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Sample records for source rock middle

  1. Source rock potential of middle cretaceous rocks in Southwestern Montana

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dyman, T.S.; Palacas, J.G.; Tysdal, R.G.; Perry, W.J.; Pawlewicz, M.J.

    1996-01-01

    The middle Cretaceous in southwestern Montana is composed of a marine and nonmarine succession of predominantly clastic rocks that were deposited along the western margin of the Western Interior Seaway. In places, middle Cretaceous rocks contain appreciable total organic carbon (TOC), such as 5.59% for the Mowry Shale and 8.11% for the Frontier Formation in the Madison Range. Most samples, however, exhibit less than 1.0% TOC. The genetic or hydrocarbon potential (S1+S2) of all the samples analyzed, except one, yield less than 1 mg HC/g rock, strongly indicating poor potential for generating commercial amounts of hydrocarbons. Out of 51 samples analyzed, only one (a Thermopolis Shale sample from the Snowcrest Range) showed a moderate petroleum potential of 3.1 mg HC/g rock. Most of the middle Cretaceous samples are thermally immature to marginally mature, with vitrinite reflectance ranging from about 0.4 to 0.6% Ro. Maturity is high in the Pioneer Mountains, where vitrinite reflectance averages 3.4% Ro, and at Big Sky Montana, where vitrinite reflectance averages 2.5% Ro. At both localities, high Ro values are due to local heat sources, such as the Pioneer batholith in the Pioneer Mountains.

  2. Evaluation of the nature, origin and potentiality of the subsurface Middle Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous source rocks in Melleiha G-1x well, North Western Desert, Egypt

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    Mohamed M. El Nady

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The present work aims to evaluate the nature and origin of the source rock potentiality of subsurface Middle Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous source rocks in Melleiha G-1x well. This target was achieved throughout the evaluation of total organic carbon, rock Eval pyrolysis and vitrinite reflectance for fifteen cutting samples and three extract samples collected from Khatatba, Alam El Bueib and Kharita formations in the studied well. The result revealed that the main hydrocarbon of source rocks, for the Middle Jurassic (Khatatba Fm. is mainly mature, and has good capability of producing oil and minor gas. Lower Cretaceous source rocks (Alam El Bueib Fm. are mature, derived from mixed organic sources and have fair to good capability to generate gas and oil. Kharita Formation of immature source rocks originated from terrestrial origin and has poor to fair potential to produce gas. This indicates that Khatatba and Alam El Bueib formations take the direction of increasing maturity far away from the direction of biodegradation and can be considered as effective source potential in the Melleiha G-1x well.

  3. Depositional environments and oil potential of Jurassic/Cretaceous source rocks within the Seychelles microcontinent

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Plummer, P.S.; Joseph, P.R.; Samson, P.J. [Seychelles National Oil Co., Mahe (Seychelles)

    1998-12-31

    The Seychelles microcontinent became isolated between the Somali, Mascarene and Arabian basins of the Indian Ocean as a result of the Mesozoic fragmentation of Gondwana. Major rifting events occurred during the Triassic-Middle Jurassic and Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Santonian and Maastrichtian) during which shaly source rock facies accumulated in principally marginal marine/deltaic environments. Between these times, post-rift passive margin deposition within restricted to open marine environments produced shaly source rocks during late Middle Jurasic-Early Cretaceous, Campanian-Maastrichtian and Paleocene times. Recent geochemical analysis of cuttings from the Seagull Shoals-1 well has identified an oil-prone liptinitic (Type II) coaly shale within early Middle Jurassic abandoned deltaic deposits. This coaly source rock is regionally developed, having also been identified in the Majunja and Morondava basins of Madagascar. Oil-prone Type II organic matter has also been identified in the Owen Bank A-1 well within restricted marine shales of late Middle Jurassic age. These shales are part of a thick post-rift source rock sequence that extends into the Early Cretaceous and is in part correlative with the proven Late Jurassic Uarandab Shale of Somalia. Analysis of Campanian marine shales from Reith Bank-1 well identified significant dilution of total organic carbon content in composite, compared to picked, well cuttings samples. This finding supports a published inference that these post-rift shales have source rock potential. (author)

  4. Geochemical characteristics of Lower Jurassic source rocks in the Zhongkouzi Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niu, Haiqing; Han, Xiaofeng; Wei, Jianshe; Zhang, Huiyuan; Wang, Baowen

    2018-01-01

    Zhongkouzi basin is formed in Mesozoic and Cenozoic and developed on the Hercynian folded belt, the degree of exploration for oil and gas is relatively low hitherto. In order to find out the geochemical characteristics of the source rocks and the potentials for hydrocarbon generation. The research result shows that by analysis the geochemical characteristics of outcrop samples and new core samples in Longfengshan Group, Longfengshan Group are most developed intervals of favorable source rocks. They are formed in depression period of the basin when the sedimentary environments is salt water lacustrine and the water is keeping stable; The organic matter abundance is middle-higher, the main kerogen type is II1-II2 and few samples act as III type, The organic matter maturity is low maturity to medium maturity. The organic matter maturity of the source rock from eastern part of the basin is higher than in the western region. The source rock of Longfengshan Group are in the hydrocarbon generation threshold. The great mass of source rocks are matured and in the peak stage of oil generation.

  5. Biomarkers, carbon isotopic composition and source rock potentials of Awgu coals, middle Benue trough, Nigeria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adedosu, Taofik A.; Sonibare, Oluwadayo O.; Tuo, Jincai; Ekundayo, Olusegun

    2012-05-01

    Coal and carbonaceous shale samples were collected from two boreholes (BH 94 and BH 120) in Awgu formation of Middle Benue Trough, Nigeria. Source rock potentials of the samples were studied using biomarkers and carbon isotopic composition. Biomarkers in the aliphatic fractions in the samples were studied using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The Carbon isotope analysis of individual n-alkanes in the aliphatic fraction was performed using Gas Chromatography-Combustion-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer (GC-IRMS). The abundance of hopanes, homohopanes (C31-C35), and C29 steranes in the samples indicate terrestrial plant, phytoplankton and cyanobacteria contributions to the organic matter that formed the coal. High (Pr/Ph) ratio (3.04-11.07) and isotopic distribution of individual alkanes showed that the samples consisted of mixed terrestrial/marine organic matter deposited under oxic condition in lacustrine-fluvial/deltaic depositional environment. The maturity parameters derived from biomarker distributions showed that the samples are in the main phase of oil window.

  6. Source rock

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abubakr F. Makky

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available West Beni Suef Concession is located at the western part of Beni Suef Basin which is a relatively under-explored basin and lies about 150 km south of Cairo. The major goal of this study is to evaluate the source rock by using different techniques as Rock-Eval pyrolysis, Vitrinite reflectance (%Ro, and well log data of some Cretaceous sequences including Abu Roash (E, F and G members, Kharita and Betty formations. The BasinMod 1D program is used in this study to construct the burial history and calculate the levels of thermal maturity of the Fayoum-1X well based on calibration of measured %Ro and Tmax against calculated %Ro model. The calculated Total Organic Carbon (TOC content from well log data compared with the measured TOC from the Rock-Eval pyrolysis in Fayoum-1X well is shown to match against the shale source rock but gives high values against the limestone source rock. For that, a new model is derived from well log data to calculate accurately the TOC content against the limestone source rock in the study area. The organic matter existing in Abu Roash (F member is fair to excellent and capable of generating a significant amount of hydrocarbons (oil prone produced from (mixed type I/II kerogen. The generation potential of kerogen in Abu Roash (E and G members and Betty formations is ranging from poor to fair, and generating hydrocarbons of oil and gas prone (mixed type II/III kerogen. Eventually, kerogen (type III of Kharita Formation has poor to very good generation potential and mainly produces gas. Thermal maturation of the measured %Ro, calculated %Ro model, Tmax and Production index (PI indicates that Abu Roash (F member exciting in the onset of oil generation, whereas Abu Roash (E and G members, Kharita and Betty formations entered the peak of oil generation.

  7. North Slope, Alaska: Source rock distribution, richness, thermal maturity, and petroleum charge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peters, K.E.; Magoon, L.B.; Bird, K.J.; Valin, Z.C.; Keller, M.A.

    2006-01-01

    Four key marine petroleum source rock units were identified, characterized, and mapped in the subsurface to better understand the origin and distribution of petroleum on the North Slope of Alaska. These marine source rocks, from oldest to youngest, include four intervals: (1) Middle-Upper Triassic Shublik Formation, (2) basal condensed section in the Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous Kingak Shale, (3) Cretaceous pebble shale unit, and (4) Cretaceous Hue Shale. Well logs for more than 60 wells and total organic carbon (TOC) and Rock-Eval pyrolysis analyses for 1183 samples in 125 well penetrations of the source rocks were used to map the present-day thickness of each source rock and the quantity (TOC), quality (hydrogen index), and thermal maturity (Tmax) of the organic matter. Based on assumptions related to carbon mass balance and regional distributions of TOC, the present-day source rock quantity and quality maps were used to determine the extent of fractional conversion of the kerogen to petroleum and to map the original TOC (TOCo) and the original hydrogen index (HIo) prior to thermal maturation. The quantity and quality of oil-prone organic matter in Shublik Formation source rock generally exceeded that of the other units prior to thermal maturation (commonly TOCo > 4 wt.% and HIo > 600 mg hydrocarbon/g TOC), although all are likely sources for at least some petroleum on the North Slope. We used Rock-Eval and hydrous pyrolysis methods to calculate expulsion factors and petroleum charge for each of the four source rocks in the study area. Without attempting to identify the correct methods, we conclude that calculations based on Rock-Eval pyrolysis overestimate expulsion factors and petroleum charge because low pressure and rapid removal of thermally cracked products by the carrier gas retards cross-linking and pyrobitumen formation that is otherwise favored by natural burial maturation. Expulsion factors and petroleum charge based on hydrous pyrolysis may also be high

  8. Preliminary investigation on the sedimentary facies of the middle silurian uraniferous rock formations in western Qinling Region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mao Yunian; Min Yongming.

    1987-01-01

    The Middle Silurian stratabound uranium deposits in Western Qinling were formed due to hydrothermal modification of ground water and reconcentration of uranium from the sedimentary source rocks. The Silurian system consists of the sediments deposited in the marginal sea of the passive continent, to the south of which is the Ruoergai palaeocontinent. The Middle Silurian is divided into three formations. The lower members of each formation are composed of fine-grained clastic rocks with bay-lagoon facies, while the upper members of each formation are uraniferous rock formations consisted of carbonaceous-siliceous-limestone-argillaceous rocks. During the Middle Silurian period there occurred an island chain barrier which is roughly parallel to the palaeocoast and was formed by undersea uplifts. The uraniferous rock formations belong to the assemblage of lagoon-reef-back tidal flat-reef beach facies. Nearshore shallow water environment, abundant terrestrial fine detritus, local reduction facies and zones are three cardinal conditions for the formation of uranium-rich sediments. Uranium deposition mainly took place in the environments of the inner part of reef beach and reef-back tidal flat, which are characterized by having medium to slightly lower energy, the terrestrial fine detritus involved, and local reduction field resulting from the decomposition of organism after their massive death. Furing the process of relative slow deposition, UO 2 2+ in the sea water was formed by means of infiltration, diffusion and alternative absorption of water at the bottom into organic matter and clay

  9. The Amazon-Laurentian connection as viewed from the Middle Proterozoic rocks in the central Andes, western Bolivia and northern Chile

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tosdal, R.M.

    1996-01-01

    Middle Proterozoic rocks underlying the Andes in western Bolivia, western Argentina, and northern Chile and Early Proterozoic rocks of the Arequipa massif in southern Peru?? from the Arequipa-Antofalla craton. These rocks are discontinuously exposed beneath Mesozoic and Cenozoic rocks, but abundant crystalline clasts in Tertiary sedimentary rocks in the western altiplano allow indirect samples of the craton. Near Berenguela, western Bolivia, the Oligocene and Miocene Mauri Formation contains boulders of granodiorite augen gneiss (1171??20 Ma and 1158??12 Ma; U-Pb zircon), quartzose gneiss and granofels that are inferred to have arkosic protoliths (1100 Ma source region; U-Pb zircon), quartzofeldspathic and mafic orthogneisses that have amphibolite- and granulite-facies metamorphic mineral assemblages (???1080 Ma metamorphism; U-Pb zircon), and undeformed granitic rocks of Phanerozoic(?) age. The Middle Proterozoic crystalline rocks from Berenguela and elsewhere in western Bolivia and from the Middle Proterozoic Bele??n Schist in northern Chile generally have present-day low 206Pb/204Pb ( 15.57), and elevated 208Pb/204Pb (37.2 to 50.7) indicative of high time-averaged Th/U values. The Middle Proterozoic rocks in general have higher presentday 206Pb/204Pb values than those of the Early Proterozoic rocks of the Arequipa massif (206Pb/204Pb between 16.1 and 17.1) but lower than rocks of the southern Arequipa-Antofalla craton (206Pb/204Pb> 18.5), a difference inferred to reflect Grenvillian granulite metamorphism. The Pb isotopic compositions for the various Proterozoic rocks lie on common Pb isotopic growth curves, implying that Pb incorporated in rocks composing the Arequipa-Antofalla craton was extracted from a similar evolving Pb isotopic reservoir. Evidently, the craton has been a coherent terrane since the Middle Proterozoic. Moreover, the Pb isotopic compositions for the Arequipa-Antofalla craton overlap those of the Amazon craton, thereby supporting a link

  10. Oil source rocks in the Adiyaman area, southeast Turkey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soylu, Cengiz

    In the Adiyaman area, southeast Turkey, two carbonate source rock units, the Karababa-A Member and the Karabogaz Formation, are identified. The maturity levels of the source rock units increase towards the north and the west. Both the Karababa-A Member and the Karabogaz Formation are good to excellent oil-source rocks with widespread "kitchen areas".

  11. Source rock hydrocarbons. Present status

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vially, R.; Maisonnier, G.; Rouaud, T.

    2013-01-01

    This report first presents the characteristics of conventional oil and gas system, and the classification of liquid and gaseous non conventional hydrocarbons, with the peculiar case of coal-bed methane. The authors then describe how source rock hydrocarbons are produced: production of shale oils and gases (horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing, exploitation) and of coal-bed methane and coal mine methane. In the next part, they address and discuss the environmental impact of source rock hydrocarbon production: installation footprint, water resource management, drilling fluids, fracturing fluids composition, toxicity and recycling, air pollution, induced seismicity, pollutions from other exploitation and production activities. They propose an overview of the exploitation and production of source rock gas, coal-bed gas and other non conventional gases in the world. They describe the current development and discuss their economic impacts: world oil context and trends in the USA, in Canada and other countries, impacts on the North American market, on the world oil industry, on refining industries, on the world oil balance. They analyse the economic impacts of non conventional gases: development potential, stakes for the world gas trade, consequence for gas prices, development opportunities for oil companies and for the transport sector, impact on CO 2 emissions, macro-economic impact in the case of the USA

  12. Evaluation of the quality, thermal maturity and distribution of potential source rocks in the Danish part of the Norwegian–Danish Basin

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    Kristensen, Lars

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available The quality, thermal maturity and distribution of potential source rocks within the Palaeozoic–Mesozoic succession of the Danish part of the Norwegian–Danish Basin have been evaluated on the basis of screening data from over 4000 samples from the pre-Upper Cretaceous succession in 33 wells. The Lower Palaeozoic in the basin is overmature and the Upper Cretaceous – Cenozoic strata have no petroleum generation potential, but the Toarcian marine shales of the Lower Jurassic Fjerritslev Formation (F-III, F-IV members and the uppermost Jurassic – lowermost Cretaceous shales of the Frederikshavn Formation may qualify as potential source rocks in parts of the basin. Neither of these potential source rocks has a basinwide distribution; the present occurrence of the Lower Jurassic shales was primarily determined by regional early Middle Jurassic uplift and erosion. The generation potential of these source rocks is highly variable. The F-III and F-IV members show significant lateral changes in generation capacity, the best-developed source rocks occurring in the basin centre. The combined F-III andF-IV members in the Haldager-1, Kvols-1 and Rønde-1 wells contain ‘net source-rock’ thicknesses (cumulative thickness of intervals with Hydrogen Index (HI >200 mg HC/g TOC of 40 m, 83 m, and 92 m, respectively, displaying average HI values of 294, 369 and 404 mg HC/g TOC. The Mors-1 well contains 123 m of ‘net source rock’ with an average HI of 221 mg HC/g TOC. Parts of the Frederikshavn Formation possess a petroleum generation potential in the Hyllebjerg-1, Skagen-2, Voldum-1 and Terne-1 wells, the latter well containing a c.160 m thick highly oil-prone interval with an average HI of 478 mg HC/g TOC and maximum HI values >500 mg HC/g TOC. The source-rock evaluation suggests that a Mesozoic petroleum system is the most likely in the study area. Two primary plays are possible: (1 the Upper Triassic – lowermost Jurassic Gassum play, and (2the

  13. The source rock characters of U-rich granite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mingyue, Feng; Debao, He [CNNC Key Laboratory of Uranium Resources Exploration and Evaluation Technology, Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology (China)

    2012-03-15

    This paper discusses the stratum composition, lithological association, uranium content of crust and the activation, migration, concentration of uranium at each tectonic cycle in South China. The authors point out that the source rock of U-rich granite is U-rich continental crust which is rich in Si, Al and K. The lithological association is mainly composed of terrestrial clastic rocks formation of mudstone and sandstone, mingled with intermediate-acidic, mafic pyroclastic rocks and carbonate rocks formation. During tectonic movements, the rocks had undergone regional metamorphism, migmatitization, granitization, and formed U-rich granites finally. (authors)

  14. The source rock characters of U-rich granite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng Mingyue; He Debao

    2012-01-01

    This paper discusses the stratum composition, lithological association, uranium content of crust and the activation, migration, concentration of uranium at each tectonic cycle in South China. The authors point out that the source rock of U-rich granite is U-rich continental crust which is rich in Si, Al and K. The lithological association is mainly composed of terrestrial clastic rocks formation of mudstone and sandstone, mingled with intermediate-acidic, mafic pyroclastic rocks and carbonate rocks formation. During tectonic movements, the rocks had undergone regional metamorphism, migmatitization, granitization, and formed U-rich granites finally. (authors)

  15. Palynofacies characterization for hydrocarbon source rock ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    source rock potential of the Subathu Formation in the area. Petroleum geologists are well aware of the fact that the dispersed organic matter derived either from marine or non-marine sediments on reach- ing its maturation level over extended period of time contributes as source material for the produc- tion of hydrocarbons.

  16. Tectonic control in source rock maturation and oil migration in Trinidad

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Persad, K.M.; Talukdar, S.C.; Dow, W.G. (DGSI, The Woodlands, TX (United States))

    1993-02-01

    Oil accumulation in Trinidad were sourced by the Upper Cretaceous calcareous shales deposited along the Cretaceous passive margin of northern South America. Maturation of these source rocks, oil generation, migration and re-migration occurred in a foreland basin setting that resulted from interaction between Caribbean and South American plates during Late Oligocene to recent times. During Middle Miocene-Recent times, the foreland basin experienced strong compressional events, which controlled generation, migration, and accumulation of oil in Trinidad. A series of mature source rock kitchens formed in Late Miocene-Recent times in the Southern and Colombus Basins to the east-southeast of the Central Range Thrust. This thrust and associated fratured developed around 12 m.y.b.p. and served as vertical migration paths for the oil generated in Late Miocene time. This oil migrated into submarine fans deposited in the foreland basin axis and older reservoirs deformed into structural traps. Further generation and migration of oil, and re-migration of earlier oil took place during Pliocene-Holocene times, when later thrusting and wrench faulting served as vertical migration paths. Extremely high sedimentation rates in Pliocene-Pleistocene time, concurrent with active faulting, was responsible for very rapid generation of oil and gas. Vertically migrating gas often mixed with earlier migrated oil in overlying reservoirs. This caused depletion of oil in light hydrocarbons with accompanied fractionation among hydrocarbon types resulting in heavier oil in lower reservoirs, enrichment of light hydrocarbons and accumulation of gas-condensates in upper reservoirs. This process led to an oil-gravity stratification within about 10,000 ft of section.

  17. "Sleuthing through the Rock Cycle": An Online Guided Inquiry Tool for Middle and High School Geoscience Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schifman, Laura; Cardace, Dawn; Kortz, Karen; Saul, Karen; Gilfert, Amber; Veeger, Anne I.; Murray, Daniel P.

    2013-01-01

    The rock cycle is a key component of geoscience education at all levels. In this paper, we report on a new guided inquiry curricular module, "Sleuthing through the Rock Cycle," which has a blended online/offline constructivist design with comprehensive teaching notes and has been successful in pilot use in Rhode Island middle and high…

  18. Sr, Nd isotope geochemistry of volcanic rock series and its geological significance in the middle Okinawa Trough

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2000-01-01

    There exists extensive basic-acidic volcanic rock series in the middle section of the Okinawa Trough. Different types of these volcanic rocks have their own average strontium ratios of 0.704 749, 0.705 062, 0.708 771, 0.704 840 and 0.720 301 with average 143Nd/144Nd ratios of 0.512 820, 0.512 673, 0.512 413, 0.512 729 and 0.512 034. These ratios of Sr and Nd isotopes all fall on a theoretic hyperbolic curve of mixing between two end-members of MORB and rhyolitic magma. So we infer that these different kinds of volcanic rocks in the middle Okinawa Trough are the erupted product in different stages of formation and evolution of the trough crust. MORB magma, which had suffered assimilation, mixed with the early-formed crust-derived rhyolitic partial melt mass at different ratios; then, these mixed magma erupted and formed volcanic rock types of the trough. This study indicates that the Okinawa Trough is coming into a stage of submarine spreading from the stage of continental rift.

  19. Sr, Nd isotope geochemistry of volcanic rock series and its geological significance in the middle Okinawa Trough

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    孟宪伟; 陈志华; 杜德文; 吴金龙

    2000-01-01

    There exists extensive basic-acidic volcanic rock series in the middle section of the Okinawa Trough. Different types of these volcanic rocks have their own average strontium ratios of 0.704749, 0.705062, 0.708771, 0.704840 and 0.720301 with average 143Nd/144Nd ratios of 0.512 820, 0.512 673, 0.512 413, 0.512 729 and 0.512 034. These ratios of Sr and Nd isotopes all fall on a theoretic hyperbolic curve of mixing between two end-members of MORE and rhyolitic magma. So we infer that these different kinds of volcanic rocks in the middle Okinawa Trough are the erupted product in different stages of formation and evolution of the trough crust. MORE magma, which had suffered assimilation, mixed with the early-formed crust-derived rhyolitic partial melt mass at different ratios; then, these mixed magma erupted and formed volcanic rock types of the trough. This study indicates that the Okinawa Trough is coming into a stage of submarine spreading from the stage of continental rift.

  20. A chemical and thermodynamic model of oil generation in hydrocarbon source rocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helgeson, Harold C.; Richard, Laurent; McKenzie, William F.; Norton, Denis L.; Schmitt, Alexandra

    2009-02-01

    calculations indicate that the minimal volume of crude oil expelled into these formations is comparable to, or exceeds the volume of oil produced and in proven reserves in major oil fields such as the North Sea, the Paris and Los Angeles Basins, and those in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere in the Middle East. For example, taking account of the average weight percent ( W%) organic carbon in the immature kerogen (3.4 wt%) with an average H/C of ˜1.04 in the hydrocarbon source rocks in Saudi Arabia, which have an average thickness of ˜43 m, it can be shown (see below) that all of the oil (and oil equivalent of natural gas) produced and in proven reserves in Saudi Arabia (374 billion barrels of oil or ˜1.9 million barrels of oil km -2) can be accounted for by minimal expulsion from the source rocks of oil generated at ˜125 °C solely by the incongruent melting process. Computer experiments indicate that this process can also account for all the petroleum that can be, and has been generated in the world's hydrocarbon source rocks. Of the latter, as much as 75-80% may still remain in these rocks.

  1. Depositional environment and source rock potential of Cenomanian and Turonian sedimentary rocks of the Tarfaya Basin, Southwest Morocco

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ghassal, B.I.; Littke, R.; Sachse, V.; Sindern, S.; Schwarzbauer, J.

    2016-07-01

    Detailed organic and inorganic geochemical analyses were used to assess the depositional environment and source rock potential of the Cenomanian and Turonian oil shale deposits in the Tarfaya Basin. This study is based on core samples from the Tarfaya Sondage-4 well that penetrated over 300m of Mid Cretaceous organic matter-rich deposits. A total of 242 samples were analyzed for total organic and inorganic carbon and selected samples for total sulfur and major elements as well as for organic petrology, Rock-Eval pyrolysis, Curie-Point-pyrolysis-gaschromatography-Mass-Spectrometry and molecular geochemistry of solvent extracts. Based on major elements the lower Cenomanian differs from the other intervals by higher silicate and lower carbonate contents. Moreover, the molecular geochemistry suggests anoxic bottom marine water conditions during the Cenomanian-Turonian Boundary Event (CTBE; Oceanic Anoxic Event 2: OAE2). As a proxy for the Sorg/Corg ratio, the ratio total thiophenes/total benzenes compounds was calculated from pyrolysate compositions. The results suggest that Sorg/ Corg is low in the lower Cenomanian, moderate in the upper Cenomanian, very high in the CTBE (CenomanianTuronian Boundary Event) and high in the Turonian samples. Rock-Eval data reveal that the lower Cenomanian is a moderately organic carbon-rich source rock with good potential to generate oil and gas upon thermal maturation. On the other hand, the samples from the upper Cenomanian to Turonian exhibit higher organic carbon content and can be classified as oil-prone source rocks. Based on Tmax data, all rocks are thermally immature. The microscopic investigations suggest dominance of submicroscopic organic matter in all samples and different contents of bituminite and alginite. The lower Cenomanian samples have little visible organic matter and no bituminite. The upper Cenomanian and CTBE samples are poor in bituminite and have rare visible organic matter, whereas the Turonian samples change

  2. The strata and palaeo-geomorphology framework at the end of neoproterozoic and development mode of source rocks at the beginning of Cambrian in Tarim Basin, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xin Yang

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Referred to the new recognition from petroleum exploration of the Sinian to Cambrian in South China, it could be considered that the distribution of the early Cambrian source rocks was controlled by the palaeo-geomorphology at the end of Neoproterozoic in the Tarim Basin. Based on the zircon U-Pb dating of pyroclastic rock samples from the clastic rock stratum under the bottom of Cambrian carbonate rocks, the stratigraphic correlation of the Sinian to Cambrian was conducted to build the palaeo-geomorphology framework at the end of Neoproterozoic in Tarim Basin. Lastly, according to the development mode of source rocks at the beginning of Cambrian, the distribution of source rocks was predicted initially through the division of seismic facies. The youngest zircon concordia age of pyroclastic rocks from the bottom of well Tong 1 is 707±8Ma. It was revealed by the strata framework of the Sinian to Cambrian, the palaeo-geomorphology at the end of Neoproterozoic in Tarim Basin was characterized by an uplift highland in Bachu-Tazhong area, the south north high-low, and the west is higher than the east. The distribution of source rocks in the bottom of the Cambrian on the palaeo-platform and slopes was coincident with the Upper Sinian dolomite basically. But the contemporaneous sediment happened to be absent or changed in sedimentary facies on the uplift and its edges. From the seismic facies of the strata under the bottom of Cambrian, it could be concluded that source rocks in the type of the Xishanbraque Group (∈1xs was limited in the Manjiaer Depression, while the source rocks in the type of the Yuertusi Group (∈1y are widely distributed in south of Tabei Uplift, east Awat Depression, and even the Maigt Slope. However, among the west Awat Depression and western Tanguzibasi Depression, and the middle area of the Bachu-Tazhong Uplifts, the contemporaneous source rocks may have changed into sedimentary facies of tidal flat and lagoon, instead of

  3. Geothermal regime and Jurassic source rock maturity of the Junggar basin, northwest China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nansheng, Qiu; Zhihuan, Zhang; Ershe, Xu

    2008-01-01

    We analyze the thermal gradient distribution of the Junggar basin based on oil-test and well-logging temperature data. The basin-wide average thermal gradient in the depth interval of 0-4000 m is 22.6 °C/km, which is lower than other sedimentary basins in China. We report 21 measured terrestrial heat flow values based on detailed thermal conductivity data and systematical steady-state temperature data. These values vary from 27.0 to 54.1 mW/m 2 with a mean of 41.8 ± 7.8 mW/m 2. The Junggar basin appears to be a cool basin in terms of its thermal regime. The heat flow distribution within the basin shows the following characteristics. (1) The heat flow decreases from the Luliang Uplift to the Southern Depression; (2) relatively high heat flow values over 50 mW/m 2 are confined to the northern part of the Eastern Uplift and the adjacent parts of the Eastern Luliang Uplift and Central Depression; (3) The lowest heat flow of smaller than 35 mW/m 2 occurs in the southern parts of the basin. This low thermal regime of the Junggar basin is consistent with the geodynamic setting, the extrusion of plates around the basin, the considerably thick crust, the dense lithospheric mantle, the relatively stable continental basement of the basin, low heat generation and underground water flow of the basin. The heat flow of this basin is of great significance to oil exploration and hydrocarbon resource assessment, because it bears directly on issues of petroleum source-rock maturation. Almost all oil fields are limited to the areas of higher heat flows. The relatively low heat flow values in the Junggar basin will deepen the maturity threshold, making the deep-seated widespread Permian and Jurassic source rocks in the Junggar basin favorable for oil and gas generation. In addition, the maturity evolution of the Lower Jurassic Badaowan Group (J 1b) and Middle Jurassic Xishanyao Group (J 2x) were calculated based on the thermal data and burial depth. The maturity of the Jurassic

  4. Plutonic rocks in the Mineoka-Setogawa ophiolitic mélange, central Japan: Fragments of middle to lower crust of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana Arc?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ichiyama, Yuji; Ito, Hisatoshi; Hokanishi, Natsumi; Tamura, Akihiro; Arai, Shoji

    2017-06-01

    A Paleogene accretionary complex, the Mineoka-Setogawa Belt, is distributed around the Izu Collision Zone, central Japan. Plutonic rocks of gabbro, diorite and tonalite compositions are included as fragments and dykes in an ophiolitic mélange in this belt. Zircon U-Pb dating of the plutonic rocks indicates that they were formed at ca. 35 Ma simultaneously. These ages are consistent with Eocene-Oligocene tholeiite and calc-alkaline arc magmatism in the Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) Arc and exclude several previous models for the origin of the Mineoka-Setogawa ophiolitic rocks. The geochemical characteristics of these plutonic rocks are similar to those of the Eocene-Oligocene IBM tholeiite and calc-alkaline volcanic rocks as well as to the accreted middle crust of the IBM Arc, the Tanzawa Plutonic Complex. Moreover, their lithology is consistent with those of the middle and lower crust of the IBM Arc estimated from the seismic velocity structure. These lines of evidence strongly indicate that the plutonic rocks in the Mineoka-Setogawa ophiolitic mélange are fragments of the middle to lower crust of the IBM Arc. Additionally, the presence of the Mineoka-Setogawa intermediate to felsic plutonic rocks supports the hypothesis that intermediate magma can form continental crust in intra-oceanic arcs.

  5. The potentiality of hydrocarbon generation of the Jurassic source rocks in Salam-3x well,

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed M. El Nady

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The present work deals with the identification of the potential and generating capability of oil generation in the Jurassic source rocks in the Salam-3x well. This depending on the organo-geochemical analyses of cutting samples representative of Masajid, Khatatba and Ras Qattara formations, as well as, representative extract samples of the Khatatba and Ras Qattara formations. The geochemical analysis suggested the potential source intervals within the encountered rock units as follows: Masajid Formation bears mature source rocks and have poor to fair generating capability for generating gas (type III kerogen. Khatatba Formation bears mature source rock, and has poor to good generating capability for both oil and gas. Ras Qattara Formation constituting mature source rock has good to very good generating capability for both oil and gas. The burial history modeling shows that the Masajid Formation lies within oil and gas windows; Khatatba and Ras Qattara formations lie within the gas window. From the biomarker characteristics of source rocks it appears that the extract is genetically related as the majority of them were derived from marine organic matters sources (mainly algae deposited under reducing environment and take the direction of increasing maturity and far away from the direction of biodegradation. Therefore, Masajid Formation is considered as effective source rocks for generating hydrocarbons, while Khatatba and Ras Qattara formations are the main source rocks for hydrocarbon accumulations in the Salam-3x well.

  6. Discovery and basic characteristics of high-quality source rocks found in the Yuertusi Formation of the Cambrian in Tarim Basin, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guangyou Zhu

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The Upper Paleozoic strata of the Tarim Basin have abundant resources of marine oil and gas. In the Tahe area, Halahatang area, and Tazhong area of the basin, many large-scale oilfields have been found. These oilfields have a confirmed oil and gas reserves worth more than 2.5 billion tons and have completed the annual output of more than 14 million tons of marine oil and gas equivalent. The belief that the only main hydrocarbon source rocks are of the Cambrian or Ordovician is still controversial. Chemists have made significant progress and have effectively lead the oil and gas exploration in Tarim Basin. Due to the complexity of the basin and the limitation of samples, the research work, and fine contrast is restricted. In this article, we investigated the Cambrian strata outcrop of Tarim Basin in detail. By analyzing a lot of outcrops, high-quality hydrocarbon source rocks of Yuertusi Formation have been found in more than 10 outcrop points in Aksu region. The source rocks' lithology is black shale with total organic carbon (TOC content that ranges between 2% and 16%. Total organic carbon (TOC of the black shale layer could be as much as 4%–16%, especially in the outcrops of the Yutixi and Shiairike. This by far is the best marine hydrocarbon source rock that was found in China. The source rocks were distributed consistently in the Aksu region, the thickness of which is about 10–15 m. It was formed in a sedimentary environment of a middle gentle slope to a low gentle slope. Organic matter enrichment is controlled by the upwelling currents. The thick strata of dolostone that developed in the Xiaoerblak Formation are considered to be good reservoirs of the beach and microbial reef in the upper strata of Yuertusi Formation. No hydrocarbon source rocks have been found in the outcrop of Xiaoerblak Formation. The thick strata of gyprock and mudstone development are a set of satisfactory cap layer in the Lower Cambrian. This hydrocarbon

  7. Origin of a Tertiary oil from El Mahafir wildcat & geochemical correlation to some Muglad source rocks, Muglad basin, Sudan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fadul Abul Gebbayin, Omer. I. M.; Zhong, Ningning; Ali Ibrahim, Gulfan; Ali Alzain, Mohamed

    2018-01-01

    Source rock screening analysis was performed on four stratigraphic units from the Muglad basin namely; Abu Gabra, Zarqa, Ghazal, and Baraka formations using pyrolysis and Vitrinite Reflectance (Ro). Results, integrated with the chromatographic and isotopic data from these rocks extracts and a Tertiary oil from El Mahafir-1 wild cat, were used to determine the origin of the oil. A good organic source within the Middle Abu Gabra Formation is observed in wells El Toor-6 and Neem Deep-1 (TOC, 1.0-2.0% & S2 5.0-10.0 mg C/g rock), with mixed kerogens I, II, & III, and thermally mature (% Ro = 0.74-0.94). The Campanian-Early Maastrichtian sequence, i.e. Zarqa and Ghazal formations are generally poor (TOC, diversity, both in space and time and is characterized by dominant algal input at some areas and or stratigraphic intervals [Elevated tricyclics, higher C29/C30 hopanes (0.5-1.14), and relatively low Gammacerane indices (4.6-14.4)], while mixed with abundant terrigenous material at others. A direct correlation between El Mahafir oil and the Abu Gabra extracts is thus inferred based on: its mixed organic source nature, oxic to sub-oxic depositional environment (Pr/Ph 1.22), relatively low C29/C30 hopanes (0.54), low C28 steranes (29%), and a high gammacerane index (20.5). This is largely supported by the maturity modeling results which suggest generation is only from the Abu Gabra at this location.

