WorldWideScience

Sample records for evaporites

  1. Experimental simulations of ethylene evaporites on Titan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Czaplinski, E.; Farnsworth, K.; Singh, S.; Chevrier, V.

    2017-12-01

    Titan has an abundance of lakes and seas, as identified by the Cassini spacecraft. Major components of these liquid bodies include methane (CH4) and ethane (C2H6), however minor constituents are also thought to exist (e.g. ethylene (C2H4)). As the lakes and seas evaporate, 5-μm-bright deposits, resembling evaporite deposits on Earth, are left behind in a "bathtub ring" fashion. Previous studies include models of evaporites, and observations of the 5-μm-bright regions, but the community is still lacking a complete suite of experimental evaporite studies. In this study, we experimentally investigate evaporites in order to determine their composition and how they affect infrared spectra during the evaporation process. The University of Arkansas owns a specialized chamber that simulates the surface conditions of Titan ( 90 K and 1.5 bar). Gaseous hydrocarbons are condensed within the chamber and analyzed with Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy and band depth calculations. In this study, three types of experiments were performed: ethane/ethylene, methane/ethylene, and methane/ethane/ethylene. For these experiments, methane was the only species that readily evaporated at Titan conditions (due to its high volatility), while ethane, being the more stable solvent, did not readily evaporate. Therefore, we will present spectral results of ethylene evaporite formation within these mixtures. Our results imply that evaporite formation is strongly dependent on the composition of the solvent. The north polar lakes of Titan are predicted to be methane-rich, indicating that they may be more likely to form evaporites. Alternatively, Ontario Lacus, a south polar lake, is predominately composed of ethane, which may make it more difficult to form evaporites. As we continue to study Titan's mysterious lakes and seas, we hope to draw insights on their exact composition, conditions for evaporite formation, habitability potential, and comparing Titan to prebiotic Earth.

  2. Evaporite-hydrocarbon relationships: The case of the Laminite-reef-evaporite system in the Messinian of the Mediterranean area

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rouchy, J.M. (Museum d' Histoire Naturelle, Paris (France))

    1988-08-01

    The peripheral Messinian evaporitic basins of the Mediterranean frequently show the association between pre-evaporitic laminites, carbonate complexes (red algae, corals, and stromatolites), and evaporites which constitute a sedimentary system, including potential source rocks, reservoirs, and a cover. The pre-evaporitic laminites (mainly diatomites and carbonates) characterize two different highly productive hydrodynamic systems which follow one another: (1) coastal upwellings during lower Messinian high sea level (transgressive phase), and (2) restriction (semiclosed or land-locked basins) related to closure from the Atlantic and subsequent lower sea level (regressive phase). Preservation of the organic matter results from periodic water stratification: local O{sub 2} minimum intermediary layer and anoxic bottom conditions mainly related to hypersalinity. Extensive carbonate complexes overlie the shores and the high areas - biogenic buildups (mainly red algae and poorly diversified corals) and bioclastic accumulations locally overlapped by a stromatolitic blanket. Diagenesis and dissolution-karstification during drawdown periods (hypersaline episodes) increase the primary porosity. The evaporites constitute an efficient cover. One major property of hypersaline environments is their high primary production whose traces are identified in the Messinian series as organic-rich layers (marine or hypersaline-adapted flora and fauna) and calcareous or gypsified stromatolites. Stratified waters or reducing conditions in the pore waters favor preservation of organic matter. The evaporitic conditions greatly influence the reservoir properties, increasing porosity or destroying it by interstitial precipitation.

  3. Meta-evaporite in the Carajás mineral province, northern Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riehl, Walter; Cabral, Alexandre Raphael

    2018-05-01

    Evidence for connecting evaporite-sourced high-salinity fluids with iron-oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) deposits in the Carajás mineral province has solely been based on boron-isotope compositions of tourmaline. Presence of meta-evaporitic rocks remains unrecognised. Here, we report laminated albitite, tourmalinite and banded albite-phlogopite rock, intercepted by exploratory drilling in a clastic metasedimentary sequence. These rocks represent evaporite precursors. Their location in the copper-gold prospects Açaí and Angélica, in the westernmost part of the Carajás mineral province, indicates that (i) evaporite-sourced fluids were regional and (ii) evaporite-bearing metasedimentary sequences may have been an important source of high-salinity fluids and/or sulfur for the IOCG deposits of the Carajás mineral province.

  4. Danburite in evaporites of the Paradox basin, Utah.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raup, O.B.; Madsen, B.M.

    1986-01-01

    Danburite (CaB2Si2O8) has been found as nodules in Pennsylvanian age marine evaporites. The occurrence of danburite and its relation to the host rock in the Paradox basin evaporites indicates that it most likely formed by diagenetic reaction of boron-rich, high-salinity brines with constituents in the anhydrite host rock.-from Authors

  5. COMPOSITIONAL SIMILARITIES AND DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN TITAN’S EVAPORITIC TERRAINS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    MacKenzie, S. M.; Barnes, Jason W., E-mail: mack3108@vandals.uidaho.edu [Department of Physics, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-0903 (United States)

    2016-04-10

    We document the similarities in composition between the equatorial basins Tui Regio, Hotei Regio, and other 5-μm-bright materials, notably the north polar evaporites, by investigating the presence and extent of an absorption feature at 4.92 μm. In most observations, Woytchugga Lacuna, Ontario Lacus, MacKay Lacus, deposits near Fensal, some of the lakes and dry lake beds south of Ligeia, and the southern shores of Kraken Mare share the absorption feature at 4.92 μm observed in the spectra of Tui and Hotei. Besides Woytchugga and at Fensal, these 5-μm-bright deposits are geomorphologically substantiated evaporites. Thus, the similarity in composition strengthens the hypothesis that Tui and Hotei once contained liquid. Other evaporite deposits, however, do not show the 4.92 μm absorption, notably Muggel Lacus and the shores of Ligeia Mare at the north pole. This difference in composition suggests that there is more than one kind of soluble material in Titan’s lakes that can create evaporite and/or that the surface properties at the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer wavelength scale are not uniform between the different deposits (crystal size, abundance, etc.). Our results indicate that the surface structure, composition, and formation history of Titan’s evaporites may be at least as dynamic and complex as their Earth counterparts.

  6. Dissolution of Kansas evaporites: the radioactive waste disposal problem

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, B.J.

    1977-01-01

    The radioactive waste repository at Lyons, Kansas, focused attention on the problem of evaporite dissolution. More study is needed in the determination of the mechanisms responsible for deterioration. Also, recent water-use policies have been questioned with the need pointed out for increased effectiveness in planning. Good water planning has to take into account the role of evaporite dissolution in water quality. 23 references

  7. Uranium-Bearing Evaporite Mineralization Influencing Plume Persistence. Literature Review and DOE-LM Site Surveys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2016-01-01

    This report on evaporite mineralization was completed as an Ancillary Work Plan for the Applied Studies and Technology program under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Legacy Management (LM). This study reviews all LM sites under Title I and Title II of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) and one Decontamination and Decommissioning site to provide (1) a summary of which sites have evaporite deposits, (2) any available quantitative geochemical and mineralogical analyses, and (3) references to relevant reports. In this study, 'evaporite' refers to any secondary mineral precipitate that occurs due to a loss of water through evaporative processes. This includes efflorescent salt crusts, where this term refers to a migration of dissolved constituents to the surface with a resulting salt crust, where 'salt' can refer to any secondary precipitate, regardless of constituents. The potential for the formation of evaporites at LM sites has been identified, and may have relevance to plume persistence issues. Evaporite deposits have the potential to concentrate and store contaminants at LM sites that could later be re-released. These deposits can also provide a temporary storage mechanism for carbonate, chloride, and sulfate salts along with uranium and other contaminants of concern (COCs). Identification of sites with evaporites will be used in a new technical task plan (TTP), Persistent Secondary Contaminant Sources (PeSCS), for any proposed additional sampling and analyses. This additional study is currently under development and will focus on determining if the dissolution of evaporites has the potential to hinder natural flushing strategies and impact plume persistence. This report provides an initial literature review on evaporites followed by details for each site with identified evaporites. The final summary includes a table listing of all relevant LM sites regardless of evaporite identification.

  8. Uranium-Bearing Evaporite Mineralization Influencing Plume Persistence. Literature Review and DOE-LM Site Surveys

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None, None

    2016-05-01

    This report on evaporite mineralization was completed as an Ancillary Work Plan for the Applied Studies and Technology program under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Legacy Management (LM). This study reviews all LM sites under Title I and Title II of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) and one Decontamination and Decommissioning site to provide (1) a summary of which sites have evaporite deposits, (2) any available quantitative geochemical and mineralogical analyses, and (3) references to relevant reports. In this study, “evaporite” refers to any secondary mineral precipitate that occurs due to a loss of water through evaporative processes. This includes efflorescent salt crusts, where this term refers to a migration of dissolved constituents to the surface with a resulting salt crust, where “salt” can refer to any secondary precipitate, regardless of constituents. The potential for the formation of evaporites at LM sites has been identified, and may have relevance to plume persistence issues. Evaporite deposits have the potential to concentrate and store contaminants at LM sites that could later be re-released. These deposits can also provide a temporary storage mechanism for carbonate, chloride, and sulfate salts along with uranium and other contaminants of concern (COCs). Identification of sites with evaporites will be used in a new technical task plan (TTP), Persistent Secondary Contaminant Sources (PeSCS), for any proposed additional sampling and analyses. This additional study is currently under development and will focus on determining if the dissolution of evaporites has the potential to hinder natural flushing strategies and impact plume persistence. This report provides an initial literature review on evaporites followed by details for each site with identified evaporites. The final summary includes a table listing of all relevant LM sites regardless of evaporite identification.

  9. Deposition of Boron in Possible Evaporite Deposits in Gale Crate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gasda, P. J.; Peets, E.; Lamm, S. N.; Rapin, W.; Lanza, N.; Frydenvang, J.; Clark, B. C.; Herkenhoff, K. E.; Bridges, J.; Schwenzer, S. P.; Haldeman, E. B.; Wiens, R. C.; Maurice, S.; Clegg, S. M.; Delapp, D.; Sanford, V.; Bodine, M. R.; McInroy, R.

    2017-12-01

    Boron has been previously detected in Gale crater using the ChemCam instrument on board the NASA Curiosity rover within calcium sulfate fracture fill hosted by lacustrine mudstone and eolian sandstone units. Recent results show that up to 300 ppm B is present in the upper sections of the lacustrine unit. Boron has been detected in both the groundwater-emplaced calcium sulfate fracture fill materials and bedding-parallel calcium sulfate layers. The widespread bedding-parallel calcium sulfate layers within the upper strata of the lacustrine bedrock that Curiosity has encountered recently could be interpreted as primary evaporite deposits. We have two hypotheses for the history of boron in Gale crater. In both hypotheses, borates were first deposited as lake water evaporated, depositing primary evaporates that were later re-dissolved by groundwater, which redistributed the boron into secondary evaporitic calcium sulfate fracture fill deposits. In the first scenario, Gale crater may have undergone a period of perennial lake formation during a drier period of martian history, depositing layers of evaporitic minerals (including borates) among lacustrine mudstone layers. In the second scenario, lake margins could have become periodically exposed during cyclic drops in lake level and subsequently desiccated. Evaporites were deposited and desiccation features were formed in lowstand deposits. Either hypothetical scenario of evaporite deposition would promote prebiotic chemical reactions via wet-dry cycles. Boron may be an important prebiotic element, and as such, its presence in ancient martian surface and groundwater provides evidence that important prebiotic chemical reactions could occur on Mars if organics were present. The presence of boron in ancient Gale crater groundwater also provides additional evidence that a habitable environment existed in the martian subsurface well after the expected disappearance of liquid water on the surface of Mars. We will report on the

  10. The sequence stratigraphy, sedimentology, and economic importance of evaporite carbonate transitions: a review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarg, J. F.

    2001-04-01

    World-class hydrocarbon accumulations occur in many ancient evaporite-related basins. Seals and traps of such accumulations are, in many cases, controlled by the stratigraphic distribution of carbonate-evaporite facies transitions. Evaporites may occur in each of the systems tracts within depositional sequences. Thick evaporite successions are best developed during sea level lowstands due to evaporative drawdown. Type 1 lowstand evaporite systems are characterized by thick wedges that fill basin centers, and onlap basin margins. Very thick successions (i.e. saline giants) represent 2nd-order supersequence set (20-50 m.y.) lowstand systems that cap basin fills, and provide the ultimate top seals for the hydrocarbons contained within such basins. Where slope carbonate buildups occur, lowstand evaporites that onlap and overlap these buildups show a lateral facies mosaic directly related to the paleo-relief of the buildups. This facies mosaic, as exemplified in the Silurian of the Michigan basin, ranges from nodular mosaic anhydrite of supratidal sabkha origin deposited over the crests of the buildups, to downslope subaqueous facies of bedded massive/mosaic anhydrite and allochthonous dolomite-anhydrite breccias. Facies transitions near the updip onlap edges of evaporite wedges can provide lateral seals to hydrocarbons. Porous dolomites at the updip edges of lowstand evaporites will trap hydrocarbons where they onlap nonporous platform slope deposits. The Desert Creek Member of the Paradox Formation illustrates this transition. On the margins of the giant Aneth oil field in southeastern Utah, separate downdip oil pools have accumulated where dolomudstones and dolowackestones with microcrystalline porosity onlap the underlying highstand platform slope. Where lowstand carbonate units exist in arid basins, the updip facies change from carbonates to evaporite-rich facies can also provide traps for hydrocarbons. The change from porous dolomites composed of high

  11. Geochemical study of evaporite and clay mineral-oxyhydroxide samples from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brookins, D.G.

    1993-06-01

    Samples of clay minerals, insoluble oxyhydroxides, and their host evaporites from the WIPP site have been studied for their major and minor elements abundances, x-ray diffraction characteristics, K-Ar ages, and Rb-Sr ages. This study was undertaken to determine their overall geochemical characteristics and to investigate possible interactions between evaporates and insoluble constituents. The evaporite host material is water-soluble, having Cl/Br ratios typical of marine evaporites, although the Br content is low. Insoluble material (usually a mixture of clay minerals and oxyhydroxide phases) yields very high Cl/Br ratios, possibly because of Cl from admixed halide minerals. This same material yields K/Rb and Th/U ratios in the normal range for shales; suggesting little, if any, effect of evaporite-induced remobilization of U, K, or Rb in the insoluble material. The rare-earth element (REE) data also show normal REE/chondrite (REE/CHON) distribution patterns, supporting the K/Rb and Th/U data. Clay minerals yield K-Ar dates in the range 365 to 390 Ma and a Rb-Sr isochron age of 428 ± 7 Ma. These ages are well in excess of the 220- to 230-Ma formational age of the evaporites, and confirm the detrital origin of the clays. The ages also show that any evaporite or clay mineral reactions that might have occurred at or near the time of sedimentation and diagenesis were not sufficient to reset the K-Ar and Rb-Sr systematics of the clay minerals. Further, x-ray data indicate a normal evaporitic assemblage of clay minerals and Fe-rich oxyhydroxide phases. The clay minerals and other insoluble material appear to be resistant to the destructive effects of their entrapment in the evaporites, which suggests that these insoluble materials would be good getters for any radionuclides (hypothetically) released from the storage of radioactive wastes in the area

  12. Origin and chemical composition of evaporite deposits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, George William

    1960-01-01

    A comparative study of marine evaporite deposits forming at the present time along the pacific coast of central Mexico and evaporite formations of Permian age in West Texas Basin was made in order to determine if the modern sediments provide a basis for understanding environmental conditions that existed during deposition of the older deposits. The field work was supplemented by investigations of artificial evaporite minerals precipitated in the laboratory and by study of the chemical composition of halite rock of different geologic ages. The environment of deposition of contemporaneous marine salt deposits in Mexico is acidic, is strongly reducing a few centimeters below the surface, and teems with microscopic life. Deposition of salt, unlike that of many other sediments, is not wholly a constructional phenomenon. Permanent deposits result only if a favorable balance exists between deposition in the dry season and dissolution in the wet season. Evaporite formations chosen for special study in the West Texas Basin are, in ascending order, the Castile, Salado, and Rustler formations, which have a combined thickness of 1200 meters. The Castile formation is largely composed of gypsum rock, the Salado, halite rock, and the Rustler, quartz and carbonate sandstone. The lower part of the Castile formation is bituminous and contains limestone laminae. The Castile and Rustler formations thicken to the south at the expense of salt of the intervening Salado formation. The clastic rocks of the Rustler formation are interpreted as the deposits of a series of barrier islands north of which halite rock of the Salado was deposited. The salt is believed to have formed in shallow water of uniform density that was mixed by the wind. Where water depth exceeded the depth of the wind mixing, density stratification developed, and gypsum was deposited. Dense water of high salinity below the density discontinuity was overlain by less dense, more normally saline water which was derived from

  13. Petrographic study of evaporite deformation near the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borns, D.J.

    1983-06-01

    The Delaware Basin of southeastern New Mexico contains about 1000 m of layered evaporites. Areas in the northern Delaware Basin, bordering the Capitan reef, have anomalous seismic reflection characteristics, such as loss in reflector continuity. Core from holes within this zone exhibits complex mesoscopic folds and extension structures. On a larger scale, anticlines and synclines are indicated by structure contours based on boreholes. The deformation is probably gravity-driven. Such a process is initiated by basin tilting during either a Mesozoic or Cenozoic period of uplift. Small-scale structures suggest that deformation was episodic with an early, syndepositional stage of isoclinal folding. Later, open-to-tight asymmetric folding is more penetrative and exhibits a sense of asymmetry opposite to that of the earlier isoclinal folding. The younger folds are associated with development of zonal crenulation cleavage and microboundinage of more competent carbonate layers. At the same time, halite beds developed dimensional fabrics and convolute folds in anhydrite stringers. Late-stage, near-vertical fractures formed in competent anhydrite layers. Microscopic textures exhibit rotated anhydrite porphyroblasts, stress shadow growth, and microboundinage. Except during late-stage deformation, anhydrite and halite recrystallized synkinematically. Drastic strength reduction in anhydrites through dynamic recrystallization occurs experimentally near 200 0 C. However, evaporites of the WIPP site never experienced temperatures > 40 0 C. Microscopic fabrics and P, T history of the evaporites suggest that pressure solution was the active mechanism during deformation of evaporites at the WIPP site

  14. Disposal of radioactive waste in evaporite formations - a review of published radiological assessments and their relevance to the UK

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lawson, G.

    1983-11-01

    Radiological assessments of the disposal of radioactive waste in evaporite formations, principally halite, have been reviewed. These assessments were carried out in the USA, the Netherlands, Denmark and West Germany. The general nature of evaporite formations in the UK is discussed and comments are given on the broad relevance of the assessments to the potential disposal of radioactive waste in UK evaporite formations. (author)

  15. Karst in evaporites in southeastern New Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bachman, G.O.

    1987-09-01

    Permian evaporites in southeastern New Mexico include gypsum, anhydrite, and salt, which are subject to both blanket and local, selective dissolution. Dissolution has produced many hundreds of individual karst features including collapse sinks, karst valleys, blind valleys, karst plains, caves, and breccia pipes. Dissolution began within some formations during Permian time and has been intermittent but continual ever since. Karst features other than blanket deposits of breccia are not preserved from the early episodes of dissolution, but some karst features preserved today - such as breccia pipes - are remnants of karst activity that was active at least as early as mid-Pleistocene time. Rainfall was much more abundant during Late Pleistocene time, and many features visible today may have been formed then. The drainage history of the Pecos River is related to extensive karstification of the Pecos Valley during mid-Pleistocene time. Large-scale stream piracy and dissolution of salt in the subsurface resulted in major shifts and excavations in the channel. In spite of intensive groundwater studies that have been carried out in the region, major problems in near-surface evaporite karst remain to be solved. Among these are determination of recharge areas and time of recharge. 109 refs., 31 figs., 1 tab

  16. Frictional properties and slip stability of active faults within carbonate-evaporite sequences: The role of dolomite and anhydrite

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Scuderi, M.M.; Niemeijer, A.R.; Collettini, C.; Marone, C.

    2013-01-01

    Seismological observations show that many destructive earthquakes nucleate within, or propagate through, thick sequences of carbonates and evaporites. For example, along the Apennines range (Italy) carbonate and evaporite sequences are present at hypocentral depths for recent major earthquakes

  17. Assessment of groundwater quality of the Tatlicay aquifer and relation to the adjacent evaporitic formations (Cankiri, Turkey).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Apaydın, Ahmet; Aktaş, Sibel Demirci

    2012-04-01

    One of the most important hydrogeologic problems in and adjacent areas of evaporitic formations is severe quality degradation of groundwaters. These kinds of groundwaters contain high content of dissolved solids and generally have some limitations for use. Tatlicay basin (north-central Turkey) is an example to effects of the evaporites on groundwater quality in the adjacent alluvium aquifer. Gypsum and anhydrites in the two evaporite formations (Bayindir and Bozkir) effect of the groundwater quality in the alluvium adversely, by dissolution of the evaporites by surface drainage and infiltration into the alluvium aquifer (widespread effect) and by infiltration of low quality gypsum springs (local effect) into the aquifer. Evaporitic formations significantly increased EC, TDS, Ca and SO(4) parameters in the alluvium aquifer in the central and downstream regions. EC has increased roughly from 500-800 to 1,700-2,000 μS/cm, Ca has roughly increased from 3-4 to 10 meq/l, SO(4) has increased 0.5-1 to 11-12 meq/l. Consequently, three clusters were distinguished in the basin; (1) nonevaporitic waters in low TDS, Na, Ca, Mg, Cl and SO(4), (2) diluted waters in high TDS and relatively high Cl, moderate-relatively high Na, Ca, Mg, SO(4), (3) gypsum springs in highest TDS, Ca, SO(4), but moderate Mg and low Na, Cl.

  18. Synchronous onset of the Messinian evaporite precipitation: First Mediterranean offshore evidence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ochoa, Diana; Sierro, Francisco J.; Lofi, Johanna; Maillard, Agnès; Flores, Jose-Abel; Suárez, Mercedes

    2015-10-01

    The Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) was a major ecological crisis affecting shallow and deep-water settings over the entire Mediterranean basin. However, the evolution of the MSC and its ecological impacts have mainly been explained on the basis of sediments from onshore outcrops. Lack of complete and physically connected records from onshore and offshore settings has inhibited comprehensive understanding of basin behaviour during the MSC. Herein we present a continuous record from an intermediate-depth basin on the Balearic Promontory that comprises late Tortonian-Messinian marls and evaporitic beds from the first MSC phase (i.e., Primary Lower Gypsum-PLG stage). Well-log and biostratigraphic data allow us establishing a large-scale calibration to the astronomical solutions, and to correlate pre-MSC sediments with classical rhythmic successions outcropping onshore. Thickness and characteristic sedimentary patterns observed in the offshore evaporitic records resemble those from marginal PLG sequences. Furthermore, seismic reflectors from a Bedded Unit (BU), which corresponds to an evaporitic interval according to well-to-seismic ties, are correlated with the onshore PLG sequences. This correlation constitutes the first attempt to link well-known marginal sequences with intermediate-depth offshore settings, which have previously only been studied through seismic imaging. Our time-calibration provides direct evidence supporting a synchronous onset of the PLG phase between onshore and offshore settings along the southwestern Balearic Promontory margin. Those BU reflectors, which were positively correlated to the PLG, were likely precipitated offshore the continental shelf at Messinian times. These results suggest that gypsum precipitation and/or preservation was not always limited to 200 m water-depths and could occur in non-silled basins. Finally, we only found a major erosion at the top of the PLG sequences, implying that the MSC drawdown occurred after the

  19. The Messinian evaporites in the Levant Basin: lithology, deformation and its evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Ye; Steinberg, Josh; Reshef, Moshe

    2017-04-01

    The lithological composition of the Messinian evaporite in the Levant Basin remains controversial and salt deformation mechanisms are still not fully understood, due to the lack of high resolution 3D depth seismic data and well logs that record the entire evaporite sequence. We demonstrate how 3D Pre-stack depth migration (PSDM) and intra-salt tomography can lead to improved salt imaging. Using 3D PSDM seismic data with great coverage and deepwater well log data from recently drilled boreholes, we reveal intra-salt reflective units associated with thin clastic layers and a seismic transparent background consisting of uniform pure halite. Structural maps of all internal reflectors are generated for stratigraphy and attributes analysis. High amplitude fan structures in the lowermost intra-salt reflector are observed, which may indicate the source of the clastic formation during the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC). The Messinian evaporite in the Levant Basin comprises six units; the uppermost unit thickens towards the northwest, whereas the other units are uniform in thickness. The top of salt (TS) horizon is relatively horizontal, while all other intra-salt reflectors and base of salt (BS) dip towards the northwest. Different seismic attributes are used for identification of intra-salt deformation patterns. Maximum curvature maps show NW-striking thrust faults on the TS and upper intra-salt units, and dip azimuth maps are used to show different fold orientations between the TS and intra-salt units, which indicate a two-phase deformation mechanism: basin NW tilting as syn-depositional phase and NNE spreading of Plio-Pleistocene overburden as post-depositional phase. RMS amplitude maps are used to identify a channelized system on the TS. An evaporite evolution model during the MSC of the Levant Basin is therefore established based on all the observations. Finally the mechanical properties of the salts will be utilized to explore salt deformation in the Levant Basin

  20. Evaporite karst of northern lower Michigan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Black, T.J.

    1997-01-01

    Michigan has three main zones of evaporite karst: collapse breccia in Late Silurian deposits of the Mackinac Straits region; breccia, collapse sinks, and mega-block collapse in Middle Devonian deposits of Northern Lower Michigan, which overlaps the preceding area; and areas of soil swallows in sinks of Mississippian deposits between Turner and Alabaster in Arenac and Iosco counties, and near Grand Rapids in Kent County. The author has focused his study on evaporite karst of the Middle Devonian deposits. The Middle Devonian depos its are the Detroit River Group: a series consisting of limestone, dolomite, shale, salt, gypsum, and anhydrite. The group occurs from subcrop, near the surface, to nearly 1400 feet deep from the northern tip of the Southern Peninsula to the south edge of the "solution front" Glacial drift is from zero to 350 feet thick. Oil and gas exploration has encountered some significant lost-circulation zones throughout the area. Drilling without fluid returns, casing-seal failures, and lost holes are strong risks in some parts of the region. Lost fluid returns near the top of the group in nearby areas indicate some karst development shortly after deposition. Large and irregular lost-circulation zones, linear and patch trends of large sink holes, and 0.25 mile wide blocks of down-dropped land in the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan were caused by surface- and ground-water movement along faults into the Detroit River Group. Glaciation has removed some evidence of the karst area at the surface. Sinkhole development, collapse valleys, and swallows developed since retreat of the glacier reveal an active solution front in the Detroit River Group.

  1. Provenance and diagenesis of the evaporite-bearing Burns formation, Meridiani Planum, Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLennan, S.M.; Bell, J.F.; Calvin, W.M.; Christensen, P.R.; Clark, B. C.; de Souza, P.A.; Farmer, J.; Farrand, W. H.; Fike, D.A.; Gellert, Ralf; Ghosh, A.; Glotch, T.D.; Grotzinger, J.P.; Hahn, B.; Herkenhoff, K. E.; Hurowitz, J.A.; Johnson, J. R.; Johnson, S.S.; Jolliff, B.; Klingelhofer, G.; Knoll, A.H.; Learner, Z.; Malin, M.C.; McSween, H.Y.; Pocock, J.; Ruff, S.W.; Soderblom, L.A.; Squyres, S. W.; Tosca, N.J.; Watters, W.A.; Wyatt, M.B.; Yen, A.

    2005-01-01

    Impure reworked evaporitic sandstones, preserved on Meridiani Planum, Mars, are mixtures of roughly equal amounts of altered siliciclastic debris, of basaltic provenance (40 ?? 10% by mass), and chemical constituents, dominated by evaporitic minerals (jarosite, Mg-, Ca-sulfates ?? chlorides ?? Fe-, Na-sulfates), hematite and possibly secondary silica (60 ?? 10%). These chemical constituents and their relative abundances are not an equilibrium evaporite assemblage and to a substantial degree have been reworked by aeolian and subaqueous transport. Ultimately they formed by evaporation of acidic waters derived from interaction with olivine-bearing basalts and subsequent diagenetic alteration. The rocks experienced an extended diagenetic history, with at least two and up to four distinct episodes of cementation, including stratigraphically restricted zones of recrystallization and secondary porosity, non-randomly distributed, highly spherical millimeter-scale hematitic concretions, millimeter-scale crystal molds, interpreted to have resulted from dissolution of a highly soluble evaporite mineral, elongate to sheet-like vugs and evidence for minor synsedimentary deformation (convolute and contorted bedding, possible teepee structures or salt ridge features). Other features that may be diagenetic, but more likely are associated with relatively recent meteorite impact, are meter-scale fracture patterns, veins and polygonal fractures on rock surfaces that cut across bedding. Crystallization of minerals that originally filled the molds, early cement and sediment deformation occurred syndepositionally or during early diagenesis. All other diagenetic features are consistent with formation during later diagenesis in the phreatic (fluid saturated) zone or capillary fringe of a groundwater table under near isotropic hydrological conditions such as those expected during periodic groundwater recharge. Textural evidence suggests that rapidly formed hematitic concretions post

  2. EVAPORITE MICROBIAL FILMS, MATS, MICROBIALITES AND STROMATOLITES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brigmon, R; Penny Morris, P; Garriet Smith, G

    2008-01-28

    Evaporitic environments are found in a variety of depositional environments as early as the Archean. The depositional settings, microbial community and mineralogical composition vary significantly as no two settings are identical. The common thread linking all of the settings is that evaporation exceeds precipitation resulting in elevated concentrations of cations and anions that are higher than in oceanic systems. The Dead Sea and Storrs Lake are examples of two diverse modern evaporitic settings as the former is below sea level and the latter is a coastal lake on an island in the Caribbean. Each system varies in water chemistry as the Dead Sea dissolved ions originate from surface weathered materials, springs, and aquifers while Storrs Lake dissolved ion concentration is primarily derived from sea water. Consequently some of the ions, i.e., Sr, Ba are found at significantly lower concentrations in Storrs Lake than in the Dead Sea. The origin of the dissolved ions are ultimately responsible for the pH of each system, alkaline versus mildly acidic. Each system exhibits unique biogeochemical properties as the extreme environments select certain microorganisms. Storrs Lake possesses significant biofilms and stromatolitic deposits and the alkalinity varies depending on rainfall and storm activity. The microbial community Storrs Lake is much more diverse and active than those observed in the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea waters are mildly acidic, lack stromatolites, and possess a lower density of microbial populations. The general absence of microbial and biofilm fossilization is due to the depletion of HCO{sub 3} and slightly acidic pH.

  3. Hydrated Minerals and Evaporites as Key Targets for a Mars Sample Return Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adeli, S.; Hauber, E.; Jaumann, R.

    2018-04-01

    Here we focus on hydrated minerals and evaporites as paleo-environment indicators with preservation capacity. Thus, samples from these materials would increase our knowledge about the past aqueous activities of Mars and its habitability potentials.

  4. Drilling through the Messinian evaporites: the beginning of a new adventure?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bassetti, M. A.; Lofi, J.

    2009-04-01

    The sensitivity of past environments tell us a lot about the nature of changes, either of climatic or geodynamic origin. In this respect, the Mediterranean basin represents the ideal natural laboratory for studying the interaction between deep processes, tectonics, sedimentary fluxes and sea-level oscillation that are at the origin of the sedimentary records. A spectacular example of reactivity of this system have been experienced less than 6 Myrs ago, when the pan-Mediterranean realm underwent rapid and abrupt changes of paleo-environmental parameters that led to the well known Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC, Hsü et al., 1973). This short-term event at the geological scale (~5.96-5.32 Ma) results from the progressive closure of the two-way connection between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The most important characteristics of this event are: (1) a reduction of the Atlantic water supply having as a consequence, an increased salinity and in the precipitation of thick evaporites within shallow water marginal basins (presently disconnected from the deep basins); (2) a subsequent major sea-level fall exceeding 2000 m and resulting in the massive erosion of the margins and the development of deep subaerial canyons; (3) the accumulation of the product of the erosion in the downslope domain of the margins; (4) the deposition of thick evaporites (up to 3000 m thick) above the deep Mediterranean abyssal plains and (5) and a very rapid refilling of the Mediterranean basin during the Latest Miocene/Lower Pliocene, following the re-connection between Atlantic and Mediterranean through the Gibraltar straight. Timing, causes and chronology of the MSC are not yet fully understood, but different scenarii have been proposed to explain in details the modalities of this catastrophic event. Certainly, the ongoing discussion about not fully conclusive interpretations are mainly linked to the fact that so far, only the deepest and buried Mediterranean basins might offer

  5. 40Ar/ 39Ar dating of Late Permian evaporites, southeastern New Mexico, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Renne, Paul R.; Sharp, Warren D.; Montañez, Isabel P.; Becker, Tim A.; Zierenberg, Robert A.

    2001-12-01

    40Ar/ 39Ar dating of the potassium-magnesium sulfate mineral langbeinite from Permian evaporites of the Salado formation near Carlsbad, New Mexico, provides quantitative evidence that some salts in these deposits have not recrystallized for 251 Myr since deposition. Survival of Permian salts supports the possibility that Bacillus bacteria recovered from nearby halite was isolated in a closed system and represents a sample of uncontaminated Permian life. Local recrystallization of langbeinite and other nearby minerals is also indicated by the dating, suggesting both the need and the opportunity to document closed system behavior more rigorously. The shoaling and desiccation event recorded by the Salado formation began at least 1 Myr before the Permian-Triassic boundary. Temporal correlation of the Salado with the Zechstein evaporites of north-central Europe supports previously inferred regression models for the origin of these deposits. Significant paleoenvironmental change at the Permian-Triassic boundary thus occurred on a time scale more protracted than that implied by geologically instantaneous events such as bolide impacts.

  6. Earth analogs for Martian life - Microbes in evaporites, a new model system for life on Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rothschild, Lynn J.

    1990-01-01

    It is suggested that 'oases' in which life forms may persist on Mars could occur, by analogy with terrestrial cases, in (1) rocks, as known in endolithic microorganisms, (2) polar ice caps, as seen in snow and ice algae, and (3) volcanic regions, as witnessed in the chemoautotrophs which live in ocean-floor hydrothermal vents. Microorganisms, moreover, have been known to survive in salt crystals, and it has even been shown that organisms can metabolize while encrusted in evaporites. Evaporites which may occur on Mars would be able to attenuate UV light, while remaining more transparent to the 400-700 nm radiation useful in photosynthesis. Suggestions are made for the selection of Martian exobiological investigation sites.

  7. Summary of United States Geological Survey investigations of fluid-rock-waste reactions in evaporite environments under repository conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stewart, D.B.; Jones, B.F.; Roedder, E.; Potter, R.W. II

    1980-01-01

    The interstitial and inclusion fluids contained in rock salt and anhydrite, though present in amounts less than 1 weight per cent, are chemically aggressive and may react with canisters or wastes. The three basic types of fluids are: (1) bitterns residual from saline mineral precipitation including later recrystallization reactions; (2) brines containing residual solutes from the formation of evaporite that have been extensively modified by reactions with contiguous carbonate of clastic rocks; and (3) re-solution brines resulting from secondary dehydration of evaporite minerals or solution of saline minerals by undersaturated infiltrating waters. Fluid composition can indicate that meteoric flow systems have contacted evaporites or that fluids from evaporites have migrated into other formations. The movement of fluids trapped in fluid inclusions in salt from southeast New Mexico is most sensitive to ambient temperature and to inclusion size, although several other factors such as thermal gradient and vapour/liquid ratio are also important. There is no evidence of a threshold temperature for movement of inclusions. Empirical data are given for determining the amount of brine reaching the heat source if the temperature, approximate amount of total dissolved solids, and Ca:Mg ratio in the brine are known. SrCl 2 and CsCl can reach high concentrations in saturated NaCl solutions and greatly depress the liquidus. The possibility that such fluids, if generated, could migrate from a high-level waste repository must be minimized because the fluid would contain its own radiogenic energy source in the first decades after repository closure, thus changing the thermal evolution of the repository from designed values. (author)

  8. Identification, prediction, and mitigation of sinkhole hazards in evaporite karst areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gutierrez, F.; Cooper, A.H.; Johnson, K.S.

    2008-01-01

    Sinkholes usually have a higher probability of occurrence and a greater genetic diversity in evaporite terrains than in carbonate karst areas. This is because evaporites have a higher solubility and, commonly, a lower mechanical strength. Subsidence damage resulting from evaporite dissolution generates substantial losses throughout the world, but the causes are only well understood in a few areas. To deal with these hazards, a phased approach is needed for sinkhole identification, investigation, prediction, and mitigation. Identification techniques include field surveys and geomorphological mapping combined with accounts from local people and historical sources. Detailed sinkhole maps can be constructed from sequential historical maps, recent topographical maps, and digital elevation models (DEMs) complemented with building-damage surveying, remote sensing, and high-resolution geodetic surveys. On a more detailed level, information from exposed paleosubsidence features (paleokarst), speleological explorations, geophysical investigations, trenching, dating techniques, and boreholes may help in investigating dissolution and subsidence features. Information on the hydrogeological pathways including caves, springs, and swallow holes are particularly important especially when corroborated by tracer tests. These diverse data sources make a valuable database-the karst inventory. From this dataset, sinkhole susceptibility zonations (relative probability) may be produced based on the spatial distribution of the features and good knowledge of the local geology. Sinkhole distribution can be investigated by spatial distribution analysis techniques including studies of preferential elongation, alignment, and nearest neighbor analysis. More objective susceptibility models may be obtained by analyzing the statistical relationships between the known sinkholes and the conditioning factors. Chronological information on sinkhole formation is required to estimate the probability of

  9. The role of evaporites in the formation of gems during metamorphism of carbonate platforms: a review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giuliani, Gaston; Dubessy, Jean; Ohnenstetter, Daniel; Banks, David; Branquet, Yannick; Feneyrol, Julien; Fallick, Anthony E.; Martelat, Jean-Emmanuel

    2018-01-01

    The mineral and fluid inclusions trapped by gemstones during the metamorphism of carbonate platform successions are precious markers for the understanding of gem genesis. The nature and chemical composition of inclusions highlight the major contribution of evaporites through dissolution or fusion, depending on the temperature of formation from greenschist to granulite facies. The fluids are highly saline NaCl-brines circulating either in an open system in the greenschist facies (Colombian and Afghan emeralds) and with huge fluid-rock metasomatic interactions, or sulphurous fluids (ruby, garnet tsavorite, zoisite tanzanite and lapis-lazuli) or molten salts formed in a closed system with a low fluid mobility (ruby in marble) in the conditions of the amphibolite to granulite facies. These chloride-fluoride-sulphate ± carbonate-rich fluids scavenged the metals essential for gem formation. At high temperature, the anions SO4 2-, NO3 -, BO3 - and F- are powerful fluxes which lower the temperature of chloride- and fluoride-rich ionic liquids. They provided transport over a very short distance of aluminium and/or silica and transition metals which are necessary for gem growth. In summary, the genetic models proposed for these high-value and ornamental gems underline the importance of the metamorphism of evaporites formed on continental carbonate shelves and emphasise the chemical power accompanying metamorphism at moderate to high temperatures of evaporite-rich and organic matter-rich protoliths to form gem minerals.

  10. Visible and near-infrared (0.4-2.5 μm) reflectance spectra of playa evaporite minerals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crowley, James K.

    1991-01-01

    Visible and near-infrared (VNIR; 0.4–2.4 μm) reflectance spectra were recorded for 35 saline minerals that represent the wide range of mineral and brine chemical compositions found in playa evaporite settings. The spectra show that many of the saline minerals exhibit diagnostic near-infrared absorption bands, chiefly attributable to vibrations of hydrogen-bonded structural water molecules. VNIR reflectance spectra can be used to detect minor hydrate phases present in mixtures dominated by anhydrous halite or thenardite, and therefore will be useful in combination with X ray diffraction data for characterizing natural saline mineral assemblages. In addition, VNIR reflectance spectra are sensitive to differences in sample hydration state and should facilitate in situ studies of minerals that occur as fragile, transitory dehydration products in natural salt crusts. The use of spectral reflectance measurements in playa studies should aid in mapping evaporite mineral distributions and may provide insight into the geochemical and hydrological controls on playa mineral and brine development.

  11. Evaporite deposition in a shallow perennial lake, Qaidam basin, western China

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schubel, K.A.; Lowenstein, T.K. (SUNY, Binghampton, NY (United States)); Spencer, R.J. (Univ. of Calgary, Alberta (Canada)); Pengxi, Z. (Institute of Salt Lakes, Xining (China))

    1991-03-01

    Evaporites accumulate in ephemeral saline-pans, shallow perennial lakes or lagoons, and deep perennial systems. Continuous brine trench exposures of Holocene evaporites from the Qaidam basin provide criteria for the recognition of shallow perennial lake sediments. Based on Landsat photographs, lateral extent of beds (at least 7 km), and sequence thicknesses (maximum 2.5 m), the paleolake is interpreted to have been less than 2.5 m deep and at least 120 km{sup 2} in area. Sediments consist of laminated siliciclastic mud overlain by mud-halite couplets (mm- to cm-scale layers), which represent one vertical shallowing- and concentrating-upwards sequence. The basal laminite marks the onset of deposition in this shallow perennial paleolake. Syndepositional halite textures and fabrics in the overlying mud-halite couplets include cumulates, rafts, and chevrons, draped by mud laminae, and halite layers truncated by horizontal dissolution surfaces (increasing in frequency upwards). Paleolake brines, determined from fluid inclusion melting temperatures, are Na-Mg-Cl-rich and evolve from 0.84 m Mg{sup 2} to 1.52 m Mg{sup 2+} (near the surface). Combinations of the following criteria may be used for the recognition of shallow, nonstratified, perennial lake sediments: lateral continuity of layers; muds undisrupted by subaerial exposure; vertical bottom-growth of halite; halite layers conformably overlain by mud; halite layers truncated by nonuniformly spaced horizontal dissolution surfaces; erosional scours and channels filled with cross-laminated gypsum, halite, and siliciclastic sand and mud; and salinity fluctuations over small stratigraphic intervals within an overall concentrating-upwards sequence.

  12. Impact of evaporite dissolution and collapse on highways and other cultural features in the Texas Panhandle and Eastern New Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simpkins, W.W.; Gustavson, T.C.; Alhades, A.B.; Hoadley, A.D.

    1981-01-01

    Geological investigations in the Texas Panhandle and eastern New Mexico indicate that regional subsurface dissolution of Permian evaporites has occurred and is an ongoing process. Evidence of removal of large volumes of evaporites (mainly halite) and collapse of overlying beds is demonstrated by cross sections constructed from gamma-ray logs. Surface manifestation of subsurface dissolution and collapse is clearly shown in Hall County, Texas, where over 400 sinkholes and undrained depressions have been identified from aerial photographs. Sinkhole diameters up to approximately 100 m (300 ft) and depths to 15 m (50 ft) have been observed. Eleven active northeast- and southwest-trending fractures and faults have been recognizd, some of which are demonstrated as patched sections of highways. Formation of collapse features and faults that damage highways is a recognized problem in the region. Stock tanks and large reservors are also affected to a lesser degree. Dissolution and collapse pose difficult problems for geologists, highway engineers, and maintenance crews. Areas of active subsurface dissolution have been identified, but development of collapse features and faults at the surface generally follows no predictable pattern. The history of, and potential for, evaporite dissolution sould be investigated in each area before construction of highways, reservoirs, and stock tanks. Areas with high densities of collapse features, fractures, and faults should be avoided when possible

  13. Impact of Diagenesis on Biosignature Preservation Potential in Playa Lake Evaporites of the Verde Formation, Arizona: Implications for Mars Exploration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shkolyar, S.; Farmer, J. D.

    2016-05-01

    We studied evaporite subfacies in the Verde Fmn., AZ. We identified diagenetic pathways and assessed how diagenesis affected biosignature preservation potential (BPP) in each. Results revealed eight pathways, each with diverse impacts on BPP.

  14. Hydraulic testing of Salado Formation evaporites at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site: Second interpretive report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beauheim, R.L. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Roberts, R.M.; Dale, T.F.; Fort, M.D.; Stensrud, W.A. [INTERA, Inc., Austin, TX (United States)

    1993-12-01

    Pressure-pulse, constant-pressure flow, and pressure-buildup tests have been performed in bedded evaporites of the Salado Formation at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site to evaluate the hydraulic properties controlling brine flow through the Salado. Transmissivities have been interpreted from six sequences of tests conducted on five stratigraphic intervals within 15 m of the WIPP underground excavations.

  15. Hydraulic testing of Salado Formation evaporites at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site: Second interpretive report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beauheim, R.L.; Roberts, R.M.; Dale, T.F.; Fort, M.D.; Stensrud, W.A.

    1993-12-01

    Pressure-pulse, constant-pressure flow, and pressure-buildup tests have been performed in bedded evaporites of the Salado Formation at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site to evaluate the hydraulic properties controlling brine flow through the Salado. Transmissivities have been interpreted from six sequences of tests conducted on five stratigraphic intervals within 15 m of the WIPP underground excavations

  16. Palaeoredox indicators from the organic-rich Messinian early post-evaporitic deposits of the Apennines (Central Italy)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sampalmieri, G.; Iadanza, A.; Cipollari, P.; Cosentino, D.; Lo Mastro, S.

    2009-04-01

    Bottom redox conditions in marine and lacustrine ancient basins are often inferred by the occurrence of peculiar sedimentological structures and microfaunal assemblages. The co-occurrence, in such environments, of authigenic uranium, framboidal pyrite, barite and Fe-Mn nodules and encrustations, provides a good constraint for palaeo reconstructions. Authigenic uranium is a common constituent of hydrocarbon source rocks: it forms at the sediment-water interface under oxygen-deficient conditions and accumulates together with organic matter (OM). Its precipitation is triggered by the reduction of the soluble U6+ion in seawater to insoluble U4+. With respect to black shales, uranium content has even been used to estimate the TOC. Also authigenic pyrite forms under anoxic conditions and replaces organic matter: 1) the increase in pyrite content and in organic matter are directly correlated; 2) the size distribution of framboidal pyrite (consistent with sulphate-reducing bacterial activity) is considered a measure of redox conditions within the sediment. Barite is an authigenic mineral related to Corg content, since its organic precipitation is triggered by sulphate-reduction processes occurring in decaying OM-bearing microenvironments. Finally, also Fe-Mn oxyhydroxide are typical indicators of redox conditions. About 6 My ago the Mediterranean Sea underwent a giant event of concentration referred to as Messinian Salinity Crisis, which can be roughly subdivided into an evaporitic and a post evaporitic phase. The post evaporitic phase (p-ev; 5.61-5.33 Ma) developed in a context of humid conditions and can be further distinguished into two steps: p-ev1 (early post evaporitic phase) and p-ev2 (late post evaporitic phase). Previous works focused on pev2, which is interpreted to represent the establishment of brackish water conditions (Lago-Mare biofacies). In other respects, the palaeoenvironment of p-ev1 deposits, mostly represented by resedimented evaporitic deposits or

  17. Low temperature geothermal systems in carbonate-evaporitic rocks: Mineral equilibria assumptions and geothermometrical calculations. Insights from the Arnedillo thermal waters (Spain).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blasco, Mónica; Gimeno, María J; Auqué, Luis F

    2018-02-15

    Geothermometrical calculations in low-medium temperature geothermal systems hosted in carbonate-evaporitic rocks are complicated because 1) some of the classical chemical geothermometers are, usually, inadequate (since they were developed for higher temperature systems with different mineral-water equilibria at depth) and 2) the chemical geothermometers calibrated for these systems (based on the Ca and Mg or SO 4 and F contents) are not free of problems either. The case study of the Arnedillo thermal system, a carbonate-evaporitic system of low temperature, will be used to deal with these problems through the combination of several geothermometrical techniques (chemical and isotopic geothermometers and geochemical modelling). The reservoir temperature of the Arnedillo geothermal system has been established to be in the range of 87±13°C being the waters in equilibrium with respect to calcite, dolomite, anhydrite, quartz, albite, K-feldspar and other aluminosilicates. Anhydrite and quartz equilibria are highly reliable to stablish the reservoir temperature. Additionally, the anhydrite equilibrium explains the coherent results obtained with the δ 18 O anhydrite - water geothermometer. The equilibrium with respect to feldspars and other aluminosilicates is unusual in carbonate-evaporitic systems and it is probably related to the presence of detrital material in the aquifer. The identification of the expected equilibria with calcite and dolomite presents an interesting problem associated to dolomite. Variable order degrees of dolomite can be found in natural systems and this fact affects the associated equilibrium temperature in the geothermometrical modelling and also the results from the Ca-Mg geothermometer. To avoid this uncertainty, the order degree of the dolomite present in the Arnedillo reservoir has been determined and the results indicate 18.4% of ordered dolomite and 81.6% of disordered dolomite. Overall, the results suggest that this multi

  18. Groundwater flow and potential effects on evaporite dissolution in the Paradox Basin, SE Utah

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reitman, N.; Ge, S.; Mueller, K. J.

    2012-12-01

    A hydrogeologic study was conducted in the portion of the Paradox Basin south of the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, Utah. Geology of the study area comprises fractured and faulted Paleozoic sandstone, limestone, and shale, which are underlain by evaporite cycles of the Paradox Formation. The evaporite deposits deform and dissolve when they come in contact with groundwater, generating land subsidence, saline groundwater, and salt input to the Colorado River. Active faults in the region slip at a rate of approximately 2 mm/year, likely due to evaporite dissolution. The objective of this study is to better understand groundwater flow and solute transport dynamics and to help determine the rate and timing of subsurface salt dissolution, which is an important control on the salt tectonics in the region. Study methods include hydrologic fieldwork, laboratory tests, and numerical modeling. No groundwater wells exist in the study area. Water samples from springs and seeps were collected throughout the study area. Analysis of total dissolved solids (TDS), stable oxygen (δ18O) and deuterium (δD) isotopes, spring and seep locations, and prior data are used to gain a preliminary understanding of the shallow groundwater flow in the region. Stable isotope ratios of oxygen (18O/16O) and deuterium (D/H) are used to constrain the source of spring water. Measured δ values are compared to predicted δ values for precipitation from WaterIsotopes.org for each sample site. Measured isotopic values range from -14.9 ‰ to -10.7 ‰ for δ18O and -108 ‰ to -78 ‰ for δD. The majority of samples from above 2000 m match predicted isotopic values for precipitation. Most samples taken below 2000 m are lighter than predicted isotopic values for precipitation. The TDS of spring samples measured in the lab show they range from 184 mg/L to 1552 mg/L with the majority of samples between 220 - 430 mg/L. TDS shows a weak correlation (R2 = 0.54) with altitude, where lower TDS

  19. Calcareous nannofossil events in the pre-evaporitic Messinian

    Science.gov (United States)

    Negri, Alessandra; Lozar, Francesca

    2017-04-01

    During the Messinian (7.2 to 5.3 Ma) the Mediterranean area experienced fast and deep climatic and eustatic structural changes. The stratigraphic framework for this interval is relatively well constrained and the beginning of the Messinian salinity crisis dated at 5.97 Ma determine a duration of at least 1.2 Ma for the pre-evaporitic Messinian that is object of this study. Several sites (Faneromeni, Pissouri, Polemi Fanantello borehole, Lemme, Pollenzo, Govone, Moncalvo; Wade and Bown, 2006; Kouwenhoven et al 2006, Morigi et al 2007, Lozar et al 2010, Dela Pierre et al 2011) show similar calcareous nannofossil record behavior, with several Sphenolithus spp. peaks recognised at different quotes in each of the sections. Aim of the present work is to compare the calcareous nannofossil data achieved in the above mentioned sections: interestingly, the occurrence of strongly oligotypic assemblages related to high salinity and unstable environments, appear to correlate precisely among the investigated sites and occur immediately before the onset of the Messinian salinity crisis, then offering the possibility to use them as bioevents for regional correlation. References Dela Pierre, F., Bernardi, E., Cavagna, S., Clari, P., Gennari, R., Irace, A., Lozar, F., Lugli, S., Manzi, V., Natalicchio, M., Roveri, M., Violanti, D., 2011. The record of the Messinian salinity crisis in the Tertiary Piedmont Basin (NW Italy): The Alba section revisited. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 310, 238-255. Kouwenhoven, T.J., Morigi, C., Negri, A., Giunta, S., Krijgsman, W., Rouchy, J.M., 2006 Paleoenvironmental evolution of the eastern Mediterranean during the Messinian: Constraints from integrated microfossil data of the Pissouri Basin (Cyprus). Marine Micropaleontology 60, 17-44. Lozar, F., Violanti, D., Dela Pierre, F., Bernardi, E., Cavagna, S., Clari, P., Irace, A., Martinetto, E., Trenkwalder, S., 2010. Calcareous nannofossils and foraminifers herald the Messinian

  20. Potential Evaporite Biomarkers from the Dead Sea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, Penny A.; Wentworth, Susan J.; Thomas-Keprta, Kathie; Allen, Carlton C.; McKay, David S.

    2001-01-01

    The Dead Sea is located on the northern branch of the African-Levant Rift systems. The rift system, according to one model, was formed by a series of strike slip faults, initially forming approximately two million years ago. The Dead Sea is an evaporite basin that receives freshwater from springs and from the Jordan River. The Dead Sea is different from other evaporite basins, such as the Great Salt Lake, in that it possesses high concentrations of magnesium and has an average pH of 6.1. The dominant cation in the Great Salt Lake is sodium, and the pH is 7.7. Calcium concentrations are also higher in the Dead Sea than in the Great Salt Lake. Both basins are similar in that the dominant anion is chlorine and the salinity levels are approximately 20 %. Other common cations that have been identified from the waters of the Dead Sea and the Great Salt Lake include sodium and potassium. A variety of Archea, Bacteria, and a single genus of a green algal, Dunaliella, has been described from the Dead Sea. Earlier studies concentrated on microbial identification and analysis of their unique physiology that allows them to survive in this type of extreme environment. Potential microbial fossilization processes, microbial fossils, and the metallic ions associated with fossilization have not been studied thoroughly. The present study is restricted to identifying probable microbial morphologies and associated metallic ions. XRD (X Ray Diffraction) analysis indicates the presence of halite, quartz, and orthoclase feldspar. In addition to these minerals, other workers have reported potassium chloride, magnesium bromide, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, and calcium sulfate. Halite, calcium sulfate, and orthoclase were examined in this report for the presence of microbes, microbially induced deposits or microbial alteration. Neither the gypsum nor the orthoclase surfaces possesses any obvious indications of microbial life or fossilization. The sand-sized orthoclase particles are

  1. The impact of droughts and climate change on sinkhole occurrence. A case study from the evaporite karst of the Fluvia Valley, NE Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linares, Rogelio; Roqué, Carles; Gutiérrez, Francisco; Zarroca, Mario; Carbonel, Domingo; Bach, Joan; Fabregat, Ivan

    2017-02-01

    This work introduces the concept that sinkhole frequency in some karst settings increases during drought periods. This conception is tested in a sector of the Fluvia River valley in NE Spain, where subsidence phenomena is related to the karstification of folded Eocene evaporite formations. In the discharge areas, the evaporites behave as confined aquifers affected by hypogene karstification caused by aggressive artesian flows coming form an underlying carbonate aquifer. A sinkhole inventory with chronological data has been constructed, revealing temporal clusters. Those clusters show a good correlation with drought periods, as revealed by precipitation, river discharge and piezometric data. This temporal association is particularly obvious for the last and current drought starting in 1998, which is the most intense of the record period (1940-present). Climatic projections based on recent studies foresee an intensification of the droughts in this sector of NE Spain, which could be accompanied by the enhancement of the sinkhole hazard and the associated risks. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Bacterial and Archaeal Lipids Recovered from Subsurface Evaporites of Dalangtan Playa on the Tibetan Plateau and Their Astrobiological Implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Ziye; Xiao, Long; Wang, Hongmei; Yang, Huan; Li, Jingjing; Huang, Ting; Xu, Yi; Ma, Nina

    2017-11-01

    Qaidam Basin (Tibetan Plateau) is considered an applicable analogue to Mars with regard to sustained extreme aridity and abundant evaporites. To investigate the possibility of the preservation of microbial lipids under these Mars analog conditions, we conducted a mineralogical and organic geochemistry study on samples collected from two Quaternary sections in Dalangtan Playa, northwestern Qaidam Basin, which will enhance our understanding of the potential preservation of molecular biomarkers on Mars. Two sedimentary units were identified along two profiles: one salt unit characterized by a predominance of gypsum and halite, and one detrital unit with a decrease of gypsum and halite and enrichment in siliciclastic minerals. Bacterial fatty acids and archaeal acyclic diether and tetraether membrane lipids were detected, and they varied throughout the sections in concentration and abundance. Bacterial and archaeal biomolecules indicate a dominance of Gram-positive bacteria and halophilic archaea in this hypersaline ecosystem that is similar to those in other hypersaline environments. Furthermore, the abundance of bacterial lipids decreases with the increase of salinity, whereas archaeal lipids showed a reverse trend. The detection of microbial lipids in hypersaline environments would indicate, for example on Mars, a high potential for the detection of microbial biomarkers in evaporites over geological timescales.

  3. Interaction of Extreme Halophilic Archaea With the Evaporites of the Solar Salterns Guerrero Negro Baja California, Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamez, P.; Lopez-Cortés, A.

    2008-12-01

    Hypersaline environments have been significant reservoirs for the long-term evolution of specifically adapted microorganisms. Characterized to have higher salt concentrations (up to 35 g/L), they are worldwide distributed and have a commercial significance. Exportadora de Sal, Guerrero Negro, Mexico has a multipond salterns system designed to harvest common salt (NaCl) from sea water. To achieve this purpose, sea water is pumped through a set of shallow ponds where water evaporates and salts concentrate. Sequential precipitation of CaCO3, CaSO4 2H2O and NaCl occurs in a mineral formations call it evaporites. In the interior of those gypsum-encrusted and halite-encrusted minerals, communities of extremely salt-loving archaea prosper. Previous studies have showed the influence of Haloarchaeal cells in the formation of larger fluid inclusions than crystals formed in sterile salt solutions. S-layer envelopes and cells of Haloarcula strain SP8807 contributed to the nucleation of new crystals of NaCl. Given the significance of the scope in phylogenetic archaeal diversity research, this study had a polyphasic approach. SEM micrographs from a 21- 31% (w/v) gradient salt multipond system evaporites, gave an insight profile of the extreme halophilic archaeal communities thriving in the surface of the gypsum and halite evaporites. Halite crystals were form after 21 days of incubation in solid medium with archaeal cells. Both culture and non-culture dependent methods, Nested-PCR-DGGE analysis and sequencing of 16S rDNA amplified fragment genes from environmental samples and isolated strains were used for this purpose. We isolate three strains from Pond 9 (21.07% total salt concentration) and one strain from Cristallizer 20 (25.15% total salt concentration). 16S rDNA signaling gave 99% of similarity with Halogeometricum borinquense, sequence AF002984, two other strains were 99% of similarity with Halobacterium salinarum, sequence AJ496185 these strains shown different colony

  4. Messinian Salinity Crisis' Primary Evaporites: the shallow gypsum vs. deep dolomite formation paradox solved

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Lange, G. J.; Krijgsman, W.

    2015-12-01

    The Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) is a dramatic event that took place ~ 5.9 Ma ago, resulting in deposition of 1-3 km thick evaporites at the Mediterranean seafloor. A considerable, long-lasting controversy existed on the modes of their formation, including the observed shallow gypsum versus deep dolostone deposits for the early phase of MSC. The onset of MSC is marked by deposition of gypsum/sapropel-like alternations, thought to relate to arid/humid climate conditions at a precessional rhythm. Gypsum precipitation only occurred at marginal- and dolomite formation at deeper settings. A range of potential explanations was given, most of which cannot satisfactorily explain all observations. Biogeochemical processes during MSC are commonly neglected but may explain that different deposits formed in shallow vs deep environments without exceptional physical boundary conditions for each. A unifying mechanism is presented in which gypsum formation occurs at all shallow water depths but its preservation is limited to shallow sedimentary settings. In contrast, ongoing deep-basin anoxic organic matter (OM) degradation processes result in dolomite formation. Gypsum precipitation in evaporating seawater takes place at 3-7 times concentrated seawater; seawater is always oversaturated relative to dolomite but its formation is inhibited by the presence of dissolved sulphate. Thus conditions for formation of gypsum exclude those for formation of dolomite and vice versa. Another process linking the saturation states of gypsum and dolomite is that of OM degradation by sulphate reduction. In stagnant deep water, ongoing OM-degradation may result in reducing the sulphate and enhancing the dissolved carbonate content. Such low-sulphate / high carbonate conditions in MSC deepwater are. unfavorable for gypsum preservation and favorable for dolomite formation, and always coincide with anoxic, i.e. oxygen-free conditions. Including dynamic biogeochemical processes in the thusfar static

  5. Strategy for investigation of fluid migration in evaporites (Waste Isolation Pilot Plant - WIPP)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lambert, S.J.; Shefelbine, H.C.

    1980-03-01

    The proposed strategy for WIPP project investigations of fluid migration in evaporites focuses upon a quantitative evaluation of each of several processes. Potential short- and long-term problems arising from fluid migration are complication of waste retrieval and mobilization of waste nuclides. The strategy will attempt to determine the degree to which these potentials are realized with respect to five hypothetical types of waste-rock interactions: movement of waste containers, migration of nuclides, formation of radioactive brine pocket, radiolytic generation of gas, and degradation of waste container. Of eight identified processes whose combinations could lead to the five types of interactions, only five are to be quantitatively investigated by the studies of fluid migration per se: presence of fluids, fluid mobilization toward heat-producing and contact-handled waste, encounter of fluids with influence of waste form, reversal of direction of fluid mobilization, and entrainment of nuclides in fluids. Methods of investigation entail an iterative combination of laboratory experimentation and mathematical modeling

  6. Isotopic Zonation Within Sulfate Evaporite Mineral Crystals Reveal Quantitative Paleoenvironment Details

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coleman, M.; Rhorssen, M.; Mielke, R. E.

    2008-12-01

    Isotopic variations measured within a single crystal of hydrated magnesium sulfate are greater than 30 permil for delta 2-H, almost 10 permil for δ18O in water of hydration; and greater than 3 permil in sulfate oxygen. These results are interpreted to indicate the relative humidity of the system during evaporation (15 to 20 percent in this test case) and constrain the volume of water involved. The theoretical basis of this system is the isotopic fractionation between the species in solution and those precipitated as evaporite salts. Precipitation preferentially accumulates more of the heavy isotopes of sulfur and oxygen in mineral sulfate, relative to sulfate in solution. During the course of mineral growth this leads to successive depletion of the respective heavier isotopes in the residual brine reflected in a parallel trend in successive precipitates or even in successive zones within a single crystal. The change in isotopic composition at any one time during the process, relative to the initial value, can be described by an isotopic version of the Rayleigh Fractionation equation, depending only on the extent of the completion of the process and the relevant fractionation factor. Evaporation preferentially removes isotopically lighter hydrogen and oxygen leading to successive extents of enrichment in the respective heavier isotopes in the residual water. However, the relative effects on hydrogen and oxygen isotopes differs as function of relative humidity [1]. ALL OF THESE CHANGES ARE PRESERVED IN THE MINERAL ISOTOPE COMPOSITIONS. We precipitated barium sulfate from epsomite or gypsum samples, which was reduced at 1450°C in the presence of graphite and glassy carbon in a Finnigan TC/EA to produce CO for O isotopic analysis in a Finnigan 253 mass spectrometer, while a separate subsample was oxidized to SO2 in a Costech Elemental Analyzer. However, to make progress with this approach we needed to make a large number of measurements of hydration water and so we

  7. Evaporite-hosted native sulfur in Trans-Pecos Texas: Relation to late-phase basin and range deformation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hentz, T.F.; Henry, C.D.

    1989-01-01

    Major deposits of biogenic native sulfur are associated with narrow, northeast-trending grabens and normal faults that disrupt the gently tilted, east-dipping Upper Permian evaporite succession of the western Delaware Basin in Trans-Pecos Texas. Orebodies are restricted to geologic traps in the fractured and dissolution-modified downfaulted blocks of the grabens. Other parallel, regionally distributed grabens and normal faults are commonly the sites of noncommercial sulfur deposits and genetically related secondary-replacement (diagenetic) limestone bodies. The sulfur-bearing structures probably formed during the later of two episodes of Basin and Range extension that have not previously been differentiated in Texas but are well defined elsewhere in the western United States. In Texas several lines of evidence collectively support the existence of late-phase, northwest-directed extension that was initiated in the middle Miocene

  8. Considerations on the parent material in the soil developed on the evaporite deposits from Stana (Cluj district

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Horea Bedelean

    2003-09-01

    Full Text Available This research concerned three profiles developed on Eocene (Priabonian gypsum parent material from Stana (Cluj district in order to investigate their properties. The soil and parent material samples were collected from individual horizons in each profile. Both the mineralogical and structural-textural features of the parent material (evaporitic deposits reflect the depositional context. From a mineralogical point of view, the deposits are represented by gypsum, and anhydrite. Typical sulfate facies are present: laminitic, nodular, gypscretic, and entherolitic. Physical and mineralogical properties of the soil layers were determined in the laboratory. The field observations and the results of the analyses allowed us to classify the soil as a rendzinic regosol, according to the Romanian System of Soil Taxonomy (S.R.T.S. 2000.

  9. Microbial diversity in sediment ecosystems (evaporites domes, microbial mats and crusts of hypersaline Laguna Tebenquiche, Salar de Atacama, Chile

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Beatriz Fernandez

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available We combined nucleic acid-based molecular methods, biogeochemical measurements and physicochemical characteristics to investigate microbial sedimentary ecosystems of Laguna Tebenquiche, Atacama Desert, Chile. Molecular diversity and biogeochemistry of hypersaline microbial mats, rhizome-associated concretions and an endoevaporite were compared with: The V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified by pyrosequencing to analyze the total microbial diversity (i.e., bacteria and archaea in bulk samples and, in addition, in detail on a millimeter scale in one microbial mat and in one evaporite. Archaea were more abundant than bacteria. Euryarchaeota was one of the most abundant phyla in all samples, and particularly dominant (97% of total diversity in the most lithified ecosystem, the evaporite. Most of the euryarchaeal OTUs could be assigned to the class Halobacteria or anaerobic and methanogenic archaea. Planctomycetes potentially also play a key role in mats and rhizome-associated concretions, notably the aerobic organoheterotroph members of the class Phycisphaerae. In addition to cyanobacteria, members of Chromatiales and possibly the candidate family Chlorotrichaceae contributed to photosynthetic carbon fixation. Other abundant uncultured taxa such as the candidate division MSBL1, the uncultured MBGB and the phylum Acetothermia potentially play an important metabolic role in these ecosystems. Lithifying microbial mats contained calcium carbonate precipitates, whereas endoevoporites consisted of gypsum and halite. Biogeochemical measurements revealed that based on depth profiles of O2 and sulfide, metabolic activities were much higher in the non-lithifying mat (peaking in the least lithified systems than in lithifying mats with the lowest activity in endoevaporites. This trend in decreasing microbial activity reflects the increase in salinity, which may play an important role in the biodiversity.

  10. Hydrology and Hydraulic Properties of a Bedded Evaporite Formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    BEAUHEIM, RICHARD L.; ROBERTS, RANDALL M.

    2000-01-01

    The Permian Salado Formation in the Delaware Basin of New Mexico is an extensively studied evaporite deposit because it is the host formation for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, a repository for transuranic wastes. Geologic and hydrologic studies of the Salado conducted since the mid-1970's have led to the development of a conceptual model of the hydrogeology of the formation that involves far-field permeability in anhydrite layers and at least some impure halite layers. Pure halite layers and some impure halite layers may not possess an interconnected pore network adequate to provide permeability. Pore pressures are probably very close to lithostatic pressure. In the near field around an excavation, dilation, creep, and shear have created and/or enhanced permeability and decreased pore pressure. Whether flow occurs in the far field under natural gradients or only after some threshold gradient is reached is unknown. If far-field flow does occur, mean pore velocities are probably on the order of a meter per hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of years. Flow dimensions inferred from most hydraulic-test responses are subradial, which is believed to reflect channeling of flow through fracture networks, or portions of fractures, that occupy a diminishing proportion of the radially available space, or through percolation networks that are not ''saturated'' (fully interconnected). This is probably related to the directional nature of the permeability created or enhanced by excavation effects. Inferred values of permeability cannot be separated from their associated flow dimensions. Therefore, numerical models of flow and transport should include heterogeneity that is structured to provide the same flow dimensions as are observed in hydraulic tests. Modeling of the Salado Formation around the WIPP repository should also include coupling between hydraulic properties and the evolving stress field because hydraulic properties change as the stress field changes

  11. Mg- and K-bearing borates and associated evaporites at Eagle Borax spring, Death Valley, California: A spectroscopic exploration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crowley, J.K.

    1996-01-01

    Efflorescent crusts at the Eagle Borax spring in Death Valley, California, contain an array of rare Mg and K borate minerals, several of which are only known from one or two other localities. The Mg- and/or K-bearing borates include aristarainite, hydroboracite, kaliborite, mcallisterite, pinnoite, rivadavite, and santite. Ulexite and probertite also occur in the area, although their distribution is different from that of the Mg and K borates. Other evaporite minerals in the spring vicinity include halite, thenardite, eugsterite, gypsum-anhydrite, hexahydrite, and bloedite. Whereas the first five of these minerals are found throughout Death Valley, the last two Mg sulfates are more restricted in occurrence and are indicative of Mg-enriched ground water. Mineral associations observed at the Eagle Borax spring, and at many other borate deposits worldwide, can be explained by the chemical fractionation of borate-precipitating waters during the course of evaporative concentration. The Mg sulfate and Mg borate minerals in the Eagle Borax efflorescent crusts point to the fractionation of Ca by the operation of a chemical divide involving Ca carbonate and Na-Ca borate precipitation in the subsurface sediments. At many other borate mining localities, the occurrence of ulexite in both Na borate (borax-kernite) and Ca borate (ulexite-colemanite) deposits similarly reflects ulexite's coprecipitation with Ca carbonate at an early concentration stage. Such ulexite may perhaps be converted to colemanite by later reaction with the coexisting Ca carbonate - the latter providing the additional Ca2+ ions needed for the conversion. Mg and Ca-Mg borates are the expected late-stage concentration products of waters forming ulexite-colemanite deposits and are therefore most likely to occur in the marginal zones or nearby mud facies of ulexite-colemanite orebodies. Under some circumstances, Mg and Ca-Mg borates might provide a useful prospecting guide for ulexite-colemanite deposits

  12. Boron isotope evidence for the involvement of non-marine evaporites in the origin of the Broken Hill ore deposits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slack, J.F.; Palmer, M.R.; Stevens, B.P.J.

    1989-01-01

    IDENTIFYING the palaeogeographic setting and mode of origin of stratabound ore deposits can be difficult in high-grade metamorphic terranes, where the effects of metamorphism may obscure the nature of the protoliths. Here we report boron isotope data for tourmalines from the early Proterozoic Broken Hill block, in Australia, which hosts giant lead-zinc-silver sulphide deposits. With one exception the 11B/10B ratios are lower than those for all other tourmalines from massive sulphide deposits and tour-malinites elsewhere in the world. We propose that these low ratios reflect leaching of boron from non-marine evaporitic borates by convecting hydrothermal fluids associated with early Proterozoic continental rifting. A possible modern analogue is the Salton Sea geothermal field in California. ?? 1989 Nature Publishing Group.

  13. Evaporite dissolution relevant to the WIPP site, northern Delaware Basin, southeastern New Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lambert, S.J.

    1982-01-01

    Evaluation of the threat of natural dissolution of host evaporites to the integrity of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southeastern New Mexico has taken into consideration (1) the volume of missing rock salt, (2) the occurrence (or not) of characteristic dissolution brines, (3) geomorphic features, some of which are unrelated to dissolution, and (4) the time intervals over which dissolution may have been active. Even under the assumption that all missing halite was originally present and has been removed by dissolution, there is no evidence of active preferential removal of the lower Salado Formation halite by any geologically reasonable process. The geologic record contains evidence of dissolution in the Triassic and Jurassic; to constrain all removal of basinal halite to the late Cenozoic yields an unrealistically high rate of removal. Application to the lower Salado of a stratabound mechanism known to be active in Nash Draw, a near-surface feature within the Basin, allows a minimum survival time of 2,500,000 years to be predicted for the subsurface facility for storage of radioactive waste at WIPP. This calculation is based on an analysis of all known dissolution features in the Delaware Basin, and takes into account the wetter (pluvial) climate during the past 600,000 years. 2 figures, 1 table

  14. Molecular indicators for palaeoenvironmental change in a Messinian evaporitic sequence (Vena del Gesso, Italy) II. Stratigraphic changes in abundances and (13)C contents of free and sulphur-bound skeletons in a single marl bed

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sinninghe Damsté, J.S.; Kenig, F.; Frewin, N.L.; Hayes, J.M.

    1995-01-01

    The extractable organic matter of 10 immature samples from a marl bed of one evaporitic cycle of the Vena del Gesso sediments (Gessoso-solfifera Fm., Messinian, Italy) was analyzed quantitatively for free hydrocarbons and organic sulphur compounds. Nickel boride was used as a desulphurizing agent to

  15. Deformation of evaporites near the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borns, D.J.; Barrows, L.J.; Powers, D.W.; Snyder, R.P.

    1983-03-01

    Layered evaporite units of Ochoan age in the Delaware Basin are 1000 m thick. They are divided into three stratigraphic units (listed in order of increasing age): the Rustler Formation, the Salado Formation, the Castile Formation. These units, especially the Castile, are deformed along portions of the margin of the Delaware Basin and in some areas internal to the basin. Hypotheses of origin of deformation considered are: gravity foundering; gravity sliding; gypsum dehydration; dissolution; and depositional variations. Gravity foundering and sliding are considered the most probable causes of deformation. However, no hypothesis adequately answers why the deformation has a limited areal distribution. A possible explanation would be areal variations in rock strength caused by variations of intergranular water content. Age and timing of deformation are also crucial. Standard stratigraphic arguments based on superposition may not apply to such a highly incompetent material as halite. Gravity foundering could have happened at any time since deposition including the present; gravity sliding would probably have occurred since basin tilting began in the Cenozoic. Deformation could be ongoing. However, the strain rates are such (10 - 16 s - 1 ) that deformation would progress slowly relative to the facility's time frame of 2.5 x 10 5 y. Deformation of Salado units would be minimal ( 4 to 10 6 y to develop. At these strain rates, fractures that connect the fractured anhydrites of the Castile with the middle Salado could not develop. Deformation should not directly jeopardize the facility over the next 2.5 x 10 5 y

  16. Volcanic sequence in Late Triassic – Jurassic siliciclastic and evaporitic rocks from Galeana, NE Mexico

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cruz-Gómez, E.M.; Velasco-Tapia, F.; Ramírez-Fernández, J.A.; Jenchen, U.; Rodríguez-Saavedra, P.; Rodríguez-Díaz, A.A.; Iriondo, A.

    2017-11-01

    In northeastern Mexico, volcanic rocks interbedded with Late Triassic–Jurassic siliciclastic and evaporitic strata have been linked to magmatic arcs developed in the Pangea western margin during its initial phase of fragmentation. This work provides new petrographic and geochemical data for volcanism included in the El Alamar and Minas Viejas formations outcropping in the Galeana region. Andesitic dykes and sills (n= 10) in the El Alamar redbeds show SiO2= 47.5–59.1% and MgO= 1.2–4.2%, as well as a geochemical affinity to island arc magmas. This work represents the first report of this tectonic setting in the region. Geological and petrographic evidence suggest that this arc system likely developed after ~220 and before ~193Ma. Trachy-andesitic and rhyodacitic domes (n= 20) associated with the Minas Viejas gypsum-carbonates sequence show SiO2= 61.8–82.7% and MgO= 0.1–4.0% with a tectonic affinity to continental arc. A rhyodacite sample from this region has been dated by U-Pb in zircon, yielding an age of 149.4 ± 1.2Ma (n= 21), being the youngest age related to this arc. Finally, we propose a threestep model to explain the tectonic evolution from Late Triassic island arc to Jurassic continental arc system in the northeastern Mexico.

  17. Volcanic sequence in Late Triassic – Jurassic siliciclastic and evaporitic rocks from Galeana, NE Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cruz-Gómez, E.M.; Velasco-Tapia, F.; Ramírez-Fernández, J.A.; Jenchen, U.; Rodríguez-Saavedra, P.; Rodríguez-Díaz, A.A.; Iriondo, A.

    2017-01-01

    In northeastern Mexico, volcanic rocks interbedded with Late Triassic–Jurassic siliciclastic and evaporitic strata have been linked to magmatic arcs developed in the Pangea western margin during its initial phase of fragmentation. This work provides new petrographic and geochemical data for volcanism included in the El Alamar and Minas Viejas formations outcropping in the Galeana region. Andesitic dykes and sills (n= 10) in the El Alamar redbeds show SiO2= 47.5–59.1% and MgO= 1.2–4.2%, as well as a geochemical affinity to island arc magmas. This work represents the first report of this tectonic setting in the region. Geological and petrographic evidence suggest that this arc system likely developed after ~220 and before ~193Ma. Trachy-andesitic and rhyodacitic domes (n= 20) associated with the Minas Viejas gypsum-carbonates sequence show SiO2= 61.8–82.7% and MgO= 0.1–4.0% with a tectonic affinity to continental arc. A rhyodacite sample from this region has been dated by U-Pb in zircon, yielding an age of 149.4 ± 1.2Ma (n= 21), being the youngest age related to this arc. Finally, we propose a threestep model to explain the tectonic evolution from Late Triassic island arc to Jurassic continental arc system in the northeastern Mexico.

  18. Clay-mineral assemblages from some levels of K-118 drill core of Maha Sarakham evaporites, northeastern Thailand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suwanich, Parkorn

    Clay-mineral assemblages in Middle Clastic, Middle Salt, Lower Clastic, Potash Zone, and Lower Salt, totalling 13 samples from K-118 drill core, in the Maha Sarakham Formation, Khorat Basin, northeastern Thailand were studied. The clay-size particles were separated from the water-soluble salt by water leaching. Then the samples were leached again in the EDTA solution and separated into clay-size particles by using the timing sedimentation. The EDTA-clay residues were divided and analyzed by using the XRD and XRF method. The XRD peaks show that the major-clay minerals are chlorite, illite, and mixed-layer corrensite including traces of rectorite? and paragonite? The other clay-size particles are quartz and potassium feldspar. The XRF results indicate Mg-rich values and moderate MgAl atom ratio values in those clay minerals. The variable Fe, Na, and K contents in the clay-mineral assemblages can explain the environment of deposition compared to the positions of the samples from the core. Hypothetically, mineralogy and the chemistry of the residual assemblages strongly indicate that severe alteration and Mg-enrichment of normal clay detritus occurred in the evaporite environment through brine-sediment interaction. The various Mg-enrichment varies along the various members reflecting whether sedimentation is near or far from the hypersaline brine.

  19. Dynamic properties of anhydrites, marls and salts of the Gachsaran evaporitic formation, Iran

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gorjian, M; Memarian, H; Moosavi, M; Mehrgini, B

    2013-01-01

    A large carbonate oil field in Iran is suffering from severe casing collapses and related operational problems in anhydrite, marl and salt sequences of the Gachsaran cap rock formation. To investigate the causes and cures of operational problems, specifically casing collapse, knowing geomechanical properties of anhydrite, marl and salt of this formation is a prerequisite. However, taking cores in this formation is virtually impossible due to high solubility and weakness of the rocks. Moreover, there are insufficient well log data in this formation and the only available running well log is V p . In this paper, in order to obtain the dynamic parameters of the Gachsaran formation, V p , V s and ρ b in anhydrite, marl and salt cores, which had been taken from depths up to 300 m, were measured. Moreover, V p and V s in salt cores under different triaxial and hydrostatic stress conditions were obtained. The V p –V s, (V p /V s )–V p and V p –ρ b relations in anhydrite, marl and salt were investigated. The established relations in these anhydrite samples were verified by the data derived from limited cores which were taken from 3600 m depth. The relations between dynamic properties of salt with lateral and hydrostatic stresses were investigated. In conclusion, V s , ρ b and the ratio of V p /V s in anhydrite and marl can be estimated through the established relations and having V p logs in the Gachsaran formation. As a result, the dynamic properties of these rocks can be calculated in different depths of this evaporitic formation. Furthermore, the dynamic properties of salt rock seem to be constant in various depths and under differing triaxial and hydrostatic stress conditions. (paper)

  20. Primary Evaporites for the Messinian Salinity Crisis: the shallow gypsum vs. deep dolomite formation paradox solved

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Lange, Gert J.; Krijgsman, Wout

    2014-05-01

    The Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) is a dramatic event that took place ~ 5.9 Ma ago, and resulted in the deposition of 0.3-3 km thick evaporites at the Mediterranean seafloor. A considerable and long-lasting controversy existed on the modes of their formation. During the CIESM Almeria Workshop a consensus was reached on several aspects. In addition, remaining issues to be solved were identified, such as for the observed shallow gypsum versus deep dolostone deposits for the early phase of MSC. The onset of MSC is marked by deposition of gypsum/sapropel-like alternations, thought to relate to arid/humid climate conditions. Gypsum precipitation only occurred at marginal settings, while dolomite containing rocks have been reported from deeper settings. A range of potential explanations have been reported, most of which cannot satisfactorily explain all observations. Biogeochemical processes during MSC are poorly understood and commonly neglected. These may, however, explain that different deposits formed in shallow versus deep environments without needing exceptional physical boundary conditions for each. We present here a unifying mechanism in which gypsum formation occurs at all shallow water depths but its preservation is mostly limited to shallow sedimentary settings. In contrast, ongoing anoxic organic matter (OM) degradation processes in the deep basin result in the formation of dolomite. Gypsum precipitation in evaporating seawater takes place at 3-7 times concentrated seawater; seawater is always largely oversaturated relative to dolomite but its formation is thought to be inhibited by the presence of dissolved sulphate. Thus the conditions for formation of gypsum exclude those for the formation of dolomite and vice versa. Another process that links the saturation states of gypsum and dolomite is that of OM degradation by sulphate reduction. In stagnant deep water, oxygen is rapidly depleted through OM degradation, then sulphate becomes the main oxidant for OM

  1. Mediterranean salt giants beyond the evaporite model: The Sicily perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carmelo Manuella, Fabio; Scribano, Vittorio; Carbone, Serafina; Hovland, Martin; Johnsen, Hans-Konrad; Rueslåtten, Håkon

    2017-04-01

    Mediterranean salt giants, occurring both in sub-seafloor and in onshore settings (the "Gessoso Solfifera Group"), are traditionally explained by repeated cycles of desiccation and replenishment of the entire basin. However, such hypotheses are strongly biased by mass balance calculations and geodynamic considerations. In addition, any hypothesis without full desiccation, still based on the evaporite model, should consider that seawater brines start to precipitate halite when 2/3 of the seawater has evaporated, and hence the level of the basin cannot be the same as the adjacent ocean. On the other hand, hydrothermal venting of hot saline brines onto the seafloor can precipitate salt in a deep marine basin if a layer of heavy brine exists along the seafloor. This process, likely related to sub-surface boiling or supercritical out-salting (Hovland et al., 2006), is consistent with geological evidence in the Red Sea "Deeps" (Hovland et al., 2015). Although supercritical out-salting and phase separation can sufficiently explain the formation of several marine salt deposits, even in deep marine settings, the Mediterranean salt giant formations can also be explained by the serpentinization model (Scribano et al., 2016). Serpentinization of abyssal peridotites does not involve seawater salts, and large quantities of saline brines accumulate in pores and fractures of the sub-seafloor serpentinites. If these rocks undergo thermal dehydration, for example, due to igneous intrusions, brines and salt slurries can migrate upwards as hydrothermal plumes, eventually venting at the seafloor, giving rise to giant salt deposits over time. These hydrothermal processes can take place in a temporal sequence, as it occurred in the "Caltanissetta Basin" (Sicily). There, salt accumulation associated with serpentinization started during Triassic times (and even earlier), and venting of heavy brines onto the seafloor eventually occurred in the Messinian via the hydrothermal plume mechanism

  2. Estimating Rheological Parameters of Anhydrite from Folded Evaporite sequences: Implications for Internal Dynamics of Salt Structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adamuszek, Marta; Dabrowski, Marcin; Schmalholz, Stefan M.; Urai, Janos L.; Raith, Alexander

    2015-04-01

    Salt structures have been identified as a potential target for hydrocarbon, CO2, or radioactive waste storage. The most suitable locations for magazines are considered in the thick and relatively homogeneous rock salt layers. However, salt structures often consist of the evaporite sequence including rock salt intercalated with other rock types e.g.: anhydrite, gypsum, potassium and magnesium salt, calcite, dolomite, or shale. The presence of such heterogeneities causes a serious disturbance in the structure management. Detailed analysis of the internal architecture and internal dynamics of the salt structure are crucial for evaluating them as suitable repositories and also their long-term stability. The goal of this study is to analyse the influence of the presence of anhydrite layers on the internal dynamics of salt structures. Anhydrite is a common rock in evaporite sequences. Its physical and mechanical properties strongly differ from the properties of rock salt. The density of anhydrite is much higher than the density of salt, thus anhydrite is likely to sink in salt causing the disturbance of the surrounding structures. This suggestion was the starting point to the discussion about the long-term stability of the magazines in salt structures [1]. However, the other important parameter that has to be taken into account is the viscosity of anhydrite. The high viscosity ratio between salt and anhydrite can restrain the layer from sinking. The rheological behaviour of anhydrite has been studied in laboratory experiments [2], but the results only provide information about the short-term behaviour. The long-term behaviour can be best predicted using indirect methods e.g. based on the analysis of natural structures that developed over geological time scale. One of the most promising are fold structures, the shape of which is very sensitive to the rheological parameters of the deforming materials. Folds can develop in mechanically stratified materials during layer

  3. Relations entre les types de dépôts évaporitiques et la présence de couches riches en matière organique (roches-mères potentielles Relationship Between Different Types of Evaporitic Deposits and the Occurrence of Organic-Rich Layers (Potential Source Rocks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Busson G.

