions and mineral REE abundances are inconsistent with the indicated groups. This demonstrates the inadequacy of the classification scheme based on African eclogites for application to Siberian samples. Because of the coarse grain size of the Udachnaya nodules, meaningful modal abundances could not be obtained. However, reconstructed REE compositions using various garnet: clinopyroxene ratios demonstrate relative insensitivity to changes in mode for common eclogitic assemblages. Many of these reconstructed REE compositions show LREE depletions. Some depletions are consistent with an origin (either directly or through partial melting) as normal or Type-I ocean floor basalt. Others, however, require material of eclogitic or pyroxenitic affinities to undergo partial melting; this facilitates the depletion of LREE while leaving the HREE at nearly original levels. Many of the eclogites of South Africa are consistent with a protolith of anomalous or Type II ocean floor basalt. This fundamental difference between the two regions is the likely cause of the inconsistencies with the chemicallybased classification.     

Different response of δD values of n-alkanes, isoprenoids, and kerogen during thermal maturation

This study investigates the extent of post-depositional alteration of δD values of n-alkyl lipids, isoprenoids, and kerogen isolated from a continuous 450 m core that covers the transition from thermally immature to early mature sediments in the lacustrine Kissenda Formation, Lower Cretaceous, Gabon Basin. Large variations in δD values (up to 40‰ for nC₁₇ and up to 30‰ for nC₂₉ alkanes as well as up to 10‰ for kerogen) in closely spaced samples are evident throughout the core and remain preserved even at the bottom of the section. δD values of individual n-alkanes show a slight overall D-enrichment with depth, and a general trend of increasing δD values with increasing n-alkane chain length characterizes all samples, particularly in those below 600 m depth. Hydrogen isotopic compositions of kerogen samples overlap with those of n-alkanes throughout the section. δD values of pristane and phytane are more negative than those of nC₁₇ alkane by as much as 120‰ at shallow depths but increase dramatically and approach δD values of nC₁₇ alkane in the samples closest to the oil window. Integration of analytical and computational results indicates that: (1) n-alkanes and isoprenoids have the potential to preserve the original biological signal before the onset of oil generation; (2) isomeric and structural rearrangements taking place at the beginning stages of oil generation do not influence significantly the δD values of n-alkanes and kerogen. However, these processes have a major effect on the isotopic composition of isoprenoids, causing isotopic D-enrichment up to 90‰.     

Chemical composition of stars in the galactic halo

The chemical compositions of the atmospheres of six metal-poor stars are analyzed. Spectra with signal-to-noise ratios of no less than 100 and a resolution of R≈17 000 were obtained using the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The abundances of Li, O, α-process elements (Mg, Si, Ca, Ti), Na, K, Sc, iron-peak elements (Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn), and s-process elements (Y, Ba) are derived. The star G251-54 ([Fe/H]=?1.55, T _eff=5541 K, logg=3.58) is deficient in some elements compared to both stars with similar metallicities and the Sun. The atmosphere of G251-54 has the following elemental abundances relative to iron: [O/Fe]=+0.47, [α/Fe]≈?0.3, [Na/Fe]=?0.60, [Sc/Fe]=?0.57, [Cr, Ni, Fe]≈0, [Zn/Fe]=+0.16, [Cu/Fe]=?0.66, [Y/Fe]=?0.70, and [Ba/Fe]=?1.35. The remaining five stars have metallicities in the range ?1.6<[Fe/H]相似文献   

Biogeochemical Differentiation of Living Matter and Biodiversity in the Ardon Polymetallic Subregion of the Biosphere

Specific responses of plants and animals to changes in the contents of microelements (Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, As, Se, etc.) in abiotic environmental components of the Ardon River Basin (North Ossetia) were studied by new biogeochemical indication methods. In comparison to background areas, a local increase in the Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, and As contents in soils and organisms occurs under the impact of natural and technogenic factors. The heavy metal contents in Ardon River water are generally within hygienic norms. Activation of sulfurcontaining synthesis in the leaves of willow, sea buckthorn, and coltsfoot was revealed for the maximum heavy metal content in soils. On plots adjacent to the Unal tailing dump, the contents of pigments and their proportions in leaves of coltsfoot, dandelion, and willow do not differ from those in less contaminated areas. On technogenic plots, the species richness of plants decreases, as well as the mowed biomass and projective cover of herbaceous plants (to 40%); inhibition of plant growth, chlorosis, necrosis, and lamina deformation are observed. A new metallophyte species (Cladochaeta candidissima M. Bieb.) was revealed. The increase in lead and arsenic contents in soils and plants of the Ardon floodplain is accompanied by an increase in their concentrations in the blood and hair of animals.     