  8. Halophilic archaea cultivated from surface sterilized middle-late eocene rock salt are polyploid.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salla T Jaakkola

    Full Text Available Live bacteria and archaea have been isolated from several rock salt deposits of up to hundreds of millions of years of age from all around the world. A key factor affecting their longevity is the ability to keep their genomic DNA intact, for which efficient repair mechanisms are needed. Polyploid microbes are known to have an increased resistance towards mutations and DNA damage, and it has been suggested that microbes from deeply buried rock salt would carry several copies of their genomes. Here, cultivable halophilic microbes were isolated from a surface sterilized middle-late Eocene (38-41 million years ago rock salt sample, drilled from the depth of 800 m at Yunying salt mine, China. Eight unique isolates were obtained, which represented two haloarchaeal genera, Halobacterium and Halolamina. We used real-time PCR to show that our isolates are polyploid, with genome copy numbers of 11-14 genomes per cell in exponential growth phase. The ploidy level was slightly downregulated in stationary growth phase, but the cells still had an average genome copy number of 6-8. The polyploidy of halophilic archaea living in ancient rock salt might be a factor explaining how these organisms are able to overcome the challenge of prolonged survival during their entombment.

  9. Characteristics of source rocks of the Datangpo Fm, Nanhua System, at the southeastern margin of Sichuan Basin and their significance to oil and gas exploration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zengye Xie

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, much attention has been paid to the development environment, biogenetic compositions and hydrocarbon generation characteristics of ancient source rocks in the deep strata of the Sichuan Basin because oil and gas exploration extends continuously to the deep and ultra-deep strata and a giant gas field with the explored reserves of more than 1 × 1012 m3 was discovered in the Middle and Upper Proterozoic–Lower Paleozoic strata in the stable inherited paleo-uplift of the central Sichuan Basin. Based on the previous geological research results, outcrop section of the Datangpo Fm, Nanhua System, at the southeastern margin of the Sichuan Basin was observed and the samples taken from the source rocks were tested and analyzed in terms of their organic geochemistry and organic petrology. It is shown that high-quality black shale source rocks of the Datangpo Fm are developed in the tensional background at the southeastern margin of the Sichuan Basin between two glacial ages, i.e., Gucheng and Nantuo ages in the Nanhua Period. Their thickness is 16–180 m and mineral compositions are mainly clay minerals and clastic quartz. Besides, shale in the Datangpo Fm is of high-quality sapropel type source rock with high abundance at an over-mature stage, and it is characterized by low pristane/phytane ratios (0.32–0.83, low gammacerane abundance, high-abundance tricyclic terpane and higher-content C27 and C29 gonane, indicating that biogenetic compositions are mainly algae and microbes in a strong reducing environment with low salinity. It is concluded that the Datangpo Fm source rocks may be developed in the rift of Nanhua System in central Sichuan Basin. Paleo-uplifts and paleo-slopes before the Caledonian are the favorable locations for the accumulation of dispersed liquid hydrocarbons and paleo-reservoirs derived from the Datangpo Fm source rocks. In addition, scale accumulation zones of dispersed organic matter cracking gas and paleo

  10. Geochemistry of Eagle Ford group source rocks and oils from the first shot field area, Texas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edman, Janell D.; Pitman, Janet K.; Hammes, Ursula

    2010-01-01

    Total organic carbon, Rock-Eval pyrolysis, and vitrinite reflectance analyses performed on Eagle Ford Group core and cuttings samples from the First Shot field area, Texas demonstrate these samples have sufficient quantity, quality, and maturity of organic matter to have generated oil. Furthermore, gas chromatography and biomarker analyses performed on Eagle Ford Group oils and source rock extracts as well as weight percent sulfur analyses on the oils indicate the source rock facies for most of the oils are fairly similar. Specifically, these source rock facies vary in lithology from shales to marls, contain elevated levels of sulfur, and were deposited in a marine environment under anoxic conditions. It is these First Shot Eagle Ford source facies that have generated the oils in the First Shot Field. However, in contrast to the generally similar source rock facies and organic matter, maturity varies from early oil window to late oil window in the study area, and these maturity variations have a pronounced effect on both the source rock and oil characteristics. Finally, most of the oils appear to have been generated locally and have not experienced long distance migration. 

  11. Characterizing the hypersiliceous rocks of Belgium used in (pre-)history: a case study on sourcing sedimentary quartzites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Veldeman, Isis; Baele, Jean-Marc; De Doncker, H W J A; Goemaere, Eric; Deceukelaire, Marleen; Dusar, Michiel

    2012-01-01

    Tracking raw material back to its extraction source is a crucial step for archaeologists when trying to deduce migration patterns and trade contacts in (pre-)history. Regarding stone artefacts, the main rock types encountered in the archaeological record of Belgium are hypersiliceous rocks. This is a newly introduced category of rock types comprising those rocks made of at least 90% silica. These are strongly silicified quartz sands or sedimentary quartzites, siliceous rocks of chemical and biochemical origin (e.g. flint), very pure metamorphic quartzites and siliceous volcanic rocks (e.g. obsidian). To be able to distinguish between different extraction sources, ongoing research was started to locate possible extraction sources of hypersiliceous rocks and to characterize rocks collected from these sources. Characterization of these hypersiliceous rocks is executed with the aid of optical polarizing microscopy, optical cold cathodoluminescence and scanning-electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive x-ray spectrometry and with back-scatter electron imaging. In this paper, we focus on various sedimentary quartzites of Paleogene stratigraphical level. (paper)

  12. Hydrocarbon Source Rock Potential of the Sinamar Formation, Muara Bungo, Jambi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moh. Heri Hermiyanto Zajuli

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available DOI: 10.17014/ijog.v1i1.175The Oligocene Sinamar Formation consists of shale, claystone, mudstone, sandstone, conglomeratic sandstone, and intercalation of coal seams. The objective of study was to identify the hydrocarbon source rock potential of the Sinamar Formation based on geochemichal characteristics. The analyses were focused on fine sediments of the Sinamar Formation comprising shale, claystone, and mudstone. Primary data collected from the Sinamar Formation well and outcrops were analyzed according to TOC, pyrolisis analysis, and gas chromatography - mass spectometry of normal alkanes that include isoprenoids and sterane. The TOC value indicates a very well category. Based on TOC versus Pyrolysis Yields (PY diagram, the shales of Sinamar Formation are included into oil prone source rock potential with good to excellent categories. Fine sediments of the Sinamar Formation tend to produce oil and gas originated from kerogen types I and III. The shales tend to generate oil than claystone and mudstone and therefore they are included into a potential source rock

  13. Trace element characterisation of Cretaceous Orange Basin hydrocarbon source rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akinlua, A.; Adekola, S.A.; Swakamisa, O.; Fadipe, O.A.; Akinyemi, S.A.

    2010-01-01

    Research highlights: → Vanadium and nickel contents indicate that the rock samples from the Orange Basin have marine organic matter input. → The organic matter of the Orange Basin source rocks were deposited in reducing conditions. → Despite the similarities in the organic matter source input and depositional environment of the samples from the two well, cross plots of Co/Ni versus V/Ni and Mo/Ni versus Co/Ni were able to reveal their subtle differences. → Cluster analysis classified the samples into three groups based on subtle differences in their .thermal maturity. - Abstract: Trace elements in the kerogen fraction of hydrocarbon source rock samples from two wells obtained from the Cretaceous units of the Orange Basin, South Africa were determined using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, in order to determine their distribution and geochemical significances. The concentrations of the elements (As, Ce, Co, Cu, Fe, Mo, Ni, Pb and V) determined ranged from 0.64 to 47,300 ppm for the samples analysed. The total organic carbon (TOC) values indicate that the samples are organic rich but did not show any trend with the distribution of the trace metals except Ce, Mo and Pb. Dendrogram cluster analysis discriminated the samples into three groups on the basis of their level of thermal maturity. Thermal maturity has a significant effect on the distribution of the trace metals. Cobalt/Ni and V/Ni ratios and cross plots of the absolute values of V and Ni indicate that the samples had significant marine organic matter input. The V and Ni contents and V/(V + Ni) ratio indicate that the organic matter of the source rocks had been deposited in reducing conditions. Despite the similarities in the organic matter source input and depositional environment of the organic matter of the samples from the two well, cross plots of Co/Ni versus V/Ni and Mo/Ni versus Co/Ni were able to reveal subtle differences. Cluster analysis of the samples was also able to reveal the subtle

  14. Hydrocarbon source rock potential evaluation of the Late Paleocene ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    63

    research is available on its source rock potential evaluation at Nammal Gorge Section in the Salt. Range, Potwar Basin .... methods of Tucker (2003) and Assaad (2008) have been followed. A total of fifteen ..... Business Media. Baker D M, Lillie ...

  15. On the source material of magmas - with special reference to Nd isotopic ratios of igneous rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shuto, Kenji

    1980-01-01

    In 1973, the Sm-Nd method was first used for the measurement of the absolute age of igneous rocks and meteorites. Subsequently in the following years, the research works by means of the Nd isotopic ratio in igneous rocks have been made strenuously in order to reveal the chemistry of the source materials of magma giving rise to the igneous rocks and further the evolution process of mantle and earth's crust. The fundamental items for the Sm-Nd method are explained. Then, the research results more important in the above connection are given. Finally, the ideas by the author concerning the source materials of magma are presented from the data available on the Nd isotopes in meteorites and igneous rocks. The following matters are described: the fundamentals of Sm-Nd method, the Nd content in seawater, the negative correlation between Nd and Sr isotopic ratios in igneous rocks, magma source materials and Nd isotopes, and considerations on magma source materials. (J.P.N.)

  16. Organic compositions of lacustrine source rocks in Jiyang super-depression and its implication to petroleum geology

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2006-01-01

    The compositions of organic matter in four immature source rocks from Tertiary strata of Jiyang super-depression, the most typical continental rift subsidence basin in East China, have been studied by different extracting methods with CHCl3, MAC and CS2/NMP, respectively. The results suggest that there are great differences among the chemical compositions of organic matter in the source rocks derived from different depositional environments. About 79% of all the organic matter exists by non- covalent bond in the Es4 source rocks which were deposited under the saline lacustrine, indicating that its organic matter is not the real kerogen, but mainly composed of soluble organic matter which is easy to generate hydrocarbon at lower temperature. This is why the immature oils were derived from Es4 source rocks in Dongying depression. In contrast, around 60% of organic matter exists by covalent bond in Es3 source rocks which were deposited under the deep brackish-fresh lacustrine, showing that Es3 source rocks are mainly composed of kerogen producing mature hydrocarbon at higher temperature. The thermal simulation experiments, upon the remaining solid source rocks which were sequentially extracted by the three solvents, have been carried out. The chloroform extracts from the simulation product have been compared with the other three solvent extracts gained at room temperature. It is obvious that remarkable odd/even predominance (OEP) is mainly the characteristic of soluble organic matter; phytane mostly exists in the soluble organic matter by means of non-covalent bonds and characteristics of soluble organic matter are similar to these in immature oils produced in Jiyang super-depression.

  17. Source rock contributions to the Lower Cretaceous heavy oil accumulations in Alberta: a basin modeling study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berbesi, Luiyin Alejandro; di Primio, Rolando; Anka, Zahie; Horsfield, Brian; Higley, Debra K.

    2012-01-01

    The origin of the immense oil sand deposits in Lower Cretaceous reservoirs of the Western Canada sedimentary basin is still a matter of debate, specifically with respect to the original in-place volumes and contributing source rocks. In this study, the contributions from the main source rocks were addressed using a three-dimensional petroleum system model calibrated to well data. A sensitivity analysis of source rock definition was performed in the case of the two main contributors, which are the Lower Jurassic Gordondale Member of the Fernie Group and the Upper Devonian–Lower Mississippian Exshaw Formation. This sensitivity analysis included variations of assigned total organic carbon and hydrogen index for both source intervals, and in the case of the Exshaw Formation, variations of thickness in areas beneath the Rocky Mountains were also considered. All of the modeled source rocks reached the early or main oil generation stages by 60 Ma, before the onset of the Laramide orogeny. Reconstructed oil accumulations were initially modest because of limited trapping efficiency. This was improved by defining lateral stratigraphic seals within the carrier system. An additional sealing effect by biodegraded oil may have hindered the migration of petroleum in the northern areas, but not to the east of Athabasca. In the latter case, the main trapping controls are dominantly stratigraphic and structural. Our model, based on available data, identifies the Gordondale source rock as the contributor of more than 54% of the oil in the Athabasca and Peace River accumulations, followed by minor amounts from Exshaw (15%) and other Devonian to Lower Jurassic source rocks. The proposed strong contribution of petroleum from the Exshaw Formation source rock to the Athabasca oil sands is only reproduced by assuming 25 m (82 ft) of mature Exshaw in the kitchen areas, with original total organic carbon of 9% or more.

  18. Applying Bioaugmentation to Treat DNAPL Sources in Fractured Rock

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-03-27

    Figure 1. This ESTCP demonstration was focused in the vicinity of Building 8595, adjacent to the location of a reported surface release of PCE ( Earth ...electron donor source, such as vegetable oil, is typically used in passive approaches. When treating a DNAPL source area in fractured rock, there are... vegetable oil) are used. Hydrogen The generation of hydrogen can be used to verify fermentation of electron donor. Metals (Fe, Mn, As) Increase

  19. Source rock potential of the organic rich Turonian - Upper Campanian carbonates of northern Lebanon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Daher, S. Bou; Littke, R. [RWTH Aachen Univ. (Germany). Energy and Mineral Resources Group (EMR); Nader, F.H. [IFP Energies nouvelles, Paris (France). Dept. of Sedimentology-Stratigraphy

    2013-08-01

    Upper Cretaceous chalks, marls, and shales are arguably the most prolific petroleum source rocks in the eastern Mediterranean region. 209 core samples from the Turonian - Upper Campanian rock succession in north Lebanon were collected and analyzed for their organic matter (OM) content, quality, and maturity. The total organic carbon (TOC) measurements revealed a very good source rock potential for a 150 m interval within the Upper Santonian - Upper Campanian, with an average of 2% TOC. High HI values (average 707 mg/g TOC) characterize these source rocks as type I kerogen and reflect a very good preservation of the organic matter. T{sub max} values (average 421 C) match the other maturity parameters such as vitrinite reflectance (average 0.35%), and all point towards immature organic matter. The equivalent Upper Cretaceous in the offshore Levant basin has enough overburden to have reached maturity. However, the accurate extrapolation of the organic matter quality and quantity to the offshore is yet a challenge with the data at hand. (orig.)

  20. Restoration of Circum-Arctic Upper Jurassic source rock paleolatitude based on crude oil geochemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peters, K.E.; Ramos, L.S.; Zumberge, J.E.; Valin, Z.C.; Scotese, C.R.

    2008-01-01

    Tectonic geochemical paleolatitude (TGP) models were developed to predict the paleolatitude of petroleum source rock from the geochemical composition of crude oil. The results validate studies designed to reconstruct ancient source rock depositional environments using oil chemistry and tectonic reconstruction of paleogeography from coordinates of the present day collection site. TGP models can also be used to corroborate tectonic paleolatitude in cases where the predicted paleogeography conflicts with the depositional setting predicted by the oil chemistry, or to predict paleolatitude when the present day collection locality is far removed from the source rock, as might occur due to long distance subsurface migration or transport of tarballs by ocean currents. Biomarker and stable carbon isotope ratios were measured for 496 crude oil samples inferred to originate from Upper Jurassic source rock in West Siberia, the North Sea and offshore Labrador. First, a unique, multi-tiered chemometric (multivariate statistics) decision tree was used to classify these samples into seven oil families and infer the type of organic matter, lithology and depositional environment of each organofacies of source rock [Peters, K.E., Ramos, L.S., Zumberge, J.E., Valin, Z.C., Scotese, C.R., Gautier, D.L., 2007. Circum-Arctic petroleum systems identified using decision-tree chemometrics. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin 91, 877-913]. Second, present day geographic locations for each sample were used to restore the tectonic paleolatitude of the source rock during Late Jurassic time (???150 Ma). Third, partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used to construct linear TGP models that relate tectonic and geochemical paleolatitude, where the latter is based on 19 source-related biomarker and isotope ratios for each oil family. The TGP models were calibrated using 70% of the samples in each family and the remaining 30% of samples were used for model validation. Positive

  1. Microwave-assisted nonionic surfactant extraction of aliphatic hydrocarbons from petroleum source rock

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akinlua, A., E-mail: geochemresearch@yahoo.com [Fossil Fuels and Environmental Geochemistry Group, Department of Chemistry, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (Nigeria); Jochmann, M.A.; Laaks, J.; Ewert, A.; Schmidt, T.C. [Instrumental Analytical Chemistry, University Duisburg-Essen, Universitaetsstr, 5, 45141 Essen (Germany)

    2011-04-08

    The extraction of aliphatic hydrocarbons from petroleum source rock using nonionic surfactants with the assistance of microwave was investigated and the conditions for maximum yield were determined. The results showed that the extraction temperatures and kinetic rates have significant effects on extraction yields of aliphatic hydrocarbons. The optimum temperature for microwave-assisted nonionic surfactant extraction of aliphatic hydrocarbons from petroleum source rock was 105 deg. C. The optimum extraction time for the aliphatic hydrocarbons was at 50 min. Concentration of the nonionic surfactant solution and irradiation power had significant effect on the yields of aliphatic hydrocarbons. The yields of the analytes were much higher using microwave assisted nonionic surfactant extraction than with Soxhlet extraction. The recoveries of the n-alkanes and acyclic isoprenoid hydrocarbons for GC-MS analysis from the extractant nonionic surfactant solution by in-tube extraction (ITEX 2) with a TENAX TA adsorbent were found to be efficient. The results show that microwave-assisted nonionic surfactant extraction (MANSE) is a good and efficient green analytical preparatory technique for geochemical evaluation of petroleum source rock.

  2. Microwave-assisted nonionic surfactant extraction of aliphatic hydrocarbons from petroleum source rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akinlua, A.; Jochmann, M.A.; Laaks, J.; Ewert, A.; Schmidt, T.C.

    2011-01-01

    The extraction of aliphatic hydrocarbons from petroleum source rock using nonionic surfactants with the assistance of microwave was investigated and the conditions for maximum yield were determined. The results showed that the extraction temperatures and kinetic rates have significant effects on extraction yields of aliphatic hydrocarbons. The optimum temperature for microwave-assisted nonionic surfactant extraction of aliphatic hydrocarbons from petroleum source rock was 105 deg. C. The optimum extraction time for the aliphatic hydrocarbons was at 50 min. Concentration of the nonionic surfactant solution and irradiation power had significant effect on the yields of aliphatic hydrocarbons. The yields of the analytes were much higher using microwave assisted nonionic surfactant extraction than with Soxhlet extraction. The recoveries of the n-alkanes and acyclic isoprenoid hydrocarbons for GC-MS analysis from the extractant nonionic surfactant solution by in-tube extraction (ITEX 2) with a TENAX TA adsorbent were found to be efficient. The results show that microwave-assisted nonionic surfactant extraction (MANSE) is a good and efficient green analytical preparatory technique for geochemical evaluation of petroleum source rock.

  3. Relationship between fluvial clastic sediment and source rock abundance in Rapti river basin of central Nepal Himalayas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tamrakar Naresh Kazi; Shresth Madhusudan Bhakta

    2008-01-01

    Many tributaries from carbonate sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks of the Lesser Himalayan and clastic sedimentary rocks of the Sub-Himalayan Ranges carry gravelly sediments to the Rapti River. River bar sediments were analyzed for composition and texture to evaluate downstream changes in properties, and to establish relationship between proportion of clasts and the abundance of rock types in the source areas. Percent quartzite clast or granite clast increases whereas that of carbonate, schist or slate decreases along downstream. The largest grain size decreases downstream, whereas fatness index and sphericity tend to increase. Despite of little diminish in relative abundance of rock types in source areas along the river, the relative proportion of corresponding clast type shows rapid reduction (e.g. slate or phyllite or carbonate clasts) or rapid enhancement (e.g. granite clast). The relationships of quartzite clast and schist clasts with their corresponding source rocks are statistically significant suggesting that these clasts can provide clue to source rock abundance. About 85 to 94% of the gravel clasts represent rock types of the Lesser Himalayan Range suggesting that this range has been contributing enormous amount of sediments.

  4. Osmium Isotopic Evolution of the Mantle Sources of Precambrian Ultramafic Rocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gangopadhyay, A.; Walker, R. J.

    2006-12-01

    The Os isotopic composition of the modern mantle, as recorded collectively by ocean island basalts, mid- oceanic ridge basalts (MORB) and abyssal peridotites, is evidently highly heterogeneous (γ Os(I) ranging from +25). One important question, therefore, is how and when the Earth's mantle developed such large-scale Os isotopic heterogeneities. Previous Os isotopic studies of ancient ultramafic systems, including komatiites and picrites, have shown that the Os isotopic heterogeneity of the terrestrial mantle can be traced as far back as the late-Archean (~ 2.7-2.8 Ga). This observation is based on the initial Os isotopic ratios obtained for the mantle sources of some of the ancient ultramafic rocks determined through analyses of numerous Os-rich whole-rock and/or mineral samples. In some cases, the closed-system behavior of these ancient ultramafic rocks was demonstrated via the generation of isochrons of precise ages, consistent with those obtained from other radiogenic isotopic systems. Thus, a compilation of the published initial ^{187}Os/^{188}Os ratios reported for the mantle sources of komatiitic and picritic rocks is now possible that covers a large range of geologic time spanning from the Mesozoic (ca. 89 Ma Gorgona komatiites) to the Mid-Archean (e.g., ca. 3.3 Ga Commondale komatiites), which provides a comprehensive picture of the Os isotopic evolution of their mantle sources through geologic time. Several Precambrian komatiite/picrite systems are characterized by suprachondritic initial ^{187}Os/^{188}Os ratios (e.g., Belingwe, Kostomuksha, Pechenga). Such long-term enrichments in ^{187}Os of the mantle sources for these rocks may be explained via recycling of old mafic oceanic crust or incorporation of putative suprachondritic outer core materials entrained into their mantle sources. The relative importance of the two processes for some modern mantle-derived systems (e.g., Hawaiian picrites) is an issue of substantial debate. Importantly, however, the

  5. A simple source preparation method for alpha-ray spectrometry of volcanic rock sample

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahashi, Masaomi; Kurihara, Yuichi; Sato, Jun

    2006-01-01

    A simple source preparation method was developed for the alpha-ray spectrometry to determine U and Th in volcanic rockes. Isolation of U and Th from volcanic rocks was made by use of UTEVA-Spec. resin, extraction chromatograph material. U and Th were extracted by TTA-benzene solution and organic phase was evaporated drop by drop on a hot stainless steel planchet to dryness. This method was found to be effective for the preparation of sources for alpha-ray spectrometry. (author)

  6. Isotopic feature and uranium dating of the volcanic rocks in the Okinawa Trough

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2006-01-01

    Volcanic rocks from the northern and middle Okinawa Trough were dated by uranium-series dating method. Differential fractions using magnetic procedure were designed to separate samples. New report on the ages and isotopic data of rocks in the northern trough (especially black pumice) was discussed. Based on the uranium dates and Sr-Nd isotopic ratio, magmatic evolution process of the Okinawa Trough was noted. Firstly, there have been wide silicic volcanic activities in the Okinawa Trough from late Pleistocene to present, and the volcanic rocks can be divided into three subgroups. Secondly, magma generally came from PREMA source area under the Okinawa Trough. Magmatic evolution in the northern trough was similar to the middle, but different to the south. Finally, volcanic activities indicated that opening of the southern Okinawa Trough did not happen due to the collision between Luson Arc and Eurasian Plate until the early Pleistocene.

  7. Interpretation of Oil Seepage of Source Rock Based Magnetic Survey in Cipari Cilacap District

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sukmaji Anom Raharjo

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The magnetic survey had been conducted in Village of Cipari, District of Cipari, Region of  Cilacap to interpret to the location of the oil seepage source rock. Boundary of the research area is 108.75675°E – 108.77611°E and 7.42319°S – 7.43761°S. The observed total magnetic data is corrected and reducted to obtain the local magnetic anomaly data. The local magnetic anomaly data is applied to model the subsurface bodies anomalies based on the Mag2DC for Windows software. With be supported the geological information, the some bodies anomalies are interpreted as the basaltic igneous rock (c = 0.0051, the alternately of sandstone and claystone and insert of marl from Halang Formation (c = 0.0014, the breccia from Kumbang Formation (c = 0.0035, the alternately of sandstones and claystone with insert of marl and breccia from Halang Formation (c = 0.0036, the claystone from Tapak Formation (c = 0.0015, the alternately of sandstones and claystone with insert of marl and compacted breccia from Halang Formation (c = 0.0030, and the alternately of sandstone and claystone from   Halang Formation (c = 0.0020. The plantonic foraminifer fossils as resources of oil seepage are estimated in the sedimentaries rocks, where the oil flows from those rocks into the         reservoir (source rock. Based on the interpretation results, the source rock is above basaltic igneous rock with the approximate position is 108.76164°W and 7.43089°S; and the depth is 132.09 meters below the average topographic.

  8. Location-Related Differences in Weathering Behaviors and Populations of Culturable Rock-Weathering Bacteria Along a Hillside of a Rock Mountain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qi; Wang, Rongrong; He, Linyan; Sheng, Xiafang

    2017-05-01

    Bacteria play important roles in rock weathering, elemental cycling, and soil formation. However, little is known about the weathering potential and population of bacteria inhabiting surfaces of rocks. In this study, we isolated bacteria from the top, middle, and bottom rock samples along a hillside of a rock (trachyte) mountain as well as adjacent soils and characterized rock-weathering behaviors and populations of the bacteria. Per gram of rock or surface soil, 10 6 -10 7 colony forming units were obtained and total 192 bacteria were isolated. Laboratory rock dissolution experiments indicated that the proportions of the highly effective Fe (ranging from 67 to 92 %), Al (ranging from 40 to 48 %), and Cu (ranging from 54 to 81 %) solubilizers were significantly higher in the top rock and soil samples, while the proportion of the highly effective Si (56 %) solubilizers was significantly higher in the middle rock samples. Furthermore, 78, 96, and 6 % of bacteria from the top rocks, soils, and middle rocks, respectively, significantly acidified the culture medium (pH bacteria (79 %) from the rocks were different to those from the soils and most of them (species level) have not been previously reported. Furthermore, location-specific rock-weathering bacterial populations were found and Bacillus species were the most (66 %) frequently isolated rock-weathering bacteria in the rocks based on cultivation methods. Notably, the top rocks and soils had the highest and lowest diversity of rock-weathering bacterial populations, respectively. The results suggested location-related differences in element (Si, Al, Fe, and Cu) releasing effectiveness and communities of rock-weathering bacteria along the hillside of the rock mountain.

  9. Lower Cretaceous Source Rock and its Implication for the Gulf of Guinea Petroleum System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frost, B.R.; Griffith, R.C.

    2002-01-01

    Current petroleum system models for the Gulf of Guinea propose Tertiary-age deltaic organic material as the principal source for the hydrocarbons found there. Although previous workers recognized numerous difficulties and inconsistencies, no alternative model has been resented to adequately explain the complete petroleum system. We propose that the principal source rock for the Gulf of Guinea system occurs in upper lower Cretaceous-age shales at the rift-drift transition. Tertiary loading and the consequent maturation of this lower Cretaceous source rock can explain the controls on tap formation, reservoir distribution and hydrocarbon types found in the Gulf of Guinea

  10. Reexamination of the source material of acid igneous rocks, based on the selected Sr isotopic data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kagami, Hiroo; Shuto, Kenji; Gorai, Masao

    1975-01-01

    The relation between the ages and the initial strontium isotopic compositions obtained from acid igneous rocks by the whole-rock isochron method is re-examined, on the basis of the selected data. The points based on the data having high values of standard deviation (on the isochrons) show considerable scattering. This is probably ascribed to admixture of sialic materials, or secondary alteration and other geologic causes. The points based on the data having lower values of standard deviation (sigma value: 0.0001 - 0.0019), on the other hand, are evidently plotted within a narrow region just above the presumed Sr evolutional region of the source material of oceanic tholeiites. It is noteworthy that the former region meets the latter region at an earlier stage of the evolutional history of the earth (about 40 x 10 8 yrs. ago or older). It may be conceivable that the former region is the Sr evolutional region of the source material of acid igneous rocks. Considering from the inclination of the above Sr evolutional region, the source material of most of acid igneous rocks may possibly be a certain basic material, chemically similar to the continental tholeiitic basalts or basaltic andesites. On the other hand, the source material of a few acid igneous rocks with low initial strontium isotopic ratios may be a certain basic material resembling the oceanic tholeiites. Another possibility is that these acid igneous rocks and oceanic tholeiites may have been formed, under different physical conditions, directly from a certain common source material presumably of peridotitic composition. (auth.)

  11. Crustal contamination versus an enriched mantle source for intracontinental mafic rocks: Insights from early Paleozoic mafic rocks of the South China Block

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Wenjing; Xu, Xisheng; Zeng, Gang

    2017-08-01

    Several recent studies have documented that the silicic rocks (SiO2 > 65 wt.%) comprising Silicic Large Igneous Provinces are derived from partial melting of the crust facilitated by underplating/intraplating of "hidden" large igneous province-scale basaltic magmas. The early Paleozoic intracontinental magmatic rocks in the South China Block (SCB) are dominantly granitoids, which cover a combined area of 22,000 km2. In contrast, exposures of mafic rocks total only 45 km2. These mafic rocks have extremely heterogeneous isotopic signatures that range from depleted to enriched (whole rock initial 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7041-0.7102; εNd(t) = - 8.4 to + 1.8; weighted mean zircon εHf(t) = - 7.4 to + 5.2), show low Ce/Pb and Nb/U ratios (0.59-13.1 and 3.5-20.9, respectively), and variable Th/La ratios (0.11-0.51). The high-MgO mafic rocks (MgO > 10 wt.%) tend to have lower εNd(t) values (- 4) and Sm/Nd ratios (> 0.255). The differences in geochemistry between the high-MgO and low-MgO mafic rocks indicate greater modification of the compositions of high-MgO mafic magmas by crustal material. In addition, generally good negative correlations between εNd(t) and initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios, MgO, and K2O, along with the presence of inherited zircons in some plutons, indicate that the geochemical and isotopic compositions of the mafic rocks reflect significant crustal contamination, rather than an enriched mantle source. The results show that high-MgO mafic rocks with fertile isotopic compositions may be indicative of crustal contamination in addition to an enriched mantle source, and it is more likely that the lithospheric mantle beneath the SCB during the early Paleozoic was moderately depleted than enriched by ancient subduction processes.

  12. Evaluation on occluded hydrocarbon in deep–ultra deep ancient source rocks and its cracked gas resources

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jian Li

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Oil-cracked gas, as the main type of high-over mature marine natural gas in China, is mainly derived from occluded hydrocarbon. So it is significant to carry out quantitative study on occluded hydrocarbon. In this paper, the occluded hydrocarbon volume of the main basins in China was calculated depending on their types, abundances and evolution stages by means of the forward method (experimental simulation and the inversion method (geologic profile dissection. And then, occluded hydrocarbon evolution models were established for five types of source rocks (sapropelic, sapropelic prone hybrid, humic prone hybrid, humic and coal. It is shown that the hydrocarbon expulsion efficiency of sapropelic and sapropelic prone hybrid excellent source rocks is lower than 30% at the low-maturity stage, 30%–60% at the principal oil generation stage, and 50%–80% at the high-maturity stage, which are all about 10% higher than that of humic prone hybrid and humic source rocks at the corresponding stages. The resource distribution and cracked gas expulsion of occluded hydrocarbon since the high-maturity stage of marine source rocks in the Sichuan Basin were preliminarily calculated on the basis of the evolution models. The cracked gas expulsion is 230.4 × 1012 m3 at the high evolution stage of occluded hydrocarbon of the Lower Cambrian Qiongzhusi Fm in this basin, and 12.3 × 1012 m3 from the source rocks of Sinian Doushantuo Fm, indicating good potential for natural gas resources. It is indicated that the favorable areas of occluded hydrocarbon cracked gas in the Qiongzhusi Fm source rocks in the Sichuan Basin include Gaoshiti–Moxi, Ziyang and Weiyuan, covering a favorable area of 4.3 × 104 km2.

  13. Lithofacies palaeogeography of the Upper Permian Changxing Stage in the Middle and Upper Yangtze Region, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    He Youbin

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Based on the petrological study, according to single factor analysis and multifactor comprehensive mapping method, the quantitative lithofacies palaeogeography of the Upper Permian Changxing Stage of the Middle and Upper Yangtze Region was studied. The Changxing Stage in the Middle and Upper Yangtze Region is mainly composed of carbonate rocks; in addition, clastic and siliceous rocks occur with rare coals and pyroclastic rocks. Lithofacies can be divided into five types, including clastic rock assemblage, clastic rock–limestone assemblage, limestone assemblage, limestone–siliceous rock assemblage, and siliceous rock–clastic rock assemblage. Four fundamental ecological types and five fossil assemblages were recognized in the Changxing Stage. On the basis of the petrological and palaeoecological study, eight single factors were chosen including thickness, content of marine rocks, content of shallow water carbonate rocks, content of bioclasts with limemud matrix, content of bioclasts with sparry cement, distribution of reefs, content of thin bedded siliceous rocks and content of deep water sedimentary rocks. And eight single factor maps and one lithofacies paleogeographic map of the Changxing Stage were compiled. Paleoenvironments from west to east include an erosional area, fluvial plain, clastic platform, carbonate platform and reefs that developed there, slope and basin, low energy organic banks, and high energy organic banks. Sedimentary environments have an obvious control on the development of the source rocks, and the excellent source rocks are developed in the Dalong Formation. Changxing Stage reservoirs should be dominated by the reef and platform surrounding the Guangyuan–Liangping Basin rim area, and is the most favorable exploration area of the reef petroleum reservoirs of the Changxing Formation.