    2006-11-01

    évaporites de marge de bassin avec couches à matière organique au centre correspondent à une période prolongée. C'est l'essentiel de la vie du bassin. Le remplissage de la cuvette centrale par des évaporites de centre de bassin peut être un épisode bref et qui peut entraîner la disparition même du bassin. Les évaporites de plate-forme s'étalant indifféremment sur l'ancien domaine du bassin comme sur celui des anciennes plates-formes marginales peuvent être l'aube d'un nouveau cycle sédimentaire, indifférent au passé. The extraordinary fertility of saline waters has been confirmed by recent studies of salterns in the western Mediterranean. The benthos contains mollusks, foraminifers, ostracodes and especially Cyanophyceae and bacterial populations. Plankton includes microphytoplankton (Dunaliella, diatoms, etc. , zooplankton (flagellates, Artemia salina and numerous heterotrophic bacteria. Where diversity is low when salinity is high, the proliferation of well adapted forms can be greater than the productivity levels observed in most other environments. The effectiveness of stratified water bodies for the preservation of organic matter originally produced in photic and oxygenated water is brought out. Such stratified systems may be accompanied by the proliferation of photosynthetic bacteria that are exposed to sporadic mass mortality, resulting in the formation of organic laminae at the bottom. In shelf (or epeiric evaporites, where the segregation of salinities and deposits has been synchronous and lateral, the water depth must have been shallow and hence unsuitable for the formation of stratified water bodies and especially for their geological duration. Such accumulations thus generally have a low organic content, and they also do not have abundant reef systems. In basin-center evaporites, the deposits are attributed to a succession of phases of increasing salinity in time, i. e. limestone in high areas, contemporaneous with thin organic

  4. Messinian post-evaporitic paleogeography of the Po Plain-Adriatic region by 3D numerical modeling: implications for the Central Mediterranean desiccation during the MSC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amadori, Chiara; Garcia-Castellanos, Daniel; Di Giulio, Andrea; Fantoni, Roberto; Ghielmi, Manlio; Sternai, Pietro; Toscani, Giovanni

    2017-04-01

    In the last decades the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) has been the topic of a number of studies, in particular in onshore areas, as they offer a unique opportunity to analyze the controlling factors and the geological consequences of the estimated 1.5 km sea-level drop. During the MSC, the geometry of western and eastern sides of the Mediterranean basin was similar to the present day basin while, important changes took place in the central portion as a consequence of the (still ongoing) tectonic activity of the Apennine domain. Recent high-resolution 2D seismo-stratigraphic and 1D backstripping analysis by Eni E&P group described a step-wise sea-level lowering during evaporitic and post-evaporitic MSC phases in the Po Plain-Northern Adriatic foreland (PPAF), with a sea-level drop not exceeding 900 m. Thanks to a dense grid of 2D seismic profiles, integrated with ca. 200 well logs (confidential data, courtesy of ENI E&P), a 3D reconstruction of the entire northern PPAF basin geometry and the facies distribution during the Latest Messinian time has been carried out. In this study, we performed a 3D backstripping and lithospheric scale uplift calculations of the northern PPAF basin testing the 800-900m of sea-level draw down. The resulted restored Latest Messinian paleotopography (corresponding to the bottom Pliocene in the most of the study area) and related shoreline position, strongly fit with the recentmost continental/marine facies distribution maps. The latest Messinian morphology shows deep marine basins persisting during the entire MSC period, filled by clastic turbiditic sediments and a wide emerged area along the Southern Alps margin and Friulian-Venetian basin. A 3D reconstruction of the Latest Messinian surface shows peculiar river incisions along the Southern Alps margin; these V-shape canyons perfectly fit with the present day fluvial network, dating back the drainage origin at least at the Messinian acme. Moreover, if in a well-constrained marginal

  5. An X-ray spectroscopic perspective on Messinian evaporite from Sicily: Sedimentary fabrics, element distributions, and chemical environments of S and Mg

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshimura, Toshihiro; Kuroda, Junichiro; Lugli, Stefano; Tamenori, Yusuke; Ogawa, Nanako O.; Jiménez-Espejo, Francisco J.; Isaji, Yuta; Roveri, Marco; Manzi, Vinicio; Kawahata, Hodaka; Ohkouchi, Naohiko

    2016-04-01

    The Messinian salinity crisis is a dramatic hydrological and biological crisis that occurred in the Mediterranean basin at 5.97-5.33 Ma. The interpretation of the facies and stratigraphic associations of the Messinian salt deposits is still the object of active research because of the absence of modern depositional analogues of comparable scale. In this study, the spatial distributions of Na, Mg, S, O, Si, and Al in a potassic-magnesian salt and a halite layers of Messinian evaporites from the Realmonte mine on Sicily were determined using synchrotron based micro-X-ray fluorescence. The dominant molecular host site of Mg and S obtained by X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) is applied to specify the hydrochemistry of hypersaline brines and the presence of diagenetic minerals, thus shedding light on evaporative concentration processes in the Caltanissetta Basin of Sicily. Mg and S K-edge XANES spectra revealed the presence of highly soluble Mg-bearing sulfates. The massive halite layer "unit C," contains less soluble minerals, thus did not exceed the stage of halite crystallization. We infer that as evaporative concentration increased, the density of the brine at the shallow margin of the basin increased as salinity increased to concentrations over 70 times the starting values, creating brines that were oversaturated with Mg-sulfate. Density stratification of the deep basin caused heavy brines to sink to the bottom and become overlain by more dilute brines. We propose lateral advection of dense Mg-sulfate brines that certainly affected marine biota.

  6. Evaporite karst geohazards in the Delaware Basin, Texas: review of traditional karst studies coupled with geophysical and remote sensing characterization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kevin W. Stafford

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Evaporite karst throughout the Gypsum Plain of west Texas is complex and extensive, including manifestations ranging from intrastratal brecciation and hypogene caves to epigene features and suffosion caves. Recent advances in hydrocarbon exploration and extraction has resulted in increased infrastructure development and utilization in the area; as a result, delineation and characterization of potential karst geohazards throughout the region have become a greater concern. While traditional karst surveys are essential for delineating the subsurface extent and morphology of individual caves for speleogenetic interpretation, these methods tend to underestimate the total extent of karst development and require surficial manifestation of karst phenomena. Therefore, this study utilizes a composite suite of remote sensing and traditional field studies for improved karst delineation and detection of potential karst geohazards within gypsum karst. Color InfraRed (CIR imagery were utilized for delineation of lineaments associated with fractures, while Normalized Density Vegetation Index (NDVI analyses were used to delineate regions of increased moisture flux and probable zones of shallow karst development. Digital Elevation Models (DEM constructed from high-resolution LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging data were used to spatially interpret sinkholes, while analyses of LiDAR intensity data were used in a novel way to categorize local variations in surface geology. Resistivity data, including both direct current (DC and capacitively coupled (CC resistivity analyses, were acquired and interpreted throughout the study area to delineate potential shallow karst geohazards specifically associated with roadways of geohazard concern; however, detailed knowledge of the surrounding geology and local karst development proved essential for proper interpretation of resistivity inversions. The composite suite of traditional field investigations and remotely sensed karst

  7. An Investigation of Abnormal Fluid Pressure within an Evaporitic Cap Rock in the Gavbandi Area of Iran and its Impact on the Planning of Gas Exploration Wells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahdi Najafi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A synthesis of well logs was carried out and drilling mud weight data were analyzed to figure out anomalous high fluid pressure within the Triassic evaporitic cap rock (the Dashtak formation and study its impact on the geometry of anticlinal traps in the gas rich Gavbandi province located in the southeast part of the Zagros Mountains. The results indicated that the location of anticlinal traps at the depth in which the Permian Dehram Group reservoir unit exists is horizontally displaced with respect to surficial crest of many anticlines within the Gavbandi area. This crestal shift may be induced by abnormally high fluid pressure in the “A evaporate” member of the Dashtak formation, detected in many exploration wells across the area. When fluid pressure increases due to compaction during shortening, the higher shaliness could probably cap more fluids and consequently increase the fluid pressure within the Dashtak formation. Anomalous high fluid pressure decreases internal friction and shear strength of rock units and facilitates fracturing and faulting within the Dashtak formation, which consequently causes crestal shift of anticlinal traps. This should be taken into account when planning a new exploration well in Gavbandi area in order to prevent trap drilling.

  8. Deposition of a saline giant in the Mississippian Windsor Group, Nova Scotia, and the nascent Late Paleozoic Ice Age

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacNeil, Laura A.; Pufahl, Peir K.; James, Noel P.

    2018-01-01

    Saline giants are vast marine evaporite deposits that currently have no modern analogues and remain one of the most enigmatic of chemical sedimentary rocks. The Mississippian Windsor Group (ca. 345 Ma), Maritimes Basin, Atlantic Canada is a saline giant that consists of two evaporite-rich sedimentary sequences that are subdivided into five subzones. Sequence 1 is composed almost entirely of thick halite belonging to Subzone A (Osagean). Sequence 2 is in unconformable contact and comprised of stacked carbonate-evaporite peritidal cycles of Subzones B through E (Meramecian). Subzone B, the focus of research herein, documents the transition from wholly evaporitic to open marine conditions and thus, preserves an exceptional window into the processes forming saline giants. Lithofacies stacking patterns in Subzone B reveal that higher-order fluctuations in relative sea level produced nine stacked parasequences interpreted to reflect high frequency glacioeustatic oscillations during the onset of the Late Paleozoic Ice Age. Each parasequence reflects progradation of intertidal and sabkha sediments over subtidal carbonate and evaporite deposits. Dissimilarities in cycle composition between sub-basins imply the development of contrasting brine chemistries from differing recharge rates with the open ocean. What the Windsor Group shows is that evaporite type is ostensibly linked to the amplitude and frequency of sea level rise and fall during deposition. True saline giants, like the basinwide evaporites of Sequence 1, apparently require low amplitude, long frequency changes in sea level to promote the development of stable brine pools that are only periodically recharged with seawater. By contrast, the high amplitude, short frequency glacioeustatic variability in sea level that controlled the accumulation of peritidal evaporites in Subzone B produce smaller, subeconomic deposits with more complex facies relationships.

  9. Inverse modeling of groundwater flow in the semiarid evaporitic closed basin of Los Monegros, Spain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samper-Calvete, F. J.; García-Vera, M. A.

    Only minor attention has been given in the past to the study of closed-basin hydrogeology in evaporitic environments, because these basins usually contain poor-quality groundwater. The motivation for hydrogeological research in the Los Monegros area in northeastern Spain was the approval in 1986 of a large irrigation project in the Ebre River basin. The irrigation of 60,000 ha is planned, partly in an evaporitic closed basin containing playa lakes. The project has given rise to environmental concerns. The evaluation of the hydrologic impacts of irrigation requires quantifying properly the hydrogeology of the area. With the available information, a conceptual hydrogeological model was formulated that identifies two main aquifers connected through a leaky aquitard. On the basis of the conceptual model, a numerical model was calibrated under steady-state conditions using the method of maximum-likelihood automatic parameter estimation (Carrera and Neuman, 1986a). The calibrated model reproduces the measured hydraulic heads fairly well and is consistent with independent information on groundwater discharge. By the solution of the inverse problem, reliable parameter estimates were obtained. It is concluded that anisotropy plays a major role in some parts of the lower aquifer. The geometric average of model conductivity is almost two orders of magnitude larger than the average conductivity derived from small-scale field tests. This scale effect in hydraulic conductivity is consistent with the findings of Neuman (1994) and Sánchez-Vila et al. (1996). Résumé Dans le passé, on s'est peu intéresséà l'hydrogéologie des bassins fermés en milieu évaporitique, parce que ces bassins possèdent en général de l'eau souterraine de qualité médiocre. L'intérêt porté aux recherches hydrogéologiques dans la région de Los Monegros, dans le nord-est de l'Espagne est dûà l'approbation en 1986 d'un vaste projet d'irrigation dans le bassin de l'Ebre. L'irrigation de 60000

  10. 4D Monitoring of Active Sinkholes with a Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS: A Case Study in the Evaporite Karst of the Ebro Valley, NE Spain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alfonso Benito-Calvo

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available This work explores, for the first time, the application of a Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS and a comparison of point clouds in the 4D monitoring of active sinkholes. The approach is tested in three highly-active sinkholes related to the dissolution of salt-bearing evaporites overlain by unconsolidated alluvium. The sinkholes are located in urbanized areas and have caused severe damage to critical infrastructure (flood-control dike, a major highway. The 3D displacement models derived from the comparison of point clouds with exceptionally high spatial resolution allow complex spatial and temporal subsidence patterns within one of the sinkholes to be resolved. Detected changes in the subsidence activity (e.g., sinkhole expansion, translation of the maximum subsidence zone, development of incipient secondary collapses are related to potential controlling factors such as floods, water table changes or remedial measures. In contrast, with detailed mapping and high-precision leveling, the displacement models, covering a relatively short time span of around 6 months, do not capture the subtle subsidence (<0.6–1 cm that affects the marginal zones of the sinkholes, precluding precise mapping of the edges of the subsidence areas. However, the performance of TLS can be adversely affected by some methodological limitations and local conditions: (1 limited accuracy in large investigation areas that require the acquisition of a high number of scans, increasing the registration error; (2 surface changes unrelated to sinkhole activity (e.g., vegetation, loose material; (3 traffic-related vibrations and wind blast that affect the stability of the scanner.

  11. Geochemistry of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site, southeastern New Mexico, U.S.A

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lambert, S.J.

    1992-01-01

    An extensive geochemical data base, including analyses of major and minor solutes, mineralogical studies of core samples, and isotopic studies of waters, carbonates and sulfates, has been assembled for evaporites and related rocks in the northern Delaware Basin of southeastern New Mexico. These data were compiled for the geological and hydrological characterization of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), which is excavated in the evaporites of the Salado Formation. These data were evaluated in order:(1) to determine the stability of the evaporite mineralogy over geological time; (2) to compare the aqueous geochemistry with host rock mineralogy; (3) to delineate the nature and timing of water-rock interactions, such as dissolution and recrystallization; and (4) to determine the geological and climatic conditions that have governed groundwater recharge. The resulting synthesis of data and current hypotheses concerning the origin, composition and history of waters in the evaporite rocks and related units of the Delaware Basin provides a tentative conceptual model for the behavior of the water-rock system since the deposition of the evaporites in the Permian. Essential components of this model include: (1) widespread Late Triassic/Early Jurassic evaporite recrystallization; (2) accumulation of deep-basin brines isolated from meteoric recharge; (3) evaporite dissolution by meteoric waters flowing in carbonates and sulfates interbedded in the uppermost Permian section and at the basin margin; (4) lateral rather than vertical infiltration of pre-Holocene meteoric waters in the uppermost Permian section; and (5) climatic conditions presently less conductive to recharge than in the Late Pleistocene. (author)

  12. Conditions for the formation and atmospheric dispersion of a toxic, heavy gas layer during thermal metamorphism of coal and evaporite deposits by sill intrusion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Storey, Michael; Hankin, Robin K. S.

    2010-05-01

    There is compelling evidence for massive discharge of volatiles, including toxic species, into the atmosphere at the end of the Permian. It has been argued that most of the gases were produced during thermal metamorphism of coal and evaporite deposits in the East Siberia Tunguska basin following sill intrusion (Retallack and Jahren, 2008; Svensen et al., 2009). The release of the volatiles has been proposed as a major cause of environmental and extinction events at the end of the Permian, with venting of carbon gases and halocarbons to the atmosphere leading to global warming and atmospheric ozone depletion (Svensen et al., 2009) Here we consider the conditions required for the formation and dispersion of toxic, heavier than air, gas plumes, made up of a mixture of CO2, CH4, H2S and SO2 and formed during the thermal metamorphism of C- and S- rich sediments. Dispersion models and density considerations within a range of CO2/CH4 ratios and volatile fluxes and temperatures, for gas discharge by both seepage and from vents, allow the possibility that following sill emplacement much of the vast East Siberia Tunguska basin was - at least intermittently - covered by a heavy, toxic gas layer that was unfavorable for life. Dispersion scenarios for a heavy gas layer beyond the Siberian region during end-Permian times will be presented. REFERENCES G. J. Retallack and A. H. Jahren, Methane release from igneous intrusion of coal during Late Permian extinction events, Journal of Geology, volume 116, 1-20, 2008 H. Svensen et al., Siberian gas venting and the end-Permian environmental crisis, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, volume 277, 490-500, 2009

  13. Organic-rich shales from internal Betic basins (SE Spain): potential source rocks analogs for the pre-Messinian Salt play in the western Mediterranean

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Permanyer, A.; Jorge, R.; Baudino, R.; Gilbert, L.

    2016-07-01

    Southeastern Spain has a large number of Late Neogene basins with substantial evaporitic deposits that developed under an overall NNW-SSE compressional regime related to the African-European tectonic plates collision. Located in the Betic Cordillera, they can be considered as marginal Mediterranean basins that became gradually isolated during the Tortonian and Early Messinian due to tectonic uplift. Different evaporitic units accumulated in these basins during isolation and, in several cases, evaporitic conditions were associated to episodes of important organic matter accumulation. Results obtained from Late Tortonian to Early Messinian shales collected from boreholes, mines and outcrops in the internal Betic basins of Las Minas de Hellín, Cenajo and Socovos are presented. The organic matter was studied under fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the main geochemical characteristics defined. They show a relation between organic-rich intervals with high potential of hydrocarbon generation, native sulfur, bio-induced dolomite and evaporitic deposits. These organicrich shales can be found before, during and after the evaporitic episodes. Results from the present study are compared with those previously obtained in the pre-evaporitic deposits of the Lorca Basin that showed high oil generation potential, a restricted-marine origin of the organic matter and a low degree of maturity. The occurrence of such potential source rocks in several basins points to a broad regional distribution. At a larger scale, in the Mediterranean Basin, organic-rich sediments were deposited before and during the Messinian Salinity Crisis. The studied examples could represent analogs for potential source rocks of the pre-Messinian salt play in the Western Mediterranean. (Author)

  14. Economic geology of the Zipaquira quadrangle and adjoining area, Department of Cundinamarca, Colombia

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLaughlin, Donald H.; Arce Herrera, Marino

    1970-01-01

    At least four evaporite sequences are interbedded with Cretaceous strata in the Bogotga area of the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia. The easternmost and oldest evaporite interval is of probable Berriasian-Valanglnian age; the next oldest is of probable late Barremian-early Aptian age, and is followed by a possible late Aptian sequence. The westernmost and best known sequence is Turonian-early Coniacian in age, in the Sabana de Bogota. This youngest sequence contains the thickest known salt deposits and is probably the most widespread geographically. Three gypsum deposits of probable Barremian-Valanginian age are in the eastern part of the area under investigation. These deposits may have been leached from former salt accumulations. No other evaporites are exposed, but numerous brine springs are known, That the sources of these brines are neither deep not distant is suggested by the generally high concentrations, of the brines, the local presence of rute (leached salt residue), and the commonly significant amounts of H2S gas emitted at these springs. The rock salt exposed in three accessible mines commonly has a characteristic lamination caused by alternating layers of relatively pure halite and very argillaceous halite. Ubiquitously scattered throughout all salt deposits are small clasts of black, commonly pyritic, marly claystone. This lithology is also present as large claystone bodies conformably interbedded in the salt strata. Anhydrite is rare and is apparently more abundant at the Zipaquira mine that at the Nemocon and Upin mine. Paleontologic evidence in the Sabana de Bogota demonstrates that the salt-claystone series, hematite impregnated strata, and carbonaceous to locally coaly claystone are coeval. The salt-claystone facies may have been deposited in shallow evaporite pans that were separated within the overall evaporite interval by barriers on which the locally hematitic strata were deposited. The carbonaceous facies may also have formed in barrier

  15. Mechanical stratification of autochthonous salt: Implications from basin-scale numerical models of rifted margin salt tectonics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ings, Steven; Albertz, Markus

    2014-05-01

    Deformation of salt and sediments owing to the flow of weak evaporites is a common phenomenon in sedimentary basins worldwide, and the resulting structures and thermal regimes have a significant impact on hydrocarbon exploration. Evaporite sequences ('salt') of significant thickness (e.g., >1km) are typically deposited in many cycles of seawater inundation and evaporation in restricted basins resulting in layered autochthonous evaporite packages. However, analogue and numerical models of salt tectonics typically treat salt as a homogeneous viscous material, often with properties of halite, the weakest evaporite. In this study, we present results of two-dimensional plane-strain numerical experiments designed to illustrate the effects of variable evaporite viscosity and embedded frictional-plastic ('brittle') sediment layers on the style of salt flow and associated deformation of the sedimentary overburden. Evaporite viscosity is a first-order control on salt flow rate and the style of overburden deformation. Near-complete evacuation of low-viscosity salt occurs beneath expulsion basins, whereas significant salt is trapped when viscosity is high. Embedded frictional-plastic sediment layers (with finite yield strength) partition salt flow and develop transient contractional structures (folds, thrust faults, and folded faults) in a seaward salt-squeeze flow regime. Multiple internal sediment layers reduce the overall seaward salt flow during sediment aggradation, leaving more salt behind to be re-mobilized during subsequent progradation. This produces more seaward extensive allochthonous salt sheets. If there is a density difference between the embedded layers and the surrounding salt, then the embedded layers 'fractionate' during deformation and either float to the surface or sink to the bottom (depending on density), creating a thick zone of pure halite. Such a process of 'buoyancy fractionation' may partially explain the apparent paradox of layered salt in

  16. Potash: a global overview of evaporate-related potash resources, including spatial databases of deposits, occurrences, and permissive tracts: Chapter S in Global mineral resource assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orris, Greta J.; Cocker, Mark D.; Dunlap, Pamela; Wynn, Jeff C.; Spanski, Gregory T.; Briggs, Deborah A.; Gass, Leila; Bliss, James D.; Bolm, Karen S.; Yang, Chao; Lipin, Bruce R.; Ludington, Stephen; Miller, Robert J.; Słowakiewicz, Mirosław

    2014-01-01

    Potash is mined worldwide to provide potassium, an essential nutrient for food crops. Evaporite-hosted potash deposits are the largest source of salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form, including potassium chloride, potassium-magnesium chloride, potassium sulfate, and potassium nitrate. Thick sections of evaporitic salt that form laterally continuous strata in sedimentary evaporite basins are the most common host for stratabound and halokinetic potash-bearing salt deposits. Potash-bearing basins may host tens of millions to more than 100 billion metric tons of potassium oxide (K2O). Examples of these deposits include those in the Elk Point Basin in Canada, the Pripyat Basin in Belarus, the Solikamsk Basin in Russia, and the Zechstein Basin in Germany.

  17. Stratigraphy and dissolution of the Rustler Formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bachman, G.O.

    1985-01-01

    The Rustler Formation is the uppermost evaporite-bearing unit in the Permian Ochoan series in southeastern New Mexico. It rests on the Salado Formation which includes the salt beds where the mined facility for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is being constructed. An understanding of the physical stratigraphy of the Rustler Formation is pertinent to studies of the WIPP site because some portions of the Rustler are water-bearing and may provide paths for circulating waters to come into contact with, and dissolve, evaporites within the Ochoan sequence. Knowledge of the processes, magnitude, and history of evaporite dissolution in the vicinity of the WIPP site is important to an evaluation of the integrity of the site. 2 refs., 2 figs

  18. Simulation de la sédimentation dans un bassin évaporitique à niveau d'eau sous influence eustatique. Application au bassin paléogène de Mulhouse (Alsace, France Simulation of Sedimentation in an Evaporitic Basin At Water Level under Eustatic Influence. Application to the Paleogene Mulhouse Basin (Alsace, France

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carpentier B.

    2006-11-01

    Full Text Available Le programme SIMSALT permet, à partir de fonctions sinusoïdales simulant des variations climatiques et eustatiques, de modéliser la sédimentation dans une maille élémentaire d'un bassin évaporitique en communication restreinte permanente avec l'océan, les arrivées d'eau marine se faisant par l'intermédiaire d'un seuil topographique. En fonction des salinités calculées, le programme détermine s'il y a précipitation de sels ainsi que les épaisseurs sédimentées. Les principaux résultats fournis sont représentés par des colonnes lithologiques en fonction des épaisseurs cumulées et en fonction du temps. Ce programme renferme également un module permettant de tester des fonctions simulant la production-dégradation de la matière organique. Ce modèle a été appliqué à une partie de la série évaporitique d'âge Eocène supérieur - Oligocène inférieur du bassin de Mulhouse. L'application du modèle aux cyclothèmes carottés du sondage Max montre que la sédimentation évaporitique et organique peut être contrôlée principalement par des variations climatiques résultant de la somme de trois sinusoïdes, respectivement de période de l'ordre de 13000, 500 et 100 ans, associées à des variations eustatiques de période 13000 ans déphasées par rapport aux variations climatiques de même période. Avec le modèle SIMSALT, il est donc possible de reconnaitre les influences respectives de l'eustatisme et du climat sur la sédimenation évaporitique et organique dans un bassin en communication restreinte avec le domaine marin. The SIMSALT program takes sinusoidal functions simulating climatic and eustatic variations and uses them to model sedimentation in an elementary mesh of an evaporitic basin in permanent restricted communication with the ocean, with arrivals of seawater being determined via a topographic threshold (Fig. 1. For this, the mesh is assumed to be made up of several superposed elements (Fig. 2, i. e. a

  19. Hydrogeologic reconnaissance of the San Miguel River basin, southwestern Colorado

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ackerman, D.J.; Rush, F.E.

    1984-01-01

    The San Miguel River Basin encompasses 4,130 square kilometers of which about two-thirds is in the southeastern part of the Paradox Basin. The Paradox Basin is a part of the Colorado Plateaus that is underlain by a thick sequence of evaporite beds of Pennsylvanian age. The rock units that underlie the area have been grouped into hydrogeologic units based on their water-transmitting ability. Evaporite beds of mostly salt are both overlain and underlain by confining beds. Aquifers are present above and below the confining-bed sequence. The principal element of ground-water outflow from the upper aquifer is flow to the San Miguel River and its tributaries; this averages about 90 million cubic meters per year. A water budget for the lower aquifer has only two equal, unestimated elements, subsurface outflow and recharge from precipitation. The aquifers are generally isolated from the evaporite beds by the bounding confining beds; as a result, most ground water has little if any contact with the evaporites. No brines have been sampled and no brine discharges have been identified in the basin. Salt water has been reported for petroleum-exploration wells, but no active salt solution has been identified. (USGS)

  20. Origin and diagenetic evolution of gypsum and microbialitic carbonates in the Late Sag of the Namibe Basin (SW Angola)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laurent, Gindre-Chanu; Edoardo, Perri; Ian, Sharp R.; Peacock, D. C. P.; Roger, Swart; Ragnar, Poulsen; Hercinda, Ferreira; Vladimir, Machado

    2016-08-01

    Ephemeral evaporitic conditions developed within the uppermost part of the transgressive Late Sag sequence in the Namibe Basin (SW Angola), leading to the formation of extensive centimetre- to metre-thick sulphate-bearing deposits and correlative microbialitic carbonates rich in pseudomorphs after evaporite crystals. The onshore pre-salt beds examined in this study are located up to 25 m underneath the major mid-Aptian evaporitic succession, which is typified at the outcrop by gypsiferous Bambata Formation and in the subsurface by the halite-dominated Loeme Formation. Carbonate-evaporite cycles mostly occur at the top of metre-thick regressive parasequences, which progressively onlap and overstep landward the former faulted (rift) topography, or fill major pre-salt palaeo-valleys. The sulphate beds are made up of alabastrine gypsum associated with embedded botryoidal nodules, dissolution-related gypsum breccia, and are cross-cut by thin satin-spar gypsum veins. Nodular and fine-grained fabrics are interpreted as being diagenetic gypsum deposits resulting from the dissolution and recrystallisation of former depositional subaqueous sulphates, whereas gypsum veins and breccia result from telogenetic processes. The carbonates display a broader diversity of facies, characterised by rapid lateral variations along strike. Thin dolomitic and calcitic bacterial-mediated filamentous microbialitic boundstones enclose a broad variety of evaporite pseudomorphs and can pass laterally over a few metres into sulphate beds. Dissolution-related depositional breccias are also common and indicate early dissolution of former evaporite layers embedded within the microbialites. Sulphate and carbonate units are interpreted as being concomitantly deposited along a tide-dominated coastal supra- to intertidal- sabkha and constitute high-frequency hypersaline precursor events, prior to the accumulation of the giant saline mid-Aptian Bambata and Loeme Formations. Petrographic and geochemical

  1. Isotope geochemistry of fluid inclusions in Permian halite with implications for the isotopic history of ocean water and the origin of saline formation waters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Knauth, L.P.; Beeunas, M.A.

    1986-01-01

    deltaD and delta 18 O values have been determined for fluid inclusions in 45 samples of Permian halite. The inclusions are enriched in 18 O relative to the meteoric water line but are depleted in D relative to ocean water. Inclusions with the more positive delta-values coincide with the isotopic compositions expected for evaporating sea water which follows a hooked trajectory on a deltaD-delta 18 O diagram. Inclusions with more negative delta-values may represent more highly evaporated sea water but probably reflect synsedimentary or diagenetic mixing to those of a modern evaporite pan to indicate that Permian sea water was isotopically similar to modern sea water. Connate evaporite brines can have negative delta-values because of the probable hooked isotope trajectory of evaporating sea water and/or synsedimentary mixing of evaporite brines with meteoric waters. (author)

  2. Sedimentary cyclicity in early Pleistocene, evaporitic, playa-lake lacustrine deposits in the Guadix-Baza basin (Betic Cordillera, Spain); Ciclicidad sedimentaria en depositos lacustres evaporiticos tipo playa-lake del Pleistoceno inferior en la cuenca de Guadix-Baza (Cordillera Betica, Espana)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garcia Aguilar, J. M.; Guera-Menchan, A.; Serrano, F.; Palmqvist, P.

    2013-06-01

    The Guadix-Baza basin (Betic Cordillera, southern Spain) contains in its eastern sector an early Pleistocene (Gelasian and lowermost Calabrian) sedimentary unit that was deposited in a shallow lacustrine environment. Given that the chronological limits of this unit lie between 2.5 and 1.6 Ma BP, the thickness of its preserved sediments (400 m) and high sedimentation rate (44.4 cm/ka) are remarkable. Numerous sedimentary cycles marked by an alternation of marls and sands are commonly found in the marginal sectors and marls and gypsum in the central sector, which would owe their origins to permanent flooding and evaporation/ re-flooding phases due to global climatic changes. Spectral analyses carried out using Fourier transform have revealed the existence of temporary frequencies associated with sedimentary cycles of between 0.2 and 5.2 ka. The origin of these cycles may be associated with variations in solar radiation and oscillations in the Moons orbital position, which would induce global climatic changes resulting in the rise and fall of the water table of the lake. Autocorrelation analyses conducted separately on the marly and evaporitic levels support this conclusion, as they indicate the existence of significant direct correlations between about 4 to 12 sedimentary cycles, which would correspond to repetitions of the stratigraphic series over a time span of 1.3 to 4 ka. (Author)

  3. Regional Hydrology of the Green River-Moab Area, Northwestern Paradox Basin, Utah

    OpenAIRE

    United States Geological Survey

    1982-01-01

    The Green River-Moab area encompasses about 7,800 square kilometers or about 25 percent of the Paradox basin. The entire Paradox basin is a part of the Colorado Plateaus that is underlain by a thick sequence of evaporite (salt) beds of Pennsylvanian age. The rock units that underlie the area have been grouped into hydrogeologic units based on their water-transmitting ability. Confining beds consist of evaporite beds of mostly salt, and overlying and underlying thick sequences of rocks with...

  4. Thermal decomposition and X-ray diffraction of sulphate efflorescent minerals from El Jaroso Ravine, Sierra Almagrera, Spain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frost, Ray L.; Wain, Daria; Martens, Wayde N.; Locke, Ashley C.; Martinez-Frias, Jesus; Rull, Fernando

    2007-01-01

    Two evaporite minerals from the El Jaroso Ravine, Spain have been analysed by thermogravimetry coupled with an evolved gas mass spectrometer. X-ray diffraction results proved the evaporite minerals were a mixture of sulphates including the minerals magnesiocopiapite, coquimbite and possibly alunogen. Thermal decomposition of the unoxidised samples showed steps at 52, 99 and 143 deg. C confirmed by mass spectrometric results and attributed to adsorbed water, interstitial water and chemically bonded water. This evaporite mineral rock showed two higher temperature decomposition steps at 555 and 599 deg. C with mass losses of 19.6 and 7.8%. Slightly different temperatures for the thermal decomposition of the oxadada sample were observed at 52, 64.5 and 100 deg. C. Two higher temperature mass loss steps at 560.5 and 651 deg. C were observed for the oxidised sample. By comparison of the thermal analysis patterns of halotrichite and jarosite it can be shown that the El Jaroso samples are mineral sulphates and not halotrichite or jarosite

  5. Thermal decomposition and X-ray diffraction of sulphate efflorescent minerals from El Jaroso Ravine, Sierra Almagrera, Spain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Frost, Ray L. [Inorganic Materials Research Program, School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Queensland 4001 (Australia)]. E-mail: r.frost@qut.edu.au; Wain, Daria [Inorganic Materials Research Program, School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Queensland 4001 (Australia); Martens, Wayde N. [Inorganic Materials Research Program, School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Queensland 4001 (Australia); Locke, Ashley C. [Inorganic Materials Research Program, School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Queensland 4001 (Australia); Martinez-Frias, Jesus [Inorganic Materials Research Program, School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Queensland 4001 (Australia); Cristalografia y Mineralogia, Unidad Asociada al Centro de Astrobiologia INTA-CSIC, Universidad de Valladolid, 47006 Valladolid (Spain); Rull, Fernando [Inorganic Materials Research Program, School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Queensland 4001 (Australia); Cristalografia y Mineralogia, Unidad Asociada al Centro de Astrobiologia INTA-CSIC, Universidad de Valladolid, 47006 Valladolid (Spain)

    2007-08-25

    Two evaporite minerals from the El Jaroso Ravine, Spain have been analysed by thermogravimetry coupled with an evolved gas mass spectrometer. X-ray diffraction results proved the evaporite minerals were a mixture of sulphates including the minerals magnesiocopiapite, coquimbite and possibly alunogen. Thermal decomposition of the unoxidised samples showed steps at 52, 99 and 143 deg. C confirmed by mass spectrometric results and attributed to adsorbed water, interstitial water and chemically bonded water. This evaporite mineral rock showed two higher temperature decomposition steps at 555 and 599 deg. C with mass losses of 19.6 and 7.8%. Slightly different temperatures for the thermal decomposition of the oxadada sample were observed at 52, 64.5 and 100 deg. C. Two higher temperature mass loss steps at 560.5 and 651 deg. C were observed for the oxidised sample. By comparison of the thermal analysis patterns of halotrichite and jarosite it can be shown that the El Jaroso samples are mineral sulphates and not halotrichite or jarosite.

  6. Gypsum Formation during the Messinian Salinity Crisis: an Alternative Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grothe, A.; Krijgsman, W.; Sangiorgi, F.; Vasiliev, I.; Baak, C. V.; Wolthers, M.; Stoica, M.; Reichart, G. J.; Davies, G.

    2016-12-01

    During the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC; 5.97 - 5.33 Myr ago), thick packages of evaporites (gypsum and halite) were deposited in the Mediterranean Basin. Traditionally, the occurrence of these evaporites is explained by the so-called "desiccation-model", in which evaporites are considered to result from a (partly) desiccated basin. In the last decade, it was thought that changes in the Mediterranean-Atlantic connectivity could explain the formation of gypsum. Stable isotope studies, however, show that the gypsum formed under influence of large freshwater input. Here we present new strontium isotope data from two well-dated Messinian sections in the Black and Caspian Seas. Our Sr isotope records suggest a persistent Mediterranean-Black Sea connection throughout the salinity crisis, which implies a large additional freshwater source to the Mediterranean. We claim that low saline waters from the Black Sea region are a prerequisite for gypsum formation in the Mediterranean and speculate about the mechanisms explaining this apparent paradox.

  7. Chlorine-36 dating of continental evaporites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang Qi

    1990-01-01

    Teh chloring-36 production, principle and experimental method of 36 Cl dating are briefly described. The ages calculated from the 36 Cl/Cl ratios are generally concordant with those obtained by using 14 C, 230 Th and magnetostratigraphic techniques. It confirms the constancy of the chlorine input ratio over the last million years and implys that 36 Cl can provide accurate dates on continental saline sediments

  8. Regional hydrology of the Green River-Moab area, northwestern Paradox Basin, Utah

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rush, F.E.; Whitfield, M.S.; Hart, I.M.

    1982-12-01

    The Green River-Moab area encompasses about 7800 square kilometers or about 25% of the Paradox basin. The entire Paradox basin is a part of the Colorado Plateaus that is underlain by a thick sequence of evaporite (salt) beds of Pennsylvanian age. The rock units that underlie the area have been grouped into hydrogeologic units based on their water-transmitting ability. Confining beds consist of evaporite beds of mostly salt, and overlying and underlying thick sequences of rocks with minimal permeability; above and below these confining beds are aquifers. The upper Mesozoic sandstone aquifer, probably is the most permeable hydrogeologic unit of the area and is the subject of this investigation. The principal component of groundwater outflow from this aquifer probably is subsurface flow to regional streams (the Green and Colorado Rivers) and is about 100 million cubic meters per year. All other components of outflow are relatively small. The average annual recharge to the aquifer is about 130 million cubic meters, of which about 20 million cubic meters is from local precipitation. For the lower aquifer, all recharge and discharge probably is by subsurface flow and was not estimated. The aquifers are generally isolated from the evaporite beds by the bounding confining beds; as a result, most ground water has little if any contact with the evaporites. Brines are present in the confining beds, but solution of beds of salt probably is very slow in most parts of the area. No brine discharges have been identified

  9. Geophysical well-log measurements in three drill holes at Salt Valley, Utah

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Daniels, J.J.; Hite, R.J.; Scott, J.H.

    1980-01-01

    Three exploratory drill holes were drilled at Salt Valley, Utah, to study the geologic, physical, geochemical, and hydrologic properties of the evaporite sequence in the Permian Paradox Member of the Hermosa Formation. The results of these studies will be used to help to determine the suitability of salt deposits in the Paradox basin as a storage medium for radioactive waste material. The following geophysical well-log measurements were made in each of the three drill holes: (1) density, (2) neutron, (3) acoustic velocity, (4) normal resistivity, and (5) gamma ray. Widely spaced resistivity and conductivity well-log measurements were made in the deep drill hole. Each of these well-log measurements shows the division of the evaporite sequence into halite and interbed sections. At the present time the most useful well-logging measurements for determining the individual lithologies in an evaporite sequence are gamma ray, neutron, density, and acoustic velocity. The high resistivity contrast between the drilling fluid (0.5 ohm-m) and salt (10,000 ohm-m) makes it difficult to obtain quantitative measurements of electrical properties in an evaporite sequence. Tests of widely spaced electrode configurations show that the effects of the brine on the resistivity measurements can be reduced, and the depth of investigation increased, by increasing the source-receiver electrode spacing. Tests of a single-coil induction probe show good resolution of the contrasting electrical properties of the various interbed lithologies

  10. Geochemical processes in marine salt deposits: Their significance and their implications in connection with disposal of radioactive waste within salt domes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herrmann, A G [Goettingen Univ. (Germany, F.R.). Geochemisches Inst.

    1980-01-01

    Attempts to effect permanent disposal of radioactive wastes in marine evaporites should do nothing to disturb, either in the short or the long term, the present relative stability of such bodies of rock. It is necessary to take account of all of the geochemical and physico-chemical reactions known to have been involved in the processes which formed the evaporites before proceeding to an acceptable strategy for disposal of radionucleides. These processes can be represented as three kinds of metamorphism: 1. solution metamorphism, 2. thermal metamorphism, 3. dynamic metamorphism. In all of the evaporite occurrences in Germany such processes have been influential in altering, on occasion significantly, the primary mineralogical composition and have also promoted a considerable degree of transposition of material. Given similar geochemical and physico-chemical premises, these metamorphic processes could become effective now or in the future. It is therefore necessary to discuss the following criteria when examining salt domes as permanent repositories of highly radioactive substances: (1) Temperatures <= 90/sup 0/ +- 10/sup 0/C at the contact between waste containers and rock salt; (2) Temperatures <= 75/sup 0/C within zones of carnallite rocks; (3) Immobilisation of high-level waste in crystalline forms whenever possible; (4) Systems of additional safety barriers around the waste containers or the unreprocessed spent fuel elements. The geochemical and physical effectiveness of the barriers within an evaporite environment must be guaranteed. For example: Ni-Ti-alloys, corundum, ceramic, anhydrite.

  11. Potassium-argon dating of polyhalite in southeastern New Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brookins, D.G.; Register, J.K. Jr.; Krueger, H.W.

    1980-01-01

    Polyhalite, K 2 Ca 2 Mg(SO 4 ) 4 .2H 2 O, is an important mineral in many evaporites. Although its use for K-Ar dating has never been investigated, present results indicate that it is a very useful mineral for dating events ranging from the time of potash mineralization to any younger events which may have affected the evaporite. Five K-Ar dates on pure polyhalite, including two from included material and from beds distorted by the formation of a rubble chimney, yield dates between 198 and 216 Myp, in good agreement with Rb-Sr dates and the diagenetic age of the potash deposits from the same rocks. Two polyhalites mixed with sylvite gave lower dates, which is to be expected because of radiogenic 40 Ar loss from the sylvite phase. One polyhalite, formed after the intrusion of a 31 Myr lamprophyre dike, yielded 21 Myr. Collectively, the results indicate that pure polyhalite is satisfactory for K-Ar dating and may provide critical age information in studies of the geologic history of the evaporite sequences. (author)

  12. Uranium in selected endorheic basins as partial analogue for spent fuel behavior in salt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Luik, A.E.

    1987-01-01

    If uranium (U) behavior with respect to the components of certain endorheic (closed) basin subsurface, playa, or terminal lake brines were quantitatively understood, the ability to predict the long-term redistribution of emplaced U among analogous components of salt formations may be enhanced. Tests that determine the nature of U interactions with pure mineral and organic matter surfaces are important, but studying the natural systems available could give indications of long-term stabilities of processes, and of preferential processes. For example, some metals present in trace quantities, such as U, may be coprecipitated in the oxidized zone with an evaporite mineral that may afterward undergo diagenesis, especially if conditions become more reducing. During diagenesis, the trace metal may be remobilized, but scavenged by sulfides or organic particulates, leaving the evaporite mineral depleted of its trace metal content. A survey of the literature shows trace metal behavior in closed basins has been studied. However, information on U consists of only a few abundance determinations for some evaporite systems. Obtaining and interpreting natural analogue data for the U and Th decay series in selected endorheic basin environments is suggested. 44 refs., 3 figs

  13. Uranium in selected endorheic basins as partial analogue for spent fuel behavior in salt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luik, A.E. van

    1987-01-01

    If uranium (U) behavior with respect to the components of certain endorheic (closed) basin subsurface, playa, or terminal lake brines were quantitatively understood, the ability to predict the long-term redistribution of emplaced U among analogous components of salt formations may be enhanced. Tests that determine the nature of U interactions with pure mineral and organic matter surfaces are important, but studying the natural systems available could give indications of long-term stabilities of processes, and of preferential processes. For example, some metals present in trace quantities, such as U, may be coprecipitated in the oxidized zone with an evaporite mineral that may afterwards undergo diagenesis, especially if conditions become more reducing. During diagenesis, the trace metal may be remobilized, but scavenged by sulfides or organic particulates, leaving the evaporite mineral depleted of its trace metal content. A survey of the literature shows some trace metal behavior in closed basins has been studied. However, information on U consists of only a few abundance determinations for some evaporite systems. Obtaining and interpreting natural analogue data for the U and Th decay series in selected endorheic basin environments is suggested. (author)

  14. Dust emission at Franklin Lake Playa, Mojave Desert (USA): Response to meteorological and hydrologic changes 2005-2008

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reynolds, Richard L.; Bogle, Rian; Vogel, John; Goldstein, Harland L.; Yount, James

    2009-01-01

    Playa type, size, and setting; playa hydrology; and surface-sediment characteristics are important controls on the type and amount of atmospheric dust emitted from playas. Soft, evaporite-rich sediment develops on the surfaces of some Mojave Desert (USA) playas (wet playas), where the water table is shallow (monitored between March 2005 and April 2008. The dust record, based on day-time remote digital camera images captured during high wind, and compared with a nearby precipitation record, shows that aridity suppresses dust emission. High frequency of dust generation appears to be associated with relatively wet periods, identified as either heavy precipitation events or sustained regional precipitation over a few months. Several factors may act separately or in combination to account for this relation. Dust emission may respond rapidly to heavy precipitation when the dissolution of hard, wind-resistant evaporite mineral crusts is followed by the development of soft surfaces with thin, newly formed crusts that are vulnerable to wind erosion and (or) the production of loose aggregates of evaporite minerals that are quickly removed by even moderate winds. Dust loading may also increase when relatively high regional precipitation leads to decreasing depth to the water table, thereby increasing rates of vapor discharge, development of evaporite minerals, and temporary softening of playa surfaces. The seasonality of wind strength was not a major factor in dust-storm frequency at the playa. The lack of major dust emissions related to flood-derived sediment at Franklin Lake playa contrasts with some dry-lake systems elsewhere that may produce large amounts of dust from flood sediments. Flood sediments do not commonly accumulate on the surface of Franklin Lake playa because through-going drainage prevents frequent inundation and deposition of widespread flood sediment.

  15. Facies analysis of the Codó Formation (Late Aptian in the Grajaú Area, Southern São Luís-Grajaú Basin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rossetti Dilce F.

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Facies descriptions of the Codó Formation in the Grajaú area are provided for the first time, and its sedimentary characteristics compared to those from the Codó area to allow paleoenvironmental reconstructions. Deposits in the Grajaú area include evaporites, limestones and argillites bearing features indicative of a shallow, low energy, subaqueous, saline environment exposed to meteoric and/or capillary conditions. Flooding-evaporative concentration-desiccation cycles suggest a saline pan complex surrounded by extensive evaporitic mudflats. The location of the system, whether coastal or inland, is a matter open for debate. However, the later hypothesis is favored considering: 1. Sr isotopic data, with values higher than those expected for Late Aptian marine waters; 2. calcitic composition of limestones (instead of dolomitic and/or magnesitic as expected in coastal settings; and 3. presence of continental ostracods and lack of marine fauna. This interpretation is consistent with that proposed for UpperAptian deposits of the Codó area, but the depositional system there was one dominated by more stable, well-stratified, anoxic waters and evaporite precipitation in central lacustrine areas, while in the Grajaú area the salt pan was more oxygenated and ephemeral, with salt precipitation mainly in marginal areas or along surrounding mudflats.

  16. PRINCIPLE ROCK TYPES FOR RADIOACTIVE WASTE REPOSITORIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sibila Borojević Šostarić

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Underground geological storage of high- and intermediate/low radioactive waste is aimed to represent a barrier between the surface environment and potentially hazardous radioactive elements. Permeability, behavior against external stresses, chemical reacatibility and absorption are the key geological parameters for the geological storage of radioactive waste. Three principal rock types were discussed and applied to the Dinarides: (1 evaporites in general, (2 shale, and (3 crystalline basement rocks. (1 Within the Dinarides, evaporite formations are located within the central part of a Carbonate platform and are inappropriate for storage. Offshore evaporites are located within diapiric structures of the central and southern part of the Adriatic Sea and are covered by thick Mesozoic to Cenozoic clastic sediment. Under very specific circumstances they can be considered as potential site locations for further investigation for the storage of low/intermediate level radioactive wast e. (2 Thick flysch type formation of shale to phyllite rocks are exposed at the basement units of the Petrova and Trgovska gora regions whereas (3 crystalline magmatic to metamorphic basement is exposed at the Moslavačka Gora and Slavonian Mts. regions. For high-level radioactive waste, basement phyllites and granites may represent the only realistic potential option in the NW Dinarides.

  17. Groundwater flow and its effect on salt dissolution in Gypsum Canyon watershed, Paradox Basin, southeast Utah, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reitman, Nadine G.; Ge, Shemin; Mueller, Karl

    2014-09-01

    Groundwater flow is an important control on subsurface evaporite (salt) dissolution. Salt dissolution can drive faulting and associated subsidence on the land surface and increase salinity in groundwater. This study aims to understand the groundwater flow system of Gypsum Canyon watershed in the Paradox Basin, Utah, USA, and whether or not groundwater-driven dissolution affects surface deformation. The work characterizes the groundwater flow and solute transport systems of the watershed using a three-dimensional (3D) finite element flow and transport model, SUTRA. Spring samples were analyzed for stable isotopes of water and total dissolved solids. Spring water and hydraulic conductivity data provide constraints for model parameters. Model results indicate that regional groundwater flow is to the northwest towards the Colorado River, and shallow flow systems are influenced by topography. The low permeability obtained from laboratory tests is inconsistent with field observed discharges, supporting the notion that fracture permeability plays a significant role in controlling groundwater flow. Model output implies that groundwater-driven dissolution is small on average, and cannot account for volume changes in the evaporite deposits that could cause surface deformation, but it is speculated that dissolution may be highly localized and/or weaken evaporite deposits, and could lead to surface deformation over time.

  18. Subsurface geology of a potential waste emplacement site, Salt Valley Anticline, Grand County, Utah

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hite, R.J.

    1977-01-01

    The Salt Valley anticline, which is located about 32 km northeast of Moab, Utah, is perhaps one of the most favorable waste emplacement sites in the Paradox basin. The site, which includes about 7.8 km 2, is highly accessible and is adjacent to a railroad. The anticline is one of a series of northwest-trending salt anticlines lying along the northeast edge of the Paradox basin. These anticlines are cored by evaporites of the Paradox Member of the Hermosa Formation of Middle Pennsylvanian age. The central core of the Salt Valley anticline forms a ridgelike mass of evaporites that has an estimated amplitude of 3,600 m. The evaporite core consists of about 87 percent halite rock, which includes some potash deposits; the remainder is black shale, silty dolomite, and anhydrite. The latter three lithologies are referred to as 'marker beds.' Using geophysical logs from drill holes on the anticline, it is possible to demonstrate that the marker beds are complexly folded and faulted. Available data concerning the geothermal gradient and heatflow at the site indicate that heat from emplaced wastes should be rapidly dissipated. Potentially exploitable resources of potash and petroleum are present at Salt Valley. Development of these resources may conflict with use of the site for waste emplacement.

  19. Subsurface geology of a potential waste emplacement site, Salt Valley Anticline, Grand County, Utah

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hite, R.J.

    1977-01-01

    The Salt Valley anticline, which is located about 32 km northeast of Moab, Utah, is perhaps one of the most favorable waste emplacement sites in the Paradox basin. The site, which includes about 7.8 km 2 , is highly accessible and is adjacent to a railroad. The anticline is one of a series of northwest-trending salt antilcines lying along the northeast edge of the Paradox basin. These anticlines are cored by evaporites of the Paradox Member of the Hermosa Formation of Middle Pennsylvanian age. The central core of the Salt Valley anticline forms a ridgelike mass of evaporites that has an estimated amplitude of 3,600 m. The evaporite core consists of about 87 percent halite rock, which includes some potash deposits; the remainder is black shale, silty dolomite, and anhydrite. The latter three lithologies are referred to as ''marker beds.'' Using geophysical logs from drill holes on the anticline, it is possible to demonstrate that the marker beds are complexly folded and faulted. Available data concerning the geothermal gradient and heatflow at the site indicate that heat from emplaced wastes should be rapidly dissipated. Potentially exploitable resources of potash and petroleum are present at Salt Valley. Development of these resources may conflict with use of the site for waste emplacement

  20. Palaeoenvironmental history of Bap-Malar and Kanod playas of ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Malar and Kanod, have been investigated using palynology, geomorphology, archaeology, AMS-radiocarbon dating, stable isotopes, evaporite mineralogy and geoarchaeology. The principal objective was to obtain a reliable lithostratigraphy of ...

  1. Seismic evidence of Messinian salt in opposite margins of West Mediterranean

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mocnik, Arianna; Camerlenghi, Angelo; Del Ben, Anna; Geletti, Riccardo; Wardell, Nigel; Zgur, Fabrizio

    2015-04-01

    The post drift Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) affected the whole Mediterranean basin, with deposition of evaporitic sequences in the deep basins, in the lower continental slopes, and in several shallower marginal basins; usually, in the continental margins, the MSC originated noticeable erosional truncations that locally cause important hiatuses in the pre-Messinian sequences, covered by the Plio-Quaternary sediments. In this work we focus on the MSC seismic signature of two new seismic datasets acquired in 2010 (West Sardinia offshore) and in 2012 (within the Eurofleet project SALTFLU in the South Balearic continental margin and the northern Algero abyssal plain). The "Messinian trilogy" recognized in the West-Mediterranean abyssal plain, is characterized by different seismic facies: the Lower evaporite Unit (LU), the salt Mobile Unit (MU) and the Upper evaporite mainly gypsiferous Unit (UU). Both seismic datasets show the presence of the Messinian trilogy also if the LU is not always clearly interpretable due to the strong seismic signal absorption by the halite layers; the salt thickness of the MU is similar in both the basins as also the thickness and stratigraphy of the UU. The Upper Unit (UU) is made up of a well reflecting package of about 10 reflectors, partially deformed by salt tectonic and characterized by a thin transparent layer that we interpreted as salt sequence inner the shallower part of the UU. Below the stratified UU, the MU exhibits a transparent layer in the deep basin and also on the foot of the slope, where a negative reflector, related to the high interval velocity of salt, marks its base. The halokinetic processes are not homogeneously distributed in the region, forming a great number of diapirs on the foot of the slope (due to the pression of the slided sediments) and giant domes toward the deep basin (due to the higher thickness of the Plio-quaternary sediments). This distribution seems to be related to the amount of salt and of the

  2. Origin of the megabreccias in the Katanga Copperbelt (D.R.Congo)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cailteux, Jacques L. H.; Muchez, Philippe; De Cuyper, Jana; Dewaele, Stijn; De Putter, Thierry

    2018-04-01

    The megabreccias in the Katanga part of the Neoproterozoic Central African Copperbelt contain up to several km-long blocks and fragments of the Mines Subgroup which host most of the stratiform Cu-Co deposits. New observations, particularly on cores from boreholes drilled at Luiswishi indicate three types of fracturing: 1) brittle post-folding in the Mines Subgroup; 2) hydraulic; and 3) ductile in soft incompetent siltstones of the R.A.T. and Dipeta subgroups. These fracturing phases dislocated the Roan succession into blocks and fragments and, in particular, clearly showed that there is an evolution from an in situ hydraulic fracturing, to a heterometric brecciation implying some movement and abrasion of the fragments. The process points to significant compression, and was accompanied by fluid expulsion and precipitation of dolomite after decompression. Fluid inclusion microthermometry in dolomite grains shows that the fluids were of high salinity and high temperature, suggesting dissolution of evaporites most likely contained in the Roan sedimentary pile. These saline fluids allowed the fluidization of the breccias, facilitating the displacement of the nappes, pinching out (extrusion-like) megabreccias along thrust-faults, and resulting in intrusion of breccias between the blocks or into large fractures. Breccias between the blocks are clearly identified as friction breccias. They contain a fine material, as part of the matrix, resulting from abrasion of the fragments during transportation. Abrasion and attrition explain the rounding of the fragments. A late cementation phase from less saline and lower temperature fluids suggests the addition of meteoric water in the system, and the mixing with the ambient fluids. The minimum burial depth of the meteoric water incursion is estimated at 2.8 km. Such under-saturated fluids may have contributed to the dissolution of residual evaporites and of the evaporitic material from the Kiubo rocks at the base of the nappes, and

  3. Nodular features from Proterozoic Sonia Sandstone, Jodhpur Group ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Corresponding author. e-mail: parthageology@gmail.com. The Sonia ..... cement variety in the form of dispersed dark brown clots and .... content within the nodule sandstones bear sig- nature in ..... Carbonates and Evaporites 21 133–143.

  4. Gravity tectonics and sedimentation of the Montefeltro, Italy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Feyter, A.J. de

    1991-01-01

    The tectono-stratigraphic framework of the southern Montefeltro is illustrative of the interaction between thin-skinned shearing and sedimentation in the outer segment of the Apenninic orogenic system during the Neogene. Mesozoic through Paleogene evaporitic-carbonatic-marly terrains

  5. Potential siliceous sources during Prehistory: Results of prospecting in the East margin of the Ebro Basin (NE Iberian Peninsula

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María Soto

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available We present the results of prospecting in the NE of the Iberian Peninsula, with the aim of identifying the  siliceous sources potentially used by the populations that occupied the marginal basins of the Ebro depression during the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic.We intend to define the main characteristics of the cherts in the region studied, taking into account the palaeoenvironment in which silicifications are mainly formed, and the premise that siliceous rocks acquire the attributes of enclosing rocks.The cherts studied are the products of early diagenesis by replacement of carbonate and evaporite sediments. Petrological analyses show that they are made up of microquartz, with high proportion of fibrous forms silica, carbonates, ferric oxides and evaporite relicts. In the future, these characteristics will be useful for ascribing archaeological materials in both geological and geographical terms.

  6. Gravity tectonics and sedimentation of the Montefeltro, Italy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Feyter, A.J. de

    1991-01-01

    The tectono-stratigraphic framework of the southern Montefeltro is illustrative of the interaction between thin-skinned shearing and sedimentation in the outer segment of the Apenninic orogenic system during the Neogene. Mesozoic through Paleogene evaporitic-carbonatic-marly terrains constitute the

  7. Sedimentology and facies analysis of Devonian Rocks, southern district of Mackenzie, North West Territories, Canada

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meijer Drees, N.C.

    1989-01-01

    The Devonian rock succession in the southern part of the District of Mackenzie consists of interbedded evaporites and carbonates, fossiliferous carbonates and shales. Inthe study areathe Devonian succession unconformably overlies LowerPaleozoic orPrecambrian strata and thins in a northeastward

  8. Gypsum-anhydrites in 2 Ga Vempalle Formation, Cuddapah basin ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    69

    In fact high solubility in water leads to removal of gypsum in suficial environment. ... with presence of evaporite gypsum in the upper as well as lower part of the ..... created with shallow inlet or a slightly permeable seal with main water body.

  9. Interpreting Biosignatures in the Context of Marine Evaporitic Environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Des Marais, D. J.; Vogel, M. B.

    2008-12-01

    A biosignature is an object, substance and/or pattern whose origin specifically requires a biological agent. The usefulness of a biosignature is determined, not only by the probability of life creating it, but also by the improbability of nonbiological processes producing it. So what sets life apart from the rest? Life as we know it is the harnessing of free energy to sustain and perpetuate, by molecular replication and evolution, a high density of information in the form of functional complex molecules and functionally-related larger structures. Accordingly, biosignatures can arise from key attributes such as converting solar to chemical energy, exploiting the versatility of organic chemistry to sustain metabolic processes and preserve information, and maintaining microenvironments that enhance these functions. The external environment affects such functions and so it must be defined in order to interpret effectively the biosignatures that emerge from them. Hypersaline benthic cyanobacterial communities at Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur, Mexico provide illustrative examples of biosignatures research that is relevant to our early biosphere and to Mars. Where brines are undersaturated with respect to gypsum, filamentous cyanobacteria dominate over unicellular cyanobacteria and can trap and bind sedimentary grains more effectively, thus altering their response to sedimentary processes and creating laminated fabrics. Biofilms in gypsiferrous sediments also can alter the response of the clastic or crystal matrix to chemical and physical sedimentary processes such as erosion or precipitate accumulation. Gypsum precipitating within biofilms offers compelling evidence of biological influences on crystal textures and habits. Such gypsum exhibits dissolution textures, accessory mineral precipitation and unique crystal form aspect ratios. Irregular textures include conchoidal and globular features associated with both dissolution and nucleation that are likely affected by biofilm pore water compositions. The accessory phases forming in association with gypsum-hosted biofilms (Sº, Ca-carbonate, and Sr/Ca-sulfate) are known byproducts of bacterially mediated sulfate reduction. Light penetrates the relatively transparent gypsum to sustain discretely layered successions of orange-, green-, purple-, pink-, and black-pigmented endoevaporitic biofilms. Lipid biosignatures include carotenoids, tricyclic terpenoids, benzothiophenes, thiacycloalkanes and methylhopanoids. These represent the aggregate effects of light regimes and hypersaline conditions. Features that could be preserved over geological timescales therefore include sedimentary textures, minerals, crystal forms, and lipids. Collectively these features can serve both as biosignatures and paleoenvironmental indicators on early Earth and on Mars.

  10. Study of trace metals in evaporites of Sergipe, Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrade, L.L.

    1982-01-01

    Heavy metals and others which form strong complexes must be present in the brine feed of electrolytic cells only at very low levels. Their occurrence in quantities above the established levels has a deleterious effect on the membranes of the cells and will produce interference on voltage, current efficiency and other factors. The waste resulting from decantation of the brine causes serious environmental problems. Thirty brine samples from different sites, provided by Petrobras Mineracao S.A. (Brazil) were studied. The sample preparation method and the analytical results obtained from semiquantitative determination of trace metals by optical emission spectrography are described. The toxicity of certain metals, their effects on the environment and on electrolytic cell membranes are also discussed. (Author) [pt

  11. Sensitivity analysis of solute transport in fractures and determination of anisotropy within the Culebra dolomite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rehfeldt, K.

    1984-09-01

    The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a U.S. Department of Energy facility for demonstrating the disposal of defense transuranic (TRU) radioactive waste. The WIPP is located approximately 26 miles east of Carlsbad, New Mexico. It lies in the northern part of the Delaware Basin, an oval shaped sedimentary trough nearly surrounded by the Capitan reef. The basin is composed primarily of a thick sequence of evaporites with overlying clastic sedimentary rocks. The major formations of interest in the Delaware Basin at the WIPP site consist, in stratigraphially ascending order, the Castile, Salado, and Rustler Formations and the Dewey Lake Redbeds. The Castile Formation is the basal unit in the evaporite sequence and consists of thick layers of anhydrite and halite. The Castile has been termed anhydrite-rich and is differentiated on this basis from the overlying halite-rich Salado Formation. 23 refs., 11 figs., 7 tabs

  12. ESF [Exploratory Shaft Facility] impact evaluation report: Volume 4: Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1985-08-01

    The objective of this Project Information is to present information compiled during a cursory search to determine the number of US evaporite mines (trona, salt and potash) that are classified as gassy under 30 CFR 57.21. Attention was directed in particular toward the degree of compliance, and was restricted to only those mines employing a room and pillar system of mining. The majority of evaporite mines classified gassy operate under approved modifications. None of the active bedded salt mines are classified gassy. Two of the five active domal salt mines are gassy, as well as one of the six potash mines. All trona mines operate under a gassy classification. The M-K Design Group recommends that the current MSHA regulations be used for the conceptual design as mandated by the DOE Functional Design Criteria for High-Level Nuclear Waste Repository in Salt. 13 refs., 1 tab

  13. Depositional model for Rival and Midale subintervals (Mississippian), north-central Burke County, North Dakota

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harris, T.L.

    1988-07-01

    The Rival and Midale subintervals (Charles Formation, Upper Mississippian), north-central Burke County, North Dakota, represent two relative sea level fluctuations. Updip (northeast), the Rival subinterval contains fine to medium-bedded and chicken-wire anhydrite with interbedded algal bindstone that was deposited on supratidal flats. Basinward (southwest), the lithology changes to oncolitic, peloidal, intraclastic grainstone/packstone that was deposited in intertidal and subtidal restricted lagoonal environments. Evaporites precipitated in the sediment of the intertidal to shallow subtidal restricted lagoonal environment. Overlying the Rival subinterval is skeletal wackestone and packstone of the lower Midale subinterval. The presence of normal-marine fauna (crinoids, brachiopods, trilobites, rugose and tabulate coral) indicates a significant relative sea level transgression occurred following deposition of the Rival. The middle and upper Midale subinterval consists of intensely burrowed dolowackestone and dolomudstone that contain a less diversified faunal assemblage. Overlying the Midale carbonates is a transitional zone of calcareous shale and dolomite that grades upward into mottled (burrowed.) and finely laminated microgranular dolomite and anhydrite. The upper Midale section represents a relative sea level regression (shoreline progradation). Updip (northeast) reservoirs produce from the Midale carbonates, which are sealed laterally and vertically by calcarous shale and microgranular dolomitic anhydrite of the Midale Evaporite. Downdip (southwest), the Rival produces from porous grainstone, which is sealed laterally by intertidal/supratidal carbonates and evaporites, resulting in a stratigraphic trap. Vuggy and intergranular porosity are the major porosity types in the Rival grainstone, and moldic and intercrystalline porosity are dominant in the Midale dolowackestone.

  14. The Brazilian marginal basins: current state of knowledge; As bacias marginais brasileiras: estagio atual de conhecimento

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ponte, Francisco Celso; Asmus, Haroldo Erwin

    2004-11-01

    Based on distinctive stratigraphic and/or structural characteristics, the brazilian continental margin can be divided into two main provinces : (1)The southeastern-eastern province, extending from the Pelotas to the Recife - Joao Pessoa Basin, presents a tensional tectonic style of Late Jurassic - Early Cretaceous age, paralleling the structural alignments of the Precambrian basement, except in the northeastern segment where the Mesozoic faults of the Recife - Joao Pessoa Basin cut across the east west basement directions. The basin-fill, Upper Jurassic through Recent, consists, where complete, of three stratigraphic sequences, each of a distinct depositional environment: (a) a lower clastic non-marine sequence; (b) a middle evaporitic sequence, and (c) an upper clastic paralic and open marine sequence. (2)The northern province, extending from the Potiguar Basin to the Amazon Submarine Basin, displays both tensional and compressional tectonic styles of Upper Jurassic (?) to Upper Cretaceous age either paralleling or cutting transversally the basement alignments. The stratigraphic column differs from the southeastern - eastern province in lacking the Lower Cretaceous evaporitic rocks. The integration of the stratigraphic and structural data allows one to determine in the eastern Brazilian marginal basins the main evolutionary stages of a typical pull-apart continental margin: a continental pre-rift and rift stage, an evaporitic proto-ocean stage, and a normal open ocean stage. In the northern province it is possible to infer a continental rift valley stage, a marine transform - movement stage and an open ocean stage. The relationship between the rift valley and transform movement stages is not clear. (author)

  15. The Messinian Salinity Crisis: chronology and paleoenvironment in the (circum-) Mediterranean area. Geologica Ultraiectina (317)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Snel, E.

    2010-01-01

    During the Messinian salinity crisis (MSC, 5.96-5.33 million years ago (Ma)), Atlantic–Mediterranean connections became stepwise restricted and interrupted. Massive evaporites were deposited in the Mediterranean Basin, which - after water levels dropped ~1km (5.59-5.5 Ma) - was partially refilled

  16. The 'Tortonian salinity crisis' of the eastern Betics (Spain)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Krijgsman, W.; Garcés, Miguel; Agustí, Jorge; Raffi, I.; Taberner, C.; Zachariasse, W.J.

    2000-01-01

    The late Miocene depositional history of the Lorca and Fortuna basins, both occupying an internal position in the eastern Betics of Spain, is marked by a regressive sequence from open marine marls, via diatomites and evaporites, to continental sediments. Based on facies similarities, these

  17. Deformation and transport processes in salt rocks : An experimental study exploring effects of pressure and stress relaxation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Muhammad, Nawaz

    2015-01-01

    The presence of evaporitic formations in sedimentary basins, often dominated by the salt mineral halite, is of great influence on the structural style developed during tectonic events. On a somewhat smaller scale, salt rocks often host a variety of deep solution mined caverns, which are increasingly

  18. Climate stability in central Anatolia during the Messinian Salinity Crisis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meijers, Maud J.M.; Peynircioğlu, A. Ahmet; Cosca, Michael A.; Brocard, Gilles Y.; Whitney, Donna L.; Langereis, Cor G.; Mulch, Andreas

    2018-01-01

    Deposition of large amounts of evaporites and erosion of deep canyons within the Mediterranean Basin as a result of reduced basin connectivity with the Atlantic Ocean and the epicontinental Paratethys Sea characterized the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC, 5.97–5.33 Ma). The influence of the MSC on

  19. The Upper Permian in the Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Visser, W.A.

    1955-01-01

    The Upper Permian in the Netherlands, as known from borehole data, is deposited in a mainly evaporitic facies north of the Brabant and Rhenish Massifs. In the extreme south (Belgian Campine, de Peel) a near-shore facies of reef dolomites and elastics occurs. In the western and central Netherlands

  20. Geochemical evolution of groundwater in the Mud Lake area, eastern Idaho, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rattray, Gordon W.

    2015-01-01

    Groundwater with elevated dissolved-solids concentrations—containing large concentrations of chloride, sodium, sulfate, and calcium—is present in the Mud Lake area of Eastern Idaho. The source of these solutes is unknown; however, an understanding of the geochemical sources and processes controlling their presence in groundwater in the Mud Lake area is needed to better understand the geochemical sources and processes controlling the water quality of groundwater at the Idaho National Laboratory. The geochemical sources and processes controlling the water quality of groundwater in the Mud Lake area were determined by investigating the geology, hydrology, land use, and groundwater geochemistry in the Mud Lake area, proposing sources for solutes, and testing the proposed sources through geochemical modeling with PHREEQC. Modeling indicated that sources of water to the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer were groundwater from the Beaverhead Mountains and the Camas Creek drainage basin; surface water from Medicine Lodge and Camas Creeks, Mud Lake, and irrigation water; and upward flow of geothermal water from beneath the aquifer. Mixing of groundwater with surface water or other groundwater occurred throughout the aquifer. Carbonate reactions, silicate weathering, and dissolution of evaporite minerals and fertilizer explain most of the changes in chemistry in the aquifer. Redox reactions, cation exchange, and evaporation were locally important. The source of large concentrations of chloride, sodium, sulfate, and calcium was evaporite deposits in the unsaturated zone associated with Pleistocene Lake Terreton. Large amounts of chloride, sodium, sulfate, and calcium are added to groundwater from irrigation water infiltrating through lake bed sediments containing evaporite deposits and the resultant dissolution of gypsum, halite, sylvite, and bischofite.

  1. Revisiting Seafloor-Spreading in the Red Sea: Basement Nature, Transforms and Ocean-Continent Boundary

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tapponnier, P.; Dyment, J.; Zinger, M. A.; Franken, D.; Afifi, A. M.; Wyllie, A.; Ali, H. G.; Hanbal, I.

    2013-12-01

    A new marine geophysical survey on the Saudi Arabian side of the Red Sea confirms early inferences that ~ 2/3 of the eastern Red Sea is floored by oceanic crust. Most seismic profiles south of 24°N show a strongly reflective, landward-deepening volcanic basement up to ~ 100 km east of the axial ridge, beneath thick evaporitic deposits. This position of the Ocean-Continent Boundary (OCB) is consistent with gravity measurements. The low amplitudes and long wavelengths of magnetic anomalies older than Chrons 1-3 can be accounted for by low-pass filtering due to thick sediments. Seafloor-spreading throughout the Red Sea started around 15 Ma, as in the western Gulf of Aden. Its onset was coeval with the activation of the Aqaba/Levant transform and short-cutting of the Gulf of Suez. The main difference between the southern and northern Red Sea lies not in the nature of the crust but in the direction and modulus of the plate motion rate. The ~ 30° counterclockwise strike change and halving of the spreading rate (~ 16 to ~ 8 mm/yr) between the Hermil (17°N) and Suez triple junctions results in a shift from slow (≈ North Atlantic) to highly oblique, ultra-slow (≈ Southwest Indian) ridge type. The obliquity of spreading in the central and northern basins is taken up by transform discontinuities that stop ~ 40 km short of the coastline, at the OCB. Three large transform fault systems (Jeddah, Zabargad, El Akhawein) nucleated as continental transfer faults reactivating NNE-trending Proterozoic shear zones. The former two systems divide the Red Sea into three main basins. Between ~15 and ~5 Ma, for about 10 million years, thick evaporites were deposited directly on top of oceanic crust in deep water, as the depositional environment, modulated by climate, became restricted by the Suez and Afar/Bab-el-Mandeb volcano-tectonic 'flood-gates.' The presence of these thick deposits (up to ~ 8 km) suffices to account for the difference between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden

  2. Lipid and Phylogenetic Analysis of a Gypsum-hosted Endoevaporitic Microbial Community

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turk, K. A.; Jahnke, L. L.; Green, S. J.; Kubo, M. D.; Vogel, M. B.; Des Marais, D. J.

    2007-12-01

    Gypsum evaporites host diverse, productive and volumetrically significant microbial communities and are relevant modern-day analogs to both Precambrian sabkha deposits and, potentially, Martian evaporites. Extensive evaporites form in subaqueous environments of high salinity ponds (>150 permil) maintained by the Exportadora de Sal, S. A. (ESSA) in Guerrero Negro, B.C.S., Mexico. A gypsarenite (reworked clastic gypsum) crust found along the southeast margin of ESSA's Pond 9 was collected in February 2004 and each vibrantly colored layer in the top centimeter was sampled. Extant microbial communities from each layer were characterized using complementary culture-independent molecular techniques, lipid biomarker analysis, and compound specific isotopic analysis. Coupling molecular analysis with lipid biomarker analysis revealed that oxygenic photosynthetic organisms dominate the surface layers (top 3 mm). Polar lipids from the surface layers consisted predominantly of glycolipids, which are characteristic of algae, cyanobacteria and green anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria. Consistent with prior analyses of gypsum evaporites, 16S rRNA gene clone libraries indicate that cyanobacterial populations belong primarily to the genus Cyanothece. The bacterial community below the surface layers is more diverse and dominated by anaerobic organisms. Phototrophic purple sulfur bacteria, sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), and Bacteroidetes were particularly abundant. The relative abundances of SRB increased with depth; Desulfobacteraceae clones were distributed throughout the crust, but not at the surface, while Desulfovibrionaceae clones were found predominantly in the deepest layers. These molecular results are consistent with fatty acid biomarker analysis. δ13C values of major lipid classes in the crust and sediment range from 14 to 36‰, which is considerably lower than corresponding values for benthic Microcoleus-dominated cyanobacterial mats found at lower salinities at ESSA

  3. Salt lake Laguna de Fuente de Piedra (S-Spain) as Late Quaternary palaeoenvironmental archive

    Science.gov (United States)

    Höbig, Nicole; Melles, Martin; Reicherter, Klaus

    2014-05-01

    This study deals with Late Quaternary palaeoenvironmental variability in Iberia reconstructed from terrestrial archives. In southern Iberia, endorheic basins of the Betic Cordilleras are relatively common and contain salt or fresh-water lakes due to subsurface dissolution of Triassic evaporites. Such precipitation or ground-water fed lakes (called Lagunas in Spanish) are vulnerable to changes in hydrology, climate or anthropogenic modifications. The largest Spanish salt lake, Laguna de Fuente de Piedra (Antequera region, S-Spain), has been investigated and serves as a palaeoenvironmental archive for the Late Pleistocene to Holocene time interval. Several sediment cores taken during drilling campaigns in 2012 and 2013 have revealed sedimentary sequences (up to 14 m length) along the shoreline. A multi-proxy study, including sedimentology, geochemistry and physical properties (magnetic susceptibility) has been performed on the cores. The sedimentary history is highly variable: several decimetre thick silty variegated clay deposits, laminated evaporites, and even few-centimetre thick massive gypsum crystals (i.e., selenites). XRF analysis was focussed on valuable palaeoclimatic proxies (e.g., S, Zr, Ti, and element ratios) to identify the composition and provenance of the sediments and to delineate palaeoenvironmental conditions. First age control has been realized by AMS-radiocarbon dating. The records start with approximately 2-3 m Holocene deposits and reach back to the middle of MIS 3 (GS-3). The sequences contain changes in sedimentation rates as well as colour changes, which can be summarized as brownish-beige deposits at the top and more greenish-grey deposits below as well as highly variegated lamination and selenites below ca. 6 m depth. The Younger Dryas, Bølling/Allerød, and the so-called Mystery Interval/Last Glacial Maximum have presumably been identified in the sediment cores and aligned to other climate records. In general, the cores of the Laguna de

  4. Brine history indicated by argon, krypton, chlorine, bromine, and iodine analyses of fluid inclusions from the Mississippi Valley type lead-fluorite-barite deposits at Hansonburg, New Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Böhlke, J.K.; Irwin, J.J.

    1992-01-01

    Argon, krypton, chlorine, bromine, and iodine were measured in a homogeneous population of high-salinity hydrothermal fluid inclusions from the Tertiary-age Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) lead-fluorite-barite deposits at Hansonburg, New Mexico to establish new types of evidence for the history of both the fluid and the major dissolved salts. Noble gases and halogens in fluid inclusions containing 10−10–10−9 L of brine (Cl= 3 molal) were analyzed by laser microprobe noble-gas mass spectrometry (lmngms) on neutron-irradiated samples.The concentrations of36Ar (4.7 × 10−8 molal) and84Kr1.8 × 10−9 molal) in the fluid inclusions are equal to those of fresh surface waters in equilibrium with air at approximately20 ± 5°. The mole ratios ofBr/Cl (1.2 × 10−4) andI/Cl (1–2 × 10−6) are among the lowest measured in any natural waters, similar to those of modern brines formed by dissolution of Permian NaCl-bearing evaporites in southeast New Mexico.40Ar/36Ar ratios (600) are twice that of air, and indicate that the fluid inclusions had excess radiogenic40Ar (1.4 × 10−5 molal) when trapped. The amount of excess40Ar appears to be too large to have been acquired with Cl by congruent dissolution of halite-bearing evaporites, and possibly too small to have been acquired with Pb by congruent dissolution of granitic basement rocks with Proterozoic KAr ages.From thelmngms data, combined with published Pb and S isotope data, we infer the following sequence of events in the history of the Hansonburg MVT hydrothermal brine: (1) the brine originated as relatively dilute meteoric water, and it did not gain or lose atmospheric Ar or Kr after recharge; (2) the originally dilute fluid acquired the bulk of its Cl and sulfate in the subsurface after recharge by dissolving halite-bearing Permian? marine evaporites; (3) the high salinity brine then acquired most of its Pb and excess radiogenic40Ar from interactions with aquifer rocks other than evaporites, possibly clastic

  5. Molecular indicators for palaeoenvironmental change in a Messinian evaporitic sequence (Vena del Gesso, Italy). II: High-resolution variations in abundances and 13C contents of free and sulphur-bound carbon skeletons in a single marl bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kenig, F.; Damste, J. S.; Frewin, N. L.; Hayes, J. M.; De Leeuw, J. W.

    1995-01-01

    The extractable organic matter of 10 immature samples from a marl bed of one evaporitic cycle of the Vena del Gesso sediments (Gessoso-solfifera Fm., Messinian, Italy) was analyzed quantitatively for free hydrocarbons and organic sulphur compounds. Nickel boride was used as a desulphurizing agent to recover sulphur-bound lipids from the polar and asphaltene fractions. Carbon isotopic compositions (delta vs PDB) of free hydrocarbons and of S-bound hydrocarbons were also measured. Relationships between these carbon skeletons, precursor biolipids, and the organisms producing them could then be examined. Concentrations of S-bound lipids and free hydrocarbons and their delta values were plotted vs depth in the marl bed and the profiles were interpreted in terms of variations in source organisms, 13 C contents of the carbon source, and environmentally induced changes in isotopic fractionation. The overall range of delta values measured was 24.7%, from -11.6% for a component derived from green sulphur bacteria (Chlorobiaceae) to -36.3% for a lipid derived from purple sulphur bacteria (Chromatiaceae). Deconvolution of mixtures of components deriving from multiple sources (green and purple sulphur bacteria, coccolithophorids, microalgae and higher plants) was sometimes possible because both quantitative and isotopic data were available and because either the free or S-bound pool sometimes appeared to contain material from a single source. Several free n-alkanes and S-bound lipids appeared to be specific products of upper-water-column primary producers (i.e. algae and cyanobacteria). Others derived from anaerobic photoautotrophs and from heterotrophic protozoa (ciliates), which apparently fed partly on Chlorobiaceae. Four groups of n-alkanes produced by algae or cyanobacteria were also recognized based on systematic variations of abundance and isotopic composition with depth. For hydrocarbons probably derived from microalgae, isotopic variations are well correlated with

  6. A neogene seawater sulfur isotope age curve from calcareous pelagic microfossils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burdett, J.W.; Arthur, M.A.; Richardson, M.

    1989-01-01

    Until now, our knowledge of the sulfur isotopic composition of seawater through geologic time has depended on stable isotopic analysis of sulfate from evaporites. Owing to the sporadic occurrence of evaporites through time, the secular sulfur isotope age curve contains many gaps with little or no data. In order to fill in some of these gaps, particularly the Neogene, we have analyzed the sulfur isotopic composition of carbonate-associated sulfate in carbonate tests of planktonic foraminifera. Other investigators have shown that sulfate may occur in biogenic calcites either lattice-bound, as micro-fluid inclusions, in adsorbed phases, or as protein polysaccharides. Whatever the origin, the sulfur isotopic composition of this sulfate appears to be representative of that of the water in which the organism lived, as shown by results on recent calcareous foraminifera and macrofossils. Using this approach for study of Miocene to Recent pelagic marine sediments supplemented by new data for Miocene marine evaporites from the Gulf of Suez, we have found that the δ 34 S of seawater has decreased about 2.5per mille over the past 25 m.y. and that most of the decrease has occurred over the past 5 m.y., paralleling a decrease in the δ 13 C of dissolved oceanic bicarbonate from the same interval. Sedimentary redox models based on isotope records suggest that organic carbon and sulfide burial have both decreased over the past 5 m.y. Alternatively, an increase in weathering rates over the past 5 m.y. would not require a decrease in organic carbon or sulfide burial as long as the isotopic effect of the increased river input exceeds the isotopic effect of the burial of the reduced species. In either case, the net result would be a decrease in atmospheric p O2 . (orig.)

  7. ESR Studies and Dating of Egyptian Gypsum at Ras Mala'ab, Sinai, Egypt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdel-Monem, A. A.; Abdei-Razek, Y. A.; Rasheed, N. M.; Hassan, G.M.; Eissa, H.M.; El-Morsy, M.

    2007-01-01

    A gypsum sample from the famous gypsum-anhydrite evaporitic deposit composing the Ras Mala'ab Formation, Upper Miocene, occurring at Ras Mala'ab, on the east coast of the Gulf of Suez, was subjected to (ESR) dosimetric studies. Also, (ESR) was used to date the formation or most recent recrystallization of that gypsum. The gypsum derivative (ESR) spectrum is characterized by the large broad Fe 2+ signal (g=2.50) and HF-sixtet Mn 2+ signals. Only the characteristic gypsum signal (G l, g=2.0040) was detected between the third and fourth lines of the HF-Mn 2+ which is attributed to the electron-center SO 3 - . This signal was sensitive to artificial γ-irradiation and showed significant enhancement using a γ-dose of 550 Gy. Also, the signal was very stable up to 400 o C. The gypsum sample with a total dose (TD) of 1500 Gy, determined graphically by extrapolating the linear relationship between defect concentration and the artificial γ-doses for (G l, g=2.0040) and an annual dose (D) due to cosmic rays (0.3 mGy), yielded an age of 5.00 Ma. This could mean the age of formation or latest recrystallization of this gypsum deposit. The geologic age assignment of the Ras Mala'ab Group including the evaporitic gypsum unit, is Middle to Late Miocene. It is directly overlain by the Pliocene elastics at the locality of Ras Mala'ab. This might suggest that these evaporitic gypsum facies represent the top of the Miocene in the Gulf of Suez area, since the Miocene-Pliocene boundary is now put at 5.00-5.50 Ma ago. Therefore, the ESR age of the Ras Mala'ab gypsum is consistent with the geologic age assignment

  8. UNAM Scientific Drilling Program of Chicxulub Impact Structure-Evidence for a 300 kilometer crater diameter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Urrutia-Fucugauchi, J.; Marin, L.; Trejo-Garcia, A.

    As part of the UNAM drilling program at the Chicxulub structure, two 700 m deep continuously cored boreholes were completed between April and July, 1995. The Peto UNAM-6 and Tekax UNAM-7 drilling sites are ˜150 km and 125 km, respectively, SSE of Chicxulub Puerto, near the crater's center. Core samples from both sites show a sequence of post-crater carbonates on top of a thick impact breccia pile covering the disturbed Mesozoic platform rocks. At UNAM-7, two impact breccia units were encountered: (1) an upper breccia, mean magnetic susceptibility is high (˜55 × 10-6 SI units), indicating a large component of silicate basement has been incorporated into this breccia, and (2) an evaporite-rich, low susceptibility impact breccia similar in character to the evaporite-rich breccias observed at the PEMEX drill sites further out. The upper breccia was encountered at ˜226 m below the surface and is ˜125 m thick; the lower breccia is immediately subjacent and is >240 m thick. This two-breccia sequence is typical of the suevite-Bunte breccia sequence found within other well preserved impact craters. The suevitic upper unit is not present at UNAM-6. Instead, a >240 m thick evaporite-rich breccia unit, similar to the lower breccia at UNAM-7, was encountered at a depth of ˜280 m. The absence of an upper breccia equivalent at UNAM-6 suggests some portion of the breccia sequence has been removed by erosion. This is consistent with interpretations that place the high-standing crater rim at 130-150 km from the center. Consequently, the stratigraphic observations and magnetic susceptibiity records on the upper and lower breccias (depth and thickness) support a ˜300 km diameter crater model.

  9. Audio-magnetotelluric surveys to constrain the origin of a network of narrow synclines in Eocene limestone, Western Desert, Egypt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarabees, Elhamy A.; Tewksbury, Barbara J.; Mehrtens, Charlotte J.; Younis, Abdellatif

    2017-12-01

    Recent work with high resolution satellite imagery has revealed a network of narrow synclines developed during the Oligocene or Miocene over tens of thousands of square kilometers in Eocene limestone of the Thebes Group in the Western Desert of Egypt. The synclines are non-tectonic, and their scale and geometry strongly resemble sag synclines in Qatar that were produced by dissolution of subsurface evaporites and resulting sag of overlying layers. Evaporite dissolution cannot explain the Egypt synclines, because subsurface evaporites of any significance have never been reported in this part of Egypt. In this study, we use audio-magnetotelluric surveys to illuminate the subsurface under the synclines in order to constrain possible models for their formation. We suspected karst dissolution at depth, and, given a modern water table depth of over 400 m, we expected that dry fracture networks and void spaces under the synclines might result in higher electrical resistivities than surrounding coherent limestone. We also anticipated a significant change from high to low resistivity at the contact between the Thebes Group and the underlying Esna Shale at depths of 400 m or more. Instead, we found localized low resistivity zones extending from about 50-100 m below the surface to depths of more than 400 m that are strongly correlated with synclines. We suggest that these localized low resistivity zones are filled with artesian groundwater that has insufficient hydraulic head to rise to the modern topographic surface and that is localized in subsurface voids and collapse breccias produced by dissolution. Sag of overlying limestone layers is a reasonable model for syncline formation but, given the Oligocene/Miocene age of the synclines, dissolution and sag would be unrelated to young groundwater processes.

  10. SPATIALLY RESOLVED SPECTROSCOPY OF EUROPA: THE DISTINCT SPECTRUM OF LARGE-SCALE CHAOS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fischer, P. D.; Brown, M. E.; Hand, K. P.

    2015-01-01

    We present a comprehensive analysis of spatially resolved moderate spectral resolution near-infrared spectra obtained with the adaptive optics system at the Keck Observatory. We identify three compositionally distinct end member regions: the trailing hemisphere bullseye, the leading hemisphere upper latitudes, and a third component associated with leading hemisphere chaos units. We interpret the composition of the three end member regions to be dominated by irradiation products, water ice, and evaporite deposits or salt brines, respectively. The third component is associated with geological features and distinct from the geography of irradiation, suggesting an endogenous identity. Identifying the endogenous composition is of particular interest for revealing the subsurface composition. However, its spectrum is not consistent with linear mixtures of the salt minerals previously considered relevant to Europa. The spectrum of this component is distinguished by distorted hydration features rather than distinct spectral features, indicating hydrated minerals but making unique identification difficult. In particular, it lacks features common to hydrated sulfate minerals, challenging the traditional view of an endogenous salty component dominated by Mg-sulfates. Chloride evaporite deposits are one possible alternative

  11. GLAUBERITE-HALITE ASSOCIATION IN BOZKIR FORMATION (PLİOCENE, ÇANKIRI-ÇORUM BASİN, CENTRAL ANATOLİA, TURKEY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    İLHAN SÖNMEZ

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Tertiary Çankırı – Çorum Basin is one of the biggest basin covering evaporitic formationsin the Central Anatolia. During borehole drills carried out in Bozkır Formation whichcontain Pliocene aged evaporites in the basin, a thick rocksalt (halite, NaCl deposit wasdetected that consisting of glauberite (Na2Ca(SO42 interlayers (sabhka synchronouswith sedimentation. Rocksalt bearing layers in Bozkır formation which was deposited inplaya-lake – sabhka environment, where seasonal changes are effective, were first definedas Tuz member in this study. Bozkır formation was divided into three zones in drillingscarried out in sabhka – playa -lake transitional environment. From bottom to top, these areordered as claystone-less anhydrite zone, rock salt-claystone-anhydrite-glauberite zone(Tuz member and claystone-gypsum-less anhydrite zone. Rocksalt was cut in thicknessesreaching 115 meters within Tuz member. Rocksalt (playa-lake which is mostly bedded andwhite, pale/dark gray colored is conformable with sedimentation and is low dipping. The1. Girifl

  12. Source of Lake Vostok Cations Constrained with Strontium Isotopes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    William Berry Lyons

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Lake Vostok is the largest sub-glacial lake in Antarctica. The primary source of our current knowledge regarding the geochemistry and biology of the lake comes from the analysis of refrozen lake water associated with ice core drilling. Several sources of dissolved ions and particulate matter to the lake have been proposed, including materials from the melted glacier ice, the weathering of underlying geological materials, hydrothermal activity and underlying, ancient evaporitic deposits. A sample of Lake Vostok Type 1 accretion ice has been analyzed for its 87Sr/86Sr signature as well as its major cation and anion and Sr concentrations. The strontium isotope ratio of 0.71655 and the Ca/Sr ratio in the sample strongly indicate that the major source of the Sr is from aluminosilicate minerals from the continental crust. These data imply that at least a portion of the other cations in the Type 1 ice also are derived from continental crustal materials and not hydrothermal activity, the melted glacier ice, or evaporitic sources.