Preface: Value and dynamics of salt lakes in a changing world

正Thestatementthattheworld’secosystemsare rapidly deteriorating due to human intervention and global warming is nowadays commonplace. Some o the ecosystems most heavily impacted are inland sal lakes. The salt lakes are among the most valuable and fascinating ecosystems on Earth, and their study has both basic scientifi c interest as well as applied aspects     

Structure of the current sheets in the near-Mars magnetotail. Maven observations

During the last 15 years, the Current Sheets (CSs) have been intensively studied in the tail of the terrestrial magnetosphere, where protons are the dominated ion component. On the contrary, in the Martian magnetotail heavy ions (O⁺ and⁺ ₀) usually dominate while the abundance of protons can be negligible. Hence it is interesting to study the spatial structure and plasma characteristics of such “oxygen” CSs. MAVEN spacecraft (s/c) currently operating on the Martian orbit with a unique set of scientific instruments allows observation of the magnetic field and three-dimensional distribution functions of various ion components and electrons with a high time resolution. In this paper, we analyse nine intervals of the CSs observed by MAVEN in the near-Mars tail at the distances from the planet ~1.5–1R _M , where R _M is the radius of Mars. We analyse the spatial structure of the CSs and estimate their thickness for different magnetic configurations and relative abundance of the heavy and light ions in the sheets. It is shown that, similarly to the CSs in the Earth’s magnetotail, the thickness and complexity of the spatial structure of the Maritan CSs (i.e. the presence of embedded and / or peripheral current structures) depend on the magnetic configuration of the sheets, which, in turn, affects the fraction of the quasi-adiabatic particles in the CSs.     

Experimental study of turbulent-wake expansion from a surface ship

We studied the time dynamics of a turbulent region excited by a moving surface vessel in a field experiment. The time dependences of the geometrical sizes of the turbulent region are obtained, and it is shown that the time dependence of the width of the turbulent wake at the initial stage is close to the power-law function with an exponent of 0.4 for different experiments (the depth of the wake remaining practically constant). In the semiempirical turbulence theory, we suggested a qualitative model describing the process of the initial expansion of a ship wake as a diffusion of a one-dimensional layer of turbulized liquid due to a pulsed source.     

Sicilian serpentinite xenolihs conaining abioic organics wih nanodiamond clusers ans key model for prebioic processes

Rock fragments from the deepest parts of a buried hydrothermal system belonging to the Mesozoic Tethys Oceanentered as xenoliths in a Miocenic diatreme. hence b...     

Comparison of lightning activity and radar-retrieved microphysical properties in EULINOX storms

A combined analysis of microphysical thunderstorm properties derived by C-band polarimetric Doppler radar measurements and lightning observations from two ground-based systems are presented. Three types of storms, a multicell, a supercell, and a squall line, that were observed during the European Lightning Nitrogen Oxides project (EULINOX) are investigated. Correlations are sought between the mass of rain, graupel, hail, and snow derived form radar observations at different height levels and the electrical activity, represented either by cloud-to-ground or intracloud flashes. These relationships are explained by connecting the radar-derived properties with the non-inductive charging process. For the multicell and the supercell storm, the lightning activity can be linearly correlated to both the hydrometeor total mass and class specific mass in the upper part of the storm. It is shown that the fractions of graupel and hail above the −20 °C-level in these storms positively correlate with the intracloud flash activity in the supercell, and negatively for the cloud-to-ground lightning frequency in the multicell. No such relation can be established for the squall line, indicating that the convective organization plays a crucial role in the lightning development. The analysis of the masses in the different storms shows that lightning activity cannot be parameterized by total mass alone, other parameters have to be identified. The results provide important information for all lightning studies that rely on bulk properties of thunderstorms, e.g., the parameterization of lightning in mesoscale models or the nowcasting of lightning by radar.