  14. Geochemistry of crude oils, seepage oils and source rocks from Belize and Guatemala

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, H.I.; Holland, B.; Nytoft, H.P.

    2012-01-01

    This study reviews the stratigraphy and the poorly documented petroleum geology of the Belize-Guatemala area in northern Central America. Guatemala is divided by the east-west trending La Libertad arch into the North and South Petén Basins. The arch is the westward continuation of the Maya...... generated from source rocks with similar thermal maturities. The crude oils were generated from marine carbonate source rocks and could be divided into three groups: Group 1 oils come from the North Petén Basin (Guatemala) and the western part of the Corozal Basin (Belize), and have a typical carbonate...

  15. A comparison of geochemical features of extracts from coal-seams source rocks with different polarity solvents

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Jianping; Deng, Chunping; Wang, Huitong

    2009-02-15

    There exists a great difference in group-type fractions and biomarker distributions of chloroform extracts from coals and coal-seams oils, which makes the source identification of coal-seams oils in sedimentary basins rather difficult. The experiment, in which four different polarity solvents, n-hexane, benzene, dichloromethane and chloroform, were used to extract 9 coal-seams source rocks and 3 typical lacustrine source rocks, showed that the yield of extracts increased gradually with increasing solvent polarity. The distribution features of their n-alkanes, isoprenoids and sterane and terpane biomarkers remained, in general, similar, showing no distinct enrichment or depletion for a certain fraction by any solvent. The compositional analysis on n-hexane and chloroform extracts showed that the absolute amount (concentration) of biomarkers was relatively low for the n-hexane extract but comparatively high for the chloroform extract, this difference became great among coal-seams source rocks but small among lacustrine mudstones. The statistical analysis on the relative amount of the 18 major biomarkers in n-hexane and chloroform extracts from 10 source rock samples showed that extracts with a proportional error for the same biomarker of less than 5% (including the analytical error) accounted for 84% while those with a proportional error over 10% amounted to below 5%. This suggested that the outcome of oil-source correlation made by these biomarkers will be independent of variations in amounts of saturates and biomarkers arising from solvent polarity. Therefore, biomarkers obtained from organic-rich source rocks including coals by the extraction with the commonly used chloroform solvent can be applied for the oilsource correlation of coal-seams petroliferous basins.

  16. Factors controlling leaching of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from petroleum source rock using nonionic surfactant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akinlua, Akinsehinwa [Obafemi Awolowo Univ., Ile-Ife (Nigeria). Fossil Fuels and Environmental Geochemistry Group; Jochmann, Maik A.; Qian, Yuan; Schmidt, Torsten C. [Duisburg-Essen Univ., Essen (Germany). Instrumental Analytical Chemistry; Sulkowski, Martin [Duisburg-Essen Univ., Essen (Germany). Inst. of Environmental Analytical Chemistry

    2012-03-15

    The extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from petroleum source rock by nonionic surfactants with the assistance of microwave irradiation was investigated and the conditions for maximum yield were determined. The results showed that the extraction temperatures and type of surfactant have significant effects on extraction yields of PAHs. Factors such as surfactant concentration, irradiation power, sample/solvent ratio and mixing surfactants (i.e., mixture of surfactant at specific ratio) also influence the extraction efficiencies for these compounds. The optimum temperature for microwave-assisted nonionic surfactant extraction of PAHs from petroleum source rock was 120 C and the best suited surfactant was Brij 35. The new method showed extraction efficiencies comparable to those afforded by the Soxhlet extraction method, but a reduction of the extraction times and environmentally friendliness of the new nonionic surfactant extraction system are clear advantages. The results also show that microwave-assisted nonionic surfactant extraction is a good and efficient green analytical preparatory technique for geochemical evaluation of petroleum source rock. (orig.)

  17. Petrology and geochronology of metamorphosed volcanic rocks and a middle Cretaceous volcanic neck in the east-central Sierra Nevada, California.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kistler, R.W.; Swanson, S.E.

    1981-01-01

    Metamorphosed Mesozoic volcanic rocks from the E-central Sierra Nevada range in composition from basalt to rhyolite and have ages, based on whole rock Rb-Sr and U-Pb zircon dating, of about 237- 224, 185, 163, 134, and 100Ma. The major plutons of the batholith in this area are of Triassic (215-200Ma) and Cretaceous (94-80Ma) ages. Initial 87Sr/86Sr values for the metamorphosed volcanic rocks of the area are in the range from 0.7042 to 0.7058 and are generally different from the values for the surrounding batholithic rocks (0.7056-0.7066). A circular, zoned granitic pluton, with an outcrop area of 2.5km2, similar in appearance to a ring dike complex, was apparently a conduit for some or possibly all of the middle-Cretaceous metamorphosed volcanic rocks exposed about 5km to the S in the western part of the Ritter Range. Samples from the metamorphosed volcanic rocks and the pluton yield a Rb/Sr whole rock isochron age of 99.9+ or -2.2Ma with an intitial 87Sr/86Sr of 0.7048+ or -0.00001. Major element variation diagrams of the pluton and volcanic rocks define coincident compositional trends. The ages of volcanic events relative to the ages of the major intrusive epochs and the major element and isotopic compositions of the volcanic rocks relative to the major plutons indicate that the volcanic rocks are not simply or directly related to the major plutons in the Sierra Nevada. -from Authors

  18. ) Organic Facies Variations in the Middle Cretaceous Black Shales of the Abakaliki Fold Belt, South-East, Nigeria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ehinola, O. A.; Badejoko, T.A.; Ekweozor, C.M.; Adebowale, K. O.

    2003-01-01

    An assessment, based on organic facies characteristics, have been carried out on the middle Cretaceous black shales, in order to determine their hydrocarbon source potential, thermal maturity, and depositional environments. The methods employed include evaluation of organic carbon content, rockeval pyrolysis, extractable organic matter, maceral composition and biomarker distributions.Organic facies criteria such as TOC, HI, Tmax, liptinite content, SOMIFOC and SHC/AHC indicate that Albian to middle Cenomanian shales are could only generate gas. The late Cenomanian to early Turonian shales are characterized by Type I/II kerogen, mature and could generate both oil and characterized by Type III kerogen, immature and could generate gas with little oil. The biomarker distributions indicate immature to mature source rock, moderately biodegraded and with reduced marine environment prevailing during the deposition of the lack shales. The late Cenomanian to early Turonian black shales show the highest source-rock potential

  19. Petroleum source-rock potentials of the cretaceous transgressive-regressive sedimentary sequences of the Cauvery Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandra, Kuldeep; Philip, P. C.; Sridharan, P.; Chopra, V. S.; Rao, Brahmaji; Saha, P. K.

    The present work is an attempt to contribute to knowledge on the petroleum source-rock potentials of the marine claystones and shales of basins associated with passive continental margins where the source-rock developments are known to have been associated with the anoxic events in the Mesozoic era. Data on three key exploratory wells from three major depressions Ariyallur-Pondicherry, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam of the Cauvery Basin are described and discussed. The average total organic carbon contents of the transgressive Pre-Albian-Cinomanian and Coniacian/Santonian claystones/shales range from 1.44 and 1.16%, respectively. The transgressive/regressive Campanian/Maastrichtian claystones contain average total organic carbon varying from 0.62 to 1.19%. The kerogens in all the studied stratigraphic sequences are classified as type-III with Rock-Eval hydrogen indices varying from 30 to 275. The nearness of land masses to the depositional basin and the mainly clastic sedimentation resulted in accumulation and preservation of dominantly type-III kerogens. The Pre-Albian to Cinomanian sequences of peak transgressive zone deposited in deep marine environments have kerogens with a relatively greater proportion of type-II components with likely greater contribution of planktonic organic matters. The global anoxic event associated with the Albian-Cinomanian marine transgression, like in many other parts of the world, has pervaded the Cauvery Basin and favoured development of good source-rocks with type-III kerogens. The Coniacian-Campanian-Maastrichtian transgressive/regressive phase is identified to be relatively of lesser significance for development of good quality source-rocks.

  20. Effects of Host-rock Fracturing on Elastic-deformation Source Models of Volcano Deflation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holohan, Eoghan P; Sudhaus, Henriette; Walter, Thomas R; Schöpfer, Martin P J; Walsh, John J

    2017-09-08

    Volcanoes commonly inflate or deflate during episodes of unrest or eruption. Continuum mechanics models that assume linear elastic deformation of the Earth's crust are routinely used to invert the observed ground motions. The source(s) of deformation in such models are generally interpreted in terms of magma bodies or pathways, and thus form a basis for hazard assessment and mitigation. Using discontinuum mechanics models, we show how host-rock fracturing (i.e. non-elastic deformation) during drainage of a magma body can progressively change the shape and depth of an elastic-deformation source. We argue that this effect explains the marked spatio-temporal changes in source model attributes inferred for the March-April 2007 eruption of Piton de la Fournaise volcano, La Reunion. We find that pronounced deflation-related host-rock fracturing can: (1) yield inclined source model geometries for a horizontal magma body; (2) cause significant upward migration of an elastic-deformation source, leading to underestimation of the true magma body depth and potentially to a misinterpretation of ascending magma; and (3) at least partly explain underestimation by elastic-deformation sources of changes in sub-surface magma volume.

  1. Why Was Silcrete Heat-Treated in the Middle Stone Age? An Early Transformative Technology in the Context of Raw Material Use at Mertenhof Rock Shelter, South Africa.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrick Schmidt

    Full Text Available People heat treated silcrete during the Middle Stone Age (MSA in southern Africa but the spatial and temporal variability of this practice remains poorly documented. This paucity of data in turn makes it difficult to interrogate the motive factors underlying the application of this technique. In this paper we present data on heat treatment of silcrete through the Howiesons Poort and post-Howiesons Poort of the rock shelter site Mertenhof, located in the Western Cape of South Africa. In contrast to other sites where heat treatment has been documented, distance to rock source at Mertenhof can be reasonably well estimated, and the site is known to contain high proportions of a diversity of fine grained rocks including silcrete, hornfels and chert at various points through the sequence. Our results suggest the prevalence of heat treatment is variable through the sequence but that it is largely unaffected by the relative abundance of silcrete prevalence. Instead there is a strong inverse correlation between frequency of heat treatment in silcrete and prevalence of chert in the assemblage, and a generally positive correlation with the proportion of locally available rock. While it is difficult to separate individual factors we suggest that, at Mertenhof at least, heat treatment may have been used to improve the fracture properties of silcrete at times when other finer grained rocks were less readily available. As such, heat treatment appears to have been a component of the MSA behavioural repertoire that was flexibly deployed in ways sensitive to other elements of technological organisation.

  2. Average contents of uranium and thorium in the most important types of rocks of the Ukrainian shield

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belevtsev, Ya.N.; Egorov, Yu.P.; Titov, V.K.; Sukhinin, A.M.; Grechishnikova, Z. M.; Zayats, V.B.; Tikhonenko, V.A.; Zhukova, A.M.

    1975-01-01

    The data given concern uranium and thorium contents in the most important rock types of the Ukraina shield. The smallest quantities of uranium are characteristic for the vulcanic rocks of basic and ultrabasic rocks. Archean formations, whose source materials were mainly basic and ultrabasic vulcanites, are marked by this low uranium content. The highest uranium content is observed in the clastogenic rocks of low Proterozoic. The average uranium content is observed in silty argellite rocks represented by crystal slates and paragneissis. Rheomorphic and metasomatic granites and granosyenites of low and middle Proterozoic are also characterized by an increased content of uranium. The platform precipitation rocks of high Proterozoic possess a relatively low uranium content. Thorium concentrations with low thorium-uranium proportions in granites, syenites and granosyenites prove their enrichment in uranium

  3. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of Dibenzofuran, Alkyldibenzofurans, and Benzo[b]naphthofurans in crude oils and source rock extracts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meijun Li,; Ellis, Geoffrey S.

    2015-01-01

    Dibenzofuran (DBF), its alkylated homologues, and benzo[b]naphthofurans (BNFs) are common oxygen-heterocyclic aromatic compounds in crude oils and source rock extracts. A series of positional isomers of alkyldibenzofuran and benzo[b]naphthofuran were identified in mass chromatograms by comparison with internal standards and standard retention indices. The response factors of dibenzofuran in relation to internal standards were obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses of a set of mixed solutions with different concentration ratios. Perdeuterated dibenzofuran and dibenzothiophene are optimal internal standards for quantitative analyses of furan compounds in crude oils and source rock extracts. The average concentration of the total DBFs in oils derived from siliciclastic lacustrine rock extracts from the Beibuwan Basin, South China Sea, was 518 μg/g, which is about 5 times that observed in the oils from carbonate source rocks in the Tarim Basin, Northwest China. The BNFs occur ubiquitously in source rock extracts and related oils of various origins. The results of this work suggest that the relative abundance of benzo[b]naphthofuran isomers, that is, the benzo[b]naphtho[2,1-d]furan/{benzo[b]naphtho[2,1-d]furan + benzo[b]naphtho[1,2-d]furan} ratio, may be a potential molecular geochemical parameter to indicate oil migration pathways and distances.

  4. Shale characterization in mass transport complex as a potential source rock: An example from onshore West Java Basin, Indonesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nugraha, A. M. S.; Widiarti, R.; Kusumah, E. P.

    2017-12-01

    This study describes a deep-water slump facies shale of the Early Miocene Jatiluhur/Cibulakan Formation to understand its potential as a source rock in an active tectonic region, the onshore West Java. The formation is equivalent with the Gumai Formation, which has been well-known as another prolific source rock besides the Oligocene Talang Akar Formation in North West Java Basin, Indonesia. The equivalent shale formation is expected to have same potential source rock towards the onshore of Central Java. The shale samples were taken onshore, 150 km away from the basin. The shale must be rich of organic matter, have good quality of kerogen, and thermally matured to be categorized as a potential source rock. Investigations from petrography, X-Ray diffractions (XRD), and backscattered electron show heterogeneous mineralogy in the shales. The mineralogy consists of clay minerals, minor quartz, muscovite, calcite, chlorite, clinopyroxene, and other weathered minerals. This composition makes the shale more brittle. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis indicate secondary porosities and microstructures. Total Organic Carbon (TOC) shows 0.8-1.1 wt%, compared to the basinal shale 1.5-8 wt%. The shale properties from this outcropped formation indicate a good potential source rock that can be found in the subsurface area with better quality and maturity.

  5. Geochemical evaluation of the middle Magdalena basing Colombia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramon, J.C; Dzou, L; Giraldo, B

    1997-01-01

    The chemical composition of 25 crude oils from Tertiary reservoirs and 12 rock extracts from five organic-rich Cretaceous formations in the middle Magdalena Basin, Colombia were studied in detail by geochemical methods in order to understand their genetic relationships. The oils have been geochemically classified into four main groups based on the sulfur content, pristane/phytane, dibenzothiophene /phenanthrene, concentrations of oleanane and terpane distributions. Each group occurs in different geographic locations. Oils were mainly derived from calcareous, siliciclastic and mixture of these two facies of the Upper Cretaceous La Luna Formation. Source-oil correlation is supported by sterane and terpane distributions of and carbon isotope ratios. Some oils in the eastern margin contain relatively higher concentrations of higher plant indicators than the remaining oil samples. The molecular compositions of the oils observed in this study appear to be consistent with the inferred depositional sequence of anoxic marine/pelagic carbonate facies in the north/western sector of the Middle Magdalena, while the eastern sector received a higher proportion of clastic input. This documentation supports the interpretation that the Middle Magdalena oils have been generated 'locally', as opposed to have migrated from the region of the Eastern Cordillera. Biomarker maturity parameters indicate that the majority of oils were generated in the early thermal maturity oil window except the Colorado-38 oil, which was generated in the middle thermal maturity oil window. Oil maturity data also supports the short migration distances of oils from the early-mature source rocks to the reservoir rocks. The composition of some oils (e.g., La Cira, Infantas, Conde and Bonanza) is unusual in that gas chromatographic data contains an n-alkane and isoprenoid distribution normally associated with moderately degraded oils, but they also contain a relatively high abundance of gasoline hydrocarbons

  6. Neoproterozoic rift basins and their control on the development of hydrocarbon source rocks in the Tarim Basin, NW China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Guang-You; Ren, Rong; Chen, Fei-Ran; Li, Ting-Ting; Chen, Yong-Quan

    2017-12-01

    The Proterozoic is demonstrated to be an important period for global petroleum systems. Few exploration breakthroughs, however, have been obtained on the system in the Tarim Basin, NW China. Outcrop, drilling, and seismic data are integrated in this paper to focus on the Neoproterozoic rift basins and related hydrocarbon source rocks in the Tarim Basin. The basin consists of Cryogenian to Ediacaran rifts showing a distribution of N-S differentiation. Compared to the Cryogenian basins, those of the Ediacaran are characterized by deposits in small thickness and wide distribution. Thus, the rifts have a typical dual structure, namely the Cryogenian rifting and Ediacaran depression phases that reveal distinct structural and sedimentary characteristics. The Cryogenian rifting basins are dominated by a series of grabens or half grabens, which have a wedge-shaped rapid filling structure. The basins evolved into Ediacaran depression when the rifting and magmatic activities diminished, and extensive overlapping sedimentation occurred. The distributions of the source rocks are controlled by the Neoproterozoic rifts as follows. The present outcrops lie mostly at the margins of the Cryogenian rifting basins where the rapid deposition dominates and the argillaceous rocks have low total organic carbon (TOC) contents; however, the source rocks with high TOC contents should develop in the center of the basins. The Ediacaran source rocks formed in deep water environment of the stable depressions evolving from the previous rifting basins, and are thus more widespread in the Tarim Basin. The confirmation of the Cryogenian to Ediacaran source rocks would open up a new field for the deep hydrocarbon exploration in the Tarim Basin.

  7. Source rock identification of sediments using trace element ratios and 13C isotope data - a case study from Pondicherry region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tirumalesh, K.; Kulkarni, U.P.; Singh, Gursharan; Ramakumar, K.L.; Chidambaram, S.

    2012-01-01

    Compositional characteristics of source rocks are generally well recorded in sedimentary deposits and provide valuable information about nature of source rocks even though weathering, physical sorting and deposition environment influence the sediment geochemistry. In this paper we report major, trace element and 13 C isotope data of cutting samples collected from Quaternary, Tertiary and Cretaceous formations in Pondicherry area. The distribution patterns and inter elemental correlations are used to identify source rock composition and carbon isotope compositions to understand the sediment deposition conditions. Mineralogy of the bulk sediment indicates presence of Quartz, K-feldspar, Calcite, Mg-calcite, Aragonite and Clay minerals. Compared to upper continental crust values most of these sediments show lower concentration of all elements except Ca and Zn at some depths. The depletion is probably associated with weathering of feldspar and removal of elements through solution. This also increases the proportion of quartz relative to source rock. The ratios of redox sensitive elements (Th/U) infer oxic weathering in shallow sediments. Elemental ratios (La/Sc, Th/Sc, Th/Cr, Th/Co) and ternary plots (La-Th-Sc and Th-Hf-Co) indicate contribution of felsic source rocks with varying degree of weathering. These plots also infer the inherent heterogeneity in the source rocks. Hafnium correlations with other trace elements suggest contribution of Tonalitic rocks in addition to granite to these sediments. The geochemical characteristics of the sediments are found to be similar to that of sediments belonging to similar geology in nearby regions. Presence of shallow marine condition during the sedimentation is inferred from the detrital index (DI) values, which is further supported by the presence of fibrous clay minerals in ESEM scans. This study also brings out the utility of δ 13 C information to reinforce the geochemical and mineralogical inferences. (author)

  8. Burial history, thermal history and hydrocarbon generation modelling of the Jurassic source rocks in the basement of the Polish Carpathian Foredeep and Outer Carpathians (SE Poland)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kosakowski, Paweł; Wróbel, Magdalena

    2012-08-01

    Burial history, thermal maturity, and timing of hydrocarbon generation were modelled for the Jurassic source rocks in the basement of the Carpathian Foredeep and marginal part of the Outer Carpathians. The area of investigation was bounded to the west by Kraków, to the east by Rzeszów. The modelling was carried out in profiles of wells: Będzienica 2, Dębica 10K, Góra Ropczycka 1K, Goleszów 5, Nawsie 1, Pławowice E1 and Pilzno 40. The organic matter, containing gas-prone Type III kerogen with an admixture of Type II kerogen, is immature or at most, early mature to 0.7 % in the vitrinite reflectance scale. The highest thermal maturity is recorded in the south-eastern part of the study area, where the Jurassic strata are buried deeper. The thermal modelling showed that the obtained organic matter maturity in the initial phase of the "oil window" is connected with the stage of the Carpathian overthrusting. The numerical modelling indicated that the onset of hydrocarbon generation from the Middle Jurassic source rocks was also connected with the Carpathian thrust belt. The peak of hydrocarbon generation took place in the orogenic stage of the overthrusting. The amount of generated hydrocarbons is generally small, which is a consequence of the low maturity and low transformation degree of kerogen. The generated hydrocarbons were not expelled from their source rock. An analysis of maturity distribution and transformation degree of the Jurassic organic matter shows that the best conditions for hydrocarbon generation occurred most probably in areas deeply buried under the Outer Carpathians. It is most probable that the "generation kitchen" should be searched for there.

  9. Neutron activation analysis of alternative phosphate rocks used in animal nutrition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Canella, Artur A.; Ferreira, Walter M.

    2005-01-01

    Since 1980's, Bovine Sponghiform Encephalophaty has insidiously created a fierce battleground between farmers, scientists, environmentalists and consumers. The use of meat and bone meals is currently prohibited in ruminant feeds throughout the world. Some inorganic sources offer the combination of high phosphorus content and acceptable animal digestibility make them options as supplemental phosphorus, for instance phosphate rocks, general term applied to minerals valued chiefly for their phosphorus content. However, phosphate rocks are long been known containing hazardous elements, make them sometimes unsuitable for animal nutrition. Neutron Activation Analysis has been supportive to the mineral evaluation of alternative phosphate rocks. This evaluation is subject of on-going doctoral thesis which has been carried-out by the main author. The NAA method has been very efficient due to its highly sensitive and multi-elemental nature. In this paper results of Vanadium content from three different phosphate rocks are presented. Their values have been pointed out that Brazilian phosphate rocks present hazardous elements at the same levels of phosphate rocks from some countries of Africa, North America and Middle East, data from our study (Brazilian data) and FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization (others countries). (author)

  10. Characteristics of the Triassic Source Rocks of the Aitutu Formation in the (West Timor Basin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asep Kurnia Permana

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available DOI:10.17014/ijog.v1i3.192The Triassic rocks of the (West Timor Basin have been identified that was mainly deposited in the  marine environment. The fine grained clastics and carbonate  rocks of this Triassic marine  facies are considered to be the most promising source rocks potential in this basin. In this paper we present geochemical and petrographic data from outcrop samples of the Triassic carbonate Aitutu Formation, due to emphasized the organic maturation, kerogen type of the organic matter and the origin of the organic matter.  A representative of selected sample were subjected to the Rock-Eval Pyrolisis, vitrinite reflectance and thermal alteration index, bitumen extraction, were analyzed on the GC-MS. The samples were collected from marine deposit of the Triassic Sequence. The TOC values of the analyzed sample range between rich and rich organic richness (0.51% - 9.16%, wt.%, TOC, which consists mainly of type II and III kerogen and the organic matter consider to be predominantly oil/gas prone and gas prone potential. The thermal maturity assessed from Tmax, TAI, and vitrinite reflectance shows an immature to early peak mature stage of the organic matter. The GC-MS analyses of the biomarkers indicate mainly the organic matter derived from mixed source rocks facies containing alga debris and higher plant terrestrial origin.

  11. 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.

  12. Research on supplying potential of uranium source from rocks in western provenance area of Hailaer basin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xia Yuliang; Liu Hanbin; Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing

    2006-01-01

    Using U-Pb isotope composition evolution, this paper expounds the initial uranium content in volcanic rocks of provenance area of Xihulitu basin and in granites of provenance area of Kelulun sag, western Hailaer basin. The initial uranium content (U 0 ) in volcanic rocks of provenance area is higher, the average initial uranium content of volcanic rocks is 10.061 x 10 -6 , the average uranium variation coefficient (ΔU) is -49.57%; the average initial uranium content of granites is 18.381 x 10 -6 , the average uranium variation coefficient (ΔU) is -80%. The results indicate that rocks in provenance area could provide the pre-enrichment of uranium in deposited sandstone. U-Ra equilibrium coefficients of rocks indicate that there is obvious U-Ra disequilibrium phenomenon in volcanic rocks, and the time when granites provided uranium source occurred 16000 a ago. (authors)

  13. Water sources for cyanobacteria below desert rocks in the Negev Desert determined by conductivity

    OpenAIRE

    McKay, Christopher P.

    2016-01-01

    We present year round meteorological and conductivity measurements of colonized hypolithic rocks in the Arava Valley, Negev Desert, Israel. The data indicate that while dew is common in the Negev it is not an important source of moisture for hypolithic organisms at this site. The dominance of cyanobacteria in the hypolithic community is consistent with predictions that cyanobacteria are confined to habitats supplied by rain. To monitor the presence of liquid water under the small Negev rocks ...

  14. Lithofacies palaeogeography of the Late Permian Wujiaping Age in the Middle and Upper Yangtze Region, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jin-Xiong Luo

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available The lithofacies palaeogeography of the Late Permian Wujiaping Age in Middle and Upper Yangtze Region was studied based on petrography and the “single factor analysis and multifactor comprehensive mapping” method. The Upper Permian Wujiaping Stage in the Middle and Upper Yangtze Region is mainly composed of carbonate rocks and clastic rocks, with lesser amounts of siliceous rocks, pyroclastic rocks, volcanic rocks and coal. The rocks can be divided into three types, including clastic rock, clastic rock–limestone and limestone–siliceous rock, and four fundamental ecological types and four fossil assemblages are recognized in the Wujiaping Stage. Based on a petrological and palaeoecological study, six single factors were selected, namely, thickness (m, content (% of marine rocks, content (% of shallow water carbonate rocks, content (% of biograins with limemud, content (% of thin-bedded siliceous rocks and content (% of deep water sedimentary rocks. Six single factors maps of the Wujiaping Stage and one lithofacies palaeogeography map of the Wujiaping Age were composed. Palaeogeographic units from west to east include an eroded area, an alluvial plain, a clastic rock platform, a carbonate rock platform where biocrowds developed, a slope and a basin. In addition, a clastic rock platform exists in the southeast of the study area. Hydrocarbon source rock and reservoir conditions were preliminarily analyzed based on lithofacies palaeogeography. Sedimentary environments have obvious controls over the development of the resource rocks. With regard to the abundance of organic matter, the hydrocarbon potential of the coastal swamp environment is the best, followed by the basin environment and the carbonate rock platform. The gas reservoir types of the Wujiaping Stage can be classified as conventional and unconventional gas reservoirs, like coal bed gas and shale gas; all of them have well exploration prospects.

  15. Gravel size matters: Early Middle Palaeolithic artefacts made from local Rhine and Meuse deposits in the central Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van den Biggelaar, D.F.A.M.; van Balen, R.T.; Kluiving, S.J.; Verpoorte, A.; Alink, A

    2016-01-01

    The artefact size of the Early Middle Palaeolithic (EMP) assemblages in ice-pushed Rhine–Meuse deposits in the central Netherlands decreases northwestward. This trend correlates to the downstream fining direction of the Rhine–Meuse fluvial system, the source of the rock material, showing that

  16. Geochemical and Sr-Nd-Pb-Li isotopic characteristics of volcanic rocks from the Okinawa Trough: Implications for the influence of subduction components and the contamination of crustal materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Kun; Zhai, Shikui; Yu, Zenghui; Wang, Shujie; Zhang, Xia; Wang, Xiaoyuan

    2018-04-01

    The Okinawa Trough is an infant back-arc basin developed along the Ryukyu arc. This paper provides new major and trace element and Sr-Nd-Pb-Li isotope data of volcanic rocks in the Okinawa Trough and combines the published geochemical data to discuss the composition of magma source, the influence of subduction component, and the contamination of crustal materials, and calculate the contribution between subduction sediment and altered oceanic crust in the subduction component. The results showed that there are 97% DM and 3% EMI component in the mantle source in middle trough (MS), which have been influenced by subduction sediment. The Li-Nd isotopes indicate that the contribution of subduction sediment and altered oceanic crust in subduction component are 4 and 96%, respectively. The intermediate-acidic rocks suffer from contamination of continental crust material in shallow magma chamber during fractional crystallization. The acidic rocks in south trough have experienced more contamination of crustal material than those from the middle and north trough segments.

  17. Angola: source rock control for Lower Congo Coastal and Kwanza Basin petroleum systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Burwood, R. [Fina Exploration Ltd, Epsom (United Kingdom)

    1999-07-01

    The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of petroleum occurrence and provenance for the 1000 km West African Atlantic Margin from Cabinda to mid-Angola. Over this margin the Lower Congo Coastal and Kwanza provinces cumulatively account for reserves of c. 6 gigabarrels oil recoverable (GBOR). These are dominantly reservoired in Pinda carbonate traps of the former basin. However, with production from a range of aggradational wedge, carbonate platform and pre-salt reservoirs, a diversity in oil character presupposes complex hydrocarbon habitats charged by multiple sourcing. Each of these two major Atlantic margin salt basins constitutes a different, source rock driven, hydrocarbon habitat. As classic passive margin pull-apart basins, Early Cretaceous initiated rift events (Pre-rift, Syn-rift I, II, etc.) evolved into the drift phase opening of the southern Atlantic. A striking feature of this progression was widespread evaporite deposition of the Aptian Loeme salt. This separates two distinct sedimentary and tectonic domains of the Pre- and Post-Salt. The core Lower Congo Coastal habitat is dominated by the Pre-Salt Bucomazi Formation sourced 'poly' petroleum system. These lacustrine, often super-rich, sediments reveal considerable organofacies variation between their basin fill (Syn-rift I) and sheet drape (Syn-rift II) development, accounting for the compositional diversity in their progenic petroleums. Of crucial impact is a cognate diversity in their kerogen kinetic behaviour. This controls the conditions and timing of generation and realization of charge potential. With the Lower Congo Coastal habitat extending southwards towards the Ambriz Spur, the Bucomazi facies proper appears restricted to the northern and deeper proto-lake trend. Over the more weakly subsident margins such troughs host inferior sheet drape potential. Elswhere, Upper Cretaceous-Palaeogene marine clastic Iabe Formation sourced petroleum systems are hydrocarbon productive

  18. Correlation of the Canol Formation source rock with oil from Norman Wells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Snowdon, L.R.; Brooks, P.W.; Williams, G.K.; Goodarzi, F.

    1987-01-01

    The source of the oil at Norman Wells has long been assumed to have been the Canol Formation and/or the Bluefish Member of the Hare Indian Formation. These two units are stratigraphically above and below the Kee Scarp Formation reservoir unit respectively, and are both bituminous shales. A wide range of analytical techniques including Rock-Eval pyrolysis, solvent extraction and fractionation, capillary gas chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and white light and fluorescence microscopy has been used to characterize core samples of these two units and two samples of crude oil from the Norman Wells field. Most of the analytical techniques were insufficiently refined to either differentiate the extracts from each other or to make a definitive oil/source rock correlation. Collision activated decomposition coupled with multiple ion detection mass spectrometry (GC-MS-MS) did provide sufficient chemical compositional detail of the oils and the two potential sources to demonstrate that the Canol Formation has been the effective source of the Normal Wells oil whereas the Bluefish Member has not. The level of thermal maturity of the core samples ranges from immature to moderately mature in the vicinity of the Norman Wells field to overmature for the samples obtained to the west and north of the field. The level of thermal maturity of the oil was observed to be somewhat higher than that of the samples of the source formation directly above the field. It was thus inferred that some lateral migration from more mature areas has occurred but the extent of this migration was not necessarily more than a few to tens of kilometers.

  19. Tectonic setting of the Tertiary volcanic rocks of the Olympic Peninsula, Washington

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cady, Wallace M.

    1975-01-01

    Lower and middle Eocene abyssal and Hawaiian type tholeiitic basalts form two accumulations that apparently were once far out on the east flank of the Juan de Fuca Ridge, within the Juan de Fuca plate. One of these (more than 15 km thick) is near the eastern and southeastern periphery of the Olympic Peninsula, and the other (about 5 km thick) is on the north. The tholeiites stratigraphically overlie and interfinger with Paleocene(?) and lower and middle Eocene marine turbidites and shales; one flow includes boulders that, like clasts in the sediments, were derived from the North American continental plate immediately to the east. The basalts are overlain stratigraphically by middle Eocene to middle Miocene clastic marine sedimentary rocks, which are in turn overlapped unconformably on the south and west by upper Miocene (?) and Pliocene, chiefly shallow-marine clastic rocks. These various peripheral rocks flank a middle or late Miocene structurally complex dome, or orocline convex to the east, in which originally east dipping and low angle late Eocene to late Miocene underthrusts are flexed. The outermost underthrust of the complex separates the chiefly volcanic peripheral rocks to the north, east, and south from stratigraphically correlative and comparable, though predominantly sedimentary, core rocks arranged in northwest trending arcuate belts or packets bounded by fault zones. Before underthrusting, and perhaps oroclinal folding connected with doming, the pre-middle Miocene section was possibly 150 to 200 km wide compared with the present Olympic Peninsula which is 120 km wide. The section accumulated on the ocean floor near the western margin of the continent, before and during subduction of the oceanic crust.

  20. Middle School Students' Science Self-Efficacy and Its Sources: Examination of Gender Difference

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiran, Dekant; Sungur, Semra

    2012-01-01

    The main purpose of the present study is to investigate middle school students' science self-efficacy as well as its sources and outcomes as a function of gender. Bandura's hypothesized sources of self-efficacy (i.e., mastery experience, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and emotional arousal) in addition to being inviting with self and…

  1. Explosion Source Characteristics in Frozen and Unfrozen Rock

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Bonner, Jessie L; Leidig, Mark R; Murphy, Katherine; Dougherty, Sara L; Martin, Randolph J

    2008-01-01

    .... Central Alaska has abrupt lateral boundaries in discontinuous permafrost, and we detonated 3 shots in frozen, saturated rock and 3 shots nearby in unfrozen, dry rock ranging in size from 200 to 350 Ibs...

  2. Sources of Writing Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Elementary, Middle, and High School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pajares, Frank; Johnson, Margaret J.; Usher, Ellen L.

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of Albert Bandura's four hypothesized sources of self-efficacy on students' writing self-efficacy beliefs (N = 1256) and to explore how these sources differ as a function of gender and academic level (elementary, middle, high). Consistent with the tenets of self-efficacy theory, each of the…

  3. Gas projects surge in the Middle East as governments seek new revenue sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, M.D.