  13. SPATIALLY RESOLVED SPECTROSCOPY OF EUROPA: THE DISTINCT SPECTRUM OF LARGE-SCALE CHAOS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fischer, P. D.; Brown, M. E. [Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Hand, K. P., E-mail: pfischer@caltech.edu [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States)

    2015-11-15

    We present a comprehensive analysis of spatially resolved moderate spectral resolution near-infrared spectra obtained with the adaptive optics system at the Keck Observatory. We identify three compositionally distinct end member regions: the trailing hemisphere bullseye, the leading hemisphere upper latitudes, and a third component associated with leading hemisphere chaos units. We interpret the composition of the three end member regions to be dominated by irradiation products, water ice, and evaporite deposits or salt brines, respectively. The third component is associated with geological features and distinct from the geography of irradiation, suggesting an endogenous identity. Identifying the endogenous composition is of particular interest for revealing the subsurface composition. However, its spectrum is not consistent with linear mixtures of the salt minerals previously considered relevant to Europa. The spectrum of this component is distinguished by distorted hydration features rather than distinct spectral features, indicating hydrated minerals but making unique identification difficult. In particular, it lacks features common to hydrated sulfate minerals, challenging the traditional view of an endogenous salty component dominated by Mg-sulfates. Chloride evaporite deposits are one possible alternative.

  14. Contemporaneous deposition of phyllosilicates and sulfates: Using Australian acidic saline lake deposits to describe geochemical variability on Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baldridge, A.M.; Hook, S.J.; Crowley, J.K.; Marion, G.M.; Kargel, J.S.; Michalski, J.L.; Thomson, B.J.; de Souza, Filho C.R.; Bridges, N.T.; Brown, A.J.

    2009-01-01

    Studies of the origin of the Martian sulfate and phyllosilicate deposits have led to the hypothesis that there was a marked, global-scale change in the Mars environment from circum-neutral pH aqueous alteration in the Noachian to an acidic evaporitic system in the late Noachian to Hesperian. However, terrestrial studies suggest that two different geochemical systems need not be invoked to explain such geochemical variation.Western Australian acidic playa lakes have large pH differences separated vertically and laterally by only a few tens of meters, demonstrating how highly variable chemistries can coexist over short distances in natural environments. We suggest diverse and variable Martian aqueous environments where the coetaneous formation of phyllosilicates and sulfates at the Australian sites are analogs for regions where phyllosilicates and sulfates coexist on Mars. In these systems, Fe and alkali earth phyllosilicates represent deep facies associated with upwelling neutral to alkaline groundwater, whereas aluminous phyllosilicates and sulfates represent near-surface evaporitic facies formed from more acidic brines. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

  15. Geophysical Well-Log Measurements in Three Drill Holes at Salt Valley, Utah

    OpenAIRE

    Daniels, Jeffrey J.; Hite, Robert J.; Scott, James H.; U.S. Geological Survey

    1980-01-01

    Three exploratory drill holes were drilled at Salt Valley, Utah, to study the geologic, physical, geochemical, and hydrologic properties of the evaporite sequence in the Permian Paradox Member of the Hermosa Formation. The results of these studies will be used to help to determine the suitability of salt deposits in the Paradox basin as a storage medium for radioactive waste material.

  16. Cost Effective, Ultra Sensitive Groundwater Monitoring for Site Remediation and Management

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-05-01

    evaporites, sandstone, gravel, conglomerate, and andesitic basalt . Closed basin; playa, alluvial fan, fluvial 600 to 10,000+ Unconfined, leaky...confined Lower unit Breccia, conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, and local basaltic to rhyolitic flows and pyroclastic rocks. Alluvial fan, fluvial...with large volumes of groundwater. Three of the cartridges additionally protected by glass fiber filters (Acrodisc AP-4523; Pall GmbH, Dreieich, GE

  17. Map Showing Geology and Hydrostratigraphy of the Edwards Aquifer Catchment Area, Northern Bexar County, South-Central Texas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Amy R.; Blome, Charles D.; Faith, Jason R.

    2009-01-01

    Rock units forming the Edwards and Trinity aquifers in northern Bexar County, Texas, are exposed within all or parts of seven 7.5-minute quadrangles: Bulverde, Camp Bullis, Castle Hills, Helotes, Jack Mountain, San Geronimo, and Van Raub. The Edwards aquifer is the most prolific ground-water source in Bexar County, whereas the Trinity aquifer supplies water for residential, commercial, and industrial uses for areas north of the San Antonio. The geologic map of northern Bexar County shows the distribution of informal hydrostratigraphic members of the Edwards Group and the underlying upper member of the Glen Rose Limestone. Exposures of the Glen Rose Limestone, which forms the Trinity aquifer alone, cover approximately 467 km2 in the county. This study also describes and names five informal hydrostratigraphic members that constitute the upper member of the Glen Rose Limestone; these include, in descending order, the Caverness, Camp Bullis, Upper evaporite, Fossiliferous, and Lower evaporite members. This study improves our understanding of the hydrogeologic connection between the two aquifers as it describes the geology that controls the infiltration of surface water and subsurface flow of ground water from the catchment area (outcropping Trinity aquifer rocks) to the Edwards water-bearing exposures.

  18. Temporal variability and annual budget of inorganic dissolved matter in Andean Pacific Rivers located along a climate gradient from northern Ecuador to southern Peru

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moquet, Jean-Sébastien; Guyot, Jean-Loup; Morera, Sergio; Crave, Alain; Rau, Pedro; Vauchel, Philippe; Lagane, Christelle; Sondag, Francis; Lavado, Casimiro Waldo; Pombosa, Rodrigo; Martinez, Jean-Michel

    2018-01-01

    In Ecuador and Peru, geochemical information from Pacific coastal rivers is limited and scarce. Here, we present an unedited database of major element concentrations from five HYBAM observatory stations monitored monthly between 4 and 10 years, and the discrete sampling of 23 Andean rivers distributed along the climate gradient of the Ecuadorian and Peruvian Pacific coasts. Concentration (C) vs. discharge (Q) relationships of the five monitored basins exhibit a clear dilution behavior for evaporites and/or pyrite solutes, while the solute concentrations delivered by other endmembers are less variable. Spatially, the annual specific fluxes for total dissolved solids (TDS), Ca2+, HCO3-, K+, Mg2+, and SiO2 are controlled on the first order by runoff variability, while Cl-, Na+ and SO42- are controlled by the occurrence of evaporites and/or pyrite. The entire Pacific basin in Ecuador and Peru exported 30 Mt TDS·yr-1, according to a specific flux of ∼70 t·km-2·yr-1. This show that, even under low rainfall conditions, this orogenic context is more active, in terms of solute production, than the global average.

  19. Nutrient Stoichiometry Shapes Microbial Community Structure in an Evaporitic Shallow Pond

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zarraz M.-P. Lee

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Nutrient availability and ratios can play an important role in shaping microbial communities of freshwater ecosystems. The Cuatro Ciénegas Basin (CCB in Mexico is a desert oasis where, perhaps paradoxically, high microbial diversity coincides with extreme oligotrophy. To better understand the effects of nutrients on microbial communities in CCB, a mesocosm experiment was implemented in a stoichiometrically imbalanced pond, Lagunita, which has an average TN:TP ratio of 122 (atomic. The experiment had four treatments, each with five spatial replicates – unamended controls and three fertilization treatments with different nitrogen:phosphorus (N:P regimes (P only, N:P = 16 and N:P = 75 by atoms. In the water column, quantitative PCR of the 16S rRNA gene indicated that P enrichment alone favored proliferation of bacterial taxa with high rRNA gene copy number, consistent with a previously hypothesized but untested connection between rRNA gene copy number and P requirement. Bacterial and microbial eukaryotic community structure was investigated by pyrosequencing of 16S and 18S rRNA genes from the planktonic and surficial sediment samples. Nutrient enrichment shifted the composition of the planktonic community in a treatment-specific manner and promoted the growth of previously rare bacterial taxa at the expense of the more abundant, potentially endemic, taxa. The eukaryotic community was highly enriched with phototrophic populations in the fertilized treatment. The sediment microbial community exhibited high beta diversity among replicates within treatments, which obscured any changes due to fertilization. Overall, these results showed that nutrient stoichiometry can be an important factor in shaping microbial community structure.

  20. Characterization of samples of a cement-borehole plug in bedded evaporites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scheetz, B.E.; Grutzeck, M.W.; Wakeley, L.D.; Roy, D.M.

    1979-07-01

    This report describes the laboratory characterization of a section of an eighteen-year-old cement-based plug emplaced to seal a four-inch (ten-centimeter) borehole in the Salado Formation near Carlsbad, NM. The dominantly halite salt strata contain a horizon rich in potassium-bearing minerals such as langbeinite, in the plug region. Other host rock minerals identified include illite, kainite, magnesite, syngenite and polyhalite. Identified in the plug were: the cement phase calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H having an intermediate degree of crystallinity), Friedel's salt, halite, sylvite and portlandite. The plug, though intact, unfractured on a macroscale, and forming an adequate physical bond with the salt formation, was weak and permeable relative to the surrounding bedded salt. Characterization of the plug and rock was carried out by a combination of measurements: compressive strength, permeability, density and porosity, thermal measurements (DTA, TGA), x-ray diffractometry, SEM and optical (including thin section) microscopy, and energy-dispersive x-ray analysis for chemical composition

  1. Sulphur and oxygen isotopic compositions of groundwater and sabkha - sulphate in the Middle East

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Robinson, B.W.

    1987-01-01

    The climate and topography of landward margins around the southern Mediterranean and the Arabian Gulf have given rise to areas of recent evaporite formation known as 'sabkhas'. These supratidal evaporitic flats have developed as a result of a relative fall in sea level after the last marine transgression (about 4000 years B.P.) which deposited carbonate sediments over coastal areas. Inland sabkhas may also develop in low lying areas and the desert 'soils' often have a 'getch' (duricrust) layer of gypsum or calcite near the surface. Published sulphur isotope studies of the sabkhas in the Gulf of Sirte (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya), Al Khiran (Kuwait) and Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) indicate a sea water influence (δ 34 S ≅ +21 per mille; δ 18 O ≅ +10 per mille) only in the outer sabkha. At Al Khiran, Gulf of Sirte and Bardawil (Egypt) the δ 34 S values decrease to +14 per mille on the landward side. Continental sabkhas in the United Arab Emirates have δ 34 S values between +13 and +16 per mille and the continental getch in Kuwait has δ 34 S=+15.6 per mille. Sulphate minerals from the Al Khiran sabkha have δ 34 S and δ 18 O values up to +17 and +16 per mille respectively, much lower than at Abu Dhabi, where sea water sulphate and bacterial activity are more prevalent. At Al Khiran the δ 34 S mineral values drop to +12 per mille and the spread is connected with mineral transformations. In the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and the United Arab Emirates the continental sulphate was thought to be derived from Cretaceous sediments. However, in Kuwait, an aquiclude, the Rus Formation (L. Eocene), prevents older water and sulphate from entering the sabkhas. This widespread sulphate source with δ 34 S=+14 per mille may be derived from continental getch and surface evaporites which are transported and homogenized by dust storms. (author). 10 refs, 4 figs

  2. Hygroscopic salts and the potential for life on Mars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davila, Alfonso F; Duport, Luis Gago; Melchiorri, Riccardo; Jänchen, Jochen; Valea, Sergio; de Los Rios, Asunción; Fairén, Alberto G; Möhlmann, Diedrich; McKay, Christopher P; Ascaso, Carmen; Wierzchos, Jacek

    2010-01-01

    Hygroscopic salts have been detected in soils in the northern latitudes of Mars, and widespread chloride-bearing evaporitic deposits have been detected in the southern highlands. The deliquescence of hygroscopic minerals such as chloride salts could provide a local and transient source of liquid water that would be available for microorganisms on the surface. This is known to occur in the Atacama Desert, where massive halite evaporites have become a habitat for photosynthetic and heterotrophic microorganisms that take advantage of the deliquescence of the salt at certain relative humidity (RH) levels. We modeled the climate conditions (RH and temperature) in a region on Mars with chloride-bearing evaporites, and modeled the evolution of the water activity (a(w)) of the deliquescence solutions of three possible chloride salts (sodium chloride, calcium chloride, and magnesium chloride) as a function of temperature. We also studied the water absorption properties of the same salts as a function of RH. Our climate model results show that the RH in the region with chloride-bearing deposits on Mars often reaches the deliquescence points of all three salts, and the temperature reaches levels above their eutectic points seasonally, in the course of a martian year. The a(w) of the deliquescence solutions increases with decreasing temperature due mainly to the precipitation of unstable phases, which removes ions from the solution. The deliquescence of sodium chloride results in transient solutions with a(w) compatible with growth of terrestrial microorganisms down to 252 K, whereas for calcium chloride and magnesium chloride it results in solutions with a(w) below the known limits for growth at all temperatures. However, taking the limits of a(w) used to define special regions on Mars, the deliquescence of calcium chloride deposits would allow for the propagation of terrestrial microorganisms at temperatures between 265 and 253 K, and for metabolic activity (no growth) at

  3. The Collyhurst Sandstone as a secondary storage unit for CCS in the East Irish Sea Basin (UK)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gamboa, D.; Williams, J. D. O.; Kirk, K.; Gent, C. M. A.; Bentham, M.; Schofield, D. I.

    2016-12-01

    Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is key technology for low-carbon energy and industry. The UK hosts a large CO2 storage potential offshore with an estimated capacity of 78 Gt. The East Irish Sea Basin (EISB) is the key area for CCS in the western UK, with a CO2 storage potential of 1.7 Gt in hydrocarbon fields and in saline aquifers within the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Formation. However, this theoretical storage capacity does not consider the secondary storage potential in the lower Permian Collyhurst Sandstone Formation. 3D seismic data were used to characterise the Collyhurst Sandstone Formation in the EISB. On the southern basin domain, numerous fault-bound blocks limit the lateral continuity of the sandstone strata, while on the northern domain the sandstones are intersected by less faults. The caprock for the Collyhurst sandstones is variable. The Manchester Marls predominate in the south, transitioning to the St. Bees evaporites towards the north. The evaporites in the EISB cause overburden faults to terminate or detach along Upper Permian strata, limiting the deformation of the underlying reservoir units. Five main storage closures have been identified in the Permian strata. In the southern and central area these are predominantly fault bounded, occurring at depths over 1000m. Despite the higher Collyhurst sandstone thickness in the southern IESB, the dolomitic nature of the caprock constitutes a storage risk in this area. Closures in the northern area are deeper (around 2000-2500m) and wider, reaching areas of 34Km2, and are overlain by evaporitic caprocks. The larger Collyhurst closures to the north underlie large Triassic fields with high storage potential. The spatial overlap favours storage plans including secondary storage units in the EISB. The results of this work also expand the understanding of prospective areas for CO2 sequestration in the East Irish Sea Basin in locations where the primary Sherwood Sandstone Formation is either too shallow

  4. Reconstruction of a saline, lacustrine carbonate system (Priabonian, St-Chaptes Basin, SE France): Depositional models, paleogeographic and paleoclimatic implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lettéron, Alexandre; Hamon, Youri; Fournier, François; Séranne, Michel; Pellenard, Pierre; Joseph, Philippe

    2018-05-01

    A 220-m thick carbonate-dominated succession has been deposited in shallow-water, saline lake environments during the early to middle Priabonian (MP17A-MP18 mammal zones) in the Saint-Chaptes Basin (south-east France). The palaeoenvironmental, paleoclimatic and palaeogeographic significance of such saline lake carbonates has been deciphered on the basis of a multi-proxy analyses including: 1) depositional and diagenetic features; 2) biological components (molluscs, benthic foraminifera, characean gyrogonites, spores and pollens); 3) carbon and oxygen stable isotopes; 4) trace elements; and 5) clay mineralogy. Five stages of lacustrine system evolution have been identified: 1) fresh-water closed lake under dry climate (unit U1); 2) fresh to brackish water lacustrine deltaic system with a mixed carbonate-siliciclastic sedimentation under relatively wet climatic conditions (unit U2); 3) salt-water lacustrine carbonate system under humid climatic setting (unit U3); 4) evaporitic lake (unit U4); and 5) closed lake with shallow-water carbonate sedimentation under subtropical to Mediterranean climate with dry seasons (unit U5). Upper Eocene aridification is evidenced to have started as early as the earliest Priabonian (unit U1: MP17A mammal zone). A change from humid to dryer climatic conditions is recorded between units U3 and U4. The early to middle Priabonian saline lake is interpreted as an athalassic (inland) lake that have been transiently connected with neighboring salt lakes influenced by seawater and/or fed with sulfates deriving from recycling of evaporites. Maximum of connection with neighboring saline lakes (Mormoiron Basin, Camargue and Central grabens, Hérault Basin) likely occurred during unit U3 and at the base of unit U5. The most likely sources of salts of these adjacent basins are: 1) Triassic evaporites derived from salt-diapirs (Rhône valley) or from paleo-outcrops located east of the Durance fault or offshore in the Gulf of Lion; or 2) marine

  5. Tracing groundwater salinization processes in coastal aquifers: a hydrogeochemical and isotopic approach in Na-Cl brackish waters of north-western Sardinia, Italy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mongelli, G.; Monni, S.; Oggiano, G.; Paternoster, M.; Sinisi, R.

    2013-01-01

    In the Mediterranean area the demand of good quality water is often threatened by salinization, especially in coastal areas. The salinization is the result of concomitant processes due to both marine water intrusion and rock-water interaction, which in some cases are hardly distinguishable. In northwestern Sardinia, in the Nurra area, salinization due to marine water intrusion has been recently evidenced as consequence of bore hole exploitation. However, the geology of the Nurra records a long history from Paleozoic to Quaternary, resulting in relative structural complexity and in a wide variety of lithologies, including Triassic evaporites. To elucidate the origin of the saline component in the Nurra aquifer, may furnish a useful and more general model for the salinization processes in the Mediterranean area, where the occurrence of evaporitic rocks in coastal aquifers is a common feature. In addition, due to intensive human activities and recent climatic changes, the Nurra has become vulnerable to desertification and, similarly to other Mediterranean islands, surface-water resources can periodically suffer from drastic shortage. With this in mind we report new data, regarding brackish waters of Na-Cl type of the Nurra, including major ions and selected trace elements (B, Br, I and Sr) and isotopic data, including δ18O, δD in water, and δ34S and δ18O in dissolved sulphate. To better depict the origin of the salinity we also analyzed a set of Nurra Triassic evaporites for mineralogical and isotopic composition. The brackish waters have Cl contents up to 2025 mg L-1 and the ratios between dissolved ions and chlorine, with the exception of the Br/Cl ratio, are not those expected on the basis of a simple mixing between rain water and seawater. The δ18O and δD data indicate that most of the waters are within the Regional Meteoric Water Line and the Global Meteoric Water Line supporting the idea that they are meteoric in origin. A relevant consequence of the

  6. The stratigraphic record of Khawr Al Maqta, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lokier, S. W.; Herrmann, S.

    2012-04-01

    Well-constrained modern depositional analogues are vital to the development of accurate geological reservoir models. The development of realistic hydrocarbon reservoir models requires the application of high-precision, well-constrained outcrop and sub-surface data sets with accurately-documented facies geometries and depositional sequence architectures. The Abu Dhabi coastline provides the best modern analogue for the study of ramp-style carbonate depositional facies akin to those observed in the sub-surface reservoirs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). However, all previous studies have relied on temporally limited surface datasets. This study employed thirty five shallow subsurface cores spanning the width of the Khawr Al Maqta - the narrow shallow tidal channel that separates Abu Dhabi Island from the mainland. The cores were taken over a transect measuring 1.2 km in length by 50 m wide thus providing a high-resolution record of sub-surface facies geometries in a stratigraphically complex setting. Geometries in these Pleistocene to Holocene facies are complex with interdigitating, laterally heterogeneous carbonate, siliciclastic and evaporite units represented throughout the area of the study. Carbonate facies range from molluscan rudstones to marls and are all indicative of deposition in a shallow, relatively low energy marine setting akin to that seen in the environs of Abu Dhabi Island today. Texturally mature quartz sands occur as thin lenses and as thin cross bedded or laminated horizons up to twenty five centimetres thick. Glauconitic mudstones are common and locally exhibit evidence of rootlets and desiccation cracks. Evaporites are present in the form of gypsum occurring as isolated crystals and nodules or as massive chicken-wire units in excess of three metres thick. All of these textures are consistent with evaporite development in the shallow subsurface. Early, shallow-burial diagenesis has been important. Bioclasts are pervasively leached throughout

  7. Annual review of earth and planetary sciences. Volume 8

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Donath, F.A.; Stehli, F.G.; Wetherill, G.W.

    1980-01-01

    Papers are presented on the geochemistry of evaporitic lacustrine deposits, the deformation of mantle rocks, the dynamics of sudden stratospheric warmings, the equatorial undercurrent, geomorphological processes on planetary surfaces, and rare earth elements in petrogenetic studies of igneous systems. Consideration is also given to evolutionary patterns in early Cenozoic animals, the origin and evolution of planetary atmospheres, the moons of Mars, and refractory inclusions in the Allende meteorite

  8. Determination of nickel in chloralkali electrolysis brines by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry on a membrane filter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrade, L.L.; Minzl, E.

    1984-01-01

    X-ray fluorescence spectrometry after ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (APDC) preconcentration is proposed for the determination of nickel in chloralkali electrolysis brines. The optimum conditions for the precipitation target tube, peak intensity, background, analysing crystal, counters and exposure time were investigated. The method was applied to chloralkali brines of evaporite salts (halite, sylvinite, carnallite and tachhydrite), sodium, potassium and magnesium salts, explored in Sergipe (Brazil), by Petrobras-Mineracao S.A.(Author) [pt

  9. Re-evaluation of salt deposits. BGR investigates subhorizontally-bedded salt layers; Salzvorkommen neu bewertet. BGR untersucht flach lagernde salinare Schichten

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hammer, Joerg [Bundesanstalt fuer Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, Hannover (Germany). Fachbereich ' ' Geologisch-geotechnische Erkundung' ' ; Fahland, Sandra [Bundesanstalt fuer Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, Hannover (Germany). Fachberech ' ' Geotechnische Sicherheitsnachweise' '

    2016-05-15

    The search for a site for a repository for high-level radioactive waste was restarted in 2013. All of the potential host rocks existing in Germany must be re-evaluated and compared as a result. The list now also includes so-called ''subhorizontally-bedded evaporite formations''. BGR is analysing today's knowledge base on these salt deposits as part of the BASAL project.

  10. Natural gas and condensate occurrence in salt, specifically in the salt stock Gorleben-Rambow. Literature study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schneider, Ulrich

    2011-01-01

    The study on the natural gas and condensate occurrence in salt, specifically in the salt stock Gorleben-Rambow covers the topics development of salt deposits, salt stocks, crude oil and natural gas, gas and condensate inclusions in evaporite. Experimental data on crude oil borehole studies in Gorleben, natural gas drill holes in the salt stock Rambow, Luechow Z1 - saltstock Wustrow, gas indications, gas occurrences and gas detection are summarized.

  11. Reinterpretation of Halokinetic Features in the Ancestral Rocky Mountains Paradox Salt Basin, Utah and Colorado

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, J. A.; Giles, K. A.; Rowan, M. G.; Hearon, T. E., IV

    2016-12-01

    The Paradox Basin in southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado is a foreland basin formed in response to flexural loading by the Pennsylvanian-aged Uncompaghre uplift during the Ancestral Rocky Mountain orogen. Thick sequences of evaporites (Paradox Formation) were deposited within the foreland basin, which interfinger with clastic sediments in the foredeep and carbonates around the basin margin. Differential loading of the Pennsylvanian-Jurassic sediments onto the evaporites drove synsedimentary halokinesis, creating a series of salt walls and adjacent minibasins within the larger foreland basin. The growing salt walls within the basin influenced patterns of sediment deposition from the Pennsylvanian through the Cretaceous. By integrating previously published mapping with recent field observations, mapping, and subsurface interpretations of well logs and 2D seismic lines, we present interpretations of the timing, geometry, and nature of halokinesis within the Paradox Basin, which record the complex salt tectonic history in the basin. Furthermore, we present recent work on the relationships between the local passive salt history and the formation of syndepositional counter-regional extensional fault systems within the foreland. These results will be integrated into a new regional salt-tectonic and stratigraphic framework of the Paradox Basin, and have broader implications for interpreting sedimentary records in other basins with a mobile substrate.

  12. Implications of diapir-derived detritus and gypsic paleosols in Lower Triassic strata near the Castle Valley salt wall, Paradox Basin, Utah

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawton, Timothy F.; Buck, Brenda J.

    2006-10-01

    Gypsum-bearing growth strata and sedimentary facies of the Moenkopi Formation on the crest and NE flank of the Castle Valley salt wall in the Paradox Basin record salt rise, evaporite exposure, and salt-withdrawal subsidence during the Early Triassic. Detrital gypsum and dolomite clasts derived from the middle Pennsylvanian Paradox Formation were deposited in strata within a few kilometers of the salt wall and indicate that salt rise rates roughly balanced sediment accumulation, resulting in long-term exposure of mobile evaporite. Deposition took place primarily in flood-basin or inland sabkha settings that alternated between shallow subaqueous and subaerial conditions in a hyperarid climate. Matrix-supported and clast-supported conglomerates with gypsum fragments represent debris-flow deposits and reworked debris-flow deposits, respectively, interbedded with flood-basin sandstone and siltstone during development of diapiric topography. Mudstone-rich flood-basin deposits with numerous stage I to III gypsic paleosols capped by eolian gypsum sand sheets accumulated during waning salt-withdrawal subsidence. Association of detrital gypsum, eolian gypsum, and gypsic paleosols suggests that the salt wall provided a common source for gypsum in the surrounding strata. This study documents a previously unrecognized salt weld with associated growth strata containing diapir-derived detritus and gypsic palesols that can be used to interpret halokinesis.

  13. Detection of Biosignatures by Geomatrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (GALDI) Mass Spectrometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jill R. Scott; Beizhan Yan; Daphne L. Stoner; J. Michelle Kotler; Nancy W. Hinman

    2007-04-01

    Identification of mineral-associated biosignatures is of significance for retrieving biochemical information from geological records here on Earth and detecting signs of life on other planets, such as Mars. The importance of the geomatrix for identifying amino acids (e.g., histidine, threonine, and cysteine) and small proteins (e.g., gramicidin S) was investigated by laser desorption Fourier transform mass spectrometry. The investigated geomatrices include analogues of Fe-bearing minerals such as hematite and Na-bearing evaporites (e.g., halite). Samples were prepared by two methods: 1) application of analyte to the geomatrix surface and 2) production of homogenous analyte:geomatrix mixtures. Comparison of the two sample preparation methods revealed that the mixing method produces a better signal/noise ratio than surface application for the analyses of amino acids. The composition of the geomatrix has a profound influence on the detection of biomolecules. Peaks corresponding to the cation-attached biomolecular ions were observed for the Na-bearing evaporite analogue. No detectable peaks for the biomolecular ion species were observed when the biomolecules were associated with Fe-bearing minerals. Instead, only minor peaks were observed that may correspond to ions from fragments of the biomolecules. Depending on the underlying mineral composition, geomatrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization shows promise for directly identifying biosignatures associated with minerals.

  14. Interpreting Fracture Patterns in Sandstones Interbedded with Ductile Strata at the Salt Valley Anticline, Arches National Park, Utah

    OpenAIRE

    Lorenz, John C.; Cooper, Scott P.

    2001-01-01

    Sandstones that overlie or that are interbedded with evaporitic or other ductile strata commonly contain numerous localized domains of fractures, each covering an area of a few square miles. Fractures within the Entrada Sandstone at the Salt Valley Anticline are associated with salt mobility within the underlying Paradox Formation. The fracture relationships observed at Salt Valley (along with examples from Paleozoic strata at the southern edge of the Holbrook basin in northeastern Arizona, a...

  15. Contributions of an ancient evaporitic-type reservoir to subglacial Lake Vostok chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Angelis, M.; Petit, J.-R.; Savarino, J.; Souchez, R.; Thiemens, M. H.

    2004-06-01

    We present here the first comprehensive study of the chemical composition of accretion ice from Lake Vostok. Ion chromatographic analyses were performed on samples obtained along the deeper part of the Vostok ice core. Samples were taken from 3350 down to 3611 m depth, both in glacier ice and subglacial lake ice. The total ionic contents of two accretion ice layers—a few meters thick and centered around 3540 and 3590 m depth—are several times lower than those of glacier ice. Very low concentrations were also observed in the deeper part of accretion ice, below 3609 m depth. Elsewhere, the total ionic content is variable but remains 5 to 50 times higher than in glacier ice. Whatever its total ionic content, the ionic composition of accretion ice is significantly different from what is observed in glacier ice. It is dominated by sodium chloride, homogeneously distributed throughout the ice lattice, as well as calcium and magnesium sulfate, likely located in solid inclusions, or to a lesser extent at grain boundaries. Chemical considerations combined with additional studies of sulfur and oxygen isotopes in sulfate, and iron measurements strongly suggest that glacier water recycling and bedrock hydrolysis do not play a prominent role in providing impurities to accretion ice. It is more likely that NaCl rich water carrying fine sulfate salt particles is sporadically incorporated in the ice accreting in a shallow bay upstream from Vostok. The origin of such salty water, which should also contribute to Lake salinity, is discussed.

  16. Tracing groundwater salinization processes in coastal aquifers: a hydrogeochemical and isotopic approach in the Na-Cl brackish waters of northwestern Sardinia, Italy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Mongelli

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Throughout the Mediterranean, salinization threatens water quality, especially in coastal areas. This salinization is the result of concomitant processes related to both seawater intrusion and water–rock interaction, which in some cases are virtually indistinguishable. In the Nurra region of northwestern Sardinia, recent salinization related to marine water intrusion has been caused by aquifer exploitation. However, the geology of this region records a long history from the Palaeozoic to the Quaternary, and is structurally complex and comprises a wide variety of lithologies, including Triassic evaporites. Determining the origin of the saline component of the Jurassic and Triassic aquifers in the Nurra region may provide a useful and more general model for salinization processes in the Mediterranean area, where the occurrence of evaporitic rocks in coastal aquifers is a common feature. In addition, due to intensive human activity and recent climatic change, the Nurra has become vulnerable to desertification and, in common with other Mediterranean islands, surface water resources periodically suffer from severe shortages. With this in mind, we report new data regarding brackish and surface waters (outcrop and lake samples of the Na-Cl type from the Nurra region, including major ions and selected trace elements (B, Br, I, and Sr, in addition to isotopic data including δ18O, δD in water, and δ34S and δ18O in dissolved SO4. To identify the origin of the salinity more precisely, we also analysed the mineralogical and isotopic composition of Triassic evaporites. The brackish waters have Cl contents of up to 2025 mg L−1 , and the ratios between dissolved ions and Cl, with the exception of the Br / Cl ratio, are not those expected on the basis of simple mixing between rainwater and seawater. The δ18O and δD data indicate that most of the waters fall between the regional meteoric water line and the global meteoric water line, supporting the

  17. Tracing groundwater salinization processes in coastal aquifers: a hydrogeochemical and isotopic approach in the Na-Cl brackish waters of northwestern Sardinia, Italy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mongelli, G.; Monni, S.; Oggiano, G.; Paternoster, M.; Sinisi, R.

    2013-07-01

    Throughout the Mediterranean, salinization threatens water quality, especially in coastal areas. This salinization is the result of concomitant processes related to both seawater intrusion and water-rock interaction, which in some cases are virtually indistinguishable. In the Nurra region of northwestern Sardinia, recent salinization related to marine water intrusion has been caused by aquifer exploitation. However, the geology of this region records a long history from the Palaeozoic to the Quaternary, and is structurally complex and comprises a wide variety of lithologies, including Triassic evaporites. Determining the origin of the saline component of the Jurassic and Triassic aquifers in the Nurra region may provide a useful and more general model for salinization processes in the Mediterranean area, where the occurrence of evaporitic rocks in coastal aquifers is a common feature. In addition, due to intensive human activity and recent climatic change, the Nurra has become vulnerable to desertification and, in common with other Mediterranean islands, surface water resources periodically suffer from severe shortages. With this in mind, we report new data regarding brackish and surface waters (outcrop and lake samples) of the Na-Cl type from the Nurra region, including major ions and selected trace elements (B, Br, I, and Sr), in addition to isotopic data including δ18O, δD in water, and δ34S and δ18O in dissolved SO4. To identify the origin of the salinity more precisely, we also analysed the mineralogical and isotopic composition of Triassic evaporites. The brackish waters have Cl contents of up to 2025 mg L-1 , and the ratios between dissolved ions and Cl, with the exception of the Br / Cl ratio, are not those expected on the basis of simple mixing between rainwater and seawater. The δ18O and δD data indicate that most of the waters fall between the regional meteoric water line and the global meteoric water line, supporting the conclusion that they are

  18. Chemical evolution of formation waters in the Palm Valley gas field, Northern Territory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrew, A.S.; Giblin, A.M.

    2000-01-01

    The chemical composition and evolution of formation waters associated with gas production in the Palm Valley field, Northern Territory, has important implications for reservoir management, saline water disposal, and gas reserve calculations. Historically, the occurrence of saline formation water in gas fields has been the subject of considerable debate. A better understanding of the origin, chemical evolution and movement of the formation water at Palm Valley has important implications for future reservoir management, disposal of highly saline water and accurate gas reserves estimation. Major and trace element abundance data suggest that a significant component of the highly saline water from Palm Valley has characteristics that may have been derived from a modified evaporated seawater source such as an evaporite horizon. The most dilute waters probably represent condensate and the variation in the chemistry of the intermediate waters suggests they were derived from a mixture of the condensate with the highly saline brine. The chemical and isotopic results raise several interrelated questions; the ultimate source of the high salinity and the distribution of apparently mixed compositions. In this context several key observation are highlighted. Strontium concentrations are extremely high in the brines; although broadly similar in their chemistry, the saline fluids are neither homogeneous nor well mixed; the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios in the brines are higher than the signatures preserved in the evaporitic Bitter Springs Formation, and all other conceivably marine-related evaporites (Strauss, 1993); the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios in the brines are lower than those measured from groundmass carbonates in the host rocks, and that the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios of the brines are similar, but still somewhat higher than those measured in vein carbonates from the reservoir. It is concluded that the high salinity brine entered the reservoir during the Devonian uplift and was subsequently

  19. Uranium cycle and tectono-metamorphic evolution of the Lufilian Pan-African orogenic belt (Zambia)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eglinger, Aurelien

    2013-01-01

    Uranium is an incompatible and lithophile element, and thus more concentrated in silicate melt produced by the partial melting of the mantle related to continental crust formation. Uranium can be used as a geochemical tracer to discuss the generation and the evolution of continental crust. This thesis, focused on the Pan-African Lufilian belt in Zambia, combines structural geology, metamorphic petrology and thermos-barometry, fluid inclusions, geochemistry and geochronology in order to characterize the uranium cycle for this crustal segment. Silici-clastic and evaporitic sediments have been deposited within an intra-continental rift during the dislocation of the Rodinia super-continent during the early Neo-proterozoic. U-Pb ages on detrital zircon grains in these units indicate a dominant Paleo-proterozoic provenance. The same zircon grains show sub-chondritic εHf (between 0 and -15) and yield Hf model ages between ∼2.9 and 2.5 Ga. These data suggest that the continental crust was generated before the end of the Archean (< 2.5 Ga) associated with uranium extraction from the mantle. This old crust has been reworked by deformation and metamorphism during the Proterozoic. Uranium has been re-mobilized and reconcentrated during several orogenic cycles until the Pan-African orogeny. During this Pan-African cycle, U-Pb and REY (REE and Yttrium) signatures of uranium oxides indicate a first mineralizing event at ca. 650 Ma during the continental rifting. This event is related to late diagenesis hydrothermal processes at the basement/cover interface with the circulation of basinal brines linked to evaporites of the Roan. The second stage, dated at 530 Ma, is connected to metamorphic highly saline fluid circulations, synchronous to the metamorphic peak of the Lufilian orogeny (P=9±3 kbar; T=610±30 deg. C). These fluids are derived from the Roan evaporite dissolution. Some late uranium re-mobilizations are described during exhumation of metamorphic rocks and their

  20. Hints of Habitable Environments on Mars Challenge Our Studies of Mars-Analog Sites on Earth

    Science.gov (United States)

    desMarais, David J

    2009-01-01

    Life as we know it requires water with a chemical activity (alpha) >or approx.0.6 and sources of nutrients and useful energy. Some biota can survive even if favorable conditions occur only intermittently, but the minimum required frequency of occurrences is poorly understood. Recent discoveries have vindicated the Mars exploration strategy to follow the water. Mars Global Surveyor s Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) found coarse-grained hematite at Meridiani Planum. Opportunity rover confirmed this and also found evidence of ancient sulfate-rich playa lakes and near-surface groundwater. Elsewhere, TES found evidence of evaporitic halides in topographic depressions. But alpha might not have approached 0.6 in these evaporitic sulfate- and halide-bearing waters. Mars Express (MEX) and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) found extensive sulfate evaporites in Meridiani and Valles Marineris. MEX found phyllosilicates at several sites, most notably Mawrth Valles and Nili Fossae. MRO's CRISM near-IR mapper extended the known diversity and geographic distribution of phyllosilicates to include numerous Noachian craters. Phyllosilicates typically occur at the base of exposed ancient rock sections or in sediments in early Hesperian craters. It is uncertain whether the phyllosilicates developed in surface or subsurface aqueous environments and how long aqueous conditions persisted. Spirit rover found remarkably pure ferric sulfate, indicating oxidation and transport of Fe and S, perhaps in fumaroles or hot springs. Spirit also found opaline silica, consistent with hydrothermal activity. CRISM mapped extensive silica deposits in the Valles Marineris region, consistent with aqueous weathering and deposition. CRISM also found ultramafic rocks and magnesite at Nili Fossae, consistent with serpentinization, a process that can sustain habitable environments on Earth. The report of atmospheric methane implies subsurface aqueous conditions. A working hypothesis is that aqueous

  1. Sedimentary mode and reservoir distribution of the Cambrian carbonate & evaporate paragenesis system in the Sichuan Basin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Xu

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The Cambrian carbonate & evaporite paragenesis system in the Sichuan Basin is made up of the Longwangmiao, Gaotai and Xixiangchi Fms. So far, great breakthrough has been made only in the Longwangmiao Fm instead of the latter two, and the Anyue Gasfield was discovered in the center of this basin. In this paper, therefore, the Cambrian carbonate & evaporite paragenesis system in the Sichuan Basin was analyzed in terms of its structural–sedimentary setting, sequence stratigraphic framework, sedimentary facies and the distribution of evaporites by using various geologic, logging and seismic data. Then, the geological model of sedimentary facies was established and the distribution range of favorable reservoirs was predicted. Based on these studies, the following results are obtained. Firstly, the palaeotectonic framework is characterized by the style of “one depression between two uplifts” in the setting of a large SE dipping slope, and the stratigraphic filling is in the structure of “onlapping at the bottom and truncation at the top” which is thin in the west and thick in the east. Secondly, three third-order sequence cycles which, on the whole, become shallow upward are developed from bottom to top, and gypsum-salt rocks are mainly located at the high system tract (HST of third-order sequences and concentrated in the Wanzhou–Yibin sag. Thirdly, the geological model of sedimentary facies is composed of three major sedimentary structural layers from bottom to top, namely the evaporative carbonate ramp, the evaporative diamictic restricted platform and the evaporative restricted platform. The sedimentary environment changes from the open to the closed and the penesaline for a long time, and then back to the open. The distribution of shoals changes from the pattern of “dual banks” in a large area to more scattered shoals and banded shoals, while the evaporative lagoon and tidal flat shrink. Fourthly, the reservoir distribution is

  2. Christmas Island lagoonal lakes, models for the deposition of carbonate–evaporite–organic laminated sediments

    OpenAIRE

    Trichet , Jean; Défarge , Christian; Tribble , J.; Tribble , G.W.; Sansone , F.J.

    2001-01-01

    The atoll of Christmas Island (now known as Kiritimati) in the Kiribati Republic (Central Pacific) lies at about 2°N in the intertropical convergence zone. Much of the surface area of the atoll (ca. 360 km2) is occupied by numerous lakes in which carbonate, evaporite (calcium sulfate, halite) and organic layers are deposited. Observations suggest that deposition of these different laminae is controlled by climatic and biologic factors. It is thought that periodic climatic variations, such as ...

  3. Orbital forcing of climate over South Africa: A 200,000-year rainfall record from the Pretoria saltpan

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Patridge, TC

    1997-01-01

    Full Text Available sedi- ments in the Pretoria Saltpan consists of an evaporite-rich depositional sequence with lithologic evidence of alter- natively wetter and drier conditions (Fig. 2). The onset of lacustrine deposition near 200 000 years...., 1989; Clemens et al., 1991). Gravita- tional interactions between the earth, sun, moon, and more massive planets cause the Earth?s rotational axis to precess at 23,000-year and 19,000-year periods (Berger, 1978), changing the season during...

  4. Tectonic, stratigraphy and sedimentation during the Aptian along the Brazilian eastern margin; Tectonica, estratigrafia e sedimentacao no Andar Aptiano da margem leste brasileira

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dias, Jeferson Luiz [PETROBRAS, Santos, SP (Brazil). Gerencia de Interpretacao do Norte da Bacia de Santos]. E-mail: jefdias@petrobras.com.br

    2005-05-01

    The main tectonic, stratigraphic and sedimentary aspects of the Aptian Stage along the Brazilian Eastern Basins were analyzed based on data from 28 wells drilled by PETROBRAS, including the description of 750 meters of cores. The Aptian along the Eastern Margin (from Santos to Camamu-Almada basins) can be subdivided into 2 main packages with specific tectonic and sedimentary characteristics. The Lower Aptian (upper part of Jiquia to lower part of Alagoas local stages) is characterized by continental sedimentation under rift tectonics. Scarce marine incursions were recognized in this package. Sedimentation occurred mainly in grabens located in the central portions of the rift and in scattered grabens located in proximal areas. This caused sub aerial exposure of large proximal areas generating a regional unconformity called 'pre-Upper Aptian Unconformity'. The Upper Aptian (Upper Alagoas local stage) package was deposited under stable tectonic conditions in a sag basin. The lower portion of this unit is characterized by a fluvial-alluvial sedimentation with a widespread occurrence throughout the proximal areas of all marginal basins. Distal sediments however were deposited under shallow marine conditions. At the end of the Aptian a strong period of aridity and the presence of a volcanic barrier, the Sao Paulo High, allowed the deposition of a very thick evaporitic package ('Ibura Event'). These evaporites are estimated to be deposited in about 600,000 years. (author)

  5. Geophysical investigation of an upper tertiary subbasin in the southern Egyptian Red Sea shelf and its bearing on oil exploration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khattab, M. M.

    Several narrow, elongate and Red Sea-trending gravity lows, suggested recently as due to depositional troughs, are shown on the Egyptian Red Sea shelf Bouguer map. Few drilling data and poor reflectivity below the Pliocene-Miocene uncorformity hinder subsurface evaluation. A 1 mgal anomaly (25 km north of Ras Benas Peninsula) was analysed along a crossing sessmic reflection line. The interpretation was aided by: lithology at an off-shore well, seismic data above the unconformity and aeromagnetic data in the southerly-located Foul Bay. The best fit of computed to observed gravity was for a three-layers model (water, post-evaporites and evaporites) where maximum sediment thickness was 3.8 km of which layers 2 and 3 constittted 1.6 and 2.2 km. The subbasin configuration was found to be controlled by Quaternary (similar to that mapped at Egyptian and Saudi Arabian coastal provinces) and pre-middle Miocence (affecting only middle Miocene evaprites beneath a reflection line at the western margin of the main trough near latitude 24°N) faulting which supports the conceot of Red Sea arching and subsequent faulting at marginal shelves. This subbasin is found associated, in part, with a sea--floor trough and with part of Foul Bay magnetic lineations (interpreted recently as caused by oceanic crust) which, in turn, are shown to constitute continuation of mapped onshore tholeiitic dikes.

  6. Biopan-survival I: exposure of the osmophiles synechococcus sp. (Nageli) and haloarcula sp. to the space environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mancinelli, R. L.; White, M. R.; Rothschild, L. J.

    The objective of this study was to determine the survivability of osmophilic microorganisms in space, as well as examine the DNA breakage in osmophilic cells exposed to solar UV-radiation plus vacuum and to vacuum only. The organisms used were an unidentified species of Synechococcus (Nägeli) that inhabits the evaporitic gypsum-halite crusts that form along the marine intertidal, and an unidentified species of the extremely halophilic genus Haloarcula (designated as isolate G) isolated from a evaporitic NaCl crystal. Because these organisms are desiccation resistant and gypsum-halite as well as NaCl attenuate UV-radiation, we hypothesized that these organisms would survive in the space environment, better than most others. The organisms were exposed to the space environment for 2 weeks while in earth orbit aboard the Biopan facility. Ground controls were tested in a space simulation facility. All samples were compared to unexposed samples. Survivability was determined by plate counts and the most probable number technique. DNA breakage was determined by labeling breaks in the DNA with ^32P followed by translation. Results indicate that the osmophilic microbes survived the 2 week exposure. The major cause of cell death was DNA damage. The number of strand breaks in the DNA from vacuum UV exposed cells was greater than the vacuum only exposed cells.

  7. GYPSUM DEPOSITS IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anto Gabrić

    2002-12-01

    Full Text Available The occurences and deposits of gypsum can be found in big karst poljes (Sinjsko, Vrličko, Petrovo, Kosovo and Kninsko as well as in tectonnically predestined river valleys of Zrmanja, Butišnica and Una. There also appear spatially localized occurences on the island of Vis and in the vicinity of Samobor. Evaporites (gypsum and anhydrite with adjoining overlying clastic rocks (red sandstones, siltites and pelites, carbonate rocks (dolomites and limestones and porous carbonate breccias (Rauhwackes were deposited during the period of Upper Permian. The recent position of the Upper Permian beds is a result of complex tectonic, particularly neotectonic, movements and diapiric displacements. Evaporites were deposited in marginal areas of the epicontinental marine basin, in a period of favourable conditions for the sabkha and playa sedimentation due to the continuous shoreline progradation. The Upper Permian age of these sediments in Dalmatio is proved by the characteristic mineral paragenesis and palinological determinations in elastics rocks, as well as by isotope analyses of sulphure in gypsum. Gypsum is a significant ore mineral resource in building, cement production, as well as in a number of tehnological processes used in chemical industry and elsewhere. According to the recent investigations gypsum is predestined to serve as an ore mineral resource of significant perspectives (the paper is published in Croatian.

  8. Stratigraphy and sedimentology of a dry to wet eolian depositional system, Burns formation, Meridiani Planum, Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grotzinger, J. P.; Arvidson, R. E.; Bell, J. F.; Calvin, W.; Clark, B. C.; Fike, D. A.; Golombek, M.; Greeley, R.; Haldemann, A.; Herkenhoff, K. E.; Jolliff, B. L.; Knoll, A. H.; Malin, M.; McLennan, S. M.; Parker, T.; Soderblom, L.; Sohl-Dickstein, J. N.; Squyres, S. W.; Tosca, N. J.; Watters, W. A.

    2005-11-01

    Outcrop exposures of sedimentary rocks at the Opportunity landing site (Meridiani Planum) form a set of genetically related strata defined here informally as the Burns formation. This formation can be subdivided into lower, middle, and upper units which, respectively, represent eolian dune, eolian sand sheet, and mixed eolian sand sheet and interdune facies associations. Collectively, these three units are at least 7 m thick and define a "wetting-upward" succession which records a progressive increase in the influence of groundwater and, ultimately, surface water in controlling primary depositional processes. The Burns lower unit is interpreted as a dry dune field (though grain composition indicates an evaporitic source), whose preserved record of large-scale cross-bedded sandstones indicates either superimposed bedforms of variable size or reactivation of lee-side slip faces by episodic (possibly seasonal) changes in wind direction. The boundary between the lower and middle units is a significant eolian deflation surface. This surface is interpreted to record eolian erosion down to the capillary fringe of the water table, where increased resistance to wind-induced erosion was promoted by increased sediment cohesiveness in the capillary fringe. The overlying Burns middle unit is characterized by fine-scale planar-laminated to low-angle-stratified sandstones. These sandstones accumulated during lateral migration of eolian impact ripples over the flat to gently undulating sand sheet surface. In terrestrial settings, sand sheets may form an intermediate environment between dune fields and interdune or playa surfaces. The contact between the middle and upper units of the Burns formation is interpreted as a diagenetic front, where recrystallization in the phreatic or capillary zones may have occurred. The upper unit of the Burns formation contains a mixture of sand sheet facies and interdune facies. Interdune facies include wavy bedding, irregular lamination with

  9. Salt anticlines in the Castile-Salado evaporite sequence, northern Delaware Basin, New Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anderson, R.Y.; Powers, D.W.

    1977-01-01

    Anticlines are more common around basin margin but are present in basin-center areas. Both Halite I and Halite II may have flowed but Halite I was movement more extensive. Depressions associated with anticlines may be due to either flowage or subsequent dissolution. Association with brine flows is common. Anticline probably was formed with mid-Cenozoic uplift and tilting of basin and with adjustments around reef margin

  10. Charaterising water-rock interaction in a mixed carbonate-evaporite karstified aquifer system, Qatar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thirathititham, R.; Whitaker, F.

    2017-12-01

    Qatar is an arid country, most of the rainfall (80 mm/yr) occurring during intense storms. Surface runoff is endorheic and recharge is facilitated by karst features developed over an extended (c.30 Ma) period of exposure of the carbonate bedrock. In December 2016, we sampled a rare intense rainfall event (41 mm over 3 days), after which waters ponded within low-relief terminal depressions prior to infiltration. We compare the chemistry of these recharge waters with that of ground waters from 76 wells distributed across Qatar to understand the nature and spatial distribution of water-rock interaction. Using Cl- as a conservative tracer for seawater mixing, we calculate concentrations of rock-derived Ca2+, Mg2+ and SO42-. During surface detention, rain chemistry is modified by evaporation and interaction with clays and the surface bedrock over days to weeks. However, groundwater chemistry is dominated by subsurface interaction between recharge waters and the karstified Tertiary aquifers. These include the largely dolomitic Paleocene to Lower Eocene Umm er Radhuma (UER) and overlying Lower Eocene Rus, with the Middle Eocene Abarug limestone forming a locally important aquifer in the south west. Away from coastal areas which show clear evidence of salinisation, TDS of groundwaters in the interior of the peninsula increases from north to south. All groundwaters are significantly enriched in SO42-, but this enrichment is marked greater in the south. This likely reflects the presence of a unit of middle Rus gypsum that in the south of the country confines the Lower Rus and UER aquifers, whilst in the north either gypsum was not deposited or has been dissolved. Waters in the Abarug limestone show limited sulfate enrichment and a 1:1 molar ratio of rock-derived SO42-: Ca2+, but across much of the country both SO42- enrichment and SO42-: Ca2+ molar ratio are significantly higher, the latter reaching 2:1 and suggesting an additional sink for Ca2+. The dolomite aquifer waters are also enriched in Mg2+, indicating replacement of dolomite by calcite (dedolomitization), driven by the release of Ca2+ from gypsum dissolution. Whilst current rates of gypsum dissolution and dedolomitization may be limited by the arid climate, this process is likely to have been more active during pluvial periods and to have played a role in karst development.

  11. Cyclostratigraphy and astrochronology of the Tripolo diatomite formation pre-evaporite Messinian, Sicily, italy)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hilgen, F.J.; Krijgsman, W.

    1999-01-01

    The ongoing debate about the Messinian salinity crisis in the Mediterranean is fuelled in part by the lach of an adequate time control. The most accurate and, at the same time, detailed constrains are nowadays provided by the astronomical dating technique. Here we present an astronomical age model

  12. Isotopic application to the Tunisian thermal sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lassoued, S.; Gueddari, M.; Michelot, J.L.

    1996-01-01

    The most part of the hydrothermal sources are located in the northern half of Tunisia, where the very pronounced tectonic played an important role in their appearance. the waters feeding geothermal circuits have exclusively a meteoric origin. The main source of sulfate results from the solution of Trias evaporites. A contribution of bicarbonates by deep CO 2 dissolution probable for certain sources. This contribution makes more difficult the interpretation of the 14 C contents providing only a maximal evaluation of the residence time (author)

  13. Integrating petroleum and sulfur data to map the Guadalupian-Ochoan (Middle to Upper Permian) Boundary of the Delaware Basis, Trans-Pecos, Texas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dishron, Joseph B.

    2011-12-01

    The Delaware Basin of the Permian Basin is a classic intra-cratonic basin of West Texas and Southeast New Mexico. Hydrocarbon exploration and production have occurred in the region since the early 1920s, and, as a result, the formations related to these oil and gas reserves have been studied in great detail. Some formations in the Delaware Basin, however, have not been studied in such detail, and this thesis examines one, lesser-known unit that could have economic potential. The Lamar Limestone (Lamar Lime) of the Bell Canyon Formation has commonly been dismissed as a production interval; rather, it has been described as a source and seal rock for the Ramsey Sand of the lower Bell Canyon Formation. However, recent studies found that the Lamar Lime was contributing to production, and it has been described by Trentham (2006) as a potentia "mini Barnett" reservoir. The depths of these deposits are in a range that is ideal for oil accumulation. This study made use of data from wells and test holes drilled in the western Delaware Basin, Culberson County, Texas. Many oil and gas wells have been drilled in the western Delaware Basin, but they are concentrated in the north and east portions of Culberson County. In addition, sulfur wells were drilled in the area in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Analyses of the well logs of these wells and of core and outcrop studies were completed to gain a better understanding of the distribution and economic potential of the Lamar. Both datasets were combined to provide information not readily available in the oil and gas dataset. The Lamar Lime is an excellent marker bed because it underlies thick evaporites. The evaporite sequences are Ochoan in age, and, therefore, the contact of the Lamar Lime (Bell Canyon Formation) and the Castile Formation is the approximate boundary for the Guadalupian-Ochoan Series. The Castile Formation, the Salado Formation, and the Rustler Formation (from oldest to youngest) are the evaporite units that

  14. Dry/Wet Cycling and the Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Prebiotic Polymer Synthesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David S. Ross

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available The endoergic nature of protein and nucleic acid assembly in aqueous media presents two questions that are fundamental to the understanding of life’s origins: (i how did the polymers arise in an aqueous prebiotic world; and (ii once formed in some manner, how were they sufficiently persistent to engage in further chemistry. We propose here a quantitative resolution of these issues that evolved from recent accounts in which RNA-like polymers were produced in evaporation/rehydration cycles. The equilibrium Nm + Nn ↔ Nm+n + H2O is endoergic by about 3.3 kcal/mol for polynucleotide formation, and the system thus lies far to the left in the starting solutions. Kinetic simulations of the evaporation showed that simple Le Châtelier’s principle shifts were insufficient, but the introduction of oligomer-stabilizing factors of 5–10 kcal/mol both moved the process to the right and respectively boosted and retarded the elongation and hydrolysis rates. Molecular crowding and excluded volume effects in present-day cells yield stabilizing factors of that order, and we argue here that the crowded conditions in the evaporites generate similar effects. Oligomer formation is thus energetically preferred in those settings, but the process is thwarted in each evaporation step as diffusion becomes rate limiting. Rehydration dissipates disordered oligomer clusters in the evaporites, however, and subsequent dry/wet cycling accordingly “ratchets up” the system to an ultimate population of kinetically trappedthermodynamically preferred biopolymers.

  15. Epigene and Hypogene Gypsum Karst Manifestations of the Castile Formation: Eddy County, New Mexico and Culberson County, Texas, USA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stafford Kevin W.

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Permian evaporites of the Castile Formation crop out over ~1,800 km2 in the western Delaware Basin (Eddy County, New Mexico and Culberson County, Texas, USA with abundant and diverse karst manifestations. Epigene karst occurs as well-developed karren on exposed bedrock, while sinkholes dominate the erosional landscape, including both solutional and collapse forms. Sinkhole analyses suggest that more than half of all sinks are the result of upward stoping of subsurface voids, while many solutional sinks are commonly the result of overprinting of collapsed forms. Epigene caves are laterally limited with rapid aperture decreases away from insurgence, with passages developed along fractures and anticline fold axes. Hypogene karst occurs as diverse manifestations, forming the deepest and longest caves within the region as well as abundant zones of brecciation. Hypogene caves exhibit a wide range of morphologies from complex maze and anastomotic patterns to simple, steeply dipping patterns, but all hypogene caves exhibit morphologic features (i.e. risers, outlet cupolas and half-tubes that provide a definitive suite of evidence of dissolution within a mixed convection (forced and free convection hydrologic system. Extensive blanket breccias, abundant breccia pipes and numerous occurrences of calcitized evaporites indicate widespread hypogene speleogenesis throughout the entire Castile Formation. Although most cave and karst development within the Castile outcrop region appears to have hypogene origins, epigene processes areactively overprinting features, creating a complex speleogenetic evolution within the Castile Formation.

  16. Stable isotopes back-track the origin of alabaster from the 'Ulrich Epitaph', Güstrow, Germany

    Science.gov (United States)

    Böttcher, Michael E.; Fuchs, Arnold; Gehre, Matthias; Krempler, Michael; Cooper, Anthony H.

    2017-04-01

    Natural calcium sulphate minerals (like gypsum, in the variety of 'alabaster') have been used for a long time for art and ornamental works despite its high solubility in aqueous solution due to its easy way of recovery and handling. To identify different European source provenances, geochemical and stable isotope forensic methods have been applied, thereby defining historical pathways of trade. A detailed geochemical characterization of both alabaster samples from the monument and potential sources is a pre-requisite for a backtracking material sources. Several tracers have been tested in the past identifiying the coupled sulfur and oxygen isotope composition of the sulfate molecule in the evaporite minerals to be highly characteristic. In the present study, we analyzed the stable sulfur and oxygen isotope composition of raw alabaster from the famous Ulrich Epithaph in Güstrow, Northeastern Germany, and compared the results with new measurements from one of the major European contributors of alabaster in the 16th century, the Cellaston quarry, Derbyshire (England) and literature data for further potential Spanish and Frensh source quarries (Kloppmann et a., 2014; Archaeometry, 56). We found that the stable sulfur and oxygen isotope signatures of alabaster from the Ulrich Epitaph indicate the origin from the Upper Triassic (Keuper) evaporites of the English Cellaston quarry and are not related to other potential alabaster sources. This further illustrates the alabaster trade way between England and Germany in the late 16th century.

  17. Over half a century of Messinian salinity crisis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Battista Vai, G.

    2016-10-01

    Did the Mediterranean ever become a desert during Messinian or was it a huge hyperhaline water body? According to Selli, the introduction of the concept and name of the Messinian Salinity Crisis in 1954, the second hypothesis was correct, but he did not succeed in preventing the rapid growth of popularity of the first hypothesis, triggered by the DSD Mediterranean campaign during the 1970s. The ensuing desiccation theory became popular enough to be included in elementary text books. The controversy has been revived in the new millennium and much former proof of the theory is now in doubt. The Mediterranean was not totally isolated, but often supplied with normal marine water. Instead of km-deep drawdown, shallower-to-absent level drop is favoured. Exposed canyons at the mouth of major Mediterranean rivers have turned into submarine channels filled by clastic sulphates. The mega-catastrophic potential of the desiccation theory has turned out to be less worrying. Perhaps the text books of our grandchildren should be updated. Within the frame of new evidence regarding normal water supply, even from the Indian Ocean, are discussed, based on two new palinspastic Messinian maps. However, reduced sharpness in the controversy and increasing consensus reached among specialists depend on ongoing inferred correlations between on-land and deep-marine Messinian evaporites. Only drilling across the whole, deep Mediterranean evaporite sequences can back-up the reliability of the correlation and validity of these new views. (Author)

  18. Hydrogeochemistry of high-fluoride groundwater at Yuncheng Basin, northern China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Chengcheng; Gao, Xubo; Wang, Yanxin

    2015-01-01

    Hydrogeochemical and environmental isotope methods were integrated to delineate the spatial distribution and enrichment of fluoride in groundwater at Yuncheng Basin in northern China. One hundred groundwater samples and 10 Quaternary sediment samples were collected from the Basin. Over 69% of the shallow groundwater (with a F − concentration of up to 14.1 mg/L), 44% of groundwater samples from the intermediate and 31% from the deep aquifers had F − concentrations above the WHO provisional drinking water guideline of 1.5 mg/L. Groundwater with high F − concentrations displayed a distinctive major ion chemistry: Na-rich and Ca-poor with a high pH value and high HCO 3 − content. Hydrochemical diagrams and profiles and hydrogen and oxygen isotope compositions indicate that variations in the major ion chemistry and pH are controlled by mineral dissolution, cation exchange and evaporation in the aquifer systems, which are important for F − mobilization as well. Leakage of shallow groundwater and/or evaporite (gypsum and mirabilite) dissolution may be the major sources for F − in groundwater of the intermediate and deep aquifers. - Highlights: • High-F − groundwater widely occurs in Yuncheng Basin of northern China. • High-F − groundwater is Na and HCO 3 -rich and Ca-poor, with high pH. • Major hydrogeochemical processes are mineral dissolution, ion exchange and evaporation. • Shallow groundwater leakage/evaporite dissolution may cause F enrichment in lower aquifers

  19. Mineralogical, chemical, and petrographic analysis of selected rock samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roy, D.M.

    1976-01-01

    I. The majority of rocks examined from the NTS were found to be siltstones, varying from coarse into the very fine siltstone range, and containing > 60% quartz, usually much higher. Samples of the UEIL series of cores, in contrast, had a large clay mineral fraction, as well as some carbonate present. A few were intermediate silty claystones or argillites. Microphotographs are included to illustrate the variations in texture observed, while most of the data obtained are summarized in tabular form. II. Seven Michigan Salina evaporite specimens were analyzed

  20. Permissive tracts for sediment-hosted lead-zinc-silver deposits in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (phase V, deliverable 73): Chapter J in Second projet de renforcement institutionnel du secteur minier de la République Islamique de Mauritanie (PRISM-II)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mauk, Jeffrey L.

    2015-01-01

    Although Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) deposits have not been recognized in Mauritania there are permissive tracts for these deposits in the regionally extensive Proterozoic carbonate rocks of the Taoudeni Basin. Permissive tracts for undiscovered MVT Pb-Zn-Ag deposits in the Proterozoic carbonate units are supported by the occurrences of MVT mineral and alteration assemblages, presence of evaporites, proximity to major orogenic events that have produced MVT ores elsewhere, red bed sequences and basal aquifers that may have been potential brine migration pathways for large MVT hydrothermal systems.

  1. Sr isotope stratigraphy of some Rupelian carbonated laminites from the Limagne Basin: influence of seawater in the rift of the French Massif central?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Briot, D.; Poidevin, J.L.

    1998-01-01

    87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios of biogenic and abiotic calcites Upper Rupelian sediments in the Limagne rift (French Massif Central) define a smooth and regular negative correlation with time interrupted by repetitive sharp peaks; the progressive drop in isotopic ratio can be explained by the geological evolution of the river basin through time. Negative peaks are explained by synsedimentary volcanism, repeated marine incursions, or leaching of ancient evaporites. Comparison with available paleontologic data does not favour the volcanic explanation, but rather the influence of Rupelian marine waters. (authors)

  2. Hydrogeochemical effects of groundwater mining of the Sierra de Crevillente Aquifer (Alicante, Spain)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pulido-Bosch, A.; Morell, I.; Andreu, J. M.

    1995-12-01

    The groundwater mining of the Crevillente aquifer (southeastern Spain) has resulted in the progressive deterioration of water quality, with particularly significant increases in chloride, sulfate, and sodium. The possibility of a vertical hydrochemical zoning is deduced that would require examining the importance of the geometry and lithology (evaporitic materials) in the salinization process. The time of water-rock contact (residence time) and dilution by infiltration of rainwater also influences the hydrogeochemistry of the aquifer. The hydrochemical data are useful in defining the conceptual model of the aquifer, completely karstified with relative homogeneity.

  3. Integrating geomorphological mapping, InSAR, GPR and trenching for the identification and investigation of buried sinkholes in the mantled evaporite karst of the Ebro Valley (NE Spain)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gutiérrez, Francisco; Galve, Jorge Pedro; Lucha, Pedro; Bonachea, Jaime; Castañeda, Carmen

    2010-05-01

    The first and most important step in sinkhole hazard analysis is the construction of a cartographic sinkhole inventory. The effectiveness of the mitigation measures and the reliability of the susceptibility and hazard maps will depend on the completeness and accuracy of the sinkhole inventories on which they are based. Sinkhole data bases preferably should include information on the following aspects: (1) Precise location of the sinkholes edges. (2) Morphometric parameters. (3) Geomorphological and hydrological context. (4) Genetic type; that is subsidence mechanisms and material affected by subsidence. (5) Chronology; this information is essential to calculate probability of occurrence values. (6) Active or inactive character. (7) Kinematical regime (gradual, episodic or mixed). (8) Current and/or long-term subsidence rates. (9) Evolution of the subsidence and its relationship with causal factors. Sinkholes are generally mapped using conventional geomorphological methods like aerial photographs, topographic maps and field surveys. However, the usefulness of these methods may be limited in areas where the geomorphic expression of sinkholes has been obliterated by natural processes or anthropogenic fill. Additionally, gaining data on some of the practical aspects indicated above requires the application of other techniques. In this contribution we present the main findings learnt through the construction of a sinkhole inventory in a terrace of the Ebro River valley (NE Spain). The study area covers around 27.5 ha and is located west of Zaragoza city. The bedrock consists of subhorizontal evaporites including gypsum, halite and glauberite. The terrace is situated at 7-10 m above the channel and the alluvium, 10-30 m thick, is composed of unconsolidated gravels and subordinate fines. Previous studies carried out in this sector of the valley reveal that: (1) Three main types of sinkholes may be differentiated: cover collapse, cover and bedrock collapse, and cover and

  4. Thermal properties of Permian Basin evaporites to 493 K and 30 MPa confining pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Durham, W.B.; Heard, H.C.; Boro, C.O.; Keller, K.T.; Ralph, W.E.; Trimmer, D.A.

    1987-01-01

    Laboratory measurements have been made of the thermal conductivity and diffusivity of four rock salts, two anhydrites, and two dolomites bordering the Cycle 4 and Cycle 5 bedded salt formations in the Permian Basin in Deaf Smith County, Texas. Measurement conditions ranged from 303 to 473 K in temperature, and 0.1 to 31.0 MPa in hydrostatic confining pressure. Within the +-5% measurement resolution neither conductivity nor diffusivity showed a dependence upon pressure in any of the rocks. Conductivity and diffusivity in all rocks had a negative temperature dependence. For the two Cycle 4 salt samples, conductivity over the temperature range explored fell from 5.5 to 3.75 W/m.K, and diffusivity fell from about 2.7 to 1.7 x 10 -6 m 2 /s. One of the Cycle 5 salts was a single crystal which had anomalous results, but the other had a low conductivity, about 3.4 W/m.K, with very weak temperature dependence, and a high diffusivity, 3.8 to 2.5 x 10 -6 m 2 /s over the temperature range. In the nonsalts, conductivity and diffusivity decreased 10 to 20% over the temperature range explored, which was 308 -6 m 2 /s for the anhydrites and 1.4 x 10 -6 m 2 /s for both the dolomites. The coefficient of thermal linear expansion was measured for the Cycle 5 salt and nonsalts over 308 -6 K -1 at P = 3.0 MPa to 4 x 10 -6 K -1 at P = 30 MPa for both nonsalt rocks. In anhydrite, it decreased with increasing temperature at a rate of roughly 5 x 10 -8 K -2 at all pressures. In dolomite, the coefficient increased at roughly the same rate. Expansion of the salt ranged from 33 to 38 x 10 -6 K -1 and was independent of pressure and temperature

  5. Structural geology of the Rub' Al-Khali Basin, Saudi Arabia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, S. A.

    2016-10-01

    The Rub' Al-Khali basin lies below a Quaternary sand sea, and the structural evolution from the Late Precambrian to Neogene is known only from reflection seismic, gravity, and magnetic data, and wells. Gravity and magnetic data show north-south and northwest-southeast trends, matching mapped Precambrian faults. The deepest structures imaged on reflection seismic data are undrilled Precambrian rifts filled with layered strata at depths up to 13 km. The distribution of Ediacaran-Cambrian Ara/Hormuz mobile salt is restricted to an embayment in the eastern Rub' Al-Khali. The Precambrian rifts show local inversion and were peneplained at base Phanerozoic. A broad crustal-scale fold (Qatar Arch) developed in the Carboniferous and amplified in the Late Triassic, separating subbasins in the west and east Rub' Al-Khali. A phase of kilometer-scale folding occurred in the Late Cretaceous, coeval with thrusting and ophiolite obduction in eastern Oman. These folds trend predominantly north-south, oblique to the northwesterly shortening direction, and occasionally have steep fault zones close to their axial surfaces. The trend and location of these folds closely matches the Precambrian lineaments identified in this study, demonstrating preferential reactivation of basement structures. Compression along the Zagros suture reactivated these folds in the Neogene, this time the result of highly oblique, north-northeast to south-southwest shortening. Cretaceous-Tertiary fold style is interpreted as transpression with minor strain partitioning. Permian, Jurassic, and Eocene evaporite horizons played no role in the structural evolution of the basin, but the Eocene evaporites caused widespread kilometer-scale dissolution collapse structures in the basin center.

  6. U.S. Geological Survey assessment of global potash production and resources—A significant advancement for global development and a sustainable future.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cocker, Mark D.; Orris, Greta J.; Wynn, Jeff

    2016-01-01

    During the past 15 yr, the global requirement for fertilizers has grown considerably, mainly due to demand by a larger and wealthier world population for more and higher-quality food. The demand and price for potash as a primary fertilizer ingredient have increased in tandem, because of the necessity to increase the quantity and quality of food production on the decreasing amount of available arable land. The primary sources of potash are evaporates, which occur mainly in marine salt basins and a few brine-bearing continental basins. World potash resources are large, but distribution is inequitable and not presently developed in countries where population and food requirements are large and increasing. There is no known substitute for potash in fertilizer, so knowledge of the world’s potash resources is critical for a sustainable future. The U.S. Geological Survey recently completed a global assessment of evaporite-hosted potash resources, which included a geographic information system–based inventory of known potash resources. This assessment included permissive areas or tracts for undiscovered resources at a scale of 1:1,000,000. Assessments of undiscovered potash resources were conducted for a number of the world’s evaporite-hosted potash basins. The data collected provide a major advance in our knowledge of global potash resources that did not exist prior to this study. The two databases include: (1) potash deposits and occurrences, and (2) potash tracts (basins that contain these deposits and occurrences and potentially undiscovered potash deposits). Data available include geology, mineralogy, grade, tonnage, depth, thickness, areal extent, and structure, as well as numerous pertinent references.

  7. Interpreting Fracture Patterns in Sandstones Interbedded with Ductile Strata at the Salt Valley Anticline, Arches National Park, Utah; TOPICAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    LORENZ, JOHN C.; COOPER, SCOTT P.

    2001-01-01

    Sandstones that overlie or that are interbedded with evaporitic or other ductile strata commonly contain numerous localized domains of fractures, each covering an area of a few square miles. Fractures within the Entrada Sandstone at the Salt Valley Anticline are associated with salt mobility within the underlying Paradox Formation. The fracture relationships observed at Salt Valley (along with examples from Paleozoic strata at the southern edge of the Holbrook basin in northeastern Arizona, and sandstones of the Frontier Formation along the western edge of the Green River basin in southwestern Wyoming), show that although each fracture domain may contain consistently oriented fractures, the orientations and patterns of the fractures vary considerably from domain to domain. Most of the fracture patterns in the brittle sandstones are related to local stresses created by subtle, irregular flexures resulting from mobility of the associated, interbedded ductile strata (halite or shale). Sequential episodes of evaporite dissolution and/or mobility in different directions can result in multiple, superimposed fracture sets in the associated sandstones. Multiple sets of superimposed fractures create reservoir-quality fracture interconnectivity within restricted localities of a formation. However, it is difficult to predict the orientations and characteristics of this type of fracturing in the subsurface. This is primarily because the orientations and characteristics of these fractures typically have little relationship to the regional tectonic stresses that might be used to predict fracture characteristics prior to drilling. Nevertheless, the high probability of numerous, intersecting fractures in such settings attests to the importance of determining fracture orientations in these types of fractured reservoirs

  8. Origin, distribution, and movement of brine in the Permian Basin (U.S.A.). A model for displacement of connate brine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bein, A.; Dutton, A.R.

    1993-01-01

    Na-Cl, halite Ca-Cl, and gypsum Ca-Cl brines with salinities from 45 to >300 g/L are identified and mapped in four hydrostratigraphic units in the Permian Basin area beneath western Texas and Oklahoma and eastern New Mexico, providing spatial and lithologic constraints on the interpretation of the origin and movement of brine. Na-Cl brine is derived from meteoric water as young as 5-10 Ma that dissolved anhydrite and halite, whereas Ca-Cl brine is interpreted to be ancient, modified-connate Permian brine that now is mixing with, and being displaced by, the Na-Cl brine. Displacement fronts appear as broad mixing zones with no significant salinity gradients. Evolution of Ca-Cl brine composition from ideal evaporated sea water is attributed to dolomitization and syndepositional recycling of halite and bittern salts by intermittent influx of fresh water and sea water. Halite Ca-Cl brine in the evaporite section in the northern part of the basin differs from gypsum Ca-Cl brine in the south-central part in salinity and Na/Cl ratio and reflects segregation between halite- and gypsum-precipitating lagoons during the Permian. Ca-Cl brine moved downward through the evaporite section into the underlying Lower Permian and Pennsylvanian marine section that is now the deep-basin brine aquifer, mixing there with pre-existing sea water. Buoyancy-driven convection of brine dominated local flow for most of basin history, with regional advection governed by topographically related forces dominant only for the past 5 to 10 Ma. 71 refs., 11 figs

  9. Hydrogeology of an ancient arid closed basin: Implications for tabular sandstone-hosted uranium deposits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanford, R.F.

    1990-01-01

    Hydrogeologic modeling shows that tabular-type uranium deposits in the grants uranium region of the San Juan basin, New Mexico, formed in zones of ascending and discharging regional ground-water flow. The association of either lacustrine mudstone or actively subsiding structures and uranium deposits can best be explained by the occurrence of lakes at topographic depressions where ground water having different sources and compositions is likely to converge, mix, and discharge. Ascending and discharging flow also explains the association of uranium deposits with underlying evaporites and suggests a brine interface. The simulations contradict previous suggestions that ground water moved downward in the mudflat

  10. Sea salt and pollution inputs over the continental United States

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Y.-H.

    1992-01-01

    The average deposition rate of sea salt chloride over the world continents is about 10 meq m -2 yr -1 . Only about 14±1% of chloride in the pollution-corrected world average river is contributed by sea salt aerosols and the rest from the dissolution of evaporites. The significant increase of the ion concentrations in the Mississippi river from the year 1905 to 1987 was caused by anthropogenic inputs such as fossil fuel burning, common salt consumption, and dissolution of carbonate and silicate rocks by acids derived from acid precipitation. 29 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs

  11. Methane as a biomarker in the search for extraterrestrial life: Lessons learned from Mars analog hypersaline environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bebout, B.; Tazaz, A.; Kelley, C. A.; Poole, J. A.; Davila, A.; Chanton, J.

    2010-12-01

    Methane released from discrete regions on Mars, together with previous reports of methane determined with ground-based telescopes, has revived the possibility of past or even extant life near the surface on Mars, since 90% of the methane on Earth has a biological origin. This intriguing possibility is supported by the abundant evidence of large bodies of liquid water, and therefore of conditions conducive to the origin of life, early in the planet's history. The detection and analysis of methane is at the core of NASA’s strategies to search for life in the solar system, and on extrasolar planets. Because methane is also produced abiotically, it is important to generate criteria to unambiguously assess biogenicity. The stable carbon and hydrogen isotopic signature of methane, as well as its ratio to other low molecular weight hydrocarbons (the methane/(ethane + propane) ratio: C1/(C2 + C3)), has been suggested to be diagnostic for biogenic methane. We report measurements of the concentrations and stable isotopic signature of methane from hypersaline environments. We focus on hypersaline environments because spectrometers orbiting Mars have detected widespread chloride bearing deposits resembling salt flats. Other evaporitic minerals, e.g., sulfates, are also abundant in several regions, including those studied by the Mars Exploration Rovers. The presence of evaporitic minerals, together with the known evolution of the Martian climate, from warmer and wetter to cold and hyper-arid, suggest that evaporitic and hypersaline environments were common in the past. Hypersaline environments examined to date include salt ponds located in Baja California, the San Francisco Bay, and the Atacama Desert. Methane was found in gas produced both in the sediments, and in gypsum- and halite-hosted (endolithic) microbial communities. Maximum methane concentrations were as high as 40% by volume. The methane carbon isotopic (δ13C) composition showed a wide range of values, from about

  12. Water Quality and Soil Natural Salinity in the Southern Imera Basin (Sicily, Italy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roberta Selvaggi

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available The Southern Imera river crosses one of the most arid part of Sicily. The geochemical composition of the river water is due to the solubilization processes of gypsum rocks, which accounts for the particularly low quality of resources in the areas in which the presence of evaporitics deposits is highest. The geochemical composition and hydraulic parameters of river was monitored with the aim of reaching a better understanding of the relationships between litology and water quality. The Imera river is a potential local hydric resource, but seasonal variability of salinity does not allow farmers to use its water. A geochemical monitoring of the Imera river water has been carried out in selected localities integrating a GIS analysis of the river hydrography basin and of the distribution of the evaporitic formation. During 2003 and 2005 we performed four monitoring surveys of water chemicophysical parameters (temperature, pH and electrical conductivity and of the main ionic concentrations (Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Na+, Cl-, SO4 2- . We also installed a multiparameter probe next to the hydrometrical station of Drasi, about 15 km from the river mouth. Such multiparameter probe was used to determine, continuously and simultaneously, temperature, electrical conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, redox potenzial, water level. The geochemical composition of the water allowed to confirm the results of Roda (1971 and Favara (2000, who pointed out that the main cause of degrade of the Southern Imera river are the salt-rich waters of some tributaries flowing over gypsum rocks and halite deposits. We have been able to identify which specific areas are the main contributors to the degradation of the Imera river.

  13. Using a dual isotopic approach to trace sources and mixing of sulphate in Changjiang Estuary, China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Siliang; Liu Congqiang; Patra, Sivaji; Wang Fushun; Wang Baoli; Yue Fujun

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Changjiang Estuary plays an important role in transportation of the water and solute. → The dual isotopic method could be used to understand sulfate biogeochemistry in estuaries. → Mixing processes should be a major factor involved in the distribution of water and sulphate. → Sulphate in the Changjiang River mainly derived from atmospheric deposition, evaporite dissolution and sulphide oxidation. - Abstract: The dual isotopic compositions of dissolved SO 4 2- in aquatic systems are commonly used to ascertain SO 4 2- sources and possible biogeochemical processes. In this study, the physical parameters, major anions and isotopic compositions of SO 4 2- in water samples from Changjiang River (Nanjin) to the East Sea in Changjiang Estuary were determined. The salinity ranged from 0 per mille to 32.3 per mille in the estuary water samples. The Cl - ,SO 4 2- concentrations and δ 18 O-H 2 O values followed the salinity variations from freshwater to seawater, which indicated that mixing processes might be a major factor involved in the distribution of water and solutes. The contents and isotopic compositions of SO 4 2- suggested that atmospheric deposition, evaporite dissolution and sulphide oxidation were the major sources of dissolved SO 4 2- in the freshwater of Changjiang River. In addition, the mixing model calculated by contents and isotopic compositions of SO 4 2- indicated that the mixing of freshwater and sea water was the major factor involved in SO 4 2- distribution in Changjiang Estuary. However, slightly elevated δ 18 O-SO 4 values were observed in the turbidity maximum zone, which suggested that biological processes might affect the O isotopic compositions of SO 4 2- there.

  14. Formation waters of the Norwegian Continental Shelf

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McCartney, R. A.; Rein, E.

    2006-03-15

    New and previously published analyses of formation waters for the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) have been evaluated and interpreted to determine the compositional distribution of formation waters in the region and factors controlling their compositions, and also to obtain information on subsurface fluid flow. Formation waters in the region are Na-Cl and Na-Ca-Cl-type waters that display a wide range of salinity (2500-212000 mg/kg Cl). Generally, the concentrations of most dissolved constituents are positively correlated with Cl so that their distribution in formation waters largely reflects the variations shown by salinity. Exceptions are SO4 which is generally low (less than 40 mg/l) regardless of Cl, and HCO3 and in-situ pH which are negatively correlated with Cl. The main factors determining the compositions of the formation waters are mixing of meteoric water (probably late-Jurassic to Eocene), ancient seawater and primary brine together with diagenetic reactions that have affected each of these components individually as well as mixtures of them. Evaluation of the distribution of salinity has helped us identify where vertical and/or lateral migration of brine from the evaporites has occurred. This has in turn provided us with information on the presence of leak-points and vertical mixing, although further investigation of the location of evaporites and basin palaeohydrogeology are required to determine whether regional lateral advection has occurred in the past. The results of this study may benefit oil exploration and production activities in the NCS including constraint of hydrocarbon migration models, economic evaluation of undrilled prospects, scale management and compartmentalisation studies. (Author)

  15. Interpretation of brine-permeability tests of the Salado Formation at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site: First interim report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beauheim, R.L.; Saulnier, G.J. Jr.; Avis, J.D.

    1991-08-01

    Pressure-pulse tests have been performed in bedded evaporites of the Salado Formation at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site to evaluate the hydraulic properties controlling brine flow through the Salado. Hydraulic conductivities ranging from about 10 -14 to 10 -11 m/s (permeabilities of about 10 -21 to 10 -18 m 2 ) have been interpreted from nine tests conducted on five stratigraphic intervals within eleven meters of the WIPP underground excavations. Tests of a pure halite layer showed no measurable permeability. Pore pressures in the stratigraphic intervals range from about 0.5 to 9.3 MPa. An anhydrite interbed (Marker Bed 139) appears to be one or more orders of magnitude more permeable than the surrounding halite. Hydraulic conductivities appear to increase, and pore pressures decrease, with increasing proximity to the excavations. These effects are particularly evident within two to three meters of the excavations. Two tests indicated the presence of apparent zero-flow boundaries about two to three meters from the boreholes. The other tests revealed no apparent boundaries within the radii of influence of the tests, which were calculated to range from about four to thirty-five meters from the test holes. The data are insufficient to determine if brine flow through evaporites results from Darcy-like flow driven by pressure gradients within naturally interconnected porosity or from shear deformation around excavations connecting previously isolated pores, thereby providing pathways for fluids at or near lithostatic pressure to be driven towards the low-pressure excavations. Future testing will be performed at greater distances from the excavations to evaluate hydraulic properties and processes beyond the range of excavation effects

  16. Late Guadalupian evolution of the Delaware Basin: insights from stable isotope and trace element geochemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, B.; Kerans, C.

    2017-12-01

    Accurate characterization of mixed carbonate and evaporite deposits requires an understanding of basin-scale physical, chemical, and biological processes. In these settings, carbonate geochemistry often responds to changes in the prevailing conditions in the water column. It follows that the geochemical record presents a potential aid for interpretation of depositional systems provided that it is relatively free of diagenetic overprint. This is seldom the case in shallow-water settings as processes such as meteoric diagenesis and early dolomitization obscure or erase the original geochemical signal. Fine grained deep-water sediments are more likely to retain their original geochemical characteristics. If reliable shelf-to-basin correlations can be established, then basinal deposits provide critical data not only for the interpretation of deep water environments, but overall basin evolution as well. This study examines variations in trace element and stable isotope geochemistry from the Delaware Basin of West Texas and New Mexico. Interpretation of geochemical data within a pre-existing shelf-to-basin stratigraphic framework suggests a link between basin water chemistry and sea level changes during the entirety of the Guadalupian. This link is supported analogies to modern silled basins where changes in sea level and thus recharge across the sill can control nutrient input, circulation, and bottom water oxygenation. In light of these relationships, the filling of the Delaware Basin with basin-centered evaporites at the end of the Guadalupian likely represents the culmination of a more gradual, cyclic evolution towards basin restriction. Ongoing work will continue to focus on tying regional-scale changes in basin water chemistry to the combined geochemical and physical sedimentological records.

  17. Mineral sources of water and their influence on the safe disposal of radioactive wastes in bedded salt deposits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fallis, S.M.

