The volcanic residuals of the Gawler Ranges together form an extensive massif that in its gross morphology differs markedly from most exposures of silicic volcanic rocks. The upland developed in two stages, the first involving differential fracture‐controlled subsurface weathering, the second the stripping of the regolith. As a result, an irregular weathering front was exposed, with domical projections prominent. These bornhardts are etch forms, and they are of considerable antiquity.
The differential weathering of the rock mass reflects the exploitation of various fracture systems by shallow groundwaters. Orthogonal fracture systems at various scales, sheet fractures and columnar joints control the morphology of the bornhardts in gross and in detail.
The exploitation of the structural base, which was established in the Middle Protero‐zoic, probably took place throughout the Late Proterozoic and the Palaeozoic, though only minor remnants of the Proterozoic land surface remain. The major landscape features developed during the Mesozoic. The weathering which initiated the bornhardts occurred in the Jurassic or earlier Mesozoic, and the landforms were exposed in Late Cretaceous to Early Tertiary times.
Though structural forms dominate the present landscape, some major and some minor landforms are best explained in terms of climatic changes of the later Cainozoic. The palaeodrainage system, established under humid conditions by the Early Tertiary, was alluviated during the Cainozoic arid phases, and salinas were formed. The sand dunes of the region also reflect this aridity. 相似文献
Over the last 10 years a great interest in spineless cactus pear was shown in the drier areas in terms of both fresh fruit and fodder production. However, there is a lack of knowledge on quantitative data on root dynamics of these plants needed to fully understand its potential under water limiting conditions. This study aimed at quantifying the effects of water stress on the growth of tap roots, side roots and rain roots of the species Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller (cultivar Morado—green cladode) and O. robusta Wendl. (cultivar Monterey—blue cladode). One-year-old cladodes were planted in root boxes and pots (2002/2003 season) that were kept in the greenhouse at day/night temperatures of 25–30 °C/15–18 °C. Placing the cladodes flat on the soil, more areoles came in contact with the soil and therefore more roots developed in both species with an average of only 3.4% areole complexes not rooting. Each areole complex formed on average 3 roots. The highest daily tap root growth was 42 and 36 mm for O. ficus-indica and O. robusta, respectively. Tap root growth increased in the morning with water stress for both species but decreased in the afternoon. Side root growth increased with water stress, with that of O. robusta more per tap root than O. ficus-indica. O. robusta showed a finer root system than O. ficus-indica. The side roots grew as much as 8 and 5 mm per day for O. ficus-indica and O. robusta, respectively. Whitish rain roots developed on the established roots within the first hour after rewetting the soil and grew for only 3 days. Rain roots grew up to 7 and 5 mm within a day for O. ficus-indica and O. robusta, respectively. Considering all studied aspects of their roots systems, O. robusta appears to be better adapted to drought (less sensitive to water stress) than O. ficus-indica. 相似文献
Stable isotopic compositions and concentrations of total sedimentary sulphur (S) were determined in cores from 6 lakes in
the acid-sensitive Muskoka-Haliburton region of south-central Ontario. The isotopic composition of S in deep sediment (> ~
20 cm) was approximately constant in all lakes, and indicated a pre-industrial δ34S value between +4.0 and +5.3‰, which is similar to current bulk deposition. Similarly, total S concentrations in deep sediment
were relatively low (1.9–5 mg S g−1 dwt) and approximately constant with depth within cores. All lakes exhibited up-core increases in total S and decreases in
δ34S at a depth corresponding to the beginning of industrialization in the Great Lakes region ( ~ 1900), resulting in a generally
reciprocal depth pattern between total S concentration and δ34S ratios. While initial shifts in total S and δ34S were likely due to enhanced SO4 reduction of newly available anthropogenic SO4, both the magnitude and pattern of up-core S enrichment and shifts in δ34S varied greatly among lakes, and did not match changes in S deposition post 1900. Differences between lakes in total S and
δ34S were not related to any single hydrologic (e.g., residence time) or physical (e.g., catchment-area-to-lake area ratio) lake
characteristic. This work indicates that sediment cores do not provide consistent records of changes in post-industrial S
deposition in this region, likely due to redox-related mobility of S in upper sediment. 相似文献
The chemical composition of fogwater has been studied in the city of Strasbourg (France) from 1990 to 1999. During these years, fogwater samples have been collected and analysed for major ions and trace metals. This paper reports on the analysis of the collected dataset. The analysis revealed a significant decrease in acidity of approximately one pH unit over the course of the study. This decrease in acidity appears to be linked to a decrease in SO2(g) and the resulting SO42−. Trace metal concentrations have also strongly decreased over the 10-year period. Pb concentrations, following the elimination of leaded gasoline, decreased by more than one order of magnitude. 相似文献
High-resolution 230Th/234U ages and δ18O and δ13C compositions of speleothems in Ma’ale Efrayim Cave located to the east of the central mountain ridge of Israel enable us to examine the nature of the rain shadow aridity during glacial and interglacial intervals. Speleothem growth occurred during marine glacial isotopic periods, with no growth during the two last marine isotope interglacial intervals and during the peak of the Last Glacial Maximum. This contrasts with speleothem growth in caves located on the western flank of the central mountain ridge, in the Eastern Mediterranean semiarid climatic zone, which continued throughout the last 240,000 yr. Thus, during glacial periods water reached both sides of the central mountain ridge. A comparison of the present-day rain and cave water isotopic compositions and amounts at the Ma’ale Efrayim Cave site with those on the western flank shows that evaporation and higher temperatures on the eastern flank are major influences on isotopic composition and the lack of rainfall. The δ18O and δ13C profiles of the speleothems deposited between 67,000 and 25,000 yr B.P. match the general trends of the isotopic profiles of Soreq Cave speleothems, suggesting a similar source (eastern Mediterranean Sea) and similar climatic conditions. Thus, during glacial periods the desert boundary effectively migrated further south or east from its present-day location on the eastern flank, whereas interglacial periods appear to have been similar to the present, with the desert boundary at the same position. The decrease in overall temperature and a consequent reduction in the evaporation to precipitation ratios on the eastern flank are viewed as the major factors controlling the decay of the rain shadow effect during glacial periods. 相似文献
Acid mine drainage (AMD) occurs when sulfide minerals are exposed to an oxidizing environment. Most of the methods for preventing
AMD are either short-term or high cost solutions. Coating with iron phosphate is a new technology for the abatement of AMD.
It involves treating the sulfide with a coating solution composed of H2O2, KH2PO4, and sodium acetate as a buffer agent. The H2O2 oxidizes the sulfide surface and produces Fe3+ so that iron phosphate precipitates as a coating on the sulfide surface. Experiments performed under laboratory conditions
prove that an iron phosphate coating can be established on pyrrhotite surfaces with optimal concentrations of the coating
solution in the range of: 0.2M/0.01M H2O2, 0.2M KH2PO4, and 0.2M sodium acetate NaAc, depending on the experimental scale. Iron phosphate coating may be a long-term solution to
the problem of AMD. The method would be easy to implement; the reagent cost, however, is not low enough, although it is lower
than the conventional treatment with lime.
Received: 30 March 1995 · Accepted: 6 September 1995 相似文献