    1997-01-01

    The rapid development of natural gas and condensate reserves in the Middle East results from a simple motivation: the desire of governments to earn revenues. For the past decade, Middle East governments have run budget deficits, which they funded by drawing down foreign assets and issuing debt. Now in the process of structural economic reform, they have begun to use an under-utilized resource--natural gas, of which Middle East governments own about one third of the world's reserves. Governments receive revenues from several sources in natural gas developments, which makes the projects very attractive. Revenue comes from the sale of the natural gas in the domestic market and, if exported, the international market; the sale of associated condensates; the additional exports of crude oil or refined products if natural gas is substituted for refined products in domestic markets; the increased sale of crude oil if natural gas is injected into reservoirs to maintain pressure; and the sale of petrochemicals where natural gas is used as feedstock. Large projects under way in the Middle East highlight the consequences of multiple revenue sources and interlinked costs of natural gas and condensate development. Other countries in the region are undertaking similar projects, so examples cited represent only a portion of what is occurring. The paper describes Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Iran

  4. Petrography and geochemistry of the volcanic rocks of the Rodeio Velho Member, Ordovician of the Camaqua basin (RS-Brazil): preliminary results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Almeida, Delia del Pilar M. de; Lopes, Ricardo da C.; Gomes, Cristiane H.; Lima, Larissa de.

    2000-01-01

    A geochemical study based in REE, minor elements and petrographic analyses from the volcanic rocks pertaining to the Rodeio Velho Member, comprising lava flows and epizonal intrusive bodies, both corresponding to andesites, subalkaline and alkaline basalts and trachyandesites; and stratified pyroclastic deposits, showed that fractional crystallization of deep source magma is the fundamental mechanism controlling the relationships among these rocks. This igneous event occurred in an alkaline intraplate environment, associated to a widespread extension tectonics, probably corresponding to a final stage of the Pan African - Brasiliano Orogeny during the Middle Ordovician. (author)

  5. The Chinese Cretaceous Continental Scientific Drilling Project in the Songliao Basin, NE China: Organic-rich source rock evaluation with geophysical logs from Borehole SK-2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, X.; Zou, C.

    2017-12-01

    The Cretaceous strata have been recognized as an important target of oil or gas exploration in the Songliao Basin, northeast China. The second borehole (SK-2) of the Chinese Cretaceous Continental Scientific Drilling Project in the Songliao Basin (CCSD-SK) is the first one to drill through the Cretaceous continental strata in the frame of ICDP. It was designed not only to solve multiple scientific problems (including the Cretaceous paleoenvironment and paleoclimate, as well as deep resources exploration of the Songliao Basin), but also to expect to achieve new breakthroughs in oil and gas exploration. Based on the project, various geophysical log data (including gamma, sonic, resistivity, density etc.) and core samples have been collected from Borehole SK-2. We do research on organic-rich source rocks estimation using various geophysical log data. Firstly, we comprehensively analyzed organic-rich source rocks' geophysical log response characteristics. Then, source rock's identification methods were constructed to identify organic-rich source rocks with geophysical logs. The main identification methods include cross-plot, multiple overlap and Decision Tree method. Finally, the technique and the CARBOLOG method were applied to evaluate total organic carbon (TOC) content from geophysical logs which provide continuous vertical profile estimations (Passey, 1990; Carpentier et al., 1991). The results show that source rocks are widely distributed in Borehole SK-2, over a large depth strata (985 5700m), including Nenjiang, Qingshankou, Denglouku, Yingcheng, Shahezi Formations. The organic-rich source rocks with higher TOC content occur in the Qingshankou (1647 1650m), Denglouku (2534 2887m) and Shahezi (3367 5697m) Formations. The highest TOC content in these formations can reach 10.31%, 6.58%, 12.79% respectively. The bed thickness of organic-rich source rocks in the these formations are totally up to 7.88m, 74.34m, 276.60m respectively. These organic-rich rocks in the

  6. A Middle-Upper Miocene fluvial-lacustrine rift sequence in the Song Ba Rift, Vietnam

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lars H., Nielsen; Henrik I., Petersen; Nguyen D., Dau

    2007-01-01

    The small Neogene Krong Pa graben is situated within the continental Song Ba Rift, which is bounded by strike-slip faults that were reactivated as extensional faults in Middle Miocene time. The 500 m thick graben-fill shows an overall depositional development reflecting the structural evolution...... subsidence rate and possibly a higher influx of water from the axial river systems the general water level in the graben rose and deep lakes formed. High organic preservation in the lakes prompted the formation of two excellent oil-prone lacustrine source-rock units. In the late phase of the graben...... as carrier beds, whereas the braided fluvial sandstones and conglomerates along the graben margins may form reservoirs. The Krong Pa graben thus contains oil-prone lacustrine source rocks, effective conduits for generated hydrocarbons and reservoir sandstones side-sealed by the graben faults toward...

  7. Paleofacies of Eocene Lower Ngimbang Source Rocks in Cepu Area, East Java Basin based on Biomarkers and Carbon-13 Isotopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Devi, Elok A.; Rachman, Faisal; Satyana, Awang H.; Fahrudin; Setyawan, Reddy

    2018-02-01

    The Eocene Lower Ngimbang carbonaceous shales are geochemically proven hydrocarbon source rocks in the East Java Basin. Sedimentary facies of source rock is important for the source evaluation that can be examined by using biomarkers and carbon-13 isotopes data. Furthermore, paleogeography of the source sedimentation can be reconstructed. The case study was conducted on rock samples of Lower Ngimbang from two exploration wells drilled in Cepu area, East Java Basin, Kujung-1 and Ngimbang-1 wells. The biomarker data include GC and GC-MS data of normal alkanes, isoprenoids, triterpanes, and steranes. Carbon-13 isotope data include saturate and aromatic fractions. Various crossplots of biomarker and carbon-13 isotope data of the Lower Ngimbang source samples from the two wells show that the source facies of Lower Ngimbang shales changed from transitional/deltaic setting at Kujung-1 well location to marginal marine setting at Ngimbang-1 well location. This reveals that the Eocene paleogeography of the Cepu area was composed of land area in the north and marine setting to the south. Biomarkers and carbon-13 isotopes are powerful data for reconstructing paleogeography and paleofacies. In the absence of fossils in some sedimentary facies, these geochemical data are good alternatives.

  8. Organic geochemical characterization of terrestrial source rocks of the Triassic Madygen formation (Southern Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Berner, U.; Scheeder, G.; Kus, J. [Section Geochemistry of Petroleum and Coal, BGR, Hannover (Germany); Voigt, S.; Schneider, J.W. [Geological Inst., TU Bergakademic Freiberg (Germany)

    2009-09-15

    Along the northern foothills of the Turkestan-Alai Range (SW Kyrgyzstan), a 1000 to 1500m thick succession of Mesozoic deposits is exposed recording regional changes of the paleo-landscape during Triassic to Cretaceous times. Detailed litho- and biofacies analyses, conducted by the TU Bergakademie Freiberg since 2006, provided for the first time a nearly complete columnar section of the continental Triassic Madygen Formation of Kyrgyzstan. Organic petrographical and organic geochemical methods (including RockEval pyrolyses, and biomarker analyses) have been applied to a suite of terrestrial sedimentary rocks of Triassic age with the intention to identify the depositional environment. Our investigations suggest that the potential source rocks of the terrestrial pluvial Madygen Formation might generate predominantly gaseous hydrocarbons at higher maturities. (orig.)

  9. Quantitative determination of minor and trace elements in rocks and soils by spark source mass spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ure, A.M.; Bacon, J.R.

    1978-01-01

    Experimental details are given of the quantitative determination of minor and trace elements in rocks and soils by spark source mass spectrometry. The effects of interfering species, and corrections that can be applied, are discussed. (U.K.)

  10. Application of uniaxial confining-core clamp with hydrous pyrolysis in petrophysical and geochemical studies of source rocks at various thermal maturities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewan, Michael D.; Birdwell, Justin E.; Baez, Luis; Beeney, Ken; Sonnenberg, Steve

    2013-01-01

    Understanding changes in petrophysical and geochemical parameters during source rock thermal maturation is a critical component in evaluating source-rock petroleum accumulations. Natural core data are preferred, but obtaining cores that represent the same facies of a source rock at different thermal maturities is seldom possible. An alternative approach is to induce thermal maturity changes by laboratory pyrolysis on aliquots of a source-rock sample of a given facies of interest. Hydrous pyrolysis is an effective way to induce thermal maturity on source-rock cores and provide expelled oils that are similar in composition to natural crude oils. However, net-volume increases during bitumen and oil generation result in expanded cores due to opening of bedding-plane partings. Although meaningful geochemical measurements on expanded, recovered cores are possible, the utility of the core for measuring petrophysical properties relevant to natural subsurface cores is not suitable. This problem created during hydrous pyrolysis is alleviated by using a stainless steel uniaxial confinement clamp on rock cores cut perpendicular to bedding fabric. The clamp prevents expansion just as overburden does during natural petroleum formation in the subsurface. As a result, intact cores can be recovered at various thermal maturities for the measurement of petrophysical properties as well as for geochemical analyses. This approach has been applied to 1.7-inch diameter cores taken perpendicular to the bedding fabric of a 2.3- to 2.4-inch thick slab of Mahogany oil shale from the Eocene Green River Formation. Cores were subjected to hydrous pyrolysis at 360 °C for 72 h, which represents near maximum oil generation. One core was heated unconfined and the other was heated in the uniaxial confinement clamp. The unconfined core developed open tensile fractures parallel to the bedding fabric that result in a 38 % vertical expansion of the core. These open fractures did not occur in the

  11. Distribution of organic carbon and petroleum source rock potential of Cretaceous and lower Tertiary carbonates, South Florida Basin: preliminary results

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palacas, James George

    1978-01-01

    Analyses of 134 core samples from the South Florida Basin show that the carbonates of Comanchean age are relatively richer in average organic carbon (0.41 percent) than those of Coahuilan age (0.28 percent), Gulfian age (0.18 percent) and Paleocene age (0.20 percent). They are also nearly twice as rich as the average world, wide carbonate (average 0.24 percent). The majority of carbonates have organic carbons less than 0.30 percent but the presence of many relatively organic rich beds composed of highly bituminous, argillaceous, highly stylolitic, and algal-bearing limestones and dolomites accounts for the higher percentage of organic carbon in some of the stratigraphic units. Carbonate rocks that contain greater than 0.4 percent organic carbon and that might be considered as possible petroleum sources were noted in almost each subdivision of the Coahuilan and Comanchean Series but particularly the units of Fredericksburg 'B', Trinity 'A', Trinity 'F', and Upper Sunniland. Possible source rocks have been ascribed by others to the Lower Sunniland, but lack of sufficient samples precluded any firm assessment in this initial report. In the shallower section of the basin, organic-rich carbonates containing as much as 3.2 percent organic carbon were observed in the lowermost part of the Gulfian Series and carbonate rocks with oil staining or 'dead' and 'live oil' were noted by others in the uppermost Gulfian and upper Cedar Keys Formation. It is questionable whether these shallower rocks are of sufficient thermal maturity to have generated commercial oil. The South Florida basin is still sparsely drilled and produces only from the Sunniland Limestone at an average depth of 11,500 feet (3500 m). Because the Sunniland contains good reservoir rocks and apparently adequate source rocks, and because the success rate of new oil field discoveries has increased in recent years, the chances of finding additional oil reserves in the Sunniland are promising. Furthermore, the

  12. STUDY ON THE BLASTING SEISMIC DAMAGE CONTROL TECHNOLOGY FOR SMALL SPACING SOFT ROCK TUNNEL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang Chengzhong

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available With a lot construction of transportation infrastructure in Chinese mountainous area, because of its unique advantages such as less land occupation, beautiful appearance and convenient route planning, small spacing tunnels are widely used. The shallow buried tunnel with small spacing, the blasting excavation will lead to tunnel surrounding rock especially in the middle rock wall damage and reduce the self-bearing capacity of surrounding rock. Through detecting and analyzing by the geological radar of the excavated red layer soft rock tunnel surrounding rock found that the middle rock wall loose circle thickness of the tunnel reaches to 1.8 m, the vault and sidewall loose circle thickness is about 1.2 m. Through selection of rational strengthening measures and blasting design scheme to improve drilling parameters and methods, as far as possible to protect the integrity and self-bearing capacity of the surrounding rock, the deformation and vibration of the tunnel would be controlled in reasonable limits and ensure the safety of tunnel construction.

  13. Geophysical Prediction Technology Based on Organic Carbon Content in Source Rocks of the Huizhou Sag, the South China Sea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang Wei

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Due to the high exploration cost, limited number of wells for source rocks drilling and scarce test samples for the Total Organic Carbon Content (TOC in the Huizhou sag, the TOC prediction of source rocks in this area and the assessment of resource potentials of the basin are faced with great challenges. In the study of TOC prediction, predecessors usually adopted the logging assessment method, since the data is only confined to a “point” and the regional prediction of the source bed in the seismic profile largely depends on the recognition of seismic facies, making it difficult to quantify TOC. In this study, we combined source rock geological characteristics, logging and seismic response and built the mathematical relation between quasi TOC curve and seismic data based on the TOC logging date of a single well and its internal seismic attribute. The result suggested that it was not purely a linear relationship that was adhered to by predecessors, but was shown as a complicated non-linear relationship. Therefore, the neural network algorithm and SVMs were introduced to obtain the optimum relationship between the quasi TOC curve and the seismic attribute. Then the goal of TOC prediction can be realized with the method of seismic inversion.

  14. Extraction of Iodine from Source Rock and Oil for Radioiodine Dating Final Report CRADA No. TC-1550-98

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moran, J. E. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Summa, L. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2017-10-19

    This was a collaborative effort between the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Exxon Production Research Company (EPR) to develop improved techniques for extracting, concentrating, and measuring iodine from large volumes of source rock and oil. The purpose of this project was to develop a technique for measuring total iodine extracted from rock, obtain isotopic ratios, and develop age models for samples provided by EPR.

  15. Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum linked to continental arc flare-up in Iran?

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Boon, A.; Kuiper, K.; van der Ploeg, R.; Cramwinckel, M.; Honarmand, M.; Sluijs, A.; Krijgsman, W.; Langereis, C. G.

    2017-12-01

    A 500 kyr episode of 3-5 °C gradual global climate warming, some 40 Myr ago, has been termed the Middle Eocene climatic optimum (MECO). It has been associated with a rise in atmospheric CO2 concentrations, but the source of this carbon remains enigmatic. We show, based on new Ar-Ar ages of volcanic rocks in Iran and Azerbaijan, that the time interval spanning the MECO was associated with a massive increase in continental arc volcanism. We also collected almost 300 Ar-Ar and U-Pb ages from literature. Typically, U-Pb ages from the Eocene are slightly younger, by 3 Myr, than Ar-Ar ages. We observed that U-Pb ages are obtained mostly from intrusive rocks and therefore must reflect an intrusive stage that post-dated extrusive volcanism. Combining all ages for extrusive rocks, we show that they cluster around 40.2 Ma, exactly within the time span of the MECO (40.5-40.0 Ma). We estimate volumes of volcanism based on a shapefile of outcrops and average thickness of the sequences. We calculate CO2 estimates using a relation volcanism-CO2 that was earlier used for the Deccan traps (Tobin et al., 2017). Our calculations indicate that the volume of the Iranian middle Eocene volcanic rocks (estimated at 37000 km3) is sufficient to explain the CO2 rise during the MECO. We conclude that continental arc flare-up in the Neotethys subduction zone is a plausible candidate for causing the MECO.

  16. Platinum, palladium, and rhodium in volcanic and plutonic rocks from the Gravina-Nutzotin belt, Alaska

    Science.gov (United States)

    Page, Norman J; Berg, Henry C.; Haffty, Joseph

    1977-01-01

    The Gravina-Nutzotin belt of Middle (?) Jurassic to middle Cretaceous sedimentary and volcanic rocks in south and southeastern Alaska includes concentrically zoned ultramafic complexes known to contain platinum-group metals. Previous isotopic, petrologic, and geologic studies suggested a close relation in time and space between the volcanic rocks and the ultramafic complexes. Interpretation of 40 analyses for platinum, palladium, and rhodium in volcanic and plutonic rocks of the belt indicates a strong geochemical correlation between the two groups of rocks and is in support of their being cogenetic either from directly connected magma chambers and flows or indirectly by selective concentration processes from similar mantle material.

  17. Dust Storm over the Middle East: Retrieval Approach, Source Identification, and Trend Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moridnejad, A.; Karimi, N.; Ariya, P. A.

    2014-12-01

    The Middle East region has been considered to be responsible for approximately 25% of the Earth's global emissions of dust particles. By developing Middle East Dust Index (MEDI) and applying to 70 dust storms characterized on MODIS images and occurred during the period between 2001 and 2012, we herein present a new high resolution mapping of major atmospheric dust source points participating in this region. To assist environmental managers and decision maker in taking proper and prioritized measures, we then categorize identified sources in terms of intensity based on extracted indices for Deep Blue algorithm and also utilize frequency of occurrence approach to find the sensitive sources. In next step, by implementing the spectral mixture analysis on the Landsat TM images (1984 and 2012), a novel desertification map will be presented. The aim is to understand how human perturbations and land-use change have influenced the dust storm points in the region. Preliminary results of this study indicate for the first time that c.a., 39 % of all detected source points are located in this newly anthropogenically desertified area. A large number of low frequency sources are located within or close to the newly desertified areas. These severely desertified regions require immediate concern at a global scale. During next 6 months, further research will be performed to confirm these preliminary results.

  18. Look! It's Rock'n'roll!

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lindelof, Anja

    2007-01-01

    , and dates. Consult your library or click here for more information on citing sources. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anja Mølle Lindelof. (2007). Look! it's rock'n'roll! how television participated in shaping the visual genre conventions of popular music...... to personal names, capitalization, and dates. Consult your library or click here for more information on citing sources. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anja Mølle Lindelof. "Look! It's Rock'n'roll! How television participated in shaping the visual genre....... Pay special attention to personal names, capitalization, and dates. Consult your library or click here for more information on citing sources. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TY - JOUR T1 - Look! It's Rock'n'roll! How television participated in shaping...

  19. Lead isotopes in archaean plutonic rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oversby, V.M.

    1978-01-01

    Archaean intrusive rocks have initial Pb isotopic compositions which show a varied and complex history for the source regions of the rocks. Even the oldest rocks from Greenland indicate heterogenous U and Pb distribution prior to 3800 m.y. ago. Source regions with μ values less than 7 must have played a significant role in the early history of the earth. By late Archaean time U/Pb ratios of source regions had increased substantially. Data from Australia and North America show distinct regional differences, both within and between continents. (Auth.)

  20. An analysis of natural gas exploration potential in the Qiongdongnan Basin by use of the theory of “joint control of source rocks and geothermal heat”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang Gongcheng

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available The Oligocene Yacheng Fm contains the most important source rocks that have been confirmed by exploratory wells in the Qiongdongnan Basin. The efficiency of these source rocks is the key to the breakthrough in natural gas exploration in the study area. This paper analyzes the hydrocarbon potential of each sag in this basin from the perspective of control of both source rocks and geothermal heat. Two types of source rocks occur in the Yacheng Fm, namely mudstone of transitional facies and mudstone of neritic facies. Both of them are dominated by a kerogen of type-III, followed by type-II. Their organic matter abundances are controlled by the amount of continental clastic input. The mudstone of transitional facies is commonly higher in organic matter abundance, while that of neritic facies is lower. The coal-measure source rocks of transitional facies were mainly formed in such environments as delta plains, coastal plains and barrier tidal flat-marshes. Due to the control of Cenozoic lithosphere extension and influence of neotectonism, the geothermal gradient, terrestrial heat flow value (HFV and level of thermal evolution are generally high in deep water. The hot setting not only determines the predominance of gas generation in the deep-water sags, but can promote the shallow-buried source rocks in shallow water into oil window to generate oil. In addition to promoting the hydrocarbon generation of source rocks, the high geothermal and high heat flow value can also speed up the cracking of residual hydrocarbons, thus enhancing hydrocarbon generation efficiency and capacity. According to the theory of joint control of source quality and geothermal heat on hydrocarbon generation, we comprehensively evaluate and rank the exploration potentials of major sags in the Qiongdongnan Basin. These sags are divided into 3 types, of which type-I sags including Yanan, Lingshui, Baodao, Ledong and Huaguang are the highest in hydrocarbon exploration potential.

  1. Climate modeling - a tool for the assessment of the paleodistribution of source and reservoir rocks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roscher, M.; Schneider, J.W. [Technische Univ. Bergakademie Freiberg (Germany). Inst. fuer Geologie; Berner, U. [Bundesanstalt fuer Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, Hannover (Germany). Referat Organische Geochemie/Kohlenwasserstoff-Forschung

    2008-10-23

    In an on-going project of BGR and TU Bergakademie Freiberg, numeric paleo-climate modeling is used as a tool for the assessment of the paleo-distribution of organic rich deposits as well as of reservoir rocks. This modeling approach is based on new ideas concerning the formation of the Pangea supercontinent. The new plate tectonic concept is supported by paleo- magnetic data as it fits the 95% confidence interval of published data. Six Permocarboniferous time slices (340, 320, 300, 290, 270, 255 Ma) were chosen within a first paleo-climate modeling approach as they represent the most important changes of the Late Paleozoic climate development. The digital maps have a resolution of 2.8 x 2.8 (T42), suitable for high-resolution climate modeling, using the PLASIM model. CO{sub 2} concentrations of the paleo-atmosphere and paleo-insolation values have been estimated by published methods. For the purpose of validation, quantitative model output, had to be transformed into qualitative parameters in order to be able to compare digital data with qualitative data of geologic indicators. The model output of surface temperatures and precipitation was therefore converted into climate zones. The reconstructed occurrences of geological indicators like aeolian sands, evaporites, reefs, coals, oil source rocks, tillites, phosphorites and cherts were then compared to the computed paleo-climate zones. Examples of the Permian Pangea show a very good agreement between model results and geological indicators. From the modeling approach we are able to identify climatic processes which lead to the deposition of hydrocarbon source and reservoir rocks. The regional assessment of such atmospheric processes may be used for the identification of the paleo-distribution of organic rich deposits or rock types suitable to form hydrocarbon reservoirs. (orig.)

  2. Organic geochemical characterization of potential hydrocarbon source rocks in the upper Benue Trough

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Obaje, N. G.; Pearson, M. J.; Suh, C. E.; Dada, S. S.

    1999-01-01

    The Upper Benue Trough of Nigeria is the northeastern most portion of the Benue rift structure that extends from the northern limit of the Niger Delta in the south to the southern limit of the Chad basin int he northeast. this portion of the trough is made up of two arms: the Gongola Arm and the Yola Arm. Stratigraphic sequence in the Gongola Arm comprises the continental Albian Bima Sandstone, the transitional Cenomanian Yolde Formation and the marine Turonian - Santonian Gongila, Pindiga, and Fika Formations. Overlying these are the continental Campane - Maastrichtian Gombe Sandstone and the Tertiary Kerri - Kerri Formation. In the Yola Arm, the Turonian - Santonian sequence is replaced by the equally marine Dukul, Jessu, Sekuliye Formations, Numanha Shale, and the Lamja Sandstone. Organic geochemical studies have been carried on outcrop sample form the Gongila, Pindiga, Dukul Formations, the Fika shale and the shaly units of the Gombe Sandstone, with the aim of assessing their source rock potential. Gas Chromatography (GC), Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (C - MS), and Rock Eval Pyrolysis were the major organic geochemical tools employed. Biomaker hydrocarbon signatures obtained from the GC - MS and the Rock Eval Pyrolysis results indicate that all he formations studied, except the Dukul formation, are immature and are all lean in organic matter

  3. The search for a source rock for the giant Tar Sand triangle accumulation, southeastern Utah

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huntoon, J.E.; Hansley, P.L.; Naeser, N.D.

    1999-01-01

    A large proportion (about 36%) of the world's oil resource is contained in accumulations of heavy oil or tar. In these large deposits of degraded oil, the oil in place represents only a fraction of what was present at the time of accumulation. In many of these deposits, the source of the oil is unknown, and the oil is thought to have migrated over long distances to the reservoirs. The Tar Sand triangle in southeastern Utah contains the largest tar sand accumulation in the United States, with 6.3 billion bbl of heavy oil estimated to be in place. The deposit is thought to have originally contained 13-16 billion bbl prior to the biodegradation, water washing, and erosion that have taken place since the middle - late Tertiary. The source of the oil is unknown. The tar is primarily contained within the Lower Permian White Rim Sandstone, but extends into permeable parts of overlying and underlying beds. Oil is interpreted to have migrated into the White Rim sometime during the Tertiary when the formation was at a depth of approximately 3500 m. This conclusion is based on integration of fluid inclusion analysis, time-temperature reconstruction, and apatite fission-track modeling for the White Rim Sandstone. Homogenization temperatures cluster around 85-90??C for primary fluid inclusions in authigenic, nonferroan dolomite in the White Rim. The fluid inclusions are associated with fluorescent oil-bearing inclusions, indicating that dolomite precipitation was coeval with oil migration. Burial reconstruction suggests that the White Rim Sandstone reached its maximum burial depth from 60 to 24 Ma, and that maximum burial was followed by unroofing from 24 to 0 Ma. Time-temperature modeling indicates that the formation experienced temperatures of 85-90??C from about 35 to 40 Ma during maximum burial. Maximum formation temperatures of about 105-110??C were reached at about 24 Ma, just prior to unroofing. Thermal modeling is used to examine the history of potential source rocks

  4. Geochemistry of coal-measure source rocks and natural gases in deep formations in Songliao Basin, NE China

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mi, Jingkui; Zhang, Shuichang; Hu, Guoyi; He, Kun [State Key Laboratory for Enhanced Oil Recovery, Beijing (China); Petroleum Geology Research and Laboratory Center, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, PetroChina (China); Key Laboratory for Petroleum Geochemistry, China National Petroleum Corp. (China)

    2010-12-01

    The natural gases developed in deep volcanic rock reservoirs of the Songliao Basin, NE China are characterized by enriched {delta}{sup 13}C value for methane and frequently reversal carbon isotopic distribution pattern. Although many researchers consider such gas type as an abiogenic origin, we believe the natural gases have a biogenic origin mainly except little inorganic gases and the reversal carbon isotopic distribution pattern of gases is caused by mixing of different origin gases. Methane carbon isotopic values for majority samples fall in the range from - 24 permille to - 32 permille, which is heavier than typical coal-type gases in other Chinese basins. There are several reasons caused heavy carbon isotope of methane: (1) Carbon isotopic values of source kerogen are 3-5 permille heavier than these from other basins; (2) Source rocks are at extremely high maturity stage with vitrinite reflectance mostly above 3.0%; (3) Portion of gas is derived from basement mudrock or slate with higher maturity. The observation on the organic from deep formation reveals that there is a relatively high content for liptinite, which reaches approximately 8 to 10%. The macerals component of source rock shows that the source rocks have some ability to generate oil. Small portion of oil was generated from high hydrogen content macerals in coals and shales as proof by oil found in microcrack and in micropore of coal and oil-bearing fluid inclusions grown in volcanic reservoir. The occurrence of pyrobitumen in volcanic reservoir indicates preexisted oil had been cracked into wet gas, and this kind of gas had also been found in gas pools. Heavy isotopic methane is derived from coal at extremely high maturity stage. There may be little inorganic alkane gases in deep layers for their geochemistry and special geological setting of Songliao Basin. Artificial mixing experiments of different origins gases confirm that inorganic gas such as gas from well FS1 mixed with other end members

  5. Organic geochemistry and petrology of oil source rocks, Carpathian Overthrust region, southeastern Poland - Implications for petroleum generation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kruge, M.A.; Mastalerz, Maria; Solecki, A.; Stankiewicz, B.A.

    1996-01-01

    The organic mailer rich Oligocene Menilite black shales and mudstones are widely distributed in the Carpathian Overthrust region of southeastern Poland and have excellent hydrocarbon generation potential, according to TOC, Rock-Eval, and petrographic data. Extractable organic matter was characterized by an equable distribution of steranes by carbon number, by varying amounts of 28,30-dinor-hopane, 18??(H)-oleanane and by a distinctive group of C24 ring-A degraded triterpanes. The Menilite samples ranged in maturity from pre-generative to mid-oil window levels, with the most mature in the southeastern portion of the study area. Carpathian petroleum samples from Campanian Oligocene sandstone reservoirs were similar in biomarker composition to the Menilite rock extracts. Similarities in aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon distributions between petroleum asphaltene and source rock pyrolyzates provided further evidence genetically linking Menilite kerogens with Carpathian oils.

  6. Characterization of source rocks and groundwater radioactivity at the Chihuahua valley

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Renteria V, M.; Montero C, M.E.; Reyes C, M.; Herrera P, E.F.; Valenzuela H, M. [Centro de lnvestigacion en Materiales Avanzados, Miguel de Cervantes 120, 31109 Chihuahua, (Mexico); Rodriguez P, A. [World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Chihuahuan Desert Program, Coronado 1005, 31000 Chihuahua (Mexico); Manjon C, G.; Garcia T, R. [Universidad de Sevilla, Departamento de Fisica Aplicada 11, ETS Arquitectura, Av. Reina Mercedes 2, 41012 Sevilla, (Spain); Crespo, T. [Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas (CIEMAT), Av. Complutense 22, 28040 Madrid, (Spain)]. e-mail: elena.montero@cimav.edu.mx

    2007-07-01

    As part of a scientific research project about alpha radioactivity in groundwater for human consumption at the Chihuahua City, the characterization of rock sources of radioactivity around de Chihuahua valley was developed. The radioactivity of groundwater and sediments was determined, too. The radioactivity of uranium- and thorium- series isotopes contained in rocks was obtained by high resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy. Some representative values are 50 Bq/kg for the mean value of Bi-214 activity, and 121.5 Bq/kg for the highest value at West of the city. The activity of sediments, extracted during wells perforation, was determined using a Nal(TI) detector. A non-reported before uranium ore was localized at the San Marcos range formation. Its outcrops are inside the Chihuahua-Sacramento valley basin and its activity characterization was performed. Unusually high specific uranium activities, determined by alpha spectrometry, were obtained in water, plants, sediments and fish extracted at locations close to outcrops of uranium minerals. The activity of water of the San Marcos dam reached 7.7 Bq/L. The activity of fish, trapped at San Marcos dam, is 0.99 Bq/kg. Conclusions about the contamination of groundwater at North of Chihuahua City were obtained. (Author)

  7. Characterization of source rocks and groundwater radioactivity at the Chihuahua valley

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Renteria V, M.; Montero C, M.E.; Reyes C, M.; Herrera P, E.F.; Valenzuela H, M.; Rodriguez P, A.; Manjon C, G.; Garcia T, R.; Crespo, T.

    2007-01-01

    As part of a scientific research project about alpha radioactivity in groundwater for human consumption at the Chihuahua City, the characterization of rock sources of radioactivity around de Chihuahua valley was developed. The radioactivity of groundwater and sediments was determined, too. The radioactivity of uranium- and thorium- series isotopes contained in rocks was obtained by high resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy. Some representative values are 50 Bq/kg for the mean value of Bi-214 activity, and 121.5 Bq/kg for the highest value at West of the city. The activity of sediments, extracted during wells perforation, was determined using a Nal(TI) detector. A non-reported before uranium ore was localized at the San Marcos range formation. Its outcrops are inside the Chihuahua-Sacramento valley basin and its activity characterization was performed. Unusually high specific uranium activities, determined by alpha spectrometry, were obtained in water, plants, sediments and fish extracted at locations close to outcrops of uranium minerals. The activity of water of the San Marcos dam reached 7.7 Bq/L. The activity of fish, trapped at San Marcos dam, is 0.99 Bq/kg. Conclusions about the contamination of groundwater at North of Chihuahua City were obtained. (Author)

  8. A study of light hydrocarbons (C{sub 4}-C{sub 1}3) in source rocks and petroleum fluid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Odden, Wenche

    2000-07-01

    This thesis consists of an introduction and five included papers. Of these, four papers are published in international journals and the fifth was submitted for review in April 2000. Emphasis has been placed on both naturally and artificially generated light hydrocarbons in petroleum fluids and their proposed source rocks as well as direct application of light hydrocarbons to oil/source rock correlations. Collectively, these papers describe a strategy for interpreting the source of the light hydrocarbons in original oils and condensates as well as the source of the asphaltene fractions from the reservoir fluids. The influence of maturity on light hydrocarbon composition has also been evaluated. The papers include (1) compositional data on the light hydrocarbons from thermal extracts and kerogen pyrolysates of sediment samples, (2) light hydrocarbon data of oils and condensates as well as the pyrolysis products of the asphaltenes from these fluids, (3) assessment of compositional alteration effects, such as selective losses of light hydrocarbons due to evaporation, thermal maturity, phase fractionation and biodegradation, (4) comparison of naturally and artificially generated light hydrocarbons, and (5) compound-specific carbon isotope analysis of the whole range of hydrocarbons of all sample types. (author)

  9. MIDDLE TRIASSIC AUTOCLASTIC DEPOSITS FROM SOUTHWESTERN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Duje Smirčić

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Middle Triassic volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks have been recognized at several localities near Bosansko Grahovo, in southwestern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the External Dinarides. Peculiar types of autoclastic rocks were investigated. These are peperites and hyaloclastites. Regarding specific structures, mineral composition and micropetrographic characteristics it was possible to further differentiate hyaloclastites into in situ hyaloclastites and slightly resedimented hyaloclastites that represent genetic succession. All rock types occurred in a deep sea troughs that formed as a consequence of Middle Triassic extensional tectonic and rift related wrench faulting. In situ hyaloclastites and slightly resedimented hyaloclastites were formed due to quenching at the contact of lava effusions with sea water. Genesis of peperites is related to lava emplacement in unconsolidated water saturated lime mudstones that were deposited in deep sea basin. All investigated rock types represent first findings of autoclastic deposits in the External Dinarides. Biostratigraphic constraints achieved by means of conodont species Neogondolella excentrica, Paragondolella excelsa, Paragondolella trammeri and Gladigondolella tethydis indicate Late Anisian to Early Ladinian interval of the autoclastic deposits from Bosansko Grahovo.

  10. Source rock evaluation and organic geochemistry of Belayim Marine Oil Field, Gulf of Suez, Egypt

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed Abu Al-Atta

    2014-09-01

    In general, TOC analyses showed that the Nubia-A and B formation sediments are fairly immature compared to good source rocks with very high Hydrogen Index indicative of kerogen type II. The geochemical investigations of two oil samples indicate that the Upper Rudeis oil of Belayim Marine was derived from a marine carbonate rich source, which is relatively rich in algal organic matter and has moderate sulfur content. The maturity of the analyzed oils (about 0.75% R0 falls short from the stage of peak hydrocarbon generation which is known to be reached at about 0.85% R0.