    1973-12-01

    With the increased use of nuclear energy, there will be subsequent increases in high-level radioactive wastes such as Sr 90 , Cs 137 , and Pu 239 . Several agencies have considered the safest possible means to store or dispose of wastes in geologic environments such as underground storage in salt deposits, shale beds, abandoned dry mines, and in clay and shale pits. Salt deposits have received the most favorable attention because they exist in dry environments and because of other desirable properties of halite (its plasticity, gamma-ray shielding, heat dissipation ability, low mining cost, and worldwide abundance). Much work has been done on bedded salt deposits, particularly the Hutchinson Salt Member of the Wellington Formation at Lyons, Kansas. Salt beds heated by the decay of the radioactive wastes may release water by dehydration of hydrous minerals commonly present in evaporite sequences or water present in other forms such as fluid inclusions. More than 80 hydrous minerals are known to occur in evaporite deposits. The occurrences, total water contents (up to 63%) and dehydration temperatures (often less that 150 0 C) of these minerals are given. Since it is desirable to dispose of radioactive wastes in a dry environment, care must be taken that large quantities of water are not released through the heating of hydrous minerals. Seventy-four samples from four cores taken at Lyons, Kansas, were analyzed by x-ray diffraction. The minerals detected were halite, anhydrite, gypsum, polyhalite, dolomite, magnesite, quartz, feldspar, and the clay minerals illite, chlorite, kaolinite, vermiculite, smectite, mixed-layer clay, and corrensite (interstratified chlorite-vermiculite). Of these, gypsum, polyhalite and the clay minerals are all capable of releasing water when heated

  18. Petroleum systems and hydrocarbon accumulation models in the Santos Basin, SP, Brazil; Sistemas petroliferos e modelos de acumulacao de hidrocarbonetos na Bacia de Santos

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chang, Hung Kiang; Assine, Mario Luis; Correa, Fernando Santos; Tinen, Julio Setsuo [Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP (Brazil). Lab. de Estudos de Bacias]. E-mails: chang@rc.unesp.br; assine@rc.unesp.br; fscorrea@rc.unesp.br; jstinen@rc.unesp.br; Vidal, Alexandre Campane; Koike, Luzia [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP (Brazil). Centro de Estudos de Petroleo]. E-mails: vidal@ige.unicamp.br; luzia@iqm.unicamp.br

    2008-07-01

    The Santos Basin was formed by rifting process during Mesozoic Afro-American separation. Sediment accumulation initiated with fluvial-lacustrine deposits, passing to evaporitic stage until reaching marginal basin stages. The analysis of hydrocarbon potential of Santos Basin identified two petroleum systems: Guaratiba-Guaruja and Itajai-Acu-Ilhabela. The Guaratiba Formation is less known in the Santos Basin because of small number of wells that have penetrated the rift section. By comparison with Campos Basin, hydrocarbons are of saline lacustrine origin deposited in Aptian age. Analogous to Campos Basin the major source rock is of saline-lacustrine origin, which has been confirmed from geochemical analyses of oil samples recovered from the various fields. These analyses also identified marine source rock contribution, indicating the Itajai-Acu source rock went through oil-window, particularly in structural lows generated by halokynesis. Models of hydrocarbon accumulation consider Guaratiba Formacao as the major source rock for shallow carbonate reservoirs of Guaruja Formacao and for late Albian to Miocene turbidites, as well as siliciclastic and carbonate reservoirs of the rift phase. Migration occurs along salt window and through carrier-beds. The seal rock is composed of shales and limestones intercalated with reservoir facies of the post-rift section and by thick evaporites overlying rift section, especially in the deeper water. In the shallow portion, shale inter-tongued with reservoir rocks is the main seal rock. The hydrocarbon generation and expulsion in the central-north portion of the basin is caused by overburden of a thick Senonian section. Traps can be structural (rollovers and turtle), stratigraphic (pinch-outs) and mixed origins (pinch-outs of turbidites against salt domes). (author)

  19. Hydrology of marginal evaporitic basins during the Messinian Salinity Crisis: isotopic investigation of gypsum deposits

    Science.gov (United States)

    El Kilany, Aida; Caruso, Antonio; Dela Pierre, Francesco; Natalicchio, Marcello; Rouchy, Jean-Marie; Pierre, Catherine; Balter, Vincent; Aloisi, Giovanni

    2016-04-01

    The deposition of gypsum in Messinian Mediterranean marginal basins is controlled by basin restriction and the local hydrological cycle (evaporation/precipitation rates and relative importance of continental vs marine water inputs). We are using the stable isotopic composition of gypsum as a proxy of the hydrological cycle that dominated at the moment of gypsum precipitation. We studied the Messinian Caltanissetta (Sicily) and Tertiary Piedmont (north western Italy) basins where we carried out a high-resolution isotopic study of gypsum layers composing gypsum-marl cycles. These cycles are thought to be the sedimentary expression of astronomical precession cycles, lasting approximately 20 kyr, during which the marginal basins experienced a succession of arid and a wet conditions. We determined the isotopic composition of gypsum hydration water (18O and D), of the sulphate ion (34S, 18O) and of Strontium (87/86Sr), all of which are potentially affected by the hydrological cycle. In our samples, the mother water from which gypsum precipitated is considerably lighter (-4.0 micro-scale. This is an essential step in interpreting the isotopic signals of gypsum because we can expect the 18O and D composition of Messinian continental input to be not too dissimilar from that of modern meteoric waters involved in diagenetic processes.

  20. Hydraulic Testing of Salado Formation Evaporites at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Site: Final Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beauheim, Richard L.; Domski, Paul S.; Roberts, Randall M.

    1999-07-01

    This report presents interpretations of hydraulic tests conducted in bedded evaporates of the Salado Formation from May 1992 through May 1995 at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site in southeastern New Mexico. The WIPP is a US Department of Energy research and development facility designed to demonstrate safe disposal of transuranic wastes from the nation's defense programs. The WIPP disposal horizon is located in the lower portion of the Permian Salado Formation. The hydraulic tests discussed in this report were performed in the WIPP underground facility by INTERA inc. (now Duke Engineering and Services, Inc.), Austin, Texas, following the Field Operations Plan and Addendum prepared by Saulnier (1988, 1991 ) under the technical direction of Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

  1. Thermal properties of Permian Basin evaporites to 493 K temperature and 30 MPa confining pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Durham, W.B.; Heard, H.C.; Boro, C.O.; Keller, K.T.; Ralph, W.E.; Trimmer, D.A.

    1987-03-01

    Laboratory measurements of the thermal conductivity and diffusivity of four rock salts, two anhydrites, and two dolomites bordering Cycle 4 and Cycle 5 bedded salt formations in the Permian Basin in Deaf Smith County, Texas, were made in conditions ranging from 303 to 473 K in temperature and 0.1 to 31.0 MPa in hydrostatic confining pressure. Within the +-5% measurement resolution neither conductivity nor diffusivity showed a dependence upon pressure in any of the rocks. Conductivity and diffusivity in all rocks had a negative temperature dependence. For the Cycle 4 salt samples, conductivity fell from 5.5 to 3.75 W/m . K, and diffusivity fell from about 2.7 to 1.7 x 10 -6 m 2 /s. One Cycle 5 salt was a single crystal with anomalous results, but the other had a low conductivity with very weak temperature dependence and a high diffusivity. In the nonsalts, conductivity and diffusivity decreased 10 to 20% over the temperature range explored. In measurements of the coefficient of thermal linear expansion for Cycle 5 salt and nonsalts, the coefficient typically varied from about 12 x 10 -6 K -1 at P = 3.0 MPa to 4 x 10 -6 K -1 at P = 30 MPa for both nonsalt rocks. In anhydrite, it decreased with increasing temperature. In dolomite, the coefficient increased at roughly the same rate. Expansion of the salt ranged from 33 to 38 x 10 -6 K -1 and was independent of pressure and temperature

  2. Hydraulic Testing of Salado Formation Evaporites at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Site: Final Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beauheim, Richard L.; Domski, Paul S.; Roberts, Randall M.

    1999-01-01

    This report presents interpretations of hydraulic tests conducted in bedded evaporates of the Salado Formation from May 1992 through May 1995 at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site in southeastern New Mexico. The WIPP is a US Department of Energy research and development facility designed to demonstrate safe disposal of transuranic wastes from the nation's defense programs. The WIPP disposal horizon is located in the lower portion of the Permian Salado Formation. The hydraulic tests discussed in this report were performed in the WIPP underground facility by INTERA inc. (now Duke Engineering and Services, Inc.), Austin, Texas, following the Field Operations Plan and Addendum prepared by Saulnier (1988, 1991 ) under the technical direction of Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico

  3. A new 36Cl hydrological model and 36Cl systematics in the Jordan River/Dead Sea system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paul, M.; Fink, D.; Meirav, O.; Kaim, R.

    1986-01-01

    Accelerator mass spectrometry results of 36 Cl for the Jordan River/Dead Sea system show that the amount of chloride leached from rocks ranges from approx. 70% in source springs to >90% in water bodies downstream. Furthermore, the amount of water left after evaporation decreases from approx. 50% in the source springs to 20% in the intermediate Lake Kinneret. In the terminal Dead Sea, 99% of the stable chloride originates from ancient rocks and evaporite formations while approx. 80% of its 36 Cl content is of meteoric origin. Using 36 Cl measurements, the accumulation time of the Dead Sea salt is estimated to be 19,000-25,000 yr. (author)

  4. Abstracts of the Atlantic Geoscience Society's 2007 colloquium and annual general meeting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, S.; Parkhill, M.; Wilson, R.; Desrosiers, M.; Lentz, D.; Pitre, C.; Pronk, T.; Spooner, I.; Toole, R.; Wallace, P.

    2007-01-01

    The Atlantic Geoscience Society (AGS) hosts annual meetings, workshops and field trips to promote a better understanding of the geology of Atlantic Canada. This colloquium highlighted current research in the Atlantic provinces with special sessions devoted to patterns and geohazards in the North Atlantic; late and post-glacial climate change events in eastern Canada; salt matters; tectonic, thermal and resource aspects of Paleozoic to Mesozoic evaporite basins; mineral resources research by students of the Society of Economic Geologists; dendrochronology; a physical volcanology workshop; and, a North American soil geochemical landscape project orientation session. One of the 74 papers presented at this colloquium has been catalogued separately for inclusion in this database

  5. Fluid inclusion and oxygen isotope studies of the Nabarlek and Jabiluka uranium deposits, Northern Territory, Australia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ypma, P.J.M.; Fuzikawa, K.

    1980-01-01

    We lack a basic understanding of the solutions producing the uranium deposits of the Alligator Rivers Uranium Field (ARUF). Several theories have been proposed ranging from syngenetic, epigenetic hydrothermal, epigenetic metamorphogenic, surficial origin (Ferguson et al., this volume), and mobilization by evaporite deposits. As for a precipitation mechanism, we do not seem to find much beyond the presence of graphite in some ore-bearing and intra-formational strata, and pre-uranium sulphides, none of which reducing factors are common throughout all ore bodies. This study was initiated with the aim of obtaining direct fluid inclusion evidence of the solution transport and precipitation of uranium

  6. Evaluation of LANDSAT-2 (ERTS) images applied to geologic structures and mineral resources of South America. [Salar de Coposa, Chile and Salar of Uyuni, Bolivia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, W. D. (Principal Investigator); Kowalik, W. S.

    1976-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. The Salar of Coposa is located in northern Chile along the frontier with Bolivia. The surface was divided into six general classes of materials. Analysis of LANDSAT image 1243-14001 by use of interactive multispectral computer (Image 100) enabled accurate repetition of these general classes based on reflectance. The Salar of Uyuni is the largest of the South American evaporite deposits. Using image 1243-13595, and parallel piped computer classification of reflectance units, the Salar was divided into nine classes ranging from deep to shallow water, water over salt, salt saturated with water, and several classes of dry salt.

  7. Geologic history and hydrogeologic setting of the Edwards-Trinity aquifer system, west-central Texas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barker, R.A.; Bush, P.W.; Baker, E.T.

    1994-01-01

    The Edwards-Trinity aquifer system underlies about 42,000 square miles of west-central Texas. Nearly flat-lying, mostly Comanche (Lower Cretaceous) strata of the aquifer system thin northwestward atop massive pre-Cretaceous rocks that are comparatively impermeable and structurally complex. From predominately terrigenous clastic sediments in the east and fluvialdeltaic (terrestrial) deposits in the west, the rocks of early Trinitian age grade upward into supratidal evaporitic and dolomitic strata, intertidal limestone and dolostone, and shallow-marine, openshelf, and reefal strata of late Trinitian, Fredericksburgian, and Washitan age. A thick, downfaulted remnant of mostly open-marine strata of Eaglefordian through Navarroan age composes a small, southeastern part of the aquifer system.

  8. Abstracts of the Atlantic Geoscience Society's 2007 colloquium and annual general meeting

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnson, S.; Parkhill, M.; Wilson, R.; Desrosiers, M.; Lentz, D.; Pitre, C.; Pronk, T.; Spooner, I.; Toole, R.; Wallace, P. (comps.)

    2007-07-01

    The Atlantic Geoscience Society (AGS) hosts annual meetings, workshops and field trips to promote a better understanding of the geology of Atlantic Canada. This colloquium highlighted current research in the Atlantic provinces with special sessions devoted to patterns and geohazards in the North Atlantic; late and post-glacial climate change events in eastern Canada; salt matters; tectonic, thermal and resource aspects of Paleozoic to Mesozoic evaporite basins; mineral resources research by students of the Society of Economic Geologists; dendrochronology; a physical volcanology workshop; and, a North American soil geochemical landscape project orientation session. One of the 74 papers presented at this colloquium has been catalogued separately for inclusion in this database.

  9. Uranium in the black schists of Goesan (Ogcheon, Korea): relationships between organic matter and uranium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trichet, J.; Chun-Hyuck, O.

    1990-01-01

    The uranium deposit of Goesan is polyphased: its genesis resulted from sedimentary, diagenetic and metamorphic processes which occurred from late Proterozoic (presumed age of the deposition of the black shales) to late Trias. By its geochemical characters, this deposit resulted from the affinity existing between uranium and organic matter. The latter had a role both through the formation of organo-metallic complexes and as a reducing agent of the metal during the diagenetic evolution. Beside these factors favourable to metal accumulation, the possible development of evaporitic conditions and tectono-metamorphic processes can also have played an important role in the reconcentration of uranium as well as other metals [fr

  10. Neogene Tectonics of Part of the Junction of Cyprus and Hellenic Arcs in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Küçük, H. M.; Dondurur, D.; ćifçi, G.; Gürçay, S.; Hall, J.; Yaltırak, C.; Aksu, A. E.

    2012-04-01

    Messinian evaporite successions, and the N-reflector separates the Messinian evaporite successions from the pre-Messinian Miocene sediments. Interpretation of the data clearly shows that the Miocene and Pliocene-Quaternary tectonic frameworks of the Anaxagoras Mountain are dominated by thrust faults. These major faults in turn, control all of the sedimentary structures observed over the submarine mountain. These thrusts display E-W trending map traces and show southerly vergence. The seismic profiles across the southwestern margin of the Antalya Basin, immediately north of the Anaxagoras Mountain show the presence of numerous upright anticlines and their intervening synclines. These structures are interpreted as salt-cored anticlines. Although mud volcanoes and diapiric structures have also been observed in the area, the normal-move-out velocities suggest that these structures are indeed cored by evaporites. The western margin of the Anaxagoras Mountain is delineated by a profound lineation which separates it from the Anaximander Mountains in the west. In the seismic reflection profiles, this lineation appears to be controlled by NE-SW-trending and mainly west-verging thrusts. The tip points of these thrusts lie at the depositional surface, and their trajectories can be traced well below 4-5 seconds. It is speculated that this prominent and somewhat arcuate boundary defines a crustal scale structure that links the Anaximander Mountains to the Antalya Basin. If so, it might have a sinistral strike slip component, possibly associated with the clockwise rotation of the Anaxagoras Mountain. The acoustic basement is located at approximately 5-6 s in the seismic reflection profiles from the Antalya Basin, and is interpreted to include Miocene-Oligocene sediments. A short seismic profile from the eastern side of Finike basin shows that Pliocene-Quaternary thickness of Finike Basin is more than in the Antalya Basin. The fact that no unequivocal evaporite successions are observed in

  11. Latest Miocene-Pliocene Tiliviche Paleolake, Atacama Desert, Northern Chile 19.5°S: Paleoclimatic and Paleohydrologic Implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirk-Lawlor, N. E.; Jordan, T. E.; Rech, J.; Lehmann, S.

    2010-12-01

    Endorheic paleolake deposits of diatomite, mudstone, sandstone, and evaporites are exposed in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. This study focuses on a major latest Miocene-Pliocene paleolake system centered at 19.5°S, near Tiliviche. A diatiomite unit, up to 35m thick, composed of 0.2-1.5m thick beds of massive, white diatiomite, free of plant matter and root traces, is interpreted have formed from lacustrine diatom blooms. At its maximum extent, the lake would have had a surface area of roughly 200 km2, based on the extent of the diatomite unit, and might have been 50-100 m deep, as inferred by the relationship between the diatomite unit and modern topography. The Tiliviche paleolake initially formed before 6.4 Ma, and much of its sedimentary record formed under a wetter climatic and hydrologic regime than the present. Prior to 3.5 Ma, the lake had evolved into a groundwater-fed saltpan. Polygonally fractured efflorescent halite evaporite and bedded gypsum and gypsarenite evaporite deposits that overlie the diatomite unit are evidence of this saltpan environment. The modern Atacama Desert is hyperarid, with an average precipitation of 2 mm/yr in the driest areas. The paleosol record demonstrates that hyperarid conditions dominated this region since the middle Miocene, albeit with multiple fluctuations to less arid conditions of short to moderately long duration. This hyperaridity is due to the desert’s latitude, ocean currents and the rainshadow created by the Andes. There is no evidence that the rainshadow effect has diminished since the late Miocene, hence global climate changes affecting ocean temperatures and atmospheric patterns likely caused the wetter periods in the Atacama. In particular, prior workers noted wetter conditions in the region ~6-5 Ma, followed by a return to hyper-arid conditions. The regional Pliocene return to hyperaridity coincided with the desiccation of the Tiliviche endorheic lake system. During the late Miocene (~6-5 Ma) wetter

  12. Stable isotope stratigraphy of Latest Miocene sequences in northwest Morocco: The Bou Regreg section

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hodell, David A.; Benson, Richard H.; Kennett, James P.; Rakic-El Bied, Kruna

    1989-08-01

    Oxygen and carbon isotopic ratios of foraminifers were measured from outcrop and drill core sequences from the Bou Regreg Section, northwest Morocco. This composite section was located at the western end of the Rifian Corridor during the late Miocene and thus potentially contains a record of water exchange between the Atlantic and Mediterranean during the late Tortonian and Messinian stages. Here we correlate isotopic and sedimentologic events in the Bou Regreg Section with Mediterranean and deep-sea sequences during the time leading up to and including the deposition of the Messinian evaporites. The late Miocene chron 6 carbon shift was identified in two Moroccan sequences, providing a valuable 6.3-Ma datum level. In both sections, the carbon shift coincides with the first occurrence of Globorotalia conomiozea and the Tortonian/Messinian boundary. Near this boundary, a major faunal turnover occurred in ostracod, planktonic foraminiferal, and nannofossil assemblages that indicates a cooling of surface and deep water in the Rifian Corridor. At 6.1 Ma, just above the Tortonian/Messinian boundary, mean ∂18O values of benthic foraminifers increased by 0.4-0.5‰ suggesting decreased temperature and/or increased continental ice volume. The faunal and isotopic changes are interpreted as reflecting a reversal in the direction of deep water flow through the Rifian Corridor that occurred between 6.3 and 6.1 Ma. At this time, cold, nutrient-rich waters filled the Mediterranean basins from intermediate depths of the Atlantic, and the production of Mediterranean Outflow Water ceased. The upwelling of nutrient-rich Atlantic intermediate water stimulated productivity in the Mediterranean, which led to the deposition of organic-rich strata such as those found in the Tripoli Formation. At ˜5.5 Ma, coincident with a coiling shift in Neogloboquadrina acostaensis, the variability of the benthic ∂18O signal increased markedly, and strong color variations appeared in the sediments

  13. "Let's take back our roots through Science". The Sicilian Sulfur: a mineralogical treasure to rediscover.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parisi, Bianca

    2015-04-01

    The name of sulfur is synonymous of Sicily! Sicilian Sulfur minerals and evaporitic deposits are well-known because they are connected with an important evolution stage of the old mediterranean area. In this Island, in the southern part of Italy, a geological formation of Messinian age, called "gessoso solfifera", outcrops. These rocks are widespread in the south and south-west Sicily, and, there, salt mines and "zolfare", sulfur mines, were located. The formation is characterized by large amounts of gypsum, potassium salts, sodium chlorates and other deposits. Most of the main mineralogical museum collections all over the world have at least a sample of one of these minerals that are usually characterized by a high aesthetic quality. When I proposed a lesson on the origin of sulfur in evaporitic rocks, I realized that an important part of the hystory of our region was in danger to be forgotten by younger generation. The exploitation of this mineral resource in the past is strictly linked to the troubled social and cultural transformation of Sicily during the last century. Thus, this is a particularly suitable topic for a multidisciplinary approach. In cooperation with the Mineralogical Museum (SteBiCeF Department, University of Palermo), a learning project was proposed to a group of 4th year high school students. It has been carrying on in order to develop the knowledge of the geological and chemical features of evaporitic deposits and to promote scientific abilities together with a better understanding of social-environmental issues. Project aims and activities include: ➢ Solubility and saturation experiments to reconstruct a simplified model of minerals deposition ➢ Working in groups: collection of data about old geological outcrops and current evaporating basins where rocks are forming in the world as well as information on sicilian mines from literature and historical documents (video, interviews, pictures, newspapers and others) ➢ a guided tour of the

  14. Sedimentary facies and depositional environments of early Mesozoic Newark Supergroup basins, eastern North America

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smoot, J.P.

    1991-01-01

    The early Mesozoic Newark Supergroup consists of continental sedimentary rocks and basalt flows that occupy a NE-trending belt of elongate basins exposed in eastern North America. The basins were filled over a period of 30-40 m.y. spanning the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic, prior to the opening of the north Atlantic Ocean. The sedimentary rocks are here divided into four principal lithofacies. The alluvial-fan facies includes deposits dominated by: (1) debris flows; (2) shallow braided streams; (3) deeper braided streams (with trough crossbeds); or (4) intense bioturbation or hyperconcentrated flows (tabular, unstratified muddy sandstone). The fluvial facies include deposits of: (1) shallow, ephemeral braided streams; (2) deeper, flashflooding, braided streams (with poor sorting and crossbeds); (3) perennial braided rivers; (4) meandering rivers; (5) meandering streams (with high suspended loads); (6) overbank areas or local flood-plain lakes; or (7) local streams and/or colluvium. The lacustrine facies includes deposits of: (1) deep perennial lakes; (2) shallow perennial lakes; (3) shallow ephemeral lakes; (4) playa dry mudflats; (5) salt-encrusted saline mudflats; or (6) vegetated mudflats. The lake margin clastic facies includes deposits of: (1) birdfoot deltas; (2) stacked Gilbert-type deltas; (3) sheet deltas; (4) wave-reworked alluvial fans; or (5) wave-sorted sand sheets. Coal deposits are present in the lake margin clastic and the lacustrine facies of Carnian age (Late Triassic) only in basins of south-central Virginia and North and South Carolina. Eolian deposits are known only from the basins in Nova Scotia and Connecticut. Evaporites (and their pseudomorphs) occur mainly in the northern basins as deposits of saline soils and less commonly of saline lakes, and some evaporite and alkaline minerals present in the Mesozoic rocks may be a result of later diagenesis. These relationships suggest climatic variations across paleolatitudes, more humid to the

  15. Paleozoic-involving thrust array in the central Sierras Interiores (South Pyrenean Zone, Central Pyrenees): regional implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez, L.; Cuevas, J.; Tubía, J. M.

    2012-04-01

    This work deals with the structural evolution of the Sierras Interiores between the Tena and Aragon valleys. The Sierras Interiores is a WNW-trending mountain range that bounds the South Pyrenean Zone to the north and that is characterized by a thrust-fold system with a strong lithological control that places preferably decollements in Triassic evaporites. In the studied area of the Sierras Interiores Cenomanian limestones cover discordantly the Paleozoic rocks of the Axial Zone because there is a stratigraphic lacuna developed from Triassic to Late Cretaceous times. A simple lithostratigraphy of the study area is made up of Late Cenomanian to Early Campanian limestones with grey colour and massive aspect in landscape (170 m, Lower calcareous section), Campanian to Maastrichtian brown coloured sandstones (400-600 m, Marboré sandstones) and, finally, Paleocene light-coloured massive limestones (130-230 m), that often generate the higher topographic levels of the Sierras Interiores due to their greater resistance to erosion. Above the sedimentary sequence of the Sierras Interiores, the Jaca Basin flysch succession crops out discordantly. Based on a detailed mapping of the studied area of the Sierras Interiores, together with well and structural data of the Jaca Basin (Lanaja, 1987; Rodríguez and Cuevas, 2008) we have constructed a 12 km long NS cross section, approximately parallel to the movement direction deduced for this region (Rodríguez et al., 2011). The main structure is a thrust array made up of at least four Paleozoic-involving thrusts (the deeper thrust system) of similar thickness in a probably piggyback sequence, some of which are blind thrusts that generate fold-propagation-folds in upper levels. The higher thrust of the thrust array crops out duplicating the lower calcareous section all over the Sierras Interiores. The emplacement of the deeper thrust system generated the tightness of previous structures: south directed piggyback duplexes (the upper

  16. Control of preexisting faults and near-surface diapirs on geometry and kinematics of fold-and-thrust belts (Internal Prebetic, Eastern Betic Cordillera)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pedrera, Antonio; Marín-Lechado, Carlos; Galindo-Zaldívar, Jesús; García-Lobón, José Luis

    2014-07-01

    We have determined, for the first time, the 3D geometry of a sector of the eastern Internal Prebetic comprised between Parcent and Altea diapirs, combining structural, borehole and multichannel seismic reflection data. The tectonic structure of the Jurassic-Cretaceous carbonate series is characterized by regional ENE-WSW fold-and-thrusts that interact with oblique N-S and WNW-ESE folds, detached over Triassic evaporites and clays. The structural style comprises box-shape anticlines, and N-vergent anticlines with vertical to overturned limbs frequently bordered by reverse and strike-slip faults. The anticlines surround a triangular broad synclinal structure, the Tárbena basin, filled by a late Oligocene to Tortonian sedimentary sequence that recorded folding and thrusting history. The location and geometrical characteristics of fold-and-thrusts may be controlled by the positive inversion of pre-existing Mesozoic normal faults, and by the position and shape of near-surface diapirs composed of Triassic rocks. Therefore, we propose an initial near-surface diapir emplacement of Triassic evaporitic rocks driven by late Jurassic to early Cretaceous rifting of the southern Iberian paleomargin. Thrusting and folding started during the latest Oligocene (∼28-23 Ma) roughly orthogonal to the NW-directed shortening. Deformation migrated to the south during Aquitanian (∼23-20 Ma), when tectonic inversion implied the left-lateral transpressive reactivation of N-S striking former normal faults and right-lateral/reverse reactivation of inherited WNW-ESE faults. We show two mechanisms driving the extrusion of the diapirs during contraction: lateral migration of a pre-existing near-surface diapir associated with dextral transpression; and squeezing of a previous near-surface diapir at the front of an anticline. Our study underlines the value of 3D geological modeling to characterize geometry and kinematics of complex fold-and-thrust belts influenced by preexisting faults and

  17. Antarctic Mirabilite Mounds as Mars Analogs: The Lewis Cliffs Ice Tongue Revisited

    Science.gov (United States)

    Socki, Richard A.; Sun, Tao; Niles, Paul B.; Harvey, Ralph P.; Bish, David L.; Tonui, Eric

    2012-01-01

    It has been proposed, based on geomorphic and geochemical arguments, that subsurface water has played an important role in the history of water on the planet Mars [1]. Subsurface water, if present, could provide a protected and long lived environment for potential life. Discovery of gullies [2] and recurring slopes [3] on Mars suggest the potential for subsurface liquid water or brines. Recent attention has also focused on small (the mid to high latitudes on the surface of Mars which may be caused by eruptions of subsurface fluids [4, 5]. We have identified massive but highly localized Na-sulfate deposits (mirabilite mounds, Na2SO4 .10H2O) that may be derived from subsurface fluids and may provide insight into the processes associated with subsurface fluids on Mars. The mounds are found on the end moraine of the Lewis Cliffs Ice Tongue (LCIT) [6] in the Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica, and are potential terrestrial analogs for mounds observed on the martian surface. The following characteristics distinguish LCIT evaporite mounds from other evaporite mounds found in Antarctic coastal environments and/or the McMurdo Dry Valleys: (1) much greater distance from the open ocean (approx.500 km); (2) higher elevation (approx.2200 meters); and (3) colder average annual temperature (average annual temperature = -30 C for LCIT [7] vs. 20 C at sea level in the McMurdo region [8]. Furthermore, the recent detection of subsurface water ice (inferred as debris-covered glacial ice) by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter [9] supports the use of an Antarctic glacial environment, particularly with respect to the mirabilite deposits described in this work, as an ideal terrestrial analog for understanding the geochemistry associated with near-surface martian processes. S and O isotopic compositions.

  18. Energetics of silicate melts from thermal diffusion studies. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walker, D.

    1997-01-01

    Initially this project was directed towards exploiting Soret diffusion of silicate liquids to learn about the internal energetics of the constituents of the liquids. During the course of this project this goal was realized at the same time a series of intellectual and technical developments expanded the scope of the undertaking. Briefly recapping some of the highlights, the project was initiated after the discovery that silicate liquids were strongly Soret-active. It was possible to observe the development of strong diffusive gradients in silicate liquid composition in response to laboratory-imposed thermal gradients. The character of the chemical separations was a direct window into the internal speciation of the liquids; the rise time of the separation was a useful entree to quantitatively measuring chemical diffusivity; and the steady state magnitude of the separation proved to be an excellent determinant of the constituents' mixing energies. A comprehensive program was initiated to measure the separations, rise times, and mixing energies of a range of geologically and technically interesting silicate liquids. An additional track of activities in the DOE project has run in parallel to the Soret investigation of single-phase liquids in a thermal gradient. This additional track is the study of liquid-plus-crystal systems in a thermal gradient. In these studies solubility-driven diffusion introduced many useful effects, some quite surprising. In partially molten silicate liquids the authors applied their experiments to understanding magmatic cumulate rocks. They have also applied their understanding of these systems to aspects of evaporite deposits in the geological record. They also undertook studies of this sort in systems with retrograde solubility in order to form the basis for understanding remediation for brine migration problems in evaporite-hosted nuclear waste repositories such as the WIPP

  19. High-precision 41K/39K measurements by MC-ICP-MS indicate terrestrial variability of δ41K

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan, Leah; Santiago Ramos, Danielle P.; Davidheiser-Kroll, Brett; Faithfull, John; Lloyd, Nicholas S.; Ellam, Rob M.; Higgins, John A.

    2018-01-01

    Potassium is a major component in continental crust, the fourth-most abundant cation in seawater, and a key element in biological processes. Until recently, difficulties with existing analytical techniques hindered our ability to identify natural isotopic variability of potassium isotopes in terrestrial materials. However, measurement precision has greatly improved and a range of K isotopic compositions has now been demonstrated in natural samples. In this study, we present a new technique for high-precision measurement of K isotopic ratios using high-resolution, cold plasma multi-collector mass spectrometry. We apply this technique to demonstrate natural variability in the ratio of 41K to 39K in a diverse group of geological and biological samples, including silicate and evaporite minerals, seawater, and plant and animal tissues. The total range in 41K/39K ratios is ca. 2.6‰, with a long-term external reproducibility of 0.17‰ (2, N=108). Seawater and seawater-derived evaporite minerals are systematically enriched in 41K compared to silicate minerals by ca. 0.6‰, a result consistent with recent findings1, 2. Although our average bulk-silicate Earth value (-0.54‰) is indistinguishable from previously published values, we find systematic δ41K variability in some high-temperature sample suites, particularly those with evidence for the presence of fluids. The δ41K values of biological samples span a range of ca. 1.2‰ between terrestrial mammals, plants, and marine organisms. Implications of terrestrial K isotope variability for the atomic weight of K and K-based geochronology are discussed. Our results indicate that high-precision measurements of stable K isotopes, made using commercially available mass spectrometers, can provide unique insights into the chemistry of potassium in geological and biological systems. 

  20. Origin of salinity in produced waters from the Palm Valley gas field, Northern Territory, Australia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrew, Anita S.; Whitford, David J.; Berry, Martin D.; Barclay, Stuart A.; Giblin, Angela M.

    2005-01-01

    The chemical composition and evolution of produced waters associated with gas production in the Palm Valley gas field, Northern Territory, has important implications for issues such as gas reserve calculations, reservoir management and saline water disposal. The occurrence of saline formation water in the Palm Valley field has been the subject of considerable debate. There were no occurrences of mobile water early in the development of the field and only after gas production had reduced the reservoir pressure, was saline formation water produced. Initially this was in small quantities but has increased dramatically with time, particularly after the initiation of compression in November 1996. The produced waters range from highly saline (up to 300,000 mg/L TDS), with unusual enrichments in Ca, Ba and Sr, to low salinity fluids that may represent condensate waters. The Sr isotopic compositions of the waters ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr = 0.7041-0.7172) are also variable but do not correlate closely with major and trace element abundances. Although the extreme salinity suggests possible involvement of evaporite deposits lower in the stratigraphic sequence, the Sr isotopic composition of the high salinity waters suggests a more complex evolutionary history. The formation waters are chemically and isotopically heterogeneous and are not well mixed. The high salinity brines have Sr isotopic compositions and other geochemical characteristics more consistent with long-term residence within the reservoir rocks than with present-day derivation from a more distal pool of brines associated with evaporites. If the high salinity brines entered the reservoir during the Devonian uplift and were displaced by the reservoir gas into a stagnant pool, which has remained near the reservoir for the last 300-400 Ma, then the size of the brine pool is limited. At a minimum, it might be equivalent to the volume displaced by the reservoired gas

  1. Formation of phreatomagmatic pipes in the Tunguska Basin (Siberia, Russia) during the end-Permian

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polozov, Alexander; Svensen, Henrik; Planke, Sverre

    2010-05-01

    We recently proposed that numerous pipes piercing sedimentary rocks of Tunguska Basin triggered the Permian-Triassic mass extinction (Svensen et al., 2009). Large amounts of greenhouse and poisonous gases were released through the pipes and into P-Tr atmosphere, partly formed by heating of petroleum-bearing evaporites. The sub-volcanic part of the Siberian Traps was emplaced in the Tunguska Basin sedimentary sequences, which includes Pre-Cambrian source rocks, Early Cambrian evaporites, and Paleozoic terrigenous and coal-bearing rocks. Spectacular breccia pipes are numerous in the evaporate-parts of the basin, and are filled with volcaniclastic rocks and commercial magnetite mineralization. Although these pipes have been intensively studied in order to understand the iron ore formation, the origin and formation of the pipes is poorly understood. Many researchers emphasize that magma-sediments interaction as a key reason of pipe formation, whereas phreatomagmatic hypothesis are also proposed. In order to improve the understanding of pipe formation and ore-deposition, we have studied a basalt-rich breccia pipe piercing Cambrian evaporates at the Nepa locality in East Siberia. Textural features of the volcanic fragments in the breccias include lapilli, Pele's hear, glassy basalt and dolerite clasts, blocks of tuffs in addition to sedimentary rocks. Calcite and halite are the most common types of cement. We have studied minerals from the breccia cement and from reaction rims around clasts in order to understand the hydrothermal system that developed after the pipe formed. Calcite and dolomite are the dominating carbonates, and two types of anhydrite is present. Biotite, Cl-Fe-bearing amphibole (hastingsite), and Cl-F-apatite are amongst early hydrothermal minerals covering magmatic clast and lapillies. Our new data confirm (i) the phreatomagmatic nature of breccia filling in the Tunguska Basin pipes and (ii) the key role of sedimentary brine and petroleum involved in

  2. Characterization of the structure of the Salar de Atacama Basin through gravimetric profiles and interval velocity analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becerra, J.; Bascunan, S. A.; Maksymowicz, A.; Martínez, F.; Arriagada, C.

    2017-12-01

    The structure of the basins found in the Preandean Depression in the northern Central Andes has remained elusive, partly due to a poor understanding of the structural styles and stratigraphy beneath their surface. An independent approach to the multiple interpretations of seismic lines available is the analysis of 2D gravity profiles. An E-W profile was performed across the basin, closely matching the surficial trace of previous seismic lines. The profile shows three gravimetric lows, the most relevant being one beneath the Llano de la Paciencia- Cordillera de la Sal, comprised of deformed evaporitic and terrigenous deposits of Oligocene-Early Miocene age. The structure which bounds this gravity low has a steeper dip on its eastern side, bounding the eastern side of the Cordillera de la Sal, which is at odds with previous studies that interpreted its western contact with Cretaceous outcrops as the possible basin boundary. The 3-D analyses of seismic interval velocity data around the gravimetric survey reveal a major vertical contrast in the eastern portion of the profile, interpreted as the bottom of the evaporite successions, followed to the west by a complex, narrow and deep zone of low velocities. Westward, the Cretaceous rocks record higher velocities than its post-Paleocene counterparts, and an almost uniform increase in velocity with depth. The major gravity anomaly is closely related to the Cordillera de la Sal, which consists of an array of folds and reverse faults involving Oligocene to recent deposits. We propose that the faults which generated Oligocene extension are not at the western border of the basin, but around the Cordillera de la Sal, which is the result of Miocene inversion of the same system. Strike-slip deformation was also probably a major contributor in basin formation, as shown by the narrow yet deep shape of the depocenter.

  3. Application of a multimolecular marker approach to fingerprint petroleum pollution in the marine environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barakat, Assem O.; Mostafa, Alaa R.; Rullkoetter, Juergen; Hegazi, Abdel Rahman

    1999-01-01

    In an attempt to investigate the suitability of a multibiological marker approach for defining the origin of petroleum pollution in marine systems, the aliphatic hydrocarbon composition of tar ball samples collected from the beaches of a small island impacted by heavy tar loads were determined by gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The tar ball samples, as collected, were at low stages of biodegradation and had diverse physical appearance. The majority of the samples (as many as 7 of the 10) appeared to be heavy fuel oils - possibly Bunker C. The GC traces for the other three tar balls, however, indicated that they were crude oils probably from tanker ballast washings or other non-point sources like the oil entering from the adjacent North Mediterranean. The biomarkers for the sterane and hopane series in these samples, however, had remained unaffected by weathering, and their distributions revealed significant differences among the samples suggesting multiple sources of the tar balls. The tar ball samples could be genetically subdivided into four groups on the basis of their biomarker fingerprints. A marine carbonate or evaporite, hypersaline, anoxic depositional environment of the petroleum source rock for Type I residues could be inferred from the even-carbon-number predominance of n-alkanes, the high relative abundance of gammacerane and the predominance of C 35 relative to C 34 17α(H)-homohopanes. Higher plant contribution and a deltaic environment of source rock deposition could be concluded for Type II residues from the high concentrations of oleanane and diasteranes. On the other hand, Type III residues possessed geochemical characteristics consistent with a normal marine carbonate or evaporite source depositional environment under normal saline, reducing conditions. Finally, type IV residues had biomarker signatures intermediate between Types II and III. (Author)

  4. Formation of Si-Al-Mg-Ca-rich zoned magnetite in an end-Permian phreatomagmatic pipe in the Tunguska Basin, East Siberia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neumann, Else-Ragnhild; Svensen, Henrik H.; Polozov, Alexander G.; Hammer, Øyvind

    2017-12-01

    Magma-sediment interactions in the evaporite-rich Tunguska Basin resulted in the formation of numerous phreatomagmatic pipes during emplacement of the Siberian Traps. The pipes contain magnetite-apatite deposits with copper and celestine mineralization. We have performed a detailed petrographic and geochemical study of magnetite from long cores drilled through three pipe breccia structures near Bratsk, East Siberia. The magnetite samples are zoned and rich in Si (≤5.3 wt% SiO2), Ca, Al, and Mg. They exhibit four textural types: (1) massive ore in veins, (2) coating on breccia clasts, (3) replacement ore, and (4) reworked ore at the crater base. The textural types have different chemical characteristics. "Breccia coating" magnetite has relatively low Mg content relative to Si, as compared to the other groups, and appears to have formed at lower oxygen fugacity. Time series analyses of MgO variations in microprobe transects across Si-bearing magnetite in massive ore indicate that oscillatory zoning in the massive ore was controlled by an internal self-organized process. We suggest that hydrothermal Fe-rich brines were supplied from basalt-sediment interaction zones in the evaporite-rich sedimentary basin, leading to magnetite ore deposition in the pipes. Hydrothermal fluid composition appears to be controlled by proximity to dolerite fragments, temperature, and oxygen fugacity. Magnetite from the pipes has attributes of iron oxide-apatite deposits (e.g., textures, oscillatory zoning, association with apatite, and high Si content) but has higher Mg and Ca content and different mineral assemblages. These features are similar to magnetite found in skarn deposits. We conclude that the Siberian Traps-related pipe magnetite deposit gives insight into the metamorphic and hydrothermal effects following magma emplacement in a sedimentary basin.

  5. Mineral sources of water and their influence on the safe disposal of radioactive wastes in bedded salt deposits

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fallis, S.M.

    1973-12-01

    With the increased use of nuclear energy, there will be subsequent increases in high-level radioactive wastes such as Sr/sup 90/, Cs/sup 137/, and Pu/sup 239/. Several agencies have considered the safest possible means to store or dispose of wastes in geologic environments such as underground storage in salt deposits, shale beds, abandoned dry mines, and in clay and shale pits. Salt deposits have received the most favorable attention because they exist in dry environments and because of other desirable properties of halite (its plasticity, gamma-ray shielding, heat dissipation ability, low mining cost, and worldwide abundance). Much work has been done on bedded salt deposits, particularly the Hutchinson Salt Member of the Wellington Formation at Lyons, Kansas. Salt beds heated by the decay of the radioactive wastes may release water by dehydration of hydrous minerals commonly present in evaporite sequences or water present in other forms such as fluid inclusions. More than 80 hydrous minerals are known to occur in evaporite deposits. The occurrences, total water contents (up to 63%) and dehydration temperatures (often less that 150/sup 0/C) of these minerals are given. Since it is desirable to dispose of radioactive wastes in a dry environment, care must be taken that large quantities of water are not released through the heating of hydrous minerals. Seventy-four samples from four cores taken at Lyons, Kansas, were analyzed by x-ray diffraction. The minerals detected were halite, anhydrite, gypsum, polyhalite, dolomite, magnesite, quartz, feldspar, and the clay minerals illite, chlorite, kaolinite, vermiculite, smectite, mixed-layer clay, and corrensite (interstratified chlorite-vermiculite). Of these, gypsum, polyhalite and the clay minerals are all capable of releasing water when heated.

  6. Interpretation of brine-permeability tests of the Salado Formation at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site: First interim report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beauheim, R.L. (Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)); Saulnier, G.J. Jr.; Avis, J.D. (INTERA, Inc., Austin, TX (United States))

    1991-08-01

    Pressure-pulse tests have been performed in bedded evaporites of the Salado Formation at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site to evaluate the hydraulic properties controlling brine flow through the Salado. Hydraulic conductivities ranging from about 10{sup {minus}14} to 10{sup {minus}11} m/s (permeabilities of about 10{sup {minus}21} to 10{sup {minus}18} m{sup 2}) have been interpreted from nine tests conducted on five stratigraphic intervals within eleven meters of the WIPP underground excavations. Tests of a pure halite layer showed no measurable permeability. Pore pressures in the stratigraphic intervals range from about 0.5 to 9.3 MPa. An anhydrite interbed (Marker Bed 139) appears to be one or more orders of magnitude more permeable than the surrounding halite. Hydraulic conductivities appear to increase, and pore pressures decrease, with increasing proximity to the excavations. These effects are particularly evident within two to three meters of the excavations. Two tests indicated the presence of apparent zero-flow boundaries about two to three meters from the boreholes. The other tests revealed no apparent boundaries within the radii of influence of the tests, which were calculated to range from about four to thirty-five meters from the test holes. The data are insufficient to determine if brine flow through evaporites results from Darcy-like flow driven by pressure gradients within naturally interconnected porosity or from shear deformation around excavations connecting previously isolated pores, thereby providing pathways for fluids at or near lithostatic pressure to be driven towards the low-pressure excavations. Future testing will be performed at greater distances from the excavations to evaluate hydraulic properties and processes beyond the range of excavation effects.

  7. Sulfate mineralogy of fumaroles in the Salton Sea Geothermal Field, Imperial County, California

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, Paul M.; Lynch, David K.; Buckland, Kerry N.; Johnson, Patrick D.; Tratt, David M.

    2017-11-01

    The Salton Trough lies in the transition between the San Andreas Fault and oblique spreading centers and transform faults in the Gulf of California. The Salton Sea Geothermal Field is the northernmost expression of those spreading centers. In 2007 two ammonia-emitting fumarole fields that had been submerged beneath the Salton Sea were exposed for the first time in nearly 50 years. As the sea level continued to drop these fields have developed a number of boiling pools, mud pots, gryphons and a unique suite of ammonium sulfate minerals. These have been studied over time with long-wave infrared remote sensing coupled with ground truth surveys backed by laboratory analyses of the minerals. Many vents lie at the center of concentric rings of mineralization with systematic occurrence of different minerals from center to edge. Three semi-concentric zones (fumarole, transition and evaporite) have been defined with respect to ammonia-emitting vents and bubbling pools. The scale of these zones range from several meters, localized around individual vents, to that of the fumarole fields as a whole. The fumarole zone is closest to the vents and locally contains cavernous sulfur crystals and significant deposits of gypsum, mascagnite, boussingaultite and other ammonium sulfates. The transition zone comprises a dark brown surficial band of inconspicuous sodium nitrate underlain by anhydrite/bassanite that is thought to have formed by ammonia-oxidizing microbes interacting with the ammonium sulfates of the outer fumarole zone. The evaporite zone is the outermost and contains blödite, thenardite and glauberite, which are typical of the sulfates associated with the shoreline of the Salton Sea. Remote sensing has shown that the mineral zones have remained relatively stable from 2013 to 2017, with minor variations depending on rainfall, temperature and levels of agricultural runoff.

  8. Sur l'origine par altération du substratum schisteux de la minéralisation chlorurée des eaux d'une nappe côtière sous climat semi-aride (Chtouka-Massa, Maroc)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krimissa, Samira; Michelot, Jean-Luc; Bouchaou, Lhoussaine; Mudry, Jacques; Hsissou, Youssef

    2004-11-01

    The origin of chloride ions in groundwater from the Chtouka-Massa plain (Morocco) was studied by using chemical and isotopic analyses of water, and petrographic and chemical analyses of rocks. It appears that the schist formation, which forms the basement of the studied aquifer, is the main source of the high Cl - concentrations in groundwater. In these schists, chloride is, for a part, probably contained in biotites, and is released into groundwater through the weathering of these minerals. However, the exceptionally high chloride contents of these schists are difficult to explain if one does not assume that they also contain evaporitic-type minerals. To cite this article: S. Krimissa et al., C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).

  9. Actual stage of organic geochemical knowledge from Campos and Espirito Santo basins, Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaglianone, P.C.; Trindade, L.A.F.

    1987-01-01

    Campos and Espirito Santo basins display several similar geochemical aspects. The microbial and other degradation processes caused changes in the composition of the oils in the reservoir rocks. The oils are biodegraded in different degrees, with the reservoir temperature developing an important role in the control of the biodegradation process. The migration pathway model is similar for Campos and Espirito Santo basins, involving the upward secondary migration through a window in the evaporitic seals. The oils passed to the marine sequence where migration and accumulation were controlled by faults, regional unconformities and by reservoirs. The geochemical correlation of oils are realized by gaseous and liquid chromatography analysis, carbon isotopes and biolabelled compounds. (author)

  10. Geologic framework and hydrogeologic characteristics of the outcrops of the Edwards and Trinity aquifers, Medina Lake area, Texas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Small, Ted A.; Lambert, Rebecca B.

    1998-01-01

    The hydrogeologic subdivisions of the Edwards aquifer outcrop in the Medina Lake area in Medina and Bandera Counties generally are porous and permeable. The most porous and permeable appear to be hydrogeologic subdivision VI, the Kirschberg evaporite member of the Kainer Formation; and hydrogeologic subdivision III, the leached and collapsed members, undivided, of the Person Formation. The porosity of the rocks in the Edwards aquifer outcrop is related to depositional or diagenetic elements along specific stratigraphic horizons (fabric selective) and to dissolution and structural elements that can occur in any lithostratigraphic horizon (not fabric selective). Permeability depends on the physical properties of the rock such as size, shape, and distribution of pores.

  11. Basic data report for drillhole WIPP 27 (Waste Isolation Pilot Plant)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1979-10-01

    WIPP 27 was drilled in Eddy County, New Mexico (NM 1/4 sec. 21, T21S, R30E) to investigate evaporite dissolution features and to determine the stratigraphy of surface and near-surface formations. The borehole encountered, from top to bottom, 79 feet of Quaternary deposits, 73 feet of the Rustler Formation, and 171 feet of the upper portion of the Salado Formation. Consecutive cores were obtained for the entire depth of WIPP 27. Geophysical logs measure acoustic velocities, density, radioactivity, and formation resistivity. An interpretive report on dissolution in Nash Draw will be based on combined borehole data, surface mapping and laboratory analyses of Nash Draw rocks and fluids

  12. Geochemical evaluation of marginal basins in the south of Bahia state, Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaglianone, P.C.; Trindade, L.A.F.; Nascimento, M.M. do

    1987-01-01

    Geochemical analyses were performed on more than 700 rock samples and 4 oil samples, from Mucuri, Cumuruxatiba and Jequitinhonha basins, offshore Bahia state, Brazil. The methods employed in this study includes the evaluation of organic carbon contents, Rock-Eval pyrolysis, vitrinite reflectance, carbon isotopes, assessment of oils and extrats by liquid and gas chromatography and gas chromatography - spectrometry. Three main source rock systems have been identified in offshore Bahia: the Mucuri shales from Rio da Serra and Aratu Stages lower Neocomian related to a lacustrine fresh water environment; the Jiquia shales (Upper Neocomian) deposited in a lacustrine saline water environment, and the Alagoas Shales related to an evaporitic environment of Aptian age. (author) [pt

  13. Basic data report for Drillhole ERDA 10 (Waste Isolation Pilot Plant - WIPP)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1983-02-01

    Borehole ERDA 10 was drilled to obtain information on possible dissolution of halite within the Castile Formation and on the hydrologic characteristics of the fluid-bearing zones in the Bell Canyon Formation. The borehole is located in Section 34, T23S,R30E in southern Eddy County, New Mexico. ERDA 10 was drilled to a depth of 4431.5 ft. Cores from the Castile were taken to obtain direct information which was supplemented by geophysical logging. Based on preliminary analysis of the data, the ERDA 10 stratigraphic section is interpreted as a sequence of sandstones, siltstones, claystones, and evaporites normal for the area. No evidence of dissolution of significant amounts of halite was observed

  14. Hydrogeological study in the catalonian potassic tertiary basin. Sallent-Barcelona, Spain; Estudio hidrogeologico de la cuenca potasica catalana en el entorno de Sallent y la antigua Mina Enrique. Provincia de Barcelona (Espana)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ribera, F.; Dorca, H.; Martinez, P.; Pina, J.; Otero, N.; Palau, J.; Solar, A.

    2009-07-01

    The Catalonian Potassic Basin is described as a thick regressive-sedimentary Tertiary basin that includes marine, evaporitic-transitional and continental facies, overlying by no-consolidated quaternary alluvial sediments. The intense underground mining activity used in the exploitation of salts with rich K contents in the CPC during the last century, has provoked some problems related to surface and groundwater contamination and the existence of subsidence areas. The objective of the hydrogeological studies in the CPC area are focused in the characterization of the Tertiary aquifer and the definition of their conceptual model of behaviour. The last challenge of the project is to determine the relationship between subsidence and hydrogeology in these salt bodies. (Author) 14 refs.

  15. Seismic investigations for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barrows, L.J.

    1984-01-01

    Evaporite rocks in the Delaware Basin in southeastern New Mexico are being investigated as a possible site for nuclear waste disposal. Seismic studies have been conducted to establish seismic design criteria and to investigate relations between seismicity and geologic structures. In the initial phase of this study, historical and available seismic data were interpreted with respect to geology. Local instrumentation became available in 1974 when New Mexico Tech installed and began operating a seismic station in the area. Data and interpretation for 1974 through 1979 have been published. In 1980 seismic monitoring of the Northern Delaware Basin was extended to include a six station network of self-contained radio-telemetered seismometers. 9 references, 13 figures

  16. Area geological characterization report for the Palo Duro and Dalhart Basins, Texas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1983-07-01

    The present state of knowledge of the geology, hydrogeology, and seismology of the Palo Duro and Dalhart basins is summarized as a basis for future siting studies for a high-level nuclear waste repository. Large portions of the Texas Panhandle, and especially the Palo Duro basin, have stable geologic conditions and a favorable evaporite stratigraphy that warrant further study. Five salt-bearing formations containing thick salt units are present within the basin. Salt beds appear to be persistent over wide areas, relatively flat lying and structurally undisturbed. Available hydrogeologic data suggest that favorable conditions for waste isolation are widespread. The level and rate of seismic activity are low throughout the Texas Panhandle. 335 references, 83 figures, 17 tables

  17. Uranium concentration phenomena in continental evaporitic environment: Australian Ylgarn calcretes. Comparison with Mauritanian and Namibian calcretes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Briot, P.

    1978-12-01

    The Ylgarn calcretes are described and their formation is studied. Uranium migration and trapping in the hydrologic cycle is examined. These calcretes are compared with those from Mauritania and Namibia as a guide for uranium prospection [fr

  18. Along-strike variations of the External Betics basal detachment: Implications on the evolution of a curved FTB

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiménez-Bonilla, Alejandro; Torvela, Taija; Balanyá, Juan Carlos; Expósito, Inmaculada; Díaz-Azpiroz, Manuel

    2017-04-01

    Analogue models have successfully tested the role of different parameters on the orogenic curvature. Among them: (1) along-strike variations of the frictional properties of the detachment layer, (2) the topography of the basement, (3) the syn-tectonic sedimentation and/or erosion and (4) the indenter shape. Previous works have pointed out that, across-strike the central Betic fold-and-thrust belt (FTB), northern branch of the Gibraltar Arc, a change on the structural style and on the topographic envelope (α) coincide with the pinch-out of Triassic evaporites and with a change in the basement dip (β) that induced changes on the wedge geometry and the basal friction (Jiménez-Bonilla et al., 2016). In this work, we tried to constrain the external orogenic wedge geometry to study the evolution of the western Betics FTB and, comparing it with the central Betics FTB, to delve into the structural variations along-strike the Betic chain. In the present work, field data together with reflection seismic interpretations permit us to constrain the across-strike variations on the structural style of the western Betics FTB. The internal FTB is deformed by SW-NE, kilometric-scale, and non-cylindrical folds detached within Triassic evaporites. The middle FTB is characterized by the profusion of allochtonous Triassic mudstones and evaporites and it is deformed into a dextral transpressive band. In the frontal FTB, a Middle Miocene package, the Olistostromic Unit, is deformed by foreland-verging thrusts overlying paleomargin-derived units. Accordingly, these differences on the structural style across the western Betics FTB could be attributable to the variations on the frictional properties of the detachment level. Regarding the wedge geometry, the topographic relief envelope (α) of the western Betics FTB is similar to that one of the central Betics. However, β is significantly lower than in the central Betics (ca. 2° vs >4°). Moreover, neither Triassic pinch-out nor basement

  19. Geologic map of the Rifle Falls quadrangle, Garfield County, Colorado

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scott, Robert B.; Shroba, Ralph R.; Egger, Anne

    2001-01-01

    New 1:24,000-scale geologic map of the Rifle Falls 7.5' quadrangle, in support of the USGS Western Colorado I-70 Corridor Cooperative Geologic Mapping Project, provides new interpretations of the stratigraphy, structure, and geologic hazards in the area of the southwest flank of the White River uplift. Bedrock strata include the Upper Cretaceous Iles Formation through Ordovician and Cambrian units. The Iles Formation includes the Cozzette Sandstone and Corcoran Sandstone Members, which are undivided. The Mancos Shale is divided into three members, an upper member, the Niobrara Member, and a lower member. The Lower Cretaceous Dakota Sandstone, the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation, and the Entrada Sandstone are present. Below the Upper Jurassic Entrada Sandstone, the easternmost limit of the Lower Jurassic and Upper Triassic Glen Canyon Sandstone is recognized. Both the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation and the Lower Triassic(?) and Permian State Bridge Formation are present. The Pennsylvanian and Permian Maroon Formation is divided into two members, the Schoolhouse Member and a lower member. All the exposures of the Middle Pennsylvanian Eagle Evaporite intruded into the Middle Pennsylvanian Eagle Valley Formation, which includes locally mappable limestone beds. The Middle and Lower Pennsylvanian Belden Formation and the Lower Mississippian Leadville Limestone are present. The Upper Devonian Chaffee Group is divided into the Dyer Dolomite, which is broken into the Coffee Pot Member and the Broken Rib Member, and the Parting Formation. Ordovician through Cambrian units are undivided. The southwest flank of the White River uplift is a late Laramide structure that is represented by the steeply southwest-dipping Grand Hogback, which is only present in the southwestern corner of the map area, and less steeply southwest-dipping older strata that flatten to nearly horizontal attitudes in the northern part of the map area. Between these two is a large-offset, mid

  20. Impact of rock salt creep law choice on subsidence calculations for hydrocarbon reservoirs overlain by evaporite caprocks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Marketos, G.; Spiers, C.J.; Govers, R.

    2016-01-01

    Accurate forward modeling of surface subsidence above producing hydrocarbons reservoirs requires an understanding of the mechanisms determining how ground deformation and subsidence evolve. Here we focus entirely on rock salt, which overlies a large number of reservoirs worldwide, and specifically

  1. Uranium and diagenesis in evaporitic lacustrine mudstone of the Oligocene White River Group, Dawes County, Nebraska. Bulletin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dickinson, K.A.

    1991-01-01

    The Oligocene White River Group consists of the Chadron and the overlying Brule Formations in northwestern Nebraska. The Chadron Formation consists of alluvial and colluvial vitric mudstone beds, but in addition contains white persistent layers (purplish-white layers) that probably resulted from soil formation on vitric parent material. West of the current study area a basal sandstone facies of the Chadron is host rock for the Crow Butte uranium deposit. The Brule, which consists mostly of pedogenically altered alluvial and fluvial vitric mudstone deposits, contains a uraniferous lacustrine facies northwest of Chadron, Nebraska. Detrital minerals in rocks of the White River Group include quartz, feldspar, volcanic glass, smectite, and illite. Chemical precipitate minerals in the lacustrine facies are calcite, dolomite, and gypsum. Authigenic minerals include calcite, dolomite, gypsum, smectite, opal, chalcedony, together with oxidized uranium minerals

  2. Geology and undiscovered resource assessment of the potash-bearing Pripyat and Dnieper-Donets Basins, Belarus and Ukraine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cocker, Mark D.; Orris, Greta J.; Dunlap, Pamela; Lipin, Bruce R.; Ludington, Steve; Ryan, Robert J.; Słowakiewicz, Mirosław; Spanski, Gregory T.; Wynn, Jeff; Yang, Chao

    2017-08-03

    Undiscovered potash resources in the Pripyat Basin, Belarus, and Dnieper-Donets Basin, Ukraine, were assessed as part of a global mineral resource assessment led by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The Pripyat Basin (in Belarus) and the Dnieper-Donets Basin (in Ukraine and southern Belarus) host stratabound and halokinetic Upper Devonian (Frasnian and Famennian) and Permian (Cisuralian) potash-bearing salt. The evaporite basins formed in the Donbass-Pripyat Rift, a Neoproterozoic continental rift structure that was reactivated during the Late Devonian and was flooded by seawater. Though the rift was divided, in part by volcanic deposits, into the separate Pripyat and Dnieper-Donets Basins, both basins contain similar potash‑bearing evaporite sequences. An Early Permian (Cisuralian) sag basin formed over the rift structure and was also inundated by seawater resulting in another sequence of evaporite deposition. Halokinetic activity initiated by basement faulting during the Devonian continued at least into the Permian and influenced potash salt deposition and structural evolution of potash-bearing salt in both basins.Within these basins, four areas (permissive tracts) that permit the presence of undiscovered potash deposits were defined by using geological criteria. Three tracts are permissive for stratabound potash-bearing deposits and include Famennian (Upper Devonian) salt in the Pripyat Basin, and Famennian and Cisuralian (lower Permian) salt in the Dnieper-Donets Basin. In addition, a tract was delineated for halokinetic potash-bearing Famennian salt in the Dnieper-Donets Basin.The Pripyat Basin is the third largest source of potash in the world, producing 6.4 million metric tons of potassium chloride (KCl) (the equivalent of about 4.0 million metric tons of potassium oxide or K2O) in 2012. Potash production began in 1963 in the Starobin #1 mine, near the town of Starobin, Belarus, in the northwestern corner of the basin. Potash is currently produced from

  3. Metal and acidity fluxes controlled by precipitation/dissolution cycles of sulfate salts in an anthropogenic mine aquifer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cánovas, C R; Macías, F; Pérez-López, R

    2016-05-01

    Underground mine drainages are extremely difficult to study due to the lack of information about the flow path and source proximity in relation to the outflow adit. Geochemical processes controlling metals and acidity fluxes in a complex anthropogenic mine aquifer in SW Spain during the dry and rainy season were investigated by geochemical and statistical tools. High concentrations of acidity, sulfate, metals and metalloids (e.g. Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Ni, Co) were observed due to intense sulfide oxidation processes. The high residence time inside the anthropogenic aquifer, around 40days, caused the release of significant quantities of metals linked to host rocks (e.g. Al, Ca, Ge, Li, Mg, REE). The most outstanding characteristic of the acid mine drainage (AMD) outflows is the existence of higher Fe/SO4 molar ratios than those theoretical of pyrite (0.50) during most of the monitored period, due to a fire which occurred in 1949 and remained active for decades. Permanent and temporal retention mechanisms of acidity and metals were observed in the galleries. Once released from sulfide oxidation, Pb and As are sorbed on Fe oxyhydroxysulfate or precipitated as low solubility minerals (i.e. anglesite) inside the galleries. The precipitation of evaporitic sulfate salts during the dry season and the subsequent re-dissolution after rainfall control the fluxes of acidity and main metals (i.e. Fe, Mg, Al) from this anthropogenic aquifer. Some elements, such as Cd, Cu, Ni, REE and Zn, are retained in highly soluble sulfate salts while other elements, such as Ge, Pb and Sc, have a lower response to washout processes due to its incorporation in less soluble sulfate salts. In this way, metal concentration during the washout processes would be controlled by the proportion and solubility of each type of evaporitic sulfate salt stored during the dry season. The recovery of metals of economic interest contained in the AMD could help to self-finance the remediation of these waters in

  4. Thick-skinned tectonics in a Late Cretaceous-Neogene intracontinental belt (High Atlas Mountains, Morocco): The flat-ramp fault control on basement shortening and cover folding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fekkak, A.; Ouanaimi, H.; Michard, A.; Soulaimani, A.; Ettachfini, E. M.; Berrada, I.; El Arabi, H.; Lagnaoui, A.; Saddiqi, O.

    2018-04-01

    Most of the structural studies of the intracontinental High Atlas belt of Morocco have dealt with the central part of the belt, whose basement does not crop out. Here we study the Alpine deformation of the North Subatlas Zone, which is the part of the Western High Atlas (WHA) Paleozoic Massif that involves both Paleozoic basement units and remnants of their Mesozoic-Cenozoic cover formations. Our aim is to better constrain the geometry and kinematics of the basement faults during the Alpine shortening. Based on detail mapping, satellite imagery and field observations, we describe an array of sub-equatorial, transverse and oblique faults between the WHA Axial Zone and the Haouz Neogene basin. They define a mosaic of basement blocks pushed upon one another and upon the Haouz basement along the North Atlas Fault (NAF). The Axial Zone makes up the hanging-wall of the Adassil-Medinet Fault (AMF) south of this mosaic. The faults generally presents flat-ramp-flat geometry linked to the activation of multiple décollement levels, either within the basement where its foliation is subhorizontal or within favourable cover formations (Jurassic evaporites, Lower Cretaceous silty red beds, Upper Cretaceous evaporitic marls, Neogene basal argillites). The occurrence of the North Atlas detachment (NAD) allowed folded pop-up units to develop in front of the propagating NAF. Shortening began as early as the Campanian-Maastrichtian along the AMF. The direction of the maximum horizontal stress rotated from NNE-SSW to NNW-SSE from the Maastrichtian-Paleocene to the Neogene. The amount of shortening reaches 20% in the Azegour transect. This compares with the shortening amount published for the central-eastern High Atlas, suggesting that similar structures characterize the Paleozoic basement all along the belt. The WHA thick-skinned tectonics evokes that of the frontal Sevier belt and of the external Western Alps, although with a much minor pre-inversion burial.

  5. Comparison of hydrothermal activity between the Adriatic and the Red Sea rift margins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ball, Philip; Incerpi, Nicolò; Birkle, Peter; Lacsamana, Elizabeth; Manatschal, Gianreto; Agar, Susan; Zhang, Shuo; Borsato, Ron

    2017-04-01

    Detailed field studies, and access to high-quality seismic reflection and refraction data have led to an improved understanding of the architecture and evolution of magma poor and magma rich margins. Associated with the spatial-temporal evolution of the rift, it is evident that there are evolving, extensive, fluid-rock interactions due to the infiltration of fluids within the sediment, basement and lithospheric mantle. Key questions therefore arise: What are the different fluid-rock reactions that can be typed to different geodynamic stages of the rift evolution? What are their compositions and how do they interact with their environment (basement, sediments, evaporites, hydrosphere, and magmatism)? What are the implications for the evolution of the margin rheology, thermal structure, depositional environments/organic matter maturity, and reservoir quality? The Adriatic paleo-rifted margin is preserved in both SE Switzerland and northern Italy. The field exposures provide a unique opportunity to study the fluid flow history of a hyperextended magma poor extensional margin. Analysis of breccias, cement veins and replacement minerals reveal that the margin records a complex, long-lasting history of dolomitization, calcification and silicification during the Jurassic rifting. The Red Sea by contrast is a young rifted margin. It differs from the paleo-Adriatic margin by several characteristics: volcanism is more evident, and syn-tectonic sediments, including evaporites (halite and anhydrite) are thicker. Several core and fluid samples are available from both onshore and offshore wells, which reveal rift-related hydrothermal alteration. In addition, we find evidence for the presence of an extreme dynamic hydraulic system with infiltration of surface water into sub-salt units during Late Pleistocene. In this study we present results from petrographic and geochemical analysis of basement and sedimentary rocks from Adriatic field-derived samples and core/subsurface fluid

  6. The affect of the space environment on the survival of Halorubrum chaoviator and Synechococcus (Nägeli): data from the Space Experiment OSMO on EXPOSE-R

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mancinelli, R. L.

    2015-01-01

    We have shown using ESA's Biopan facility flown in Earth orbit that when exposed to the space environment for 2 weeks the survival rate of Synechococcus (Nägeli), a halophilic cyanobacterium isolated from the evaporitic gypsum-halite crusts that form along the marine intertidal, and Halorubrum chaoviator a member of the Halobacteriaceae isolated from an evaporitic NaCl crystal obtained from a salt evaporation pond, were higher than all other test organisms except Bacillus spores. These results led to the EXPOSE-R mission to extend and refine these experiments as part of the experimental package for the external platform space exposure facility on the ISS. The experiment was flown in February 2009 and the organisms were exposed to low-Earth orbit for nearly 2 years. Samples were either exposed to solar ultraviolet (UV)-radiation (λ > 110 nm or λ > 200 nm, cosmic radiation (dosage range 225-320 mGy), or kept in darkness shielded from solar UV-radiation. Half of each of the UV-radiation exposed samples and dark samples were exposed to space vacuum and half kept at 105 pascals in argon. Duplicate samples were kept in the laboratory to serve as unexposed controls. Ground simulation control experiments were also performed. After retrieval, organism viability was tested using Molecular Probes Live-Dead Bac-Lite stain and by their reproduction capability. Samples kept in the dark, but exposed to space vacuum had a 90 +/- 5% survival rate compared to the ground controls. Samples exposed to full UV-radiation for over a year were bleached and although results from Molecular Probes Live-Dead stain suggested ~10% survival, the data indicate that no survival was detected using cell growth and division using the most probable number method. Those samples exposed to attenuated UV-radiation exhibited limited survival. Results from of this study are relevant to understanding adaptation and evolution of life, the future of life beyond earth, the potential for interplanetary

  7. The Affect of the Space Environment on the Survival of Halorubrum Chaoviator and Synechococcus (Nageli): Data from the Space Experiment OSMO on EXPOSE-R

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mancinelli, R. L.

    2014-01-01

    We have shown using ESA's Biopan facility flown in Earth orbit that when exposed to the space environment for 2 weeks the survival rate of Synechococcus (Nageli), a halophilic cyanobacterium isolated from the evaporitic gypsum-halite crusts that form along the marine intertidal, and Halorubrum chaoviator a member of the Halobacteriaceae isolated from an evaporitic NaCl crystal obtained from a salt evaporation pond, were higher than all other test organisms except Bacillus spores. These results led to the EXPOSE-R mission to extend and refine these experiments as part of the experimental package for the external platform space exposure facility on the ISS. The experiment was flown in February 2009 and the organisms were exposed to low-Earth orbit for nearly 2 years. Samples were either exposed to solar ultraviolet (UV)-radiation (lambda is greater than 110 nm or lambda is greater than 200 nm, cosmic radiation (dosage range 225-320 mGy), or kept in darkness shielded from solar UV-radiation. Half of each of the UV-radiation exposed samples and dark samples were exposed to space vacuum and half kept at 105 pascals in argon. Duplicate samples were kept in the laboratory to serve as unexposed controls. Ground simulation control experiments were also performed. After retrieval, organism viability was tested using Molecular Probes Live-Dead Bac-Lite stain and by their reproduction capability. Samples kept in the dark, but exposed to space vacuum had a 90 +/- 5% survival rate compared to the ground controls. Samples exposed to full UV-radiation for over a year were bleached and although results from Molecular Probes Live-Dead stain suggested approximately 10% survival, the data indicate that no survival was detected using cell growth and division using the most probable number method. Those samples exposed to attenuated UV-radiation exhibited limited survival. Results from of this study are relevant to understanding adaptation and evolution of life, the future of life

  8. Tectonic Inversion Along the Algerian and Ligurian Margins: On the Insight Provided By Latest Seismic Processing Techniques Applied to Recent and Vintage 2D Offshore Multichannel Seismic Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schenini, L.; Beslier, M. O.; Sage, F.; Badji, R.; Galibert, P. Y.; Lepretre, A.; Dessa, J. X.; Aidi, C.; Watremez, L.

    2014-12-01

    Recent studies on the Algerian and the North-Ligurian margins in the Western Mediterranean have evidenced inversion-related superficial structures, such as folds and asymmetric sedimentary perched basins whose geometry hints at deep compressive structures dipping towards the continent. Deep seismic imaging of these margins is difficult due to steep slope and superficial multiples, and, in the Mediterranean context, to the highly diffractive Messinian evaporitic series in the basin. During the Algerian-French SPIRAL survey (2009, R/V Atalante), 2D marine multi-channel seismic (MCS) reflection data were collected along the Algerian Margin using a 4.5 km, 360 channel digital streamer and a 3040 cu. in. air-gun array. An advanced processing workflow has been laid out using Geocluster CGG software, which includes noise attenuation, 2D SRME multiple attenuation, surface consistent deconvolution, Kirchhoff pre-stack time migration. This processing produces satisfactory seismic images of the whole sedimentary cover, and of southward dipping reflectors in the acoustic basement along the central part of the margin offshore Great Kabylia, that are interpreted as inversion-related blind thrusts as part of flat-ramp systems. We applied this successful processing workflow to old 2D marine MCS data acquired on the North-Ligurian Margin (Malis survey, 1995, R/V Le Nadir), using a 2.5 km, 96 channel streamer and a 1140 cu. in. air-gun array. Particular attention was paid to multiple attenuation in adapting our workflow. The resulting reprocessed seismic images, interpreted with a coincident velocity model obtained by wide-angle data tomography, provide (1) enhanced imaging of the sedimentary cover down to the top of the acoustic basement, including the base of the Messinian evaporites and the sub-salt Miocene series, which appear to be tectonized as far as in the mid-basin, and (2) new evidence of deep crustal structures in the margin which the initial processing had failed to

  9. Late Miocene-Recent evolution of the Finike Basin and its linkages with the Beydağlari complex and the Anaximander Mountains, eastern Mediterranean

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aksu, A. E.; Hall, J.; Yaltırak, C.; Çınar, E.; Küçük, M.; Çifçi, G.

    2014-11-01

    Interpretation of ~ 2500 km of high-resolution multi-channel seismic reflection profiles shows that the Finike Basin evolved during the Pliocene-Quaternary as the result of dramatic subsidence associated with loading of large imbricate thrust panels that carry the western Tauride Mountains in the north in the Late Miocene. The stacked, seaward prograded Quaternary deltas presently resting at 1000-1500 m water depths corroborate the rapid subsidence of the region. The ubiquitous presence of evaporites in the 2000-2400 m-deep Antalya Basin and their absence in the 3000-3200 m deep Finike Basin suggest that the morphology of the Finike Basin and environs must have been considerably different during the Messinian and that this region must have remained above the depositional base of evaporites during this time. The transition from the Messinian to the Pliocene-Quaternary is marked by partitioning of stress into several discrete spatial domains. A dextral strike-slip fault zone developed along the western Antalya Basin, extending from the apex of the Isparta Angle southward into the Anaximander Mountains. This fault zone, referred to as the Antalya Fault zone, transected the Anaximander Mountains (sensu lato) separating the Anaxagoras Mountain from the Anaximander and Anaximenes Mountains. Hence, the Finike Basin, Sırrı Erinç Plateau and the Anaximander and Anaximenes Mountains remained part of the onland Beydağları Block and experienced ~ 20° counterclockwise rotation during the Late Miocene. We envisage the boundaries of the Beydağları Block as the Burdur-Fethiye Fault zone in the west, the newly delineated Antalya Fault zone in the east and the east-west trending sector of the Sırrı Erinç Plateau in the southwest. Kinematic evaluation of the structural elements mapped across the Finike Basin and the Sırrı Erinç Plateau suggest that two additional strike-slip zones developed during the Pliocene-Quaternary relaying the stress between the Antalya Fault

  10. Development of a technique for mass spectrometric measurement of δ18O of aqueous sulphate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kulkarni, U.P.; Sharma, Suman

    2003-01-01

    Application of stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen as tracers in hydrology for studying the origin of water is well established. δ 18 O of water molecule itself is used for identifying the source of water whereas δ 18 O of dissolved oxy anions (such as carbonate, phosphate, sulphate, nitrate and silicate) present in the same water reveal their source of origin. δ 18 O of SO 4 finds applications in identifying the origin of sulfate i.e. marine, marine evaporite or non-marine in nature and as a geothermometer in determining subsurface temperature of geothermal waters. A vacuum line of glass was fabricated to measure δ 18 O of aqueous sulfate. This paper deals with the technique and results of a trial with NBS-127, Sea water barium sulfate

  11. Hydrogeochemistry of karst underground waters at shallow depth in Guiyang City, Guizhou Province

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    DONG Zhifen; ZHU Lijun; WU Pan; SHEN Zheng; FENG Zhiyong

    2005-01-01

    The aim of this study is to shed light on the hydrogeochemical characteristics of karst underground waters at shallow depth in Guiyang City, Guizhou Province with an emphasis on the geochemistry of major elements. Guiyang City bears abundant underground waters and it is also an important representative of the karst areas throughout the world. Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ are the dominant cations, accounting for 81%- 99.7% of the total, and HCO -3 and SO 2- 4 are the dominant anions. Weathering of limestones and dolostones is the most important factor controlling the hydrogeochemistry of underground waters, and weathering of sulfate and evaporite rocks is less important. Moreover, the precipitation and human activities also have a definite influence on the hydrogeochemistry of underground waters in the region studied.

  12. Sr ISOTOPIC EVIDENCE FOR STUDYING THE SALINIZATION OF SOILS: AN EXAMPLE FROM THE SAN VITALE PINEWOOD (RAVENNA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Umberto Masi

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available In the frame of a multidisciplinary project of research on the San Vitale Pinewood ecosystem, north of Ravenna, the Sr isotope study of a soil profile developed on an old coastal dune aiming at detecting the effect of salinization is presented. The Sr isotope ratios of the bulk soil samples decreased significantly from upper (0.717 to lower (0.712 horizons because of the abundant marine salts deposited by the brackish water present in the deep soil. While the main source of Sr in the upper horizons is the silicates, especially the feldspaths contained in the old dune sediments; in contrast, Sr in the lower horizons is significantly also of evaporitic origin (0.707-0.709. This latter is dominantly the strontium bio-available to the plants.

  13. Radioactive waste isolation in salt: geochemistry of brine in rock salt in temperature gradients and gamma-radiation fields - a selective annotated bibliography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hull, A.B.; Williams, L.B.

    1985-07-01

    Evaluation of the extensive research concerning brine geochemistry and transport is critically important to successful exploitation of a salt formation for isolating high-level radioactive waste. This annotated bibliography has been compiled from documents considered to provide classic background material on the interactions between brine and rock salt, as well as the most important results from more recent research. Each summary elucidates the information or data most pertinent to situations encountered in siting, constructing, and operating a mined repository in salt for high-level radioactive waste. The research topics covered include the basic geology, depositional environment, mineralogy, and structure of evaporite and domal salts, as well as fluid inclusions, brine chemistry, thermal and gamma-radiation effects, radionuclide migration, and thermodynamic properties of salts and brines. 4 figs., 6 tabs

  14. Land degradation due to diapirs in Iran, case study: Hableh Rood drainage basin, east of Tehran

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zakikhani, K.; Feiznia, S

    2009-07-01

    Different geological characteristics play role in Land degradation in Iran which are: The abundance of Neogene evaporitic marly formations around and in desertic depression. These units had important role in the formation of present landforms, are saline, alkaline and erodible and degrade the quality of water resources as diffuse and widespread sources and are endless sources for sand dunes. The presence of numerous diapirs, some of which are salt domes consisting of halite. Due to diapirism, salts are now exposed at the surface of many parts of Iran and cause soil, surface and underground water and vegetation degradation as point sources. The importance of diapirism in geology of Iran has been emphasized previously. This paper intends to investigate the effect of salt domes in land degradation and propose restoration measures. (Author) 3 refs.

  15. Abiotic Earth - Establishing a Baseline for Earliest Life, Data from the Archean of Western Australia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindsay, J. F.; Brasier, M. D.; McLoughlin, N.; Green, O. R.; Fogel, M.; McNamara, K. M.; Steele, A.; Mertzman, S. A.

    2003-01-01

    Stromatolitic structures preserved at two stratigraphic levels within the 3.47-3.43 Ga Warrawoona Group of Western Australia have been interpreted as some of "the least controversial evidence of early life on earth" and "the oldest firmly established biogenic deposits now known from the geologic record". The structures were said to have formed in a shallow sub-tidal to intertidal setting as part of an evaporite succession. In an extensive field program we have re-evaluated exposures of the Strelley Pool Chert from which stromatolites have been described and carried out detailed mapping and sampling of the Strelley Pool West site 13.7 km west of the type locality. Data from our ongoing program cast considerable doubt on the biogenic origins of the stromatolitic structures and on the nature of their depositional setting.

  16. Radioactive waste isolation in salt: geochemistry of brine in rock salt in temperature gradients and gamma-radiation fields - a selective annotated bibliography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hull, A.B.; Williams, L.B.

    1985-07-01

    Evaluation of the extensive research concerning brine geochemistry and transport is critically important to successful exploitation of a salt formation for isolating high-level radioactive waste. This annotated bibliography has been compiled from documents considered to provide classic background material on the interactions between brine and rock salt, as well as the most important results from more recent research. Each summary elucidates the information or data most pertinent to situations encountered in siting, constructing, and operating a mined repository in salt for high-level radioactive waste. The research topics covered include the basic geology, depositional environment, mineralogy, and structure of evaporite and domal salts, as well as fluid inclusions, brine chemistry, thermal and gamma-radiation effects, radionuclide migration, and thermodynamic properties of salts and brines. 4 figs., 6 tabs.

  17. Analyses of the soil surface dynamic of South African Kalahari salt pans based on hyperspectral and multitemporal data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milewski, Robert; Chabrillat, Sabine; Behling, Robert; Mielke, Christian; Schleicher, Anja Maria; Guanter, Luis

    2016-04-01

    The consequences of climate change represent a major threat to sustainable development and growth in Southern Africa. Understanding the impact on the geo- and biosphere is therefore of great importance in this particular region. In this context the Kalahari salt pans (also known as playas or sabkhas) and their peripheral saline and alkaline habitats are an ecosystem of major interest. They are very sensitive to environmental conditions, and as thus hydrological, mineralogical and ecological responses to climatic variations can be analysed. Up to now the soil composition of salt pans in this area have been only assessed mono-temporally and on a coarse regional scale. Furthermore, the dynamic of the salt pans, especially the formation of evaporites, is still uncertain and poorly understood. High spectral resolution remote sensing can estimate evaporite content and mineralogy of soils based on the analyses of the surface reflectance properties within the Visible-Near InfraRed (VNIR 400-1000 nm) and Short-Wave InfraRed (SWIR 1000-2500 nm) regions. In these wavelength regions major chemical components of the soil interact with the electromagnetic radiation and produce characteristic absorption features that can be used to derive the properties of interest. Although such techniques are well established for the laboratory and field scale, the potential of current (Hyperion) and upcoming spaceborne sensors such as EnMAP for quantitative mineralogical and salt spectral mapping is still to be demonstrated. Combined with hyperspectral methods, multitemporal remote sensing techniques allow us to derive the recent dynamic of these salt pans and link the mineralogical analysis of the pan surface to major physical processes in these dryland environments. In this study we focus on the analyses of the Namibian Omongwa salt pans based on satellite hyperspectral imagery and multispectral time-series data. First, a change detection analysis is applied using the Iterative

  18. Vent Complexes above Dolerite Sills in Phanerozoic LIPs: Implications for Proterozoic LIPs and IOCG Deposits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ernst, R. E.; Bleeker, W.; Svensen, H.; Planke, S.; Polozov, A. G.

    2009-05-01

    New insights into the origin of IOCG (iron oxide copper gold) deposits [e.g., 1, 2, 3] follow from recent studies of Phanerozoic Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs). Detailed seismic studies of the 62-55 Ma North Atlantic Igneous Province and complementary studies in the 183 Ma Karoo and 250 Ma Siberian LIPs reveal thousands of hydrothermal vent complexes (HVCs). Up to 5-10 km across at the paleosurface, these vents connect to underlying dolerite sills at paleodepths of up to 8 km [4, 5, 6, 7]. They originate from explosive release of gases generated when thick sills (>50 m) are emplaced into volatile-rich but low-permeability sedimentary strata. HVCs are phreatomagmatic in origin. Their architecture, economic potential for IOCG-type deposits, and effects on climate strongly depend on the type of host rocks (black shales at Karoo and evaporites at Siberian LIPs) and its fluid (brines) saturation at the time of emplacement. About 250 HVCs associated with the Siberian LIP are mineralized having magnetite in the matrix. Some are being mined for Fe (Korshunovskoe and Rudnogorskoe), but their economic potential for copper and gold mineralization is understudied. These observations from the Phanerozoic LIP record suggest that HVCs should also be an essential component of sill provinces associated with Proterozoic LIPs, with a potential for causing major climatic shifts and IOCG-type deposits, particularly if the host sediments include substantial evaporites. Two examples are discussed here. The 725 Ma Franklin LIP covers 1.1 Mkm2 in northern Canada [8]; in the Minto Inlier of Victoria Island, this event comprises volcanics, sills, and breccia pipes [9, 10]. The breccia pipes appear identical to HVCs and, furthermore, the presence of evaporites in the host sediments of the Shaler Supergroup suggests (based on the Siberian trap example) the potential for IOCG-type mineralization. Could 1.59 Ga sills, as exemplified by the exposed Western Channel Diabase sills on the eastern

  19. Hydraulic testing around Room Q: Evaluation of the effects of mining on the hydraulic properties of Salado Evaporites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Domski, P.S.; Upton, D.T. [INTERA, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Beauheim, R.L. [Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    1996-03-01

    Room Q is a 109-m-long cylindrical excavation in the Salado Formation at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site. Fifteen boreholes were drilled and instrumented around Room Q so that tests could be conducted to determine the effects of room excavation on the hydraulic properties of the surrounding evaporate rocks. Pressure-buildup and pressure-pulse tests were conducted in all of the boreholes before Room Q was mined. The data sets from only eight of the boreholes are adequate for parameter estimation, and five of those are of poor quality. Constant-pressure flow tests and pressure-buildup tests were conducted after Room Q was mined, producing eleven interpretable data sets, including two of poor quality. Pre-mining transmissivities interpreted from the three good-quality data sets ranged from 1 x 10{sup -15} to 5 x 10{sup -14} m{sup 2}/s (permeability-thickness products of 2 x 10{sup -22} to 9 x 10{sup -21} m{sup 3}) for test intervals ranging in length from 0.85 to 1.37 m. Pre-mining average permeabilities, which can be considered representative of undisturbed, far-field conditions, were 6 x 10{sup -20} and 8 x 10{sup -20} m{sup 2} for anhydrite, and 3 x 10{sup -22} m{sup 2} for halite. Post-mining transmissivities interpreted from the good-quality data sets ranged from 1 x 10{sup -16} to 3 x 10{sup -13} m{sup 2}/s (permeability-thickness products of 2 x 10{sup -23} to 5 x 10{sup -20} m{sup 3}). Post-mining average permeabilities for anhydrite ranged from 8 x 10{sup -20} to 1 x 10{sup -19} m{sup 2}. The changes in hydraulic properties and pore pressures that were observed can be attributed to one or a combination of three processes: stress reduction, changes in pore connectivity, and flow towards Room Q. The effects of the three processes cannot be individually quantified with the available data.

  20. Hydraulic testing around Room Q: Evaluation of the effects of mining on the hydraulic properties of Salado Evaporites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Domski, P.S.; Upton, D.T.; Beauheim, R.L.

    1996-03-01

    Room Q is a 109-m-long cylindrical excavation in the Salado Formation at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site. Fifteen boreholes were drilled and instrumented around Room Q so that tests could be conducted to determine the effects of room excavation on the hydraulic properties of the surrounding evaporate rocks. Pressure-buildup and pressure-pulse tests were conducted in all of the boreholes before Room Q was mined. The data sets from only eight of the boreholes are adequate for parameter estimation, and five of those are of poor quality. Constant-pressure flow tests and pressure-buildup tests were conducted after Room Q was mined, producing eleven interpretable data sets, including two of poor quality. Pre-mining transmissivities interpreted from the three good-quality data sets ranged from 1 x 10 -15 to 5 x 10 -14 m 2 /s (permeability-thickness products of 2 x 10 -22 to 9 x 10 -21 m 3 ) for test intervals ranging in length from 0.85 to 1.37 m. Pre-mining average permeabilities, which can be considered representative of undisturbed, far-field conditions, were 6 x 10 -20 and 8 x 10 -20 m 2 for anhydrite, and 3 x 10 -22 m 2 for halite. Post-mining transmissivities interpreted from the good-quality data sets ranged from 1 x 10 -16 to 3 x 10 -13 m 2 /s (permeability-thickness products of 2 x 10 -23 to 5 x 10 -20 m 3 ). Post-mining average permeabilities for anhydrite ranged from 8 x 10 -20 to 1 x 10 -19 m 2 . The changes in hydraulic properties and pore pressures that were observed can be attributed to one or a combination of three processes: stress reduction, changes in pore connectivity, and flow towards Room Q. The effects of the three processes cannot be individually quantified with the available data

  1. Source of sulphur in the Ebro Basin (Northern Spain). Tertiary nonmarine evaporite deposits as evidenced by sulphur isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Birnbaum, S.J.; Coleman, D.

    1979-01-01

    The Ebro Basin is an intermontane basin, located in northern Spain, filled with Tertiary (largely Oligocene and Miocene) elastic and chemical deposits. Sulphur isotopes are utilized to determine the source of sulphur in the sulphate deposits (predominantly gypsum with accessory thenardite, mirabolite and epsomite). Data obtained from Tertiary gypsum rocks produce a range of delta 34 S values from +9.16% to + 14.02% with a mean of +13.61%. Data obtained from Triassic gypsum rocks (in source area) produce a range from +13.73% to +15.14%, with a mean of +14.66%. Values for Tertiary marine water range from +18% to +24%. These data indicate a nonmarine origin for sulpur within the Tertiary sulphate rocks. The contribution of Triassic sulphur to the groundwater system, plus varying degrees of dilution by isotopically lighter (atmospheric and sulphide) sulphur, best explains the isotopic ratios observed in the Tertiary Basin deposits. (Auth.)