  11. Isotope shifting capacity of rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blattner, P.; Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Lower Hutt

    1980-01-01

    Any oxygen isotope shifted rock volume exactly defines a past throughput of water. An expression is derived that relates the throughput of an open system to the isotope shift of reservoir rock and present-day output. The small isotope shift of Ngawha reservoir rock and the small, high delta oxygen-18 output are best accounted for by a magmatic water source

  12. Paleocene-middle Miocene flexural-margin migration of the non marine llanos Foreland basin of Colombia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bayona, German; Jaramillo, Carlos; Rueda, Milton; Reyes Harker, Andres; Torres, Vladimir

    2007-01-01

    A foreland basin is a dynamic system whose depositional systems migrate in response to changes in tectonic uplift patterns, sedimentary filling processes and isostatic rebound of the lithosphere. The Paleocene-middle Miocene foreland system of the llanos foothills and llanos basin of Colombia includes regional unconformities, abrupt changes in lithology/stacking patterns and flooding surfaces bounding reservoir and seal units. Here we integrate a systematic biostratigraphic study, strata architecture and tectonic subsidence analyses, regional seismic profiles, and provenance data to define the diachronism of such surfaces and to document the direction of migration of foreland depozones. Line a flexural-deformed basin, sandstone composition, rates of accommodation and sediment supply vary across and along the basin. we show how a coeval depositional profile in the llanos foothills-llanos foreland basin consists of lithoranites inter b edded with mudstones (seal rock, supplied from the orogenic front to the west) that correlate craton ward with organic-rich mudstones and coal (source rock), and to amalgamated fluvial-estuarine quartzarenites (reservoir rock, supplied from the craton to the east) adjacent to a sub-aerial fore-bulge (unconformity). This system migrated northward and eastward during the Paleocene, westward during the early-middle Eocene, and eastward during the Oligocene. In the lower-middle Miocene succession of the llanos basin, identification of flooding events indicates a westward encroaching of a shallow-water lacustrine system that covered an eastward-directed fluvial-deltaic system. A similar process has been documented in other basins in Venezuela and Bolivia, indicating the regional extent of such flooding event may be related to the onset of Andean-scale mountain-building processes

  13. Dating and source determination of volcanic rocks from Khunik area (South of Birjand, South Khorasan using Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotopes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Somayeh Samiee

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The Khunik area is located in the south of Birjand, Khorasan province, in the eastern margin of Lut block. Tertiary volcanic rocks have andesite to trachy-andesite composition. Dating analyzing by Rb-Sr method on plagioclase and hornblende as well as whole-rock isochron method was performed on pyroxene-hornblende andesite rock unit. On this basis the emplacement age is Upper Paleocene (58±11 Ma. These rocks have initial 87Sr/86Sr and εNd 0.7046-0.7049 and 2.16-3.12, respectively. According to isotopic data, volcanic rocks originated from depleted mantle and have the least crust contamination while it was fractionated. Geochemically, Khunik volcanic rocks have features typical of calk-alkaline to shoshonite and are metaluminous. Enrichment in LILEs and typical negative anomalies of Nb and Ti are evidences that the volcanic rocks formed in a subduction zone and active continental margin. Modeling suggests that these rocks were derived dominantly from 1–5% partial melting of a mainly spinel garnet lherzolite mantle source that is metasomatized by slab-derived fluid.

  14. Conditions promoting and restraining agronomic effectiveness of water-insoluble phosphate sources, in particular phosphate rock (PR): I. Indices of phosphate rock use opportunity (PRUOIS) and of phosphate rock suitability for direct use (PRSIDU)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borlan, Z.; Gavriluta, I.; Soare, M.; Stefanescu, D.; Alexandrescu, A.

    2002-01-01

    Several issues of phosphate rock (PR) use are discussed in this paper. Maize for green fodder (Zea mays L) and ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) were grown in 7 kg of dry soil and in small pots of 1.25 kg dry soil capacity, respectively, on several base unsaturated soils belonging to Hapludoll and Hapludalf soil groups. The amount of phosphate rock (PR) to apply was based on experimental data considering soil adsorbed acidity (Ah), humus content (H 2 ), cation exchange capacity (T), sum of exchangeable bases (SEB) and mobile (easily soluble) phosphate content (P A L) in the soil. The factors were combined in a rock phosphate use, opportunity index of the soil (PRUOIS): PRUOIS=(A h *H 2 *100)/SEB*10 0.0245*P AL Rock phosphate suitability for direct use was evaluated by means of the rate of PR-P dissolution (PRPRS) in a 0.6% ammonium heptamolybdate in 0.01M calcium chloride solution (ppm P) and by carbonate content (%CaCO 3 ) in PR. Both of these parameters combined provided a phosphate rock suitability index for direct use (PRSIDU): PRSIDU [ppmP/min]=PRPRS*(1-0.03*CaCO 3 ) Water insoluble P sources studied were PR from Kola-Russia, Morocco, Kneifiss-Siria, El Hassa-Jordan, Gafsa- Tunisia, North-Carolina (USA), and Arad-Israel. All PRs were compared with TSP applied at the same rate of P. Neither PRUOIS or PRSIDU considered separately could satisfactorily explain the variance of PR efficiency. An index obtained by multiplicative combination of PRUOIS x PRSIDU did correlate significantly with indices on the agronomic efficiency of PR. (author)

  15. Geological characteristics of granite type uranium deposits in middle of Inner Mongolia in comparison with south China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Gui

    2012-01-01

    Granites extensively distributed in middle of Inner Mongolia and South China, namely Caledonian, Hercynian and Yanshanian. Some of the intrusive are composed of granites which belong to different ages. Some of the uranium deposits were found inside the granite bodies or in sedimentary rocks and meta sedimentary rocks along the exocontact zone. Granite rock was comparing in middle Inner Mongolia and South China, including Uranium ore-forming geological conditions. ore-forming process and Ore-controlling factors. Think the Uranium ore-forming geological conditions is similar; ore-forming process is mainly for low-mid temperature hot liquid; Uranium ore bodies (uranium mineralization) was controlled by fracture. Explain granite type uranium mineralization potential is tremendous in middle of Inner Mongolia. (author)

  16. Unzen volcanic rocks as heat source of geothermal activity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hayashi, Masao; Sugiyama, Hiromi

    1987-03-25

    Only a few radiometric ages have been reported so far for the Unzen volcanic rocks. In this connection, in order to clarify the relation between volcanism and geothermal activity, fission track ages of zircon seperated from the Unzen volcanic rocks in western Kyushu have been dated. Since all the rocks are thought to be young, the external surface re-etch method was adopted. The results are that the age and standard error of the basal volcaniclastic rocks of the Tatsuishi formation are 0.28 +- 0.05 Ma and 0.25 +- 0.05 Ma. The next oldest Takadake lavas range from 0.26 to 0.20 Ma. The Kusenbudake lavas fall in a narrow range from 0.19 to 0.17 Ma. The latest Fugendake lavas are younger than 0.07 Ma.In conclusion, the most promising site for geothermal power generation is the Unzen hot spring field because of its very high temperature. After that, comes the Obama hot spring field because of the considerable high temperature chemically estimated. In addition, the northwestern area of the Unzen volcanic region will be promising for electric power generation in spite of no geothermal manifestations, since its volcanos are younger than 0.2 Ma. (14 figs, 14 tabs, 22 refs)

  17. Experimental studies on the effects of bolt parameters on the bearing characteristics of reinforced rock.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Liang; Zhang, Yidong; Ji, Ming; Zhang, Kai; Zhang, Minglei

    2016-01-01

    Roadways supported by bolts contain support structures that are built into the rock surrounding the roadway, referred to as reinforced rocks in this paper. Using physical model simulation, the paper investigates the bearing characteristics of the reinforced rock under different bolt parameters with incrementally increased load. The experimental results show that the stress at the measurement point inside the structure varies with the kinetic pressure. The stress increases slowly as the load is initially applied, displays accelerated growth in the middle of the loading application, and decreases or remains constant in the later stage of the loading application. The change in displacement of the surrounding rock exhibits the following characteristics: a slow increase when the load is first applied, accelerated growth in the middle stage, and violent growth in the later stage. There is a good correlation between the change in the measured stress and the change in the surrounding rock displacement. Increasing the density of the bolt support and the length and diameter of the bolt improves the load-bearing performance of the reinforced rock, including its strength, internal peak stress, and residual stress. Bolting improves the internal structure of the surrounding rocks, and the deterioration of the surrounding rock decreases with the distance between the bolt supports.

  18. Compound-specific C- and H-isotope compositions of enclosed organic matter in carbonate rocks: Implications for source identification of sedimentary organic matter and paleoenvironmental reconstruction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiong Yongqiang; Wang Yanmei; Wang Yongquan; Xu Shiping

    2007-01-01

    The Bohai Bay Basin is one of the most important oil-producing provinces in China. Molecular organic geochemical characteristics of Lower Paleozoic source rocks in this area have been investigated by analyzing chemical and isotopic compositions of solvent extracts and acid-released organic matter from the Lower Paleozoic carbonate rocks in the Jiyang Sub-basin of the Bohai Bay Basin. The results indicate that enclosed organic matter in carbonate rocks has not been recognizably altered by post-depositional processes. Two end-member compositions are suggested for early organic matter trapped in the Lower Paleozoic carbonate rocks: (1) a source dominated by aquatic organisms and deposited in a relatively deep marine environment and (2) a relatively high saline, evaporative marine depositional environment. In contrast, chemical and isotopic compositions of solvent extracts from these Lower Paleozoic carbonate rocks are relatively complicated, not only inheriting original characteristics of their precursors, but also overprinted by various post-depositional alterations, such as thermal maturation, biodegradation and mixing. Therefore, the integration of both organic matter characteristics can provide more useful information on the origin of organic matter present in carbonate rocks and the environments of their deposition

  19. Compound-specific C- and H-isotope compositions of enclosed organic matter in carbonate rocks: Implications for source identification of sedimentary organic matter and paleoenvironmental reconstruction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xiong Yongqiang [State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640 (China)], E-mail: xiongyq@gig.ac.cn; Wang Yanmei; Wang Yongquan; Xu Shiping [State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640 (China)

    2007-11-15

    The Bohai Bay Basin is one of the most important oil-producing provinces in China. Molecular organic geochemical characteristics of Lower Paleozoic source rocks in this area have been investigated by analyzing chemical and isotopic compositions of solvent extracts and acid-released organic matter from the Lower Paleozoic carbonate rocks in the Jiyang Sub-basin of the Bohai Bay Basin. The results indicate that enclosed organic matter in carbonate rocks has not been recognizably altered by post-depositional processes. Two end-member compositions are suggested for early organic matter trapped in the Lower Paleozoic carbonate rocks: (1) a source dominated by aquatic organisms and deposited in a relatively deep marine environment and (2) a relatively high saline, evaporative marine depositional environment. In contrast, chemical and isotopic compositions of solvent extracts from these Lower Paleozoic carbonate rocks are relatively complicated, not only inheriting original characteristics of their precursors, but also overprinted by various post-depositional alterations, such as thermal maturation, biodegradation and mixing. Therefore, the integration of both organic matter characteristics can provide more useful information on the origin of organic matter present in carbonate rocks and the environments of their deposition.

  20. 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

  1. Organic maturation levels, thermal history and hydrocarbon source rock potential of the Namurian rocks of the Clare Basin, Ireland

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goodhue, Robbie; Clayton, Geoffrey [Trinity Coll., Dept. of Geology, Dublin (Ireland)

    1999-11-01

    Vitrinite reflectance data from two inland cored boreholes confirm high maturation levels throughout the onshore part of the Irish Clare Basin and suggest erosion of 2 to 4 km of late Carboniferous cover and elevated palaeogeothermal gradients in the Carboniferous section. The observed maturation gradients are fully consistent with the published hypothesis of a late Carboniferous/Permian 'superplume' beneath Pangaea but local vertical reversals in gradients also suggest a complex thermal regime probably involving advective heating. The uppermost Visean--lower Namurian Clare Shale is laterally extensive and up to 300 m thick. Although this unit is post-mature, TOC values of up to 15% suggest that it could have considerable hydrocarbon source rock potential in any less mature offshore parts of the basin. (Author)

  2. Mechanical study of the Chartreuse Fold-and-Thrust Belt: relationships between fluids overpressure and decollement within the Toarcian source-rock

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berthelon, Josselin; Sassi, William; Burov, Evgueni

    2016-04-01

    Many source-rocks are shale and constitute potential detachment levels in Fold-and-Thrust Belts (FTB): the toarcian Schistes-Cartons in the French Chartreuse FTB for example. Their mechanical properties can change during their burial and thermal maturation, as for example when large amount of hydrocarbon fluids are generated. A structural reconstruction of the Chartreuse FTB geo-history places the Toarcian Formation as the major decollement horizon. In this work, a mechanical analysis integrating the fluids overpressuring development is proposed to discuss on the validity of the structural interpretation. At first, an analogue of the Chartreuse Toarcian Fm, the albanian Posidonia Schist, is documented as it can provide insights on its initial properties and composition of its kerogen content. Laboratory characterisation documents the vertical evolution of the mineralogical, geochemical and mechanical parameters of this potential decollement layer. These physical parameters (i.e. Total Organic Carbon (TOC), porosity/permeability relationship, friction coefficient) are used to address overpressure buildup in the frontal part of the Chartreuse FTB with TEMISFlow Arctem Basin modelling approach (Faille et al, 2014) and the structural emplacement of the Chartreuse thrust units using the FLAMAR thermo-mechanical model (Burov et al, 2014). The hydro-mechanical modeling results highlight the calendar, distribution and magnitude of the overpressure that developed within the source-rock in the footwall of a simple fault-bend fold structure localized in the frontal part of the Chartreuse FTB. Several key geological conditions are required to create an overpressure able to fracture the shale-rocks and induce a significant change in the rheological behaviour: high TOC, low permeability, favourable structural evolution. These models highlight the importance of modeling the impact of a diffuse natural hydraulic fracturing to explain fluids propagation toward the foreland within

  3. A REMAINING OPEN PALEOGEOGRAPHY OF PALEO-ASIAN OCEAN BY EARLY PERMIAN: PALEOMAGNETIC CONSTRAINTS FROM THE PERMIAN VOLCANIC ROCKS IN MIDDLE-EAST INNER MONGOLIA, NE CHINA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Donghai Zhang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available We report a paleomagnetic investigation on Permian volcanic rocks in the middle-east Inner Mongolia, NE China, aiming to puzzle out the timing and position of the final closure of the eastern Paleo-Asian ocean (PAO and further to better understand tectonic evolution of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB. Two pre-folding characteristic components are isolated from the Sanmianjing and Elitu formations (~283–266 Ma in the northern margin of the North China block (NMNCB and the Dashizhai Formation (~280 Ma in the Songliao-Xilinhot block (SXB, respectively.

  4. Geochemical investigation of petroleum source rocks by using Rock- Eval data in the Agha-Jari oilfield

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Behzad khani

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In this study, 40 drilling cutting of the Pabdeh, Gurpi, kazhdumi and Gadvan Formations from the Agha-Jari Oilfield were analyzed by using Rock-Eval pyrolysis. In order to recognizing sedimentary environmental conditions of studied Formations, they are divided to 4 zones which A (Kazhdumi Formation#187 and C (Kazhdumi Formation#140 zones show reduction conditions by presence of sea organic materials and B (Gadvan Formation #140 and D(Gadvan Formation#187 zones show oxidation conditions by presence of continental organic materials to basin. Based on the Rock-Eval pyrolysis data, the Pabeh, Gurpi, Kazhdumi and Gadvan Formations have variable hydrocarbon generative potential. HI vs. OI plot revealed that the kerogen type in this Formations is a mixed of types II & III. The intensity of matrix effect in the Pabdeh, Gurpi, Kazhdumi and Gadvan Formations was compared by using S2 vs. TOC plot and calculating its regression equation. The results show that the significant amount of S2 adsorption by matrix was happened in the Pabdeh (4.98-6.96 mg HC/gr rock in wells 113 and 121 and Gurpi Formations ‌(4.33 mg HC/gr rock in well 113 which is due to their low thermal maturity‌(Tmax

  5. Catahoula Formation as uranium source rock in East Texas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ledger, E.B.; Tieh, T.T.; Rowe, N.W.

    1984-01-01

    The Oligocene-Miocene Catahoula Formation of the Texas Gulf coastal plain is a fluvial and lacustrine volcaniclastic unit composed of normal fluvial material mixed with distal rhyolitic air-fall ash. In the lower Texas Gulf coastal plain, it consists of stream-transported detritus from the volcanic source area in Trans-Pecos Texas and adjacent Mexico. This volcaniclastic component has altered to release uranium to mineralization processes in the lower Gulf Coast, but there has not been uranium production in the middle and upper Gulf Coast. To evaluate the potential of the upper Texas Gulf coastal plain for uranium ore deposits, a geochemical study was undertaken. The Catahoula Formation was analyzed for U, Th, K, Rb, Sr, Zr, and Ti to estimate the nature of volcanic glass and its abundance and alteration. Concentrations from three key outcrops were compared. They were also compared to samples from a volcanic area in Trans-Pecos Texas, which is chemically appropriate as a source for the volcanic material in the Catahoula Formation. In the lower Texas Gulf coastal plain, where uranium is produced, the glassy volcanic material has been pervasively altered, but in the upper coastal plain much glass remains. Because glass alteration is necessary for uranium release and concentration, the potential is low for large, shallow uranium ore bodies in the upper Texas Gulf coastal plain

  6. REE enrichment in granite-derived regolith deposits of the southeast United States: Prospective source rocks and accumulation processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foley, Nora K.; Ayuso, Robert A.; Simandl, G.J.; Neetz, M.

    2015-01-01

    The Southeastern United States contains numerous anorogenic, or A-type, granites, which constitute promising source rocks for REE-enriched ion adsorption clay deposits due to their inherently high concentrations of REE. These granites have undergone a long history of chemical weathering, resulting in thick granite-derived regoliths, akin to those of South China, which supply virtually all heavy REE and Y, and a significant portion of light REE to global markets. Detailed comparisons of granite regolith profiles formed on the Stewartsville and Striped Rock plutons, and the Robertson River batholith (Virginia) indicate that REE are mobile and can attain grades comparable to those of deposits currently mined in China. A REE-enriched parent, either A-type or I-type (highly fractionated igneous type) granite, is thought to be critical for generating the high concentrations of REE in regolith profiles. One prominent feature we recognize in many granites and mineralized regoliths is the tetrad behaviour displayed in REE chondrite-normalized patterns. Tetrad patterns in granite and regolith result from processes that promote the redistribution, enrichment, and fractionation of REE, such as late- to post- magmatic alteration of granite and silicate hydrolysis in the regolith. Thus, REE patterns showing tetrad effects may be a key for discriminating highly prospective source rocks and regoliths with potential for REE ion adsorption clay deposits.

  7. Evaluation of geochemical mobility of heavy metals in the dump mine rocks Western Donbass

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yatsechko N.Y.

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Typification of turn mine rocks of Western Donbas is conducted after a size acid-lye the index of water-soluble complex. It is set that exactly rocks with the low value of it an index characterized the most sizes of middle content of water-soluble forms of heavy metals. It is well-proven that exactly mine dumps are the generating source of contamination of objects of environment of this region by heavy metals. The significant impact on the environment inflicted not only directly in the process of coal mining, but for many years after its completion. The source of contamination of environmental objects are dumps that occupy large areas of fertile land. Every year in the dumps is stored about 40 million. m3 moldboard mine rock. Most of the waste coal industry have potential toxic and mutagenic properties as containing a significant amount of heavy metals, which are practically not biodegradable in the environment and is therefore especially dangerous for living organisms paramount importance score geochemical mobility of heavy metals, ie their property to move from solid to liquid phase, migrate to the natural landscape and absorbed by vegetation. This applies particularly to water-soluble forms of metals, as in warehousing surface mine dump piles of rocks, the priority factor that regulates the processes of migration of heavy metals are leaching precipitation of solid phase wastes. It is the existence and content of heavy metals in water-soluble complex characterized by their solubility and migration activity and can be used to assess the real extent of possible contamination of the hydrosphere.

  8. Evidence of Middle Jurassic magmatism within the Seychelles microcontinent: Implications for the breakup of Gondwana

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shellnutt, J. G.; Lee, T.-Y.; Chiu, H.-Y.; Lee, Y.-H.; Wong, J.

    2015-12-01

    The breakup of East and West Gondwana occurred during the Jurassic, but the exact timing is uncertain due to the limited exposure of rocks suitable for radioisotopic dating. Trachytic rocks from Silhouette Island, Seychelles, yielded a range of zircon ages from Paleoproterozoic to Cenozoic. The 206Pb/238U age of the trachyte is 64.9 ± 1.6 Ma (Danian) but the majority of zircons yielded an age of 163.8 ± 1.8 Ma (Callovian) with a small subset yielding an age of 147.7 ± 4.5 Ma (Tithonian). The Hf isotopes of the Callovian (ɛHf(t) = +4.1 to +13.4) and Danian (ɛHf(t) = +1.9 to +7.1) zircons indicate that they were derived from moderately depleted mantle sources whereas the Tithonian zircons (ɛHf(t) = -7.0 to -7.3) were derived from an enriched source. The identification of middle Jurassic zircons indicates that rifting and magmatism were likely contemporaneous during the initial separation of East and West Gondwana.

  9. Organic petrology and geochemistry of Eocene Suzak bituminous marl, north-central Afghanistan: Depositional environment and source rock potential

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hackley, Paul C.; Sanfilipo, John

    2016-01-01

    Organic geochemistry and petrology of Eocene Suzak bituminous marl outcrop samples from Madr village in north-central Afghanistan were characterized via an integrated analytical approach to evaluate depositional environment and source rock potential. Multiple proxies suggest the organic-rich (TOC ∼6 wt.%) bituminous marls are ‘immature’ for oil generation (e.g., vitrinite Ro  1) indicating organic input from marine algae and/or bacterial biomass, and sterane/hopane ratios are low (0.12–0.14). Monoaromatic steroids are dominated by C28clearly indicating a marine setting. High gammacerane index values (∼0.9) are consistent with anoxia stratification and may indicate intermittent saline-hypersaline conditions. Stable C isotope ratios also suggest a marine depositional scenario for the Suzak samples, consistent with the presence of marine foraminifera including abundant planktic globigerinida(?) and rare benthic discocyclina(?) and nummulites(?). Biomarker 2α-methylhopane for photosynthetic cyanobacteria implies shallow photic zone deposition of Madr marls and 3β-methylhopane indicates presence of methanotrophic archaea in the microbial consortium. The data presented herein are consistent with deposition of Suzak bituminous marls in shallow stratified waters of a restricted marine basin associated with the southeastern incipient or proto-Paratethys. Geochemical proxies from Suzak rock extracts (S content, high polar content, C isotopes, normal (αααR) C27–29 steranes, and C29/C30 and C26/C25 hopane ratios) are similar to extant data from Paleogene oils produced to the north in the Afghan-Tajik Basin. This observation may indicate laterally equivalent strata are effective source rocks as suggested by previous workers; however, further work is needed to strengthen oil-source correlations.

  10. What Is Middle Class about the Middle Classes around the World?

    OpenAIRE

    Abhijit V. Banerjee; Esther Duflo

    2008-01-01

    We expect a lot from the middle classes. At least three distinct arguments about the special economic role of the middle class are traditionally made. In one, new entrepreneurs armed with a capacity and a tolerance for delayed gratification emerge from the middle class and create employment and productivity growth for the rest of society. In a second, perhaps more conventional view, the middle class is primarily a source of vital inputs for the entrepreneurial class: it is their "middle class...

  11. SESAME - A 3rd Generation Synchrotron Light Source for the Middle East

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ulkue, Dincer; Rahighi, Javad; Winick, Herman

    2007-01-01

    SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East) will be the Middle East's first international research center. It is a cooperative venture by the scientists and governments of the region with founding members Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, Palestine Authority, and Turkey. Iran is in the process of finalizing its formal membership. Other countries (Cyprus, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates) are also expected to join. The permanent Council of member states has full responsibility for the project. Members provide the annual operating budget. Observer countries are Germany, Greece, Italy, Kuwait, Portugal, Russian Federation, Sweden, the UK, and the US. SESAME is being developed under the umbrella of UNESCO. Jordan was selected as the building site. SESAME will offer excellent opportunities for training of Middle East scientists and attract those working abroad to consider returning. SESAME will be a 2.5GeV 3rd Generation light source (emittance 26nm-rad, circumference ∼133m), providing excellent performance for structural molecular biology, molecular environmental science, surface and interface science, microelectromechanical devices, x-ray imaging, archaeological microanalysis, and materials characterization. It will cover a broad spectral range from the infrared to hard x-rays and will have 12 straight sections for insertion devices (average length 2.75m). The injector will be the BESSY I 0.8 GeV booster synchrotron which has been given as a gift from Germany. Four committees advise the Council and assist in developing the technical design, beam lines, user community, and scientific Program. The SESAME building, now in construction with funds and a site provided by Jordan, is scheduled for completion in late 2006 after which the BESSY I injector will be installed. First stored beam in the new 2.5 GeV ring is planned for 2009 with six initial beamlines planned. Some beamlines will be built by member countries

  12. SESAME - A 3rd Generation Synchrotron Light Source for the Middle East

    Science.gov (United States)

    U˝Lkü, Dinçer; Rahighi, Javad; Winick, Herman

    2007-01-01

    SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East) will be the Middle East's first international research center. It is a cooperative venture by the scientists and governments of the region with founding members Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, Palestine Authority, and Turkey. Iran is in the process of finalizing its formal membership. Other countries (Cyprus, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates) are also expected to join. The permanent Council of member states has full responsibility for the project. Members provide the annual operating budget. Observer countries are Germany, Greece, Italy, Kuwait, Portugal, Russian Federation, Sweden, the UK, and the US. SESAME is being developed under the umbrella of UNESCO. Jordan was selected as the building site. SESAME will offer excellent opportunities for training of Middle East scientists and attract those working abroad to consider returning. SESAME will be a 2.5GeV 3rd Generation light source (emittance 26nm-rad, circumference ~133m), providing excellent performance for structural molecular biology, molecular environmental science, surface and interface science, microelectromechanical devices, x-ray imaging, archaeological microanalysis, and materials characterization. It will cover a broad spectral range from the infrared to hard x-rays and will have 12 straight sections for insertion devices (average length 2.75m). The injector will be the BESSY I 0.8 GeV booster synchrotron which has been given as a gift from Germany. Four committees advise the Council and assist in developing the technical design, beam lines, user community, and scientific Program. The SESAME building, now in construction with funds and a site provided by Jordan, is scheduled for completion in late 2006 after which the BESSY I injector will be installed. First stored beam in the new 2.5 GeV ring is planned for 2009 with six initial beamlines planned. Some beamlines will be built by member countries

  13. Depositional environment and provenance of Middle Siwalik ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    The sedimentary facies and facies associations within the lithostratigraphic column of the Middle Siwalik rocks show temporal repetition of sedimentary facies associations suggesting oscillation between proximal-, mid- and distal fan setups within a palaeo-alluvial fan depositional environment similar to the depositional ...

  14. U-Pb ages and Hf isotope compositions of zircons in plutonic rocks from the central Famatinian arc, Argentina

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otamendi, Juan E.; Ducea, Mihai N.; Cristofolini, Eber A.; Tibaldi, Alina M.; Camilletti, Giuliano C.; Bergantz, George W.

    2017-07-01

    The Famatinian arc formed around the South Iapetus rim during the Ordovician, when oceanic lithosphere subducted beneath the West Gondwana margin. We present combined in situ U-Th-Pb and Lu-Hf isotope analyses for zircon to gain insights into the origin and evolution of Famatinian magmatism. Zircon crystals sampled from four intermediate and silicic plutonic rocks confirm previous observations showing that voluminous magmatism took place during a relatively short pulse between the Early and Middle Ordovician (472-465 Ma). The entire zircon population for the four plutonic rocks yields coherent εHf negative values and spreads over several ranges of initial εHf(t) units (-0.3 to -8.0). The range of εHf units in detrital zircons of Famatinian metasedimentary rocks reflects a prolonged history of the cratonic sources during the Proterozoic to the earliest Phanerozoic. Typical tonalites and granodiorites that contain zircons with evolved Hf isotopic compositions formed upon incorporating (meta)sedimentary materials into calc-alkaline metaluminous magmas. The evolved Hf isotope ratios of zircons in the subduction related plutonic rocks strongly reflect the Hf isotopic character of the metasedimentary contaminant, even though the linked differentiation and growth of the Famatinian arc crust was driven by ascending and evolving mantle magmas. Geochronology and Hf isotope systematics in plutonic zircons allow us understanding the petrogenesis of igneous series and the provenance of magma sources. However, these data could be inadequate for computing model ages and supporting models of crustal evolution.

  15. Effects of explosions in hard rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heuze, F.E.; Walton, O.R.; Maddix, D.M.; Shaffer, R.J.; Butkovich, T.R.

    1993-01-01

    This work relates to explosions in hard rocks (ex: basalt, granite, limestone...). Hard rock masses typically have a blocky structure created by the existence of geologic discontinuities such as bedding contacts, faults, and joints. At very high pressure - hundreds of kilobars and above - these discontinuities do not act separately, and the rock appears to be an equivalent continuous medium. At stress of a few tens of kilobars and below, the geologic discontinuities control the kinematics of the rock masses. Hence, the simulation of rock dynamics, anywhere but in the very-near source region, should account for those kinematics

  16. Mass Dependent Fractionation of Hg Isotopes in Source Rocks, Mineral Deposits and Spring Waters of the California Coast Ranges, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, C. N.; Kesler, S. E.; Blum, J. D.; Rytuba, J. J.

    2007-12-01

    We present here the first study of the isotopic composition of Hg in rocks, ore deposits, and active hydrothermal systems from the California Coast Ranges, one of Earth's largest Hg-depositing systems. The Franciscan Complex and Great Valley Sequence, which form the bedrock in the California Coast Ranges, are intruded and overlain by Tertiary volcanic rocks including the Clear Lake Volcanic Sequence. These rocks contain two types of Hg deposits, hot-spring deposits that form at shallow depths (<300 m) and silica-carbonate deposits that extend to greater depths (200 to 1000 m), as well as active springs and geothermal systems that release Hg to the present surface. The Franciscan Complex and Great Valley Sequence contain clastic sedimentary rocks with higher concentrations of Hg than volcanic rocks of the Clear Lake Volcanic Field. Mean Hg isotope compositions for all three rock units are similar, although the range of values in Franciscan Complex rocks is greater than in either Great Valley or Clear Lake rocks. Hot spring and silica-carbonate Hg deposits have similar average isotopic compositions that are indistinguishable from averages for the three rock units, although δ202Hg values for the Hg deposits have a greater variance than the country rocks. Precipitates from dilute spring and saline thermal waters in the area have similarly large variance and a mean δ202Hg value that is significantly lower than the ore deposits and rocks. These observations indicate there is little or no isotopic fractionation during release of Hg from its source rocks into hydrothermal solutions. Isotopic fractionation does appear to take place during transport and concentration of Hg in deposits, especially in their uppermost parts. Boiling of hydrothermal fluids is likely the most important process causing of the observed Hg isotope fractionation. This should result in the release of Hg with low δ202Hg values into the atmosphere from the top of these hydrothermal systems and a

  17. Water Sources for Cyanobacteria Below Desert Rocks in the Negev Desert Determined by Conductivity

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKay, Christopher P.

    2016-01-01

    We present year round meteorological and conductivity measurements of colonized hypolithic rocks in the Arava Valley, Negev Desert, Israel. The data indicate that while dew is common in the Negev it is not an important source of moisture for hypolithic organisms at this site. The dominance of cyanobacteria in the hypolithic community are consistent with predictions that cyanobacteria are confined to habitats supplied by rain. To monitor the presence of liquid water under the small Negev rocks we developed and tested a simple field conductivity system based on two wires placed about 0.5 cm apart. Based on 21 replicates recorded for one year in the Negev we conclude that in natural rains (0.25 mm to 6 mm) the variability between sensor readings is between 20 and 60% decreasing with increasing rain amount. We conclude that the simple small electrical conductivity system described here can be used effectively to monitor liquid water levels in lithic habitats. However, the natural variability of these sensors indicates that several replicates should be deployed. The results and method presented have use in arid desert reclamation programs.

  18. Geosites inventory of the northwestern Tabular Middle Atlas of Morocco

    Science.gov (United States)

    El Wartiti, Mohamed; Malaki, Amina; Zahraoui, Mohamed; El Ghannouchi, Abdelilah; di Gregorio, Felice

    2008-07-01

    Across the northwestern Tabular Middle Atlas of Morocco there are many examples of landscapes, rocks and fossils that provide key evidence of a particular moment or period in Earth history. Such Earth heritage sites are important for educating the general public in environmental matters. They also serve as tools for demonstrating sustainable development and for illustrating methods of site conservation as well as remembering that rocks, minerals, fossils, soils, landforms form an integral part of the natural world. The significance of certain sites for aesthetic or tourism reasons is obvious. There are numerous geosites, which could contribute to effective exploitation of geotourism, often in conjunction with ecotourism. The strategy employed to such sites involves close consultation with all communities in the vicinity of the respective geosite and is not only aimed at tourism and education, but also at sustainable improvement of the infrastructure of the people of this area. Geological heritage sites, properly managed, can generate employment and new economic activities, especially in regions in need of new or additional sources of income.

  19. Neutron activation analysis of alternative phosphate rocks used in animal nutrition; Analise por ativacao neutronica por fontes alternativas de fosforo para a nutricao animal

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Canella, Artur A.; Ferreira, Walter M. [Minas Gerais Univ., Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Escola de Veterinaria]. E-mail: avelara@ufmg.br; Menezes, Maria Angela de B.C. [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)]. E-mail: menezes@cdtn.br

    2005-07-01

    Since 1980's, Bovine Sponghiform Encephalophaty has insidiously created a fierce battleground between farmers, scientists, environmentalists and consumers. The use of meat and bone meals is currently prohibited in ruminant feeds throughout the world. Some inorganic sources offer the combination of high phosphorus content and acceptable animal digestibility make them options as supplemental phosphorus, for instance phosphate rocks, general term applied to minerals valued chiefly for their phosphorus content. However, phosphate rocks are long been known containing hazardous elements, make them sometimes unsuitable for animal nutrition. Neutron Activation Analysis has been supportive to the mineral evaluation of alternative phosphate rocks. This evaluation is subject of on-going doctoral thesis which has been carried-out by the main author. The NAA method has been very efficient due to its highly sensitive and multi-elemental nature. In this paper results of Vanadium content from three different phosphate rocks are presented. Their values have been pointed out that Brazilian phosphate rocks present hazardous elements at the same levels of phosphate rocks from some countries of Africa, North America and Middle East, data from our study (Brazilian data) and FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization (others countries). (author)

  20. Origin of middle rare earth element enrichments in acid waters of a Canadian high Arctic lake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johannesson, Kevin H.; Zhou, Xiaoping

    1999-01-01

    -Middle rare earth element (MREE) enriched rock-normalized rare earth element (REE) patterns of a dilute acidic lake (Colour Lake) in the Canadian High Arctic, were investigated by quantifying whole-rock REE concentrations of rock samples collected from the catchment basin, as well as determining the acid leachable REE fraction of these rocks. An aliquot of each rock sample was leached with 1 N HNO 3 to examine the readily leachable REE fraction of each rock, and an additional aliquot was leached with a 0.04 M NH 2OH · HCl in 25% (v/v) CH 3COOH solution, designed specifically to reduce Fe-Mn oxides/oxyhydroxides. Rare earth elements associated with the leachates that reacted with clastic sedimentary rock samples containing petrographically identifiable Fe-Mn oxide/oxyhydroxide cements and/or minerals/amorphous phases, exhibited whole-rock-normalized REE patterns similar to the lake waters, whereas whole-rock-normalized leachates from mafic igneous rocks and other clastic sedimentary rocks from the catchment basin differed substantially from the lake waters. The whole-rock, leachates, and lake water REE data support acid leaching or dissolution of MREE enriched Fe-Mn oxides/oxyhydroxides contained and identified within some of the catchment basin sedimentary rocks as the likely source of the unique lake water REE patterns. Solution complexation modelling of the REEs in the inflow streams and lake waters indicate that free metal ions (e.g., Ln 3+, where Ln = any REE) and sulfate complexes (LnSO 4+) are the dominant forms of dissolved REEs. Consequently, solution complexation reactions involving the REEs during weathering, transport to the lake, or within the lake, cannot be invoked to explain the MREE enrichments observed in the lake waters.