  2. Molecular isotopic characterisation of hydrocarbon biomarkers in Palaeocene-Eocene evaporitic, lacustrine source rocks from the Jianghan Basin, China

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sinninghe Damsté, J.S.; Grice, Kliti; Schouten, S.; Peters, Kenneth E.

    1998-01-01

    Immature organic matter in lacustrine source rocks from the Jianghan Basin, eastern China, was studied for distributions and stable carbon isotopic compositions (13C) of hydrocarbon biomarkers. All of the bitumens contain isorenieratane (13C ca. −17 ) indicating the presence of Chlorobiaceae, and

  3. Facies and carbon/oxygen isotopes of the Calabozo Formation (Middle Jurassic), Arroyo La Vaina, Mendoza, Argentina

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cabaleri, N.G.; Valencio, S.A.; Cagnoni, M.C.; Ramos, A.M.; Armella, C.; Panarello, H.O; Riccardi, A.C

    2001-01-01

    Facial / microfacial studies and geochemical isotopic analyses on marine jurassic carbonates of the Calabozo Formation (Dessanti, 1973) were carried out to reconstruct the palaeoenvironment and postdepositional history of the unit. This study is part of a project which purpose is the sedimentological and geochemical characterization of the Jurassic carbonate sequences of Cuenca Neuquina, in the southwestern Mendoza, Argentina. A detailed description about this basin can be found in Legarreta and Uliana (1999) and Riccardi et al. (2000). During the Late Bathonian and Early Callovian, the basin showed a reduction of the sedimentation area and a marked marginal facies progradation. West of Malargue, in areas with low detritic contribution, limestones of the Calabozo Formation were deposited. At the end of the Early Callovian, the basin was isolated, prevailing hypersaline conditions which caused the accumulation of the evaporites of the Tabanos Formation (Stipanicic, 1966) (au)

  4. Experimental Acid Weathering of Fe-Bearing Mars Analog Minerals and Rocks: Implications for Aqueous Origin of Hematite-Bearing Sediments in Meridiani Planum, Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golden, D. C.; Koster, A. M.; Ming, D. W.; Morris, R. V.; Mertzman, S. A.

    2011-01-01

    A working hypothesis for Meridiani evaporite formation involves the evaporation of fluids derived from acid weathering of Martian basalts and subsequent diagenesis [1, 2]. However, there are no reported experimental studies for the formation of jarosite and gray hematite (spherules), which are characteristic of Meridiani rocks from Mars analog precursor minerals. A terrestrial analog for hematite spherule formation from basaltic rocks under acidic hydrothermal conditions has been reported [3], and we have previously shown that the hematite spherules and jarosite can be synthetically produced in the laboratory using Fe3+ -bearing sulfate brines under hydrothermal conditions [4]. Here we expand and extend these studies by reacting Mars analog minerals with sulfuric acid to form Meridiani-like rock-mineral compositions. The objective of this study is to provide environmental constraints on past aqueous weathering of basaltic materials on Mars.

  5. In situ detection of boron by ChemCam on Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gasda, Patrick J.; Haldeman, Ethan B.; Wiens, Roger C.; Rapin, William; Bristow, Thomas F.; Bridges, John C.; Schwenzer, Susanne P.; Clark, Benton; Herkenhoff, Kenneth; Frydenvang, Jens; Lanza, Nina L.; Maurice, Sylvestre; Clegg, Samuel; Delapp, Dorothea M.; Sanford, Veronica L.; Bodine, Madeleine R.; McInroy, Rhonda

    2017-09-01

    We report the first in situ detection of boron on Mars. Boron has been detected in Gale crater at levels Curiosity rover ChemCam instrument in calcium-sulfate-filled fractures, which formed in a late-stage groundwater circulating mainly in phyllosilicate-rich bedrock interpreted as lacustrine in origin. We consider two main groundwater-driven hypotheses to explain the presence of boron in the veins: leaching of borates out of bedrock or the redistribution of borate by dissolution of borate-bearing evaporite deposits. Our results suggest that an evaporation mechanism is most likely, implying that Gale groundwaters were mildly alkaline. On Earth, boron may be a necessary component for the origin of life; on Mars, its presence suggests that subsurface groundwater conditions could have supported prebiotic chemical reactions if organics were also present and provides additional support for the past habitability of Gale crater.

  6. Volatile earliest Triassic sulfur cycle

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schobben, Martin; Stebbins, Alan; Algeo, Thomas J.

    2017-01-01

    model experiment. Exposure of evaporite deposits having a high δ 34S may account for the source change, with a possible role for the Siberian Traps volcanism by magmatic remobilization of Cambrian rock salt. A high sulfur cycle turnover rate would have left the ocean system vulnerable to development......Marine biodiversity decreases and ecosystem destruction during the end-Permian mass extinction (EPME) have been linked to widespread marine euxinic conditions. Changes in the biogeochemical sulfur cycle, microbial sulfate reduction (MSR), and marine dissolved sulfate concentrations during...... fractionation and point to a more universal control, i.e., contemporaneous seawater sulfate concentration.The MSR-trend transfer function yielded estimates of seawater sulfate of 0.6-2.8mM for the latest Permian to earliest Triassic, suggesting a balanced oceanic S-cycle with equal S inputs and outputs...

  7. Cenozoic structures and the tectonic evolution of the eastern North Sea

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Clausen, O.R.; Nielsen, S.B.; Egholm, D.L.

    2011-01-01

    Abundant seismic sections and well data from the Cenozoic succession in the eastern North Sea area generally reveal normal faulting, salt tectonics and localized tectonic inversion. However, inferences on the Cenozoic dynamic evolution of the region require thorough analysis of interactions between...... or cover tectonism took place. Our objectives are thus 1) to analyze the interaction between basement and cover structures, and if possible 2) to relate the structures to the regional tectonic evolution. The Zechstein evaporites pinch out onto the Ringkøbing-Fyn High, which in the eastern North Sea...... influencede.g. Miocene deposition and controlled the generation of second order faults. The latter detached along the top Chalk Group due to the topography generated during faulting, i.e. they are second order detachment surfaces. We conclude that the regional tectonic significance of the Cenozoic structures...

  8. Engineering Review Group (ERG) and Geologic Review Group (GRG) report on brine migration at the Deaf Smith County site salt repository horizon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1986-01-01

    In April 1986, ONWI requested the ERG and GRG to jointly address the status of current knowledge of, and ONWI approach to further characterization of, the geohydrology of the candidate repository horizon of the potential site in Deaf Smith County, Texas. Specifically, the ERG-GRG was asked to evaluate the status of understanding of the hydrogeology of the Lower San Andres Unit 4 (LSA-4) evaporite section and identify any major gaps in the data; evaluate the current understanding of the chemistry and movement of brines in the LSA-4 salt and associated interbeds; develop recommendations for estimating the upper limit quantity of brines, and modeling the brine movement, with respect to the emplaced HLW packages; and identify questions concerning the chemistry of the brines and recommend a technical approach to addressing these questions. 19 refs

  9. Geologic framework and hydrostratigraphy of the Edwards and Trinity aquifers within northern Bexar and Comal Counties, Texas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Allan K.; Golab, James A.; Morris, Robert R.

    2016-11-28

    Early Cretaceous time, the area of present-day south-central Texas was again submerged during the Late Cretaceous by a marine transgression resulting in deposition of the Georgetown Formation of the Washita Group.The Early Cretaceous Edwards Group, which overlies the Trinity Group, is composed of mudstone to boundstone, dolomitic limestone, argillaceous limestone, evaporite, shale, and chert. The Kainer Formation is subdivided into (bottom to top) the basal nodular, dolomitic, Kirschberg Evaporite, and grainstone members. The Person Formation is subdivided into (bottom to top) the regional dense, leached and collapsed (undivided), and cyclic and marine (undivided) members.Hydrostratigraphically the rocks exposed in the study area represent a section of the upper confining unit to the Edwards aquifer, the Edwards aquifer, the upper zone of the Trinity aquifer, and the middle zone of the Trinity aquifer. The Pecan Gap Formation (Taylor Group), Austin Group, Eagle Ford Group, Buda Limestone, and Del Rio Clay are generally considered to be the upper confining unit to the Edwards aquifer.The Edwards aquifer was subdivided into HSUs I to VIII. The Georgetown Formation of the Washita Group contains HSU I. The Person Formation of the Edwards Group contains HSUs II (cyclic and marine members [Kpcm], undivided), III (leached and collapsed members [Kplc,] undivided), and IV (regional dense member [Kprd]), and the Kainer Formation of the Edwards Group contains HSUs V (grainstone member [Kkg]), VI (Kirschberg Evaporite Member [Kkke]), VII (dolomitic member [Kkd]), and VIII (basal nodular member [Kkbn]).The Trinity aquifer is separated into upper, middle, and lower aquifer units (hereinafter referred to as “zones”). The upper zone of the Trinity aquifer is in the upper member of the Glen Rose Limestone. The middle zone of the Trinity aquifer is formed in the lower member of the Glen Rose Limestone, Hensell Sand, and Cow Creek Limestone. The regionally extensive Hammett Shale

  10. New geologic, fluid inclusion and stable isotope studies on the controversial Igarapé Bahia Cu-Au deposit, Carajás Province, Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dreher, Ana M.; Xavier, Roberto P.; Taylor, Bruce E.; Martini, Sérgio L.

    2008-02-01

    contribution of reduced and oxydized sulfur is also evident. Oxygen isotopic ratios in magnetite, quartz, and siderite yield calculated temperatures of ˜400°C and δ18O-enriched compositions (5 to 16.5 per mil) for the ore-forming fluids that suggest a magmatic input and/or an interaction with 18O-rich, probably sedimentary rocks. The late veins of the Igarapé Bahia deposit area were formed from saline aqueous fluids (2 to 60 wt% NaCl + CaCl2 equiv) with δ18Ofluid compositions around 0 per mil that indicate contribution from meteoric fluids. With respect to geological features, Igarapé Bahia bears similarity with syngenetic, volcanic-hosted massive sulfide (VHMS)-type deposits, as indicated by the volcano-sedimentary geological context, stratabound character, and association with submarine volcanic flows, hyaloclastite, and exhalative beds such as BIF and chert. On the other hand, the highly saline ore fluids and the mineral assemblage, dominated by magnetite and chalcopyrite, with associated gold, U- and LREE-minerals and scarce pyrite, indicate that Igarapé Bahia belongs to the Fe oxide Cu-Au (IOCG) group of deposits. The available geochronologic data used to attest syngenetic or epigenetic origins for the mineralization are either imprecise or may not represent the main mineralization episode but a later, superimposed event. The C, S, and O isotopic results obtained in this study do not clearly discriminate between fluid sources. However, recent B isotope data obtained on tourmaline from the matrix of the fragmental rock ore unit (Xavier, Wiedenbeck, Dreher, Rhede, Monteiro, Araújo, Chemical and boron isotopic composition of tourmaline from Archean and Paleoproterozoic Cu-Au deposits in the Carajás Mineral Province, 1° Simpósio Brasileiro de Metalogenia, Gramado, Brazil, extended abstracts, CD-ROM, 2005) provide strong evidence of the involvement of a marine evaporitic source in the hydrothermal system of Igarapé Bahia. Evaporite-derived fluids may explain the

  11. The Northern Apennines palynological record as a contribute for the reconstruction of the Messinian palaeoenvironments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertini, Adele

    2006-06-01

    The Messinian stage has long been associated with an overall warm and dry climate whereas recent researches indicate either a warm and humid or a cool and dry climate. The integrated stratigraphic record of vegetation and climatic changes from Northern Apennines sites provides the solution to this apparent contradiction. Its integration with the updated geological and sedimentological studies provides additional data for the reconstruction of the depositional palaeoenvironments in both marginal and deeper sub-basins of the Apennines foredeep. The onset of the Mediterranean salinity crisis (MSC) is recorded in the Gessoso-Solfifera of the Vena del Gesso (marginal sub-basin). Cyclical humid conditions, corresponding to precession minima, developed during the deposition of the shales interbedded with the gypsum (5.9 to 5.6 Ma); some cooler events took also place under the effects of global (glacial stadials) and regional factors (Apennines uplift). At present no major changes from moist to dry conditions are attested to just before the salinity crisis, as well as in Sicily. So climate did not play a major role in the onset of the MSC despite the favourable context provided by inferred thermo-xeric conditions in southern Italy. A drier episode indicated by the expansion of the open vegetation including the northward migration of Lygeum postdates the onset of the salinity crisis of about 400 kyr, in the lower post-evaporitic deposits of Maccarone (deeper sub-basin). It falls within a period of global warming whereas at a regional scale it could correlate p.p. to the evaporite deposition in deeper basins and to hiatuses in the marginal basins of Sicily and of the western sector of Northern Apennines. Its sudden end, about 100 kyr later, in coincidence with a significant increase of Pinaceae, indicates a turnover in the terrestrial setting not linked to major climate changes but possibly to a complex interaction between other palaeoenvironmental factors (e.g., tectonics

  12. The geology and petroleum potential of the North Afghan platform and adjacent areas (northern Afghanistan, with parts of southern Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brookfield, Michael E.; Hashmat, Ajruddin

    2001-10-01

    The North Afghan platform has a pre-Jurassic basement unconformably overlain by a Jurassic to Paleogene oil- and gas-bearing sedimentary rock platform cover, unconformably overlain by Neogene syn- and post-orogenic continental clastics. The pre-Jurassic basement has four units: (1) An ?Ordovician to Lower Devonian passive margin succession developed on oceanic crust. (2) An Upper Devonian to Lower Carboniferous (Tournaisian) magmatic arc succession developed on the passive margin. (3) A Lower Carboniferous (?Visean) to Permian rift-passive margin succession. (4) A Triassic continental magmatic arc succession. The Mesozoic-Palaeogene cover has three units: (1) A ?Late Triassic to Middle Jurassic rift succession is dominated by variable continental clastics. Thick, coarse, lenticular coal-bearing clastics were deposited by braided and meandering streams in linear grabens, while bauxites formed on the adjacent horsts. (2) A Middle to Upper Jurassic transgressive-regressive succession consists of mixed continental and marine Bathonian to Lower Kimmeridgian clastics and carbonates overlain by regressive Upper Kimmeridgian-Tithonian evaporite-bearing clastics. (3) A Cretaceous succession consists of Lower Cretaceous red beds with evaporites, resting unconformably on Jurassic and older deposits, overlain (usually unconformably) by Cenomanian to Maastrichtian shallow marine limestones, which form a fairly uniform transgressive succession across most of Afghanistan. (4) A Palaeogene succession rests on the Upper Cretaceous limestones, with a minor break marked by bauxite in places. Thin Palaeocene to Upper Eocene limestones with gypsum are overlain by thin conglomerates, which pass up into shales with a restricted brackish-water ?Upper Oligocene-?Lower Miocene marine fauna. The Neogene succession consists of a variable thickness of coarse continental sediments derived from the rising Pamir mountains and adjacent ranges. Almost all the deformation of the North Afghan

  13. Active shortening, intermontane basin formation, and geomorphic evolution in an orogenic plateau: Central Puna Plateau, NW Argentina (24°37'S, 67°03'W)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strecker, Manfred R.; Alonso, Ricardo N.; Bookhagen, Bodo; Freymark, Jessica; Pingel, Heiko

    2017-04-01

    The high-elevation Andean Plateau (Altiplano-Puna; 4km) is a first-order morphotectonic province of the Central Andes and constitutes the world's second largest orogenic plateau. While there are many unifying basin characteristics in this region, including internal drainage, semi-arid to arid climate and associated deposition of evaporites, there are notable differences between the northern and southern parts of the plateau. In contrast to the vast basins of the Altiplano (north) and incipient establishment of fluvial connectivity and sediment transport to the foreland, the Puna (south) comprises numerous smaller basins, bordered by reverse-fault bounded ranges up to 6 km high. The plateau is internally drained and fluvial connectivity with the foreland does not exist leading to thick sedimentary basin fills that comprise continental evaporites, volcanic and clastic deposits, typically between 3 and 5 km thick. However, repeated impacts of climate change and superposed tectonic activity in the southern plateau have resulted in further basin differentiation, abandonment or re-arrangement of fluvial networks and impacts on sediment transport. Here we report evidence for sustained contractional tectonic activity in the Pocitos Basin in the southern plateau. On the western margin of the basin fanning of dipping strata and regraded, steeply inclined gravel-covered pediment surfaces and wind gaps associated with gravel derived from distant sources in the west document late Tertiary to Pleistocene growth of an approximately N-S oriented and N plunging anticline. The growth of the eastern limb of this anticline has caused the isolation of a formerly more extensive basin. In addition, Late Pleistocene and Holocene lake shorelines and lacustrine deposits are tilted eastward along the same structure and InSAR measurements of deformed lake terraces document that the fold is growing. Despite widely reported extensional faulting in the southern Puna, we conclude (1) that the

  14. Large-scale Mass Transport Deposits in the Valencia Basin (Western Mediterranean): slope instability induced by rapid sea-level drawdown?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cameselle, Alejandra L.; Urgeles, Roger; Llopart, Jaume

    2014-05-01

    The Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) strongly affected the physiography of the Mediterranean margins at the end of the Miocene. The sharp sea-level fall gave a new configuration to the Mediterranean basin and created dramatic morphological and sedimentological changes: margins have been largely eroded whereas the deep basins accumulated thick evaporitic and detrital units. Amongst these detrital units, there are evidences on seismic reflection data for major large-scale slope failure of the Mediterranean continental margins. About 2700 km of seismic reflection profiles in the southwestern part of the Valencia Basin (Western Mediterranean) have enabled us the detailed mapping of distinctive Messinian erosional surfaces, evaporites and deep detrital deposits. The detrital deposits occur in a distinct unit that is made of chaotic, roughly-bedded or transparent seismic bodies, which have been mainly mapped in the basin domain. Locally, the seismic unit shows discontinuous high-amplitude reflections and/or an imbricate internal structure. This unit is interpreted to be formed by a series of Mass Transport Deposits (MTDs). Rapid drawdown has long been recognized as one of the most severe loadings conditions that a slope can be subjected to. Several large historical slope failures have been documented to occur due to rapid drawdown in dams, riverbanks and slopes. During drawdown, the stabilizing effect of the water on the upstream face is lost, but the pore-water pressures within the slope may remain high. The dissipation of these pore pressures in the slope is controlled by the permeability and the storage characteristics of the slope sediments. We hypothesize that the MTDs observed in our data formed under similar conditions and represent a large-scale equivalent of this phenomenon. Therefore, these MTDs can be used to put some constraints on the duration of the drawdown phase of the MSC. We have performed a series of slope stability analysis under rapid Messinian sea

  15. Dust Generation Resulting from Desiccation of Playa Systems: Studies on Mono and Owens Lakes, California

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gill, Thomas Edward

    1995-01-01

    Playas, evaporites, and aeolian sediments frequently are linked components within the Earth system. Anthropogenic water diversions from terminal lakes form playas that release fugitive dust. These actions, documented worldwide, simulate aeolian processes activated during palaeoclimatic pluvial/interpluvial transitions, and have significant environmental impacts. Pluvial lakes Russell and Owens in North America's Great Basin preceded historic Mono and Owens Lakes, now desiccated by water diversions into dust-generating, evaporite -encrusted playas. Geochemical and hydrologic cycles acting on the Owens (Dry) Lake playa form three distinct crust types each year. Although initial dust production results from deflation of surface efflorescences after the playa dries, most aerosols are created by saltation abrasion of salt/silt/clay crusts at crust/ sand sheet contacts. The warm-season, clastic "cemented" crust is slowest to degrade into dust. If the playa surface is stabilized by an unbroken, non-efflorescent crust, dust formation is discouraged. When Mono Lake's surFace elevation does not exceed 1951 meters (6400 feet), similar processes will also generate dust from its saline lower playa. Six factors--related to wind, topography, groundwater, and sediments--control dust formation at both playas. These factors were combined into a statistical model relating suspended dust concentrations to playa/lake morphometry. The model shows the extent and severity of Mono Lake dust storms expands significantly below the surface level 6376 feet (1943.5 meters). X-ray diffraction analysis of Mono Basin soils, playa sediments, and aerosols demonstrates geochemical cycling of materials through land, air and water during Mono Lake's 1982 low stand. Soils and clastic playa sediments contain silicate minerals and tephra. Saline groundwater deposited calcite, halite, thenardite, gaylussite, burkeite and glauberite onto the lower playa. Aerosols contained silicate minerals (especially

  16. Organic Minerals in the Origin of Life

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benner, S.; Biondi, E.; Kim, H. J.

    2017-12-01

    Models for the origin of life are plagued by fundamental problems that, due to their difficulty, are called "paradoxes". One of these, known to anyone who has ever worked in a kitchen, is that organics, when given energy and left to itself, does not generate life. Rather, organics devolve to give tarry mixtures that become increasingly complex and increasingly less likely to support life (like asphalt). However, even if those mixtures escape devolution to create something useful for Darwinism, like building blocks for RNA, the water in which they must work is corrosive, leading to their destruction. Even if RNA is created, it is itself easily degraded. One current trend to manage those paradoxes turns to minerals in environments on early Earth. Inorganic minerals containing borate have now been shown to prevent the destruction of ribose (the R in RNA) and other carbohydrates essential for early Earth. Evaporite desert basins supplied with aqueous runoff from tourmaline-containing basalts are ideal environments for forming borate minerals, especially if they are made alkaline by serpentinizing peridotite. In the evaporite environments, drying cycles mitigate the destructive capability of water. Further, we have shown that phosphate is segregated from calcium (avoiding formation of relatively unreacted apatites) if magnesium and borate are present. Further, a common magnesium borophosphate (luneburgite) not only makes phosphate available for prebiotic synthesis, but selectively phosphorylates RNA building blocks as it releases borate to stabilize them against further degradation. Finally, a variety of minerals bind and stabilize RNA itself. Research in this area has also discovered organic minerals that might have been relevant to the origins of life on Earth. Such minerals are scarce on Earth today, since they are easily consumed by microbial communities. However, on a prebiotic Earth, organic minerals could have stored organic species as intermediates towards our

  17. Groundwater flow in a closed basin with a saline shallow lake in a volcanic area: Laguna Tuyajto, northern Chilean Altiplano of the Andes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herrera, Christian, E-mail: cherrera@ucn.cl [Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Casilla 1280, Antofagasta (Chile); Centro de Investigación Tecnológica del Agua en el Desierto (CEITSAZA), Universidad Católica del Norte, Casilla 1280, Antofagasta (Chile); Custodio, Emilio [Department of Geo-Engineering, Technical University of Catalonia/Barcelona Tech (UPC), Barcelona (Spain); Chong, Guillermo [Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Casilla 1280, Antofagasta (Chile); Lambán, Luis Javier [Geological Institute of Spain (IGME), Zaragoza (Spain); Riquelme, Rodrigo; Wilke, Hans [Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Casilla 1280, Antofagasta (Chile); Jódar, Jorge [Department of Geo-Engineering, Technical University of Catalonia/Barcelona Tech (UPC), Barcelona (Spain); Urrutia, Javier; Urqueta, Harry [Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Casilla 1280, Antofagasta (Chile); Centro de Investigación Tecnológica del Agua en el Desierto (CEITSAZA), Universidad Católica del Norte, Casilla 1280, Antofagasta (Chile); Sarmiento, Alvaro [Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Casilla 1280, Antofagasta (Chile); and others

    2016-01-15

    Laguna Tuyajto is a small, shallow saline water lake in the Andean Altiplano of northern Chile. In the eastern side it is fed by springs that discharge groundwater of the nearby volcanic aquifers. The area is arid: rainfall does not exceed 200 mm/year in the rainiest parts. The stable isotopic content of spring water shows that the recharge is originated mainly from winter rain, snow melt, and to a lesser extent from some short and intense sporadic rainfall events. Most of the spring water outflowing in the northern side of Laguna Tuyajto is recharged in the Tuyajto volcano. Most of the spring water in the eastern side and groundwater are recharged at higher elevations, in the rims of the nearby endorheic basins of Pampa Colorada and Pampa Las Tecas to the East. The presence of tritium in some deep wells in Pampa Colorada and Pampa Las Tecas indicates recent recharge. Gas emission in recent volcanoes increase the sulfate content of atmospheric deposition and this is reflected in local groundwater. The chemical composition and concentration of spring waters are the result of meteoric water evapo-concentration, water–rock interaction, and mainly the dissolution of old and buried evaporitic deposits. Groundwater flow is mostly shallow due to a low permeability ignimbrite layer of regional extent, which also hinders brine spreading below and around the lake. High deep temperatures near the recent Tuyajto volcano explain the high dissolved silica contents and the δ{sup 18}O shift to heavier values found in some of the spring waters. Laguna Tuyajto is a terminal lake where salts cumulate, mostly halite, but some brine transfer to the Salar de Aguas Calientes-3 cannot be excluded. The hydrogeological behavior of Laguna Tuyajto constitutes a model to understand the functioning of many other similar basins in other areas in the Andean Altiplano. - Highlights: • Recent volcanism formations play a key role in producing recharge. • Groundwater can flow across local

  18. Documenting a modern day transgressive surface in a carbonate ramp setting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lokier, Stephen; Paul, Andreas

    2017-04-01

    The low-angle carbonate ramp geometry of the Abu Dhabi coastline provides an ideal site for studying the effects of marine transgression in a setting analogous to Mesozoic epeiric seas. Supratidal sabkha evaporite precipitation passes offshore, through a broad and complex carbonate-evaporite intertidal environment, into a subtidal carbonate depositional setting. The coast of the mainland is locally isolated from open-marine conditions by a number of peninsulas and islands associated with the east-west trending Great Pearl Bank. This study combined 12 years of fieldwork observations with historical satellite imagery in order to establish multiple lines of evidence for active retrogradation over a 15 km length of coastline in the Abu Dhabi sabkha. Surveyed transects of the sabkha yield an average slope angle of 0.02°. Employing a current estimate of global sea level rise of 3.3 mm/yr, we calculate an expected present-day marine transgression of 7.9 m/yr. The landward and seaward boundaries of the microbial mat facies belt are strongly controlled by the location of the intertidal zone. The seaward limit of the Recent microbial mat belt in the Abu Dhabi Sabkha is currently being buried beneath retrograding lower-intertidal sediments whilst the landward side is simultaneously backstepping over previously-supratidal gypsum-dominated facies. The landward migration of spits and beach ridges was monitored at several locations with rates of retrogradation of up to 28 m per year being recorded locally. The study also identified numerous erosive features that are consistent with an increase in energy regimes. There has been a significant increase in denudation of the microbial mat, causing underlying sediment to be increasingly susceptible to erosion. In the lowermost intertidal zone, erosion of the hardground and other facies is observed. Clasts from the hardground are transported landward onto the surface of the sabkha where they are incorporated within other facies. This

  19. The Agost Basin (Betic Cordillera, Alicante province, Spain): a pull-apart basin involving salt tectonics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martín-Martín, Manuel; Estévez, Antonio; Martín-Rojas, Ivan; Guerrera, Francesco; Alcalá, Francisco J.; Serrano, Francisco; Tramontana, Mario

    2018-03-01

    The Agost Basin is characterized by a Miocene-Quaternary shallow marine and continental infilling controlled by the evolution of several curvilinear faults involving salt tectonics derived from Triassic rocks. From the Serravallian on, the area experienced a horizontal maximum compression with a rotation of the maximum stress axis from E-W to N-S. The resulting deformation gave rise to a strike-slip fault whose evolution is characterized progressively by three stages: (1) stepover/releasing bend with a dextral motion of blocks; (2) very close to pure horizontal compression; and (3) restraining bend with a sinistral movement of blocks. In particular, after an incipient fracturing stage, faults generated a pull-apart basin with terraced sidewall fault and graben subzones developed in the context of a dextral stepover during the lower part of late Miocene p.p. The occurrence of Triassic shales and evaporites played a fundamental role in the tectonic evolution of the study area. The salty material flowed along faults during this stage generating salt walls in root zones and salt push-up structures at the surface. During the purely compressive stage (middle part of late Miocene p.p.) the salt walls were squeezed to form extrusive mushroom-like structures. The large amount of clayish and salty material that surfaced was rapidly eroded and deposited into the basin, generating prograding fan clinoforms. The occurrence of shales and evaporites (both in the margins of the basin and in the proper infilling) favored folding of basin deposits, faulting, and the formation of rising blocks. Later, in the last stage (upper part of late Miocene p.p.), the area was affected by sinistral restraining conditions and faults must have bent to their current shape. The progressive folding of the basin and deformation of margins changed the supply points and finally caused the end of deposition and the beginning of the current erosive systems. On the basis of the interdisciplinary results

  20. Dzhezkazgan and associated sandstone copper deposits of the Chu-Sarysu basin, Central Kazakhstan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Box, Stephen E.; Seltmann, Reimar; Zientek, Michael L.; Syusyura, Boris; Creaser, Robert A.; Dolgopolova, Alla

    2012-01-01

    Sandstone-hosted copper (sandstone Cu) deposits occur within a 200-km reach of the northern Chu-Sarysu basin of central Kazakhstan (Dzhezkazgan and Zhaman-Aibat deposits, and the Zhilandy group of deposits). The deposits consist of Cu sulfide minerals as intergranular cement and grain replacement in 10 ore-bearing members of sandstone and conglomerate within a 600- to 1,000-m thick Pennsylvanian fluvial red-bed sequence. Copper metal content of the deposits ranges from 22 million metric tons (Mt, Dzehzkazgan) to 0.13Mt (Karashoshak in the Zhilandy group), with average grades of 0.85 to 1.7% Cu and significant values for silver (Ag) and rhenium (Re). Broader zones of iron reduction (bleaching) of sandstones and conglomerates of the red-bed sequence extend over 10 km beyond each of the deposits along E-NE-trending anticlines, which began to form in the Pennsylvanian. The bleached zones and organic residues within them are remnants of ormer petroleum fluid accumulations trapped by these anticlines. Deposit sites along these F1anticlines are localized at and adjacent to the intersections of nearly orthogonal N-NW-trending F2synclines. These structural lows served to guide the flow of dense ore brines across the petroleum-bearing anticlines, resulting in ore sulfide precipitation where the two fluids mixed. The ore brine was sourced either from the overlying Early Permian lacustrine evaporitic basin, whose depocenter occurs between the major deposits, or from underlying Upper Devonian marine evaporites. Sulfur isotopes indicate biologic reduction of sulfate but do not resolve whether the sulfate was contributed from the brine or from the petroleum fluids. New Re-Os age dates of Cu sulfides from the Dzhezkazgan deposit indicate that mineralization took place between 299 to 309 Ma near the Pennsylvanian-Permian age boundary. At the Dzhezkazgan and some Zhilandy deposits, F2fold deformation continued after ore deposition. Copper orebodies in Lower Permian

  1. Groundwater flow in a closed basin with a saline shallow lake in a volcanic area: Laguna Tuyajto, northern Chilean Altiplano of the Andes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herrera, Christian; Custodio, Emilio; Chong, Guillermo; Lambán, Luis Javier; Riquelme, Rodrigo; Wilke, Hans; Jódar, Jorge; Urrutia, Javier; Urqueta, Harry; Sarmiento, Alvaro

    2016-01-01

    Laguna Tuyajto is a small, shallow saline water lake in the Andean Altiplano of northern Chile. In the eastern side it is fed by springs that discharge groundwater of the nearby volcanic aquifers. The area is arid: rainfall does not exceed 200 mm/year in the rainiest parts. The stable isotopic content of spring water shows that the recharge is originated mainly from winter rain, snow melt, and to a lesser extent from some short and intense sporadic rainfall events. Most of the spring water outflowing in the northern side of Laguna Tuyajto is recharged in the Tuyajto volcano. Most of the spring water in the eastern side and groundwater are recharged at higher elevations, in the rims of the nearby endorheic basins of Pampa Colorada and Pampa Las Tecas to the East. The presence of tritium in some deep wells in Pampa Colorada and Pampa Las Tecas indicates recent recharge. Gas emission in recent volcanoes increase the sulfate content of atmospheric deposition and this is reflected in local groundwater. The chemical composition and concentration of spring waters are the result of meteoric water evapo-concentration, water–rock interaction, and mainly the dissolution of old and buried evaporitic deposits. Groundwater flow is mostly shallow due to a low permeability ignimbrite layer of regional extent, which also hinders brine spreading below and around the lake. High deep temperatures near the recent Tuyajto volcano explain the high dissolved silica contents and the δ"1"8O shift to heavier values found in some of the spring waters. Laguna Tuyajto is a terminal lake where salts cumulate, mostly halite, but some brine transfer to the Salar de Aguas Calientes-3 cannot be excluded. The hydrogeological behavior of Laguna Tuyajto constitutes a model to understand the functioning of many other similar basins in other areas in the Andean Altiplano. - Highlights: • Recent volcanism formations play a key role in producing recharge. • Groundwater can flow across local

  2. Structure of an inverted basin from subsurface and field data: the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous Maestrat Basin (Iberian Chain)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nebot, M.; Guimera, J.

    2016-07-01

    The Maestrat Basin experienced two main rifting events: Late Permian-Late Triassic and Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous, and was inverted during the Cenozoic Alpine orogeny. During the inversion, an E-W-trending, N-verging fold-and-thrust belt developed along its northern margin, detached in the Triassic evaporites, while southwards it also involved the Variscan basement. A structural study of the transition between these two areas is presented, using 2D seismic profiles, exploration wells and field data, to characterize its evolution during the Mesozoic extension and the Cenozoic contraction. The S-dipping Maestrat basement thrust traverses the Maestrat Basin from E to W; it is the result of the Cenozoic inversion of the lower segment–within the acoustic basement–of the Mesozoic extensional fault system that generated the Salzedella sub-basin. The syn-rift Lower Cretaceous rocks filling the Salzedella sub-basin thicken progressively northwards, from 350m to 1100m. During the inversion, a wide uplifted area –40km wide in the N-S direction– developed in the hanging wall of the Maestrat basement thrust. This uplifted area is limited to the North by the E-W-trending Calders monocline, whose limb is about 13km wide in its central part, dips about 5ºN, and generates a vertical tectonic step of 800-1200m. We interpreted the Calders monocline as a fault-bend fold; therefore, a flat-ramp-flat geometry is assumed in depth for the Maestrat basement thrust. The northern synformal hinge of the Calders monocline coincides with the transition from thick-skinned to thin-skinned areas. The vast uplifted area and the low-dip of the monocline suggest a very low-dip for the basement ramp, rooted in the upper crust. The Calders monocline narrows and disappears laterally, in coincidence with the outcrop of the Maestrat basement thrust. The evaporitic Middle Muschelkalk detachment conditioned the structural style. Salt structures are also related to it; they developed during the

  3. Geology and hydrology between Lake McMillan and Carlsbad Springs, Eddy County, New Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cox, Edward Riley

    1967-01-01

    The hydrology of the Pecos River valley between Lake McMillan and Carlsbad Springs, Eddy County, N. Mex., is influenced by facies changes in rocks of Permian age. Water stored for irrigation leaks from Lake McMillan into evaporite rocks, principally gypsum, of the Seven Rivers Formation and from Lake Avalon into carbonate rocks of the Tansill Formation. This leakage returns to the Pecos River at Major Johnson Springs and Carlsbad Springs. The river has perennial flow between Major Johnson Springs and Lake Avalon, but it loses water into evaporite rocks of the Yates Formation in this reach. Ground-water movement is generally toward the Pecos River in aquifers in the Pecos River valley except in the Rustler Formation east of the river where it moves southeastward toward playas east of Lake Avalon. The chloride content of ground and surface waters indicates that surface water moves from some reaches of the Pecos River and from surface-storage reservoirs to aquifers and also indicates the degree of mixing of ground and surface waters. About 45,000 acre-feet of ground water is stored in highly permeable rocks in a 3-mile wide part of the Seven Rivers Formation between Lake McMillan and Major Johnson Springs. This water in storage comes from leakage from Lake McMillan and from alluvium north of the springs. The flow of Major Johnson Springs is derived from this aquifer. That part of the flow derived from the alluvium north of the springs averaged 13 cfs (cubic feet per second) from 1953 through 1959 ; about 8 cfs of this flow had not been previously measured at gaging stations on the Pecos River and its tributaries. The most favorable plans for increasing terminal storage of the Carlsbad Irrigation District are to construct a dam at the Brantley site (at the downstream end of Major Johnson Springs), or to use underground storage in the permeable Seven Rivers Formation between Lake McMillan and Major Johnson brings in conjunction with surface storage. To avoid excessive

  4. Geochemical And Hydrodynamic Behavior Of The Karstic Aquifer System In The Portion Between Akumal And Boca Paila, In The South Eastern Coast Of The Yucatan Peninsula.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Velazquez Oliman, G.; Leal Bautista, R. M.; Perry, E. C.; Carrol, M.; Wagner, N.; Castillo Oliman, P.

    2008-12-01

    We report here aspects of the geochemistry and hydrodynamics of a nearly 450 km2 area that constitutes part of the rapidly developing tourist corridor between Akumal and Boca Paila, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Some of the largest explored submerged cave systems in the world, including Nohoch Nah Chic and Dos Ojos, are within the study area. The presence of these and other highly permeable conduits highlights the importance of a better understanding of the aquifer system both to assess its vulnerability and to facilitate sustainable water management. This study focuses on major ion, trace element, and stable isotope geochemistry of groundwater and on monitoring system hydrodynamics through water levels measurements. Sampling along approximately 30 km of coast was accomplished by means of a network of 29 sampling sites arranged along three NW-SE transverse lines running approximately perpendicular to the coast and each extending about 16 km inland. To date 52 samples have been taken. In addition, vertical specific conductivity profiles have helped delineate the thickness of the freshwater lens, which has a maximum thickness of 33.5 m in the southwestern part of the study area, approximately 13.5 km from the coast. In the northeastern corner of the study area, 7.5 m of brackish water overlies sea water near the coast. Water level monitoring is by means of Schlumberger pressure transducers installed at 11 sites. Water table changes record tidal oscillation, confirming the interconnectedness of the system, an observation supported by conductivity measurements that indicate oscillatory vertical movement of the saline interface. (SO4/Cl) ratios, expressed as 1000(SO4/Cl) in meq/kg, are useful tracers of groundwater provenance. The ratio is approximately 100 for seawater and is much greater for groundwater in southern Quintana Roo that has dissolved evaporite (Perry et al, 2002). Ratios in the study area, which are 100 or less, indicate no contact with evaporite. Background

  5. Geochemical and Isotopic Characteristics of Quaternary Aquifer in Sohag District, Upper Egypt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmed, M.A.

    2008-01-01

    Thc Nile River valley represent one of the most important regions for agriculture and land reclamation in our area. Environmental isotopes and hydrochemical compositions in conjunction with geological and hydrogeological data were used to define chemical characteristics, sources of salinity, ground water origin and the possible recharge sources to the Nile Valley aquifer in Sohag district, Upper Egypt. The total dissolved solids of the ground water samples have higher values (445-7828 mg/L) than surface water (291-348 mg/L). The ground water in the Nile flood plain is very similar to that of the river water except at the margins of the basin. This ground water contains isotopic contents comparable to the river Nile with low TDS. The change of water quality at the old alluvium plain could be due to extensive use of fertilizers to improve soil characteristics in new reclamation area. Mineral saturation indices suggest that the dissolution of evaporites and halite is significant in the ground water and responsible for most of the ground water salinization. The relationships between Na + ,Cl - , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ ,HCO 3 - and SO 4 2- show that complex geochemical processes control the chemical history of ground water: (I) continuous dissolution of evaporites and halite and precipitation of carbonate rocks, (2) cation exchange between ground water and clay minerals, (3) excessive use of fertilizers rich in MgSO 4 in the reclamation projects. The isotopic contents of surface water raged from 2.03 to 2.93%0 for δ 18 O, from 15.3 to 28.4%0 for δ 3 H, and from 4.6 to 7.8 TU for tritium while the isotopic contents of ground water ranged from -8,41 to 3,86% o for δ 18 O, from -67.8 to 29.9%0 for δ 2 H, and from 0.5 to 11.3 TU for tritium. The isotopic data reveals that the rechargability of this water is attributed to Nile flood water which was depleted in its isotopic content. Significant contribution from the palaeowater, which stored in the Nubia sandstone aquifer system

  6. Stable chlorine isotopes in arid non-marine basins: Instances and possible fractionation mechanisms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eastoe, C.J.

    2016-01-01

    Stable chlorine isotopes are useful geochemical tracers in processes involving the formation and evolution of evaporitic halite. Halite and dissolved chloride in groundwater that has interacted with halite in arid non-marine basins has a δ 37 Cl range of 0 ± 3‰, far greater than the range for marine evaporites. Basins characterized by high positive (+1 to +3‰), near-0‰, and negative (−0.3 to −2.6‰) are documented. Halite in weathered crusts of sedimentary rocks has δ 37 Cl values as high as +5.6‰. Salt-excluding halophyte plants excrete salt with a δ 37 Cl range of −2.1 to −0.8‰. Differentiated rock chloride sources exist, e.g. in granitoid micas, but cannot provide sufficient chloride to account for the observed data. Single-pass application of known fractionating mechanisms, equilibrium salt-crystal interaction and disequilibrium diffusive transport, cannot account for the large ranges of δ 37 Cl. Cumulative fractionation as a result of multiple wetting-drying cycles in vadose playas that produce halite crusts can produce observed positive δ 37 Cl values in hundreds to thousands of cycles. Diffusive isotope fractionation as a result of multiple wetting-drying cycles operating at a spatial scale of 1–10 cm can produce high δ 37 Cl values in residual halite. Chloride in rainwater is subject to complex fractionation, but develops negative δ 37 Cl values in certain situations; such may explain halite deposits with bulk negative δ 37 Cl values. Future field studies will benefit from a better understanding of hydrology and rainwater chemistry, and systematic collection of data for both Cl and Br. - Highlights: • δ 37 Cl in halite from arid, non-marine sedimentary basins ranges from −3 to +5.5‰. • Cl − in vadose playas may develop large isotope fractionation through cyclic wetting and drying. • Cl − in phreatic playas undergoes no fractionation as a result of cyclic wetting and drying. • Cl − in weathered

  7. Overview of the geophysical studies in the Dead Sea coastal area related to evaporite karst and recent sinkhole development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mikhail G. Ezersky

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Since the early 80s, a progressively increasing number of sinkholes appeared along the Dead Sea coastal line. It has been found that their appearance is strongly correlating with the lowering of the Dead Sea level taking place with the rate of approximately 1 m/yr. Location of areas affected by sinkhole development corresponds to location of the salt formation deposited during the latest Pleistocene, when the Lake Lisan receded to later become the Dead Sea. Water flowing to the Dead Sea from adjacent and underlying aquifers dissolves salt and creates caverns that cause ground subsidence and consequent formation of sinkholes. Before subsidence, these caverns are not visible on the surface but can be investigated with surface geophysical methods. For that, we applied Surface Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (SNMR, Transient Electromagnetic (TEM Seismic refraction and reflection, Multichannel Analysis of Surface waves (MASW, microgravity and magnetic surveys and their combinations. Our geophysical results allowed us to locate the salt formation and to detect caverns in salt thus contributing to better understanding sinkhole development mechanisms. Comparison of sinkhole appearance along the western DS shore derived from the recent database (2017 shows that predictions made on the base of geophysical data (2005-2008 are now confirmed thus demonstrating efficiency of our study. In this paper, we briefly present a summary of up to date knowledge of the geology and hydrogeology of Dead Sea basin, of the physical properties of the salt rock and the most popular models explaining mechanisms of sinkhole development. We also share our experience gained during geophysical studies carried out in the framework of national and international research projects in this area for the last 20 years.

  8. Catastrophic sinkhole formation in Kansas: A case study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lambrecht, J.L.; Miller, R.D.

    2006-01-01

    Sinkholes represent a hazard to property and human safety in a wide variety of geologic settings across the globe. In most cases, the subsidence rate of a sinkhole represents the most significant potential impact and risk to public safety. Since 1979, the Kansas Geological Survey has studied numerous sinkholes using high-resolution seismic reflection in an attempt to better understand the mechanisms that control their formation. Most sinkholes in central Kansas form as a result of dissolution of the Permian Hutchinson salt (Figure 1). The fluid source and associated pathway responsible for leaching these bedded evaporites have been natural, anthropogenic, and a combination of both. Sinkholes have been a part of the landscape in the North American midcontinent long before modern oil, gas, and mineral exploration, but clearly the activities of man have played a significant role in both increasing the number of sinkholes and affecting their subsidence rates.

  9. Tampa Bay as a model estuary for examining the impact of human activities on biogeochemical processes: an introduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swarzenski, Peter W.; Baskaran, Mark; Henderson, Carl S.; Yates, Kim

    2007-01-01

    Tampa Bay is a shallow, Y-shaped coastal embayment that is located along the center of the Florida Platform – an expansive accumulation of Cretaceous–Tertiary shallow-water carbonates and evaporites that were periodically exposed during glacio–eustatic sea level fluctuations. As a consequence, extensive karstification likely had a controlling impact on the geologic evolution of Tampa Bay. Despite its large aerial size (∼ 1000 km2), Tampa Bay is relatively shallow (mean depth = 4 m) and its watershed (6700 km2) is among the smallest in the Gulf of Mexico. About 85% of all freshwater inflow (mean = 63 m3 s-1) to the bay is carried by four principal tributaries (Orlando et al., 1993). Groundwater makes up an important component of baseflow of these coastal streams and may also be important in delivering nutrients and other constituents to the bay proper by submarine groundwater discharge.

  10. Microfacies, sedimentary environment and diagenesis of the upper part of Dalan and Kangan Formations in the Kuh-e Surmeh area, Folded Zagros

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammadhossein Adabi

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The upper part of Dallan and Kangan formations (Permian-Triassic, are located in the Kuh-e Surmeh area in folded Zagros Basin with a thickness of 325 m overlying by Nar evaporite member and underlying by Dashtak Formation. Dominant lithology of these formations are limestone and dolomite. Our purpose in this study is to identify microfacieses, sedimentary environment and diagenetic proceses. To overcome this aim, thin sections petrographic studies, leaded to identify 12 microfacieses related to 4 facieses belt: tidal flat, lagoon, shoal and open marine. The observed microfacies patterns indicate a ramp carbonate platform as depositional environment. Based on petrographic studies, the important diagenetic processes in these formations consist of: micritization, dolomitization, cementation, stilolitization and chemical and physical compactions. Burial diagenesis is dominated diagenetic event. The observed porosities in this section are primary and secondary such as fenestral, vuggy, fracture, moldic, interparticle, intraparticle and channel

  11. Novel chitosan film embedded with liposome-encapsulated phage for biocontrol of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in beef.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Haiying; Yuan, Lu; Lin, Lin

    2017-12-01

    In recent years, phages used for the reduction of pathogenic bacteria have fostered many attentions, but they are liable to lost bioactivity in food due to the presence of acidic compounds, enzymes and evaporite materials. To improve the stability of phages, a chitosan edible film containing liposome-encapsulated phage was engineered in the present study. The characteristics of liposome-encapsulated phage and the chitosan film containing liposome-encapsulated phage were investigated. The encapsulation efficiency of phages in liposome reached 57.66±0.12%. Besides, the desirable physical properties of chitosan film were obtained. The chitosan film embedded with liposome-encapsulated phage exhibited high antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli O157:H7, without the impact on the sensory properties of beef. Hence, chitosan film containing liposome-encapsulated phage could be a promising antibacterial packaging for beef preservation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Development of models for use in the assessment of waste repository performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dickson, A.G.; Weare, J.H.

    1989-01-01

    Any repository suitable for the disposal of radioactive waste comprises a combination of various man-made and natural barriers which aim to prevent transfer of the radionuclides from the canister to the external environment. Our group has developed the techniques needed to model the equilibrium chemistry of complex multicomponent rock/water systems over a range of ionic strengths and temperatures. These models, show remarkable agreement with field measurements when applied to natural systems. They have been applied successfully to interpret a variety of geochemical processes: studies of ancient and modern marine evaporite systems, studies of the solar evaporation of seawater studies of mineral formation in lakes and in fluid inclusions. At present our models are limited to the components of the seawater system (Na + , Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ , H + , SO 4 2- , HCO 3 - , CO 3 2- , CO 2 ), together with the borate species and SiO 2 . 2 tabs

  13. Thresholds of Detection and Identification of Halite Nodule Habitats in the Atacama Desert Using Remote Imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, M. S.; Moersch, J. E.; Cabrol, N. A.; Davila, A. F.

    2018-01-01

    The guiding theme of Mars exploration is shifting from global and regional habitability assessment to biosignature detection. To locate features likely to contain biosignatures, it is useful to focus on the reliable identification of specific habitats with high biosignature preservation potential. Proposed chloride deposits on Mars may represent evaporitic environments conducive to the preservation of biosignatures. Analogous chloride- bearing, salt-encrusted playas (salars) are a habitat for life in the driest parts of the Atacama Desert, and are also environments with a taphonomic window. The specific geologic features that harbor and preserve microorganisms in Atacama salars are sub- meter to meter scale salt protuberances, or halite nodules. This study focuses on the ability to recognize and map halite nodules using images acquired from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at spatial resolutions ranging from mm/pixel to that of the highest resolution orbital images available for Mars.

  14. Geological history of uranium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niini, Heikki

    1989-01-01

    Uranium is widely distributed in continental geological environments. The order of magnitude of uranium abundance in felsitic igneous rocks is 2-15 ppm, whereas it is less than 1 ppm in mafic rocks. Sedimentary rocks show a large range: from less than 0.1 ppm U in certain evaporites to over 100 ppm in phosphate rocks and organogenic matter. The content of U in seawater varies from 0.0005 to 0.005 ppm. The isotopic ratio U-238/U-235 is presently 137.5+-0.5, having gradually increased during geological time. The third natural isotope is U-234. On the basis of three fundamental economic criteria for ore reserves assessment (geological assurance, technical feasibility, and the grade and quantity of the deposits), the author finally comes to the following conclusions: Although the global uranium ores are not geologically renewable but continuously mined, they still, due to exploration and technical development, will tend to progressively increase for centuries to come

  15. Ancient microbes from halite fluid inclusions: optimized surface sterilization and DNA extraction.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krithivasan Sankaranarayanan

    Full Text Available Fluid inclusions in evaporite minerals (halite, gypsum, etc. potentially preserve genetic records of microbial diversity and changing environmental conditions of Earth's hydrosphere for nearly one billion years. Here we describe a robust protocol for surface sterilization and retrieval of DNA from fluid inclusions in halite that, unlike previously published methods, guarantees removal of potentially contaminating surface-bound DNA. The protocol involves microscopic visualization of cell structures, deliberate surface contamination followed by surface sterilization with acid and bleach washes, and DNA extraction using Amicon centrifugal filters. Methods were verified on halite crystals of four different ages from Saline Valley, California (modern, 36 ka, 64 ka, and 150 ka, with retrieval of algal and archaeal DNA, and characterization of the algal community using ITS1 sequences. The protocol we developed opens up new avenues for study of ancient microbial ecosystems in fluid inclusions, understanding microbial evolution across geological time, and investigating the antiquity of life on earth and other parts of the solar system.

  16. Hydrothermal fluid source constrained by Co/Ni ratios in coexisting arsenopyrite and tourmaline: the auriferous lode of Passagem, Quadrilátero Ferrífero of Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cabral, Alexandre Raphael; Koglin, Nikola

    2012-03-01

    The auriferous lode of Passagem de Mariana is characterised by abundant tourmaline, which is intergrown with arsenopyrite. Spot measurements using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry show that Co and Ni are the most abundant trace elements in the arsenopyrite (45-538 ppm Co, 246-828 ppm Ni), with Co/Ni ratios consistently <1. The coexisting tourmaline also has Co/Ni <1, with Co and Ni contents that are ~2 orders of magnitude lower than those in the arsenopyrite. The Co/Ni ratios of tourmaline and arsenopyrite are tightly distributed along a positive linear trend, the angular coefficient of which represents the Co/Ni of the hydrothermal fluid from which these minerals precipitated. The fluid Co/Ni ratio is close to the average Co/Ni value for the upper continental crust. In conjunction with the abundance of lode tourmaline and its B-isotope data (from the literature), the Co/Ni ratios of tourmaline and arsenopyrite fingerprint a continental evaporitic source of B.

  17. Nature of the interfacial region between cementitious mixtures and rocks from the Palo Duro Basin and other seal components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wakeley, L.D.; Roy, D.M.

    1986-03-01

    Using the interface zone as an indicator of compatibility, preliminary tests were run using cement-based formulations designed to be used for shaft sealing in conjunction with evaporite and clastic rocks of the Palo Duro Basin, one of several potential sites for a high-level radioactive waste repository. Emphasis focused on two formulations, both designed to be slightly expansive. Mixture 83-05 was tested in combination with anhydrite and siltstone. A comparable mixture (83-03) containing salt was used with the halite. Cement, rocks, and their respective interfaces were examined using x-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Bond strengths between rock and cement as well as between selected steels and grout were determined as a function of curing conditions and pretest surface treatment. Permeabilities of cement/rock and cement/steel composites were also determined. Bond strength and permeability were found to vary with curing conditions as well as surface treatment

  18. Long term fluctuations of groundwater mine pollution in a sulfide mining district with dry Mediterranean climate: Implications for water resources management and remediation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caraballo, Manuel A; Macías, Francisco; Nieto, José Miguel; Ayora, Carlos

    2016-01-01

    Water resources management and restoration strategies, and subsequently ecological and human life quality, are highly influenced by the presence of short and long term cycles affecting the intensity of a targeted pollution. On this respect, a typical acid mine drainage (AMD) groundwater from a sulfide mining district with dry Mediterranean climate (Iberian Pyrite Belt, SW Spain) was studied to unravel the effect of long term weather changes in water flow rate and metal pollutants concentration. Three well differentiated polluting stages were observed and the specific geochemical, mineralogical and hydrological processes involved (pyrite and enclosing rocks dissolution, evaporitic salts precipitation-redisolution and pluviometric long term fluctuations) were discussed. Evidencing the importance of including longer background monitoring stage in AMD management and restoration strategies, the present study strongly advise a minimum 5-years period of AMD continuous monitoring previous to the design of any AMD remediation system in regions with dry Mediterranean climate. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. The Mojave vadose zone: a subsurface biosphere analogue for Mars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abbey, William; Salas, Everett; Bhartia, Rohit; Beegle, Luther W

    2013-07-01

    If life ever evolved on the surface of Mars, it is unlikely that it would still survive there today, but as Mars evolved from a wet planet to an arid one, the subsurface environment may have presented a refuge from increasingly hostile surface conditions. Since the last glacial maximum, the Mojave Desert has experienced a similar shift from a wet to a dry environment, giving us the opportunity to study here on Earth how subsurface ecosystems in an arid environment adapt to increasingly barren surface conditions. In this paper, we advocate studying the vadose zone ecosystem of the Mojave Desert as an analogue for possible subsurface biospheres on Mars. We also describe several examples of Mars-like terrain found in the Mojave region and discuss ecological insights that might be gained by a thorough examination of the vadose zone in these specific terrains. Examples described include distributary fans (deltas, alluvial fans, etc.), paleosols overlain by basaltic lava flows, and evaporite deposits.

  20. The relationship between mineralisation and depositional environment in Early Proterozoic metasediments of the Pine Creek Geosyncline

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Needham, R.S.; Stuart-Smith, P.G.

    1984-01-01

    Recent geological mapping has indicated changes to the stratigraphy of the Pine Creek Geosyncline. The new stratigraphy and interpreted depositional environments are examined in relation to the distribution and genesis of stratabound mineral deposits. Basinward correlations are made with near-shore carbonate and psammite-rudite units in the Rum Jungle region. Most other units in the same region are condensed, indicating long-lived supratidal, intertidal or shallow conditions during most of the depositional cycle. Units containing most of the mineralisation represent the earliest near-shore developments of strongly reducing partly pelitic and evaporitic conditions and contain mainly uranium and base metals. Areas of potential mineralisation include near-shore environments in the north, and carbonate reefs along growth faults. Two suites of postorogenic felsic volcanics and related sediments deposited in shallow water within and around northwest and east-northeast rift systems, overlie the metasediments of the Pine Creek Geosyncline in the south. The suites have potential for volcanogenic deposits, mostly of uranium, gold and copper

  1. Geology and undiscovered resource assessment of the potash-bearing Central Asia Salt Basin, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan: Chapter AA in Global mineral resource assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wynn, Jeff; Orris, Greta J.; Dunlap, Pamela; Cocker, Mark D.; Bliss, James D.

    2016-03-23

    Undiscovered potash resources in the Central Asia Salt Basin (CASB) of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan were assessed as part of a global mineral resource assessment led by the U.S. Geological Survey. The term “potash” refers to potassium-bearing, water-soluble salts derived from evaporite basins, where seawater dried up and precipitated various salt compounds; the word for the element “potassium” is derived from potash. Potash is produced worldwide at amounts exceeding 30 million metric tons per year, mostly for use in fertilizers. The term “potash” is used by industry to refer to potassium chloride, as well as potassium in sulfate, nitrate, and oxide forms. For the purposes of this assessment, the term “potash” refers to potassium ores and minerals and potash ore grades. Resource and production values are usually expressed by industry in terms of K2O (potassium oxide) or muriate of potash (KCl, potassium chloride).

  2. Ancient microbes from halite fluid inclusions: optimized surface sterilization and DNA extraction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sankaranarayanan, Krithivasan; Timofeeff, Michael N; Spathis, Rita; Lowenstein, Tim K; Lum, J Koji

    2011-01-01

    Fluid inclusions in evaporite minerals (halite, gypsum, etc.) potentially preserve genetic records of microbial diversity and changing environmental conditions of Earth's hydrosphere for nearly one billion years. Here we describe a robust protocol for surface sterilization and retrieval of DNA from fluid inclusions in halite that, unlike previously published methods, guarantees removal of potentially contaminating surface-bound DNA. The protocol involves microscopic visualization of cell structures, deliberate surface contamination followed by surface sterilization with acid and bleach washes, and DNA extraction using Amicon centrifugal filters. Methods were verified on halite crystals of four different ages from Saline Valley, California (modern, 36 ka, 64 ka, and 150 ka), with retrieval of algal and archaeal DNA, and characterization of the algal community using ITS1 sequences. The protocol we developed opens up new avenues for study of ancient microbial ecosystems in fluid inclusions, understanding microbial evolution across geological time, and investigating the antiquity of life on earth and other parts of the solar system.

  3. Radiocarbon analysis of halophilic microbial lipids from an Australian salt lake

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bray, P. Sargent; Jones, Claudia M.; Fallon, Stewart J.; Brocks, Jochen J.; George, Simon C.

    2012-01-01

    Assigning accurate dates to hypersaline sediments opens important terrestrial records of local and regional paleoecologies and paleoclimatology. However, as of yet no conventional method of dating hypersaline systems has been widely adopted. Biomarker, mineralogical, and radiocarbon analyses of sediments and organic extracts from a shallow (13 cm) core from a hypersaline playa, Lake Tyrrell, southeastern Australia, produce a coherent age-depth curve beginning with modern microbial mats and extending to ~ 7500 cal yr BP. These analyses are furthermore used to identify and constrain the timing of the most recent change in hydrological regime at Lake Tyrrell, a shift from a clay deposit to the precipitation of evaporitic sands occurring at some time between ~ 4500 and 7000 yr. These analyses show the potential for widespread dating of hypersaline systems integrating the biomarker approach, reinforce the value of the radiocarbon content of biomarkers in understanding the flow of carbon in modern ecologies, and validate the temporal dimension of data provided by biomarkers when dating late Quaternary sediments.

  4. A Thermodynamic Model for Acetate and Lactate Complexation with Am(III), Th(IV), Np(V)and U(V I) Valid to High Ionic Strength

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moore, C.R.; Free, S.J.; Bynum, R.V.

    1999-01-01

    The organic ligands acetate, lactate, oxalate and EDTA have been identified as components of wastes targeted for disposal in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) located in Southeastern New Mexico. The presence of these ligands may increase dissolved actinide concentrations and impact chemical radiation during transport. The current work considers the complexation of Am(III), Th (IV) , Np(V), and U(V I) with two of the organic ligands, acetate and lactate, in Na CI media from dilute through high concentration. A thermodynamic model for actinide complexation with the organic ligands has been developed based on the Pitzer activity coefficient formalism and the Harvie-Moller-Weare, Felmy-Weare database for describing brine evaporites systems. The model was parameterized using first apparent stability constant data from the literature. Because of complexation of other metal ions (Fe, Mg, Ni, Pb, etc.) present in the WIPP disposal room with the organic ligands, preliminary results from model calculations indicate the organic ligands do not significantly increase dissolved actinide concentrations

  5. Marine Microbial Mats and the Search for Evidence of Life in Deep Time and Space

    Science.gov (United States)

    Des Marais, David J.

    2011-01-01

    Cyanobacterial mats in extensive seawater evaporation ponds at Guerrero Negro, Baja California, Mexico, have been excellent subjects for microbial ecology research. The studies reviewed here have documented the steep and rapidly changing environmental gradients experienced by mat microorganisms and the very high rates of biogeochemical processes that they maintained. Recent genetic studies have revealed an enormous diversity of bacteria as well as the spatial distribution of Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya. These findings, together with emerging insights into the intimate interactions between these diverse populations, have contributed substantially to our understanding of the origins, environmental impacts, and biosignatures of photosynthetic microbial mats. The biosignatures (preservable cells, sedimentary fabrics, organic compounds, minerals, stable isotope patterns, etc.) potentially can serve as indicators of past life on early Earth. They also can inform our search for evidence of any life on Mars. Mars exploration has revealed evidence of evaporite deposits and thermal spring deposits; similar deposits on Earth once hosted ancient microbial mat ecosystems.

  6. How to Search for Life by the Detection of Biochemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKay, C. P.; Davila, A.; Sun, H. J.

    2013-12-01

    We consider how to search for life by the detection of biochemistry in three relevance case: 1) in samples returned to Earth, 2) In situ in the organic rich plume of Enceladus, and 3) On Mars, following the discovery of organics. A search for organic biomarkers can address several questions including: 1) Evidence for present or past life, 2) Evidence for a second genesis of life, 3) Hazard assessment for human explorers and sample return and 4) Detection of bioload from Earth. Some useful analogs for the search for organic biomarkers on other worlds include 1) Ancient Earth sediment record, an example of a poorly preserved ancient biochemistry, 2) Modern environments including anoxic Antarctic sediments 3)Extreme cold desert surfaces in the High Antarctic Dry Valleys 4) Extremely dry soils such as the Atacama Desert 5) Evaporites. Sample preparation is a key issue, often unappreciated in past. Illustrated by the interference of perchlorate with organic detection on Viking and SAM.

  7. Mineralogical aspects of fluid migration in the Salt Block II experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lambert, S.J.

    1980-05-01

    A block of evaporite rock containing the mineral assemblage halite (88%) - polyhalite (8%) - sylvite (4%) was machined into a cylinder one meter in diameter and one meter high, and was fitted with an axial heater, thermocouples and an off-gas collection system. After about 100 days of heating, identification of mineral efflorescences at the heater hole (carnallite and bischofite) showed that a significant portion of the 111 grams of water recovered (out of around 8500 grams available in the rock) migrated as a liquid, not as a vapor. A microscopic examination of rock slices from within 15 cm of the heater hole (where the temperature was 100 to 200 0 C, and the gradient was 3 to 15 0 C/cm) revealed that: (1) fluid inclusions had migrated, but rarely across grain boundaries; (2) fluid inclusions had not been mobilized at distances greater than about 15 cm from the heater hole; and (3) intergranular liquid had been conspicuously mobilized within 15 cm of the heater hole

  8. Exceptional preservation of Miocene pollen: plasmolysis captured in salt?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Durska, W.

    2016-07-01

    Exceptionally well-preserved Miocene pollen from the Bochnia salt mine of southern Poland is reported herein. The halite deposits within the salt mine belonging to Late Badenian (Miocene) marine evaporites originated in the Paratethys. Rounded and angular structures are present inside pollen grains. On the basis of the similarity with plasmolyzed pollen grains of modern plants, these structures are considered to represent cytoplasms plasmolyzed in the condensed brine prior to fossilization. Two forms of plasmolyzed cytoplasms (concave and convex) can be observed in modern pollen. Both are distinguished in the investigated fossil material. In porate and colporate grains the shape of the plasmolyzed cellular content is concave while in inaperturate it is convex. The plasmolysis form depends on the type of apertures and pollen shape. The percentage of pollen with fossilized cytoplasms within individual taxa is a valuable environmental indicator, as it depends on the proximity of the pollen-producing plant assemblages to the depositional setting. (Author)

  9. The formation of graben morphology in the Dead Sea Fault, and its implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben-Avraham, Zvi; Katsman, Regina

    2015-09-01

    The Dead Sea Fault (DSF) is a 1000 km long continental transform. It forms a narrow and elongated valley with uplifted shoulders showing an east-west asymmetry, which is not common in other continental transforms. This topography may have strongly affected the course of human history. Several papers addressed the geomorphology of the DSF, but there is still no consensus with respect to the dominant mechanism of its formation. Our thermomechanical modeling demonstrates that existence of a transform prior to the rifting predefined high strain softening on the faults in the strong upper crust and created a precursor weak zone localizing deformations in the subsequent transtensional period. Together with a slow rate of extension over the Arabian plate, they controlled a narrow asymmetric morphology of the fault. This rift pattern was enhanced by a fast deposition of evaporites from the Sedom Lagoon, which occupied the rift depression for a short time period.

  10. Syn-depositional deformation of the late Zechstein evaporites on the Friesland Platform capturing the early life of a salt giant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raith, Alexander; Urai, Janos L.

    2017-04-01

    It is often thought that the deposition of the Zechstein of NE Netherlands took place in a tectonically quiet environment and experienced complex deformation later. While early deformation structures were mostly overprinted by later salt flow, we focused on the Friesland platform, which was only weakly affected by later salt tectonics. In this study, we analyzed the present structures and deformation history with the help of 3D seismic and well data. Results show that the ZIII AC stringer contains (i) a regional network of thicker zones (TZ), and (ii) a network of zones where the stringers are absent, interpreted as ruptures formed by salt flow. These ruptures in many cases mark a clear vertical shift of the sub-horizontal stringer. Mapping of the base salt and top salt reflectors shows that the ruptures often coincide with faults at base Zechstein level, and that the thickness of the post-stringer rock salt layers is thicker where the stringers are lower, while the total salt thickness is relatively constant. We interpret these structures as evidence for movement on the faults at base salt, during Zechstein times, suggesting that late Zechstein deposition was syn-tectonic. Spatial correlation of TZ and these syn-depositional depressions also indicate syn-depositional or very early development of thickening in the ZIII-AC stringer. They are interpreted to reflect the interaction of anhydrite dewatering pathways and dissolution of salt below fracture systems in the stringer localized by the active shear zones in the salt.

  11. Dissolution of evaporites and its possible impact on the integrity of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) New Mexico, USA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zand, S.M.

    1982-01-01

    The radiological consequences of a breach of the WIPP TRU waste repository, as a result of dissolution processes were shown to be in two broad classes. Most of the possible scenarieos that could happen as a result of the deep dissolution processes were shown to be addressed by the scenarios already presented elsewhere or are being investigated at the present. The remaining possible scenarios, except one, showed that the possible release of radionuclides through the geosphere to the biosphere would take periods of time orders-of-magnitude longer than the half-life of Plutonium-239. The one not specifically addressed, a postulated hydralogic pathway with the characteristics of the Salado/Castile interface aquifer, appears unlikely. However, it should be quantified when more data become available. To obtain a better understanding of the radiological health effects of the deep dissolution-caused breach of the repository, emphasis must be placed on better evaluation and refinement of the existing mathematical models and associated parameters. In the majority of the existing scenarios the most significant pathway of the radionuclide through the geosphere to the biosphere is the dolomitic Magenta and Culebra aquifers. Because these formations are fractured, mathematical modeling of radionuclide transport is subject to a large degree of uncertainty. Other uncertainties that relate to this pathway which need further study are: (a) the possibility of having more permeable abandoned mined potash tunnels as a part of the radionuclide flow path and (b) the outcrops of the Magenta and Culebra formations in Nash Draw, 11 km (7 mi) before the outlet to the Pecos River at Malaga Bend. The problems associated with the quantifications of these uncertainties as well as the effects of long-term climatic and hydrologic changes and hydrogeological data requirements of the models should be further addressed

  12. Identification and applicability of analogues for a safety case for a HLW repository in evaporites: results from a NEA workshop

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Noseck, U.; Wolf, J. [Gesellschaft für Anlagen und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) mbH, Brunswick (Germany); Steininger, W. [Project Management Agency Karslruhe Water Technology and Waste Management, PTKA-WTE, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, KIT, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Miller, B. [AMEC, The Renaissance Center, Warrington (United Kingdom)

    2015-06-15

    A workshop was held in September 2012 in Braunschweig, Germany, to discuss the potential for natural and anthropogenic analogue studies to contribute to safety cases for radioactive waste repositories constructed in salt formations. Presentations were given on many analogue sites and systems from different countries. Discussions at the workshop then addressed the following aspects that are particularly relevant to the safety concept for radioactive waste disposal in salt: (1) the long-term integrity of rock salt formations, (2) the integrity of technical barriers, and (3) microbial, chemical and transport processes. A diverse range of natural systems were discussed as potential analogues for the integrity of rock salt. These included the deformation of anhydrite layers in rock salt; the response of rock salt to mechanical and thermal loads; and the isotopic signatures of syngenetic waters contained in fluid inclusions. Some anthropogenic examples drawn from the oil and gas industries, and from hazardous waste disposal, were proposed as analogues for the integrity of (geo)technical barriers. A broad range of studies on natural and anthropogenic salt-brine systems were identified as potential analogues for the radionuclide sorption and (co)precipitation process that may take place in the repository near and far fields, as well as for understanding the significance of hydrocarbons and microbial processes. It was evident from discussions at the workshop that there are some specific technical issues that may benefit from further analogue study, particularly the compaction of crushed salt backfill, the viability of microbes in the near-field, the stability of plugs and seals, the deformation of anhydrite, and isotope signatures in fluid inclusions. (authors)

  13. Geology of the Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago and the North Kara Terrane in the Russian high Arctic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lorenz, Henning; Männik, Peep; Gee, David; Proskurnin, Vasilij

    2008-05-01

    The Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago is located at 80°N near the continental shelf break, between the Kara and Laptev seas. Sedimentary successions of Neoproterozoic and Palaeozoic age dominate the bedrock geology. Together with Northern Tajmyr, Severnaya Zemlya constitutes the main land areas of the North Kara Terrane (NKT), which is inferred here to have been a part of the Timanide margin of Baltica, i.e. an integral part of Baltica at least since the Vendian. Vendian turbidites derived from the Timanide Orogen are inferred to have been deposited on Neoproterozoic greenschist facies, granite-intruded basement. Shallow-water siliclastic deposition in the Early to Mid-Cambrian was followed by highly organic-rich shales in the Late Cambrian and influx of more turbidites. An episode of folding, the Kan’on River deformation, separates these formations from the overlying Tremadocian conglomerates and sandstones. In the Early Ordovician, rift-related magmatic rocks accompanied the deposition of variegated marls, sandstones, carbonates and evaporites. Dark shales and gypsiferous limestones characterise the Mid-Ordovician. Late Ordovician quartz-sandstones mark a hiatus, followed by carbonate rocks that extend up into and through most of the Silurian. The latter give way upwards into Old Red Sandstones, which are inferred to have been deposited in a Caledonian foreland basin. Deformation, reaching the area in the latest Devonian or earliest Carboniferous and referred to as the Severnaya Zemlya episode, is thought to be Caledonian-related. The dominating E-vergent structure was controlled by décollement zones in Ordovician evaporite-bearing strata; detachment folds and thrusts developed in the west and were apparently impeded by a barrier of Ordovician igneous rocks in the east. Below the décollement zones, the Neoproterozoic to Early Ordovician succession was deformed into open to close folds. The exposed strata in the lower structural level have been juxtaposed with

  14. Origin and geochemistry of saline spring waters in the Athabasca oil sands region, Alberta, Canada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gue, Anita E.; Mayer, Bernhard; Grasby, Stephen E.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Saline groundwater enters the Athabasca and Clearwater rivers in the AOSR via springs. • High TDS is due to subsurface dissolution of Devonian evaporites and carbonates. • Low δ 18 O values, and 3 H and 14 C data suggest some Laurentide glacial meltwater input. • Bacterial sulfate reduction, methanogenesis, and CH 4 oxidation were identified. • Metal and PAH contents are reported; bitumen does not appear to be major influence. - Abstract: The geochemistry of saline spring waters in the Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR) in Alberta (Canada) discharging from Devonian carbonate rocks into the Athabasca and Clearwater rivers was characterized for major ions, trace elements, dissolved gases, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In addition, stable isotope analyses of H 2 O, SO 4 , dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), Sr, and CH 4 were used to trace the sources of spring waters and their dissolved solutes, and to identify subsurface processes affecting water chemistry. The spring waters had δ 18 O values as low as −23.5‰, suggesting they are composed of up to 75% Laurentide glacial meltwater. Tritium and radiocarbon age-dating results, analyzed for three spring waters, supported a glacial origin. The high salinity of the spring waters (TDS 7210–51,800 mg/L) was due to dissolution of Devonian evaporite and carbonate deposits in the subsurface. Spring waters were affected by bacterial (dissimilatory) sulfate reduction, methanogenesis, and methane oxidation. Trace elements were present in spring waters at varying concentrations, with only one spring containing several predominant oil sands metals (As, Fe, Mo, Ni, Se, Zn) suggesting bitumen as a source. Five springs contained elements (Al, As, B, Fe, Se) at concentrations exceeding water quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life. Seven PAHs were detected in spring waters (total PAH concentrations ranged from 7.3 to 273.6 ng/L), but most springs contained a maximum of two PAHs

  15. Comparison of the Wymark CO2 Reservoir with the Midale Beds at the Weyburn CO2 Injection Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ryerson, F.; Johnson, J.

    2010-01-01

    The Devonian carbonates of the Duperow Formation on the western flank of the Williston Basin in southwest Saskatchewan contain natural accumulations of CO 2 , and may have done so for as long as 50 m.y. in the views of some investigations. These carbonate sediments are characterized by a succession of carbonate cycles capped by anhydrite-rich evaporites that are thought to act as seals to fluid migration. The Weyburn CO 2 injection site lies 400 km to the east in a series of Mississippian carbonates that were deposited in a similar depositional environment. That natural CO 2 can be stored long-term within carbonate strata has motivated the investigation of the Duperow rocks as a potential natural analogue to storage of anthropogenic CO 2 that may ultimately provide additional confidence for CO 2 sequestration in carbonate lithologies. For the Duperow strata to represent a legitimate analog for Midale injection and storage, the similarity in lithofacies, whole rock compositions, mineral compositions and porosity with the Midale Beds must be established. Previous workers have demonstrated the similarity of the lithofacies at both sites. Here we compare the whole rock compositions, mineralogy and mineral compositions. The major mineral phases at both locales are calcite, dolomite and anhydrite. In addition, accessory pyrite, fluorite and celestine are also observed. The distribution of porosity in the Midale Vuggy units is virtually identical to that of the Duperow Formation, but the Marly units of the Midale have significantly higher porosity. The Duperow Formation is topped by the Dinesmore evaporite that is particularly rich in anhydrite, and often contains authigenic K-feldspar. The chemistry of dolomite and calcite from the two localities also overlaps. Silicate minerals are in low abundance within the analyzed Duperow samples, < 3 wt% on a normative basis, with quartz the only phase identifiable in x-ray diffraction patterns. The Midale Beds contain

  16. A geochemical approach for assessing the possible uses of the geothermal resource in the eastern sector of the Sabatini Volcanic District (Central Italy)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cinti, Daniele; Tassi, Franco; Procesi, Monia; Brusca, Lorenzo; Cabassi, Jacopo; Capecchiacci, Francesco; Delgado Huertas, Antonio; Galli, Gianfranco; Grassa, Fausto; Vaselli, Orlando; Voltattorni, Nunzia

    2017-04-01

    The Sabatini Volcanic District (SVD) hosts a hydrothermal reservoir heated by the post-magmatic activity that affected the peri-Tyrrhenian sector of central Italy, giving rise to a number of thermal and mineral discharges. In this study, a complete geochemical and isotopic dataset based on the composition of 215 water and 9 bubbling gases, collected from the eastern sector of this huge hydrothermal system, is reported. The main aims are to (i) investigate the fluid sources and the main chemical-physical processes controlling the fluid chemistry and (ii) construct a conceptual fluid circulation model to provide insights into the possible use(s) of the geothermal resource. The fluid discharges are fed by two main aquifers, characterized by: (1) a Ca-HCO3 to Ca(Na)-HCO3 composition, typical of a shallow hydrological circuit within volcanic and sedimentary formations, and (2) a Ca-HCO3(SO4) to Na(Ca)-HCO3(Cl) composition, produced by the interaction of CO2-rich fluids with Mesozoic and Triassic carbonate-evaporite rocks. A thick sequence of low-permeability volcanic products represents a physical barrier between the two fluid reservoirs. As commonly occurring in central-southern Italy, CO2 is mainly produced by thermo-metamorphic decarbonation within the carbonate-evaporite reservoir, with minor contribution of mantle CO2. A dominant crustal source is also indicated by the relatively low R/Ra values (0.07-1.04). Methane and light hydrocarbons are mostly thermogenic, whereas H2S derives from thermogenic reduction of the Triassic anhydrites. Slightly positive 15N/14N values suggest minor N2 contribution from deep sedimentary sources. On the whole, a comparison of these geochemical features with those of the thermal fluids from the western portion of SVD highlights an eastward increasing influence of the shallow aquifer on the deep-originated fluids, likely caused by the proximity of the Apennine range from where the meteoric water, recharging the hydrothermal system

  17. Titan's geoid and hydrology: implications for Titan's geological evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sotin, Christophe; Seignovert, Benoit; Lawrence, Kenneth; MacKenzie, Shannon; Barnes, Jason; Brown, Robert

    2014-05-01

    A 1x1 degree altitude map of Titan is constructed from the degree 4 gravity potential [1] and Titan's shape [2] determined by the Radio Science measurements and RADAR observations of the Cassini mission. The amplitude of the latitudinal altitude variations is equal to 300 m compared to 600 m for the amplitude of the latitudinal shape variations. The two polar caps form marked depressions with an abrupt change in topography at exactly 60 degrees at both caps. Three models are envisaged to explain the low altitude of the polar caps: (i) thinner ice crust due to higher heat flux at the poles, (ii) fossil shape acquired if Titan had higher spin rate in the past, and (iii) subsidence of the crust following the formation of a denser layer of clathrates as ethane rain reacts with the H2O ice crust [3]. The later model is favored because of the strong correlation between the location of the cloud system during the winter season and the latitude of the abrupt change in altitude. Low altitude polar caps would be the place where liquids would run to and eventually form large seas. Indeed, the large seas of Titan are found at the deepest locations at the North Pole. However, the lakes and terrains considered to be evaporite candidates due to their spectral characteristics in the infrared [4,5] seem to be perched. Lakes may have been filled during Titan's winter and then slowly evaporated leaving material on the surface. Interestingly, the largest evaporite deposits are located at the equator in a deep depression 150 m below the altitude of the northern seas. This observation seems to rule out the presence of a global subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir unless the evaporation rate at the equator is faster than the transport of fluids from the North Pole to the equator. This work has been performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract to NASA. [1] Iess L. et al. (2012) Science, doi 10.1126/science.1219631. [2] Lorenz R.D. (2013

  18. Groundwater geochemistry of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico: Constraints on stratigraphy and hydrogeology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, Eugene; Paytan, Adina; Pedersen, Bianca; Velazquez-Oliman, Guadalupe

    2009-03-01

    SummaryWe report 87Sr/ 86Sr and ion concentrations of sulfate, chloride, and strontium in the groundwater of the northern and central Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Correlation between these data indicates that ejecta from the 65.95 m.y. old Chicxulub impact crater have an important effect on hydrogeology, geomorphology, and soil development of the region. Ejecta are present at relatively shallow subsurface depths in north-central Yucatan and at the surface along the Rio Hondo escarpment in southeast Quintana Roo, where they are referred to as the Albion Formation. Anhydrite/gypsum (and by inference celestite) are common in impact ejecta clasts and in beds and cements of overlying Paleocene and Lower Eocene rocks cored around the margin of the crater. The sulfate-rich minerals that are found in rocks immediately overlying the impact ejecta blanket, may either be partially mobilized from the ejecta layer itself or may have been deposited after the K/T impact event in an extensive pre-Oligocene shallow sea. These deposits form a distinctive sedimentary package that can be easily traced by the Eocene-Cretaceous 87Sr/ 86Sr signal. A distinct Sr isotopic signature and high SO 4/Cl ratios are observed in groundwater of northwestern and north-central Yucatan that interacts with these rocks. Moreover, the distribution of the gypsum-rich stratigraphic unit provides a solution-enhanced subsurface drainage pathway for a broad region characterized by dissolution features (poljes) extending from Chetumal, Quintana Roo to Campeche, Campeche. The presence of gypsum quarries in the area is also consistent with a sulfate-rich stratigraphic "package" that includes ejecta. The distinctive chemistry of groundwater that has been in contact with evaporite/ejecta can be used to trace flow directions and confirms a groundwater divide in the northern Peninsula. Information about groundwater flow directions and about deep subsurface zones of high permeability is useful for groundwater and

  19. Zeolite Formation and Weathering Processes in Dry Valleys of Antartica: Martian Analogs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gibson, E. K., Jr.; Wentworth, S. J.; McKay, D. S.; Socki, R. A.

    2004-01-01

    Terrestrial weathering processes in cold-desert climates such as the Dry Valleys of Antarctica may provide an excellent analog to chemical weathering and diagenesis of soils on Mars. Detailed studies of soil development and the chemical and mineralogical alterations occurring within soil columns in Wright Valley, Antarctica show incredible complexity in the upper meter of soil. Previous workers noted the ice-free Dry Valleys are the best terrestrial approximations to contemporary Mars. Images returned from the Pathfinder and Spirit landers show similarities to surfaces observed within the Dry Valleys. Similarities to Mars that exist in these valleys are: mean temperatures always below freezing (-20 C), no rainfall, sparse snowfall-rapidly removed by sublimation, desiccating winds, diurnal freeze-thaw cycles (even during daylight hours), low humidity, oxidative environment, relatively high solar radiation and low magnetic fields . The Dry Valley soils contain irregular distributions and low abundances of soil microorganisms that are somewhat unusual on Earth. Physical processes-such as sand abrasion-are dominant mechanisms of rock weathering in Antarctica. However, chemical weathering is also an important process even in such extreme climates. For example, ionic migration occurs even in frozen soils along liquid films on individual soil particles. It has also been shown that water with liquid-like properties is present in soils at temperatures on the order of approx.-80 C and it has been observed that the percentage of oxidized iron increases with increasing soil age and enrichments in oxidized iron occurs toward the surface. The presence of evaporates is evident and appear similar to "evaporite sites" within the Pathfinder and Spirit sites. Evaporites indicate ionic migration and chemical activity even in the permanently frozen zone. The presence of evaporates indicates that chemical weathering of rocks and possibly soils has been active. Authogenic zeolites have

  20. Interpreting irregularity in small-scale, cyclical precipitation of halite-anhydrite couplets within the Pennsylvanian Paradox Formation, Paradox Basin, Utah

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marra, K. R.; Agena, W. F.; Dubiel, R. F.; Lee, M. W.; Pitman, J. K.

    2012-12-01

    The Pennsylvanian Paradox Formation (Hermosa Group) contains 33 documented evaporite cycles consisting of thick (6-240 m) halite successions interbedded with anhydrite, silty dolomite, and black shale. The evaporite deposits precipitated from marine brines under restricted circulation conditions in the Paradox Basin, a northwest-southeast trending asymmetrical trough formed adjacent to the Uncompahgre uplift, where periodic glacioeustatic sea-level fluctuations and intermittent meteoric water influxes altered salinity gradients. Each salt cycle contains rhythmically bedded halite-anhydrite couplets, in which anhedral to euhedral bottom-growth halite crystals are overlain by thin (mm-scale), subaqueously precipitated layers of anhydrite in the form of "snow-on-the-roof" texture. Discrete grains of sylvite, which are red due to hematite inclusions, locally occur as bands or aggregates throughout most salt packages. In order to delineate controls on high-frequency halite-anhydrite precipitation, the thickness of distinct couplets were measured in four salt cycles, two (Cycles 3 and 5) in the Cane Creek No.1 corehole and two (Cycles 5 and 13) in the Shafer No. 1 corehole. The cores were drilled approximately 8 km apart within the central portion of the basin near the crests of the Cane Creek and Shafer salt anticlines. The thickness of halite-anhydrite couplets ranges between 1-90 cm for all measured cycles, with the most commonly occurring thickness of approximately 3-4 cm. Despite the proximity of the two cores, the salt cycles in the Shafer No. 1 core are 12-15m thicker than in the Cane Creek No. 1 core, and individual couplets thicken within the middle (~20 m) of the salt section. In contrast, couplets thicken near the top of the halite bed in the Cane Creek No.1 core, which is most pronounced in Cycle 5. Locally disrupted and distorted laminae due to salt flowage, however, complicates some laminae measurements. The small-scale, cyclical pattern of halite

  1. Imaging the Crust in the Northern Sector of the 2009 L'Aquila Seismic Sequence through Oil Exploration Data Interpretation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grazia Ciaccio, Maria; Improta, Luigi; Patacca, Etta; Scandone, Paolo; Villani, Fabio

    2010-05-01

    Aptian-Albian Fucoid Marl horizon, (4) the top of the upper Jurassic "Calcari ad Aptici" Formation, (5) the top of the upper Triassic dolomites plus evaporites of the Burano Formation. Strong but discontinuous deep reflectors can be reasonably attributed to the Paleozoic-Trassic clastic sequence underlying the evaporites. Neogene compression is responsible for a system of NNW-SSE trending fault-propagation folds which have often grown on top of popup-like structures. Extensional features include shallow-seated low-angle faults, likely related to gravitational readjustments on top of compressional features, and younger NNW-SSE trending high-angle faults. The major high-angle fault in the investigated area is represented by the Mt. Gorzano Fault, a regional structure the surface trace of which is at least 20 km long. The Mt. Gorzano Fault is a listric fault that dips around 60° in the first 2 s TWT and flattens at greater depths until it becomes sub-horizontal at about 5 s TWT, i.e. at a depth averaging 12 kilometers. Depth converted sections, calibrated by well data, indicate that the bulk of the aftershock activity is confined between the Triassic dolomites plus evaporites and the underlying Paleozoic-Triassic terrigenous deposits, without affecting the overlying carbonates. Events alignment revealed by accurate Double-Difference relative locations suggests that the Mw5.4 aftershock activated a 12 km-long segment of the Mt. Gorzano Fault at depths ranging from 5 to 10-12 kilometers. Aftershocks cluster in the hanging-wall of the deep portion of the fault recognized in the stack sections, whose geometry is consistent with the fault plane highlighted by earthquakes alignment.

  2. Land to sea record of the mega-eustatic cycle including the Messinian Salinity Crisis in the Mediterranean Andalusia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jouannic, Gwénaël.; Gorini, Christian; Jolivet, Laurent; Clauzon, Georges; Suc, Jean-Pierre; Gargani, Julien; Melinte-Dobrinescu, Mihaela Carmen; Meyer, Bertrand

    2010-05-01

    The outstanding event of the Messinian Salinity Crisis is very well documented in the onshore Sorbas and Vera Andalusian basins where its process and chronology are now well-known (Gautier et al., 1994, Krijgsman et al., 1999; Clauzon et al., 2009). The detailed study of these basins was at the origin of the two-step scenario of the Messinian salinity crisis (Clauzon et al., 1996) which clarified several aspects of the "deep desiccated basin" model of Hsü et al. (1973). The scenario in two steps (first step: evaporite deposition in Mediterranean marginal basins between 5.96 and 5.60 Ma; second step: evaporites deposition between 5.60 and 5.46 Ma in the almost dried up Mediterranean central basins, and subaerial erosion and deep canyons formation on the margins; Clauzon et al., 1996, 2005, 2008) has now the broadest consensus within the scientific community (CIESM, 2008). The Sorbas and Vera basins present all the markers in terms of sequence stratigraphy whatever these events were caused by moderate or excessive sea-level changes: 1, coral reefs, showing the relative sea level before the crisis; 2, gypsum (120 m in thickness) deposited during the first sea level drop (about 150 m) between 5.96 and 5.60 Ma; 3, the widespread erosion surface during the maximum sea level fall(ca. -1500 m); 4, the re-flooding at 5.46 Ma These onshore markers have also been recorded in offshore seismic profiles, allowing a continuous mapping of the Messinian canyons from land to sea. These onshore and offshore areas (Mauffret et al., 2007; Ammar et al., 2008) have also undergone a tectonics according to their proximity to the Betic cordillera (the south of the Sorbas Basin was more affected for example). Stratigraphic markers of the messinian crisis are powerful tools to reconstruct the tectonic events since 5 Ma. This work has made possible the calibration of tectonic deformations on south Andalusia present-day onshore and offshore domains. Ammar, A., Mauffret, A., Gorini, C., Jabour

  3. Hydrogeologic data from the US Geological Survey test wells near Waycross, Ware County, Georgia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matthews, S.E.; Krause, R.E.

    1983-01-01

    Two wells were constructed near Waycross, Ware County, Georgia, from July 1980 to May 1981 to collect stratigraphic, structural, geophysical, hydrologic, hydraulic, and geochemical information for the U.S. Geological Survey Tertiary Limestone Regional Aquifer-System Analysis. Data collection included geologic sampling and coring, borehole geophysical logging, packer testing, water-level measuring, water-quality sampling, and aquifer testing. In the study area, the Tertiary limestone aquifer system is about 1,300 feet thick and is confined and overlain by about 610 feet of clastic sediments. The aquifer system consists of limestone, dolomite, and minor evaporites and has high porosity and permeability. A 4-day continuous discharge aquifer test was conducted, from which a transmissivity of about 1 million feet squared per day and a storage coefficient of 0.0001 were calculated. Water from the upper part of the aquifer is of a calcium bicarbonate type. The deeper highly mineralized zone produces a sodium bicarbonate type water in which concentrations of magnesium, sulfate, chloride, sodium, and some trace metals increase with depth. (USGS)

  4. Pre-Miocene birth of the Yangtze River

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Hongbo; Clift, Peter D.; Wang, Ping; Tada, Ryuji; Jia, Juntao; He, Mengying; Jourdan, Fred

    2013-01-01

    The development of fluvial systems in East Asia is closely linked to the evolving topography following India–Eurasia collision. Despite this, the age of the Yangtze River system has been strongly debated, with estimates ranging from 40 to 45 Ma, to a more recent initiation around 2 Ma. Here, we present 40Ar/39Ar ages from basalts interbedded with fluvial sediments from the lower reaches of the Yangtze together with detrital zircon U–Pb ages from sand grains within these sediments. We show that a river containing sediments indistinguishable from the modern river was established before ∼23 Ma. We argue that the connection through the Three Gorges must postdate 36.5 Ma because of evaporite and lacustrine sedimentation in the Jianghan Basin before that time. We propose that the present Yangtze River system formed in response to regional extension throughout eastern China, synchronous with the start of strike–slip tectonism and surface uplift in eastern Tibet and fed by strengthened rains caused by the newly intensified summer monsoon. PMID:23610418

  5. Feasibility Study: Applicability of geochronologic methods involving radiocarbon and other nuclides to the groundwater hydrology of the Rustler Formation, southeastern New Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lambert, S.J.

    1987-12-01

    Radiocarbon, tritium, and 36 Cl were measured in groundwaters from the dolomite aquifers of the Rustler Formation in the northern Delaware Basin of southeastern New Mexico to determine the feasibility of using these nuclides in dating the groundwater at and near the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, a facility for geological disposal of Radioactive waste. No measurable 36 Cl was found in any of these groundwaters, which derive their dissolved chloride from Permian evaporites. Demonstrably uncontaminated groundwaters contained no significant amounts of tritium ( 13 C does not linearly correlate with bicarbonate, indicating no single source of contaminant radiocarbon. Values of PMC and δ 13 C for groundwaters were used to calculate apparent radiocarbon ages according to an interpretive model that accounts for water/rock interactions in carbonate aquifers. All but six pairs of values give significant negative ages (-1,000 to -7,000 years). This suggests that in contaminated samples the model over-adjusts (based on δ 13 C) for radiocarbon loss due to dilution and isotopic exchange with the rock. 52 refs., 10 figs., 6 tabs

  6. Mineral Composition and Abundance of the Rocks and Soils at Gusev and Meridiani from the Mars Exploration Rover Mini-TES Instruments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christensen, P. R.; Wyatt, M. B.; Glotch, T. D.; Rogers, A. D.; Anwar, S.; Arvidson, R. E.; Bandfield, J. L.; Blaney, D. L.; Budney, C.; Calvin, W. M.

    2005-01-01

    The Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES) has provided remote measurements of mineralogy, thermophysical properties, and atmospheric temperature profile and composition of the outcrops, rocks, spherules, and soils surrounding the Spirit and Opportunity Rovers. The mineralogy of volcanic rocks provides insights into the composition of the source regions and the nature of martian igneous processes. Carbonates, sulfates, evaporites, and oxides provide information on the role of water in the surface evolution. Oxides, such as crystalline hematite, provide insight into aqueous weathering processes, as would the occurrence of clay minerals and other weathering products. Diurnal temperature measurements can be used to determine particle size and search for the effects of sub-surface layering, which in turn provide clues to the origin of surficial materials through rock disintegration, aeolian transport, atmospheric fallout, or induration. In addition to studying the surface properties, Mini-TES spectra have also been used to determine the temperature profile in the lower boundary layer, providing evidence for convective activity, and have determined the seasonal trends in atmospheric temperature and dust and cloud opacity.

  7. Production and global transport of Titan's sand particles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnes, Jason W.; Lorenz, Ralph D.; Radebaugh, Jani; Hayes, Alexander G.; Arnold, Karl; Chandler, Clayton

    2015-06-01

    Previous authors have suggested that Titan's individual sand particles form by either sintering or by lithification and erosion. We suggest two new mechanisms for the production of Titan's organic sand particles that would occur within bodies of liquid: flocculation and evaporitic precipitation. Such production mechanisms would suggest discrete sand sources in dry lakebeds. We search for such sources, but find no convincing candidates with the present Cassini Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer coverage. As a result we propose that Titan's equatorial dunes may represent a single, global sand sea with west-to-east transport providing sources and sinks for sand in each interconnected basin. The sand might then be transported around Xanadu by fast-moving Barchan dune chains and/or fluvial transport in transient riverbeds. A river at the Xanadu/Shangri-La border could explain the sharp edge of the sand sea there, much like the Kuiseb River stops the Namib Sand Sea in southwest Africa on Earth. Future missions could use the composition of Titan's sands to constrain the global hydrocarbon cycle.

  8. Sedimentology and paleoecology of an Eocene Oligocene alluvial lacustrine arid system, Southern Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beraldi-Campesi, Hugo; Cevallos-Ferriz, Sergio R. S.; Centeno-García, Elena; Arenas-Abad, Concepción; Fernández, Luis Pedro

    2006-10-01

    A depositional model of the Eocene-Oligocene Coatzingo Formation in Tepexi de Rodríguez (Puebla, Mexico) is proposed, based on facies analysis of one of the best-preserved sections, the Axamilpa Section. The sedimentary evolution is interpreted as the retrogradation of an alluvial system, followed by the progressive expansion of an alkaline lake system, with deltaic, palustrine, and evaporitic environments. The analysis suggests a change towards more arid conditions with time. Fossils from this region, such as fossil tracks of artiodactyls, aquatic birds and cat-like mammals, suggest that these animals traversed the area, ostracods populated the lake waters, and plants grew on incipient soils and riparian environments many times throughout the history of the basin. The inferred habitat for some fossil plants coincides with the sedimentological interpretation of an arid to semiarid climate for that epoch. This combined sedimentological-paleontological study of the Axamilpa Section provides an environmental context in which fossils can be placed and brings into attention important biotic episodes, like bird and camelid migrations or the origin of endemic but extinct plants in this area.

  9. Genesis of copper-lead mineralization in the regionally zoned Agnigundala Sulfide Belt, Cuddapah Basin, Andhra Pradesh, India

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhattacharya, H. N.; Bandyopadhyay, Sandip

    2018-03-01

    Shallow marine sandstone-shale-carbonate sedimentary rocks of the Paleoproterozoic northern Cuddapah basin host copper (Nallakonda deposit), copper-lead (Dhukonda deposit), and lead mineralization (Bandalamottu deposit) which together constitute the Agnigundala Sulfide Belt. The Cu sulfide mineralization in sandstone is both stratabound and disseminated, and Pb sulfide mineralization occurs as stratabound fracture filling veins and/or replacement veins within dolomite. Systematic mineralogical and sulfur, carbon, and oxygen isotope studies of the three deposits indicate a common ore-fluid that deposited copper at Nallakonda, copper-lead at Dhukonda, and lead at Bandalamottu under progressive cooling during migration through sediments. The ore-fluid was of low temperature (water sulfate produced sulfide for ore deposition. It is envisaged that basal red-bed and evaporite-bearing rift-related continental to shallow marine sediments might have acted as the source for the metals. Rift-related faults developed during sedimentation in the basin might have punctured the ore-fluid pool in the lower sedimentary succession and also acted as conduits for their upward migration. The ore-bearing horizons have participated in deformations during basin inversion without any recognizable remobilization.

  10. Microbial ecology of deep-sea hypersaline anoxic basins

    KAUST Repository

    Merlino, Giuseppe

    2018-05-09

    Deep hypersaline anoxic basins (DHABs) are unique water bodies occurring within fractures at the bottom of the sea, where the dissolution of anciently buried evaporites created dense anoxic brines that are separated by a chemocline/pycnocline from the overlying oxygenated deep-seawater column. DHABs have been described in the Gulf of Mexico, the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea and the Red Sea. They are characterized by prolonged historical separation of the brines from the upper water column due to lack of mixing and by extreme conditions of salinity, anoxia, and relatively high hydrostatic pressure and temperatures. Due to these combined selection factors, unique microbial assemblages thrive in these polyextreme ecosystems. The topological localization of the different taxa in the brine-seawater transition zone coupled with the metabolic interactions and niche adaptations determine the metabolic functioning and biogeochemistry of DHABs. In particular, inherent metabolic strategies accompanied by genetic adaptations have provided insights on how prokaryotic communities can adapt to salt-saturated condition. Here, we review the current knowledge on the diversity, genomics, metabolisms and ecology of prokaryotes in DHABs.

  11. Measurements of the Suitability of Large Rock Salt Formations for Radio Detection of High-Energy Neutrinos

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Odian, Allen C.

    2001-09-14

    We have investigated the possibility that large rock salt formations might be suitable as target masses for detection of neutrinos of energies about 10 PeV and above. In neutrino interactions at these energies, the secondary electromagnetic cascade produces a coherent radio pulse well above ambient thermal noise via the Askaryan effect. We describe measurements of radio-frequency attenuation lengths and ambient thermal noise in two salt formations. Measurements in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), located in an evaporite salt bed in Carlsbad, NM yielded short attenuation lengths, 3-7 m over 150-300 MHz. However, measurements at United Salt's Hockley mine, located in a salt dome near Houston, Texas yielded attenuation lengths in excess of 250 m at similar frequencies. We have also analyzed early ground-penetrating radar data at Hockley mine and have found additional evidence for attenuation lengths in excess of several hundred meters at 440 MHz. We conclude that salt domes, which may individually contain several hundred cubic kilometer water-equivalent mass, provide attractive sites for next-generation high-energy neutrino detectors.

  12. Salt deposits of Los Medanos Area, Eddy and Lea counties, New Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, C.L.; Cooley, M.E.; Bachman, G.O.

    1973-01-01

    The salt deposits of Los Medanos area, in Eddy and Lea Counties, southeastern New Mexico, are being considered for possible use as a receptacle for radioactive wastes in a pilot-plant repository. The salt deposits of the area are in three evaporite formations: the Castile, Salado, and Rustler formations, in ascending order. The three formations are dominantly anhydrite and rock salt; but some gypsum, potassium ores, carbonate rock, and fine-grained clastic rocks are present. They have combined thicknesses of slightly more than 4000 feet, of which roughly one-half belongs to the Salado. Both the Castile and the Rustler are richer in anhydrite and poorer in rock salt than the Salado, and they provide this salt-rich formation with considerable protection from any fluids which might be present in underlying or overlying rocks. The Salado Formation contains many thick seams of rock salt at moderate depths below the surface. The rock salt has a substantial cover of well-consolidated rocks, and it is very little deformed structurally. 37 refs., 48 figs., 4 tabs

  13. Measurements of the suitability of large rock salt formations for radio detection of high-energy neutrinos

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gorham, Peter; Saltzberg, David; Odian, Allen; Williams, Dawn; Besson, David; Frichter, George; Tantawi, Sami

    2002-01-01

    We have investigated the possibility that large rock salt formations might be suitable as target masses for detection of neutrinos of energies about 10 PeV and above. In neutrino interactions at these energies, the secondary electromagnetic cascade produces a coherent radio pulse well above ambient thermal noise via the Askaryan effect. We describe measurements of radio-frequency attenuation lengths and ambient thermal noise in two salt formations. Measurements in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, located in an evaporite salt bed in Carlsbad, NM yielded short attenuation lengths, 3-7 m over 150-300 MHz. However, measurements at United Salt's Hockley mine, located in a salt dome near Houston, Texas yielded attenuation lengths in excess of 250 m at similar frequencies. We have also analyzed early ground-penetrating radar data at Hockley mine and have found additional evidence for attenuation lengths in excess of several hundred meters at 440 MHz. We conclude that salt domes, which may individually contain several hundred cubic kilometer water-equivalent mass, provide attractive sites for next-generation high-energy neutrino detectors

  14. Unconventional uranium resources in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qi Fucheng; Zhang Zilong; Li Zhixing; Wang Zhiming; He Zhongbo; Wang Wenquan

    2011-01-01

    Unconventional uranium resources in China mainly include black-rock series, peat, salt lake and evaporitic rocks. Among them, uraniferous black-rock series, uraniferous phosphorite and uranium-polymetallic phosphorite connected with black-rock series are important types for the sustainable support of uranium resources in China. Down-faulting and epocontinental rift in continental margin are the most important and beneficial ore-forming environment for unconventional uranium resources of black-rock series in China and produced a series of geochemistry combinations, such as, U-Cd, U-V-Mo, U-V-Re, U-V-Ni-Mo and U-V-Ni-Mo-Re-Tl. Unconventional uranium resources of black-rock series in China is related to uranium-rich marine black-rock series which are made up of hydrothermal sedimentary siliceous rocks, siliceous phospheorite and carbonaceous-siliceous-pelitic rock and settled in the continental margin down-faulting and epicontinental rift accompanied by submarine backwash and marine volcano eruption. Hydrothermal sedimentation or exhalation sedimentary is the mechanism to form unconventional uranium resources in black-rock series or large scale uranium-polymetallic mineralization in China. (authors)

  15. Mode de mise en place des corps salifères dans l'Atlas septentrional de Tunisie. Exemple de l'appareil de Bir Afou

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben Chelbi, Mohamed; Melki, Fetheddine; Zargouni, Fouad

    2006-05-01

    30 km southwest of Tunis, two thin flaky 'Triassic' intrusions underline the two flanks of the Atlasic anticline of Bir Afou. These evaporites are interbedded within the Clansayesian shales, and are under and overlain by glauconitic conglomeratic contacts. The 'Triassic' flakes, topic of our study, are sourced from the Bir Afou Triassic mass after a rapid pouring out during Late Aptian extensional tectonics. This structure corresponds, for us, to a 'salt glacier', similar to that one described at Ben Gasseur by Vila and al. [J.M. Vila, M. Ben Youssef, M. Chikhaoui, M. Ghanmi, Bull. Soc. géol. France 167 (1996) 235-246], which was subsequently folded during Lower Eocene times. Middle and Upper Eocene transgressive formations unconformably deposited on top of the Aptian anticlinal hinge. The major Late Miocene compressive phase is responsible for the present structures and that are superimposed onto the pre-existing 'salt glacier'. This salifereous system extends the 'salt glacier' domain towards the eastern part of the Tunisian Atlas. To cite this article: M. Ben Chelbi et al., C. R. Geoscience 338 (2006).

  16. Structuring and evolution of Neogene transcurrent basins in the Tellian foreland domain, north-eastern Tunisia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melki, Fetheddine; Zouaghi, Taher; Harrab, Salah; Sainz, Antonio Casas; Bédir, Mourad; Zargouni, Fouad

    2011-07-01

    The Neogene sedimentary basins (Serravallian to Quaternary) of the Tellian tectonic foreland in north-eastern Tunisia formed within the overall NE-SW sinistral strike-slip tectonic framework of the Ras El Korane-Thibar and El Alia-Teboursouk fault systems. From stratigraphic logs, structural cross sections and interpretation of 2D seismic lines and boreholes, the pre-Neogene basement can be interpreted to be structured according to Eocene (NW-SE) compressional and Oligocene extensional phases. This basement comprises structural highs (anticlines and horsts) and subsiding areas (synclines, half-grabens and grabens) formed during the Neogene. The subsiding areas are delineated by faults striking N030E, N-S and N140E, defining (i) narrow, strongly subsiding synclines, (ii) lozenge-shaped basins and (iii) trapezoidal basins. The architecture of their fill results from the sedimentary balance between tectonics and eustatism. Halokinesis and clay diapirism (driven by Triassic and Neogene evaporites and clays) also played an important role in basin evolution, contributing to the formation of domes and diapirs along active faults.

  17. Discovery of potassium salts deposits in colombia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gonzalez Oviedo Leopoldo; Espinosa Baquero Armando

    2012-01-01

    The first potassium salts ores found in Colombia are presented and described; they are located in the Santander province, in La Mesa de los Santos area, between Los Santos village and the rio Chicamocha Canyon. From a geological point of view, the mineralization is associated to the sediments of the Paja Formation, Early Cretaceous in age, and is located near the base of the formation. In the study area the main structure is the Villanueva syncline which involves, from bottom to top, Los Santos, Rosablanca, Paja, Tablazo and Simiti formations.The mineralization consists of small veins where the main mineral is singenite (K 2 Ca[SO4] 2- H 2 O) with small amounts of carbonates and accidental minerals. In the host rock, minerals like langbeinite (K 2 Mg 2 [SO4] 3) andrinneite (K 3 Na[Fe,Cl] 6) are present; they show that the rock was formed in an evaporitic environment and that detailed studies of that sequence may lead to the discovery of other mineralizations of economic interest.

  18. Water-rock interaction and geochemistry of groundwater from the Ain Azel aquifer, Algeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belkhiri, Lazhar; Mouni, Lotfi; Tiri, Ammar

    2012-02-01

    Hydrochemical, multivariate statistical, and inverse geochemical modeling techniques were used to investigate the hydrochemical evolution within the Ain Azel aquifer, Algeria. Cluster analysis based on major ion contents defined 3 main chemical water types, reflecting different hydrochemical processes. The first group water, group 1, has low salinity (mean EC = 735 μS/cm). The second group waters are classified as Cl-HCO(3)-alkaline earth type. The third group is made up of water samples, the cation composition of which is dominated by Ca and Mg with anion composition varying from dominantly Cl to dominantly HCO(3) plus SO(4). The varifactors obtained from R-mode FA indicate that the parameters responsible for groundwater quality variations are mainly related to the presence and dissolution of some carbonate, silicate, and evaporite minerals in the aquifer. Inverse geochemical modeling along groundwater flow paths indicates the dominant processes are the consumption of CO(2), the dissolution of dolomite, gypsum, and halite, along with the precipitation of calcite, Ca-montmorillonite, illite, kaolinite, and quartz. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011

  19. A Reassessment of U-Th and 14C Ages for Late-Glacial High-Frequency Hydrological Events at Searles Lake, California

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, J.C.; Broecker, W.S.; Hemming, S.R.; Hajdas, I.; Anderson, Robert F.; Smith, G.I.; Kelley, M.; Bonani, G.

    1998-01-01

    U-Th isochron ages of tufas formed on shorelines suggest that the last pluvial event in Lake Lahontan and Searles Lake was synchronous at about 16,500 cal yr B.P. (equivalent to a radiocarbon age of between 14,000 and 13,500 yr B.P.), whereas the timing of this pluvial event determined by radiocarbon dating is on the order of 1000 yr younger. The timing of seven distinct periods of near desiccation in Searles Lake during late-glacial time has been reinvestigated for U-Th age determination by mass spectrometry. U-Th dating of evaporite layers in the interbedded mud and salt unit called the Lower Salt in Searles Lake was hampered by the uncertainty in assessing the initial 230Th/232Th of the samples. The resulting ages, corrected by a conservative range of initial 230Th/ 232Th ratios, suggest close correlation of the abrupt changes recorded in Greenland ice cores (Dansgaard-Oeschger events) and wet-dry conditions in Searles Lake between 35,000 and 24,000 Cal yr B.P. ?? 1998 University of Washington.

  20. Exploring the Gross Schoenebeck (Germany) geothermal site using a statistical joint interpretation of magnetotelluric and seismic tomography models

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Munoz, Gerard; Bauer, Klaus; Moeck, Inga; Schulze, Albrecht; Ritter, Oliver [Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ), Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam (Germany)

    2010-03-15

    Exploration for geothermal resources is often challenging because there are no geophysical techniques that provide direct images of the parameters of interest, such as porosity, permeability and fluid content. Magnetotelluric (MT) and seismic tomography methods yield information about subsurface distribution of resistivity and seismic velocity on similar scales and resolution. The lack of a fundamental law linking the two parameters, however, has limited joint interpretation to a qualitative analysis. By using a statistical approach in which the resistivity and velocity models are investigated in the joint parameter space, we are able to identify regions of high correlation and map these classes (or structures) back onto the spatial domain. This technique, applied to a seismic tomography-MT profile in the area of the Gross Schoenebeck geothermal site, allows us to identify a number of classes in accordance with the local geology. In particular, a high-velocity, low-resistivity class is interpreted as related to areas with thinner layers of evaporites; regions where these sedimentary layers are highly fractured may be of higher permeability. (author)

  1. Geologic map of the Basque-Cantabrian Basin and a new tectonic interpretation of the Basque Arc

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ábalos, B.

    2016-11-01

    A new printable 1/200.000 bedrock geological map of the onshore Basque-Cantabrian Basin is presented, aimed to contribute to future geologic developments in the central segment of the Pyrenean-Cantabrian Alpine orogenic system. It is accompanied in separate appendixes by a historic report on the precedent geological maps and by a compilation above 350 bibliographic citations of maps and academic reports (usually overlooked or ignored) that are central to this contribution. Structural scrutiny of the map permits to propose a new tectonic interpretation of the Basque Arc, implementing previously published partial reconstructions. It is presented as a printable 1/400.000 tectonic map. The Basque Arc consists of various thrust slices that can expose at the surface basement rocks (Palaeozoic to Lower Triassic) and their sedimentary cover (uppermost Triassic to Tertiary), from which they are detached by intervening (Upper Triassic) evaporites and associated rocks. The slice-bounding thrusts are in most cases reactivated normal faults active during Meso-Cenozoic sedimentation that can be readily related to basement discontinuities generated during the Hercynian orogeny.

  2. Tectonic-stratigraphic evolution of Espirito Santo Basin - Brazil; Evolucao tectono-estratigrafica da Bacia do Espirito Santo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Silva, Eric Zagotto; Fernandes, Flavio L.; Lobato, Gustavo; Ferreira Neto, Walter Dias [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-graduacao de Engenharia (COPPE). Lab. de Modelagem de Bacias (LAB2M); Petersohn, Eliane [Agencia Nacional do Petroleo, Gas Natural e Biocombustiveis (ANP), Brasilia, DF (Brazil)

    2008-07-01

    This paper documents the analysis of seismic data of the Espirito Santo basin obtained during the project realized through partnership between COPPE/UFRJ/Lab2M with the Agencia Nacional do Petroleo, Gas Natural e Biocombustiveis (ANP) during 2006 and 2007. The major objective of the seismic data interpretation in the project was to define the main structural and stratigraphic features in order to build a sedimentation model and a tectonic-stratigraphic evolution model of the Espirito Santo basin. Thus, the sedimentary package has been divided into eight genetic units (UN), grouped into five third order stratigraphic sequences, namely: UN-B, represented by siliciclastics rocks of the rift stage and evaporitic sag-rift stage, deposited during the Aptian; UN-C, which represents the carbonatic rocks deposited in a marine environment, and siliciclastics rocks located in the proximal portions during the Albian; and UN-D, represented by sediments, composed mainly by pelites, deposited in between the Cenomanian and Recent, and includes the Eocene volcanic event, which one changed the sedimentation pattern of the basin. (author)

  3. The stratigraphy of the Malmani dolomite subgroup in the Carletonville area, Transvaal: genetic implications for lead-zinc mineralization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clay, A.N.

    1986-01-01

    The geological setting of a borehole intersection of lead-zinc mineralization in the Malmani Dolomite Subgroup in the Carletonville area is discussed. It is suggested that the lead and zinc ions were derived from the overlying shales, transported as bisulphide complexes in silica-enriched, alkaline solutions, and deposited during silicification in the upper part of the dolomite succession which contains relic evaporites. Lead isotope data suggests that the known lead-zinc deposits in the Transvaal sequence are not of major importance. However, the dolomites are regarded as very probable hosts for Mississippi Valley type base metal deposits and offer important exploration targets. This study includes lead isotopic data. Lead isotope compositions and model lead ages for galenas in the zinc deposits are shown. It is concluded that the leads have undergone either a two-stage evolution process, or have mixed with 206 Pb-enriched ores. Model ages suggest that the lead was derived from an approximate 2,7 Ga source and that mineralization took place at 1,7 Ga

  4. High-resolution InSAR constraints on flood-related subsidence and evaporite dissolution along the Dead Sea shores: Interplay between hydrology and rheology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shviro, Maayan; Haviv, Itai; Baer, Gidon

    2017-09-01

    Sinkhole generation and land subsidence are commonly attributed to dissolution of subsurface layers by under-saturated groundwater and formation of cavities. Along the Dead Sea (DS) shorelines, this process also involves seasonal flash floods that are drained into the subsurface by existing and newly formed sinkholes. We quantify the contribution of flash-floods to salt dissolution and land subsidence using high-resolution interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR). Subsidence rates during a 3-year period (2012-2015) were calculated from 57 COSMO SkyMed X-band interferograms bracketing major flood events and intra-flood periods in 21 sinkhole sites. The sites are located within channels and alluvial fans along the western shores of the Dead Sea, Israel. The observed subsidence reaches maximum rates of 2.5 mm/day, accumulating in specific sites to 500 mm/year. In most of the sinkhole sites a gradual increase in the annual subsidence rate is observed during the 3-year study period. Three different modes of response to floods were observed: (1) sites where floodwater is not directly channeled into sinkholes do not respond to floods; (2) sites adjacent to active channels with sinkholes are unaffected by specific floods but their subsidence rates increase gradually from early winter to mid-summer, and decay gradually until the following winter; and (3) sites in active channels with sinkholes are characterized by an abrupt increase in subsidence rates immediately after each flood (by a factor of up to 20) and by a subsequent quasi-exponential subsidence decay over periods of several months. In these latter sites, subsidence rates after each flood are temporally correlated with alternating groundwater levels in adjacent boreholes. The rapid rise in groundwater head following floods increases the hydraulic gradient of the under-saturated groundwater and hence also the groundwater discharge and the dissolution rate of the subsurface salt layer. A subsequent quasi-exponential water level drop results in similar deceleration in dissolution and subsidence rates, with a similar characteristic decay time of about 150 days. The observed subsidence decay pattern may also be explained by viscoelastic relaxation of the overburden in response to instantaneously-formed dissolution cavities. Utilizing a Kelvin viscoelastic model, we show that the contribution of this process is most probably < 30% of the total observed subsidence and is sensitive to the sediment mechanical properties. On a broader scale, this study demonstrates how high-resolution InSAR measurements can improve our understanding of subsurface dissolution and subsidence processes and provide independent constraints on the mechanical properties of heterogeneous alluvial sediments.

  5. Development of the Inland Sea and its evaporites in the Jordan-Dead Sea Transform based on hydrogeochemical considerations and the geological consequences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Möller, Peter; Rosenthal, E.; Inbar, N.; Siebert, C.

    2018-04-01

    Differences in the distribution of Na/Cl, Br/Cl and Mg/Ca equivalent values suggest a morphotectonic barrier at Marma Feiyad dividing the Tertiary Inland Sea into two basins covering the region of the Jordan Valley, Middle East. Depending on the Tethys sea level, three phases of evaporation are distinguishable that are related to three sections of the drilling log of Zemah 1. In phase 1 and 3 only the northern basin was flooded. During phase 2 both basins were inundated, but halite mainly precipitated in the southern one. The halite deposition in one or the other basin by evaporation is estimated by applying a two-box model. The results are constrained by the average subduction rate of 700-875 m/Ma and characteristic Na/Cl values of 0.52 and 0.12 in the northern and southern basin, respectively. In different scenarios the sedimentation rates of halite and non-halite components are varied due to assumed halokinesis, reshuffling of salt and erosion of non-halite sediments. These simulations suggest that periods of 450-600 and 100-170 ka in the southern and northern basin were needed, until the Na/Cl values of 0.12 and 0.52 were, respectively, attained. The Inland Sea most probably existed for 2.2 ± 0.3 Ma between 8.5 and 6.3 Ma ago (Tortonian). It was terminated at the beginning of the Messinian crisis. In all simulations the drainage flux into the southern basin exceeded that into the northern basin, suggesting that the proto-Jordan River either did not exist at that time or did not discharge into the northern basin.

  6. Geochemistry of groundwater in the Beaver and Camas Creek drainage basins, eastern Idaho

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rattray, Gordon W.; Ginsbach, Michael L.

    2014-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, is studying the fate and transport of waste solutes in the eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) aquifer at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in eastern Idaho. This effort requires an understanding of the natural and anthropogenic geochemistry of groundwater at the INL and of the important physical and chemical processes controlling the geochemistry. In this study, the USGS applied geochemical modeling to investigate the geochemistry of groundwater in the Beaver and Camas Creek drainage basins, which provide groundwater recharge to the ESRP aquifer underlying the northeastern part of the INL. Data used in this study include petrology and mineralogy from 2 sediment and 3 rock samples, and water-quality analyses from 4 surface-water and 18 groundwater samples. The mineralogy of the sediment and rock samples was analyzed with X-ray diffraction, and the mineralogy and petrology of the rock samples were examined in thin sections. The water samples were analyzed for field parameters, major ions, silica, nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, trace elements, tritium, and the stable isotope ratios of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen. Groundwater geochemistry was influenced by reactions with rocks of the geologic terranes—carbonate rocks, rhyolite, basalt, evaporite deposits, and sediment comprised of all of these rocks. Agricultural practices near and south of Dubois and application of road anti-icing liquids on U.S. Interstate Highway 15 were likely sources of nitrate, chloride, calcium, and magnesium to groundwater. Groundwater geochemistry was successfully modeled in the alluvial aquifer in Camas Meadows and the ESRP fractured basalt aquifer using the geochemical modeling code PHREEQC. The primary geochemical processes appear to be precipitation or dissolution of calcite and dissolution of silicate minerals. Dissolution of evaporite minerals, associated with Pleistocene Lake

  7. Geologic framework, hydrostratigraphy, and ichnology of the Blanco, Payton, and Rough Hollow 7.5-minute quadrangles, Blanco, Comal, Hays, and Kendall Counties, Texas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Allan K.; Golab, James A.; Morris, Robert E.

    2016-09-13

    This report presents the geologic framework, hydro­stratigraphy, and ichnology of the Trinity and Edwards Groups in the Blanco, Payton, and Rough Hollow 7.5-minute quad­rangles in Blanco, Comal, Hays, and Kendall Counties, Texas. Rocks exposed in the study area are of the Lower Cretaceous Trinity Group and lower part of the Fort Terrett Formation of the Lower Cretaceous Edwards Group. The mapped units in the study area are the Hammett Shale, Cow Creek Limestone, Hensell Sand, and Glen Rose Limestone of the Trinity Group and the lower portion of the Fort Terrett Formation of the Edwards Group. The Glen Rose Limestone is composed of the Lower and Upper Members. These Trinity Group rocks con­tain the upper and middle Trinity aquifers. The only remaining outcrops of the Edwards Group are the basal nodular member of the Fort Terrett Formation, which caps several hills in the northern portion of the study area. These rocks were deposited in an open marine to supratidal flats environment. The faulting and fracturing in the study area are part of the Balcones fault zone, an extensional system of faults that generally trends southwest to northeast in south-central Texas.The hydrostratigraphic units of the Edwards and Trinity aquifers were mapped and described using a classification system based on fabric-selective or not-fabric-selective poros­ity types. The only hydrostratigraphic unit of the Edwards aquifer present in the study area is hydrostratigraphic unit VIII. The mapped hydrostratigraphic units of the upper Trinity aquifer are (from top to bottom) the Camp Bullis, upper evaporite, fossiliferous, and lower evaporite which are interval equivalent to the Upper Member of the Glen Rose Limestone. The middle Trinity aquifer encompasses (from top to bottom) the Lower Member of the Glen Rose Limestone, the Hensell Sand Member, and the Cow Creek Limestone Member of the Pearsall Formation. The Lower Member of the Glen Rose Limestone is subdivided into six informal hydro

  8. Geologic map of the Vail West quadrangle, Eagle County, Colorado

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scott, Robert B.; Lidke, David J.; Grunwald, Daniel J.

    2002-01-01

    This new 1:24,000-scale geologic map of the Vail West 7.5' quadrangle, as part of the USGS Western Colorado I-70 Corridor Cooperative Geologic Mapping Project, provides new interpretations of the stratigraphy, structure, and geologic hazards in the area on the southwest flank of the Gore Range. Bedrock strata include Miocene tuffaceous sedimentary rocks, Mesozoic and upper Paleozoic sedimentary rocks, and undivided Early(?) Proterozoic metasedimentary and igneous rocks. Tuffaceous rocks are found in fault-tilted blocks. Only small outliers of the Dakota Sandstone, Morrison Formation, Entrada Sandstone, and Chinle Formation exist above the redbeds of the Permian-Pennsylvanian Maroon Formation and Pennsylvanian Minturn Formation, which were derived during erosion of the Ancestral Front Range east of the Gore fault zone. In the southwestern area of the map, the proximal Minturn facies change to distal Eagle Valley Formation and the Eagle Valley Evaporite basin facies. The Jacque Mountain Limestone Member, previously defined as the top of the Minturn Formation, cannot be traced to the facies change to the southwest. Abundant surficial deposits include Pinedale and Bull Lake Tills, periglacial deposits, earth-flow deposits, common diamicton deposits, common Quaternary landslide deposits, and an extensive, possibly late Pliocene landslide deposit. Landscaping has so extensively modified the land surface in the town of Vail that a modified land-surface unit was created to represent the surface unit. Laramide movement renewed activity along the Gore fault zone, producing a series of northwest-trending open anticlines and synclines in Paleozoic and Mesozoic strata, parallel to the trend of the fault zone. Tertiary down-to-the-northeast normal faults are evident and are parallel to similar faults in both the Gore Range and the Blue River valley to the northeast; presumably these are related to extensional deformation that occurred during formation of the northern end of the

  9. Geology of El Chichon volcano, Chiapas, Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duffield, Wendell A.; Tilling, Robert I.; Canul, Rene

    1984-03-01

    The (pre-1982) 850-m-high andesitic stratovolcano El Chichón, active during Pleistocene and Holocene time, is located in rugged, densely forested terrain in northcentral Chiapas, México. The nearest neighboring Holocene volcanoes are 275 km and 200 km to the southeast and northwest, respectively. El Chichón is built on Tertiary siltstone and sandstone, underlain by Cretaceous dolomitic limestone; a 4-km-deep bore hole near the east base of the volcano penetrated this limestone and continued 770 m into a sequence of Jurassic or Cretaceous evaporitic anhydrite and halite. The basement rocks are folded into generally northwest-trending anticlines and synclines. El Chichón is built over a small dome-like structure superposed on a syncline, and this structure may reflect cumulative deformation related to growth of a crustal magma reservoir beneath the volcano. The cone of El Chichón consists almost entirely of pyroclastic rocks. The pre-1982 cone is marked by a 1200-m-diameter (explosion?) crater on the southwest flank and a 1600-m-diameter crater apparently of similar origin at the summit, a lava dome partly fills each crater. The timing of cone and dome growth is poorly known. Field evidence indicates that the flank dome is older than the summit dome, and K-Ar ages from samples high on the cone suggest that the flank dome is older than about 276,000 years. At least three pyroclastic eruptions have occurred during the past 1250 radiocarbon years. Nearly all of the pyroclastic and dome rocks are moderately to highly porphyritic andesite, with plagioclase, hornblende and clinopyroxene the most common phenocrysts. Geologists who mapped El Chichón in 1980 and 1981 warned that the volcano posed a substantial hazard to the surrounding region. This warning was proven to be prophetic by violent eruptions that occurred in March and April of 1982. These eruptions blasted away nearly all of the summit dome, blanketed the surrounding region with tephra, and sent pyroclastic

  10. Chemical and isotopic characteristics of the warm and cold waters of the Luigiane Spa near Guardia Piemontese (Calabria, Italy) in a complex faulted geological framework

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vespasiano, Giovanni; Apollaro, Carmine; Muto, Francesco; Dotsika, Elissavet; De Rosa, Rosanna; Marini, Luigi

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Geo-structural and hydrogeological patterns: thermal waters discharge in a tectonic window. • Use of S isotopes to discriminate different evaporite sources, considering effects of BSR. • Use of the local approach instead of the regional approach to investigate the thermal site. • Use of geothermometric functions specifically calibrated for the thermal waters of interest. • Synthesis of geo-structural, hydrogeological and geochemical results in a conceptual model. - Abstract: Waters discharging at the Luigiane Spa come from two different hydrogeological circuits, which are chiefly hosted in the carbonate rocks and Upper Triassic evaporites of two distinct geological units, known as Verbicaro Unit and Cetraro Unit. The first unit contains a cold and relatively shallow aquifer behaving as a sort of piston-flow circuit with high flow rate, whereas the second unit encloses a warm and comparatively deep aquifer acting as a sort of well-mixed reservoir, where the circulation is slower and the rate is lower. Meteoric waters infiltrating along the Coastal Chain at similar elevations (615–670 m asl on average, in spite of considerable uncertainties) recharge both aquifers and, in the first case, acquire heat from rocks through conductive transfer as a consequence of deepening along a fault system and/or crossing between different systems, as suggested by local structural geology. In particular, the warm deeper reservoir has a temperature of ∼60 °C, as indicated by the chalcedony solubility and the Ca–Mg and SO 4 –F geothermometers, which were specifically calibrated for the peculiar water–rock-interaction (WRI) processes originating the Na–Cl–SO 4 high-salinity warm waters that discharge at the Luigiane Spa. The warm deeper reservoir is probably located at depths close to 1.4 km, assuming a geothermal gradient of 33 °C km −1 . The water leaving the deep reservoir discharges at the surface at 40.9 ± 3.3 °C after a relatively fast

  11. The Lower Triassic Sorkh Shale Formation of the Tabas Block, east central Iran: Succesion of a failed-rift basin at the Paleotethys margin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lasemi, Y.; Ghomashi, M.; Amin-Rasouli, H.; Kheradmand, A.

    2008-01-01

    The Lower Triassic Sorkh Shale Formation is a dominantly red colored marginal marine succession deposited in the north-south trending Tabas Basin of east central Iran. It is correlated with the unconformity-bounded lower limestone member of the Elika Formation of the Alborz Mountains of northern Iran. The Sorkh Shale is bounded by the pre-Triassic and post-Lower Triassic interregional unconformities and consists mainly of carbonates, sandstones, and evaporites with shale being a minor constituent. Detailed facies analysis of the Sorkh Shale Formation resulted in recognition of several genetically linked peritidal facies that are grouped into restricted subtidal, carbonate tidal flat, siliciclastic tidal flat, coastal plain and continental evaporite facies associations. These were deposited in a low energy, storm-dominated inner-ramp setting with a very gentle slope that fringed the Tabas Block of east central Iran and passed northward (present-day coordinates) into deeper water facies of the Paleotethys passive margin of northern Cimmerian Continent. Numerous carbonate storm beds containing well-rounded intraclasts, ooids and bioclasts of mixed fauna are present in the Sorkh Shale Formation of the northern Tabas Basin. The constituents of the storm beds are absent in the fair weather peritidal facies of the Sorkh Shale Formation, but are present throughout the lower limestone member of the Elika Formation. The Tabas Block, a part of the Cimmerian continent in east central Iran, is a rift basin that developed during Early Ordovician-Silurian Paleotethys rifting. Facies and sequence stratigraphic analyses of the Sorkh Shale Formation has revealed additional evidence supporting the Tabas Block as a failed rift basin related to the Paleotethys passive margin. Absence of constituents of the storm beds in the fair weather peritidal facies of the Sorkh Shale Formation, presence of the constituents of the storm beds in the fair weather facies of the Elika Formation (the

  12. Insights from the salinity origins and interconnections of aquifers in a regional scale sedimentary aquifer system (Adour-Garonne district, SW France): Contributions of δ34S and δ18O from dissolved sulfates and the 87Sr/86Sr ratio

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brenot, Agnès; Négrel, Philippe; Petelet-Giraud, Emmanuelle; Millot, Romain; Malcuit, Eline

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Regional sedimentary aquifer on the Aquitaine Basin (SW France). • Dealing with limited number of groundwater wells available. • Strong control of evaporite dissolution on groundwater dissolved elements. • Guidelines for decision-makers to manage water resources. - Abstract: The multi-layered Eocene aquifer is a regional scale sedimentary aquifer system occupying ∼120,000 km 2 within the Adour-Garonne district (France). Local authorities have recently identified the aquifer as being at risk from extensive irrigation abstractions, threatening the sustainability of this key resource. Because large water abstractions for human activities can significantly influence the natural functioning of such aquifer systems, e.g., with leakage between aquifer layers, which can lead to water quality degradation, the characterization of such large systems constitutes a key point to protect and prevent further deterioration of aquatic ecosystems. This study provides further insight on this large aquifer through a geochemical approach, which addresses the limited number of groundwater wells where sampling is possible. For that purpose, a geochemical analysis combining two isotope systems (δ 34 S SO4 , δ 18 O SO4 and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) has been applied. The Eocene sedimentary aquifer system (detrital to carbonate deposits) is made up of four aquifer layers, Eocene Infra-Molassic sand, Early Eocene, Middle Eocene and Late Eocene, and has a mineralized area north of the Aquitaine Basin, where groundwater shows strong mineralization and anomalous levels of critical substances (SO 4 , F, etc.), increasing the difficulty of resource exploitation. The extreme heterogeneity of the geochemical composition of the groundwater between the aquifers and within a single aquifer is discussed in terms of the lithological control induced by the lateral variation of facies and interconnections between aquifer layers. Geochemical tools, especially the δ 34 S and δ 18 O from

  13. Assessment of the potential for karst in the Rustler Formation at the WIPP site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lorenz, John Clay

    2006-01-01

    This report is an independent assessment of the potential for karst dissolution in evaporitic strata of the Rustler Formation at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site. Review of the available data suggests that the Rustler strata thicken and thin across the area in depositional patterns related to lateral variations in sedimentary accommodation space and normal facies changes. Most of the evidence that has been offered for the presence of karst in the subsurface has been used out of context, and the different pieces are not mutually supporting. Outside of Nash Draw, definitive evidence for the development of karst in the Rustler Formation near the WIPP site is limited to the horizon of the Magenta Member in drillhole WIPP-33. Most of the other evidence cited by the proponents of karst is more easily interpreted as primary sedimentary structures and the localized dissolution of evaporitic strata adjacent to the Magenta and Culebra water-bearing units. Some of the cited evidence is invalid, an inherited baggage from studies made prior to the widespread knowledge of modern evaporite depositional environments and prior to the existence of definitive exposures of the Rustler Formation in the WIPP shafts. Some of the evidence is spurious, has been taken out of context, or is misquoted. Lateral lithologic variations from halite to mudstone within the Rustler Formation under the WIPP site have been taken as evidence for the dissolution of halite such as that seen in Nash Draw, but are more rationally explained as sedimentary facies changes. Extrapolation of the known karst features in Nash Draw eastward to the WIPP site, where conditions are and have been significantly different for half a million years, is unwarranted. The volumes of insoluble material that would remain after dissolution of halite would be significantly less than the observed bed thicknesses, thus dissolution is an unlikely explanation for the lateral variations from halite to mudstone and siltstone

  14. Assessment of the potential for karst in the Rustler Formation at the WIPP site.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lorenz, John Clay

    2006-01-01

    This report is an independent assessment of the potential for karst dissolution in evaporitic strata of the Rustler Formation at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site. Review of the available data suggests that the Rustler strata thicken and thin across the area in depositional patterns related to lateral variations in sedimentary accommodation space and normal facies changes. Most of the evidence that has been offered for the presence of karst in the subsurface has been used out of context, and the different pieces are not mutually supporting. Outside of Nash Draw, definitive evidence for the development of karst in the Rustler Formation near the WIPP site is limited to the horizon of the Magenta Member in drillhole WIPP-33. Most of the other evidence cited by the proponents of karst is more easily interpreted as primary sedimentary structures and the localized dissolution of evaporitic strata adjacent to the Magenta and Culebra water-bearing units. Some of the cited evidence is invalid, an inherited baggage from studies made prior to the widespread knowledge of modern evaporite depositional environments and prior to the existence of definitive exposures of the Rustler Formation in the WIPP shafts. Some of the evidence is spurious, has been taken out of context, or is misquoted. Lateral lithologic variations from halite to mudstone within the Rustler Formation under the WIPP site have been taken as evidence for the dissolution of halite such as that seen in Nash Draw, but are more rationally explained as sedimentary facies changes. Extrapolation of the known karst features in Nash Draw eastward to the WIPP site, where conditions are and have been significantly different for half a million years, is unwarranted. The volumes of insoluble material that would remain after dissolution of halite would be significantly less than the observed bed thicknesses, thus dissolution is an unlikely explanation for the lateral variations from halite to mudstone and siltstone

  15. Raft tectonics in northern Campos Basin; Tectonica de jangada (raft tectonics) na area norte da Bacia de Campos

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Castro, Marilia R. de [Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense (UENF), Campos dos Goytacases, RJ (Brazil)]|[PETROBRAS, Macae, RJ (Brazil). Unidade de Negocio da Bacia de Campos; Fugita, Adhemar M. [Universidade do Estado, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Programa de Recursos Humanos da ANP

    2004-07-01

    In the northern area of Campos Basin salt gliding/spreading processes promoted the break-up and transport of Cretaceous and Tertiary rocks overlying the evaporites. This process is known as raft tectonics, and it represents the most extreme form of thin-skinned extension above the salt decollement surface. Three distinct geotectonic domains were recognized that formed in response to the raft tectonics. The first one, confined to the shallower shelf portion of the basin, is characterized by minor extension (pre-raft domain), probably because of small salt thickness and low gradient. In the second domain (or disorganized rafts domain), located in distal platformal and slope areas, seismic sections show the occurrence of blocks or rafts with angular shapes, sometimes imbricated and frequently discontinuous. In the third domain, or domain of organized rafts, located in bacinal region, seismic sections show a more continuous raft pattern, often folded because of salt compression in the distal portions of the basin. The main purposes of this work is to characterize these three tectonic domains distinguished by raft tectonics, as well as their importance in hydrocarbon accumulations in calcarenites. (author)

  16. Trace elements geochemistry of fractured basement aquifer in southern Malawi: A case of Blantyre rural

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mapoma, Harold Wilson Tumwitike; Xie, Xianjun; Nyirenda, Mathews Tananga; Zhang, Liping; Kaonga, Chikumbusko Chiziwa; Mbewe, Rex

    2017-07-01

    In this study, twenty one (21) trace elements in the basement complex groundwater of Blantyre district, Malawi were analyzed. The majority of the analyzed trace elements in the water were within the standards set by World Health Organization (WHO) and Malawi Standards Board (MSB). But, iron (Fe) (BH16 and 21), manganese (Mn) (BH01) and selenium (Se) (BH02, 13, 18, 19 and 20) were higher than the WHO and MSB standards. Factor analysis (FA) revealed up to five significant factors which accounted for 87.4% of the variance. Factor 1, 2 and 3 suggest evaporite dissolution and silicate weathering processes while the fourth factor may explain carbonate dissolution and pH influence on trace element geochemistry of the studied groundwater samples. According to PHREEQC computed saturation indices, dissolution, precipitation and rock-water-interaction control the levels of trace elements in this aquifer. Elevated concentrations of Fe, Mn and Se in certain boreholes are due to the geology of the aquifer and probable redox status of groundwater. From PHREEQC speciation results, variations in trace element species were observed. Based on this study, boreholes need constant monitoring and assessment for human consumption to avoid health related issues.

  17. A Little Vacation on Mars: Mars Simulation Microbial Challenge Experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boston, P.; Todd, P.; Van De Camp, J.; Northup, D.; Spilde, M.

    2008-06-01

    Communities of microbial organisms isolated from a variety of extreme environments were subjected to 1 to 5 weeks of simulated Martian environmental conditions using the Mars Environment Simulation Chamber at the Techshot, Inc. facility in Greenville, Indiana. The goal of the overall experiment program was to assess survival of test Earth organisms under Mars full spectrum sunlight, low-latitude daily temperature profile and various Mars-atmosphere pressures (~50 mbar to 500 mbar, 100% CO2) and low moisture content. Organisms surviving after 5 weeks at 100 mbar included those from gypsum surface fracture communities in a Permian aged evaporite basin, desert varnish on andesite lavas around a manganese mine, and iron and manganese oxidizing organisms isolated from two caves in Mew Mexico. Phylogenetic DNA analysis revealed strains of cyanobacteria, bacterial genera (present in all surviving communities) Asticacaulis, Achromobacter, Comamonas, Pantoea, Verrucomicrobium, Bacillus, Gemmatimonas, Actinomyces, and others. At least one microcolonial fungal strain from a desert varnish community and at least one strain from Utah survived simulations. Strains related to the unusual cave bacterial group Bacteroidetes are present in survivor communities that resist isolation into pure culture implying that their consortial relationships may be critical to their survival.

  18. Tectonic-stratigraphic evolution of Cumuruxatiba Basin - Brazil; Evolucao tectono-estratigrafica da Bacia de Cumuruxatiba

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lobato, Gustavo; Fernandes, Flavio L.; Silva, Eric Zagotto; Ferreira Neto, Walter Dias [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-graduacao de Engenharia (COPPE). Lab. de Modelagem Multidisciplinar de Bacias Sedimentares; Ribeiro, Juliana [Agencia Nacional do Petroleo, Gas Natural e Biocombustiveis (ANP), Brasilia, DF (Brazil)

    2008-07-01

    In recent years, the exploratory interest on Cumuruxatiba Basin has been inconstant, with modest discoveries of oil. Aiming to deepen the geological knowledge of the basin and in order to attract the interest of oil companies, the ANP (National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels) signed contract with COPPE/UFRJ for carrying out an analysis basin project. The project was developed by the Basin Analysis Multidisciplinary Modeling Laboratory (Lab2M/UFRJ) in the period 2006/2007, and was with the main objective outline the main structural and seismo-stratigraphic features of the basin, and in an integrated and multidisciplinary way, build a model of its sedimentation and tectono-stratigraphic evolution. This paper presents the results of the regional seismic mapping, aided by well and potential methods data. The stratigraphic succession the basin has been divided into genetic units (UN-B, UN-C e UN-D) corresponding to second order depositional sequences, they are: UN-B, corresponding by a rift and sag-rift siliciclastic deposits, plus the Aptian evaporitic deposits; UN-C, characterized by carbonatic deposits, and shelf related sediments; and UN-D, corresponding by a final transgressive (siliciclastic) - regressive (mix) cycle, between Cenomanian and actual days. (author)

  19. Preliminary geohydrologic conceptual model of the Los Medanos region near the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for the purpose of performance assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brinster, K.F.

    1991-01-01

    This report describes a geohydrologic conceptual model of the northern Delaware Basin to be used in modeling three-dimensional, regional ground-water flow for assessing the performance of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in the Los Medanos region near Carlsbad, New Mexico. Geochemical and hydrological evidence indicates that flow is transient in the Rustler Formation and the Capitan aquifer in response to changing geologic, hydrologic, and climatic conditions. Before the Pleistocene, ground-water flow in the Rustler Formation was generally eastward, but uneven tilting of the Delaware Basin lowered the regional base level and formed fractures in the evaporitic sequence of rocks approximately parallel to the basin axis. Dissolution along the fractures, coupled with erosion, formed Nash Draw. Also, the drop in base level resulted in an increase in the carrying power of the Pecos River, which began incising the Capitan/aquifer near Carlsbad, New Mexico. Erosion and downcutting released hydraulic pressure that caused a reversal in Rustler ground-water flow direction near the WIPP. Flow in the Rustler west of the WIPP is toward Nash Draw and eventually toward Malaga Bend; flow south of the WIPP is toward Malaga Bend. 126 refs., 70 figs., 18 tabs

  20. Halite depositional facies in a solar salt pond: A key to interpreting physical energy and water depth in ancient deposits?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robertson Handford, C.

    1990-08-01

    Subaqueous deposits of aragonite, gypsum, and halite are accumulating in shallow solar salt ponds constructed in the Pekelmeer, a sea-level sauna on Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. Several halite facies are deposited in the crystallizer ponds in response to differences in water depth and wave energy. Cumulate halite, which originates as floating rafts, is present only along the protected, upwind margins of ponds where low-energy conditions foster their formation and preservation. Cornet crystals with peculiar mushroom- and mortarboard-shaped caps precipitate in centimetre-deep brine sheets within a couple of metres of the upwind or low-energy margins. Downwind from these margins, cornet and chevron halite precipitate on the pond floors in water depths ranging from a few centimetres to ˜60 cm. Halite pisoids with radial-concentric structure are precipitated in the swash zone along downwind high-energy shorelines where they form pebbly beaches. This study suggests that primary halite facies are energy and/or depth dependent and that some primary features, if preserved in ancient halite deposits, can be used to infer physical energy conditions, subenvironments such as low- to high-energy shorelines, and extremely shallow water depths in ancient evaporite basins.

  1. The current status of mapping karst areas and availability of public sinkhole-risk resources in karst terrains of the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuniansky, Eve L.; Weary, David J.; Kaufmann, James E.

    2016-01-01

    Subsidence from sinkhole collapse is a common occurrence in areas underlain by water-soluble rocks such as carbonate and evaporite rocks, typical of karst terrain. Almost all 50 States within the United States (excluding Delaware and Rhode Island) have karst areas, with sinkhole damage highest in Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. A conservative estimate of losses to all types of ground subsidence was $125 million per year in 1997. This estimate may now be low, as review of cost reports from the last 15 years indicates that the cost of karst collapses in the United States averages more than $300 million per year. Knowing when a catastrophic event will occur is not possible; however, understanding where such occurrences are likely is possible. The US Geological Survey has developed and maintains national-scale maps of karst areas and areas prone to sinkhole formation. Several States provide additional resources for their citizens; Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Pennsylvania maintain databases of sinkholes or karst features, with Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, and Ohio providing sinkhole reporting mechanisms for the public.

  2. Hydrodynamics in Evaporate-Bearing Fine-Grained Successions Investigated through an Interdisciplinary Approach: A Test Study in Southern Italy—Hydrogeological Behaviour of Heterogeneous Low-Permeability Media

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Petrella

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Messinian evaporates are widely distributed in the Mediterranean Sea as outcropping sediments in small marginal basins and in marine cores. Progressive filling of subbasins led to the formation of complex aquifer systems in different regions where hypersaline and fresh water coexist and interact in different manner. It also generates a significant diversification of groundwater hydrochemical signature and different microbial communities. In the case study, the hydrogeology and hydrochemistry of the whole system are influenced by good hydraulic connection between the shallower pyroclastic horizon and the underlying evaporate-bearing fine-grained Messinian succession. This is demonstrated by the merge of hydrogeological, chemical, isotopic, and microbiological data. No mixing with deep ascending waters has been observed. As shown by geophysical, hydraulic, and microbiological investigations, the hydraulic heterogeneity of the Messinian bedrock, mainly due to karstified evaporitic interstrata/lenses, causes the hydraulic head to significantly vary with depth. Somewhere, the head increases with the depth’s increase and artesian flow conditions are locally observed. Moreover, the metagenomic investigations demonstrated the existence of a poor hydraulic connection within the evaporate-bearing fine-grained succession at metric and decametric scales, therefore leading to a patchwork of geochemical (and microbiological subenvironments.

  3. In situ metabolism in halite endolithic microbial communities of the hyperarid Atacama Desert

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alfonso F Davila

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The Atacama Desert of northern Chile is one of the driest regions on Earth, with areas that exclude plants and where soils have extremely low microbial biomass. However, in the driest parts of the desert there are microorganisms that colonize the interior of halite nodules in fossil continental evaporites, where they are sustained by condensation of atmospheric water triggered by the salt substrate. Using a combination of in situ observations of variable chlorophyll fluorescence and controlled laboratory experiments, we show that this endolithic community is capable of carbon fixation both through oxygenic photosynthesis and potentially ammonia oxidation. We also present evidence that photosynthetic activity is finely tuned to moisture availability and solar insolation and can be sustained for days, and perhaps longer, after a wetting event. This is the first demonstration of in situ active metabolism in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert, and it provides the basis for proposing a self-contained, endolithic community that relies exclusively on non-rainfall sources of water. Our results contribute to an increasing body of evidence that even in hyperarid environments active metabolism, adaptation and growth can occur in highly specialized microhabitats.

  4. Origins of the Salado, Seven Rivers, and San Andres salt margins in Texas and New Mexico: Revision 1: Topical report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boyd, S.D.; Murphy, P.J.

    1987-02-01

    The present boundaries of the San Andres, Seven Rivers, and Salado salts generally lie along the periphery of the Palo Duro and Tucumcari Basins. Various geologic mechanisms occurring singularly or in combination determined the positions of the salt margins. These mechanisms include nondeposition of salt and syndepositional and postdepositional dissolution. In New Mexico, San Andres units pinch out against the Pedernal and Sierra Grande Uplifts, indicating that nondeposition established the original salt margins there. Syndepositional dissolution of exposed Upper San Andres salts occurred in response to Guadalupian upwarp of the basin margins. Triassic erosion differentially removed Permian salt-bearing formations along the uplifts. Late Tertiary dissolution is indicated by fill of north-south trending collapse valleys. In Texas, Guadalupian upwarp along the Amarillo Uplift caused pinchout of Units 2 and 3 in the Lower San Andres and influenced the deposition of subsequent salt-bearing strata. The discontinuity of Upper San Andres evaporites across the Amarillo Uplift suggests syndepositional dissolution. Along the eastern and northeastern basin margin, dissolution may have accompanied Triassic erosion of locally uplifted Upper Permian strata. Tertiary dissolution is recognized beneath anomalously thick Ogallala Formation sections that overlie collasped Permian strata. 49 refs., 31 figs., 2 tabs

  5. Characterising flow regime and interrelation between surface-water and ground-water in the Fuente de Piedra salt lake basin by means of stable isotopes, hydrogeochemical and hydraulic data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohfahl, Claus; Rodriguez, Miguel; Fenk, Cord; Menz, Christian; Benavente, Jose; Hubberten, Hans; Meyer, Hanno; Paul, Liisa; Knappe, Andrea; López-Geta, Juan Antonio; Pekdeger, Asaf

    2008-03-01

    SummaryThis research reports the characterisation of ground- and surface-water interaction in the Fuente de Piedra Salt lake basin in southern Spain by a combined approach using hydraulic, hydrogeochemical and stable isotope data. During three sampling campaigns (February 2004, 2005 and October 2005) ground- and surface-water samples were collected for stable isotope studies ( 18O, D) and for major and minor ion analysis. Hydraulic measurements at multilevel piezometers were carried out at four different locations around the lake edge. Conductivity logs were performed at four piezometers located along a profile at the northern lake border and at two deeper piezometers in the Miocene basin at a greater distance from the lake. To describe processes that control the brine evolution different hydrogeochemical simulations were performed. Hydrogeochemical data show a variety of brines related to thickness variations of lacustrine evaporites around the lake. Salinity profiles in combination with stable isotope and hydraulic data indicate the existence of convection cells and recycled brines. Furthermore restricted ground-water inflow into the lake was detected. Dedolomitisation processes were identified by hydrogeochemical simulations and different brine origins were reproduced by inverse modelling approaches.

  6. Zechstein salt Denmark. Vol. 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lyngsie Jacobsen, F.; Soenderholm, M.; Springer, N.; Gutzon Larsen, J.; Lagoni, P.; Fabricius, J.

    1984-01-01

    The Salt Research Project EFP-81 has mainly been aiming upon an elucidation of the stratigraphy of the Danish Zechstein evaporites. Also an attempt to clarify the connection between the fabric and the strength of the strongly deformed domal rock salt is performed. The unravelling of the stratigraphy is carried out by means of renewed interpretations of new and old data from all the wells drilling in the Danish Permian basin in connection with a revaluation of the core descriptions. By means of trace elements analysis it is possible to some extent to distinguish between Zestein 1 and 2 ''grey salt''. A description of the transition zone between Zechstein 1 and 2 is carried out. New methods of fabric analyses are introduced and the strength measurements of the rock salt are treated statistically in connection with new defined rock salt parameters. An investigation of fluid inclusions in halite and quartz crystals from dome salt has resulted in the determination of salinity and chemical composition of the brines present in the salt. Temperatures and corresponding pressures during the evolution of the salt pillow and salt dome have been established. The dehydration conditions of natural carnallite in situ are clarified. (author)

  7. Interpretation of wireline geophysical logs. ERDA No. 9 stratigraphic test borehole, DOE WIPP Site, Eddy County, New Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Griswold, G.B.; McWhirter, V.C.

    1981-02-01

    A stratigraphic core hole known as ERDA No. 9 was drilled at the approximate center of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site located east of Carlsbad, New Mexico. The hole was continuously cored from 1090 to 2887 feet, the total depth of the hole. A suite of 20 wireline geophysical logs were made under open hole conditions over the cored interval. Recording in the field was by analog strip charts. The records were subsequently digitized at 0.5 foot intervals with the data placed on magnetic tape. A simple computer program was devised to interpret rock type and calculate elastic properties based on the digital data. All of the data is available in convenient digital form, and additional computer-assisted analysis is now possible to describe the detailed stratigraphy of the evaporites penetrated in ERDA No. 9. The analysis performed thus far is in excellent agreement with physical examination of the core. The main advantage of correlating the wireline geophysical logs with core is to provide a better basis for using wireline logs to describe rock conditions either in future holes drilled by the simpler rotary method or where core has been lost in cored holes

  8. Hydrogeology of the lacustrine system of the eastern margin of the Salar the Atacama (Chile); Hidrogeologia del sistema lagunar del margen este del Salar de Atacama (Chile)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salas, J.; Guimera, J.; Cornella, O.; Aravena, R.; Guzman, E.; Tore, C.; von Igel, W.; Moreno, R.

    2010-07-01

    A hydrogeological conceptual model of the Eastern margin of the Salar de Atacama (Chile) is proposed taking into account climatic, geological, geomorphological, piezometric, chemical and isotopic data. The study establishes the processes that explain the hydrochemical evolution of waters from salty groundwater in the alluvial aquifer located in eastern part of basin until brines at the saline aquifer of the Salar. The main processes associated with this hydrochemical evolution are evaporation and mixing, but water-crust interaction in the discharge areas of the alluvial aquifer associated with the saline wedge also modifies groundwater composition, and plays a role in the dynamics of the evaporitic crusts in the Salar. The existence of low permeability materials near the surface explains the existence of the permanent surface water bodies in the study area. Based on the data collected in the study three different mechanisms are proposed regarding the main sources of water to the lagoons: (1) discharge of saline groundwater from the detrital and volcanic aquifers of the E margin, (2) discharge of surface waters associated to the N area (Burro Muerto channel), and (3) a combination of both previous mechanisms. (Author).

  9. Room Q data report: Test borehole data from April 1989 through November 1991

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jensen, A.L.; Howard, C.L.; Jones, R.L.; Peterson, T.P.

    1993-03-01

    Pore-pressure and fluid-flow tests were performed in 15 boreholes drilled into the bedded evaporites of the Salado Formation from within the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The tests measured fluid flow and pore pressure within the Salado. The boreholes were drilled into the previously undisturbed host rock around a proposed cylindrical test room, Room Q, located on the west side of the facility about 655 m below ground surface. The boreholes were about 23 m deep and ranged over 27.5 m of stratigraphy. They were completed and instrumented before excavation of Room Q. Tests were conducted in isolated zones at the end of each borehole. Three groups of 5 isolated zones extend above, below, and to the north of Room Q at increasing distances from the room axis. Measurements recorded before, during, and after the mining of the circular test room provided data about borehole closure, pressure, temperature, and brine seepage into the isolated zones. The effects of the circular excavation were recorded. This data report presents the data collected from the borehole test zones between April 25, 1989 and November 25, 1991. The report also describes test development, test equipment, and borehole drilling operations

  10. Deep-seated salt dissolution in the Delaware basin, Texas and New Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anderson, R.Y.

    1981-01-01

    Patterns of salt dissolution in the Delaware Basin are related to the bedrock geometry and hydrology that developed following uplift, tilting, and erosion in the late Cenozoic, and the greatest volume of salt has been removed since that time. During the Permian, some salt was dissolved from the top of the Castile Formation before deposition of the Salado Formation and from the top of the Salado before deposition of the Rustler Formation. In addition, some salt dissolution occurred after the Permian and before the Cretaceous. Post-uplift surface dissolution has progressed across the Delaware Basin from south to north and west to east and generally down the regional dip. Deep-seated dissolution has occurred around the margin of the basin where the Capitan Limestone aquifer is in contact with the Permian evaporites and within the basin where selective dissolution in the lower Salado has undercut the overlying salt beds of the middle and upper Salado. Dissolution has not advanced down regional dip uniformly but has left outliers of salt and has progressed selectively into structurally predisposed areas. This selective advance has significance for the stability of the U.S. Department of Energy's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site

  11. Architectural features of the Kayenta formation (Lower Jurassic), Colorado Plateau, USA: relationship to salt tectonics in the Paradox Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bromley, Michael H.

    1991-09-01

    Fluvial sandstones of the Kayenta Formation were analyzed using architectural element analysis. Paleocurrent trends, the distribution of lacustrine facies and local silcrete development indicate that synsedimentary movement of evaporites in the underlying Paradox Basin created an unstable basin floor beneath the Kayenta fluvial system. This instability resulted in deflection of fluvial axes, local basin development and local areas of interrupted fluvial deposition with eolian dunes. Paleocurrent trends in the Kayenta system reflect periodic interruptions of southwesterly flow. Salt migrating laterally out of a rim syncline into an adjacent salt anticline resulted in a rim syncline of slight topographic relief. The resulting basin was probably rapidly filled, allowing the resumption of southwesterly flow. Differential movement of salt (incipient solution collapse features (?)) resulted in the formation of small centripetal basins in which playa mudstones formed. A laterally extensive resistant ledge underlies a horizontal surface, suggestive of deflation to the water table of an exposed section of valley fill. A channel scour in the top of one of these surfaces has margins much steeper ( > 60°) than the angle of repose for unconsolidated sand. Early cementation of the exposed floodplain could account for this resistance.

  12. Geochemistry of Salado formation brines recovered from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abitz, R.; Myers, J.; Drez, P.; Deal, D.

    1990-01-01

    Intergranular brines recovered from the repository horizon of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) have major- and trace-element compositions that reflect seawater evaporation and diagenetic processes. Brines obtained from repository drill holes are heterogeneous with respect to composition but their compositional fields are distinct from those obtained from fluid inclusions in WIPP halite. The heterogeneity of brine compositions within the drill-hole population indicates a lack of mixing and fluid homogenization within the salt at the repository level. Compositional differences between intergranular (drill hole) and intragranular (fluid inclusions) brines is attributed to isolation of the latter from diagenetic fluids that were produced from dehydration reactions involving gypsum and clay minerals. Modeling of brine-rock equilibria indicates that equilibration with evaporite minerals controls the concentrations of major elements in the brine. Drill-hole brines are in equilibrium with the observed repository minerals halite, anhydrite, magnesite, polyhalite and quartz. The equilibrium model supports the derivation of drill-hole brines from near-field fluid, rather than large-scale vertical migration of fluids from the overlying Rustler or underlying Castile Formations. 13 refs., 6 figs., 6 tabs

  13. A low-temperature ductile shear zone: The gypsum-dominated western extension of the brittle Fella-Sava Fault, Southern Alps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartel, Esther Maria; Neubauer, Franz; Heberer, Bianca; Genser, Johann

    2014-12-01

    Based on structural and fabric analyses at variable scales we investigate the evaporitic gypsum-dominated Comeglians-Paularo shear zone in the Southern Alps (Friuli). It represents the lateral western termination of the brittle Fella-Sava Fault. Missing dehydration products of gypsum and the lack of annealing indicate temperatures below 100 °C during development of the shear zone. Despite of such low temperatures the shear zone clearly exhibits mylonitic flow, thus evidencing laterally coeval activity of brittle and viscous deformation. The dominant structures within the gypsum rocks of the Lower Bellerophon Formation are a steeply to gently S-dipping foliation, a subhorizontal stretching lineation and pure shear-dominated porphyroclast systems. A subordinate simple shear component with dextral displacement is indicated by scattered σ-clasts. Both meso- and microscale structures are characteristic of a subsimple shear type of deformation with components of both coaxial and non-coaxial strain. Shortening in a transpressive regime was accommodated by right-lateral displacement and internal pure shear deformation within the Comeglians-Paularo shear zone. The shear zone shows evidence for a combination of two stretching faults, where stretching occurred in the rheologically weaker gypsum member and brittle behavior in enveloping lithologies.

  14. Evidence of mud diapirism and coral colonies in the ionian sea (central mediterranean from high resolution chirp sonar survey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Corselli

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available A chirp sonar survey in the Ionian Sea investigated the Calabrian margin, the Calabrian accretionary wedge, the Taranto Trench and the Apulian foreland. Shallow tectonics structures have been related to deeper ones, recognised on CROP seismic profiles. The identified echo characters have been compared with those described in the modern literature and have been related to different kinds of sediments, on the basis of core samples. Based on echo character and morphology we have recognised: 1 A widespread presence of mounds, up to 50 m high, occurring on the Apulian plateau as isolated mounds in the deepest zones (1600-800 m and in groups in the shallower ones (800-600 m; they have been interpreted as coral mounds, according to a recent discovery of living deep water coral colonies in this zone. 2 Some mud diapirs, isolated or in groups of two or three elements, widespread in the whole study area. In analogy of what has been observed on the Mediterranean Ridge, their presence suggests the activity of deep tectonic structures (thrusts and faults and a reduced thickness (or absence of Messinian evaporites in this part of the Ionian Sea.

  15. Geochemistry of Salado Formation brines recovered from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abitz, R.; Myers, J.; Drez, P.; Deal, D.

    1990-01-01

    Intergranular brines recovered from the repository horizon of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) have major- and trace-element compositions that reflect seawater evaporation and diagenetic processes. Brines obtained from repository drill holes are heterogenous with respect to composition, but their compositional fields are distinct from those obtained from fluid inclusions in WIPP halite. The heterogeneity of brine compositions within the drill-hole population indicates a lack of mixing and fluid homogenization within the salt at the repository level. Compositional differences between intergranular (drill hole) and intragranular (fluid inclusions) brines is attributed to isolation of the latter from diagenetic fluids that were produced from dehydration reactions involving gypsum and clay minerals. Modeling of brine-rock equilibria indicates that equilibration with evaporite minerals controls the concentrations of major elements in the brine. Drill-hole brines are in equilibrium with the observed repository minerals halite, anhydrite, magnesite, polyhalite and quartz. The equilibrium model supports the derivation of drill-hole brines from near-field fluid, rather than large-scale vertical migration of fluids from the overlying Rustler or underlying Castile Formations. 13 refs., 6 figs., 6 tabs

  16. CONODONT BIOSTRATIGRAPHY AND LITHOSTRATIGRAPHY ACROSS THE PERMIAN-TRIASSIC BOUNDARY AT THE LUKAC SECTION IN WESTERN SLOVENIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    TEA KOLAR-JURKOVSEK

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Detailed conodont biostratigraphy and lithostratigraphy of the Late Permian and Early Triassic beds were studied at the LukaC section in western Slovenia. The analyzed section is composed of the Bellerophon Formation ("evaporite-dolomite member" and the newly introduced Lukaè Formation ("transitional beds", "streaky limestone member" and "carbonate-clastic beds member". The Permian-Triassic boundary interval is represented by "transitional beds" of carbonate facies deposited in shallow restricted marine conditions. The presence of H. parvus in sample L1 in the "transitional beds" marks the systemic boundary between Permian and Triassic. The studied interval is characterized by a diverse microfauna that contain conodonts, foraminifers, ostracods and gastropods. Six conodont zones have been recognized, in ascending order, the latest Changhsingian (uppermost Permian praeparvus Zone, and the Griesbachian (lowermost Triassic parvus, lobata, staeschei-isarcica, postparvus and anceps zones. This faunal succession represents the first known and the most complete conodont biozonation across the Permian-Triassic interval from the entire Dinaric region. The recognized conodont biozones can be correlated with the biozonation of the Southern Alps and of the GSSP Meishan D section. 

  17. Suitability of Gypsum for the Production of Gypsum Plaster an Example from the Abu-Ruweis Evaporites (Upper Triassic), as Subayhi Area, Northwest Jordan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saqqa, W.; Arikat, M.

    2003-01-01

    The gypsum of Abu Ruweis Formation (Upper Triassic) of the northwestern Jordan was chemically, physically and mechanically assessed for likely industrial uses. Chemical results indicate that the investigated gypsum (calcium sulfate dihydrate) is highly pure. This is confirmed by the high ratios of CaO (32-33%) andSO 3 (41-43%) and the very low content of other elements such as Mg, Al and Si. Trace elements are also negligible. The CaSO 4 % (86-88%), purity ratio (CaO/SO 3 ) (0.85) , and combined water (≅5%) for β-hemihydrate gypsum agree well with the jordanian standards for gypsum plaster. Thermal analyses indicate that the temperature required to obtain hemihydrate gypsum falls between 175deg-200deg. A significant mass variation or maximum loss on weight (-20%) was achieved after initial dehydration by heating to 200deg. Heating to 225deg is far enough to evolve all combined water molecules. The results of fineness, consistency, setting time, compressive strength and flexural strength for β-hemilhydrate agree, in most of the case, with the local and international standards intended for gypsum building components. The study showed that the absorption and consistency ratios for final gypsum product are proportional to porosity, whilst the consistency itself decreases with the increase of applied stresses. (author)

  18. Petrophysical and Petrographic Characterization, Mixed Carbonate - Siliciclastic - Evaporite Cclic System, upper Desmoinesian (Middle Pennsylvanian) of the Paradox Basin (SE Utah, U.S.A.)

    OpenAIRE

    Nussbaumer, Christophe

    1999-01-01

    Pour la caractérisation pétrophysique et pétrographique des roches du système mixte carbonaté, siliciclastique et évaporitique du Desmoinesien supérieur du Bassin du Paradox (Utah, USA), trois affleurements de terrain et six carottes de forage ont été visités. Les données pétrophysiques mesurées sur échantillon sont la densité, la porosité, la perméabilité, et les vitesses ultrasoniques des ondes P et S. Pour la pétrographie, les observations en lame mince (texture, composants, porosité, type...

  19. Las aguas termales de Fitero (Navarra y Arnedillo (Rioja. II. Análisis comparativo de la aplicación de técnicas geotermométricas químicas a aguas relacionadas con reservorios carbonatado-evaporíticos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guaras, B.

    1988-12-01

    Full Text Available We have checked the geothermometrical technics for Fitero and Amedillo thermal waters. Both of them belong to low enthalpy systems and are associated to carbonatic-evaporitic reservoirs, where the basic asumption of equilibrium for most geothermometers is doubtful. So, Na-K, Na-K-Ca and Na-K-Ca-Mg geothermometers can't be applied because of their supposed equilibrium fails at depth. Some calibrates appear to be in good agreement with other geothermometers (e.g. silica-quartz but this can be explained by an unsuitable relation between their basic equilibrium assumption and the waters used for calibrate them. The specific geothermometers calcite-dolomite and anhydrite-fluorite (Marini et al., 1986 developped for carbonatic-evaporitic environments are very influenced by reequilibration processes such as mixture phenomena and water-rock reactions during the rising of waters, and they must be handled with care. The good agreement between silica-quartz, K-Mg and Na-Li geothermomethers suggest the existence of a possible equilibrium between argillaceous minerals at depth.Los resultados obtenidos mediante la aplicación de las técnicas geotermométricas más usuales se han contrastado para el caso de las aguas termales de Fitero y Amedillo, sistemas ambos de baja entalpía y relacionados en profundidad con materiales carbonatado-evaporíticos. El supuesto de equilibrio básico para la aplicación de los geotermómetros presenta distintas dificultades en este tipo de sistemas, y así se tiene que los geotermómetros Na-K, Na-K-Ca y NaK- Ca-Mg proporcionan resultados poco fiables debido a la ausencia de los equilibrios apropiados en profundidad. La aparente coherencia de resultados de algunos de los calibrados de estos geotermómetros puede explicarse por la falta de consistencia existente entre los principios teóricos y las aguas utilizadas en la operación de calibrado. La utilización de los geotermómetros calcita-dolomita y anhidrita

  20. Estudio geoquímico de los yesos miocenos de la zona este de la cuenca de Madrid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fort, R.

    1986-12-01

    Full Text Available Some different types of gypsum deposits may be recognized within the Evaporite Facies of the Madrid Basin (Brea de Tajo-Drieves-Almoguera region. Trace elements analysis of these gypsum deposits allow to conclude that fractionation processes took place during their diagenetic evolution. From the set of trace elements that were analyzed, strontium and magnesium are the best to discriminate among diagenetic stages of formation of the evaporite facies, taking in mind these elements show distribution coefficients lesser than the unit (D<1. Thus, the different types of primary gypsum that we have observed possess Sr and Mg mean values of about 3270 p.p.m. and 1100 p.p.m., respectively, whereas secondary gypsum deposits display Sr mean values of 760 p.p.m. and Mg mean values of 410 p.p.m. The remainder elements do not show a so clear tendency, owing to either distribution coefficients near to the unit (K, Li, Fe, Na or to extremely low contents (Mn, Ba.
    From the results of the present study, geochemical behavior of some trace elements, mainly strontium and magnesium, must be considered a good criterion to indicate the diagenetic stage of formation of the gypsum deposits. Probably, ít may be applied to other comparative studies in definite geological settings.

    En las facies evaporíticas de la Cuenca de Madrid (región Brea del Tajo-Driebes-Almoguera aparecen diferentes tipos de yeso, cuyo contenido en elementos traza ponen de manifiesto la existencia de procesos de fraccionamiento durante la evolución diagenética. De los diferentes elementos traza analizados el estroncio y el magnesio son los que mejor reflejan el estadio diagenético de formación al presentar coeficientes de distribución inferiores a la unidad (D<1. De esta forma , los yesos primarios poseen contenidos medios de 3.270 ppm de Sr y 1.100 ppm de Mg, mientras que los secundarios poseen valores medios de 760 ppm y 410 ppm, respectivamente. El resto de los elementos

  1. An evolving magmatic-hydrothermal system in the formation of the Mesozoic Meishan magnetite-apatite deposit in the Ningwu volcanic basin, eastern China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Wen-Hao; Jiang, Man-Rong; Zhang, Xiao-Jun; Xia, Yan; Algeo, Thomas J.; Li, Huan

    2018-06-01

    , which could have generated an iron-rich melt, and is thus inconsistent with an iron-oxide melt origin for the Meishan iron deposit. The δ34S values of pyrite (6.6-15.1‰) and anhydrite (15.6-16.9‰) in the deposit and the occurrence of evaporites under the volcanic rocks likely indicate that the iron ores and alteration rocks of the Meishan deposit were formed by the circulation of fluids of evaporitic origin driven by heat from the hypabyssal gabbro-diorite intrusives. In the late magmatic stage, oxygen fugacity decreased to a reducing range, triggering the reduction of sulfate to reduced sulfur and leading to local gold and pyrite mineralization.

  2. Geologic framework and hydrogeologic characteristics in the southern part of the Rancho Diana Natural Area, northern Bexar County, Texas, 2008-10

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Allan K.; Morris, Robert R.

    2011-01-01

    The area designated by the city of San Antonio as the Rancho Diana Natural Area is in northern Bexar County, near San Antonio, Texas. During 2008-10, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the city of San Antonio, documented the geologic framework and mapped the hydrogeologic characteristics for the southern part of the Rancho Diana Natural Area. The geologic framework of the study area and its hydrogeologic characteristics were documented using field observations and information from previously published reports. Many of the geologic and hydrogeologic features were found by making field observations through the dense vegetation along gridlines spaced approximately 25 feet apart and documenting the features as they were located. Surface geologic features were identified and hydrogeologic features such as caves, sinkholes, and areas of solutionally enlarged porosity were located using hand-held Global Positioning System units. The location data were used to create a map of the hydrogeologic subdivisions and the location of karst features. The outcrops of the Edwards and Trinity aquifer recharge zones were mapped by using hydrogeologic subdivisions modified from previous reports. All rocks exposed within the study area are of sedimentary origin and Lower Cretaceous in age. The valley floor is formed in the cavernous member of the upper Glen Rose Limestone of the Trinity Group. The hills are composed of the basal nodular member, dolomitic member, Kirschberg evaporite member, and grainstone member of the Kainer Formation of the Edwards Group. Field observations made during this study of the exposed formations and members indicate that the formations and members typically are composed of mudstones, wackestones, packstones, grainstones, and argillaceous limestones, along with marls. The upper Glen Rose Limestone is approximately 410 to 450 feet thick but only the upper 70 feet is exposed in the study area. The Kainer Formation is approximately 255 feet thick in

  3. Conodont color alteration index and upper Paleozoic thermal history of the Amazonas Basin, Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cardoso, Cassiane Negreiros; Sanz-López, Javier; Blanco-Ferrera, Silvia; Lemos, Valesca Brasil; Scomazzon, Ana Karina

    2015-12-01

    The conodont color alteration index (CAI) was determined in elements from core samples of the Frasnian Barreirinha Formation (one well) and of the Pennsylvanian-Permian Tapajós Group (twenty three wells and one limestone quarry) in the Amazonas Basin. The thermal history of the basin is analyzed using the CAI value distribution represented in maps and stratigraphic sections through correlation schemes, and in conjunction with previously published data. The pattern of palaeotemperatures for CAI values of 1.5-3 is coincident with organic matter maturation under a sedimentary overburden providing diagenetic conditions in the oil/gas window. Locally, conodonts show metamorphism (CAI value of 6-7) in relation to the intrusion of diabase bodies in beds including high geothermal gradient evaporites. Microtextural alteration on the surface conodonts commonly shows several types of overgrowth microtextures developed in diagenetic conditions. Locally, recrystallization in conodonts with a high CAI value is congruent with contact metamorphism in relation to Mesozoic intrusions. The CAI values of 1.5 or 2 observed close to the surface in several areas of the basin may be interpreted in relation to a high thermal palaeogradient derived from the magmatic episode or/and to the local denudation of the upper part of the Paleozoic succession prior to this thermal event.

  4. Sinkhole detection using electrical resistivity tomography in Saudi Arabia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Youssef, Ahmed M; Zabramawi, Yasser A; El-Kaliouby, Hesham

    2012-01-01

    Karst phenomena exist in different areas in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, causing serious environmental problems that affect urban development and infrastructure (buildings, roads and highways). One of the most important problems are sinkholes, which most of the time consist of unfilled voids. These sinkholes are formed as a result of the chemical leaching of carbonate and evaporite formations by percolating water. Field investigations show that there are many surface expressions of sinkholes in the area; some appear on the ground surface and others are hidden in the subsurface. Geophysical data were collected at the study area using two-dimensional electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) with different electrode spacings to delineate buried sinkholes and associated subsurface cavities. Our findings indicated that the dipole–dipole method using an electrode spacing of 1 m was successful in detecting a known subsurface sinkhole. According to the ERT method the detected sinkhole depth ranges from 2 to 4 m, its height ranges from 2 to 4 m, and its width ranges from 5 to 7 m. Field observation has verified the geophysical data, especially along the profile A-A. Finally, closely spaced ERT profiles were successful in determining the three-dimensional volume of the subsurface sinkhole. (paper)

  5. Phylogenetic analysis of a microbialite-forming microbial mat from a hypersaline lake of the Kiritimati atoll, Central Pacific.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, Dominik; Arp, Gernot; Reimer, Andreas; Reitner, Joachim; Daniel, Rolf

    2013-01-01

    On the Kiritimati atoll, several lakes exhibit microbial mat-formation under different hydrochemical conditions. Some of these lakes trigger microbialite formation such as Lake 21, which is an evaporitic, hypersaline lake (salinity of approximately 170‰). Lake 21 is completely covered with a thick multilayered microbial mat. This mat is associated with the formation of decimeter-thick highly porous microbialites, which are composed of aragonite and gypsum crystals. We assessed the bacterial and archaeal community composition and its alteration along the vertical stratification by large-scale analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences of the nine different mat layers. The surface layers are dominated by aerobic, phototrophic, and halotolerant microbes. The bacterial community of these layers harbored Cyanobacteria (Halothece cluster), which were accompanied with known phototrophic members of the Bacteroidetes and Alphaproteobacteria. In deeper anaerobic layers more diverse communities than in the upper layers were present. The deeper layers were dominated by Spirochaetes, sulfate-reducing bacteria (Deltaproteobacteria), Chloroflexi (Anaerolineae and Caldilineae), purple non-sulfur bacteria (Alphaproteobacteria), purple sulfur bacteria (Chromatiales), anaerobic Bacteroidetes (Marinilabiacae), Nitrospirae (OPB95), Planctomycetes and several candidate divisions. The archaeal community, including numerous uncultured taxonomic lineages, generally changed from Euryarchaeota (mainly Halobacteria and Thermoplasmata) to uncultured members of the Thaumarchaeota (mainly Marine Benthic Group B) with increasing depth.