  1. Geochemical Interaction of Middle Bakken Reservoir Rock and CO2 during CO2-Based Fracturing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicot, J. P.; Lu, J.; Mickler, P. J.; Ribeiro, L. H.; Darvari, R.

    2015-12-01

    This study was conducted to investigate the effects of geochemical interactions when CO2 is used to create the fractures necessary to produce hydrocarbons from low-permeability Middle Bakken sandstone. The primary objectives are to: (1) identify and understand the geochemical reactions related to CO2-based fracturing, and (2) assess potential changes of reservoir property. Three autoclave experiments were conducted at reservoir conditions exposing middle Bakken core fragments to supercritical CO2 (sc-CO2) only and to CO2-saturated synthetic brine. Ion-milled core samples were examined before and after the reaction experiments using scanning electron microscope, which enabled us to image the reaction surface in extreme details and unambiguously identify mineral dissolution and precipitation. The most significant changes in the reacted rock samples exposed to the CO2-saturated brine is dissolution of the carbonate minerals, particularly calcite which displays severely corrosion. Dolomite grains were corroded to a lesser degree. Quartz and feldspars remained intact and some pyrite framboids underwent slight dissolution. Additionally, small amount of calcite precipitation took place as indicated by numerous small calcite crystals formed at the reaction surface and in the pores. The aqueous solution composition changes confirm these petrographic observations with increase in Ca and Mg and associated minor elements and very slight increase in Fe and sulfate. When exposed to sc-CO2 only, changes observed include etching of calcite grain surface and precipitation of salt crystals (halite and anhydrite) due to evaporation of residual pore water into the sc-CO2 phase. Dolomite and feldspars remained intact and pyrite grains were slightly altered. Mercury intrusion capillary pressure tests on reacted and unreacted samples shows an increase in porosity when an aqueous phase is present but no overall porosity change caused by sc-CO2. It also suggests an increase in permeability

  2. Middle School Students' Science Self-Efficacy and Its Sources: Examination of Gender Difference

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kıran, Dekant; Sungur, Semra

    2012-10-01

    The main purpose of the present study is to investigate middle school students' science self-efficacy as well as its sources and outcomes as a function of gender. Bandura's hypothesized sources of self-efficacy (i.e., mastery experience, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and emotional arousal) in addition to being inviting with self and inviting with others were examined as sources of self-efficacy, while cognitive and metacognitive strategy use was examined as an outcome of self-efficacy. A total of 1,932 students participated in the study and were administered self-report instruments. Results showed that the relationship between science self-efficacy and its proposed sources does not change as a function of gender. All proposed sources, except for vicarious experience, were found to be significantly related to students' scientific self-efficacy. Moreover, girls were found to experience significantly more emotional arousal and to send positive messages to others more than boys. On the other hand, no gender difference was found concerning science self-efficacy and strategy use. The findings also revealed a positive association between science self-efficacy and strategy use. Overall, findings supported Bandura's conception of self-efficacy and suggested invitations as additional sources of self-efficacy.

  3. Source rock formation evaluation using TOC & Ro log model based on well-log data procesing: study case of Ngimbang formation, North East Java basin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatahillah Yosar

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Ngimbang Formation is known as one major source of hydrocarbon supply in the North Eastern Java Basin. Aged Mid-Eocene, Ngimbang is dominated by sedimentary clastic rocks mostly shale, shaly sandstone, and thick layers of limestone (CD Limestone, with thin layers of coal. Although, laboratory analyses show the Ngimbang Formation to be a relatively rich source-rocks, such data are typically too limited to regionally quantify the distribution of organic matter. To adequately sample the formation both horizontally and vertically on a basin–wide scale, large number of costly and time consuming laboratory analyses would be required. Such analyses are prone to errors from a number of sources, and core data are frequently not available at key locations. In this paper, the authors established four TOC (Total Organic Carbon Content logging calculation models; Passey, Schmoker-Hester, Meyer-Nederloff, and Decker/Density Model by considering the geology of Ngimbang. Well data along with its available core data was used to determine the most suitable model to be applied in the well AFA-1, as well as to compare the accuracy of these TOC model values. The result shows good correlation using Decker (TOC Model and Mallick-Raju (Ro- Vitrinite Reflectance Model. Two source rocks potential zones were detected by these log models.

  4. Modeling the Rock Glacier Cycle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, R. S.; Anderson, L. S.

    2016-12-01

    Rock glaciers are common in many mountain ranges in which the ELA lies above the peaks. They represent some of the most identifiable components of today's cryosphere in these settings. Their oversteepened snouts pose often-overlooked hazards to travel in alpine terrain. Rock glaciers are supported by avalanches and by rockfall from steep headwalls. The winter's avalanche cone must be sufficiently thick not to melt entirely in the summer. The spatial distribution of rock glaciers reflects this dependence on avalanche sources; they are most common on lee sides of ridges where wind-blown snow augments the avalanche source. In the absence of rockfall, this would support a short, cirque glacier. Depending on the relationship between rockfall and avalanche patterns, "talus-derived" and "glacier-derived" rock glaciers are possible. Talus-derived: If the spatial distribution of rock delivery is similar to the avalanche pattern, the rock-ice mixture will travel an englacial path that is downward through the short accumulation zone before turning upward in the ablation zone. Advected debris is then delivered to the base of a growing surface debris layer that reduces the ice melt rate. The physics is identical to the debris-covered glacier case. Glacier-derived: If on the other hand rockfall from the headwall rolls beyond the avalanche cone, it is added directly to the ablation zone of the glacier. The avalanche accumulation zone then supports a pure ice core to the rock glacier. We have developed numerical models designed to capture the full range of glacier to debris-covered glacier to rock glacier behavior. The hundreds of meter lengths, tens of meters thicknesses, and meter per year speeds of rock glaciers are well described by the models. The model can capture both "talus-derived" and "glacier-derived" rock glaciers. We explore the dependence of glacier behavior on climate histories. As climate warms, a pure ice debris-covered glacier can transform to a much shorter rock

  5. Interim rock mass properties and conditions for analyses of a repository in crystalline rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tammemagi, H.Y.; Chieslar, J.D.

    1985-03-01

    A summary of rock properties for generic crystalline rock is compiled from literature sources to provide the input data for analyses of a conceptual repository in crystalline rock. Frequency histograms, mean values and ranges of physical, mechanical, thermal, and thermomechanical properties, and the dependence of these properties on temperature are described. A description of the hydrogeologic properties of a crystalline rock mass and their dependence on depth is provided. In addition, the temperature gradients, mean annual surface temperature, and in situ stress conditions are summarized for the three regions of the United States currently under consideration to host a crystalline repository; i.e., the North Central, Northeastern, and Southeastern. Brief descriptions of the regional geology are also presented. Large-scale underground experiments in crystalline rock at Stripa, Sweden, and in Climax Stock in Nevada, are reviewed to assess whether the rock properties presented in this report are representative of in situ conditions. The suitability of each rock property and the sufficiency of its data base are described. 110 refs., 27 figs., 4 tabs

  6. A Study of Porphyrins in Petroleum Source Rocks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huseby, Berit

    1997-12-31

    This thesis discusses several aspects of porphyrin geochemistry. Degradation experiments have been performed on the Messel oil shale (Eocene, Germany) to obtain information on porphyrins bound or incorporated into macromolecular structures. Thermal heating of the preextracted kerogen by hydrous pyrolysis was used to study the release of porphyrins and their temperature dependent changes during simulated diagenesis and catagenesis. Selective chemical degradation experiments were performed on the preextracted sediment to get more detailed information about porphyrins that are specifically bound to the macromolecular structures via ester bonds. From the heating experiments, in a separate study, the porphyrin nitrogen content in the generated bitumens was compared to the bulk of organic nitrogen compounds in the fraction. The bulk nitrogen contents in the generated bitumens, the water phase and the residual organic matter was recorded to establish the distribution of nitrogen between the kerogen and product phases. Porphyrins as biomarkers were examined in naturally matured Kimmeridge clay source rocks (Upper Jurassic, Norway), and the use of porphyrins as general indicators of maturity was evaluated. Underlying maturity trends in the biomarker data was investigated by Partial Least Squares analysis. Porphyrin as indicators of depositional conditions was also addressed, where the correlations between the (amounts) abundance of nickel and vanadyl porphyrins were mapped together with other descriptors that are assumed to be indicative of redox depositional conditions. 252 refs., 28 figs., 4 tabs.

  7. A Study of Porphyrins in Petroleum Source Rocks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huseby, Berit

    1996-12-31

    This thesis discusses several aspects of porphyrin geochemistry. Degradation experiments have been performed on the Messel oil shale (Eocene, Germany) to obtain information on porphyrins bound or incorporated into macromolecular structures. Thermal heating of the preextracted kerogen by hydrous pyrolysis was used to study the release of porphyrins and their temperature dependent changes during simulated diagenesis and catagenesis. Selective chemical degradation experiments were performed on the preextracted sediment to get more detailed information about porphyrins that are specifically bound to the macromolecular structures via ester bonds. From the heating experiments, in a separate study, the porphyrin nitrogen content in the generated bitumens was compared to the bulk of organic nitrogen compounds in the fraction. The bulk nitrogen contents in the generated bitumens, the water phase and the residual organic matter was recorded to establish the distribution of nitrogen between the kerogen and product phases. Porphyrins as biomarkers were examined in naturally matured Kimmeridge clay source rocks (Upper Jurassic, Norway), and the use of porphyrins as general indicators of maturity was evaluated. Underlying maturity trends in the biomarker data was investigated by Partial Least Squares analysis. Porphyrin as indicators of depositional conditions was also addressed, where the correlations between the (amounts) abundance of nickel and vanadyl porphyrins were mapped together with other descriptors that are assumed to be indicative of redox depositional conditions. 252 refs., 28 figs., 4 tabs.

  8. Pre-Messinian (Sub-Salt Source-Rock Potential on Back-Stop Basins of the Hellenic Trench System (Messara Basin, Central Crete, Greece

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maravelis A.

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The Greek part of the Mediterranean Ridge suggests, in terms of its hydrocarbon potential, further frontier exploration. The geological similarities between its prolific portions, within the Cyprus and Egyptian Exclusive Economic Zones, indicate possible recoverable natural gas reserves in its Greek portion. Nevertheless it lacks of systematic frontier exploration although direct petroleum indicators occur. Active mud volcanoes on the Mediterranean Ridge, still emitting concurrently gas and gas hydrates, have not been yet assessed even though are strongly related to hydrocarbon occurrence worldwide (Caspian Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Western African Basin, Trinidad-Tobago, the Nile Cone. For this reason, the source rock potential of the Late Miocene lacustrine deposits on a backstop basin of the Hellenic Trench System (Messara Basin, Crete, Greece, was studied. The obtained pyrolysis data indicate that the containing organic matter is present in sufficient abundance and with good enough quality to be regarded as potential source rocks. The observed type III kerogen suggests gas generation potential. Although indications of higher thermal evolution occur the studied rocks suggest low maturation levels. The biogenic gas seeps in the studied research well further demonstrate the regional gas generation potential.

  9. Petrogenesis of siliceous high-Mg series rocks as exemplified by the Early Paleoproterozoic mafic volcanic rocks of the Eastern Baltic Shield: enriched mantle versus crustal contamination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bogina, Maria; Zlobin, Valeriy; Sharkov, Evgenii; Chistyakov, Alexeii

    2015-04-01

    The Early Paleoproterozoic stage in the Earth's evolution was marked by the initiation of global rift systems, the tectonic nature of which was determined by plume geodynamics. These processes caused the voluminous emplacement of mantle melts with the formation of dike swarms, mafic-ultramafic layered intrusions, and volcanic rocks. All these rocks are usually considered as derivatives of SHMS (siliceous high-magnesian series). Within the Eastern Baltic Shield, the SHMS volcanic rocks are localized in the domains with different crustal history: in the Vodlozero block of the Karelian craton with the oldest (Middle Archean) crust, in the Central Block of the same craton with the Neoarchean crust, and in the Kola Craton with a heterogeneous crust. At the same time, these rocks are characterized by sufficiently close geochemical characteristics: high REE fractionation ((La/Yb)N = 4.9-11.7, (La/Sm)N=2.3-3.6, (Gd/Yb)N =1.66-2.74)), LILE enrichment, negative Nb anomaly, low to moderate Ti content, and sufficiently narrow variations in Nd isotope composition from -2.0 to -0.4 epsilon units. The tectonomagmatic interpretation of these rocks was ambiguous, because such characteristics may be produced by both crustal contamination of depleted mantle melts, and by generation from a mantle source metasomatized during previous subduction event. Similar REE patterns and overlapping Nd isotope compositions indicate that the studied basaltic rocks were formed from similar sources. If crustal contamination en route to the surface would play a significant role in the formation of the studied basalts, then almost equal amounts of contaminant of similar composition are required to produce the mafic rocks with similar geochemical signatures and close Nd isotopic compositions, which is hardly possible for the rocks spaced far apart in a heterogeneous crust. This conclusion is consistent with analysis of some relations between incompatible elements and their ratios. In particular, the

  10. Numerical modelling of fluid-rock interactions: Lessons learnt from carbonate rocks diagenesis studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nader, Fadi; Bachaud, Pierre; Michel, Anthony

    2015-04-01

    contribution is based on several studies that were undertaken on carbonate rocks diagenesis in some of the major reservoir rocks in the Middle East and outcrop analogues in Europe. Here, the main processes at hand are related to fracture-related dolomitization and carbonate dissolution. We would like to present the workflows we have followed and the questioning that resulted for a series of case studies. The way forward, seems evident as the integration of workflows and numerical modelling tools at different scales, bringing better constrains on the boundary data and less uncertainty.

  11. Petrogenesis of the postcollisional Middle Devonian monzonitic to granitic magmatism of the Sierra de San Luis, Argentina

    Science.gov (United States)

    López de Luchi, Mónica G.; Siegesmund, Siegfried; Wemmer, Klaus; Nolte, Nicole

    2017-09-01

    Middle Devonian granitoids intruded the Eastern Sierras Pampeanas basement ca. 600 km east of the inferred proto-Pacific margin of Gondwana along which a ca. 390 Ma collisional event developed. In the Sierra de San Luis, voluminous Middle Devonian (393-382 Ma) batholiths are composed of I- to A-type hybrid Monzonite and Granite suites. Shoshonite and subordinated high-K series, stocks, synplutonic dikes and enclaves make up the Monzonite Suite; rocks are metaluminous alkali-calcic magnesian porphyritic or equigranular monzonite, quartz monzonite, monzodiorite and scarce monzogabbro. High-K and subordinated shoshonite series metaluminous to mildly peraluminous magnesian alkali-calcic to calc-alkalic porphyritic or equigranular quartz monzonite, granodiorite, monzogranite and equigranular leucomonzogranites make up the Granite Suite plutons and batholiths. Only a small group of highly evolved granites are ferroan. SiO2 (46-62%), Cr, Ni, V, Sc, LILE, LREE, Th, Zr and variable, Sr/Y, (La/Yb)N and (Tb/Yb)N, smooth Eu/Eu*, moderate Na2O (ca 3.5), and troughs at Nb and Ta for Monzonite Suite rocks suggest an subduction-related enriched lithospheric mantle source. Sm-Nd data (TDM 0.98-1.08 Ga, εNd(380 Ma) 0.66-1.47) and 87Sr/86Sri (0.703520-0.704203) are compatible with an enriched mantle source. The metaluminous porphyritic quartz monzonite-monzogranite and the mildly peraluminous equigranular biotite monzogranites of the Granite Suite are characterized by relatively moderate Al2O3, CaO, and 87Sr/86Sri, high LILE, Cr, variable Sr/Y, (La/Yb)N and Eu/Eu* and low Rb/Sr ( 1.5, ASI 1.05-1.18, and Ga/Al 2.6-3.9, εNd(380 Ma) - 3.74 to - 3.95 and (87Sr/86Sr)i 0.710743-0.712955 which would point to metasedimentary or felsic igneous crustal sources. Nevertheless their TDM 1.36-1.38 Ga is considerably younger than the mean 1.8-1.6 Ga Eastern Sierras Pampeanas crustal residence age and less radiogenic. Middle Devonian magmatism would record an episode of crustal growth by enriched

  12. Water sources for cyanobacteria below desert rocks in the Negev Desert determined by conductivity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christopher P. McKay

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available We present year round meteorological and conductivity measurements of colonized hypolithic rocks in the Arava Valley, Negev Desert, Israel. The data indicate that while dew is common in the Negev it is not an important source of moisture for hypolithic organisms at this site. The dominance of cyanobacteria in the hypolithic community is consistent with predictions that cyanobacteria are confined to habitats supplied by rain. To monitor the presence of liquid water under the small Negev rocks we developed and tested a simple field conductivity system based on two wires placed about 0.5 cm apart. Based on 21 replicates recorded for one year in the Negev we conclude that in natural rains (0.25 mm to 6 mm the variability between sensor readings is between 20 and 60% decreasing with increasing rain amount. We conclude that the simple small electrical conductivity system described here can be used effectively to monitor liquid water levels in lithic habitats. However, the natural variability of these sensors indicates that several replicates should be deployed. The results and method presented have use in arid desert reclamation programs.

  13. Convergent evidence for widespread rock nitrogen sources in Earth’s surface environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Houlton, B. Z.; Morford, S. L.; Dahlgren, R. A.

    2018-04-01

    Nitrogen availability is a pivotal control on terrestrial carbon sequestration and global climate change. Historical and contemporary views assume that nitrogen enters Earth’s land-surface ecosystems from the atmosphere. Here we demonstrate that bedrock is a nitrogen source that rivals atmospheric nitrogen inputs across major sectors of the global terrestrial environment. Evidence drawn from the planet’s nitrogen balance, geochemical proxies, and our spatial weathering model reveal that ~19 to 31 teragrams of nitrogen are mobilized from near-surface rocks annually. About 11 to 18 teragrams of this nitrogen are chemically weathered in situ, thereby increasing the unmanaged (preindustrial) terrestrial nitrogen balance from 8 to 26%. These findings provide a global perspective to reconcile Earth’s nitrogen budget, with implications for nutrient-driven controls over the terrestrial carbon sink.

  14. Waste-rock interactions and bedrock reactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    White, W.B.

    1977-01-01

    The experimental program is designed to discover possible reactions between shale repository rocks and radioactive wastes. The canister can be regarded in three ways: (a) As a source of heat that modifies the mineralogy and therefore the physical properties of the surrounding rock (dry heat). (b) As a source of heat that activates reactions between minerals in the surrounding rock and slowly percolating ground water. (c) As a source of reaction materials of different composition from the surrounding rock and which therefore may react to form completely new ''minerals'' in a contact aureole around the canister. The matrix of interactions contains two composition axes. The waste compositions are defined by the various prototype waste forms usually investigated: glass, calcine, ''spent fuel'' and the ceramic supercalcine. The temperatures and pressures at which these reactions take place must be investigated. Thus each node on the ''wiring diagram'' is itself a matrix of experiments in which the T and to some extent P are varied. Experiments at higher pressure and temperature allow reactions to take place on a laboratory time scale and thus identify what could happen. These reactions are then followed downward in temperature to determine both phase boundaries and kinetic cut-offs below which equilibrium cannot be achieved on a laboratory time scale

  15. SESAME — A 3rd Generation Synchrotron Light Source for the Middle East

    Science.gov (United States)

    Å°lkü, Dinçer; Rahighi, Javad; Winick, Herman

    2007-01-01

    SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East) will be the Middle East's first international research center. It is a cooperative venture by the scientists and governments of the region with founding members Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, Palestine Authority, and Turkey. Iran is in the process of finalizing its formal membership. Other countries (Cyprus, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates) are also expected to join. The permanent Council of member states has full responsibility for the project. Members provide the annual operating budget. Observer countries are Germany, Greece, Italy, Kuwait, Portugal, Russian Federation, Sweden, the UK, and the US. SESAME is being developed under the umbrella of UNESCO. Jordan was selected as the building site. SESAME will offer excellent opportunities for training of Middle East scientists and attract those working abroad to consider returning. SESAME will be a 2.5GeV 3rd Generation light source (emittance 26nm-rad, circumference ˜133m), providing excellent performance for structural molecular biology, molecular environmental science, surface and interface science, microelectromechanical devices, x-ray imaging, archaeological microanalysis, and materials characterization. It will cover a broad spectral range from the infrared to hard x-rays and will have 12 straight sections for insertion devices (average length 2.75m). The injector will be the BESSY I 0.8 GeV booster synchrotron which has been given as a gift from Germany. Four committees advise the Council and assist in developing the technical design, beam lines, user community, and scientific Program. The SESAME building, now in construction with funds and a site provided by Jordan, is scheduled for completion in late 2006 after which the BESSY I injector will be installed. First stored beam in the new 2.5 GeV ring is planned for 2009 with six initial beamlines planned. Some beamlines will be built by member countries

  16. Geochemistry of the Oruatemanu Formation, Arrow Rocks, Northland, New Zealand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hori, R.S.; Higuchi, Y.; Fujiki, T.; Maeda, T.; Ikehara, M.

    2007-01-01

    We investigated the geochemical characteristics of sedimentary rocks from the Upper Permian - Middle Triassic Oruatemanu Formation on Arrow Rocks, Waipapa Terrane, New Zealand. The sedimentary rocks consist of limestone, tuffaceous shale, vari-coloured bedded chert, hemipelagic shale and green siliceous mudstone (= green argillite), in ascending order, a typical oceanic plate sequence. Shale and green argillite have higher Zr/Nb ratios than do chert and tuffaceous shales, and show similar REE patterns to PAAS (Post-Archean average Australian shale). In contrast, chert sequences from the basal part and intercalated tuff layers have high TiO 2 contents and Zr/Nb ratios similar to those of basaltic rocks from Arrow Rocks. These geochemical characteristics suggest that the sedimentary environment of the Oruatemanu Formation changed upward, from an open sea setting to the continental margin of Gondwanaland. Chemical compositions of bedded cherts from Arrow Rocks indicate a mixing of biogenic silica, detritus from continents and basaltic materials. In the interval from Upper Permian to Lower Middle Triassic this mixing shows remarkable secular variations. We detected geochemical signals of two Oceanic Anoxic Events (OAEs), one at the Permian/Triassic (P/T) boundary, and the other at the middle Upper Induan level. We name them the OAEα (P/T OAE) and OAEβ (Upper Induan OAE). These OAE horizons are enriched in S, U and other heavy metals (e.g. Mo and Cr), and also have high V/(V+Ni) ratios. Based on a comparison between enrichment factors of Cr and other redox-sensitive trace elements (e.g. Zn, Pb, Co, Cu), the Upper Induan OAEβ is considered to be more intense than the P/T boundary OAEα. This result is not in agreement with the superanoxia model previously proposed. In addition, OAEβ corresponds well with the radiolarian faunal turnover from Permian to Triassic forms documented from the Oruatemanu Formation in this volume. These results may suggest that peak time and

  17. Middle Class Youth: Myth or Reality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    U V Goliusova

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Many researches both in Russia and abroad are concerned with the question of whether middle class exists in Russia and, if so, what its distinctive features are. The problem of particular interest is the sources of recruiting to that social group. One of its source clusters is youth. The article considers main traits of middle class youth, their self-identification and their perception of Russian middle class.

  18. Late Archaean-early Proterozoic source ages of zircons in rocks from the Paleozoic orogen of western Galicia, NW Spain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kuijper, R P; Priem, H N.A. [Laboratorium voor Isotopen-Geologie, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Den Tex, E [Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht (Netherlands). Inst. voor Aardwetenschappen

    1982-08-01

    U-Pb data are reported for nine suites of zircons and three monazites from the Paleozoic orogen in western Galicia: one paragneiss and six orthogneisses from the early Paleozoic basement, and two Carboniferous (ca. 310 Ma old) intrusions of two-mica granite. New whole-rock Rb-Sr analyses, along with earlier data, indicate an age of ca. 470-440 Ma (Ordovician) for the emplacement of the granitic precursors of the orthogneisses. Monazite from the paragneiss also yields an U-Pb age of ca. 470 Ma. From the high initial /sup 87/Sr//sup 86/Sr ratios an involvement of Precambrian continental crust material is evident in the generation of the early Paleozoic suite of granites, while the zircon U-Pb data give evidence of the presence of about 3.0-2.0 Ga old (late Archaean-early Proterozoic) components in the source material. Zircons from the oldest sedimentary rocks in the area, now present as catazonal paragneisses and a likely source for the granites, likewise reveal a provenance age of 3.0-2.0 Ga.

  19. Convergent evidence for widespread rock nitrogen sources in Earth's surface environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Houlton, B Z; Morford, S L; Dahlgren, R A

    2018-04-06

    Nitrogen availability is a pivotal control on terrestrial carbon sequestration and global climate change. Historical and contemporary views assume that nitrogen enters Earth's land-surface ecosystems from the atmosphere. Here we demonstrate that bedrock is a nitrogen source that rivals atmospheric nitrogen inputs across major sectors of the global terrestrial environment. Evidence drawn from the planet's nitrogen balance, geochemical proxies, and our spatial weathering model reveal that ~19 to 31 teragrams of nitrogen are mobilized from near-surface rocks annually. About 11 to 18 teragrams of this nitrogen are chemically weathered in situ, thereby increasing the unmanaged (preindustrial) terrestrial nitrogen balance from 8 to 26%. These findings provide a global perspective to reconcile Earth's nitrogen budget, with implications for nutrient-driven controls over the terrestrial carbon sink. Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

  20. Petrogenesis of volcanic rocks that host the world-class Agsbnd Pb Navidad District, North Patagonian Massif: Comparison with the Jurassic Chon Aike Volcanic Province of Patagonia, Argentina

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouhier, Verónica E.; Franchini, Marta B.; Caffe, Pablo J.; Maydagán, Laura; Rapela, Carlos W.; Paolini, Marcelo

    2017-05-01

    We present the first study of the volcanic rocks of the Cañadón Asfalto Formation that host the Navidad world-class Ag + Pb epithermal district located in the North Patagonian Massif, Patagonia, Argentina. These volcanic and sedimentary rocks were deposited in a lacustrine environment during an extensional tectonic regime associated with the breakup of Gondwana and represent the mafic to intermediate counterparts of the mainly silicic Jurassic Chon Aike Volcanic Province. Lava flows surrounded by autobrecciated carapace were extruded in subaerial conditions, whereas hyaloclastite and peperite facies suggest contemporaneous subaqueous volcanism and sedimentation. LA-ICPMS Usbnd Pb ages of zircon crystals from the volcanic units yielded Middle Jurassic ages of 173.9 ± 1.9 Ma and 170.8 ± 3 Ma. In the Navidad district, volcanic rocks of the Cañadón Asfalto Formation show arc-like signatures including high-K basaltic-andesite to high-K dacite compositions, Rb, Ba and Th enrichment relative to the less mobile HFS elements (Nb, Ta), enrichment in light rare earth elements (LREE), Ysbnd Ti depletion, and high Zr contents. These characteristics could be explained by assimilation of crustal rocks in the Jurassic magmas, which is also supported by the presence of zircon xenocrysts with Permian and Middle-Upper Triassic ages (281.3 Ma, 246.5, 218.1, and 201.3 Ma) and quartz xenocrysts recognized in these volcanic units. Furthermore, Sr and Nd isotope compositions suggest a contribution of crustal components in these Middle Jurassic magmas. High-K basaltic andesite has initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.70416-0.70658 and ξNd(t) values of -5.3 and -4. High-K dacite and andesite have initial 87Sr/86Sr compositions of 0.70584-0.70601 and ξNd(t) values of -4,1 and -3,2. The range of Pb isotope values (206Pb/204Pb = 18.28-18.37, 207Pb/204Pb = 15.61-15.62, and 208Pb/204Pb = 38.26-38.43) of Navidad volcanic rocks and ore minerals suggest mixing Pb sources with contributions of

  1. A heat source probe for measuring thermal conductivity in waste rock dumps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blackford, M.G.; Harries, J.R.

    1985-10-01

    The development and use of a heat source probe to measure the thermal conductivity of the material in a waste rock dump is described. The probe releases heat at a constant rate into the surrounding material and the resulting temperature rise is inversely related to the thermal conductivity. The probe was designed for use in holes in the dump which are lined with 50 mm i.d. polyethylene liners. The poor thermal contact between the probe and the liner and the unknown conductivity of the backfill material around the liner necessitated long heating and cooling times (>10 hours) to ensure that the thermal conductivity of the dump material was being measured. Temperature data acquired in the field were analysed by comparing them with temperatures calculated using a two-dimensional cylindrical model of the probe and surrounding material, and the heat transfer code HEATRAN

  2. Heat production in granitic rocks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Artemieva, Irina; Thybo, Hans; Jakobsen, Kiki

    2017-01-01

    Granitic rocks play special role in the dynamics and evolution of the Earth and its thermal regime. First, their compositional variability, reflected in the distribution of concentrations of radiogenic elements, provides constraints on global differentiation processes and large scale planetary...... evolution, where emplacement of granites is considered a particularly important process for the formation of continental crust. Second, heat production by radioactive decay is among the main heat sources in the Earth. Therefore knowledge of heat production in granitic rocks is pivotal for thermal modelling...... of the continental lithosphere, given that most radiogenic elements are concentrated in granitic rocks of the upper continental crust whereas heat production in rocks of the lower crust and lithospheric mantle is negligible. We present and analyze a new global database GRANITE2017 (with about 500 entries...

  3. Evaluation of the Catahoula Formation as a source rock for uranium mineralization, with emphasis on East Texas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ledger, E.B. Jr.

    1981-01-01

    The Oligocene/Miocene Catahoula Formation of the Texas coastal plain is a fluvial and lacustrine volcaniclastic unit composed of normal fluvial material mixed with distal rhyolitic air-fall ash and, in the lower coastal plain, also stream-transported erosion detritus from the volcanic source area in Trans-Pecos Texas and adjacent northern Mexico, the nearest source of appropriate age and chemical affinity. Pedogenic and shallow-burial alteration of the labile volcanic glass component of the sediment resulted in ubiquitous secondary montmorillonite and solubilization of elements which are mobile in a HCO 3 -rich, near-surface environment. Primary uranium present in the glass at 5 to 6 ppMU was similarly mobilized and, under favorable conditions, accumulated by precipitation of tetravalent uranium phases at sites of lower Eh. Known economic deposits are restricted to the lower coastal plain where there has been uranium production for more than twenty years. Although there are differences between the productive lower coastal plain and the middle and upper as to stratigraphy, mineralogical composition, and weathering history, labile volcaniclastic material and its alteration products are abundant throughout the Catahoula outcrop and shallow subsurface in Texas. To provide a geochemical basis of comparison, samples from the upper, middle, and lower Texas coastal plain and the Trans-Pecos source area were analyzed for uranium, thorium, potassium, rubidium, strontium, zirconium, and titanium. These include both labile and immobile elements. Typical levels of these elements in the source material and relatively unaltered Catahoula volcanic glass allows estimation of uranium loss from highly altered sections based on their immobile element content

  4. Rock Rb-Sr ages from Bananal region - Sao Paulo State, Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dias Neto, C.M.; Tassinari, C.G.C.; Silva, M.E.

    1996-01-01

    New Rb-Sr whole rock isochron ages have been determined for the main lithological units that occur in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro States. These rocks belong to Serra do Mar domain. The purpose of this work is to characterize the sequence of the geological events as well as the possible relationship between the different rocks. The geochronological data suggest that the paragneisses and the basement rocks, represented by ortho gneisses nuclei, were generated under amphibolite conditions around 700 Ma. At the same time the leucogranites were generated by partial melting processes and injected into both gneiss types. Tarditectonic granitic magmatic activities took place within ductile shear zones. One of the granites, the Getulandia granite, yielded an age of 514 Ma, falling in the range of the late Brasiliano Cycle which extended into the Middle Cambrian. (author). 9 figs., 1 tab

  5. Factors controlling Li concentration and isotopic composition in formation waters and host rocks of Marcellus Shale, Appalachian Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phan, Thai T.; Capo, Rosemary C; Stewart, Brian W.; Macpherson, Gwen; Rowan, Elisabeth L.; Hammack, Richard W.

    2015-01-01

    In this study, water and whole rock samples from hydraulically fractured wells in the Marcellus Shale (Middle Devonian), and water from conventional wells producing from Upper Devonian sandstones were analyzed for lithium concentrations and isotope ratios (δ7Li). The distribution of lithium concentrations in different mineral groups was determined using sequential extraction. Structurally bound Li, predominantly in clays, accounted for 75-91 wt. % of total Li, whereas exchangeable sites and carbonate cement contain negligible Li (< 3%). Up to 20% of the Li is present in the oxidizable fraction (organic matter and sulfides). The δ7Li values for whole rock shale in Greene Co., Pennsylvania, and Tioga Co., New York, ranged from -2.3 to + 4.3‰, similar to values reported for other shales in the literature. The δ7Li values in shale rocks with stratigraphic depth record progressive weathering of the source region; the most weathered and clay-rich strata with isotopically light Li are found closest to the top of the stratigraphic section. Diagenetic illite-smectite transition could also have partially affected the bulk Li content and isotope ratios of the Marcellus Shale.

  6. Silurian and Devonian source rocks and crude oils from the western part of Libya: Organic geochemistry, palynology and carbon stratigraphy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Elkelani, Mohamed M.A.

    2015-01-01

    The Early Silurian “hot” shales and Late Devonian black shales are major regional oil and gas source rocks in North Africa. Their deposition probably played a major role in global carbon cycling in general because of the large areas of the ocean affected. Comparing the Libyan δ13C record with

  7. Thermophysical properties of rocks: a perspective on data needs, sources and accuracy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stephens, H.P.; Sinnock, S.