  6. Phylogenetic analysis of a microbialite-forming microbial mat from a hypersaline lake of the Kiritimati atoll, Central Pacific.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dominik Schneider

    Full Text Available On the Kiritimati atoll, several lakes exhibit microbial mat-formation under different hydrochemical conditions. Some of these lakes trigger microbialite formation such as Lake 21, which is an evaporitic, hypersaline lake (salinity of approximately 170‰. Lake 21 is completely covered with a thick multilayered microbial mat. This mat is associated with the formation of decimeter-thick highly porous microbialites, which are composed of aragonite and gypsum crystals. We assessed the bacterial and archaeal community composition and its alteration along the vertical stratification by large-scale analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences of the nine different mat layers. The surface layers are dominated by aerobic, phototrophic, and halotolerant microbes. The bacterial community of these layers harbored Cyanobacteria (Halothece cluster, which were accompanied with known phototrophic members of the Bacteroidetes and Alphaproteobacteria. In deeper anaerobic layers more diverse communities than in the upper layers were present. The deeper layers were dominated by Spirochaetes, sulfate-reducing bacteria (Deltaproteobacteria, Chloroflexi (Anaerolineae and Caldilineae, purple non-sulfur bacteria (Alphaproteobacteria, purple sulfur bacteria (Chromatiales, anaerobic Bacteroidetes (Marinilabiacae, Nitrospirae (OPB95, Planctomycetes and several candidate divisions. The archaeal community, including numerous uncultured taxonomic lineages, generally changed from Euryarchaeota (mainly Halobacteria and Thermoplasmata to uncultured members of the Thaumarchaeota (mainly Marine Benthic Group B with increasing depth.

  7. Gravity flow deposits of the Maceio Formation - Alagoas Basin, NE of Brazil; Depositos de fluxos gravitacionais da Formacao Maceio - Bacia de Alagoas, NE do Brasil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arienti, Luci Maria [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Centro de Pesquisas (CENPES). Gerencia de Sedimentologia e Petrologia]. E-mail: arienti@petrobras.com.br

    2006-05-15

    This work deals with the Aptian rift section of Maceio Formation (Albian), Alagoas Basin, Northeast of Brazil, using data from outcrops and wells (Tabuleiro dos Martins Field). Studies of facies, process, depositional systems, facies tract and sequences were performed to characterize hyperpicnal turbidities; of which sediments were directly input by catastrophic river floods. Sequence stratigraphy concepts can be used for rift-section analysis, considering the concept of - climate systems tracts - and the result is an excellent correlation between deposit types and climate conditions. Transgressive system tracts (TTS) related to humid periods represent phases of high siliciclastic input into the basin, resulting on sandstone turbidity sequences, typically enriched by continental organic matter. In contrast, later high stand system tracts (LHST), corresponding to arid conditions, are dominated by muddy lacustrine deposits, enriched by algalic organic matter and showing mud cracks. Locally, low stand system tracts (LST) dominated by evaporites are found in restricted areas. Climate and tectonics were the main controlling factors of the architecture and frequency of the sequences. This study showed that an integrated approach, using outcrops and subsurface data, is a powerful tool to understand facies and depositional process, sequences and their stacking pattern on continental- rift deposits. (author)

  8. Major episodes of geologic change - Correlations, time structure and possible causes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rampino, Michael R.; Caldeira, Ken

    1993-01-01

    Published data sets of major geologic events of the past about 250 Myr (extinction events, sea-level lows, continental flood-basalt eruptions, mountain-building events, abrupt changes in sea-floor spreading, ocean-anoxic and blackshale events and the largest evaporite deposits) have been synthesized (with estimated errors). These events show evidence for a statistically significant periodic component with an underlying periodicity, formally equal to 26.6 Myr, and a recent maximum, close to the present time. The cycle may not be strictly periodic, but a periodicity of about 30 Myr is robust to probable errors in dating of the geologic events. The intervals of geologic change seem to involve jumps in sea-floor spreading associated with episodic continental rifting, volcanism, enhanced orogeny, global sea-level changes and fluctuations in climate. The period may represent a purely internal earth-pulsation, but evidence of planetesimal impacts at several extinction boundaries, and a possible underlying cycle of 28-36 Myr in crater ages, suggests that highly energetic impacts may be affecting global tectonics. A cyclic increase in the flux of planetesimals might result from the passage of the Solar System through the central plane of the Milky Way Galaxy - an event with a periodicity and mean phasing similar to that detected in the geologic changes.

  9. Low enthalpy Na-chloride waters from the Lunigiana and Garfagnana grabens, Northern Apennines, Italy: Tracing fluid connections and basement interactions via chemical and isotopic compositions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boschetti, Tiziano; Toscani, Lorenzo; Barbieri, Maurizio; Mucchino, Claudio; Marino, Tiziana

    2017-12-01

    The Na-Cl waters from NW Tuscany (central Italy) record similar water isotopic and major chemical compositions, which demonstrate their meteoric origin and interactions with Upper Triassic evaporites and the metamorphic units of the Paleozoic basement. Slight differences are found in the deep temperature-pressure conditions of the Lunigiana graben (39-42 °C/143-145 bar) and the Garfagnana graben (73-78 °C/250-256 bar). In particular, the thermal fluids outpouring from Garfagnana are probably related to a common deep reservoir or interconnected fluids. Their differences are mainly evidenced by strontium isotopic ratio data (87Sr/86Sr), which combined with previously published sulfur isotope ratios (34S/32S) demonstrate the involvement of vein barites in water-rock interactions. Most likely, these minerals formed during Upper Oligocene-Miocene tectogenesis due to the mixing of fluids from the Verrucano Group and Upper Triassic units. The results of this hydrogeochemical study of the deep Na-Cl fluids could better clarify the distribution of the Verrucano Group within this area and the related discrepancies in the stratigraphic interpretations of the Palaeozoic-Mesozoic transition. Furthermore, the possible presence of an interconnected reservoir could be used to help interpret data produced by the local geochemical monitoring of seismic activity.

  10. Preliminary investigation results as applied to utilization of Ukrainian salt formations for disposal of high-level radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shekhunova, S.B.; Khrushchov, D.P.; Petrichenko, O.I.

    1994-01-01

    The salt-bearing formations have been investigated in five regions of Ukraine. Upper Devonian and Lower Permian evaporite formations in Dnieper-Donets Depression and in the NW part of Donets basin are considered to be promising for disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLRW). Rock salt occurs there either as bedded salts or as salt pillows and salt diapirs. Preliminary studies have resulted in selection of several candidate sites that show promise for construction of a subsurface pilot lab. Ten salt domes and two sites in bedded salts have been proposed for further exploration. Based on microstructural studies it is possible to separate the body of a salt structure and to locate within its limits the rock salt structure and to locate within its limits the rock salt blocks of different genesis, i.e.: (a) blocks characteristic of initial undisturbed sedimentary structure; (b) flow zones; (c) sliding planes; (d) bodies of loose or uncompacted rock salt. Ultramicrochemical examination of inclusions in halite have shown that they are composed of more than 40 minerals. It is emphasized that to assess suitability of a structure for construction of subsurface lab, and also the potential construction depth intervals, account should be taken of the results of ultra microchemical and microstructural data

  11. Key Geomechanics Issues at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Geomechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    HANSEN, FRANCIS D.

    1999-01-01

    Mechanical and hydrological properties of rock salt provide excellent bases for geological isolation of hazardous materials. Regulatory compliance determinations for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) stand as testament to the widely held conclusion that salt provides excellent isolation properties. The WIPP saga began in the 1950s when the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) recommended a salt vault as a promising solution to the national problem of nuclear waste disposal. For over 20 years, the Scientific basis for the NAS recommendation has been fortified by Sandia National Laboratories through a series of large scale field tests and laboratory investigations of salt properties. These scientific investigations helped develop a comprehensive understanding of salt's 4 reformational behavior over an applicable range of stresses and temperatures. Sophisticated constitutive modeling, validated through underground testing, provides the computational ability to model long-term behavior of repository configurations. In concert with advancement of the mechanical models, fluid flow measurements showed not only that the evaporite lithology was essentially impermeable but that the WIPP setting was hydrologically inactive. Favorable mechanical properties ensure isolation of materials placed in a salt geological setting. Key areas of the geomechanics investigations leading to the certification of WIPP are in situ experiments, laboratory tests, and shaft seal design

  12. Gypsum-permineralized microfossils and their relevance to the search for life on Mars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schopf, J William; Farmer, Jack D; Foster, Ian S; Kudryavtsev, Anatoliy B; Gallardo, Victor A; Espinoza, Carola

    2012-07-01

    Orbital and in situ analyses establish that aerially extensive deposits of evaporitic sulfates, including gypsum, are present on the surface of Mars. Although comparable gypsiferous sediments on Earth have been largely ignored by paleontologists, we here report the finding of diverse fossil microscopic organisms permineralized in bottom-nucleated gypsums of seven deposits: two from the Permian (∼260 Ma) of New Mexico, USA; one from the Miocene (∼6 Ma) of Italy; and four from Recent lacustrine and saltern deposits of Australia, Mexico, and Peru. In addition to presenting the first report of the widespread occurrence of microscopic fossils in bottom-nucleated primary gypsum, we show the striking morphological similarity of the majority of the benthic filamentous fossils of these units to the microorganisms of a modern sulfuretum biocoenose. Based on such similarity, in morphology as well as habitat, these findings suggest that anaerobic sulfur-metabolizing microbial assemblages have changed relatively little over hundreds of millions of years. Their discovery as fossilized components of the seven gypsiferous units reported suggests that primary bottom-nucleated gypsum represents a promising target in the search for evidence of past life on Mars. Key Words: Confocal laser scanning microscopy-Gypsum fossils-Mars sample return missions-Raman spectroscopy-Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument-Sulfuretum.

  13. The Serchio River catchment, northern Tuscany: Geochemistry of stream waters and sediments, and isotopic composition of dissolved sulfate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cortecci, Gianni; Dinelli, Enrico; Boschetti, Tiziano; Arbizzani, Paola; Pompilio, Loredana; Mussi, Mario

    2008-01-01

    The Serchio River and its tributaries in northern Tuscany were investigated for the chemical and isotopic compositions of waters and bed sediments. Bedrocks are mostly limestone/dolomite and siliciclastics, thermal spring systems are present in the catchment, and the main industrial activity is represented by paper-mills. Main results obtained are: (1) major ions in solution appear to be basically controlled by precipitation and lithology, as well as subordinately by direct inputs of thermal springs, (2) human influence on metals in the waters along the main Serchio and Lima rivers is indicated at a number of sites by increases in concentration compared to the chemical composition of upstream tributaries, (3) S and O isotope compositions delineate two main sources for aqueous SO 4 2- , that is dissolution of Triassic evaporite (directly or via thermal springs) and oxidation of sulfide dispersed in siliciclastic rocks. Anthropogenic contributions are probable, but they cannot be quantitatively assessed. Only SO 4 2- in the notoriously polluted Ozzeri tributary is suspected to be largely anthropogenic, and (4) the chemical composition of bed sediments is mainly influenced by lithology, apart from a number of technogenic elements in the upper part of the Serchio River and in some tributaries. Contamination possibly occurs at other sites, but geochemical indications are weak

  14. Hydrochemistry and origin of principal major elements in the groundwater of the Béchar–Kénadsa basin in arid zone, South-West of Algeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lachache Salih

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Béchar region is located in the southwest of Algeria, characterized by an arid climate with a Saharan tendency. It is subject to an increasing demand for water like all the great agglomerations due to the economic and demographic development. The groundwater of region is deteriorating because of the economic development, and the rapid growth of population. This article is devoted to the study of hydrochemistry and processes of mineralization of groundwater in this region. The results of physicochemicals analyses shows the same chemical facies of the chloride and sulphate-calcium and magnesium type, with high mineralization from North-East to South-West to the outlet of Béchar–Kénadsa basin. The determination of the mineralization origin and the main major elements were approached by multivariate statistical treatment and geochemical. This method has identified the main chemical phenomena involved in the acquisition of mineralization of water in this aquifer. These phenomena are mainly related to the dissolution of evaporite formations, the infiltration of runoff water and direct ion exchange and mixing. However, the high mineralization anomaly is observed at the centre of Béchar–Kénadsa basin progressively by going to the outlet of this basin.

  15. Hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance basic data for Lubbock NTMS Quadrangle, Texas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1979-01-01

    Field and laboratory data are presented for 994 groundwater and 602 stream sediment samples. Statistical and areal distributions of uranium and possible uranium-related variables are displayed. A generalized geologic map of the survey area is provided, and pertinent geologic factors which may be of significance in evaluating the potential for uranium mineralization are briefly discussed. Interpretation of the groundwater data indicate that the area which appears most promising for uranium mineralization is located in the southwestern part of the quadrangle, particularly in Crosby, Garza, Lynn, and Lubbock Counties. The waters produced from the Ogallala Formation in this area have high values for arsenic, molybdenum, selenium, and vanadium. Groundwaters from the Dockum Group in Garza County where uranium is associated with selenium, molybdenum, and copper indicate potential for uranium mineralization. Uranium is generally associated with copper, iron, and sulfate in the Permian aquifers reflecting the red bed evaporite lithology of those units. The stream sediment data indicate that the Dockum Group has the highest potential for uranium mineralization, particularly in and around Garza County. Associated elements indicate that uranium may occur in residual minerals or in hydrous manganese oxides. Sediment data also indicate that the Blaine Formation shows limited potential for small red bed copper-uranium deposits

  16. The water content of recurring slope lineae on Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, Christopher S.; Piqueux, Sylvain

    2016-01-01

    Observations of recurring slope lineae (RSL) from the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment have been interpreted as present-day, seasonally variable liquid water flows; however, orbital spectroscopy has not confirmed the presence of liquid H2O, only hydrated salts. Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) temperature data and a numerical heat transfer model definitively constrain the amount of water associated with RSL. Surface temperature differences between RSL-bearing and dry RSL-free terrains are consistent with no water associated with RSL and, based on measurement uncertainties, limit the water content of RSL to at most 0.5–3 wt %. In addition, distinct high thermal inertia regolith signatures expected with crust-forming evaporitic salt deposits from cyclical briny water flows are not observed, indicating low water salinity (if any) and/or low enough volumes to prevent their formation. Alternatively, observed salts may be preexisting in soils at low abundances (i.e., near or below detection limits) and largely immobile. These RSL-rich surfaces experience ~100 K diurnal temperature oscillations, possible freeze/thaw cycles and/or complete evaporation on time scales that challenge their habitability potential. The unique surface temperature measurements provided by THEMIS are consistent with a dry RSL hypothesis or at least significantly limit the water content of Martian RSL.

  17. Fossil Record of Precambrian Life on Land

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knauth, Paul

    2000-01-01

    The argument that the earth's early ocean was up to two times modern salinity was published in 'Nature' and presented at the 1998 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America in Toronto. The argument is bolstered by chemical data for fluid inclusions in Archean black smokers. The inclusions were 1.7 times the modern salinity causing the authors to interpret the parent fluids as evaporite brines (in a deep marine setting). I reinterpreted the data in terms of the predicted value of high Archean salinities. If the arguments I presented are on track, early life was either halophilic or non-marine. Halophiles are not among the most primitive organisms based on RNA sequencing, so here is an a priori argument that non-marine environments may have been the site of most early biologic evolution. This result carries significant implications for the issue of past life on Mars or current life on the putative sub-ice oceans on Europa and possibly Callisto. If the Cl/H2O ratio on these objects is similar to that of the earth, then oceans and oceanic sediments are probably not the preferred sites for early life. On Mars, this means that non-marine deposits such as caliche in basalt may be an overlooked potential sample target.

  18. Constraining the physical properties of Titan's empty lake basins using nadir and off-nadir Cassini RADAR backscatter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michaelides, R. J.; Hayes, A. G.; Mastrogiuseppe, M.; Zebker, H. A.; Farr, T. G.; Malaska, M. J.; Poggiali, V.; Mullen, J. P.

    2016-05-01

    We use repeat synthetic aperture radar (SAR) observations and complementary altimetry passes acquired by the Cassini spacecraft to study the scattering properties of Titan's empty lake basins. The best-fit coefficients from fitting SAR data to a quasi-specular plus diffuse backscatter model suggest that the bright basin floors have a higher dielectric constant, but similar facet-scale rms surface facet slopes, to surrounding terrain. Waveform analysis of altimetry returns reveals that nadir backscatter returns from basin floors are greater than nadir backscatter returns from basin surroundings and have narrower pulse widths. This suggests that floor deposits are structurally distinct from their surroundings, consistent with the interpretation that some of these basins may be filled with evaporitic and/or sedimentary deposits. Basin floor deposits also express a larger diffuse component to their backscatter, which is likely due to variations in subsurface structure or an increase in roughness at the wavelength scale (Hayes, A.G. et al. [2008]. Geophys. Res. Lett. 35, 9). We generate a high-resolution altimetry radargram of the T30 altimetry pass over an empty lake basin, with which we place geometric constraints on the basin's slopes, rim heights, and depth. Finally, the importance of these backscatter observations and geometric measurements for basin formation mechanisms is briefly discussed.

  19. The GOLD IODP Project: Global Climate Changes, Extreme Events, Margins formation and the Limits of Life in the Gulf of Lion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rabineau, M.

    2009-12-01

    Miocene and older sediments the drilling combined to seismic reflexion data, will give the nature, the paleoenvironments and dating of deposits enabling early history of margin formation and subsidence understanding and an Astronomically Tuned Neogene Time Scale to be established. 4) The messinian extreme event represents a unique sedimentological, hydrological, oceanographic, biological and climatological crisis in earth history. It is a unique case to study and quantify the impact of an outstanding sea-level drop (more than 1500 m, one order of magnitude greater than Late Quaternary glaciations) on sedimentary river behavior, deltaic and evaporitic deposition. Furthermore, the amount of messinian deposits reaches more than 3000 m. Such important erosion and sedimentation must provide crucial information on margin vertical dynamic. So far, DSDP and IODP drillings have reached the upper part of the evaporites only, the beginning of the crisis is still a matter of intense debate and conjectures. We invite all interested participants to join this drilling project and let you know that we have proposed an IODP Magellan Workshop in Banyuls in early March 2010.

  20. Amazon River dissolved load: temporal dynamics and annual budget from the Andes to the ocean.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moquet, Jean-Sébastien; Guyot, Jean-Loup; Crave, Alain; Viers, Jérôme; Filizola, Naziano; Martinez, Jean-Michel; Oliveira, Tereza Cristina; Sánchez, Liz Stefanny Hidalgo; Lagane, Christelle; Casimiro, Waldo Sven Lavado; Noriega, Luis; Pombosa, Rodrigo

    2016-06-01

    The aim of the present study is to estimate the export fluxes of major dissolved species at the scale of the Amazon basin, to identify the main parameters controlling their spatial distribution and to identify the role of discharge variability in the variability of the total dissolved solid (TDS) flux through the hydrological cycle. Data are compiled from the monthly hydrochemistry and daily discharge database of the "Programa Climatologico y Hidrologico de la Cuenca Amazonica de Bolivia" (PHICAB) and the HYBAM observatories from 34 stations distributed over the Amazon basin (for the 1983-1992 and 2000-2012 periods, respectively). This paper consists of a first global observation of the fluxes and temporal dynamics of each geomorphological domain of the Amazon basin. Based on mean interannual monthly flux calculations, we estimated that the Amazon basin delivered approximately 272 × 10(6) t year(-1) (263-278) of TDS during the 2003-2012 period, which represents approximately 7 % of the continental inputs to the oceans. This flux is mainly made up by HCO3, Ca and SiO2, reflecting the preferential contributions of carbonate and silicate chemical weathering to the Amazon River Basin. The main tributaries contributing to the TDS flux are the Marañon and Ucayali Rivers (approximately 50 % of the TDS production over 14 % of the Amazon basin area) due to the weathering of carbonates and evaporites drained by their Andean tributaries. An Andes-sedimentary area-shield TDS flux (and specific flux) gradient is observed throughout the basin and is first explained by the TDS concentration contrast between these domains, rather than variability in runoff. This observation highlights that, under tropical context, the weathering flux repartition is primarily controlled by the geomorphological/geological setting and confirms that sedimentary areas are currently active in terms of the production of dissolved load. The log relationships of concentration vs discharge have

  1. A process-sedimentary framework for characterizing recent and ancient sabkhas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Handford, C.R.

    1981-01-01

    The discovery of sabkha environments during the 1960's, marked the beginning of Recent evaporite sedimentological studies and their perception as models for facies analysis. However, variation among Recent sabkhas, though recognized by the geologic community, has not been duly addressed, which has resulted in overuse of the Trucial Coast model in comparative sedimentological studies. Knowledge of the dominant physical processes which determine sabkha morphology, and of the sedimentary response to those processes, can lead to a fundamental understanding of a sabkha's origin and of how it differs from other sabkhas. Physical processes thought to be most important (besides evaporation) include those operative under: (1) marine-; (2) fluvial-lacustrine-; and (3) eolian-dominated conditions. Dominance of one or more of these in the proper settings give rise to marine coastal sabkhas, continental playas, and interdune sabkhas. Sedimentary responses to dominant physical processes lead to the development of sabkhas consisting of a combination of either: (1) terrigenous clastics; (2) carbonate-sulfate (anhydrite-gypsum) minerals; or (3) soluble salts (halite, sylvite, polyhalite, etc.). Sediment characterization can also allow discrimination of the range or compositional variety in, for example, coastal sabkhas. Where applied to the stratigraphic record, this classification system may help unravel the sedimentary history of an ancient sabkha system, and a determination of the dominant physical processes that ruled its development. ?? 1981.

  2. Salinity sources of Kefar Uriya wells in the Judea Group aquifer of Israel. Part 1—conceptual hydrogeological model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avisar, D.; Rosenthal, E.; Flexer, A.; Shulman, H.; Ben-Avraham, Z.; Guttman, J.

    2003-01-01

    In the Yarkon-Taninim groundwater basin, the karstic Judea Group aquifer contains groundwater of high quality. However, in the western wells of the Kefar Uriya area located in the foothills of the Judea Mountains, brackish groundwater was locally encountered. The salinity of this water is caused presumably by two end members designated as the 'Hazerim' and 'Lakhish' water types. The Hazerim type represents surface water percolating through a highly fractured thin chalky limestone formation overlying the Judea Group aquifer. The salinity of the water derives conjointly from several sources such as leachates from rendzina and grumosols, dissolution of caliche crusts which contain evaporites and of rock debris from the surrounding formations. This surface water percolates downwards into the aquifer through a funnel- or chimney-like mechanism. This local salinization mechanism supercedes another regional process caused by the Lakhish waters. These are essentially diluted brines originating from deep formations in the western parts of the Coastal Plain. The study results show that salinization is not caused by the thick chalky beds of the Senonian Mt Scopus Group overlying the Judea Group aquifer, as traditionally considered but prevalently by aqueous leachates from soils and rock debris. The conceptual qualitative hydrogeological model of the salinization as demonstrated in this study, is supported by a quantitative hydrological model presented in another paper in this volume.

  3. The US Geological Survey, digital spectral reflectance library: version 1: 0.2 to 3.0 microns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Roger N.; Swayze, Gregg A.; King, Trude V. V.; Gallagher, Andrea J.; Calvin, Wendy M.

    1993-01-01

    We have developed a digital reflectance spectral library, with management and spectral analysis software. The library includes 500 spectra of 447 samples (some samples include a series of grain sizes) measured from approximately 0.2 to 3.0 microns. The spectral resolution (Full Width Half Maximum) of the reflectance data is less than or equal to 4 nm in the visible (0.2-0.8 microns) and less than or equal 10 nm in the NIR (0.8-2.35 microns). All spectra were corrected to absolute reflectance using an NBS Halon standard. Library management software lets users search on parameters (e.g. chemical formulae, chemical analyses, purity of samples, mineral groups, etc.) as well as spectral features. Minerals from sulfide, oxide, hydroxide, halide, carbonate, nitrate, borate, phosphate, and silicate groups are represented. X-ray and chemical analyses are tabulated for many of the entries, and all samples have been evaluated for spectral purity. The library also contains end and intermediate members for the olivine, garnet, scapolite, montmorillonite, muscovite, jarosite, and alunite solid-solution series. We have included representative spectra of H2O ice, kerogen, ammonium-bearing minerals, rare-earth oxides, desert varnish coatings, kaolinite crystallinity series, kaolinite-smectite series, zeolite series, and an extensive evaporite series. Because of the importance of vegetation to climate-change studies we have include 17 spectra of tree leaves, bushes, and grasses.

  4. A review of WIPP [Waste Isolation Pilot Plant] repository clays and their relationship to clays of adjacent strata

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krumhansl, J.L.; Kimball, K.M.; Stein, C.L.

    1990-12-01

    The Salado Formation is a thick evaporite sequence located in the Permian Delaware Basin of southeastern New Mexico. This study focuses on the intense diagenetic alteration that has affected the small amounts of clay, feldspar, and quartz washed into the basin during salt deposition. These changes are of more than academic interest since this formation also houses the WIPP (Waste Isolation Pilot Plant). Site characterization concerns warrant compiling a detailed data base describing the clays in and around the facility horizon. An extensive sampling effort was undertaken to address these programmatic issues as well as to provide additional insight regarding diagenetic mechanisms in the Salado. Seventy-five samples were collected from argillaceous partings in halite at the stratigraphic level of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). These were compared with twenty-eight samples from cores of the Vaca Triste member of the Salado, a thin clastic unit at the top of the McNutt potash zone, and with a clay-rich sample from the lower contact of the Culebra Dolomite (in the overlying Rustler Formation). These settings were compared to assess the influence of differences in brine chemistry (i.e., halite and potash facies, normal to hypersaline marine conditions) and sediment composition (clays, sandy silt, dolomitized limestone) on diagenetic processes. 44 refs., 11 figs., 5 tabs

  5. The geologic structures observed in drillhole DOE-2 and their possible origins: Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borns, D.J.

    1987-07-01

    Questions remain as the origins of evaporite deformation within the Salado and Castile formations. Two miles north of the WIPP site, a stacked sequence of depressions was indicated by shallow boreholes. Such structures raise questions regarding the role of dissolution and gravity tectonics at the WIPP site. To investigate these structures, DOE drilled hole DOE-2 north of the WIPP site. At DOE-2, the downward displacement of stratigraphic markers in the Salado confirmed the presence of stacked depressions, which were the primary target of the drilling program. The halitic units between the marker beds were thickened compared to the average section determined from basin-wide drilling. The remaining question is whether dissolution occurred in the underlying Castile and resulted in the deformation of the Salado. Markers in the anhydrite units indicate recumbent structures and thickening of the anhydrite units by folding. As a consequence, the Castile Formation is nearly its average thickness, with the folded thickness of anhydrite compensating for the missing halite. The nearby thickening of halite within the Castile, the absence of relic anhydrite laminae in the attenuated halite units, and the high strain fabric of the remaining halite suggest that dissolution was not the dominant process in the Castile. The favored hypothesis for the Castile structures is salt flow in response to gravity inversion of the anhydrite and halite units of the Castile. 21 refs., 18 figs

  6. Photosynthesis in the Archean era.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olson, John M

    2006-05-01

    The earliest reductant for photosynthesis may have been H2. The carbon isotope composition measured in graphite from the 3.8-Ga Isua Supercrustal Belt in Greenland is attributed to H2-driven photosynthesis, rather than to oxygenic photosynthesis as there would have been no evolutionary pressure for oxygenic photosynthesis in the presence of H2. Anoxygenic photosynthesis may also be responsible for the filamentous mats found in the 3.4-Ga Buck Reef Chert in South Africa. Another early reductant was probably H2S. Eventually the supply of H2 in the atmosphere was likely to have been attenuated by the production of CH4 by methanogens, and the supply of H2S was likely to have been restricted to special environments near volcanos. Evaporites, possible stromatolites, and possible microfossils found in the 3.5-Ga Warrawoona Megasequence in Australia are attributed to sulfur-driven photosynthesis. Proteobacteria and protocyanobacteria are assumed to have evolved to use ferrous iron as reductant sometime around 3.0 Ga or earlier. This type of photosynthesis could have produced banded iron formations similar to those produced by oxygenic photosynthesis. Microfossils, stromatolites, and chemical biomarkers in Australia and South Africa show that cyanobacteria containing chlorophyll a and carrying out oxygenic photosynthesis appeared by 2.8 Ga, but the oxygen level in the atmosphere did not begin to increase until about 2.3 Ga.

  7. GEMAS: Geochemical distribution of iodine in European agricultural soil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birke, Manfred; Reimann, Clemens; Ladenberger, Anna; Négrel, Philippe; Rauch, Uwe; Demetriades, Alecos; Korte, Frank; Dinelli, Enrico

    2017-04-01

    Iodine concentrations are reported for the climate, soil formation processes, and geology (parent material, in some cases mineralisation). The distribution of anomalous I concentrations is likely a reflection of I input from atmospheric and marine sources, as well as the accumulation of I as a result of sorption on organic material. Across Europe, high I areas correlate well with soil with elevated TOC values. This is particularly evident for the western coastal areas of Ireland, UK, Norway, Galicia and France, where the organic matter content in the soil is generally high. The continuous supply of I from sea spray represents a potential source for high and elevated I concentrations. In the coastal zones of SE Spain, SE Ukraine and SW Croatia the I concentration in Ap samples is usually high. Along the eastern Adriatic coast as well as in South-East Ukraine and in the Crimea the elevated and anomalous I concentrations correspond well with the distribution of terra rossa soils developed on karst and organic-rich soils (black soil). In SE Spain the I enriched soils are most likely related to the occurrence of evaporites. The comparison of I background values (medians) based on the parent materials demonstrates a higher I content in soils over limestone and shale. Iodine-low soil areas (Iberian Peninsula) and glacial and aeolian deposits (NW Ukraine).

  8. Geology of high-level nuclear waste disposal: an introduction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roxbugh, I.S.

    1987-01-01

    Hazardous waste is produced by the nuclear fuel cycle from mining and milling of uranium ore, refinement and enrichment, reactor use, and during reprocessing of spent fuel. Waste can be classified according to origin, physical state, and levels of radioactivity and radiotoxicity. The method of the long-term waste disposal is based on the degree of the hazard and the length of time (1000 years to millions of years) for the waste to become safe. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has classified radioactive waste into five categories (I-V) based on the amount of radioactivity and heat output of the waste. The text is concerned mainly with the two most hazardous categories (I and II). Disposal at various geological sites using proven mining, engineering, and deep drilling techniques has been proposed and studied. An ideal geological repository would have (1) minimum ground water movement, (2) geochemical and mineralogical properties to retard or immobilize the effects of the nuclear waste from reaching the biosphere, (3) thermochemical properties to allow for heat loading without damage, and (4) structural strength for the operational period. Types of geological environments (both undersea and on land) include evaporites, crystalline rocks, and argillaceous deposits. European and North American case histories are described, and there is a glossary and an extensive list of references in this concise review

  9. Extension of the EQ3/6 computer codes to geochemical modeling of brines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jackson, K.J.; Wolery, T.J.

    1984-10-23

    Recent modifications to the EQ3/6 geochemical modeling software package provide for the use of Pitzer's equations to calculate the activity coefficients of aqueous species and the activity of water. These changes extend the range of solute concentrations over which the codes can be used to dependably calculate equilibria in geochemical systems, and permit the inclusion of ion pairs, complexes, and undissociated acids and bases as explicit component species in the Pitzer model. Comparisons of calculations made by the EQ3NR and EQ6 compuer codes with experimental data confirm that the modifications not only allow the codes to accurately evaluate activity coefficients in concentrated solutions, but also permit prediction of solubility limits of evaporite minerals in brines at 25/sup 0/C and elevated temperatures. Calculations for a few salts can be made at temperatures up to approx. 300/sup 0/C, but the temperature range for most electrolytes is constrained by the availability of requisite data to values less than or equal to 100/sup 0/C. The implementation of Pitzer's equations in EQ3/6 allows application of these codes to problems involving calculation of geochemical equilibria in brines; such as evaluation of the chemical environment which might be anticipated for nuclear waste canisters located in a salt repository. 26 references, 3 figures, 1 table.

  10. Paleomorphology of the upper part of the Macae formation, Namorado field, Campos basin; Paleomorfologia do intervalo superior da formacao Macae, Campo de Namorado, Bacia de Campos

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barboza, Eduardo Guimaraes [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Inst. de Geociencias. Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Geociencias; Tomazelli, Luiz Jose; Ayup-Zouain, Ricardo Norberto [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Inst. de Geociencias. Centro de Estudos de Geologia Costeira e Oceanica; Viana, Adriano Roessler [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Exploracao e Producao. Edificio Sede

    2004-07-01

    The Macae Formation (Late Albian-Turonian of the Campos Basin) is represented by a thick column of carbonate sediments whose deposition began soon after the evaporitic phase that marks the beginning of the marine occupation of the basin. The top of this interval is represented by an unconformity (Type I), indicative of a variation in the base level of the basin, on which the turbidities of the basal sequence of the Namorado Field were deposited. For a better understanding of the depositional geometry of these turbidities, the paleogeomorphology analysis demonstrated to be quite efficient. The method of work used for so was a combination among the seismic 3D visualization (VoxelGeo{sup R}), from the characterization of different physical attributes of the seismic signal, and the facies analysis of wells profiles of the referred field. The developed analysis allowed the individualization and the three-dimensional visualization of a sinuous paleochannel in the top of the interval, until then not described in previous interpretations of this depositional system. With the information coming from this study, a better understanding of the genesis of this accumulation can be reached, especially in the part regarding to the units of important economic character, represented by the turbidities deposits and whose occurrences are related with stages of relative lowering of the sea level. (author)

  11. A bright intra-dune feature on Titan and its implications for sand formation and transport

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacKenzie, Shannon; Barnes, Jason W.; Rodriguez, Sebastien; Cornet, Thomas; Brossier, Jeremy; Soderblom, Jason M.; Le Mouélic, Stephane; Sotin, Christophe; Brown, Robert H.; Buratti, Bonnie J.; Clark, Roger Nelson; Nicholson, Philip D.; Baines, Kevin

    2017-10-01

    Organic sands cover much of Titan’s equatorial belt, gathered into longitudinal dunes about a kilometer wide and hundreds of kilometers long. At the end of the Cassini era, questions of how such a vast volume of saltable material is or was created on Titan remain unanswered. At least two possible mechanisms suggested for forming sand-sized particles involve liquids: (1) evaporite deposition and erosion and (2) flocculation of material within a lake. Transporting sand from the lakes and seas of Titan’s poles to the equatorial belt is not strongly supported by Cassini observations: the equatorial belt sits higher than the poles and no sheets or corridors of travelling sand have been identified. Thus, previous sites of equatorial surface liquids may be of interest for understanding sand formation, such as the suggested paleoseas Tui and Hotei Regio. A newly identified feature in the VIMS data sits within the Fensal dune field but is distinct from the surrounding sand. We investigate this Bright Fensal Feature (BFF) using data from Cassini VIMS and RADAR. Specifically, we find spectral similarities between the BFF and both sand and Hotei Regio. The RADAR cross sectional backscatter is similar to neighboring dark areas, perhaps sand covered interdunes. We use this evidence to constrain the BFF’s formation history and discuss how this intra-dune feature may contribute to the processes of sand transport and supply.

  12. Ocean Drilling Program Leg 112, Peru continental margin: Part 2, Sedimentary history and diagenesis in a coastal upwelling environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suess, E.; von Huene, R.

    1988-10-01

    On the shelf and upper slope off Peru the signal of coastal upwelling productivity and bottom-water oxygen is well preserved in alternately laminated and bioturbated diatomaceous Quaternary sediments. Global sea-level fluctuations are the ultimate cause for these cyclic facies changes. During late Miocene time, coastal upwelling was about 100 km west of the present centers, along the edge of an emergent structure that subsequently subsided to form the modern slope. The sediments are rich in organic carbon, and intense microbially mediated decomposition of organic matter is evident in sulfate reduction and methanogenesis. These processes are accompanied by the formation of diagenetic carbonates, mostly Ca-rich dolomites and Mg-calcites. The downhole isotopic signatures of these carbonate cements display distinct successions that reflect the vertical evolution of the pore fluid environment. From the association of methane gas hydrates, burial depth, and low-chloride interstitial fluids, we suggest an additional process that could contribute to the characteristic chloride depletion in pore fluids of active margins: release of interlayer water from clays without a mineral phase change. The shelf sediments also contain a subsurface brine that stretches for more than 500 km from north to south over the area drilled. The source of the brine remains uncertain, although the composition of the oxygen isotopes suggests dissolution of evaporites by seawater.

  13. Multi-proxy paleoenvironmental reconstruction of saline lake carbonates: Paleoclimatic and paleogeographic implications (Priabonian-Rupelian, Issirac Basin, SE France)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lettéron, Alexandre; Fournier, François; Hamon, Youri; Villier, Loïc; Margerel, Jean-Pierre; Bouche, Alexandre; Feist, Monique; Joseph, Philippe

    2017-08-01

    A 200-m thick carbonate succession has been deposited in shallow-water, saline lake environments during the Priabonian-Rupelian in the Issirac Basin (South-East France). The palaeoenvironmental and palaeogeographic significance of such saline lake carbonates has been characterized on the basis of a multi-proxy analysis including 1) depositional and diagenetic features, 2) biological components (molluscs, ostracods, benthic foraminifers, characean) and 3) carbon, oxygen and strontium stable isotopes. Biological associations are indicative of dominantly shallow (climate (dry versus humid) are the three key factors controlling the water composition, carbonate production and depositional environments in the Issirac lake. Although the ASCI (Alès-Issirac-Saint-Chaptes) lacustrine system likely represents an athalassic (inland) lake system evolving through times, the stable isotope composition (C, O and Sr) of carbonates strongly suggests the occurrence of transient connections of the ASCI lake water with water bodies influenced by seawater and/or fed with sulfates deriving from Triassic evaporites. The Issirac Basin may be therefore interpreted as a sill area connecting the ASCI lacustrine system with the Rhône valley (Mormoiron and Valence) saline lake systems during maximum flooding periods. Finally, changes in depositional features, biota and stable isotope composition of carbonates in unit U3 suggest a transition from relatively dry to more humid climate during the uppermost Priabonian or earliest Rupelian.

  14. Origins and exploration significance of replacement and vein-type alunite deposits in the Marysvale volcanic field, west central Utah.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cunningham, C.G.; Rye, R.O.; Steven, T.A.; Mehnert, H.H.

    1984-01-01

    Alunite in the Marysvale volcanic field forms two (three are described) different types of deposits which contrast in appearance and conditions of origin: 1) Replacement deposits are generally fine-grained and formed by near-surface replacement of intermediate-composition volcanic rocks. The deposits form a bead necklace around a monzonite stock. Each deposit is zoned horizontally from alunitic cores to kaolinitic and propylitic envelopes and zoned vertically from pyrite/propylite upward through alunite/jarosite/hematite to a silica cap. Alunite does not extend below 100 m. Sulphur isotope ratios agree with derivation from underlying Mesozoic evaporites. 2) Natroalunite of 14-m.y. age crosscuts replacement-type alunite deposits. Its S-isotope ratios are comparable with those of pyrite in the volcanics. The Na may be from underlying Mesozoic halites. 3) Veins of coarse-grained alunite of 14-m.y. age filled extension fractures above a postulated stock. S-isotope ratios indicate a probable magmatic source. The contrasting properties of the Marysvale alunite deposits preclude any simple relation to ore deposits, but serve to refine interpretations based on other geological considerations. The replacement deposits are a logical near-surface result of skarn forming processes at depth around the monzonite stock. The vein- type deposits are a logical near-surface result of porphyry metallization in an underlying stock. -G.J.N.

  15. Ore-Forming Systems In Volcanogenic-Sedimentary Sequences By The Example Of Base Metal Deposits Of The Caucasus And East Pontic Metallotect

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergo KEKELIA

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available By the example of Alpine volcanogenic base metal deposits of the central part of the AlpineHimalayan fold belt (East Pontic Metallotect and Caucasus, it has been demonstrated that their hydrothermal systems naturally emerge at various stages of active interaction of microplates-continental fragments of Eurasia and Gondwanaland. During the divergence stage, at the microplates-boundary zones within the marginal sea, hydrothermal-sedimentary Cu and polymetallic deposits have been formed; at the early convergence stage, within the paleo-island-arc systems, epigenetic Cu and in lesser extent, barite-polymetallic (Lesser Caucasus, and later both combined (hydrothermal-sedimentary and stockwork and epigenetic (mainly Cu- and Zn-containing deposits have been originated (East Pontic Metallotect. At the beginning of the collisional stage, in connection with antidrome volcanism within the back-arc volcanic structures, polyformational deposits (barite, barite-polymetallic, Cu, Au have been formed. This tendency persists during the whole collisional stage - in the within-plate and transplate Eocene volcanic depressions - mainly polymetallic deposits have been originated in which the increasing contents of Ag take place in comparison to Au. The authors share the opinion that the primarily- anomalous environments for Cu-Zn deposits can have been "specialized" basic and medium-acidic volcanics whereas for baritic and barite polymetallic deposits grey coloured and evaporitic sequences in the volcano-structure pedestals with buried highly mineralized brines seem to be most favorable.

  16. Mineral paragenesis on Mars: The roles of reactive surface area and diffusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fairén, Alberto G; Gil-Lozano, Carolina; Uceda, Esther R; Losa-Adams, Elisabeth; Davila, Alfonso F; Gago-Duport, Luis

    2017-09-01

    Geochemical models of secondary mineral precipitation on Mars generally assume semiopen systems (open to the atmosphere but closed at the water-sediment interface) and equilibrium conditions. However, in natural multicomponent systems, the reactive surface area of primary minerals controls the dissolution rate and affects the precipitation sequences of secondary phases, and simultaneously, the transport of dissolved species may occur through the atmosphere-water and water-sediment interfaces. Here we present a suite of geochemical models designed to analyze the formation of secondary minerals in basaltic sediments on Mars, evaluating the role of (i) reactive surface areas and (ii) the transport of ions through a basalt sediment column. We consider fully open conditions, both to the atmosphere and to the sediment, and a kinetic approach for mineral dissolution and precipitation. Our models consider a geochemical scenario constituted by a basin (i.e., a shallow lake) where supersaturation is generated by evaporation/cooling and the starting point is a solution in equilibrium with basaltic sediments. Our results show that cation removal by diffusion, along with the input of atmospheric volatiles and the influence of the reactive surface area of primary minerals, plays a central role in the evolution of the secondary mineral sequences formed. We conclude that precipitation of evaporites finds more restrictions in basaltic sediments of small grain size than in basaltic sediments of greater grain size.

  17. Thermo-mineral waters of Hammam Meskoutine (north-east Algeria: Composition and origin of mineralization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benamara Abdelwaheb

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The extreme north-eastern Algeria, in particular the Guelma city conceals thermal springs, whose waters circulating at great depths allow the rain-waters to warm up (according to the average geothermal gradient of 1°C per 33 m and to acquire a mineralization which depends on the traversed rock. The goal of this research work was to determine mineralization origin of the thermo-mineral waters of Hammam Meskoutine (Algerian N-E. A hydro-chemical study involved analyses of a number of physical and chemical parameters of waters such as: temperature, hydrogen potential, electrolytical conductivity, Cl-, SO4 2-, HCO3 -, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+ and Na+. The data processing on the diagram revealed two dominating chemical facies: sulphate-magnesium and bicarbonate magnesium. With a high conductivity in excess of 2300 μS·cm-1, the temperature reaches 97°C. Calculation of the saturation index shows that the waters are supersaturated in carbonate minerals (calcite, dolomite and aragonite and less saturated with evaporite minerals (halite, anhydrite, sylvite and gypsum. The reconstitution in dissolved salts reveals a dominant salt rich in calcium bicarbonates, in calcium sulphates and secondarily in magnesium salts. Geological sections used in the study zone affirm that the chemical composition of the spring waters comes from the neritic limestone dissolution and the gypso-saline complex of Hammam Meskoutine.

  18. Karst in the United States: a digital map compilation and database

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weary, David J.; Doctor, Daniel H.

    2014-01-01

    This report describes new digital maps delineating areas of the United States, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, having karst or the potential for development of karst and pseudokarst. These maps show areas underlain by soluble rocks and also by volcanic rocks, sedimentary deposits, and permafrost that have potential for karst or pseudokarst development. All 50 States contain rocks with potential for karst development, and about 18 percent of their area is underlain by soluble rocks having karst or the potential for development of karst features. The areas of soluble rocks shown are based primarily on selection from State geologic maps of rock units containing significant amounts of carbonate or evaporite minerals. Areas underlain by soluble rocks are further classified by general climate setting, degree of induration, and degree of exposure. Areas having potential for volcanic pseudokarst are those underlain chiefly by basaltic-flow rocks no older than Miocene in age. Areas with potential for pseudokarst features in sedimentary rocks are in relatively unconsolidated rocks from which pseudokarst features, such as piping caves, have been reported. Areas having potential for development of thermokarst features, mapped exclusively in Alaska, contain permafrost in relatively thick surficial deposits containing ground ice. This report includes a GIS database with links from the map unit polygons to online geologic unit descriptions.

  19. Identification and Characterization of Extremophile Microorganisms with Significance to Astrobiology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bej, Asim K.

    2003-01-01

    It is now well recognized that microorganisms thrive in extreme ecological conditions such as geothermal vents, polar region, acid and alkaline lakes, and the cold pressurized depth of the ocean floor of this planet. Morphological, physiological, biochemical and genetic adaptations to extreme environments by these extremophile microorganisms have generated immense interest amongst astrobiologists who increasingly believe in the existence of extraterrestrial life. The evidence collected by NASA's space probe Galileo suggested the presence of liquid water and volcanic activity on Mars and Jupiter's satellite Europa. Volcanic activity provides some of the heat necessary to keep the water on Europa from freezing that could provide important dissolved chemicals needed by living organisms. The possibility of the existence of hypersaline alkaline lakes and evaporites confined within closed volcanic basins and impact craters on Mars, and a layer of liquid water under the ice on Europa provide sufficient 'raison d'etre' to study microorganisms in similar extreme environments on Earth, which could provide us with a model that would help establish the existence of extraterrestrial life on other planetary bodies. The objectives of the summer research project were as follows: (1) application of molecular approaches to help establish new species of extremophile microorganisms isolated from a hypersaline alkaline lake; and (2) identification of a major cold-shock gene (cspA) homolog from a psychrotolerant microorganism, PmagG1.

  20. Hole-to-surface resistivity measurements at Gibson Dome (drill hole GD-1) Paradox basin, Utah

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daniels, J.J.

    1984-01-01

    Hole-to-surface resistivity measurements were made in a deep drill hole (GD-1), in San Juan County, Utah, which penetrated a sequence of sandstone, shale, and evaporite. These measurements were made as part of a larger investigation to study the suitability of an area centered around the Gibson Dome structure for nuclear waste disposal. The magnitude and direction of the total electric field resulting from a current source placed in a drill hole is calculated from potential difference measurements for a grid of closely-spaced stations. A contour map of these data provides a detailed map of the distribution of the electric field away from the drill hole. Computation of the apparent resistivity from the total electric field helps to interpret the data with respect to the ideal situation of a layered earth. Repeating the surface measurements for different source depths gives an indication of variations in the geoelectric section with depth. The quantitative interpretation of the field data at Gibson Dome was hindered by the pressure of a conductive borehole fluid. However, a qualitative interpretation of the field data indicates the geoelectric section around drill hole GD-1 is not perfectly layered. The geoelectric section appears to dip to the northwest, and contains anomalies in the resistivity distribution that may be representative of localized thickening or folding of the salt layers.

  1. Chemical and isotopic properties of groundwater along the coastal plain of the aqaba gulf, (EG)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Awad, M.A.A

    1999-01-01

    Isotopic and hydrochemical studies were undertaken along the coastal plain of aqaba gulf in taba, dahab and sharm El-Sheikh to ascertain the role of precipitation (via floods), local water and sea water intrusion as replenishment sources for available groundwater resources in these areas. From the isotopic point of view, it can be concluded that groundwater in nuweiba wells appears to have been recharged from continental and mediterranean participation, while in dahab wells and sharm El-Sheikh Nubian well, recent precipitation via monsoonal air masses which comes from indian ocean plays a considerable role in recharging of these wells. In Taba wells, seepage of partly evaporated flood water represents the main source of their recharge. The fractured nature of the studied area has an effect on the occurrence of groundwater. The variation in chemical water type is due to leaching of terrestrial salts and impact of marine faces (i.e. evaporites and sea spray). Sea water intrusion via over pumping and/ or during tide and ebb duration shows an affect-to some extent-on the chemical composition of some localized wells. Construction of meteorological stations in scattered sites all over sinai is necessary to collect rainwater and floods samples periodically, to study the modification of the isotopic composition of rainwater by processes which occur before groundwater recharge using environmental isotopes

  2. A micropalaeontological and palynological insight into Early Carboniferous floodplain environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennett, Carys; Kearsey, Timothy; Davies, Sarah; Millward, David; Marshall, John; Reeves, Emma

    2016-04-01

    Romer's Gap, the interval following the end Devonian mass extinction, is traditionally considered to be depauperate in tetrapod and fish fossils. A major research project (TW:eed -Tetrapod World: early evolution and diversification) focusing on the Tournaisian Ballagan Formation of Scotland is investigating how early Carboniferous ecosystems rebuilt following the extinction. A multi-proxy approach, combining sedimentology, micropalaeontology and palynology, is used to investigate the different floodplain environments in which tetrapods, fish, arthropods and molluscs lived. The formation is characterised by an overbank facies association of siltstone, sandstone and palaeosols, interbedded with dolostone and evaporite units, and cut by fluvial sandstone facies associations of fining-upwards conglomerate lags, cross-bedded sandstone and rippled siltstone. Macrofossils are identified from 326 horizons within a 520 metre thick Ballagan Formation field section at Burnmouth, near Berwick-upon-Tweed, Scottish Borders. Common fauna are ostracods, bivalves, arthropods, sarcopterygians, dipnoans, acanthodians, tetrapods and chondrichthyans. Quantitative microfossil picking of the three sedimentary rock types in which tetrapods occur was undertaken to gain further insight into the palaeoecology. The sediments are; 1) laminated grey siltstones, deposited in floodplain lakes; 2) sandy siltstones, grey siltstones with millimetre size clasts. 71% of these beds overlie palaeosols or desiccated surfaces and are formed in small-scale flooding events; 3) conglomerates, mostly lags at the base of thick sandstones, with centimetre sized siltstone, sandstone and dolostone clasts. Grey siltstones contain a microfauna of common plant fragments, megaspores and sparse actinopterygian and rhizodont fragments. Sandy siltstones have the highest fossil diversity and contain microfossil fragments of plants, megaspores, charcoal, ostracods, actinopterygians, rhizodonts, eurypterids and rarer non

  3. Paleoclimatic implications from fluid inclusion data in Messinian halite of Italian sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Speranza, G.; Tecce, F.; Cosentino, D.; Faccenna, C.

    2012-12-01

    The Neogene sedimentary succession of the Mediterranean Basin includes a thick evaporitic succession (gypsum and halite) deposited during the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC), which occurred between 5.96 and 5,33 Ma. While several studies have been carried out to define the water budget of the MSC, the temperature of the Mediterranean water system is poorly constrained. The purpose of this work is to collect the first dataset of homogenization temperatures (Th) from primary fluid inclusions in Messinian halite from different Italian sites. Such data yield very useful information on water temperature at salt deposition time and thus on the climatic conditions in the peak desiccation stage of the Mediterranean sea. We focused our attention on three areas: the Volterra Basin (Tuscany), the Crotone Basin (Calabria) and the Caltanissetta Basin (Sicily). These basins are filled by Neogene sedimentary sequences, including Messinian gypsum deposits and halite. Halite samples were taken directly from salt diapirs outcrops (Crotone Basin), from borehole S1113 cores drilled by the Italian Solvay company (Volterra Basin) and inside salt mines of Petralia Sottana, Racalmuto and Realmonte (Caltanissetta Basin). Halite chips were manually prepared carefully avoiding water and controlling the temperature. Halite minerals contain abundant fluid inclusions. The majority of them are monophase liquid inclusions, showing a very regular cubic or rectangular shape. They occur along chevron and growth planes and thus were considered to have a primary origin. Some others contain solids and/or organic matter. During microthermometry, vapor bubbles nucleation has been produced directly into the stage chamber, slightly modifying the traditional "cooling" method; we could then nucleate the bubbles and at the same time constantly control the sample temperature, avoiding any sudden change that can lead to useless altered data. Microthermometric data were measured from 218 primary all liquid fluid

  4. U-isotopes and "2"2"6Ra as tracers of hydrogeochemical processes in carbonated karst aquifers from arid areas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guerrero, José Luis; Vallejos, Ángela; Cerón, Juan Carlos; Sánchez-Martos, Francisco; Pulido-Bosch, Antonio; Bolívar, Juan Pedro

    2016-01-01

    Sierra de Gádor is a karst macrosystem with a highly complex geometry, located in southeastern Spain. In this arid environment, the main economic activities, agriculture and tourism, are supported by water resources from the Sierra de Gádor aquifer system. The aim of this work was to study the levels and behaviour of some of the most significant natural radionuclides in order to improve the knowledge of the hydrogeochemical processes involved in this groundwater system. For this study, 28 groundwater and 7 surface water samples were collected, and the activity concentrations of the natural U-isotopes ("2"3"8U, "2"3"5U and "2"3"4U) and "2"2"6Ra by alpha spectrometry were determined. The activity concentration of "2"3"8U presented a large variation from around 1.1 to 65 mBq L"−"1. Elevated groundwater U concentrations were the result of oxidising conditions that likely promoted U dissolution. The PHREEQC modelling code showed that dissolved U mainly existed as uranyl carbonate complexes. The "2"3"4U/"2"3"8U activity ratios were higher than unity for all samples (1.1–3.8). Additionally, these ratios were in greater disequilibrium in groundwater than surface water samples, the likely result of greater water-rock contact time. "2"2"6Ra presented a wide range of activity concentrations, (0.8 up to about 4 × 10"2 mBq L"−"1); greatest concentrations were detected in the thermal area of Alhama. Most of the samples showed "2"2"6Ra/"2"3"4U activity ratios lower than unity (median = 0.3), likely the result of the greater mobility of U than Ra in the aquifer system. The natural U-isotopes concentrations were strongly correlated with dissolution of sulphate evaporites (mainly gypsum). "2"2"6Ra had a more complex behaviour, showing a strong correlation with water salinity, which was particularly evident in locations where thermal anomalies were detected. The most saline samples showed the lowest "2"3"4U/"2"3"8U activity ratios, probably due to fast uniform bulk

  5. Evolution and estimated age of the C5 Lukala carbonate-evaporite ramp complex in the Lower Congo region (Democratic Republic of Congo): New perspectives in Central Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delpomdor, F.; Van Vliet, N.; Devleeschouwer, X.; Tack, L.; Préat, A.

    2018-01-01

    New detailed lithological, sedimentological, chemostratigraphic data were obtained from exploration drilling samples on the C5 carbonate-dominated formation of the Neoproterozoic Lukala Subgroup (former Schisto-Calcaire Subgroup) from the West Congo Belt (WCB) in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This formation records the last post-Marinoan sea-level events that occurred in the whole basin, followed by the development of the Araçuaï-West Congo Orogen between 630 and 560 Ma. The C5 Formation consists of back-reef lagoonal and peritidal/sabkha cycles of ∼2.0 m in thickness, that record a short-time marine regression, rapidly flooded by a marine transgression with deposition of organic-rich argillaceous carbonates or shales under dysoxia and anoxia conditions. These dysoxic/anoxic waters were rapidly followed by a regional-scale marine transgression, favouring mixing with well-oxygenated waters, and the development of benthic Tonian to Cambro-Ordovician Obruchevella parva-type 'seagrasses' in the nearshore zones of the lagoons. New δ13C and 87Sr/86Sr isotopic data in the C5 Formation of the Lukala Subgroup are used in the frame of a correlation with the Sete Lagoas Formation in Brazil. Relatively comparable negative to positive δ13C excursions point to marine flooding of the whole basin and allow extension of the debatable Late Ediacaran age of the uppermost Sete Lagoas and C5 formations. Sr isotope ;blind dating; failed due to low Sr concentration related to a dolomitization event close 540 Ma. Several tentative datings of the C5 Formation converge to a Late Ediacaran age ranging between 575 and 540 Ma. As the overlying Mpioka folded Subgroup, the C5 series suffered the Pan African deformation, dated at 566 ± 42 Ma. Unlike the previously generally accepted interpretation, our data suggests that the Mpioka Subgroup was deposited in the Early Cambrian.

  6. Isotope and chemical investigation of geothermal springs and thermal water produced by oil wells in potwat area, Pakistan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmad, M.; Rafique, M.; Tariq, J.A; Choudhry, M.A.; Hussain, Q.M.

    2008-10-01

    Isotopes and geochemical techniques were applied to investigate the origin, subsurface history and reservoir temperatures of geothermal springs in Potwar. Two sets of water samples were collected. Surface temperatures of geothermal springs ranges from 52 to 68.3 C. Waters produced by oil wells in Potwar area were also investigated. Geothermal springs of Potwar area are Na-HCO/sub 3/ type, while the waters produced by oil wells are Na-Cl and Ca-Cl types. Source of both the categories of water is meteoric water recharged from the outcrops of the formations in the Himalayan foothills. These waters undergo very high /sup 18/O-shift (up to 18%) due to rock-water interaction at higher temperatures. High salinity of the oil field waters is due to dissolution of marine evaporites. Reservoir temperatures of thermal springs determined by the Na-K geo thermometers are in the range of 56-91 deg. C, while Na-K-Ca, Na-K-Mg, Na-K-Ca-Mg and quartz geo thermometers give higher temperatures up to 177 C. Reservoir temperature determined by /sup 18/O(SO/Sub 4/-H/sub 2/O) geo thermometer ranges from 112 to 138 deg. C. There is wide variation in reservoir temperatures (54-297 deg. C) of oil fields estimated by different chemical geo thermometers. Na-K geo thermometer seems more reliable which gives close estimates to real temperature (about 100 deg. C) determined during drilling of oil wells. (author)

  7. H-O isotopic and chemical characteristics of a precipitation-lake water-groundwater system in a desert area

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Ke; Rao, Wenbo; Tan, Hongbing; Song, Yinxian; Yong, Bin; Zheng, Fangwen; Chen, Tangqing; Han, Liangfeng

    2018-04-01

    The recharge mechanism of groundwater in the Badain Jaran Desert, North China has been a focus of research and still disputable in the past two decades. In this study, the chemical and hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) isotopic characteristics of shallow groundwater, lake water and local precipitation in the Badain Jaran Desert and neighboring areas were investigated to reveal the relationships between various water bodies and the recharge source of shallow groundwater. Isotopic and hydrogeochemical results show that (1) shallow groundwater was associated with local precipitation in the Ayouqi and Yabulai regions, (2) lake water was mainly recharged by groundwater in the desert hinterland, (3) shallow groundwater of the desert hinterland, Yabulai Mountain and Gurinai Grassland had a common recharge source. Shallow groundwater of the desert hinterland had a mean recharge elevation of 1869 m a.s.l. on the basis of the isotope-altitude relationship and thus originated chiefly from lateral infiltration of precipitation in the Yabulai Mountain. It is further concluded that shallow groundwater flowed towards the Gurinai Grassland according to the groundwater table contour map. Along the flow pathway, the H-O isotopic variations were primarily caused by the evaporation effect but chemical variations of shallow groundwater were affected by multiple factors, e.g., evaporation effect, dilution effect of occasional heavy-precipitation and dissolution of aquifer evaporites. Our findings provide new insight into the groundwater cycle and benefit the management of the limited water resources in the arid desert area.

  8. The Triassic-Liassic volcanic sequence and rift evolution in the Saharan Atlas basins (Algeria). Eastward vanishing of the Central Atlantic magmatic province

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meddah, A.; Bertrand, H.; Seddiki, A.; Tabeliouna, M.

    2017-11-01

    We investigate the Triassic-Liassic sequence in ten diapirs from the Saharan Atlas (Algeria). Based on detailed mapping, two episodes are identified. The first one consists of a volcano-sedimentary sequence in which three volcanic units were identified (lower, intermediate and upper units). They are interlayered and sometimes imbricated with siliciclastic to evaporitic levels which record syn-sedimentary tectonics. This sequence was deposited in a lagoonal-continental environment and is assigned to the Triassic magmatic rifting stage. The second episode, lacking lava flows (post magmatic rifting stage), consists of carbonate levels deposited in a lagoonal to marine environment during the Rhaetian-Hettangian. The volcanic units consist of several thin basaltic flows, each 0.5 to 1m thick, with a total thickness of 10–15m. The basalts are low-Ti continental tholeiites, displaying enrichment in large ion lithophile elements and light rare earth elements [(La/Yb)n= 2.5-6] with a negative Nb anomaly. Upwards decrease of light-rare-earth-elements enrichment (e.g. La/Yb) is modelled through increasing melting rate of a spinel-bearing lherzolite source from the lower (6–10wt.%) to the upper (15–20wt.%) unit. The lava flows from the Saharan Atlas share the same geochemical characteristics and evolution as those from the Moroccan Atlas assigned to the Central Atlantic magmatic province. They represent the easternmost witness of this large igneous province so far known.

  9. Geologic characterization report for the Paradox Basin Study Region, Utah Study Areas. Volume 6. Salt Valley

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1984-12-01

    Surface landforms in the Salt Valley Area are generally a function of the Salt Valley anticline and are characterized by parallel and subparallel cuestaform ridges and hogbacks and flat valley floors. The most prominent structure in the Area is the Salt Valley anticline. Erosion resulting from the Tertiary uplift of the Colorado Plateau led to salt dissolution and subsequent collapse along the crest of the anticline. Continued erosion removed the collapse material, forming an axial valley along the crest of the anticline. Paleozoic rocks beneath the salt bearing Paradox Formation consist of limestone, dolomite, sandstone, siltstone and shale. The salt beds of the Paradox Formation occur in distinct cycles separated by an interbed sequence of anhydrite, carbonate, and clastic rocks. The Paradox Formation is overlain by Pennsylvanian limestone; Permian sandstone; and Mesozoic sandstone, mudstone, conglomerate and shale. No earthquakes have been reported in the Area during the period of the historic record and contemporary seismicity appears to be diffusely distributed, of low level and small magnitude. The upper unit includes the Permian strata and upper Honaker Trail Formation. The current data base is insufficient to estimate ground-water flow rates and directions in this unit. The middle unit includes the evaporites in the Paradox Formation and no laterally extensive flow systems are apparent. The lower unit consists of the rocks below the Paradox Formation where permeabilities vary widely, and the apparent flow direction is toward the west. 108 refs., 39 figs., 9 tabs

  10. Middle and late Badenian palaeoenvironments in the northern Vienna Basin and their potential link to the Badenian Salinity Crisis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harzhauser, Mathias; Grunert, Patrick; Mandic, Oleg; Lukeneder, Petra; Gallardo, Ángela García; Neubauer, Thomas A.; Carnevale, Giorgio; Landau, Bernard M.; Sauer, Roman; Strauss, Philipp

    2018-04-01

    Hydrocarbon exploration in the Bernhardsthal and Bernhardsthal-Sued oil fields documents an up to 2000 m thick succession of middle and upper Badenian deposits in this part of the northern Vienna Basin (Austria). Based on palaeontological analyses of core-samples, well-log data and seismic surveys we propose an integrated stratigraphy and describe the depositional environments. As the middle/late Badenian boundary is correlated with the Langhian/Serravallian boundary, the cores capture the crucial phase of the Middle Miocene Climate Transition. The middle Badenian starts with a major transgression leading to outer neritic to upper bathyal conditions in the northern Vienna Basin, indicated by Bathysiphon-assemblages and glass-sponges. A strong palaeo-relief and rapid synsedimentary subsidence accentuated sedimentation during this phase. The middle/late Badenian boundary coincides with a major drop of relative sea level by about 200 m, resulting in a rapid shift from deeper marine depositional environments to coastal and freshwater swamps. In coeval marine settings, a more than 100 m thick unit of anhydrite-bearing clay formed. This is the first evidence of evaporite precipitation during the Badenian Salinity Crisis in the Vienna Basin. Shallow lagoonal environments with diverse and fully marine mollusc and fish assemblages were established during the subsequent late Badenian re-flooding. In composition, the mollusc fauna differs considerably from older ones and is characterized by the sudden appearance of species with eastern Paratethyan affinities.

  11. Rapid subsidence in damaging sinkholes: Measurement by high-precision leveling and the role of salt dissolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desir, G.; Gutiérrez, F.; Merino, J.; Carbonel, D.; Benito-Calvo, A.; Guerrero, J.; Fabregat, I.

    2018-02-01

    Investigations dealing with subsidence monitoring in active sinkholes are very scarce, especially when compared with other ground instability phenomena like landslides. This is largely related to the catastrophic behaviour that typifies most sinkholes in carbonate karst areas. Active subsidence in five sinkholes up to ca. 500 m across has been quantitatively characterised by means of high-precision differential leveling. The sinkholes occur on poorly indurated alluvium underlain by salt-bearing evaporites and cause severe damage on various human structures. The leveling data have provided accurate information on multiple features of the subsidence phenomena with practical implications: (1) precise location of the vaguely-defined edges of the subsidence zones and their spatial relationships with surveyed surface deformation features; (2) spatial deformation patterns and relative contribution of subsidence mechanisms (sagging versus collapse); (3) accurate subsidence rates and their spatial variability with maximum and mean vertical displacement rates ranging from 1.0 to 11.8 cm/yr and 1.9 to 26.1 cm/yr, respectively; (4) identification of sinkholes that experience continuous subsidence at constant rates or with significant temporal changes; and (5) rates of volumetric surface changes as an approximation to rates of dissolution-induced volumetric depletion in the subsurface, reaching as much as 10,900 m3/yr in the largest sinkhole. The high subsidence rates as well as the annual volumetric changes are attributed to rapid dissolution of high-solubility salts.

  12. Microbial Habitability and Pleistocene Aridification of the Asian Interior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jiuyi; Lowenstein, Tim K; Fang, Xiaomin

    2016-06-01

    Fluid inclusions trapped in ancient halite can contain a community of halophilic prokaryotes and eukaryotes that inhabited the surface brines from which the halite formed. Long-term survival of bacteria and archaea and preservation of DNA have been reported from halite, but little is known about the distribution of microbes in buried evaporites. Here we report the discovery of prokaryotes and single-celled algae in fluid inclusions in Pleistocene halite, up to 2.26 Ma in age, from the Qaidam Basin, China. We show that water activity (aw), a measure of water availability and an environmental control on biological habitability in surface brines, is also related to microbe entrapment in fluid inclusions. The aw of Qaidam Basin brines progressively decreased over the last ∼1 million years, driven by aridification of the Asian interior, which led to decreased precipitation and water inflow and heightened evaporation rates. These changes in water balance produced highly concentrated brines, which reduced the habitability of surface lakes and decreased the number of microbes trapped in halite. By 0.13 Ma, the aw of surface brines approached the limits tolerated by halophilic prokaryotes and algae. These results show the response of microbial ecosystems to climate change in an extreme environment, which will guide future studies exploring deep life on Earth and elsewhere in the Solar System. Halite fluid inclusions-Ancient microbes-Water activity-Qaidam Basin-Pleistocene aridification. Astrobiology 16, 379-388.

  13. The Triassic-Liassic volcanic sequence and rift evolution in the Saharan Atlas basins (Algeria). Eastward vanishing of the Central Atlantic magmatic province

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meddah, A.; Bertrand, H.; Seddiki, A.; Tabeliouna, M.

    2017-01-01

    We investigate the Triassic-Liassic sequence in ten diapirs from the Saharan Atlas (Algeria). Based on detailed mapping, two episodes are identified. The first one consists of a volcano-sedimentary sequence in which three volcanic units were identified (lower, intermediate and upper units). They are interlayered and sometimes imbricated with siliciclastic to evaporitic levels which record syn-sedimentary tectonics. This sequence was deposited in a lagoonal-continental environment and is assigned to the Triassic magmatic rifting stage. The second episode, lacking lava flows (post magmatic rifting stage), consists of carbonate levels deposited in a lagoonal to marine environment during the Rhaetian-Hettangian. The volcanic units consist of several thin basaltic flows, each 0.5 to 1m thick, with a total thickness of 10–15m. The basalts are low-Ti continental tholeiites, displaying enrichment in large ion lithophile elements and light rare earth elements [(La/Yb)n= 2.5-6] with a negative Nb anomaly. Upwards decrease of light-rare-earth-elements enrichment (e.g. La/Yb) is modelled through increasing melting rate of a spinel-bearing lherzolite source from the lower (6–10wt.%) to the upper (15–20wt.%) unit. The lava flows from the Saharan Atlas share the same geochemical characteristics and evolution as those from the Moroccan Atlas assigned to the Central Atlantic magmatic province. They represent the easternmost witness of this large igneous province so far known.

  14. Studies of geology and hydrology in the Basin and Range province, southwestern United States, for isolation of high-level radioactive waste-characterization of the Death Valley region, Nevada and California

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bedinger, M.S.; Sargent, K.A.; Langer, W.H.

    1989-01-01

    The Death Valley region, Nevada and California, in the Basin and Range province, is an area of about 80,200 sq km located in southern Nevada and southeastern California. Precambrian metamorphic and intrusive basement rocks are overlain by a thick section of Paleozoic clastic and evaporitic sedimentary rocks. Mesozoic and Cenozoic rocks include extrusive and intrusive rocks and clastic sedimentary rocks. Structural features within the Death Valley indicate a long and complex tectonic evolution from late Precambrian to the present. Potential repository host media in the region include granite and other coarse-grained plutonic rocks, ashflow tuff, basaltic and andesitic lava flows, and basin fill. The Death Valley region is composed largely of closed topographic basins that are apparently coincident with closed groundwater flow systems. In these systems, recharge occurs sparingly at higher altitudes by infiltration of precipitation or by infiltration of ephemeral runoff. Discharge occurs largely by spring flow and by evaporation and transpiration in the playas. Death Valley proper, for which the region was named, is the ultimate discharge area for a large, complex system of groundwater aquifers that occupy the northeastern part of the region. The deepest part of the system consists of carbonate aquifers that connect closed topographic basins at depth. The discharge from the system occurs in several intermediate areas that are geomorphically, stratigraphically, and structurally controlled. Ultimately, most groundwater flow terminates by discharge to Death Valley; groundwater is discharged to the Colorado River from a small part of the region

  15. Nature and Evolution of the Ore-Forming Fluids from Nanmushu Carbonate-Hosted Zn-Pb Deposit in the Mayuan District, Shaanxi Province, Southwest China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suo-Fei Xiong

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The Nanmushu carbonate-hosted Zn-Pb deposit is located in the Mayuan district of Shaanxi Province, a newly discovered metallogenic district next to the Sichuan Basin, in the northern margin of the Yangtze Block, which is the largest and the only one that is currently mined in this district. The δ34S values of sulfides are characterized by positive values with a peak around +18‰, and the reduced sulfur may have derived from reduction of SO42- from paleoseawater or evaporitic sulfates that have possibly been leached by basinal brines during mineralization stage. Detailed fluid inclusion study shows two types of fluids in the sphalerite, quartz, dolomite, calcite and barite, that is, aqueous-salt dominant inclusions (type I and hydrocarbon-bearing inclusions (type II. The Laser Raman spectroscopy study shows occurrence of certain amount of CH4, C4H6, and bitumen. The salinities show similar values around 6 to 12 wt% NaCl equivalent but a decreasing temperature from early to late stages (typically 200° to 320°C in stage I, 180° to 260°C in stage II, and 140° to 180°C in stage III. These features may be related to basinal brines mixing between an external higher salinity CaCl2  ±  MgCl2-rich fluid and a local H2O-NaCl methane-rich fluid.

  16. Structural evolution of Cenozoic basins in northeastern Tunisia, in response to sinistral strike-slip movement on the El Alia-Teboursouk Fault

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bejaoui, Hamida; Aïfa, Tahar; Melki, Fetheddine; Zargouni, Fouad

    2017-10-01

    This paper resolves the structural complexity of Cenozoic sedimentary basins in northeastern Tunisia. These basins trend NE-SW to ∼ E-W, and are bordered by old fracture networks. Detailed descriptions of the structural features in outcrop and in subsurface data suggest that the El Alia-Teboursouk Fault zone in the Bizerte area evolved through a series of tectonic events. Cross sections, lithostratigraphic correlations, and interpretation of seismic profiles through the basins show evidence for: (i) a Triassic until Jurassic-Early Cretaceous rifting phase that induced lateral variations of facies and strata thicknesses; (ii) a set of faults oriented NE-SW, NW-SE, N-S, and E-W that guided sediment accumulation in pull-apart basins, which were subject to compressive and transpressive deformation during Eocene (Lutetian-Priabonian), Miocene (Tortonian), and Pliocene-Quaternary; and (iii) NNW-SSE to NS contractional events that occurred during the Late Pliocene. Part of the latest phase has been the formation of different synsedimentary folded structures with significant subsidence inversion. Such events have been responsible for the reactivation of inherited faults, and the intrusion of Triassic evaporites, ensuring the role of a slip layer. The combined effects of the different paleoconstraints and halokinetic movements are at the origin of the evolution of these pull-apart basins. The subsurface data suggest that an important fault displacement occurred during the Mesozoic-Cenozoic. The patterns of sediment accumulation in the different basins reflect a high activity of deep ancient faults.

  17. Structural petrology of undeformed and experimentally deformed halite samples from USERDA site No. 7 and No. 9

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Callender, J.; Ingwell, T.

    1977-01-01

    Preliminary data from USERDA test holes No. 7 and No. 9 in the Salado Formation of southeastern New Mexico are presented. Cores consist primarily of halite (> 80 modal percent), clay, polyhalite, anhydrite, celestite, iron oxide, and magnesite. Macroscopic features of undeformed core include moderately tight grain boundaries, large cavities (less than or equal to 8 mm 2 ), fluid inclusions, rare intragranular dislocations, and coarse and bimodal textures. Petrographic examination reveals numerous secondary fluid inclusions of variable size, blebby halite and transected hopper crystals, all of which suggest mobility and recrystallization of the primary evaporite assemblages. Deformed core shows a complex group of fabric elements, including tight grain boundaries, intercrystalline lattice rotation, cavity deformation and closure, distortion of hopper crystals, polygonization, irregular lattice dislocations, glide dislocations, and climb dislocations. Grain boundaries become tight or locked with deformation, forming pinned and bulged grains. Intercrystalline lattice rotation causes grains to rotate as much as 17 0 to develop preferred orientation. Polygonization yields fabrics analogous to prophyroclasts in cataclastic rocks. Irregular dislocations are relatively abundant. Glide dislocations are also abundant in many deformed specimens. Individual mineral components within deformed halite also exhibit deformational fabrics. Folded layers of clay and anhydrite, and bent and broken single crystals of anhydrite are present in some samples. Secondary fluid inclusions apparently migrate in response to differential stress and form along dislocations in halite, healing the dislocations by secondary crystallization and forming discontinuous or completely healed dislocation fabrics. 67 figures, 9 tables

  18. Radionuclides as natural tracers of the interaction between groundwater and surface water in the River Andarax, Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Navarro-Martinez, Francisco; Salas Garcia, Alejandro; Sánchez-Martos, Francisco; Baeza Espasa, Antonio; Molina Sánchez, Luis; Rodríguez Perulero, Antonio

    2017-12-01

    The identification of specific aquifers that supply water to river systems is fundamental to understanding the dynamics of the rivers' hydrochemistry, particularly in arid and semiarid environments where river flow may be discontinuous. There are multiple methods to identify the source of river water. In this study of the River Andarax, in the Southeast of Spain, an analysis of natural tracers (physico-chemical parameters, uranium, radium and radon) in surface water and groundwater indicates that chemical parameters and uranium clearly identify the areas where there is groundwater-surface water interaction. The concentration of uranium found in the river defines two areas: the headwaters with U concentrations of 2 μg L -1 and the lower reaches, with U of 6 μg L -1 . Furthermore, variation in the 234 U/ 238 U isotopic ratio allowed us to detect the influence that groundwater from the carbonate aquifer has on surface water in the headwaters of the river, where the saline content is lower and the water has a calcium bicarbonate facies. The concentration of 226 Ra and 222 Rn are low in the surface waters: aquifer on the surface waters. The results of this study indicate the utility in the use of physico-chemical and radiological data conjointly as tracers of groundwater-surface water interaction in semiarid areas where the lithology of aquifers is diverse (carbonate and detritic) and where evaporitic rocks are present. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. A paleoclimatic simulation of the Late Permian greenhouse world and its consequences

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moore, G.T.; Jacobson, S.R.; Hayashida, D.N. (Chevron Oil Field Research Co., La Habra, CA (United States))

    1991-03-01

    Sea-floor spreading assembled all the major cratonic blocks into a single supercontinent once in the Phanerozoic Eon. This unique Late Permian crustal tectonic event produced Pangaea and an enormous oceanic basin volume that dropped sea level to a global lowstand unrivaled in the Phanerozoic. Two paleoclimatic simulations using a numerical three-dimensional general circulation model tested changes in the greenhouse effect. The authors conclude that for a simulation to fit the Late Permian geologic record, the paleoatmosphere must contain an enhanced greenhouse gas effect. A third simulation tested changes of paleogeography in southern Pangaea (Gondwana) that did not appreciably alter the harsh continental paleoclimate. The simulated paleoclimatic changes provide extraordinarily warm ocean and atmosphere, and a significant reduction in continental rainfall and runoff. These conditions inevitably lead to more aridity and less vegetation on land, gradually reduce the delivery of vital nutrients from continental sources to marine margins, systematically liberate CO{sub 2} dissolved in ocean water, and incrementally increase stress on marine and terrestrial biotas. These consequences severely disrupted rates of oxygen and carbon cycling. Their quantitative paleoclimatic simulation is consistent with distributions of red beds, evaporites, coals, marine shelf areas, seawater isotope trends, and paleontologic originations and extinctions. Thus, the Pangaean plate assembly probably triggered an inexorable sequence of geophysical, geochemical, and biological events that forced an elevated greenhouse effect in the Late Permian, nearly annihilating the Phanerozoic biota.

  20. Site study plan for EDBH [Engineering Design Boreholes] seismic surveys, Deaf Smith County site, Texas: Revision 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hume, H.

    1987-12-01

    This site study plan describes seismic reflection surveys to run north-south and east-west across the Deaf Smith County site, and intersecting near the Engineering Design Boreholes (EDBH). Both conventional and shallow high-resolution surveys will be run. The field program has been designed to acquire subsurface geologic and stratigraphic data to address information/data needs resulting from Federal and State regulations and Repository program requirements. The data acquired by the conventional surveys will be common-depth- point, seismic reflection data optimized for reflection events that indicate geologic structure near the repository horizon. The data will also resolve the basement structure and shallow reflection events up to about the top of the evaporite sequence. Field acquisition includes a testing phase to check/select parameters and a production phase. The field data will be subjected immediately to conventional data processing and interpretation to determine if there are any anamolous structural for stratigraphic conditions that could affect the choice of the EDBH sites. After the EDBH's have been drilled and logged, including vertical seismic profiling, the data will be reprocessed and reinterpreted for detailed structural and stratigraphic information to guide shaft development. The shallow high-resulition seismic reflection lines will be run along the same alignments, but the lines will be shorter and limited to immediate vicinity of the EDBH sites. These lines are planned to detect faults or thick channel sands that may be present at the EDBH sites. 23 refs. , 7 figs., 5 tabs

  1. Engineering aspects of the salt diapirs; Aspectos de engenharia do diapirismo de sal

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borges, Ricardo Garske [Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (PETROBRAS/CENPES), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Centro de Pesquisas e Desenvolvimento

    2012-07-01

    From the viewpoint of drilling and well bore integrity, salt presents new significant challenges of geomechanical nature. Saline rocks have a characteristic feature of deforming slowly over time, phenomenon known as creep. Salt bodies affect present geomechanical environment by change of the local stress state. This is due mainly by the fact that salt is not able to withstand deviatoric stresses. In particular, changes in stresses can happen in the vicinity of salt bodies which are of enough magnitude to affect the fracture gradient and well bore stability, the salt-sediment interface region being the one which concentrates the majority of drilling difficulties. During the drilling of an evaporitic section in an oil well, the accumulated strain over a time period can be enough to restrain the passing of the drilling column and even stuck it in an irretrievable way. After the well has been cased, the salt creep can manifest undesirably causing, in some situations, constraints to passing tools along the casing or even causing its rupture by collapse. In order to address this issue, this work seeks to assess how saline structures affect the present geomechanics environment through changes in the local state of stresses, in addition to the consequences to well bore drilling arising from this modified stress state inside and close to the salt. A historic summary is also presented concerning operational problems in well bore drilling in regions influenced by salt movement. (author)

  2. Stress state variations among the clay and limestone formations of the molasse basin of Northern Switzerland

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vietor, Tim; Mueller, Herwig; Frieg, Bernd; Klee, Gerd

    2012-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. Full text of publication follows: The design of geological repositories for radioactive waste responds to the requirements of technical feasibility and long-term safety in the context of a specific geological setting. An important aspect of the geological setting is the primary stress field. To a large extent the stress state controls repository induced effects such as the excavation damage zone and the associated potential changes in the waste isolation properties of the host rock. Therefore the measurement of the stress state receives some attention where the site selection for geological repositories focuses onto relatively weak host rocks such as clay-stones and marly shales that tend to develop a significant excavation damage zone. Measurements of the minimum stress magnitudes in a recently drilled geothermal well in the Molasse Basin of northern Switzerland have yielded a stress profile reaching from 592 m to 1455 m depth. It straddles several rock units and includes the top of the crystalline basement. The sedimentary sequence consists of Marine limestones, shales and marls unconformably covered by Tertiary rocks of the Molasse. In other parts of the basin the evaporitic rocks of the Triassic Muschelkalk formation at the base of the sedimentary layer served as a regional detachment and enabled thin skinned thrusting and the formation of the Jura Fold and Thrust Belt in the Late Miocene. The stress measurements have been performed in the open hole by Mini-frac tests. The method uses a double packer system to isolate a one meter long interval of the borehole that is then pressurized at high injection rates up to the breakdown of the formation. Repeated pressurization of the interval allows to determine the stress that acts on the newly created fracture. The total injected volume during such a test is in the range of a few litres and the size of the fracture that extends from the borehole normal to the minimum

  3. Lower Paleozoic carbonate rocks of Baird Mountains Quadrangle, Alaska

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dumoulin, J.A.; Harris, A.G.

    1985-04-01

    Lower Paleozoic carbonate rocks in the Baird Mountains quadrangle form a relatively thin (about 550 m), chiefly shallow-water succession that has been imbricately thrust and metamorphosed to lower greenschist facies. Middle and Upper Cambrian rocks - the first reported from the western Brooks Range - occur in the northeastern quarter of the quadrangle, south of Angayukaqsraq (formerly Hub) Mountain. They consist of marble grading upward into thin-bedded marble/dolostone couplets and contain pelagiellid mollusks, acetretid brachiopods, and agnostid trilobites. Sedimentologic features and the Pelagiellas indicate a shallow-water depositional environment. Overlying these rocks are Lower and Middle Ordovician marble and phyllite containing graptolites and conodonts of midshelf to basinal aspect. Upper Ordovician rocks in this area are bioturbated to laminated dolostone containing warm, shallow-water conodonts. In the Omar and Squirrel Rivers areas to the west, the Lower Ordovician carbonate rocks show striking differences in lithofacies, biofacies, and thickness. Here they are mainly dolostone with locally well-developed fenestral fabric and evaporite molds, and bioturbated to laminated orange- and gray-weathering dolomitic marble. Upper Silurian dolostone, found near Angayukaqsraq Mountain and on the central Squirrel River, contains locally abundant corals and stronmatoporoids. Devonian carbonate rocks are widely distributed in the Baird Mountains quadrangle; at least two distinct sequences have been identified. In the Omar area, Lower and Middle Devonian dolostone and marble are locally cherty and rich in megafossils. In the north-central (Nakolik River) area, Middle and Upper Devonian marble is interlayered with planar to cross-laminated quartz-carbonate metasandstone and phyllite.

  4. Arsenic, barium, strontium and uranium geochemistry and their utility as tracers to characterize groundwaters from the Espadán–Calderona Triassic Domain, Spain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Giménez-Forcada, Elena, E-mail: e.gimenez@igme.es [Instituto Geológico y Minero de España — IGME, Unidad de Salamanca, Azafranal 48, 37001 Salamanca (Spain); Vega-Alegre, Marisol [University of Valladolid — UVA, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Campus Miguel Delibes, Paseo Belén 7, 47011 Valladolid (Spain)

    2015-04-15

    A set of analytical data from the Espadán–Calderona Triassic Domain aquifers was processed using hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA), to achieve a quantitative and independent approach to investigate the characteristics of groundwater composition and possible differences between groundwater flows from Triassic aquifers from the Espadán–Calderona Triassic Domain (Spain). Mineralization in the Triassic series has led to the presence of several metals and metalloids in groundwater, including As, Mn, Fe and U. These are associated with fresher bicarbonate groundwaters, characterized by lower Sr/Ba ratios. Levels containing sulfate evaporitic salt, which are interbedded through the Triassic series, seem to exert a strong influence on the chemistry of several groundwaters, characterized by calcium sulfate facies with high Sr concentration and high Sr/Ba ratios. The application of multivariate statistical techniques to the interpretation of analytical results allows the differentiation of groundwater types occurring in the Triassic aquifers and identification of the role of a number of minor or trace elements and their ratios that can be treated as hydrogeochemical tracers. With them it was possible to correlate the different recharge waters with the tectonic morphology of the Espadán–Calderona Triassic Domain. - Highlights: • Groundwater hydrochemistry of Espadán–Calderona Triassic Domain was investigated. • Multivariate statistical analysis and metal tracers differentiated groundwater types. • The Sr/Ba ratio and As and U concentrations are good indicators of groundwater flows. • The chemistry of groundwater flows correlates with structural morphology of recharge areas.

  5. Salinity stratification of the Mediterranean Sea during the Messinian crisis: A first model analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, Dirk; Meijer, Paul Th.

    2017-12-01

    In the late Miocene, a thick and complex sequence of evaporites was deposited in the Mediterranean Sea during an interruption of normal marine sedimentation known as the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Because the related deposits are mostly hidden from scrutiny in the deep basin, correlation between onshore and offshore sediments is difficult, hampering the development of a comprehensive stratigraphic model. Since the various facies correspond to different salinities of the basin waters, it would help to have physics-based understanding of the spatial distribution of salt concentration. Here, we focus on modelling salinity as a function of depth, i.e., on the stratification of the water column. A box model is set up that includes a simple representation of a haline overturning circulation and of mixing. It is forced by Atlantic exchange and evaporative loss and is used to systematically explore the degree of stratification that results under a wide range of combinations of parameter values. The model demonstrates counterintuitive behaviour close to the saturation of halite. For parameter values that may well be realistic for the Messinian, we show that a significantly stratified Mediterranean water column can be established. In this case, Atlantic connectivity is limited but may be closer to modern magnitudes than previously thought. In addition, a slowing of Mediterranean overturning and a larger deep-water formation region (both in comparison to the present day) are required. Under these conditions, we would expect a longer duration of halite deposition than currently considered in the MSC stratigraphic consensus model.

  6. Biological and physical modification of carbonate system parameters along the salinity gradient in shallow hypersaline solar salterns in Trapani, Italy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isaji, Yuta; Kawahata, Hodaka; Kuroda, Junichiro; Yoshimura, Toshihiro; Ogawa, Nanako O.; Suzuki, Atsushi; Shibuya, Takazo; Jiménez-Espejo, Francisco J.; Lugli, Stefano; Santulli, Andrea; Manzi, Vinicio; Roveri, Marco; Ohkouchi, Naohiko

    2017-07-01

    We investigated changes in the chemical characteristics of evaporating seawater under the influence of microbial activity by conducting geochemical analyses of the brines and evaporite sediments collected from solar salterns in Trapani, Italy. The microbial activity had a substantial effect on the carbonate system parameters. Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) was substantially removed from the brine during the course of evaporation from the seawater to the point where calcium carbonate precipitates, with an accompanying decrease in its carbon isotopic composition (δ13CDIC) to as low as -10.6‰. Although the removal of DIC was due to calcium carbonate precipitation, photosynthesis, and the degassing of CO2(aq) induced by evaporation, the presence of 13C-depleted δ13CDIC in ponds where calcium carbonate precipitates can be attributed to the dissolution of atmospheric CO2 because of intensive CO2(aq) uptake by photosynthesis, and/or mineralization of organic matter by sulfate reduction. In contrast, δ13CDIC increased up to 7.2‰ in the salinity range where halite precipitates, which can be ascribed to the domination of the effect of degassing of CO2(aq) under conditions with reduced microbial activity. A gradual decrease in microbial activity was also reflected in compound-specific δ13C of photosynthetic pigments; isotopic fractionation associated with DIC assimilation increased linearly as the evaporation proceeded, indicating DIC-limited conditions within the microbial mats and gypsum crusts because of restricted DIC diffusion from the overlying brine and/or suppression of primary production at higher salinity.

  7. Ostracods and facies of the Early and Middle Frasnian at Devils Gate in Nevada: Relationship to the Alamo Event

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casier, J.-G.; Berra, I.; Olempska, Ewa; Sandberg, C.; Preat, A.

    2006-01-01

    In order to document the Alamo Event and to investigate its influence on shallow-marine environments, we undertook a study of ostracods, conodonts, and analysis of the sedimentology of the lower member of the type Devils Gate Limestone, Six major carbonate microfacies (MF1-MF6) ranging from open-marine environments below storm wave base to pre-evaporitic supratidal lagoons were recognized. The sedimentological study detected no important sedimentological changes during the Alamo Event; only an influx of detrital material and lithoclasts indicate that an unusual event had occurred. Ostracods are generally rare or absent in the lower member of the Devils Gate Limestone, and only 2,000 carapaces, valves and fragments were extracted; from these some 26 taxa were identified. Two new species, Voronina? eureka and Serenida dorsoplicata are proposed. The ostracods belong to the Eifelian Mega-Assemblage and their distribution was influenced by strong salinity variations. Because of the rarity and low diversity of ostracods and conodonts in samples collected from the lower part of the lower member of the Devils Gate Limestone it is not adequate to demonstrate conclusively an extinction event close to the Alamo Event Bed. Nevertheless the greater abundance and diversity of ostracods above this bed seems to indicate that the Alamo Event did not result in significant extinction of ostracod taxa in this shallow water setting. The ostracod fauna present in the lower member of the Devils Gate Limestone suggests faunal exchanges between Nevada and the Russian Platform via the Western Canadian platform.

  8. Evolution and timing of salt diapirism in the Iranian sector of the Persian Gulf

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perotti, Cesare; Chiariotti, Luca; Bresciani, Ilenia; Cattaneo, Luciano; Toscani, Giovanni

    2016-06-01

    The Iranian sector of the Persian Gulf is affected by more than 30 large diapiric structures triggered by the mobilization of the Infracambrian Hormuz Complex, an evaporite-rich unit that overlies Precambrian basement at the base of the sedimentary succession. Nineteen non-piercing diapirs, without any appreciable salt intrusion into the upper succession, were studied in detail and retro-deformed by the decompaction and unfolding of 13 seismic horizons that were identified by the interpretation of a dense grid of 2D seismic lines and calibrated by well data. Salt uplift had begun by the Early Palaeozoic and persists to the present day, with major pulses of intensity during the Middle Triassic, Cenomanian, Late Oligocene, and post-Middle Miocene. The structural reconstructions and the analysis of the progressive deformation of the study diapirs do not show any link between diapiric uplift and local tectonic structures, and no clear correlation with the regional geodynamic events acting at the boundary of the Arabian plate. On the contrary, the salt uplift seems strongly influenced by the differential rate of sedimentation that affected the whole study basin (more than 40,000 km2), with a coefficient of correlation between the salt uplift rate and the differential rate of sedimentation (expressed by the standard deviation of the sedimentation rate calculated over the entire basin) of 0.95. This downbuilding mechanism of diapiric growth is apparently induced by differential sedimentation over long distances (several tens of kilometers), showing that the flow of salt affected the whole basin and not just the areas around the single diapiric structures.

  9. Origin, distribution and transformation of authigenic carbonates in loessic soils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin Kolesár

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Processes of authigenic carbonates formation are component part of terrestrial biogeochemical cycle of carbon, which starts with co-accumulation of oxalic acid and Ca in Ca- oxalates. After plant decay are these biominerals slowly transformed under the influence of microbial processes into authigenic carbonates (calcites, depending on soil condition. The formation of authigenic calcites runs over in soil system where is rather high Ca and Mg concentration, presence of oxalomorphic plants and sufficient oxalotrophic stability of microorganisms. In addition to Ca-oxalates, Ca and Mg ions necessary for carbonate formation comes also from air (precipitation, dust, mineral weathering, subsurface water flow and decaying organic matter. The distribution pattern of authigenic calcites with depth, the size and shape of individual forms of calcites on loessic soils of SW Slovakia, as it is resulted from micromorphological study indicate that through the historical development of that soils as landscape units, soil water regime has played decisive role at vertical redistribution of forms (size, shape of authigenic calcites. To this witness the depth of variation of needle calcite zones and horizons of micritic calcites occurrence depending on soil types (leaching. Needle shape calcite zones which approach closest to the soil surface, gradually coalescence to the horizons of micritic calcites with the depth. Micritic calcites are without, or with microsparitic domains. Our study concurrently support the ideas of their inorganic origin depending on evaporitic soil regime. This formations have its own historic dynamics on which depends also the preservation of calcaric nature of soils.

  10. Geochemical response of a closed-lake basin to 20th century recurring droughts/wet intervals in the subtropical Pampean Plains of South America

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel ARIZTEGUI

    2004-02-01

    Full Text Available Laguna Mar Chiquita is a highly variable closed saline lake located in the Pampean Plains of central Argentina. Presently is the largest saline lake in South America (∼ 6,000 km2 and also one of the largest in the world. During the 20th century the hydrological balance of the region was characterized by contrasting scenarios. Well-defined wet or dry climatic phases had ruled the lake level fluctuations and the rivers discharge, mainly controlling the geochemical composition of sediments. Sediments accumulated during positive hydrological balances (i.e., high lake level are mainly composed of allogenic mineral due to higher riverine inputs into the lake. This fluvial-dominated lake phases are recorded as sediments enriched in Al2O3, SiO2, K2O, Fe2O3 and TiO2 and in trace elements such as Co, Cr, Cs, Rb, Sc, Hf, Ta, Th as well as rare earth elements (REE. Sediments accumulated during dry phases (i.e., low lake levels and high salinity are evaporite mineral-rich with elevated concentrations of CaO, MnO, MgO, and P2O5. High contents of As and U are probably due to a co-precitation during high evaporative phases. The calibration of the sediment chemical composition of Laguna Mar Chiquita to well-defined water-level fluctuations of the 20th century shows that elemental geochemistry can be a useful proxy to study former lake-water fluctuations. It may further provide a comparative model to evaluate past environmental conditions in other saline lacustrine basins.

  11. The upper to uppermost Cenomanian oceanic anoxic event: a review and an interpretation involving a seawater stratification by the CO{sub 2} of mantle origin; L`evenement oceanique anoxique du Cenomanien superieur-terminal: une revue et une interpretation mettant en jeu une stratification des eaux marines par le CO{sub 2} mantellique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Busson, G; Cornee, A [Laboratoire de Geologie du Museum, 75 - Paris (France)

    1997-12-31

    Oil exploration data have revealed the exceptional richness of the middle Cretaceous in source rocks worldwide. Oceanic drillings have shown the existence of oceanic anoxic events (OAE) well defined in time. This study analyzes the OAE 2 event dated from the upper Cenomanian-lower Turonian. This event has been recognized in numerous sites from the northern, central and southern Atlantic and punctually in the Pacific and Indian oceans. It occurs in both numerous deep oceanic sites and orogenic zones, and stable platforms covered by epeiric seas. It coincides with a sea level rise which is one of the most sudden and highest in Phanerozoic times and it stands out as a remarkable episode of massive faunal extinction which led to the deposition of organic matter of marine planktonic dominant nature. The first part of the study recalls the previous interpretations of this event (oceanic stratification, euxinic conditions, spreading of an oxygen minimum zone, greenhouse climate effect, sluggish atmospheric and oceanic circulations, high planktonic production, great oceanic overturns, marginal or general upwellings, marine transgressions on epeiric areas etc..). The second part gives the basis of the new hypothesis: connection between separated seas due to the transgression, retreat of evaporite facies, high sea-floor spreading rates, intense volcanic activity and high mantle outgassing with huge CO{sub 2} influxes. The last part describes the proposed interpretation: CO{sub 2} accumulation in deep and intermediate waters and sea overflows on marginal and continental areas which led to a rise of the CO{sub 2}-rich hypolimnion. (J.S.) 236 refs.

  12. The salt that wasn't there: Mudflat facies equivalents to halite of the Permian Rustler Formation, southeastern New Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Powers, D.W.; Holt, R.M.

    2000-01-01

    Four halite beds of the Permian Restler Formation in southeastern New Mexico thin dramatically over horst lateral distances to correlative classic (mudstone) beds. The mudstones have long been considered residues after post-burial dissolution (subrosion) of halite, assumed to have been deposited continuously across the area. Hydraulic properties of the Culebra Dolomite Member have often been related to Rustler subrosion. In cores and three shafts at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), however, these mudstones display flat bedding, graded bedding, cross-bedding, erosional contacts, and channels filled with intraformational conglomerates. Cutans indicate early stages of soil development during subaerial exposure. Smeared intraclasts developed locally as halite was removed syndepositionally during subaerial exposure. The authors interpret these beds as facies formed in salt-pan or hypersaline-lagoon, transitional, and mudflat environments. Halite is distributed approximately as it was deposited. Breccia in limited areas along one halite margin indicates post-burial dissolution, and these breccials are key to identifying areas of subrosion. A depositional model accounts for observed sedimentary features of Restler mudstones. Marked facies and thickness changes are consistent with influence by subsidence boundaries, as found in some modern continental evaporites. A subrosion model accounts for limited brecciated zones along (depositional)halite margins, but bedding observed in the mudstones would not survive 90% reduction in rock volume. Depositional margins for these halite beds will be useful in reconstructing detailed subsidence history of the Late Permian in the northern Delaware Basin, It also no longer is tenable to attribute large variations in Culebra transmissivity to Rustler subrosion

  13. Nitrate, sulphate and chloride contents in public drinking water supplies in Sicily, Italy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Alessandro, Walter; Bellomo, Sergio; Parello, Francesco; Bonfanti, Pietro; Brusca, Lorenzo; Longo, Manfredi; Maugeri, Roberto

    2012-05-01

    Water samples collected from public drinking water supplies in Sicily were analysed for electric conductivity and for their chloride, sulphate and nitrate contents. The samples were collected as uniformly as possible from throughout the Sicilian territory, with an average sampling density of about one sample for every 7,600 inhabitants. Chloride contents that ranged from 5.53 to 1,302 mg/l were correlated strongly with electric conductivity, a parameter used as a proxy for water salinity. The highest values are attributable to seawater contamination along the coasts of the island. High chloride and sulphate values attributable to evaporitic rock dissolution were found in the central part of Sicily. The nitrate concentrations ranged from 0.05 to 296 mg/l, with 31 samples (4.7% of the total) exceeding the maximum admissible concentration of 50 mg/l. Anomalous samples always came from areas of intensive agricultural usage, indicating a clear anthropogenic origin. The same parameters were also measured in bottled water sold in Sicily, and they all were within the ranges for public drinking water supplies. The calculated mean nitrate intake from consuming public water supplies (16.1 mg/l) did not differ significantly from that of bottled water (15.2 mg/l). Although the quality of public water supplies needs to be improved by eliminating those that do not comply with the current drinking water limits, at present it does not justify the high consumption of bottled water (at least for nitrate contents).

  14. Genetic significance of the 867 cm- 1 out-of-plane Raman mode in graphite associated with V-bearing green grossular

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Rainer; Rericha, Adolf; Pohl, Walter L.; Davidson, Paul

    2018-03-01

    SE Kenya is the world's largest producer of green vanadium grossular gemstones (tsavorite). Samples from one of the mines near Mwatate, and of occurrences in Tanzania yielded remarkable new insights into the genesis of tsavorite. Graphite is intimately associated with V-grossular and is one of the keys to understanding its origin. In the course of this study we found five different types of graphite. Surprisingly, in one graphite type the "Raman-forbidden" and IR-active 867 cm- 1 band was observed. In this communication, we attempt to find an explanation for this unusual phenomenon. Additionally, our observations also address some of the issues pertaining to the origin of the green grossular-dominated rocks (grossularites), as well as the gem quality tsavorite crystals, since we propose that the anomalous spectroscopic behavior of the graphite is related to the unusual conditions during crystallization of both the grossular and graphite from a near-supercritical volatile- and sulfur-rich silicate melt. The massive green vanadium grossular contains abundant unequivocal crystallized melt inclusions, while the transparent gem quality grossular (tsavorite) displays only fluid inclusions. On the basis of inclusion studies we suggest that anatectic melts originated in the peculiar evaporitic host lithology of the tsavorite deposits. Near peak metamorphic temperatures ( 700 °C) these liquids occurred as a supercritical volatile-rich "fluid/melt phase" characterized by complete miscibility between H2O and silicate liquid. Relatively dry liquid batches precipitated non-transparent green grossular, whereas wet batches segregated fluids that formed transparent tsavorite.

  15. Microbial colonization of Ca-sulfate crusts in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert: implications for the search for life on Mars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wierzchos, J; Cámara, B; de Los Ríos, A; Davila, A F; Sánchez Almazo, I M; Artieda, O; Wierzchos, K; Gómez-Silva, B; McKay, C; Ascaso, C

    2011-01-01

    The scarcity of liquid water in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert makes this region one of the most challenging environments for life on Earth. The low numbers of microbial cells in the soils suggest that within the Atacama Desert lies the dry limit for life on our planet. Here, we show that the Ca-sulfate crusts of this hyperarid core are the habitats of lithobiontic micro-organisms. This microporous, translucent substrate is colonized by epilithic lichens, as well as endolithic free-living algae, fungal hyphae, cyanobacteria and non photosynthetic bacteria. We also report a novel type of endolithic community, "hypoendoliths", colonizing the undermost layer of the crusts. The colonization of gypsum crusts within the hyperarid core appears to be controlled by the moisture regime. Our data shows that the threshold for colonization is crossed within the dry core, with abundant colonization in gypsum crusts at one study site, while crusts at a drier site are virtually devoid of life. We show that the cumulative time in 1 year of relative humidity (RH) above 60% is the best parameter to explain the difference in colonization between both sites. This is supported by controlled humidity experiments, where we show that colonies of endolithic cyanobacteria in the Ca-sulfate crust undergo imbibition process at RH >60%. Assuming that life once arose on Mars, it is conceivable that Martian micro-organisms sought refuge in similar isolated evaporite microenvironments during their last struggle for life as their planet turned arid. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  16. Origin of salt giants in abyssal serpentinite systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scribano, Vittorio; Carbone, Serafina; Manuella, Fabio C.; Hovland, Martin; Rueslåtten, Håkon; Johnsen, Hans-K.

    2017-10-01

    Worldwide marine salt deposits ranging over the entire geological record are generally considered climate-related evaporites, derived from the precipitation of salts (mainly chlorides and sulfates) from saturated solutions driven by solar evaporation of seawater. This explanation may be realistic for a salt thickness ≤100 m, being therefore inadequate for thicker (>1 km) deposits. Moreover, sub-seafloor salt deposits in deep marine basins are difficult to reconcile with a surface evaporation model. Marine geology reports on abyssal serpentinite systems provide an alternative explanation for some salt deposits. Seawater-driven serpentinization consumes water and increases the salinity of the associated aqueous brines. Brines can be trapped in fractures and cavities in serpentinites and the surrounding `country' rocks. Successive thermal dehydration of buried serpentinites can mobilize and accumulate the brines, forming highly saline hydrothermal solutions. These can migrate upwards and erupt onto the seafloor as saline geysers, which may form salt-saturated water pools, as are currently observed in numerous deeps in the Red Sea and elsewhere. The drainage of deep-seated saline brines to seafloor may be a long-lasting, effective process, mainly occurring in areas characterized by strong tectonic stresses and/or igneous intrusions. Alternatively, brines could be slowly expelled from fractured serpentinites by buoyancy gradients and, hence, separated salts/brines could intrude vertically into surrounding rocks, forming salt diapirs. Serpentinization is an ubiquitous, exothermic, long-lasting process which can modify large volumes of oceanic lithosphere over geological times. Therefore, buried salt deposits in many areas of the world can be reasonably related to serpentinites.

  17. Krypton-81 in groundwater of the Culebra Dolomite near the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, New Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sturchio, Neil C; Kuhlman, Kristopher L; Yokochi, Reika; Probst, Peter C; Jiang, Wei; Lu, Zheng-Tian; Mueller, Peter; Yang, Guo-Min

    2014-05-01

    The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico is the first geologic repository for disposal of transuranic nuclear waste from defense-related programs of the US Department of Energy. It is constructed within halite beds of the Permian-age Salado Formation. The Culebra Dolomite, confined within Rustler Formation evaporites overlying the Salado Formation, is a potential pathway for radionuclide transport from the repository to the accessible environment in the human-disturbed repository scenario. Although extensive subsurface characterization and numerical flow modeling of groundwater has been done in the vicinity of the WIPP, few studies have used natural isotopic tracers to validate the flow models and to better understand solute transport at this site. The advent of Atom-Trap Trace Analysis (ATTA) has enabled routine measurement of cosmogenic (81)Kr (half-life 229,000 yr), a near-ideal tracer for long-term groundwater transport. We measured (81)Kr in saline groundwater sampled from two Culebra Dolomite monitoring wells near the WIPP site, and compared (81)Kr model ages with reverse particle-tracking results of well-calibrated flow models. The (81)Kr model ages are ~130,000 and ~330,000 yr for high-transmissivity and low-transmissivity portions of the formation, respectively. Compared with flow model results which indicate a relatively young mean hydraulic age (~32,000 yr), the (81)Kr model ages imply substantial physical attenuation of conservative solutes in the Culebra Dolomite and provide limits on the effective diffusivity of contaminants into the confining aquitards. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Geology of the eastern emerald belt (EEB)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moreno, Giovani; Terraza, Roberto; Montoya, Diana

    2009-01-01

    The stratigraphic record in EEB begins with an upper Paleozoic basal siliciclastic sequence (Farallones Group, Devonian - Carboniferous), unconformably overlain by basal Cretaceous formations (Bata to the east, Santa Rosa - Ubala - Chivor to the west o the Quetame Massif). The Cretaceous marine ingression took place in a tectonically active basin since Triassic and Jurassic. This tectonic setting last until the end of earliest Cretaceous giving place to a thick sedimentary sequence made of the aforementioned basal units and the Lutitas de Macanal, Las Juntas, Fomeque and Une formations. Paleozoic basement highs normal fault bounded, restrict the Cretaceous sedimentation in the EEB zone, this is evidence especially for the basal Cretaceous units (Berriasian). In this way, to the east of Montecristo Anticline (overlaying Farallones Group) we found conglomerates (Bata Formation), instead to the west sedimentation was mainly lodolithic (Santa Rosa Formation, new litostratigraphic unit). Toward Ubala, overlaying Paleozoic basement (Farallones Anticline) rest a calcareous -Terrigenous set (Ubala Formation new litostratigraphic unit). In Chivor - Malacara area we found evaporitic sets with calcareous rocks (Chivor Formation, new litostratigraphic unit) overlaying Santa Rosa Formation. In Valanginian times the sea regionally drown the area of EEB and give rise to marine offshore conditions (Lutitas de Macanal Formation) with episodic events of gravity flows (El Figaro - Los Cedros members). During Hauterivian to Albian times the accumulation of a sandy - muddy sediments in tidal fats or deltaic systems give rise the record of Las Juntas -Une formations. Finally in Barremian early Albian times there are a siliciclastic - calcareous record of marine offshore environments (Fomeque Formation).

  19. Distinction between epigenic and hypogenic maze caves

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palmer, Arthur N.

    2011-11-01

    Certain caves formed by dissolution of bedrock have maze patterns composed of closed loops in which many intersecting fractures or pores have enlarged simultaneously. Their origin can be epigenic (by shallow circulation of meteoric groundwater) or hypogenic (by rising groundwater or production of deep-seated solutional aggressiveness). Epigenic mazes form by diffuse infiltration through a permeable insoluble caprock or by floodwater supplied by sinking streams. Most hypogenic caves involve deep sources of aggressiveness. Transverse hypogenic cave origin is a recently proposed concept in which groundwater of mainly meteoric origin rises across strata in the distal portions of large flow systems, to form mazes in soluble rock sandwiched between permeable but insoluble strata. The distinction between maze types is debated and is usually based on examination of diagnostic cave features and relation of caves to their regional setting. In this paper, the principles of mass transfer are applied to clarify the limits of each model, to show how cave origin is related to groundwater discharge, dissolution rate, and time. The results show that diffuse infiltration and floodwater can each form maze caves at geologically feasible rates (typically within 500 ka). Transverse hypogenic mazes in limestone, to enlarge significantly within 1 Ma, require an unusually high permeability of the non-carbonate beds (generally ≥ 10-4 cm/s), large discharge, and calcite saturation no greater than 90%, which is rare in deep diffuse flow in sedimentary rocks. Deep sources of aggressiveness are usually required. The origin of caves by transverse hypogenic flow is much more favorable in evaporite rocks than in carbonate rocks.

  20. Study of Factors Influencing Oxygen-18 Isotopic Contents of Dissolved Sulphate in the Shallow Groundwater In Karawang Area

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ristin Pujiindiyati, E.; Bungkus Pratikno

    2010-01-01

    The study was conducted to investigate the factors influencing oxygen-18 isotopic contents of dissolved sulphate in shallow groundwater from Karawang area. The δ 18 O is a relative abundance of O-18 compared to O-16 in CO 2 gas. CO 2 gas was released from the equilibrium between water samples and CO 2 gas, and from the reduction of sulphate samples with graphite. From this investigation, the δ 18 O (H 2 O) values were in the range of -3.21 0 / 00 to 6.25 0 / 00 whereas the δ 18 O (SO 4 2- ) values were 9.64 0 / 00 to 20.72 0 / 00 . The wide variation of δ 18 O (SO 4 2- ) values might be result due to inhomogeneity of sulphate sources in groundwater where the groundwater sulphates were generally derived from the dissolution of marine evaporites rocks. The groundwaters and Citarum River near waters to Johar site showed lowering of δ 18 O (SO 4 2- ) values. It might be related to the present of the traditional market in this location. The lowering of these values might be due to the increase of the sulphate reduction process caused by anaerobic bacteria growth in organic garbage deposition. Plotting between δ 18 O (SO 4 2- ) and δ 18 O (H 2 O) exhibited that the oxygen contribution from H 2 O to form sulphate was less than 25%. This indicated that the shallow groundwater in Karawang is located in a non-saturated zone and had a biotic condition. (author)

  1. The modest seismicity of the northern Red Sea rift

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitchell, Neil C.; Stewart, Ian C. F.

    2018-05-01

    Inferring tectonic movements from earthquakes (`seismotectonics') relies on earthquakes faithfully recording tectonic motions. In the northern half of the Red Sea, however, events of magnitude 5.0 and above are almost entirely absent from global catalogues, even though GPS and other plate motion data suggest that the basin is actively rifting at ˜10 mm yr-1. Seismic moments computed here from event magnitudes contributed to the International Seismology Centre (ISC) suggest that the moment release rate is more than an order of magnitude smaller than for the southern Red Sea and for the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR), which is spreading at a comparable rate to the central Red Sea and is more remote from recording stations. A smaller moment release rate in the northern Red Sea might be anticipated from its smaller spreading rate, but seismic coupling coefficients, which account for spreading rate variations, are also one order of magnitude smaller than for the other two areas. We explore potential explanations for this apparently reduced seismicity. The northern Red Sea is almost continuously covered with thick evaporites and overlying Plio-Pleistocene sediments. These deposits may have reduced the thickness of the seismogenic layer, for example, by elevating lithosphere temperatures by a thermal blanketing effect or by leading to excess pore fluid pressures that reduce effective stress. The presence of subdued seismicity here implies that tectonic movements can in places be poorly recorded by earthquake data and requires that alternative data be sought when investigating the active tectonics of sedimented rifts in particular.

  2. Carbonate Formation And Diagenesis In Pastos Grandes Laguna (Bolivia): Modern Analog For The South Atlantic Cretaceous Presalt Travertinoid Deposits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muller, E.; Ader, M.; Gérard, E.; Virgone, A.; Gaucher, E.; Bougeault, C.; Durlet, C.; Moreira, M. A.; Virgile, R.; Vennin, E.; Agogué, H.; Hugoni, M.

    2017-12-01

    The Cretaceous Presalt travertinoid deposits of the South Atlantic are usually considered as "strange deposits" having poor equivalents in modern environments. Pastos Grandes Laguna, which is located in a 2.9 Ma caldera on the andean-bolivian Altiplano (at 4450 m), is intersected by active faults with hydrothermal fluids and presents a spherulitic plateform with similar sedimentological facies to the Presalt: halite and bedded evaporites, shrub-shaped calcites, ooids, pisolites and various stromatolites. Pastos Grandes Laguna is certainly one of the best modern analog of the Presalt for investigating the on going processes of carbonate deposition and diagenesis and the influence of biology. During two expeditions, we recovered samples of gas, water and microbial mats from the hydrothermal sources to the evaporating zones on the spherulitic plateform. These samples are being analyzed to determine 1) the influence of the gases emitted at the hydrothermal sources (chemical and isotopic composition) on the chemistry of the Laguna and the mineralogy of its sediments and 2) the role of ecosystems that develop in this environment on carbonate formation. Preliminary results on gas composition, corrected for the atmospheric contribution, indicates a magmatic source of CO2 partly mantellic associated with a small crustal contribution. Other initial results have so far indicated that CO2 gas emissions, evaporation, as well as photosynthesis and respiration play a role on water chemistry and carbonate precipitation. This study will contribute to the overall understanding of the role of organisms in sedimentation and the predictive diagenetic evolution of hydrothermal and lacustrine deposits.

  3. The upper to uppermost Cenomanian oceanic anoxic event: a review and an interpretation involving a seawater stratification by the CO{sub 2} of mantle origin; L`evenement oceanique anoxique du Cenomanien superieur-terminal: une revue et une interpretation mettant en jeu une stratification des eaux marines par le CO{sub 2} mantellique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Busson, G.; Cornee, A. [Laboratoire de Geologie du Museum, 75 - Paris (France)

    1996-12-31

    Oil exploration data have revealed the exceptional richness of the middle Cretaceous in source rocks worldwide. Oceanic drillings have shown the existence of oceanic anoxic events (OAE) well defined in time. This study analyzes the OAE 2 event dated from the upper Cenomanian-lower Turonian. This event has been recognized in numerous sites from the northern, central and southern Atlantic and punctually in the Pacific and Indian oceans. It occurs in both numerous deep oceanic sites and orogenic zones, and stable platforms covered by epeiric seas. It coincides with a sea level rise which is one of the most sudden and highest in Phanerozoic times and it stands out as a remarkable episode of massive faunal extinction which led to the deposition of organic matter of marine planktonic dominant nature. The first part of the study recalls the previous interpretations of this event (oceanic stratification, euxinic conditions, spreading of an oxygen minimum zone, greenhouse climate effect, sluggish atmospheric and oceanic circulations, high planktonic production, great oceanic overturns, marginal or general upwellings, marine transgressions on epeiric areas etc..). The second part gives the basis of the new hypothesis: connection between separated seas due to the transgression, retreat of evaporite facies, high sea-floor spreading rates, intense volcanic activity and high mantle outgassing with huge CO{sub 2} influxes. The last part describes the proposed interpretation: CO{sub 2} accumulation in deep and intermediate waters and sea overflows on marginal and continental areas which led to a rise of the CO{sub 2}-rich hypolimnion. (J.S.) 236 refs.

  4. Strontium isotopic signatures of oil-field waters: Applications for reservoir characterization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnaby, R.J.; Oetting, G.C.; Gao, G.

    2004-01-01

    The 87Sr/86Sr compositions of formation waters that were collected from 71 wells producing from a Pennsylvanian carbonate reservoir in New Mexico display a well-defined distribution, with radiogenic waters (up to 0.710129) at the updip western part of the reservoir, grading downdip to less radiogenic waters (as low as 0.708903 to the east. Salinity (2800-50,000 mg/L) displays a parallel trend; saline waters to the west pass downdip to brackish waters. Elemental and isotopic data indicate that the waters originated as meteoric precipitation and acquired their salinity and radiogenic 87Sr through dissolution of Upper Permian evaporites. These meteoric-derived waters descended, perhaps along deeply penetrating faults, driven by gravity and density, to depths of more than 7000 ft (2100 m). The 87 Sr/86Sr and salinity trends record influx of these waters along the western field margin and downdip flow across the field, consistent with the strong water drive, potentiometric gradient, and tilted gas-oil-water contacts. The formation water 87Sr/86Sr composition can be useful to evaluate subsurface flow and reservoir behavior, especially in immature fields with scarce pressure and production data. In mature reservoirs, Sr Sr isotopes can be used to differentiate original formation water from injected water for waterflood surveillance. Strontium isotopes thus provide a valuable tool for both static and dynamic reservoir characterization in conjunction with conventional studies using seismic, log, core, engineering, and production data. Copyright ??2004. The American Association of Petroleum Geologist. All rights reserved.

  5. Arsenic, barium, strontium and uranium geochemistry and their utility as tracers to characterize groundwaters from the Espadán–Calderona Triassic Domain, Spain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giménez-Forcada, Elena; Vega-Alegre, Marisol

    2015-01-01

    A set of analytical data from the Espadán–Calderona Triassic Domain aquifers was processed using hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA), to achieve a quantitative and independent approach to investigate the characteristics of groundwater composition and possible differences between groundwater flows from Triassic aquifers from the Espadán–Calderona Triassic Domain (Spain). Mineralization in the Triassic series has led to the presence of several metals and metalloids in groundwater, including As, Mn, Fe and U. These are associated with fresher bicarbonate groundwaters, characterized by lower Sr/Ba ratios. Levels containing sulfate evaporitic salt, which are interbedded through the Triassic series, seem to exert a strong influence on the chemistry of several groundwaters, characterized by calcium sulfate facies with high Sr concentration and high Sr/Ba ratios. The application of multivariate statistical techniques to the interpretation of analytical results allows the differentiation of groundwater types occurring in the Triassic aquifers and identification of the role of a number of minor or trace elements and their ratios that can be treated as hydrogeochemical tracers. With them it was possible to correlate the different recharge waters with the tectonic morphology of the Espadán–Calderona Triassic Domain. - Highlights: • Groundwater hydrochemistry of Espadán–Calderona Triassic Domain was investigated. • Multivariate statistical analysis and metal tracers differentiated groundwater types. • The Sr/Ba ratio and As and U concentrations are good indicators of groundwater flows. • The chemistry of groundwater flows correlates with structural morphology of recharge areas

  6. Expose : procedure and results of the joint experiment verification tests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panitz, C.; Rettberg, P.; Horneck, G.; Rabbow, E.; Baglioni, P.

    The International Space Station will carry the EXPOSE facility accommodated at the universal workplace URM-D located outside the Russian Service Module. The launch will be affected in 2005 and it is planned to stay in space for 1.5 years. The tray like structure will accomodate 2 chemical and 6 biological PI-experiments or experiment systems of the ROSE (Response of Organisms to Space Environment) consortium. EXPOSE will support long-term in situ studies of microbes in artificial meteorites, as well as of microbial communities from special ecological niches, such as endolithic and evaporitic ecosystems. The either vented or sealed experiment pockets will be covered by an optical filter system to control intensity and spectral range of solar UV irradiation. Control of sun exposure will be achieved by the use of individual shutters. To test the compatibility of the different biological systems and their adaptation to the opportunities and constraints of space conditions a profound ground support program has been developed. The procedure and first results of this joint Experiment Verification Tests (EVT) will be presented. The results will be essential for the success of the EXPOSE mission and have been done in parallel with the development and construction of the final hardware design of the facility. The results of the mission will contribute to the understanding of the organic chemistry processes in space, the biological adaptation strategies to extreme conditions, e.g. on early Earth and Mars, and the distribution of life beyond its planet of origin.

  7. Sulfur and strontium isotopic compositions of carbonate and evaporite rocks from the late Neoproterozoic–early Cambrian Bilara Group (Nagaur-Ganganagar Basin, India): Constraints on intrabasinal correlation and global sulfur cycle

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Mazumdar, A.; Strauss, H.

    (e.g., Kampschulte et al., 2001; Kampschulte and Strauss, 2004). The latter process delivers substantial amounts of nutrients to the ocean, triggering an increase in primary productivity. Subsequent delivery of organic matter to the sediment in turn... be consistent with a scenario in which the enhanced delivery of nutrients from continental weathering resulted in increasing primary production and greater subsequent remineralization of sedimentary organic matter, causing sulfate limitation and a Rayleigh...

  8. Natural and human-induced sinkholes in gypsum terrain and associated environmental problems in NE Spain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benito, G.; Del Campo, P. Pérez; Gutiérrez-Elorza, M.; Sancho, C.

    1995-04-01

    The central Ebro Basin comprises thick evaporite materials whose high solubility produces typically karstic landforms. The sinkhole morphology developed in the overlying alluvium has been studied using gravimetry and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) on stream terraces, as well as analyzing the evolution of sinkhole morphologies observed in aerial photographs taken in 1928, 1957, and 1985. The sinkhole morphologies give some idea of possible subsurface processes as well as an indication of the final mechanisms involve in sinkhole development. On stream terraces and cover pediments the most commonly encountered dolines are bowl-shaped in their morphology with both diffuse and scarped edges. In contrast, dolines developed in the gypsiferous silt infilled valleys have a funnel and well-shaped morphology. The diffuse-edged bowl-shaped dolines are developed through the progressive subsidence of the alluvial cover, due to washing down of alluvial particles through small voids and cracks into deeper subsurface caves, resulting in a decrease alluvial density. Future compaction of the alluvial cover will produce surface subsidences. This type of dolines are associated with negative gravity anomalies. In contrast, the scarped-edge dolines are formed by the sudden collapse of a cavity roof. The cavities and cracks formed in the gypsum karst may migrate to the surface through the alluvial deposits by piping, and they may subsequently collapse. In this instance, the cavities can be detected by both gravity and GPR anomalies where the voids are not deeper than 4 5 m from the surface. These processes forming sinkholes can be enhanced by man-induced changes in the groundwater hydrologic regime by both inflows, due to irrigation, ditch losses, or pipe leakages, and by outflows from pumping activities.

  9. Geology and geochemistry of the Atacama Desert.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tapia, J; González, R; Townley, B; Oliveros, V; Álvarez, F; Aguilar, G; Menzies, A; Calderón, M

    2018-02-14

    The Atacama Desert, the driest of its kind on Earth, hosts a number of unique geological and geochemical features that make it unlike any other environment on the planet. Considering its location on the western border of South America, between 17 and 28 °S, its climate has been characterized as arid to hyperarid for at least the past 10 million years. Notably dry climatic conditions of the Atacama Desert have been related to uplift of the Andes and are believed to have played an important role in the development of the most distinctive features of this desert, including: (i) nitrates and iodine deposits in the Central Depression, (ii) secondary enrichment in porphyry copper deposits in the Precordillera, (iii) Li enrichment in salt flats of the Altiplano, and (iv) life in extreme habitats. The geology and physiography of the Atacama Desert have been largely shaped by the convergent margin present since the Mesozoic era. The geochemistry of surface materials is related to rock geochemistry (Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, V, and Zn), salt flats, and evaporite compositions in endorheic basins (As, B, and Li), in addition to anthropogenic activities (Cu, Mo, and Pb). The composition of surface water is highly variable, nonetheless in general it presents a circumneutral pH with higher conductivity and total dissolved solids in brines. Major water constituents, with the exception of HCO 3 - , are generally related to the increase of salinity, and despite the fact that trace elements are not well-documented, surface waters of the Atacama Desert are enriched in As, B, and Li when compared to the average respective concentrations in rivers worldwide.

  10. Geologic investigation of the Virgin River Valley salt deposits, Clark County, southeastern Nevada, to investigate their suitability for possible storage of radioactive waste material as of September 1977

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1977-01-01

    The results from a geologic investigation of the Virgin River Valley salt deposits, Clark County, southeastern Nevada, to examine their suitability for further study and consideration in connection with the possible storage of radioactive waste material are given. The results indicate that (1) approximately one-half of the salt body underlies the Overton Arm of Lake Mead and that the dry land portion of the salt body that has a thickness of 1,000 feet or more covers an area of about four and one-half square miles; (2) current tectonic activity in the area of the salt deposits is believed to be confined to seismic events associated with crustal adjustments following the filling of Lake Mead; (3) detailed information on the hydrology of the salt deposit area is not available at present but it is reported that a groundwater study by the U.S. Geological Survey is now in progress; (4) there is no evidence of exploitable minerals in the salt deposit area other than evaporites such as salt, gypsum, and possibly sand and gravel; (5) the salt deposit area is located inside the Lake Mead Recreation Area, outlined on the accompanying Location Plat, and several Federal, State, and Local agencies share regulatory responsibilities for the activities in the area; (6) other salt deposit areas of Arizona and Nevada, such as the Detrital Valley, Red Lake Dome, Luke Dome, and Mormon Mesa area, and several playa lake areas of central Nevada may merit further study; and (7) additional information, as outlined, is needed to more thoroughly evaluate the salt deposits of the Virgin River Valley and other areas referred to above

  11. Survey of active and inactive mines for possible use as in situ test facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1976-09-01

    A survey of active and inactive mines which might be useful for radioactive waste storage in situ test experiments was conducted. It was performed for Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Office of Waste Isolation. The report covers available information gathered from literature, U.S. Bureau of Mines, the Mining Enforcement and Safety Agency, and a limited number of personal contacts with constructors or operators of facilities. This survey is preliminary in nature and the objective is to develop potential candidate facilities for in situ experiments which warrant further investigation. Included are descriptions of 244 facilities, with all the data about each one which was available within the time restraint of the study. These facility descriptions are additionally indexed by depth of mine, nature of the country rock, mineral mined, and type of entry. A total of 14 inactive mines and 34 active mines has been selected as those most worthy of further investigation for possible service as nuclear waste isolation test facilities. This investigation, being preliminary and having been performed in a very short time period, must be qualified, and the description of the qualification is presented in the body of this report. Qualifications deal primarily with the hazard of having omitted facilities and having incomplete data in some instances. Results indicate sedimentary rock mines of minerals of evaporite origin as a first ranking of preference for in situ testing, followed by other sedimentary rocks and then by mines producing minerals from any type rock where the mine is above the local water table. These are general rules and of course there can be exceptions to them

  12. Fábricas diagenéticas asociadas al paleokarst del techo de la Unidad Intermedia del Mioceno de la cuenca de Madrid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Calvo, J. P.

    1997-12-01

    Full Text Available Carbonates and evaporites from the top of the Miocene Intermediate Unit of the Madrid Basin have set as host-rock for early karstification phenomena. The development of these karstic processes imply an important change in the depositional evolution of the basin. In these materials, complex diagenetic fabrics formed as a result of shallow meteoric diagenetic processes have been recognized, being dedolomitization and calcitization of gypsums the main diagenetic processes that affected the top of the Miocene Intermediate Unit. The high variability of diagenetic fabrics is thought to be mainly influenced by the original composition of sediments, the activity of microorganisms and the chemistry of diagenetic waters.Los materiales carbonáticos y evaporíticos del techo de la Unidad Intermedia del Mioceno de la Cuenca de Madrid han actuado como soporte de fenómenos de karstificación temprana, cuyo desarrollo ha supuesto un cambio significativo en la evolución del relleno de la cuenca. Dentro de estos materiales se han reconocido carbonatos con fábricas diagenéticas complejas resultado de procesos de diagénesis meteórica superficial. Los procesos predominantes en la evolución diagenética del encajante de la paleokarstificación del techo de la Unidad Intermedia son la dedolomitización y la calcitización/pseudomorfización de yesos. Factores como la composición original del sedimento, la influencia de microorganismos y la hidroquímica de los fluidos diagenéticos han determinado la gran variabilidad de las fábricas diagenéticas reconocidas.

  13. Composition of fluid inclusions in Permian salt beds, Palo Duro Basin, Texas, U.S.A.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roedder, E.; d'Angelo, W. M.; Dorrzapf, A.F.; Aruscavage, P. J.

    1987-01-01

    Several methods have been developed and used to extract and chemically analyze the two major types of fluid inclusions in bedded salt from the Palo Duro Basin, Texas. Data on the ratio K: Ca: Mg were obtained on a few of the clouds of tiny inclusions in "chevron" salt, representing the brines from which the salt originally crystallized. Much more complete quantitative data (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Sr, Cl, SO4 and Br) were obtained on ??? 120 individual "large" (mostly ???500 ??m on an edge, i.e., ??? ??? 1.6 ?? 10-4 g) inclusions in recrystallized salt. These latter fluids have a wide range of compositions, even in a given piece of core, indicating that fluids of grossly different composition were present in these salt beds during the several (?) stages of recrystallization. The analytical results indicating very large inter-and intra-sample chemical variation verify the conclusion reached earlier, from petrography and microthermometry, that the inclusion fluids in salt and their solutes are generally polygenetic. The diversity in composition stems from the combination of a variety of sources for the fluids (Permian sea, meteoric, and groundwater, as well as later migrating ground-, formation, or meteoric waters of unknown age), and a variety of subsequent geochemical processes of dissolution, precipitation and rock-water interaction. The compositional data are frequently ambiguous but do provide constraints and may eventually yield a coherent history of the events that produced these beds. Such an understanding of the past history of the evaporite sequence of the Palo Duro Basin should help in predicting the future role of the fluids in the salt if a nuclear waste repository is sited there. ?? 1987.

  14. Contrasting pattern of hydrological changes during the past two millennia from central and northern India: Regional climate difference or anthropogenic impact?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mishra, Praveen K.; Prasad, Sushma; Marwan, Norbert; Anoop, A.; Krishnan, R.; Gaye, Birgit; Basavaiah, N.; Stebich, Martina; Menzel, Philip; Riedel, Nils

    2018-02-01

    High resolution reconstructions of the India Summer Monsoon (ISM) are essential to identify regionally different patterns of climate change and refine predictive models. We find opposing trends of hydrological proxies between northern (Sahiya cave stalagmite) and central India (Lonar Lake) between 100 and 1300 CE with the strongest anti-correlation between 810 and 1300 CE. The apparently contradictory data raise the question if these are related to widely different regional precipitation patterns or reflect human influence in/around the Lonar Lake. By comparing multiproxy data with historical records, we demonstrate that only the organic proxies in the Lonar Lake show evidence of anthropogenic impact. However, evaporite data (mineralogy and δ18O) are indicative of precipitation/evaporation (P/E) into the Lonar Lake. Back-trajectories of air-mass circulation over northern and central India show that the relative contribution of the Bay of Bengal (BoB) branch of the ISM is crucial for determining the δ18O of carbonate proxies only in north India, whereas central India is affected significantly by the Arabian Sea (AS) branch of the ISM. We conclude that the δ18O of evaporative carbonates in the Lonar Lake reflects P/E and, in the interval under consideration, is not influenced by source water changes. The opposing trend between central and northern India can be explained by (i) persistent multidecadal droughts over central India between 810 and 1300 CE that provided an effective mechanism for strengthening sub-tropical westerly winds resulting in enhancement of wintertime (non-monsoonal) rainfall over northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, and/or (ii) increased moisture influx to northern India from the depleted BoB source waters.

  15. Fluid circulations in response to mantle exhumation at the passive margin setting in the north Pyrenean zone, France

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corre, B.; Boulvais, P.; Boiron, M. C.; Lagabrielle, Y.; Marasi, L.; Clerc, C.

    2018-02-01

    Sub-continental lithospheric mantle rocks are exhumed in the distal part of magma-poor passive margins. Remnants of the North Iberian paleo-passive margin are now exposed in the North-Pyrenean Zone (NPZ) and offers a field analogue to study the processes of continental crust thinning, subcontinental mantle exhumation and associated fluid circulations. The Saraillé Massif which belongs to the `Chaînons Béarnais' range (Western Pyrenees), displays field, petrographic and stable isotopic evidence of syn-kinematic fluid circulations. Using electron probe micro-analyses on minerals, O, C, Sr isotopes compositions and micro thermometry/Raman spectrometry of fluid inclusions, we investigate the history of fluid circulations along and in the surroundings of the Saraillé detachment fault. The tectonic interface between the pre-rift Mesozoic sedimentary cover and the mantle rocks is marked by a metasomatic talc-chlorite layer. This layer formed through the infiltration of a fluid enriched in chemical elements like Cr leached from the exhuming serpentinized mantle rocks. In the overlying sediments (dolomitic and calcitic marbles of Jurassic to Aptian age), a network of calcitic veins, locally with quartz, formed as a consequence of the infiltration of aqueous saline fluids (salinities up to 34 wt% NaCl are recorded in quartz-hosted fluid inclusions) at moderate temperatures ( 220 °C). These brines likely derived from the dissolution of the local Triassic evaporites. In the upper part of the metasomatic system, upward movement of fluids is limited by the Albian metasediments, which likely acted as an impermeable layer. The model of fluid circulation in the Saraillé Massif sheds light onto other synchronous metasomatic systems in the Pyrenean realm.

  16. Hydrogeochemical processes controlling water and dissolved gas chemistry at the Accesa sinkhole (southern Tuscany, central Italy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Franco Tassi

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available The 38.5 m deep Lake Accesa is a sinkhole located in southern Tuscany (Italy that shows a peculiar water composition, being characterized by relatively high total dissolved solids (TDS values (2 g L-1 and a Ca(Mg-SO4 geochemical facies. The presence of significant amounts of extra-atmospheric gases (CO2 and CH4, which increase their concentrations with depth, is also recognized. These chemical features, mimicking those commonly shown by volcanic lakes fed by hydrothermal-magmatic reservoirs, are consistent with those of mineral springs emerging in the study area whose chemistry is produced by the interaction of meteoric-derived waters with Mesozoic carbonates and Triassic evaporites. Although the lake has a pronounced thermocline, water chemistry does not show significant changes along the vertical profile. Lake water balance calculations demonstrate that Lake Accesa has >90% of its water supply from sublacustrine springs whose subterranean pathways are controlled by the local structural assessment that likely determined the sinking event, the resulting funnel-shape being then filled by the Accesa waters. Such a huge water inflow from the lake bottom (~9·106 m3 yr-1 feeds the lake effluent (Bruna River and promotes the formation of water currents, which are able to prevent the establishment of a vertical density gradient. Consequently, a continuous mixing along the whole vertical water column is established. Changes of the drainage system by the deep-originated waters in the nearby former mining district have strongly affected the outflow rates of the local mineral springs; thus, future intervention associated with the ongoing remediation activities should carefully be evaluated to preserve the peculiar chemical features of Lake Accesa.

  17. Microscopic Identification of Prokaryotes in Modern and Ancient Halite, Saline Valley and Death Valley, California

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schubert, Brian A.; Lowenstein, Tim K.; Timofeeff, Michael N.

    2009-06-01

    Primary fluid inclusions in halite crystallized in Saline Valley, California, in 1980, 2004-2005, and 2007, contain rod- and coccoid-shaped microparticles the same size and morphology as archaea and bacteria living in modern brines. Primary fluid inclusions from a well-dated (0-100,000 years), 90 m long salt core from Badwater Basin, Death Valley, California, also contain microparticles, here interpreted as halophilic and halotolerant prokaryotes. Prokaryotes are distinguished from crystals on the basis of morphology, optical properties (birefringence), and uniformity of size. Electron micrographs of microparticles from filtered modern brine (Saline Valley), dissolved modern halite crystals (Saline Valley), and dissolved ancient halite crystals (Death Valley) support in situ microscopic observations that prokaryotes are present in fluid inclusions in ancient halite. In the Death Valley salt core, prokaryotes in fluid inclusions occur almost exclusively in halite precipitated in perennial saline lakes 10,000 to 35,000 years ago. This suggests that trapping and preservation of prokaryotes in fluid inclusions is influenced by the surface environment in which the halite originally precipitated. In all cases, prokaryotes in fluid inclusions in halite from the Death Valley salt core are miniaturized (<1 μm diameter cocci, <2.5 μm long, very rare rod shapes), which supports interpretations that the prokaryotes are indigenous to the halite and starvation survival may be the normal response of some prokaryotes to entrapment in fluid inclusions for millennia. These results reinforce the view that fluid inclusions in halite and possibly other evaporites are important repositories of microbial life and should be carefully examined in the search for ancient microorganisms on Earth, Mars, and elsewhere in the Solar System.

  18. Groundwater Discharges to Rivers in the Western Canadian Oil Sands Region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellis, J.; Jasechko, S.

    2016-12-01

    Groundwater discharges into rivers impacts the movement and fate of nutrients and contaminants in the environment. Understanding groundwater-surface water interactions is especially important in the western Canadian oil sands, where groundwater contamination risks are elevated and baseline water chemistry data is lacking, leading to substantial uncertainties about anthropogenic influences on local river quality. High salinity groundwater springs sourced from deep aquifers, comprised of Pleistocene-aged glacial meltwater, are known to discharge into many rivers in the oil sands. Understanding connections between deep aquifers and surficial waterways is important in order to determine natural inputs into these rivers and to assess the potential for injected wastewater or oil extraction fluids to enter surface waters. While these springs have been identified, their spatial distribution along rivers has not been fully characterized. Here we present river chemistry data collected along a number of major river corridors in the Canadian oil sands region. We show that saline groundwater springs vary spatially along the course of these rivers and tend to be concentrated where the rivers incise Devonian- or Cretaceous-aged aquifers along an evaporite dissolution front. Our results suggest that water sourced from Devonian aquifers may travel through bitumen-bearing Cretaceous units and discharge into local rivers, implying a strong groundwater-surface water connection in specialized locations. These findings indicate that oil sands process-affected waters that are injected at depth have the potential to move through these aquifers and reach the rivers at the surface at some time in the future. Groundwater-surface water interactions remain key to understanding the risks oil sands activities pose to aquatic ecosystems and downstream communities.

  19. Integrated geophysical study of the Triassic salt bodies' geometry and evolution in central Tunisia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azaiez, Hajer; Amri, Dorra Tanfous; Gabtni, Hakim; Bedir, Mourad; Soussi, Mohamed

    2008-01-01

    A comprehensive study, integrating gravity, magnetic and seismic reflection data, has been used to resolve the complex Triassic salt body geometry and evolution in central Tunisia. Regional seismic lines across the study area show a detachment level in the Upper Triassic evaporites, associated with chaotic seismic facies below the Souinia, Majoura, and Mezzouna structures. The Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous seismic horizons display pinching-outs and onlapping around these structures. A stack-velocity section confirms the existence of a high-velocity body beneath the Souinia Mountain. Regional gravity and magnetic profiles in this area were elaborated from ETAP (the Tunisian Firm of Petroleum Activities) measure stations. These profiles were plotted following the same layout from the west (Souinia) to the east (Mezzouna), across the Majoura and Kharrouba mountains. They highlight associated gravity and magnetic negative anomalies. These gravity and magnetic data coupled to the reflection seismic data demonstrate that, in the Souinia, Majoura, and El Hafey zones, the Triassic salt reaches a salt pillow and a salt-dome stage, without piercing the cover. These stages are expressed by moderately low gravity anomalies. On the other hand, in the Mezzouna area (part of the North-South Axis), the Triassic salt had pierced its cover during the Upper Cretaceous and the Tertiary, reaching a more advanced stage as a salt diapir and salt wall. These stages express important low gravity and magnetic anomalies. These results confirm the model of Tanfous et al. (2005) of halokinetic movements by fault intrusions inducing, from the west to the east, structures at different stages of salt pillow, salt dome, and salt diapir.

  20. An improved evaluation of the seismic/geodetic deformation-rate ratio for the Zagros Fold-and-Thrust collisional belt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palano, Mimmo; Imprescia, Paola; Agnon, Amotz; Gresta, Stefano

    2018-04-01

    We present an improved picture of the ongoing crustal deformation field for the Zagros Fold-and-Thrust Belt continental collision zone by using an extensive combination of both novel and published GPS observations. The main results define the significant amount of oblique Arabia-Eurasia convergence currently being absorbed within the Zagros: right-lateral shear along the NW trending Main Recent fault in NW Zagros and accommodated between fold-and-thrust structures and NS right-lateral strike-slip faults on Southern Zagros. In addition, taking into account the 1909-2016 instrumental seismic catalogue, we provide a statistical evaluation of the seismic/geodetic deformation-rate ratio for the area. On Northern Zagros and on the Turkish-Iranian Plateau, a moderate to large fraction (˜49 and >60 per cent, respectively) of the crustal deformation occurs seismically. On the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone, the seismic/geodetic deformation-rate ratio suggests that a small to moderate fraction (<40 per cent) of crustal deformation occurs seismically; locally, the occurrence of large historic earthquakes (M ≥ 6) coupled with the high geodetic deformation, could indicate overdue M ≥ 6 earthquakes. On Southern Zagros, aseismic strain dominates crustal deformation (the ratio ranges in the 15-33 per cent interval). Such aseismic deformation is probably related to the presence of the weak evaporitic Hormuz Formation which allows the occurrence of large aseismic motion on both subhorizontal faults and surfaces of décollement. These results, framed into the seismotectonic framework of the investigated region, confirm that the fold-and-thrust-dominated deformation is driven by buoyancy forces; by contrast, the shear-dominated deformation is primary driven by plate stresses.

  1. Geological structure and mineral resources of Algeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduard Dobra

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available The hydrocarbon System Ourd Mya is located in the Sahara Basin. It is one of the producing basins in Algeria. The stratigraphic section consists of Paleozoic and Mesosoic, it is about 5000 m thick. In the eastern part, the basin is limited by the Hassi-Messaoud high zone which is a giant oil field produced from the Cambrian sands. The western part is limited by Hassi R`mel which is one of the biggest gas field in the world, it is produced from the triassic sands. The Mesozoic section lays on the lower Devonian and in the eastern part, on the Cambrian. The main source rock is Silurian shale with an average thickness of 50 m and a total organic matter of 6 % (14 % in some cases. Results of maturation modeling indicate that the lower Silurian source is in the oil window. The Ordovician shales are also a source rock but in a second order. Clastic reservoirs are in the Triassic sequence which is mainly fluvial deposit with complex alluvial channels, it is the main target in the basin. Clastic reservoirs within the lower Devonian section have a good hydrocarbon potential in the east of the basin through a southwest-northeast orientation. The late Triassic-Early Jurassic evaporites overlie the Triassic clastic interval and extend over the entire Oued Mya Basin. This is considered as a super-seal evaporate package, which consists predominantly of anhydrite and halite. For Paleozoic targets, a large number of potential seals exist within the stratigraphic column.This paper describe the main geological structure and mineral resources of Algeria.

  2. Hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance basic data for Grand Island NTMS Quadrangle, Nebraska/Kansas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1980-01-01

    Results of a reconnaissance geochemical survey of the Grand Island Quadrangle, Nebraska/Kansas are reported. Statistical data and areal distributions for uranium and uranium-related variables are presented for 564 groundwater and 532 stream sediment samples. Also included is a brief discussion on location and geologic setting. Groundwater data indicate that uranium concentrations above the 85th percentile occur primarily in shallow wells (0 to 20 m) along or near the Platte and Republican Rivers, which flow west to east along the northern and southern portions of the quadrangle, respectively. Waters containing high concentration of uranium in the northern portion of the quadrangle occur in recent alluvium and nearby glacial deposits. In the southern portion of the quadrangle, waters containing high uranium concentrations occur in Recent alluvium and the Niobrara Chalk in the southeast. Stream sediment data indicate that uranium concentrations above the 85th percentile occur in sediments along the Platte River in the northern portion of the quadrangle and paralleling the Republican River in the southeastern portion. Sediments with high uranium values along the Platte River are derived from glacial and alluvial deposits. High uranium values paralleling the Republican River in the southeast are derived from the Niobrara Chalk, the Carlile Shale, and glacial and alluvial deposits. High U-NT and thorium values, and high values for cerium, niobium, scandium, titanium, vanadium, yttrium, and zirconium suggest the presence of clays and/or residual minerals in the southeast. Sediment derivation and the leaching of possible ash-rich loess and alluvial deposits and/or uranium-rich alkaline evaporite deposits could account for high uranium concentrations in sediment and groundwaters within the quadrangle

  3. Assessment of dissolved-solids loading to the Colorado River in the Paradox Basin between the Dolores River and Gypsum Canyon, Utah

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shope, Christopher L.; Gerner, Steven J.

    2014-01-01

    Salinity loads throughout the Colorado River Basin have been a concern over recent decades due to adverse impacts on population, natural resources, and regional economics. With substantial financial resources and various reclamation projects, the salt loading to Lake Powell and associated total dissolved-solids concentrations in the Lower Colorado River Basin have been substantially reduced. The Colorado River between its confluence with the Dolores River and Lake Powell traverses a physiographic area where saline sedimentary formations and evaporite deposits are prevalent. However, the dissolved-solids loading in this area is poorly understood due to the paucity of water-quality data. From 2003 to 2011, the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation conducted four synoptic sampling events to quantify the salinity loading throughout the study reach and evaluate the occurrence and impacts of both natural and anthropogenic sources. The results from this study indicate that under late-summer base-flow conditions, dissolved-solids loading in the reach is negligible with the exception of the Green River, and that variations in calculated loads between synoptic sampling events are within measurement and analytical uncertainties. The Green River contributed approximately 22 percent of the Colorado River dissolved-solids load, based on samples collected at the lower end of the study reach. These conclusions are supported by water-quality analyses for chloride and bromide, and the results of analyses for the stable isotopes of oxygen and deuterium. Overall, no significant sources of dissolved-solids loading from tributaries or directly by groundwater discharge, with the exception of the Green River, were identified in the study area.

  4. Pangaean climate during the Early Jurassic: GCM simulations and the sedimentary record of paleoclimate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chandler, M.A. [Columbia Univ., Palisades, NY (United States); Rind, D.; Ruedy, R. [Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, NY (United States)

    1992-05-01

    Results from new simulations of the Early Jurassic climate show that increased ocean heat transport may have been the primary force generating warmer climates during the past 180 m.y. The simulations, conducted using the general circulation model (GCM) at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, include realistic representations of paleocontinental distribution, topography, epeiric seas, and vegetation, in order to facilitate comparisons between model results and paleoclimate data. three major features of the simulated Early Jurassic climate include the following. (1) A global warming, compared to the present, of 5 {degrees}C to 10 {degrees}C, with temperature increases at high latitudes five times this global average. Average summer temperatures exceed 35 {degrees}C in low-latitude regions of western Pangaea where eolian sandstones testify to the presence of vast deserts. (2) Simulated precipitation and evaporation patterns agree closely with the moisture distribution interpreted from evaporites, and coal deposits. High rainfall rates are associated primarily with monsoons that originate over the warm Tethys Ocean. Unlike the {open_quotes}megamonsoons{close_quotes} proposed in previous studies, these systems are found to be associated with localized pressure cells whose positions are controlled by topography and coastal geography. (3) Decreases in planetary albedo, occurring because of reductions in sea ice, snow cover, and low clouds, and increases in atmospheric water vapor are the positive climate feedbacks that amplify the global warming. Similar to other Mesozoic climate simulations, our model finds that large seasonal temperature fluctuations occurred over mid- and high-latitude continental interiors, refuting paleoclimate evidence that suggests more equable conditions. 101 refs., 9 figs., 3 tabs.

  5. Iron and chlorine as guides to stratiform Cu-Co-Au deposits, Idaho Cobalt Belt, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nash, J.T.; Connor, J.J.

    1993-01-01

    The Cu-Co-Au deposits of the Idaho Cobalt Belt are in lithostratigraphic zones of the Middle Proterozoic Yellowjacket Formation characterized by distinctive chemical and mineralogical compositions including high concentrations of Fe (15- > 30 wt. percent Fe2O3), Cl (0.1-1.10 wt. percent), and magnetite or biotite (> 50 vol. percent). The Cu-Co-Au deposits of the Blackbird mine are stratabound in Fe-silicate facies rocks that are rich in biotite, Fe, and Cl, but stratigraphically equivalent rocks farther than 10 km from ore deposits have similar compositions. A lower lithostratigraphic zone containing magnetite and small Cu-Co-Au deposits extends for more than 40 km. The Fe-rich strata are probably exhalative units related to mafic volcanism and submarine hot springs, but the origin of the high Cl concentrations is less clear. Former chlorine-rich pore fluids are suggested by the presence of supersaline fluid inclusions, by Cl-rich biotite and scapolite (as much as 1.87 percent Cl in Fe-rich biotite), and by high Cl concentrations in rock samples. Chlorine is enriched in specific strata and in zones characterized by soft-sediment deformation, thus probably was introduced during sedimentation or diagenesis. Unlike some metasedimentary rocks containing scapolite and high Cl, the Yellowjacket Formation lacks evidence for evaporitic strata that could have been a source of Cl. More likely, the Cl reflects a submarine brine that carried Fe, K, and base metals. Strata containing anomalous Fe-K-Cl are considered to be a guide to sub-basins favorable for the occurrence of stratiform base-metal deposits. ?? 1993 Springer-Verlag.

  6. Evaluation of Mineral Deposits Along the Little Wind River, Riverton, WY, Processing Site

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Campbell, Sam [Navarro Research and Engineering, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Dam, Wiliam [US Department of Energy, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Legacy Management

    2014-12-01

    In 2012, the U.S.Department of Energy (DOE) began reassessing the former Riverton, Wyoming, Processing Site area for potential contaminant sources impacting groundwater. A flood in 2010 along the Little Wind River resulted in increases in groundwater contamination (DOE 2013).This investigation is a small part of continued efforts by DOE and other stakeholders to update human health and ecological risk assessments, to make a comprehensive examination of all exposure pathways to ensure that the site remains protective through established institutional controls. During field inspections at the Riverton Site in 2013, a white evaporitic mineral deposit was identified along the bank of the Little Wind River within the discharge zone of the groundwater contamination plume. In December 2013, Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) personnel collected a sample for analysis by X-ray fluorescence (Figure 1 shows the type of material sampled). The sample had a uranium concentration of approximately 64 to 73 parts per million. Although the uranium in this mineral deposit is within the expected range for evaporatic minerals in the western United States (SRNL 2014), DOE determined that additional assessment of the mineral deposit was warranted. In response to the initial collection and analysis of a sample of the mineral deposit, DOE developed a work plan (Work Plan to Sample Mineral Deposits Along the Little Wind River, Riverton, Wyoming, Processing Site [DOE 2014]) to further define the extent of these mineral deposits and the concentration of the associated contaminants (Appendix A). The work plan addressed field reconnaissance, mapping, sampling, and the assessment of risk associated with the mineral deposits adjacent to the Little Wind River.

  7. East Asia basin Analysis Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Terman, M.J.

    1986-01-01

    The United Nations-related Committee for Coordination of Joint Prospecting for Mineral Resources in Asian Offshore Areas (CCOP), in cooperation with the International Union of Geological Sciences and Circum-Pacific Council, is implementing the East Asia Basin Analysis Project. National and regional organizations, principally members of the ASEAN Council of Petroleum, are compiling maps at a scale of 1:2 million and stratigraphic cross sections of basins, with particular initial emphasis on defining and assessing oil and gas plays and with later analytical focus on other sedimentary minerals (e.g., coal, phosphate, evaporites, and uranium). Completion is anticipated in 1988. Two major elements of the project are being contributed from other agencies. (1) Base maps. - The US Geological Survey (USGS) has partly compiled eight sheets covering east Asia that show bathymetry, shorelines, and drainage systems. One sheet also presents topography and selected cultural features. All sheets are scheduled to be completed in 1987. (2) Geotectonic maps. - The Working Group on Studies of East Asian Tectonics and Resources (SEATAR) is now completing 10 transect studies with crustal profiles and strip maps at a scale of 1:1 million. One map for each transect shows a plate tectonic interpretation. Transect coordinators or others will be encouraged to extrapolate between the strips and complete the geotectonic interpretation (on USGS bases) in 1987. The IGCP Project 220 is also compiling on (USGS bases) the tin and tungsten granites of east Asia, emphasizing geochemical data needed to identify predictive models. Other mapping will probably follow mineral-deposit modeling workshops on ophiolotic chromite and regional symposia on oceanic massive sulfide and subvolcanic gold and base metals. Completion may be possible by 1989

  8. Chabazite and dolomite formation in a dolocrete profile: An example of a complex alkaline paragenesis in Lanzarote, Canary Islands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alonso-Zarza, Ana M.; Bustamante, Leticia; Huerta, Pedro; Rodríguez-Berriguete, Álvaro; Huertas, María José

    2016-05-01

    This paper studies the weathering and soil formation processes operating on detrital sediments containing alkaline volcanic rock fragments of the Mirador del Río dolocrete profile. The profile consists of a lower horizon of removilised weathered basalts, an intermediate red sandy mudstones horizon with irregular carbonate layers and a topmost horizon of amalgamated carbonate layers with root traces. Formation occurred in arid to semiarid climates, giving place to a complex mineralogical association, including Mg-carbonates and chabazite, rarely described in cal/dolocretes profiles. Initial vadose weathering processes occurred in the basalts and in directly overlying detrital sediments, producing (Stage 1) red-smectites and dolomicrite. Dominant phreatic (Stage 2) conditions allowed precipitation of coarse-zoned dolomite and chabazite filling porosities. In Stages 3 and 4, mostly pedogenic, biogenic processes played an important role in dolomite and calcite accumulation in the profile. Overall evolution of the profile and its mineralogical association involved initial processes dominated by alteration of host rock, to provide silica and Mg-rich alkaline waters, suitable for chabazite and dolomite formation, without a previous carbonate phase. Dolomite formed both abiogenically and biogenically, but without a previous carbonate precursor and in the absence of evaporites. Dominance of calcite towards the profile top is the result of Mg/Ca decrease in the interstitial meteoric waters due to decreased supply of Mg from weathering, and increased supply of Ca in aeolian dust. Meteoric origin of the water is confirmed by C and O isotope values, which also indicate lack of deep sourced CO2. The dolocrete studied and its complex mineral association reveal the complex interactions that occur at surface during weathering and pedogenesis of basalt-sourced rocks.

  9. Hydrogeological and hydrochemical investigation of groundwater using environmental isotopes (18O, 2H, 3H, 14C) and chemical tracers: a case study of the intermediate aquifer, Sfax, southeastern Tunisia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayadi, Rahma; Trabelsi, Rim; Zouari, Kamel; Saibi, Hakim; Itoi, Ryuichi; Khanfir, Hafedh

    2017-12-01

    Major element concentrations and stable (δ18O and δ2H) and radiogenic (3H and 14C) isotopes in groundwater have proved useful tracers for understanding the geochemical processes that control groundwater mineralization and for identifying recharge sources in the semi-arid region of Sfax (southeastern Tunisia). Major-ion chemical data indicate that the origins of the salinity in the groundwater are the water-rock interactions, mainly the dissolution of evaporitic minerals, as well as the cation exchange with clay minerals. The δ18O and δ2H relationships suggest variations in groundwater recharge mechanisms. Strong evaporation during recharge with limited rapid water infiltration is evident in the groundwater of the intermediate aquifer. The mixing with old groundwater in some areas explains the low stable isotope values of some groundwater samples. Groundwaters from the intermediate aquifer are classified into two main water types: Ca-Na-SO4 and Ca-Na-Cl-SO4. The high nitrate concentrations suggest an anthropogenic source of nitrogen contamination caused by intensive agricultural activities in the area. The stable isotopic signatures reveal three water groups: non-evaporated waters that indicate recharge by recent infiltrated water; evaporated waters that are characterized by relatively enriched δ18O and δ2H contents; and mixed groundwater (old/recent) or ancient groundwater, characterized by their depleted isotopic composition. Tritium data support the existence of recent limited recharge; however, other low tritium values are indicative of pre-nuclear recharge and/or mixing between pre-nuclear and contemporaneous recharge. The carbon-14 activities indicate that the groundwaters were mostly recharged under different climatic conditions during the cooler periods of the late Pleistocene and Holocene.

  10. Rare-earths in size fractions and sedimentary rocks of Pennsylvanian-Permian age from the mid-continent of the U.S.A

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cullers, R.; Chaudhuri, S.; Kilbane, N.; Koch, R.

    1979-01-01

    The REE (rare-earth) contents of sixty-three <2μ fractions of Pennsylvanian and Permian platform sediment from the mid-continent of the U.S.A. vary considerably (ΣREE = 46 to 439 ppm: La/Lu = 5.2 to 15.7; correlation coefficient of REE with La Lu = 0.89), but the Eu/Sm ratios are nearly constant even in reducing environments that concentrate U (0.16 to 0.22). There is no correlation of REE content to clay mineralogy. Lower Permian <2μ fractions from continental to nearshore marine sediment in Oklahoma have higher REE content (244 to 261 ppm) than marine facies in Kansas (46 to 140 ppm) but <2μ Upper Permian fractions in an evaporite basin have constant but high REE content (288 to 281 ppm; one = 153 ppm). All Pennsylvanian <2μ fractions from Oklahoma have high REE content (209 to 439 ppm), and fractions from Kansas cyclothems have variable REE content (86 to 438 ppm). REE content in the <2μ fractions is inherited from the provenance, but is modified by ion exchange during weathering, transportation or deposition. Exchangable REE tend to be concentrated in clay minerals in basic environments, but removed in acid environments. Sand and gravel-size fractions consist mostly of quartz or chert so their REE content is low (7.9 to 40.6 ppm) although heavy minerals may contribute a large fraction of the REE content. Unexpectedly silt-size fractions have REE contents (74 to 355 ppm) that are usually lower but similar to their <2μ fractions, and the REE contents do not correlate to clay mineral/quartz ratios. (author)

  11. Disposal of high-level waste from nuclear power plants in Denmark. Salt dome investigations. v.2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1981-01-01

    The present report deals with the geological investigations performed for determing the feasibility of a repository for high-level waste in a salt dome. It is volume 2 of five volumes that together constitute the final report of the Danish utilities' salt dome investigations. The purpose of the work was to procure a more detailed knowledge of the geology of salt domes in North Jutland on example of Mors. The Mors dome is oval with the two axes of approx. 12.5 km and 8 km respectively. Two deep wells have been drilled into the salt. These wells reach 3400-3500 m below surface. Until a depth of about 3200 m Erslev 2 passes through rock salt of Zechstein 1 which is the oldest evaporite series. However, it could also be interlayed with the slightly younger Zechstein 2. At about 3200 m a marker layer was met with Zechstein 2 salt below. Interpretation of cores and results of downhole electromagnetic and borehole gravimetric measurements show that there is a large area around Erslev 2 which consists of very pure sodium chloride with traces of anhydrite (calcium, sulphate) 1-3%. This area is used for the repository design and safety evaluation. The hydrological conditions existing in the strata above the salt dome (caprock) have been investigated with the help of four hydrogeological wells, placed two each, on two different sites. The cores themselves were taken at various depths in all four holes. With these laboratory methods it has been possible to measure data relevant to hydrology - such as porosity and permeability - as well as geochemistry. (BP)

  12. Depositional history and climate change in the Quaternary sequence of Meyghan playa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    مصطفی یوسفی‎راد

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available To study, 30 sediment samples were collected from the 7 boreholes with maximum depth 520 cm in the Meyghan playa bed which is located in 15 km northeastern part of Arak. Sediment samples were studied for sedimentological characteristic include mineralogy, granolometry, calcimetery, organic matter content, pH, EC and physical characteristics of sediments. Meyghan playa sediments are mostly of chemicals and detrital. Percentage of evaporative minerals in surface sediments is greater than the clastic minerals. Sediments of this playa are mainly chemical (evaporites and clastic components. Amount of evaporative minerals in surface sediments is greater than the clastic minerals. This study shows, Chemical sediments are formed Mainlyو during periods of low water levels and sometimes, the lake is fed from the land. While castic sediments of the basin were deposited during periods of high water levels and transported by rivers and floods as bed load and suspended load to playa and deposited. Considering sedimentology and mineralogy profiles with depth despite visible fluctuations due to climate change (dry and wet seasons, indicative almost regular process of parameters along the borehole. So that with depth abundance of detrital minerals, calcium carbonate, and mean of grain size is increased while organic matter and mean of grain’s sorting is decreased. These factors along with the reduction of evaporative minerals with depth, especially minerals with high solubility such as gypsum and Halite indicate there was a high water level and cold - humid climate for the past (late Pleistocene in the Meighan playa and/or maybe there is a lake with fresh water or Low salinity in the past that its salinity has increased over time.

  13. Depositional history and climate change in the Quaternary sequence of Meyghan playa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leila Abdi

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available To study, 30 sediment samples were collected from the 7 boreholes with maximum depth 520 cm in the Meyghan playa bed which is located in 15 km northeastern part of Arak. Sediment samples were studied for sedimentological characteristic include mineralogy, granolometry, calcimetery, organic matter content, pH, EC and physical characteristics of sediments. Meyghan playa sediments are mostly of chemicals and detrital. Percentage of evaporative minerals in surface sediments is greater than the clastic minerals. Sediments of this playa are mainly chemical (evaporites and clastic components. Amount of evaporative minerals in surface sediments is greater than the clastic minerals. This study shows, Chemical sediments are formed Mainlyو during periods of low water levels and sometimes, the lake is fed from the land. While castic sediments of the basin were deposited during periods of high water levels and transported by rivers and floods as bed load and suspended load to playa and deposited. Considering sedimentology and mineralogy profiles with depth despite visible fluctuations due to climate change (dry and wet seasons, indicative almost regular process of parameters along the borehole. So that with depth abundance of detrital minerals, calcium carbonate, and mean of grain size is increased while organic matter and mean of grain’s sorting is decreased. These factors along with the reduction of evaporative minerals with depth, especially minerals with high solubility such as gypsum and Halite indicate there was a high water level and cold - humid climate for the past (late Pleistocene in the Meighan playa and/or maybe there is a lake with fresh water or Low salinity in the past that its salinity has increased over time.

  14. Modeling CO2 Sequestration in Saline Aquifer and Depleted Oil Reservoir To Evaluate Regional CO2 Sequestration Potential of Ozark Plateau Aquifer System, South-Central Kansas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Watney, W. Lynn [University Of Kansas Center For Research, Inc. Lawrence, KS (United States); Rush, Jason [University Of Kansas Center For Research, Inc. Lawrence, KS (United States); Raney, Jennifer [University Of Kansas Center For Research, Inc. Lawrence, KS (United States)

    2014-09-30

    1. Drilled, cored, and logged three wells to the basement and collecting more than 2,700 ft of conventional core; obtained 20 mi2 of multicomponent 3D seismic imaging and merged and reprocessed more than 125 mi2 of existing 3D seismic data for use in modeling CO2- EOR oil recovery and CO2 storage in five oil fields in southern Kansas. 2. Determined the technical feasibility of injecting and sequestering CO2 in a set of four depleted oil reservoirs in the Cutter, Pleasant Prairie South, Eubank, and Shuck fields in southwest Kansas; of concurrently recovering oil from those fields; and of quantifying the volumes of CO2 sequestered and oil recovered during the process. 3. Formed a consortium of six oil operating companies, five of which own and operate the four fields. The consortium became part of the Southwest Kansas CO2-EOR Initiative for the purpose of sharing data, knowledge, and interest in understanding the potential for CO2-EOR in Kansas. 4. Built a regional well database covering 30,000 mi2 and containing stratigraphic tops from ~90,000 wells; correlated 30 major stratigraphic horizons; digitized key wells, including wireline logs and sample logs; and analyzed more than 3,000 drill stem tests to establish that fluid levels in deep aquifers below the Permian evaporites are not connected to the surface and therefore pressures are not hydrostatic. Connectivity with the surface aquifers is lacking because shale aquitards and impermeable evaporite layers consist of both halite and anhydrite. 5. Developed extensive web applications and an interactive mapping system that do the following: a. Facilitate access to a wide array of data obtained in the study, including core descriptions and analyses, sample logs, digital (LAS) well logs, seismic data, gravity and magnetics maps, structural and stratigraphic maps, inferred fault traces, earthquakes, Class I and II disposal wells, and

  15. Modeling CO2 Sequestration in Saline Aquifer and Depleted Oil Reservoir To Evaluate Regional CO2 Sequestration Potential of Ozark Plateau Aquifer System, South-Central Kansas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Watney, W. Lynn [University Of Kansas Center For Research, Inc. Lawrence, KS (United States)

    2014-09-30

    1. Drilled, cored, and logged three wells to the basement and collecting more than 2,700 ft of conventional core; obtained 20 mi2 of multicomponent 3D seismic imaging and merged and reprocessed more than 125 mi2 of existing 3D seismic data for use in modeling CO2- EOR oil recovery and CO2 storage in five oil fields in southern Kansas. 2. Determined the technical feasibility of injecting and sequestering CO2 in a set of four depleted oil reservoirs in the Cutter, Pleasant Prairie South, Eubank, and Shuck fields in southwest Kansas; of concurrently recovering oil from those fields; and of quantifying the volumes of CO2 sequestered and oil recovered during the process. 3. Formed a consortium of six oil operating companies, five of which own and operate the four fields. The consortium became part of the Southwest Kansas CO2-EOR Initiative for the purpose of sharing data, knowledge, and interest in understanding the potential for CO2-EOR in Kansas. 4. Built a regional well database covering 30,000 mi2 and containing stratigraphic tops from ~90,000 wells; correlated 30 major stratigraphic horizons; digitized key wells, including wireline logs and sample logs; and analyzed more than 3,000 drill stem tests to establish that fluid levels in deep aquifers below the Permian evaporites are not connected to the surface and therefore pressures are not hydrostatic. Connectivity with the surface aquifers is lacking because shale aquitards and impermeable evaporite layers consist of both halite and anhydrite. 5. Developed extensive web applications and an interactive mapping system that do the following: a. Facilitate access to a wide array of data obtained in the study, including core descriptions and analyses, sample logs, digital (LAS) well logs, seismic data, gravity and magnetics maps, structural and stratigraphic maps, inferred fault traces, earthquakes, Class I and II disposal wells, and

  16. Proceedings of the Astrobiology Science Conference 2010. Evolution and Life: Surviving Catastrophes and Extremes on Earth and Beyond

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    Mars?; Titan Versus Europa - Potential for Astrobiology; Habitability Potential of Mars; Biosignatures: Tools and Development I; Origins of Molecular Asymmetry, Homochirality, and Life Detection; Deserts and Evaporite Basins and Associated Microbialite Systems; Ancient Life and Synthetic Biology: Crossroad of the Past and Future; Biosignatures: Tools and Development II; Free Oxygen: Proxies, Causes, and Consequences; Life in Modern Microbialite Systems - Function and Adaptation; Hydrothermal Systems and Organosynthesis Processes: Origin and Evolution of Life; Where Should We Go on Mars to Seek Signs of Life?; Search for Intelligent Life I. Innovative SETI Observing Programs and Future Directions; Integrating Astrobiology Research Across and Beyond the Community; Education in Astrobiology in K-12; Search for Intelligent Life II. Global Engagement and Interstellar Message Construction; Poster sessions included: Extraterrestrial Molecular Evolution and Pre-Biological Chemistry; Prebiotic Evolution: From Chemistry to Life; RNA World; Terrestrial Evolution: Implications for the Past, Present, and Future of Life on Earth; Hydrothermal Systems and Organosynthesis Processes: Origin and Evolution of Life; Virology and Astrobiology; Horizontal Genetic Transfer and Properties of Ancestral Organisms; Life in Volcanic Environments: On Earth and Beyond; Impact Events and Evolution; Evolution of Advanced Life; Evolution of Intelligent Life; Education in Astrobiology in K-12; Origins of Molecular Asymmetry, Homochirality, and Life Detection; Astrobiology and Interdisciplinary Communication; Diversity in Astrobiology Research and Education; Integrating Astrobiology Research Across and Beyond the Community; Policy and Societal Issues: Dealing with Potential Bumps in the Astrobiology Road Ahead; Results from ASTEP and Other Astrobiology Field Campaigns; Energy Flow in Microbial Ecosystems; Psychrophiles and Polar Environments; Deserts and Evaporite Basins and Associated Microbialite

  17. Cycles atmosphériques O2-C02. Evolution, sédimentation et mise en réserve de l'énergie solaire (résumé Atmospheric O2-Co2 Cycles. Evolution, Sedimentation and Solar Energy Storage (Summary

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brunn J. H.

    2006-10-01

    is proposed, as a line for research and correlations, that cyclic reactions between C02 producing volcanism and 02 producing plants govern some aspects of evolution and sedimentation, in particular that of iron and organic matter coumpounds. Under Archean anoxic atmosphere and slow initial evolution, cycles were limited to the sea, with feed-back oscillations between ferrous iron and oxydising bacteria (Berckner and Marshall, Cloud. Development of blue Algue increased the O content. Insoluble ferric oxydes were retained on the continents (first Red Beds. Metazoa appeared, but being shelless (Ediacara fauna, they indicate that C02 content remained high until Lower Cambrian, when shells appeared. Poorly diversified floras induce ample cycles between Upper Precambrian and Upper Jurassic. Depletion of CO2 (Cambrian, Devonian, Permian favours animals especially Vertebrates development, deposition of Red Beds, limestones, evaporites (nebulosity low, climatic contrasts ; recharge of CO2 through volcanic-orogenic-activity (Ordovician, Dinantian, Upper Trias stimulates plant life, increases nebulosity, reduces climatic contrasts but precipitations develop polar ice caps. Easily achieved reducing conditions enable the accumulation of organic matter (Silurian, Pennsylvanian, Lias. Marine iron deposits occur at transition periods: Lower Ordovician, Lower Devonian, Upper Lias. From Upper Jurassic onwards, increasing complexity of floras reduce the amplitude of atmospheric cycles, but tendancies towards Red Beds, evaporites or organic matter deposits still alternate to some extent.

  18. CO 2 breakthrough—Caprock sealing efficiency and integrity for carbon geological storage

    KAUST Repository

    Espinoza, D. Nicolas

    2017-10-23

    Small pores in high specific surface clay-rich caprocks give rise to high capillary entry pressures and high viscous drag that hinder the migration of buoyant carbon dioxide CO2. We measured the breakthrough pressure and ensuing CO2 permeability through sediment plugs prepared with sand, silt, kaolinite and smectite, and monitored their volumetric deformation using high-pressure oedometer cells. The data show water expulsion and volumetric contraction prior to CO2 breakthrough, followed by preferential CO2 flow thereafter. Our experimental results and data gathered from previous studies highlight the inverse relationship between breakthrough pressure and pore size, as anticipated by Laplace’s equation. In terms of macro-scale parameters, the breakthrough pressure increases as the sediment specific surface increases and the porosity decreases. The breakthrough pressure is usually lower than the values predicted with average pore size estimations; it can reach ∼6.2MPa in argillaceous formations, and 11.2MPa in evaporites. The CO2 permeability after breakthrough is significantly lower than the absolute permeability, but it may increase in time due to water displacement and desiccation. Leakage will be advection-controlled once percolation takes place at most storage sites currently being considered. Diffusive and advective CO2 leaks through non-fractured caprocks will be minor and will not compromise the storage capacity at CO2 injection sites. The “sealing number” and the “stability number” combine the initial fluid pressure, the buoyant pressure caused by the CO2 plume, the capillary breakthrough pressure of the caprock, and the stress conditions at the reservoir depth; these two numbers provide a rapid assessment of potential storage sites. Unexpected CO2 migration patterns emerge due to the inherent spatial variability and structural discontinuities in geological formations; sites with redundant seal layers should be sought for the safe and long

  19. Investigating Miocene Mediterranean-Atlantic Gateway Exchange (IMMAGE) - an amphibious drilling proposal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flecker, Rachel

    2017-04-01

    Today Mediterranean seawater flows out through the Gibraltar Straits, forming a saline plume at intermediate depths in the Atlantic. The plume's sedimentary record of distinctive, contouritic deposits has recently been recovered during IODP Leg 339 in the Gulf of Cadiz documenting a Mediterranean contribution to Atlantic thermohaline circulation since the Pliocene. However, before the Pliocene, the conduit for Mediterranean-Atlantic exchange is unclear. Gibraltar may have already been open, but two additional marine corridors also existed through northern Morocco and southern Spain. The restriction and closure of these Miocene connections resulted in extreme salinity fluctuations in the Mediterranean, leading to the precipitation of thick evaporites. This event is known as the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) and recovering a complete record of the MSC is the target of current IODP drilling proposals (e.g. DREAM). Understanding both the causes of high-amplitude salinity change in the Mediterranean and its global consequences for thermohaline circulation in the Atlantic is dependent on recovering a complete record of Mediterranean-Atlantic exchange before, during and after the MSC. This key objective of the IMMAGE drilling proposal requires core recovery on-shore at the mouths of the Betic and Rifian corridors which are now exposed on land, as well as offshore, in the Alborán Sea and on the Atlantic continental margin. Consequently to meet this objective, an amphibious drilling strategy is necessary, involving both IODP and ICDP targets. In addition to allowing us to reconstruct Mediterranean-Atlantic exchange during high amplitude salinity fluctuations and identify the conduit through which exchange occurred, the sediments recovered from IMMAGE drilling will also provide us with a unique and explicit test for ocean physics hypotheses describing the location, size and velocity of overflow plumes under conditions where the density contrast between the two water

  20. DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENTS OF SUPRACRUSTAL METASEDIMENTARY SEQUENCE AND POSSIBLE MODEL FOR ZINC MINERALIZATION OF RIO CLARO AREA, RIO DE JANEIRO STATE (BRAZIL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronaldo Mello Pereira

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available This work focuses on Neoproterozoic supracrustal rocks related to Andrelandia megasequence, which are superimposed on the basis represented by neoarchean granulites and palaeoproterozoic ortogneiss, in order to define palaeoenvironments of deposition of metasedimentary rocks and typological model of zinc mineralization of Rio Claro, Rio de Janeiro State, SE of Brazil. Three stratigraphic units in the area were considered for the studies: Valadão, São Roque and Lidice. Valadão unit was divided into three subunits: psamitic, psamitic / pelitic and pelitic. On the whole, it represents a turbiditic sequence influenced by underwater hydrothermal exhalations that led to the formation of quartzite with magnetite, considered as banded iron formations. São Roque Unit is composed of four subunits (São Roque I, II, III and IV and presents a typical pattern of deposition of low energy environments, in marine deep basins. Gondite, coticules levels and (Mn-almandine present in the local gneiss mark the manganese exalative contribution in that unit. Lídice unit has different sedimentation palaeoenvironments and is subdivided into Lídice I, II and III. Lídice subunits I and II exhibit quartzite interleaved with pelitic rocks and graphite gneiss, suggesting deposition in deeper environments of the basin, probably related to turbidity currents. In Lídice III subunit, more carbonated and with more quartz, limestone quartzite stand out, which enclose mineralized zones, reflecting depositional environment in shallow platform, possibly involving evaporitic environment, sabkha type. Sulfite mineralization of Rio Claro, associated with platformal rocks intensely metamorphosed and deformed, as well as its local geological context, features similarities with sedimentary exhalative deposits (SEDEX Zn-Pb-Ag model, Shuswap and Monashee type, present in Monashee and Shuswap Complexes of British Columbia in Canada.