    1979-01-01

    Recent emphasis on research in geologic isolation of nuclear wastes and geoenergy resource development has created a renewed demand for engineering thermophysical property data for rocks and other geologic materials at elevated pressures and temperatures. In contrast to fabricated engineering materials, with properties which can be specified, rocks used in engineering design are complex, naturally occurring materials having properties which must be characterized, rather than specified, for engineering studies. Much difficulty in measuring, reporting, and using thermophysical properties of rocks results from (1) rock inhomogeneity and anisotropy on both microscopic and macroscopic scales; (2) inclusion of pore fluids, such as water; and (3) measurement of laboratory properties under conditions quite different from those of in situ material. Because measurements on in situ materials are scarce, many analyses must depend on extrapolated values of uncertain accuracy. A survey of thermophysical property data available for geologic thermal transport studies indicates that caution must be taken to effectively match data abstracted from the literature with project objectives

  8. Musical Structure as Narrative in Rock

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Fernando Encarnacao

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available In an attempt to take a fresh look at the analysis of form in rock music, this paper uses Susan McClary’s (2000 idea of ‘quest narrative’ in Western art music as a starting point. While much pop and rock adheres to the basic structure of the establishment of a home territory, episodes or adventures away, and then a return, my study suggests three categories of rock music form that provide alternatives to common combinations of verses, choruses and bridges through which the quest narrative is delivered. Labyrinth forms present more than the usual number of sections to confound our sense of ‘home’, and consequently of ‘quest’. Single-cell forms use repetition to suggest either a kind of stasis or to disrupt our expectations of beginning, middle and end. Immersive forms blur sectional divisions and invite more sensual and participatory responses to the recorded text. With regard to all of these alternative approaches to structure, Judy Lochhead’s (1992 concept of ‘forming’ is called upon to underline rock music forms that unfold as process, rather than map received formal constructs. Central to the argument are a couple of crucial definitions. Following Theodore Gracyk (1996, it is not songs, as such, but particular recordings that constitute rock music texts. Additionally, narrative is understood not in (direct relation to the lyrics of a song, nor in terms of artists’ biographies or the trajectories of musical styles, but considered in terms of musical structure. It is hoped that this outline of non-narrative musical structures in rock may have applications not only to other types of music, but to other time-based art forms.

  9. Paleochannel and paleohydrology of a Middle Siwalik (Pliocene ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Late Cenozoic fresh water molasses sediments (+6000 m thick) deposited all along the length of the. Himalayan fore deep, form the Siwalik Supergroup. This paper reports the results of the paleodrainage and paleohydrology of the Middle Siwalik subgroup of rocks, deposited in non-marine basins adjacent to a rising ...

  10. Reflection seismic methods applied to locating fracture zones in crystalline rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Juhlin, C.

    1998-01-01

    The reflection seismic method is a potentially powerful tool for identifying and localising fracture zones in crystalline rock if used properly. Borehole sonic logs across fracture zones show that they have reduced P-wave velocities compared to the surrounding intact rock. Diagnostically important S-wave velocity log information across the fracture zones is generally lacking. Generation of synthetic reflection seismic data and subsequent processing of these data show that structures dipping up towards 70 degrees from horizontal can be reliably imaged using surface seismic methods. Two real case studies where seismic reflection methods have been used to image fracture zones in crystalline rock are presented. Two examples using reflection seismic are presented. The first is from the 5354 m deep SG-4 borehole in the Middle Urals, Russia where strong seismic reflectors dipping from 25 to 50 degrees are observed on surface seismic reflection data crossing over the borehole. On vertical seismic profile data acquired in the borehole, the observed P-wave reflectivity is weak from these zones, however, strong converted P to S waves are observed. This can be explained by the source of the reflectors being fracture zones with a high P wave to S wave velocity ratio compared to the surrounding rock resulting in a high dependence on the angle of incidence for the reflection coefficient. A high P wave to S wave velocity ratio (high Poisson's ratio) is to be expected in fluid filled fractured rock. The second case is from Aevroe, SE Sweden, where two 1 km long crossing high resolution seismic reflection lines were acquired in October 1996. An E-W line was shot with 5 m geophone and shotpoint spacing and a N-S one with 10 m geophone and shotpoint spacing. An explosive source with a charge size of 100 grams was used along both lines. The data clearly image three major dipping reflectors in the upper 200 ms (600 m). The dipping ones intersect or project to the surface at/or close to

  11. Metamorphism and plutonism around the middle and south forks of the Feather River, California

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hietanen, Anna Martta

    1976-01-01

    The area around the Middle and South Forks of the Feather River provides information on metamorphic and igneous processes that bear on the origin of andesitic and granitic magmas in general and on the variation of their potassium content in particular. In the north, the area joins the Pulga and Bucks Lake quadrangles studied previously. Tectonically, this area is situated in the southern part of an arcuate segment of the Nevadan orogenic belt in the northwestern Sierra Nevada. The oldest rocks are metamorphosed calcalkaline island-arc-type andesite, dacite, and sodarhyolite with interbedded tuff layers (the Franklin Canyon Formation), all probably correlative with Devonian rocks in the Klamath Mountains. Younger rocks form a sequence of volcanic, volcaniclastic, and sedimentary rocks including some limestone (The Horseshoe Bend Formation), probably Permian in age. All the volcanic and sedimentary rocks were folded and recrystallized to the greenschist facies during the Nevadan (Jurassic) orogeny and were invaded by monzotonalitic magmas shortly thereafter. A second lineation and metamorphism to the epidote-amphibolite facies developed in a narrow zone around the plutons. In light of the concept of plate tectonics, it is suggested that the early (Devonian?) island-arc-type andesite, dacite, and sodarhyolite (the Franklin Canyon Formation) were derived from the mantle above a Benioff zone by partial melting of peridotite in hydrous conditions. The water was probably derived from an oceanic plate descending to the mantle. Later (Permian?) magmas were mainly basaltic; some discontinuous layers of potassium-rich rhyolite indicate a change into anhydrous conditions and a deeper level of magma generation. The plutonic magmas that invaded the metamorphic rocks at the end of the Jurassic may contain material from the mantle, the subducted oceanic lithosphere, and the downfolded metamorphic rocks. The ratio of partial melts from these three sources may have changed with time

  12. Factors controlling Li concentration and isotopic composition in formation waters and host rocks of Marcellus Shale, Appalachian Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phan, Thai T.; Capo, Rosemary C; Stewart, Brian W.; Macpherson, Gwen; Rowan, Elisabeth L.; Hammack, Richard W.

    2015-01-01

    In this study, water and whole rock samples from hydraulically fractured wells in the Marcellus Shale (Middle Devonian), and water from conventional wells producing from Upper Devonian sandstones were analyzed for lithium concentrations and isotope ratios (δ7Li). The distribution of lithium concentrations in different mineral groups was determined using sequential extraction. Structurally bound Li, predominantly in clays, accounted for 75-91 wt. % of total Li, whereas exchangeable sites and carbonate cement contain negligible Li (shale in Greene Co., Pennsylvania, and Tioga Co., New York, ranged from -2.3 to + 4.3‰, similar to values reported for other shales in the literature. The δ7Li values in shale rocks with stratigraphic depth record progressive weathering of the source region; the most weathered and clay-rich strata with isotopically light Li are found closest to the top of the stratigraphic section. Diagenetic illite-smectite transition could also have partially affected the bulk Li content and isotope ratios of the Marcellus Shale.

  13. Relationship of oil seep in Kudat Peninsula with surrounding rocks based on geochemical analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izzati Azman, Nurul; Nur Fathiyah Jamaludin, Siti

    2017-10-01

    This study aims to investigate the relation of oil seepage at Sikuati area with the structural and petroleum system of Kudat Peninsula. The abundance of highly carbonaceous rocks with presence of lamination in the Sikuati Member outcrop at Kudat Peninsula may give an idea on the presence of oil seepage in this area. A detailed geochemical analysis of source rock sample and oil seepage from Sikuati area was carried out for their characterization and correlation. Hydrocarbon propectivity of Sikuati Member source rock is poor to good with Total Organic Carbon (TOC) value of 0.11% to 1.48%. and also categorized as immature to early mature oil window with Vitrinite Reflectance (VRo) value of 0.43% to 0.50 %Ro. Based on biomarker distribution, from Gas Chromatography (GC) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, source rock sample shows Pr/Ph, CPI and WI of 2.22 to 2.68, 2.17 to 2.19 and 2.46 to 2.74 respectively indicates the source rock is immature and coming from terrestrial environment. The source rock might be rich in carbonaceous material organic matter resulting from planktonic/bacterial activity which occurs at fluvial to fluvio-deltaic environment. Overall, the source rock from outcrop level of Kudat Peninsula is moderately prolific in term of prospectivity and maturity. However, as go far deeper beneath the surface, we can expect more activity of mature source rock that generate and expulse hydrocarbon from the subsurface then migrating through deep-seated fault beneath the Sikuati area.

  14. Chemical speciation and source apportionment of Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compounds (NMVOCs) in a Middle Eastern country

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salameh, Therese; Sauvage, Stéphane; Afif, Charbel; Borbon, Agnès; Locoge, Nadine

    2014-05-01

    NMVOCs, emitted from various sources, are of particular interest since they contribute to the formation of tropospheric ozone, PAN and secondary organic aerosols resulting in negative impacts on human health, climate and on the environment. To identify abatement measures, a profound knowledge of emission sources and their composition is a prerequisite. Air pollution in the Middle East region remains difficult to assess and understand because of a lack of ground-based measurements and the limited information on NMVOC chemical speciation and source apportionment. Based on a large database of NMVOC observations obtained in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon (a developing country in the Middle East region, located in Western Asia on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea), the overall objective of this work is to apportion the sources of NMVOCs encountered in Lebanon. First, source profiles were determined with field measurements close to the main potential emitters namely the road transport, gasoline vapour, power generation and solvent uses. The results obtained are compared to other studies held in other regions and are used to assess the emission inventory developed for Lebanon. Secondly, two intensive field campaigns were held in a receptor site in Beirut during summer 2011 and winter 2012 in order to obtain a large time resolved dataset. The PMF analysis of this dataset was applied to apportion anthropogenic sources in this area. In both seasons, combustion (road transport and power generation) and gasoline evaporation, especially in winter, were the main sources contributing to the NMVOCs in Beirut. The results will support model implementation especially by completing the emission inventory established for the year 2010 by Waked et al. 2012 according to the EEA/EMEP guidelines because of the lack of Lebanon-specific emission factor.

  15. Questa baseline and pre-mining ground-water quality investigation. 19. Leaching characteristics of composited materials from mine waste-rock piles and naturally altered areas near Questa, New Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Kathleen S.; Hageman, Philip L.; Briggs, Paul H.; Sutley, Stephen J.; McCleskey, R. Blaine; Livo, K. Eric; Verplanck, Philip L.; Adams, Monique G.; Gemery-Hill, Pamela A.

    2007-01-01

    waste-rock piles. As pH increased in the waste-pile leachates, concentrations of several metals decreased with increasing time and agitation. Similar pH-dependent reactions may take place upon migration of the leachates in the waste-rock piles. Bulk chemistry, mineralogy, and leachate sulfur-isotope data indicate that the Capulin and Sugar Shack West waste-rock piles are compositionally different from the younger Sugar Shack South, Sugar Shack Middle, and Old Sulphur Gulch piles. The Capulin and Sugar Shack West piles have the lowest-pH leachates (pH 3.0-4.1) of the waste-pile samples, and the source material for the Capulin and Sugar Shack West piles appears to be similar to the source material for the erosional-scar areas. Calcite dissolution, in addition to gypsum dissolution, appears to produce the calcium and sulfate concentrations in leachates from the Sugar Shack South, Sugar Shack Middle, and Old Sulphur Gulch piles.

  16. Growing Pebbles and Conceptual Prisms - Understanding the Source of Student Misconceptions about Rock Formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kusnick, Judi

    2002-01-01

    Analyzes narrative essays--stories of rock formation--written by pre-service elementary school teachers. Reports startling misconceptions among preservice teachers on pebbles that grow, human involvement in rock formation, and sedimentary rocks forming as puddles as dry up, even though these students had completed a college level course on Earth…

  17. Study on performance of a simultaneous spectrometer of ICP emission source for the determination of the major elements in rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vieira, M.D.

    1987-01-01

    The optimization of operational parameters of a simultaneous spectrometer coupled to an ICP excitation source in order to establish an analytical method for the simultaneous determination of the major elements in rocks is studied. The mutual spectral interferences, calibration curves for the acid and saline matrix and the internal standard method with ytrium are analyzed. (M.J.C.) [pt

  18. Establishment of land model at the Shika Nuclear Power Plant. Mainly, on rock board classification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Katagawa, Hideki; Hashimoto, Toru; Hirano, Shuji

    1999-01-01

    In order to grasp engineering properties of basic land of constructions, there is rock board classification as a method to classify whole of rock board to some groups considerable to be nearly equal on its properties. Among the method, various methods in response to its aim and characteristics are devised, and for a classification to hard rock board, the Denken type rock board classification considering degree of weathering to its main element and so forth are well known. The basic rock board of the Shika Nuclear Power Plant is composed of middle and hard types of rock, and its weathering is limited to its shallow portion, most of which are held at fresh condition. For such land, a new classification standard in response to characteristics of land was established. Here were introduced on a progress to establish a new classification standard, its application results and rock board properties. (G.K.)

  19. Petrology, Geochemistry and Tectonomagmatic Setting of Farmahin Volcanic Rocks (North of Arak

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reza Zarei Sahamieh

    2018-04-01

    fractional crystallization (AFC were the dominant processes in the genesis of the studied volcanic rocks. As a conclusion and according to field evidence and geochemical characteristics presented in this article, the studied area is composed of lava flows and pyroclastic rocks such as andesite, dacite, rhyodacite, ignimbrite, tuff and tuffits that cross cut by younger dykes and belong to the middle to late Eocene age (middle to upper Lutetien. According to Sm/Yb vs. Sm diagram (Aldanmaz et al., 2000, all the studied samples in terms of composition are similar to enriched mantle-derived melts that are generated by varying degrees of partial melting (10% - 20% from a spinel lherzolite to spinel-garnet lherzolite source. Considering the evidences, all rocks in the studied area belong to the subduction zone and the parent magma originated from mantle and was contaminated with continental crust during eruption and rising. Acknowledgments The authors wish to thank the Journal Manager and reviewers who critically reviewed the manuscript and made valuable suggestions for its improvement. References Aldanmaz, E., Pearce, J.A., Thirlwall, M.F. and Mitchell, J.G., 2000. Petrogenetic evolution of late Cenozoic, post-collision volcanism in western Anatolia, Turkey. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 102(1–2: 67–95. Ghasemi, A. and Talbot, C.J., 2006. A new scenario for the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone (Iran. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 26 (6: 683–693. Hajian, J., 1970. Geological map of Farmahin, scale1:100000. Geological Survey of Iran. Irvine, T.N. and Baragar, W.R.A., 1971. A guide to the chemical classification of the common volcanic rocks. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 8(5: 523–548. Le Bas, M.J., Le Maitre, R.W., Streckeisen, A. and Zanettin, B., 1986. A chemical classification of volcanic rocks based on the total alkali silica diagram. Journal of Petrology, 27 (3:745–750. Morimoto, N., Fabrise, J., Ferguson, A., Ginzburg, I.V., Ross, M., Seifert, F

  20. Development of uniform hazard response spectra for rock sites considering line and point sources of earthquakes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghosh, A.K.; Kushwaha, H.S.

    2001-12-01

    Traditionally, the seismic design basis ground motion has been specified by normalised response spectral shapes and peak ground acceleration (PGA). The mean recurrence interval (MRI) used to computed for PGA only. It is shown that the MRI associated with such response spectra are not the same at all frequencies. The present work develops uniform hazard response spectra i.e. spectra having the same MRI at all frequencies for line and point sources of earthquakes by using a large number of strong motion accelerograms recorded on rock sites. Sensitivity of the number of the results to the changes in various parameters has also been presented. This work is an extension of an earlier work for aerial sources of earthquakes. These results will help to determine the seismic hazard at a given site and the associated uncertainities. (author)

  1. Student-directed investigation of natural phenomena: Using digital simulations to achieve NGSS-aligned 3D learning in middle school

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selvans, M. M.; Spafford, C. D.

    2016-12-01

    Many Earth Science phenomena cannot be observed directly because they happen slowly (e.g., Plate Motion) or at large spatial scales (e.g., Weather Patterns). Such topics are investigated by scientists through analysis of large data sets, numerical modeling, and laboratory studies that isolate aspects of the overall phenomena. Middle school students have limited time and lab equipment in comparison, but can employ authentic science practices through investigations using interactive digital simulations (sims). Designing a sim aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) allows students to explore and connect to science ideas in a seamless and supportive way that also deepens their understanding of the phenomena. We helped develop seven units, including the two above, that cover the middle school Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas and give students exposure to the other two dimensions of the NGSS (science practices and cross-cutting concepts). These units are developed by the Learning Design Group and Amplify Science. Sims are key to how students engage in 3D learning in these units. For example, in the Rock Transformations Sim students can investigate the ideas that energy from the sun and from Earth's interior can transform rock, and that the transformation processes change the Earth's surface at varying time and spatial scales (ESS2.A). Students can choose and selectively apply transformation processes (melting, weathering, etc.) or energy sources to rock in a cross-section landscape to explore their effects. Students are able to plan steps for making a particular rock transformation happen and carry out their own investigations. A benefit of using a digital platform for student learning is the ability to embed formative assessment. When students plan and carry out missions to achieve specific objectives, the digital platform can capture a record of their actions to measure how they apply science ideas from instruction. Data of these actions, combined

  2. Microbial Leaching of Some Valuable Elements From Egyptian Phosphate Rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kamal, H.M.; Hassanein, R.A.; Mahdy, H.M.A.; Mahmoud, K.F.; Abouzeid, M.A.

    2012-01-01

    Four phosphate rock samples representing different phosphate mineralization modes in Egypt were selected from Abu Tartar, Nile valley and Red sea areas. Factors affecting the phosphate rock solubilization and some of the contained valuable elements by Aspergillus niger, Penicillium sp. and Pseudomonas fluorescence, were studied with especial orientation towards the completion of phosphate rock samples solubilization especially die low grade one. Effect of nitrogen source type on leaching efficiency by Aspergillus niger when two nitrogen sources on the phosphate bioleaching efficiency, it is clear that the ammonium chloride is more favorable as nitrogen source than sodium nitrate in the bioleaching of phosphate rocks. When Aspergillus niger was applied under die following conditions: 50 g/1 of sucrose as a carbon source, 0.1 N of ammonium chloride as a nitrogen source, 10 days incubation period, 0.5% solid: liquid ratio for P 2 O 5 and 5% for U and REE and - 270 mesh of grain size. The optimum leaching of P 2 O 5 , U and REE from phosphate rock samples reached (23.27%, 17.4%, 11.4%, respectively), while at -60 mesh they reached to 16.58%, 28.9%, 30.2% respectively. The optimum conditions for the maximal leaching efficiencies of P 2 O 5 , U and REE when applying the Penicillium sp. from the phosphate rock samples were: 100 g/1 of sucrose as a carbon source for P 2 O 5 and U and 10 g/1 for REE, 7,15 and 10 days incubation period for P 2 O 5 , U and REE, respectively, 0.5% solid: liquid ratio for P 2 O 5 and 5% for U and REE. Finally, the application of phosphate rock samples grinded to -270 mesh of grain size for P 2 O 5 and (-60 to -140) for U and REE. The studied leaching efficiency of P 2 O 5 , U and REE gave at -270 mesh 33.66%, 24.3%, 15.9% respectively, while at -60 mesh they gave 33.76%, 26.7%, 17.8% and at -140 mesh gave 31.32%, 27.9%, 17.6%, respectively.The optimum conditions for the P 2 O 5 leaching efficiency when applying the Pseudomonas fluorescence were

  3. Near-Infrared Imaging for Spatial Mapping of Organic Content in Petroleum Source Rocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehmani, Y.; Burnham, A. K.; Vanden Berg, M. D.; Tchelepi, H.

    2017-12-01

    Natural gas from unconventional petroleum source rocks (shales) plays a key role in our transition towards sustainable low-carbon energy production. The potential for carbon storage (in adsorbed state) in these formations further aligns with efforts to mitigate climate change. Optimizing production and development from these resources requires knowledge of the hydro-thermo-mechanical properties of the rock, which are often strong functions of organic content. This work demonstrates the potential of near-infrared (NIR) spectral imaging in mapping the spatial distribution of organic content with O(100µm) resolution on cores that can span several hundred feet in depth (Mehmani et al., 2017). We validate our approach for the immature oil shale of the Green River Formation (GRF), USA, and show its applicability potential in other formations. The method is a generalization of a previously developed optical approach specialized to the GRF (Mehmani et al., 2016a). The implications of this work for spatial mapping of hydro-thermo-mechanical properties of excavated cores, in particular thermal conductivity, are discussed (Mehmani et al., 2016b). References:Mehmani, Y., A.K. Burnham, M.D. Vanden Berg, H. Tchelepi, "Quantification of organic content in shales via near-infrared imaging: Green River Formation." Fuel, (2017). Mehmani, Y., A.K. Burnham, M.D. Vanden Berg, F. Gelin, and H. Tchelepi. "Quantification of kerogen content in organic-rich shales from optical photographs." Fuel, (2016a). Mehmani, Y., A.K. Burnham, H. Tchelepi, "From optics to upscaled thermal conductivity: Green River oil shale." Fuel, (2016b).

  4. Petrology, mineral chemistry and tectono-magmatic setting of volcanic rocks from northeast Farmahin, north of Arak

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reza Zarei Sahamieh

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Introduction The study area is a small part of the Urumieh-Dokhtar structural zone in the Markazi province, located in the northeastern part of the Farmahin, north of Arak (Hajian, 1970. The volcanic rocks studied from the area include andesite, dacite, rhyodacite, ignimbrite and tuff of Middle to Late Eocene age (middle Lutetian to upper Lutetian (Ameri et al., 2009. It seems that folding and faulting is caused in sedimentary basin and volcanic activities. On the other hand, except of orogeny maybe rifting had rule in eruption so that this case has seen in the other area such as Taft and Khezrabad in central Iran (Zarei Sahamieh et al., 2008. The oldest formation in the studied area is Triassic limestones. The dominant textures of these rocks are porphyritic, microlite porphyritic, microlitic and rarely sieve-texture. Sieve texture and dusty texture (dusty plagioclases indicates magma mixing. Mineralogically, they contain plagioclases, clinopyroxenes, amphiboles, quartz and biotite as the main constituents and zircon, apatite, and opaque minerals as accessories. Plagioclases in the andesitic and basaltic- andesite rocks are labradorite, bytownite and anorthite (based on electron microprobe .Moreover, plagioclases in andesitic rocks show that H2O is lesser than 2.5 precent. Amphibole is found in both plagioclases and groundmass. Materials and methods In this article are used different analyses methods such as XRF, ICP-MS and EPMA. Whole-rock major and trace element analyses were determined with ICP-MS method. The major and trace element composition of some rock was determined by electron probe micro-analysis (EPMA using a Cameca SX100 instrument in Iran Mineral Processing Research Center (IMPRC. Moreover, whole-rock major and some trace element analyses for some samples were obtained by X-ray fluorescence (XRF, using an ARL Advant-XP automated X-ray spectrometer. Results Chemical data based on electron micro probe studies of minerals indicate

  5. Geology of Paleozoic Rocks in the Upper Colorado River Basin in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, Excluding the San Juan Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geldon, Arthur L.

    2003-01-01

    The geology of the Paleozoic rocks in the Upper Colorado River Basin in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, was studied as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's Regional Aquifer-System Analysis Program to provide support for hydrogeological interpretations. The study area is segmented by numerous uplifts and basins caused by folding and faulting that have recurred repeatedly from Precambrian to Cenozoic time. Paleozoic rocks in the study area are 0-18,000 feet thick. They are underlain by Precambrian igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks and are overlain in most of the area by Triassic formations composed mostly of shale. The overlying Mesozoic and Tertiary rocks are 0-27,000 feet thick. All Paleozoic systems except the Silurian are represented in the region. The Paleozoic rocks are divisible into 11 hydrogeologic units. The basal hydrogeologic unit consisting of Paleozoic rocks, the Flathead aquifer, predominantly is composed of Lower to Upper Cambrian sandstone and quartzite. The aquifer is 0-800 feet thick and is overlain gradationally to unconformably by formations of Cambrian to Mississippian age. The Gros Ventre confining unit consists of Middle to Upper Cambrian shale with subordinate carbonate rocks and sandstone. The confining unit is 0-1,100 feet thick and is overlain gradationally to unconformably by formations of Cambrian to Mississippian age. The Bighom aquifer consists of Middle Cambrian to Upper Ordovician limestone and dolomite with subordinate shale and sandstone. The aquifer is 0-3,000 feet thick and is overlain unconformably by Devonian and Mississipplan rocks. The Elbert-Parting confining unit consists of Lower Devonian to Lower Mississippian limestone, dolomite, sandstone, quartzite, shale, and anhydrite. It is 0-700 feet thick and is overlain conformably to unconformably by Upper Devonian and Mississippian rocks. The Madison aquifer consists of two zones of distinctly different lithology. The lower (Redwall-Leadville) zone

  6. Elbow, forearm, wrist, and hand injuries among sport rock climbers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holtzhausen, L M; Noakes, T D

    1996-07-01

    Sport rock climbing with its repetitive high-torque movements in gaining the ascent of a rock face or wall, often in steep overhanging positions, is associated with a unique distribution and form of upper limb injuries. In this article, we review the biomechanical aspects of sport rock climbing and the types of injuries commonly encountered in the forearm, wrist, and hand regions of elite sport rock climbers. Because elbow, forearm, wrist, and hand injuries predominate, representing 62% of the total injuries encountered, these anatomical areas have been selected for review. The predominant source of data are the published work of Bollen et al. The remaining sources were obtained through electronic search of the Medline and Current Contents Databases (last searched May 1995). German and French articles were included in the search criteria. Only studies dealing with acute soft tissue and overuse injuries amongst sport rock climbers were selected. Data were extracted directly from the sourced articles. The following injuries have been described in detail with regard to their presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention amongst sport rock climbers: medial epicondylitis, brachialis tendonitis, biceps brachii tendonitis, ulnar collateral ligament sprain of the elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, digital flexor tendon pulley sheath tears, interphalangeal joint effusions, fixed flexion deformities of the interphalangeal joints, and collateral ligament tears of the interphalangeal joints. Many of the injuries are specific to the handhold types used by the rock climber. Accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of these unique injuries will be facilitated by a wider understanding of the biomechanical aspects of rock climbing and an awareness of the patterns and incidence of injuries in this sport.

  7. Study on Nd and Sr isotopes of Yianshanian mafic rocks in east Lanling area and their implication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Shuming; Wu Jianhua; Zhou Weixun

    2003-01-01

    East Nanling's Yianshanian mafic magna activity can be divided into four phase. The four phase are the Middle Jurassic, the Late Jurassic, the Early Cretaceous and the Late Cretaceous. They are also four important episodes of extensional activities. The four phase mafic rock possess similar Nd-Sr isotope characteristics, high I Sr (commonly from 0.705 to 0.710) and ε Nd values change range wide (from -7.90 to 5.16). It shows crust-mantle mixed magma origin character. The mafic rock possess the character of within-plate basalts,indicated that they are formed within-plate, and showed there were post-orogenic phase at the early Yianshanian's Middle Jurassic in east Nanling area. The rocks formed pattern is mafic magma rise to the crust bottom, were contaminate by crustal materials, and formed in the setting of lithosphere extended and crust extension. East Nanling's Yianshanian magna activity is mainly magma event concern with mantle magma underplating. (authors)

  8. High Sr/Y rocks are not all adakites!

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moyen, Jean-François

    2010-05-01

    The name of "adakite" is used to describe a far too large group of rocks, whose sole common feature is high Sr/Y and La/Yb ratios. Defining adakites only by this criterion is misleading, as the definition of this group of rocks does include many other criteria, including major elements. In itself, high (or commonly moderate!) Sr/Y ratios can be achieved via different processes: melting of a high Sr/Y (and La/Yb) source; deep melting, with abundant residual garnet; fractional crystallization or AFC; or interactions of felsic melts with the mantle, causing selective enrichment in LREE and Sr over HREE. A database of the compositions of "adakitic" rocks - including "high silica" and "low silica" adakites, "continental" adakites and Archaean adakites—was assembled. Geochemical modeling of the potential processes is used to interpret it, and reveals that (1) the genesis of high-silica adakites requires high pressure evolution (be it by melting or fractionation), in equilibrium with large amounts of garnet; (2) low-silica adakites are explained by garnet-present melting of an adakite-metasomatized mantle, i.e at depths greater than 2.5 GPa; (3) "Continental" adakites is a term encompassing a huge range of rocks, with a corresponding diversity of petrogenetic processes, and most of them are different from both low- and high- silica adakites; in fact in many cases it is a complete misnomer and the rocks studied are high-K calc-alkaline granitoids or even S-type granites; (4) Archaean adakites show a bimodal composition range, with some very high Sr/Y examples (similar to part of the TTG suite) reflecting deep melting (> 2.0 GPa) of a basaltic source with a relatively high Sr/Y, while lower Sr/Y rocks formed by shallower (1.0 GPa) melting of similar sources. Comparison with the Archaean TTG suite highlights the heterogeneity of the TTGs, whose composition spreads the whole combined range of HSA and Archaean adakites, pointing to a diversity of sources and processes

  9. Petrogenesis of the middle Jurassic appinite and coeval granitoids in the Eastern Hebei area of North China Craton

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Wenbo; Jiang, Neng; Xu, Xiyang; Hu, Jun; Zong, Keqing

    2017-05-01

    An integrated study of zircon U-Pb ages and Hf-O isotopic compositions, whole rock elemental and Sr-Nd isotope geochemistry was conducted on three lithologically diverse middle Jurassic plutons from the Eastern Hebei area of the North China Craton (NCC), in order to reveal both their petrogenesis and possible tectonic affinity. The three plutons have consistent magmatic zircon U-Pb ages from 167 ± 1 Ma to 173 ± 1 Ma. The Nianziyu pluton has typical characteristics of appinite with low SiO2 (43.7-52.6%), high Ca, Mg, Fe and H2O contents. It possesses subduction-related trace element patterns, enriched Nd-Hf isotopic signatures as well as elevated zircon δ18O values (6.2-7.2‰), arguing for an enriched mantle source metasomatized by fluids related to subduction. The Shuihutong monzogranites have high silica (SiO2 = 75.4-75.9%) and alkali contents, low Ca contents and striking negative Ba, Sr and Eu anomalies. Samples from the pluton have more evolved Nd-Hf isotopic values and are considered to be most likely derived from anatexis of ancient lower continental crust. Hybridization between mantle- and ancient lower crust-derived magmas is proposed for the mafic microgranular enclave-bearing Baijiadian granitoids, which are characterized by variable εNd (t) and εHf(t) values. Integrated with the regional geologic history, we suggest that the formation of the three middle Jurassic plutons were related to the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific ocean plate beneath the NCC. Their petrogenetic differences reflect complex magmatic processes in subduction settings involving melting of multiple sources, possible partly facilitated by fluid metasomatism and water-rich magma injection, accompanied with various degrees of magma mixing. The appearance of middle Jurassic appinitic rocks leads us to propose that the NCC destruction and lithosphere thinning were facilitated and controlled by the weakening of the lithospheric mantle after hydration because of the subduction of the

  10. The Stability of Metasedimentary Rock in Ranau, Sabah, Malaysia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ismail Abd Rahim

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available DOI: 10.17014/ijog.5.1.23-31The aim of this paper is to determine the stability of slopes and to propose preliminary rock cut slope protection and stabilization measures for Paleocene to Middle Eocene Trusmadi Formation along Marakau-Kigiok in Ranau, Sabah, Malaysia. The rock of Trusmadi Formation is slightly metamorphosed and dominated by interbeds of sandstone with quartz vein (metagreywacke, metamudstone, shale, slate, sheared sandstone, and mudstone. The rock unit can be divided into four geotechnical units namely arenaceous unit, argillaceous unit, interbedded unit, and sheared unit. Twelve slopes were selected for this study. Geological mapping, discontinuity survey, kinematic analysis, and prescriptive measure were used in this study. Results of this study conclude that the potential modes of failures are planar and wedge. Terrace, surface drainage, weep holes, horizontal drain, vegetation cover, wire mesh, slope reprofiling, and retaining structure were proposed protection and stabilization measures for the slopes in the studied area.

  11. Petrography and geochemistry of the Middle Miocene Gebel El ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Samir M Zaid

    2017-10-09

    Oct 9, 2017 ... felsic-granitic source rocks and deposited in a passive margin of a synrift basin. The inferred .... tribution show that they began accumulation as piedmont boulders bed ...... the source rocks to the study areas can be identified ..... Petrol. 34 625–632. El-Akkad S and Dardir A A 1966 Geology of the Red Sea.

  12. Geochronology and geochemistry of Mesozoic intrusive rocks in the Xing'an Massif of NE China: Implications for the evolution and spatial extent of the Mongol-Okhotsk tectonic regime

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yu; Xu, Wen-Liang; Tang, Jie; Pei, Fu-Ping; Wang, Feng; Sun, Chen-Yang

    2018-04-01

    This study presents new zircon U-Pb-Hf and whole-rock geochemical data for intrusive rocks in the Xing'an Massif of NE China, with the aim of furthering our understanding of the evolution and spatial influence of the Mongol-Okhotsk tectonic regime. Zircon U-Pb dating indicates that five stages of Mesozoic magmatism are recorded in the Xing'an Massif, namely during the Middle Triassic ( 237 Ma), the Late Triassic ( 225 Ma), the Early Jurassic ( 178 Ma), the Middle Jurassic ( 168 Ma), and the late Early Cretaceous ( 130 Ma). The Middle Triassic-Early Jurassic intrusive rocks in the Xing'an Massif are dominantly granodiorites, monzogranites, and syenogranites that formed from magma generated by partial melting of newly accreted continental crust. Geochemistry of the Middle Triassic-Early Jurassic granitoid suites of the Xing'an Massif indicates their formation at an active continental margin setting, related to the southwards subduction of the Mongol-Okhotsk oceanic plate. The Middle Jurassic monzogranites in the Xing'an Massif are geochemically similar to adakites and have εHf(t) values (+3.8 to +5.8) and Hf two-stage model ages (TDM2; 979-850 Ma) that are indicative of derivation from magma generated by partial melting of thickened juvenile lower crust. The Middle Jurassic monzogranites formed in a compressional setting related to the closure of the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean. The late Early Cretaceous intrusive rocks in the Xing'an Massif are dominated by A-type granitoids that are associated with bimodal volcanic rocks, suggesting their formation in an extensional environment related to either (i) delamination of a previously thickened region of the crust, associated with the Mongol-Okhotsk tectonic regime; (ii) the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate; or (iii) the combined influence of these two tectonic regimes.

  13. Revisions to the original extent of the Devonian Shale-Middle and Upper Paleozoic Total Petroleum System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enomoto, Catherine B.; Rouse, William A.; Trippi, Michael H.; Higley, Debra K.

    2016-04-11

    Technically recoverable undiscovered hydrocarbon resources in continuous accumulations are present in Upper Devonian and Lower Mississippian strata in the Appalachian Basin Petroleum Province. The province includes parts of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. The Upper Devonian and Lower Mississippian strata are part of the previously defined Devonian Shale-Middle and Upper Paleozoic Total Petroleum System (TPS) that extends from New York to Tennessee. This publication presents a revision to the extent of the Devonian Shale-Middle and Upper Paleozoic TPS. The most significant modification to the maximum extent of the Devonian Shale-Middle and Upper Paleozoic TPS is to the south and southwest, adding areas in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi where Devonian strata, including potential petroleum source rocks, are present in the subsurface up to the outcrop. The Middle to Upper Devonian Chattanooga Shale extends from southeastern Kentucky to Alabama and eastern Mississippi. Production from Devonian shale has been established in the Appalachian fold and thrust belt of northeastern Alabama. Exploratory drilling has encountered Middle to Upper Devonian strata containing organic-rich shale in west-central Alabama. The areas added to the TPS are located in the Valley and Ridge, Interior Low Plateaus, and Appalachian Plateaus physiographic provinces, including the portion of the Appalachian fold and thrust belt buried beneath Cretaceous and younger sediments that were deposited on the U.S. Gulf Coastal Plain.

  14. A Rock Mechanics and Coupled Hydro mechanical Analysis of Geological Repository of High Level Nuclear Waste in Fractured Rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Min, Kibok

    2011-01-01

    This paper introduces a few case studies on fractured hard rock based on geological data from Sweden, Korea is one of a few countries where crystalline rock is the most promising rock formation as a candidate site of geological repository of high level nuclear waste. Despite the progress made in the area of rock mechanics and coupled hydro mechanics, extensive site specific study on multiple candidate sites is essential in order to choose the optimal site. For many countries concerned about the safe isolation of nuclear wastes from the biosphere, disposal in a deep geological formation is considered an attractive option. In geological repository, thermal loading continuously disturbs the repository system in addition to disturbances a recent development in rock mechanics and coupled hydro mechanical study using DFN(Discrete Fracture Network) - DEM(Discrete Element Method) approach mainly applied in hard, crystalline rock containing numerous fracture which are main sources of deformation and groundwater flow

  15. Oils and source rocks from the Anadarko Basin: Final report, March 1, 1985-March 15, 1995

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Philp, R. P. [School of Geology and Geophysics, Univ. of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (United States)

    1996-11-01

    The research project investigated various geochemical aspects of oils, suspected source rocks, and tar sands collected from the Anadarko Basin, Oklahoma. The information has been used, in general, to investigate possible sources for the oils in the basin, to study mechanisms of oil generation and migration, and characterization of depositional environments. The major thrust of the recent work involved characterization of potential source formations in the Basin in addition to the Woodford shale. The formations evaluated included the Morrow, Springer, Viola, Arbuckle, Oil Creek, and Sylvan shales. A good distribution of these samples was obtained from throughout the basin and were evaluated in terms of source potential and thermal maturity based on geochemical characteristics. The data were incorporated into a basin modelling program aimed at predicting the quantities of oil that could, potentially, have been generated from each formation. The study of crude oils was extended from our earlier work to cover a much wider area of the basin to determine the distribution of genetically-related oils, and whether or not they were derived from single or multiple sources, as well as attempting to correlate them with their suspected source formations. Recent studies in our laboratory also demonstrated the presence of high molecular weight components(C{sub 4}-C{sub 80}) in oils and waxes from drill pipes of various wells in the region. Results from such a study will have possible ramifications for enhanced oil recovery and reservoir engineering studies.

  16. Hot dry rock heat mining

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duchane, D.V.

    1992-01-01

    Geothermal energy utilizing fluids from natural sources is currently exploited on a commercial scale at sites around the world. A much greater geothermal resource exists, however, in the form of hot rock at depth which is essentially dry. This hot dry rock (HDR) resource is found almost everywhere, but the depth at which usefully high temperatures are reached varies from place to place. The technology to mine the thermal energy from HDR has been under development for a number of years. Using techniques adapted from the petroleum industry, water is pumped at high pressure down an injection well to a region of usefully hot rock. The pressure forces open natural joints to form a reservoir consisting of a small amount of water dispensed in a large volume of hot rock. This reservoir is tapped by second well located at some distance from the first, and the heated water is brought to the surface where its thermal energy is extracted. The same water is then recirculated to mine more heat. Economic studies have indicated that it may be possible to produce electricity at competitive prices today in regions where hot rock is found relatively close to the surface

  17. On Family, Friendship, Love and Caring for a Child with Autism--The Story of Rock Harmon and Family

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valenzano, Joseph M., Jr.

    2011-01-01

    Timmy Harmon, Cathy and Rock Harmon's middle child, is a wonderful young man. He has a smile that is infectious and seems continuously happy. Timmy also has autism. This is a story about Timmy and what he is able do because Rock and Cathy provide the kind of nurturing, care, and love that is so vitally important to Timmy. This article presents the…

  18. Some clastic rocks as parent rocks in beech forests of Brezovica - Južni Kučaj

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joksimović Vesna

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available On the large forest areas, where the measures of soil quality improvement are absent or rarely undertaken, the rocks are the sources of a great number of elements in plant nutrition and one of the factors affecting the contents of some elements in plants. The aim of the study is to determine the differences in the contents of Cu, Zn, Mn, Ni, Fe, Cd, Co, Pb and Cr in the beech leaves developed in the same climate conditions, on morphologically similar terrains, composed of different types of sedimentary rocks. This paper presents the study results of the contents of the above elements in argillites, sandstones (grauwackes and microconglomerates occurring as the parent rocks in high beech forests in the region of GJ Bogovina (Brezovica Južni Kučaj and in the leaves of beech developed on these rocks.

  19. Pore Type Classification on Carbonate Reservoir in Offshore Sarawak using Rock Physics Model and Rock Digital Images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lubis, L A; Harith, Z Z T

    2014-01-01

    It has been recognized that carbonate reservoirs are one of the biggest sources of hydrocarbon. Clearly, the evaluation of these reservoirs is important and critical. For rigorous reservoir characterization and performance prediction from geophysical measurements, the exact interpretation of geophysical response of different carbonate pore types is crucial. Yet, the characterization of carbonate reservoir rocks is difficult due to their complex pore systems. The significant diagenesis process and complex depositional environment makes pore systems in carbonates far more complicated than in clastics. Therefore, it is difficult to establish rock physics model for carbonate rock type. In this paper, we evaluate the possible rock physics model of 20 core plugs of a Miocene carbonate platform in Central Luconia, Sarawak. The published laboratory data of this area were used as an input to create the carbonate rock physics models. The elastic properties were analyzed to examine the validity of an existing analytical carbonate rock physics model. We integrate the Xu-Payne Differential Effective Medium (DEM) Model and the elastic modulus which was simulated from a digital carbonate rock image using Finite Element Modeling. The results of this integration matched well for the separation of carbonate pore types and sonic P-wave velocity obtained from laboratory measurement. Thus, the results of this study show that the integration of rock digital image and theoretical rock physics might improve the elastic properties prediction and useful for more advance geophysical techniques (e.g. Seismic Inversion) of carbonate reservoir in Sarawak

  20. A COMPARISON OF MAJOR ELEMENTS BETWEEN MARINE SEDIMENTS AND IGNEOUS ROCKS: AS A BASIC DETERMINATION OF THE SEDIMENT SOURCE AT UJUNG PENYUSUK WATERS, NORTH BANGKA,BANGKA BELITUNG PROVINCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ediar Usman

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Three igneous rock samples from the coast and five sediments from the marine of Ujung Penyusuk Waters have been used for chemistry analysis as the basic determination of sediment source. The result of chemistry analysis shows that the major element with relatively same pattern. In the igneous rock samples, the result of chemistry analysis shows the SiO2 ranges between 72.3 - 76.8%, Al2O3 (9.64 - 11.64%, and Fe2O3 ( 2.08 - 2.18%. In the marine sediment, the content of SiO2 is between 62.2 and 66.5%, Al2O3 (2.93 - 3.63% and Fe2O3 (21.19 - 24.40%. Other elements such as CaO, MgO, K2O, Na2O and TiO2 are relatively similar values in all samples. The difference of element content in marine sediment and coastal igneous rock occurs in Al2O3 and Fe2O3. The Al2O3 is small in marine sediment while the Fe2O3 is higher compared to igneous rocks. Decreasing of the Al2O3 (kaolinite in the marine sediment is caused by the character of the Al2O3 that was derived from quartz rich of igneous rocks forming kaolinite. It was than deposited in the sea floor. Increasing of the Fe2O3 in marine sediment is caused by addition reaction of the Fe from the sea. Generally, the content of the SiO2 (quartz in igneous rock and marine sediment belongs to the same group source that is acid igneous rock. The SiO2 in the sediment belongs to a group of granitoid.

  1. Assessment of Thermal Maturity Trends in Devonian–Mississippian Source Rocks Using Raman Spectroscopy: Limitations of Peak-Fitting Method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lupoi, Jason S., E-mail: jlupoi@rjlg.com; Fritz, Luke P. [RJ Lee Group, Inc., Monroeville, PA (United States); Parris, Thomas M. [Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States); Hackley, Paul C. [UniversityS. Geological Survey, Reston, VA (United States); Solotky, Logan [RJ Lee Group, Inc., Monroeville, PA (United States); Eble, Cortland F. [Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States); Schlaegle, Steve [RJ Lee Group, Inc., Monroeville, PA (United States)

    2017-09-27

    The thermal maturity of shale is often measured by vitrinite reflectance (VRo). VRo measurements for the Devonian–Mississippian black shale source rocks evaluated herein predicted thermal immaturity in areas where associated reservoir rocks are oil-producing. This limitation of the VRo method led to the current evaluation of Raman spectroscopy as a suitable alternative for developing correlations between thermal maturity and Raman spectra. In this study, Raman spectra of Devonian–Mississippian black shale source rocks were regressed against measured VRo or sample-depth. Attempts were made to develop quantitative correlations of thermal maturity. Using sample-depth as a proxy for thermal maturity is not without limitations as thermal maturity as a function of depth depends on thermal gradient, which can vary through time, subsidence rate, uplift, lack of uplift, and faulting. Correlations between Raman data and vitrinite reflectance or sample-depth were quantified by peak-fitting the spectra. Various peak-fitting procedures were evaluated to determine the effects of the number of peaks and maximum peak widths on correlations between spectral metrics and thermal maturity. Correlations between D-frequency, G-band full width at half maximum (FWHM), and band separation between the G- and D-peaks and thermal maturity provided some degree of linearity throughout most peak-fitting assessments; however, these correlations and those calculated from the G-frequency, D/G FWHM ratio, and D/G peak area ratio also revealed a strong dependence on peak-fitting processes. This dependency on spectral analysis techniques raises questions about the validity of peak-fitting, particularly given the amount of subjective analyst involvement necessary to reconstruct spectra. This research shows how user interpretation and extrapolation affected the comparability of different samples, the accuracy of generated trends, and therefore, the potential of the Raman spectral method to become an

  2. Assessment of Thermal Maturity Trends in Devonian–Mississippian Source Rocks Using Raman Spectroscopy: Limitations of Peak-Fitting Method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lupoi, Jason S.; Fritz, Luke P.; Parris, Thomas M.; Hackley, Paul C.; Solotky, Logan; Eble, Cortland F.; Schlaegle, Steve

    2017-01-01

    The thermal maturity of shale is often measured by vitrinite reflectance (VRo). VRo measurements for the Devonian–Mississippian black shale source rocks evaluated herein predicted thermal immaturity in areas where associated reservoir rocks are oil-producing. This limitation of the VRo method led to the current evaluation of Raman spectroscopy as a suitable alternative for developing correlations between thermal maturity and Raman spectra. In this study, Raman spectra of Devonian–Mississippian black shale source rocks were regressed against measured VRo or sample-depth. Attempts were made to develop quantitative correlations of thermal maturity. Using sample-depth as a proxy for thermal maturity is not without limitations as thermal maturity as a function of depth depends on thermal gradient, which can vary through time, subsidence rate, uplift, lack of uplift, and faulting. Correlations between Raman data and vitrinite reflectance or sample-depth were quantified by peak-fitting the spectra. Various peak-fitting procedures were evaluated to determine the effects of the number of peaks and maximum peak widths on correlations between spectral metrics and thermal maturity. Correlations between D-frequency, G-band full width at half maximum (FWHM), and band separation between the G- and D-peaks and thermal maturity provided some degree of linearity throughout most peak-fitting assessments; however, these correlations and those calculated from the G-frequency, D/G FWHM ratio, and D/G peak area ratio also revealed a strong dependence on peak-fitting processes. This dependency on spectral analysis techniques raises questions about the validity of peak-fitting, particularly given the amount of subjective analyst involvement necessary to reconstruct spectra. This research shows how user interpretation and extrapolation affected the comparability of different samples, the accuracy of generated trends, and therefore, the potential of the Raman spectral method to become an

  3. Assessment of Thermal Maturity Trends in Devonian–Mississippian Source Rocks Using Raman Spectroscopy: Limitations of Peak-Fitting Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jason S. Lupoi

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The thermal maturity of shale is often measured by vitrinite reflectance (VRo. VRo measurements for the Devonian–Mississippian black shale source rocks evaluated herein predicted thermal immaturity in areas where associated reservoir rocks are oil-producing. This limitation of the VRo method led to the current evaluation of Raman spectroscopy as a suitable alternative for developing correlations between thermal maturity and Raman spectra. In this study, Raman spectra of Devonian–Mississippian black shale source rocks were regressed against measured VRo or sample-depth. Attempts were made to develop quantitative correlations of thermal maturity. Using sample-depth as a proxy for thermal maturity is not without limitations as thermal maturity as a function of depth depends on thermal gradient, which can vary through time, subsidence rate, uplift, lack of uplift, and faulting. Correlations between Raman data and vitrinite reflectance or sample-depth were quantified by peak-fitting the spectra. Various peak-fitting procedures were evaluated to determine the effects of the number of peaks and maximum peak widths on correlations between spectral metrics and thermal maturity. Correlations between D-frequency, G-band full width at half maximum (FWHM, and band separation between the G- and D-peaks and thermal maturity provided some degree of linearity throughout most peak-fitting assessments; however, these correlations and those calculated from the G-frequency, D/G FWHM ratio, and D/G peak area ratio also revealed a strong dependence on peak-fitting processes. This dependency on spectral analysis techniques raises questions about the validity of peak-fitting, particularly given the amount of subjective analyst involvement necessary to reconstruct spectra. This research shows how user interpretation and extrapolation affected the comparability of different samples, the accuracy of generated trends, and therefore, the potential of the Raman spectral

  4. Ancient glaciations and hydrocarbon accumulations in North Africa and the Middle East

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Heron, Daniel Paul; Craig, Jonathan; Etienne, James L.

    2009-04-01

    At least six glaciations are purported to have affected North Africa and the Middle East region over the last one billion years, including two in the Cryogenian (Neoproterozoic), Hirnantian (Late Ordovician), Silurian, Carboniferous and Early Permian events. The sedimentary record associated with these glaciations, together with the intensity to which each has been investigated, is highly variable. As hydrocarbon exploration proceeds aggressively across the North Africa and Middle East regions, we review the relationship between glaciation and hydrocarbon accumulations. With the exception of Oman, and locally Egypt, which were tectonically active both during the Neoproterozoic and Early Palaeozoic all glaciations took place along an essentially stable passive continental margin. During the Neoproterozoic, two glaciations are recognised, referred to as older and younger Cryogenian glaciations respectively. Both of these Cryogenian events are preserved in Oman; only the younger Cryogenian has been reported in North Africa in Mauritania and Mali at the flanks of the Taoudenni Basin. The process of initial deglaciation in younger Cryogenian glaciations resulted in incision, at least locally producing large-bedrock palaeovalleys in Oman, and the deposition of glacial diamictites, gravels, sandstones and mudstones. As deglaciation progressed "cap carbonates" were deposited, passing vertically into shale with evidence for deposition in an anoxic environment. Hence, younger Cryogenian deglaciation may be associated with hydrocarbon source rock deposits. Hirnantian (Late Ordovician) glaciation was short lived (economic significance across central North Africa. Therefore, an appreciation of the processes of ice sheet growth and decay provides significant insights into the controls on large-scale heterogeneities within these sediments, and in analogue deposits produced by glaciations of different ages. Deglacial, Early Silurian black shale represents the most important

  5. Relating rock avalanche morphology to emplacement processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dufresne, Anja; Prager, Christoph; Bösmeier, Annette

    2015-04-01

    The morphology, structure and sedimentological characteristics of rock avalanche deposits reflect both internal emplacement processes and external influences, such as runout path characteristics. The latter is mainly predisposed by topography, substrate types, and hydrogeological conditions. Additionally, the geological setting at the source slope controls, e.g. the spatial distribution of accumulated lithologies and hence material property-related changes in morphology, or the maximum clast size and amount of fines of different lithological units. The Holocene Tschirgant rock avalanche (Tyrol, Austria) resulted from failure of an intensely deformed carbonate rock mass on the southeast face of a 2,370-m-high mountain ridge. The initially sliding rock mass rapidly fragmented as it moved towards the floor of the Inn River valley. Part of the 200-250 x 106 m3 (Patzelt 2012) rock avalanche debris collided with and moved around an opposing bedrock ridge and flowed into the Ötz valley, reaching up to 6.3 km from source. Where the Tschirgant rock avalanche spread freely it formed longitudinal ridges aligned along motion direction as well as smaller hummocks. Encountering high topography, it left runup ridges, fallback patterns (i.e. secondary collapse), and compressional morphology (successively elevated, transverse ridges). Further evidence for the mechanical landslide behaviour is given by large volumes of mobilized valley-fill sediments (polymict gravels and sands). These sediments indicate both shearing and compressional faulting within the rock avalanche mass (forming their own morphological units through, e.g. in situ bulldozing or as distinctly different hummocky terrain), but also indicate extension of the spreading landslide mass (i.e. intercalated/injected gravels encountered mainly in morphological depressions between hummocks). Further influences on its morphology are given by the different lithological units. E.g. the transition from massive dolomite

  6. Technical evaluation of the proposed changes in the technical specifications for emergency power sources for the Big Rock Point nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Latorre, V.R.

    1979-12-01

    The technical evaluation is presented for the proposed changes to the Technical Specifications for emergency power sources for the Big Rock Point nuclear power plant. The criteria used to evaluate the acceptability of the changes include those delineated in IEEE Std-308-1974, and IEEE Std-450-1975 as endorsed by US NRC Regulatory Guide 1.129

  7. Characteristics of mesozoic magmatic rocks in western Zhejiang and their relation with uranium mineralization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Jiazhi

    2000-01-01

    The author summarizes characteristics of Mesozoic (Yangshanian Period) acid-intermediate volcanics, sub-volcanics and basic intrusive from aspects of formation time of rock series, petrogenic sequence, chemical composition, rock -controlling factors and petrogenic environments. It is suggested that these rocks were originated from different source areas of crust and mantle. Based on the time-space relation between different types uranium deposits and magmatic rocks, the author proposes that: the earlier stage (Earlier Cretaceous) U-hematite ores were originated from acid volcanic magmatism of crustal source, but the later stage (Late Cretaceous) pitchblende-polymetallic sulfide and pitchblende-purple fluorite rich ores were derived from basic magmatism of mantle source. Finally, the author proposes prospecting criteria of the above two types of uranium deposits

  8. Failure Mechanism of Rock Bridge Based on Acoustic Emission Technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guoqing Chen

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Acoustic emission (AE technique is widely used in various fields as a reliable nondestructive examination technology. Two experimental tests were carried out in a rock mechanics laboratory, which include (1 small scale direct shear tests of rock bridge with different lengths and (2 large scale landslide model with locked section. The relationship of AE event count and record time was analyzed during the tests. The AE source location technology and comparative analysis with its actual failure model were done. It can be found that whether it is small scale test or large scale landslide model test, AE technique accurately located the AE source point, which reflected the failure generation and expansion of internal cracks in rock samples. Large scale landslide model with locked section test showed that rock bridge in rocky slope has typical brittle failure behavior. The two tests based on AE technique well revealed the rock failure mechanism in rocky slope and clarified the cause of high speed and long distance sliding of rocky slope.

  9. Demonstration of a Fractured Rock Geophysical Toolbox (FRGT) for Characterization and Monitoring of DNAPL Biodegradation in Fractured Rock Aquifers

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-09-29

    is characterized by dark gray slate or phyllite, alternating with thin layers of light gray siltstone or sandstone . Table 1 summarizes the primary...sedimentary rocks of the Newark Basin. Competent rocks are primarily mudstones and sandstones of the Lockatong and Stockton Formations. Fill, weathered silt... sandstone , and characterized by water bearing bedding plane fractures. An array of open boreholes in the source area that were drilled for the 2002

  10. The origin of groundwater salinity in granitic rocks: identification and characterisation of chloride sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Savoye, Sebastien

    1998-01-01

    This research thesis aims at clearly identifying the possible origins of chlorine in solution in underground waters in a granitic environment, and is thus a first step in the prediction of concentration of dissolved compounds in waters in crystalline environment, with respect to the geological context. In a first part, the author proposes a synthetic and critical overview of knowledge and previous studies: definition of the term 'salinity', presentation of geochemical tracers, presentation of available data on potential chlorine sources in granitic rocks. The author then describes the experimental protocols and studied sites, reports results of the characterisation of different chlorine tanks performed on samples from each studied site. Based on mass assessment calculations and on the use of tracers, the author finally discusses the contribution of each of the chlorine tanks to the salinity of underground waters [fr

  11. Sedimentary facies analysis of the Mesozoic clastic rocks in Southern Peru (Tacna, 18°S): Towards a paleoenvironmental Redefinition and stratigraphic Reorganization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alván, Aldo; Jacay, Javier; Caracciolo, Luca; Sánchez, Elvis; Trinidad, Inés

    2018-07-01

    The Mesozoic rocks of southern Peru comprise a Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous sedimentary sequence deposited during a time interval of approximately 34 Myr. In Tacna, these rocks are detrital and constitute the Yura Group (Callovian to Tithonian) and the Hualhuani Formation (Berriasian). Basing on robust interpretation of facies and petrographic analysis, we reconstruct the depositional settings of such units and provide a refined stratigraphic framework. Accordingly, nine types of sedimentary facies and six architectural elements are defined. They preserve the record of a progradational fluvial system, in which two styless regulated the dispersion of sediments: (i) a high-to moderate-sinuosity meandering setting (Yura Group), and a later (ii) incipient braided setting (Hualhuani Formation). The Yura Group (Callovian-Tithonian) represents the onset of floodplain deposits and lateral accretion of point-bar deposits sited on a semi-flat topography. Nonetheless, the progradational sequence was affected by at least two rapid marine ingressions occurred during Middle Callovian and Tithonian times. Such marine ingressions reveal the proximity of a shallow marine setting and incipient carbonate deposition. In response to increase in topographic gradient, the Hualhuani Formation (Berriasian) deposited as extensive multistory sandy channels. The mineralogy of the Mesozoic sediments suggests sediment supplies and intense recycling from a craton interior (i.e. Amazon Craton and/or plutonic sources) located eastward of the study area.

  12. Water - rock interaction in different rock environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lamminen, S.

    1995-01-01

    The study assesses the groundwater geochemistry and geological environment of 44 study sites for radioactive waste disposal. Initially, the study sites were divided by rock type into 5 groups: (1) acid - intermediate rocks, (2) mafic - ultramafic rocks, (3) gabbros, amphibolites and gneisses that contain calc-silicate (skarn) rocks, (4) carbonates and (5) sandstones. Separate assessments are made of acid - intermediate plutonic rocks and of a subgroup that comprises migmatites, granite and mica gneiss. These all belong to the group of acid - intermediate rocks. Within the mafic -ultramafic rock group, a subgroup that comprises mafic - ultramafic plutonic rocks, serpentinites, mafic - ultramafic volcanic rocks and volcanic - sedimentary schists is also evaluated separately. Bedrock groundwaters are classified by their concentration of total dissolved solids as fresh, brackish, saline, strongly saline and brine-class groundwaters. (75 refs., 24 figs., 3 tabs.)

  13. Middle to Late Jurassic Tectonic Evolution of the Klamath Mountains, California-Oregon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harper, Gregory D.; Wright, James E.

    1984-12-01

    The geochronology, stratigraphy, and spatial relationships of Middle and Late Jurassic terranes of the Klamath Mountains strongly suggest that they were formed in a single west-facing magmatic arc built upon older accreted terranes. A Middle Jurassic arc complex is represented by the volcanic rocks of the western Hayfork terrane and consanguineous dioritic to peridotitic plutons. New U/Pb zircon dates indicate that the Middle Jurassic plutonic belt was active from 159 to 174 Ma and is much more extensive than previously thought. This plutonic belt became inactive just as the 157 Ma Josephine ophiolite, which lies west and structurally below the Middle Jurassic arc, was generated. Late Jurassic volcanic and plutonic arc rocks (Rogue Formation and Chetco intrusive complex) lie outboard and structurally beneath the Josephine ophiolite; U/Pb and K/Ar age data indicate that this arc complex is coeval with the Josephine ophiolite. Both the Late Jurassic arc complex and the Josephine ophiolite are overlain by the "Galice Formation," a Late Jurassic flysch sequence, and are intruded by 150 Ma dikes and sills. The following tectonic model is presented that accounts for the age and distribution of these terranes: a Middle Jurassic arc built on older accreted terranes undergoes rifting at 160 Ma, resulting in formation of a remnant arc/back-arc basin/island arc triad. This system collapsed during the Late Jurassic Nevadan Orogeny (150 Ma) and was strongly deformed and stacked into a series of east-dipping thrust sheets. Arc magmatism was active both before and after the Nevadan Orogeny, but virtually ceased at 140 Ma.

  14. Radiometric dating of brittle fault rocks; illite polytype age analysis and application to the Spanish Pyrenees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Pluijm, B. A.; Haines, S. H.

    2008-12-01

    A variety of approaches have been available to indirectly date the timing of deformation and motion on faults, but few approaches for direct, radiometric dating of shallow crustal fault rocks were available until recently. The growing recognition of clay neomineralization at low temperatures in many fault rocks, particularly the 1Md illite polytype, allows the successful application of Ar dating to these K-bearing phases. In this presentation we will discuss our recent illite age analysis approach (sampling, treatments, analytical methods), and present new results from fault dating along the Spanish Pyrenean orogenic front as an example. X-ray quantification of polytype ratios in three or more size fractions is used to define a mixing line between (1Md illite) authigenic and (2M illite) detrital end-member phases that constrain the fault age and host rock provenance/cooling age for each fault. The common problem of recoil in clays is addressed by encapsulating samples before irradiation. Nine fault gouge ages in the south-central and south-eastern Pyrenees support several contractional pulses in the Pyrenean orogen: 1) Late Cretaceous thrusting (Boixols), 2) Latest Paleocene-Early Eocene deformation (Nogueres Zone and Freser antiformal stack), 3) Middle-Late Eocene deformation (Ripoll syncline, Vallfogona, Gavernie, Abocador and L'Escala thrusts), and 4) Middle Oligocene thrusting in the central portion of the Axial Zone (Llavorsi-Senet). The late Paleocene-Early Eocene and Middle-Late Eocene events may or may not be one single phase, due to slightly overlapping error estimates. The outboard thrusts give Hercynian ages for the detrital component of the fault rock, while the inboard thrusts, which juxtapose metamorphic units, give Cretaceous ages for the non-authigenic component, reflecting the cooling age of the adjacent wallrocks. Based on our latest work, the illite polytype dating method complements previously developed illite-smectite dating (van der Pluijm et

  15. Uranium minerals in Upper Carboniferous rocks in the Nowa Ruda region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bareja, E.

    1981-01-01

    Results of mineralogical studies on uranium in Upper Carboniferous rocks (Glinik Beds - Westphalian C - D and Ludwikowice Beds - Stephanian) in the vicinities of Nowa Ruda (Central Sudetic Depression) are presented. Uranium mineralization is here related to sandstones and polymictic conglomerates with clay and clay-carbonate cement. The major uranium-bearing horizon was found in middle part of the Glinik Beds, and some increase in uranium content - at the base of that unit. In the case of Stephanian rocks, points with uranium mineralization were found in various parts of the Ludwikowice Beds sequence: in basal conglomerate horizon and platy sandstones. Uranium minerals mainly occur in cement of sandstones and conglomerates. They were mainly identified as uranium blende and minerals of the sulfate group - zippeite and uranopilite. Mineralized uranium-bearing horizons display mineral paragenesis typical of Upper Carboniferous rocks of the Central Sudetic Depression: uranium blende, pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena. (author)

  16. Organic richness and organic matter quality studies of source rocks ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The hydrocarbon potential of the Upper Cretaceous units (Maastrichtian Mamu Formation) exposed at Imiegba and environs of the Benin Flank, Western Anambra Basin was assessed by Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and Rock-Eval Pyrolysis Analyses. The investigated sections of the Mamu Formation consist of dark grey to ...

  17. Rb-Sr measurements on metamorphic rocks from the Barro Alto Complex, Goias, Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fuck, R.A.; Neves, B.B.B.; Cordani, U.G.; Kawashita, K.

    1988-01-01

    The Barro Alto Complex comprises a highly deformed and metamorphosed association of plutonic, volcanic, and sedimentary rocks exposed in a 150 x 25 Km boomerang-like strip in Central Goias, Brazil. It is the southernmost tip of an extensive yet discontinuous belt of granulite and amphibolite facies metamorphic rocks which include the Niquelandia and Cana Brava complexes to the north. Two rock associations are distinguished within the granulite belt. The first one comprises a sequence of fine-grained mafic granulite, hypersthene-quartz-feldspar granulite, garnet quartzite, sillimanite-garnet-cordierite gneiss, calc-silicate rock, and magnetite-rich iron formation. The second association comprises medium-to coarse-grained mafic rocks. The medium-grade rocks of the western/northern portion (Barro Alto Complex) comprise both layered mafic rocks and a volcanic-sedimentary sequence, deformed and metamorphosed under amphibolite facies conditions. The fine-grained amphibolite form the basal part of the Juscelandia meta volcanic-sedimentary sequence. A geochronologic investigation by the Rb-Sr method has been carried out mainly on felsic rocks from the granulite belt and gneisses of the Juscelandia sequence. The analytical results for the Juscelandia sequence are presented. Isotope results for rocks from different outcrops along the gneiss layer near Juscelandia are also presented. In conclusion, Rb-Sr isotope measurements suggest that the Barro Alto rocks have undergone at least one important metamorphic event during Middle Proterozoic times, around 1300 Ma ago. During that event volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Juscelandia sequence, as well as the underlying gabbro-anorthosite layered complex, underwent deformation and recrystallization under amphibolite facies conditions. (author)

  18. Determining the Accuracy of Paleomagnetic Remanence and High-Resolution Chronostratigraphy for Sedimentary Rocks using Rock Magnetics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kodama, K. P.

    2017-12-01

    The talk will consider two broad topics in rock magnetism and paleomagnetism: the accuracy of paleomagnetic remanence and the use of rock magnetics to measure geologic time in sedimentary sequences. The accuracy of the inclination recorded by sedimentary rocks is crucial to paleogeographic reconstructions. Laboratory compaction experiments show that inclination shallows on the order of 10˚-15˚. Corrections to the inclination can be made using the effects of compaction on the directional distribution of secular variation recorded by sediments or the anisotropy of the magnetic grains carrying the ancient remanence. A summary of all the compaction correction studies as of 2012 shows that 85% of sedimentary rocks studied have enjoyed some amount of inclination shallowing. Future work should also consider the effect of grain-scale strain on paleomagnetic remanence. High resolution chronostratigraphy can be assigned to a sedimentary sequence using rock magnetics to detect astronomically-forced climate cycles. The power of the technique is relatively quick, non-destructive measurements, the objective identification of the cycles compared to facies interpretations, and the sensitivity of rock magnetics to subtle changes in sedimentary source. An example of this technique comes from using rock magnetics to identify astronomically-forced climate cycles in three globally distributed occurrences of the Shuram carbon isotope excursion. The Shuram excursion may record the oxidation of the world ocean in the Ediacaran, just before the Cambrian explosion of metazoans. Using rock magnetic cyclostratigraphy, the excursion is shown to have the same duration (8-9 Myr) in southern California, south China and south Australia. Magnetostratigraphy of the rocks carrying the excursion in California and Australia shows a reversed to normal geomagnetic field polarity transition at the excursion's nadir, thus supporting the synchroneity of the excursion globally. Both results point to a

  19. Rock mass mechanical property estimations for the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin, M.; Hardy, M.P.; Bauer, S.J.

    1993-06-01

    Rock mass mechanical properties are important in the design of drifts and ramps. These properties are used in evaluations of the impacts of thermomechanical loading of potential host rock within the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project. Representative intact rock and joint mechanical properties were selected for welded and nonwelded tuffs from the currently available data sources. Rock mass qualities were then estimated using both the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (Q) and Geomechanics Rating (RMR) systems. Rock mass mechanical properties were developed based on estimates of rock mass quality, the current knowledge of intact properties, and fracture/joint characteristics. Empirical relationships developed to correlate the rock mass quality indices and the rock mass mechanical properties were then used to estimate the range of rock mass mechanical properties

  20. Remarks on some rock neutron parameters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Czubek, J.A.

    1984-01-01

    A method to calculate the thermal neutron parameters of rocks is given in the paper. It is based on a proper energy averaging of cross-sections for all rock matrix and rock saturating liquid constituents. The diffusion lengths in different lithologies in function of the variable rock porosity have been calculated. An influence of the thermal neutron spectrum on the shape of the porosity calibration curves for the dual spacing neutron method is shown. Magmatic rocks as a possible source of geothermal energy are now becoming a target of neutron loggings for the porosity determination. Here the knowledge of the slowing-down lengths is of great importance in the problem of the estimation of the calibration curves. A semi-analytical approach to get this parameter is given in the paper. It was found, as far as concerns the slowing-down of fast neutrons, that all magmatic rocks behave as sandstone with, however, different content of bound water in the rock matrix and different rock matrix density. Some neutron methods are based on the detection of epithermal neutrons. For theoretical considerations it is important to know the physical meaning of the registered signal. From the discussion of experimental data reported in the literature it seems that it is the slowing-down density that is the physical quantity being measured. This conclusion has a very important practical implication - the porosity calibration curves depend upon the slowing-down length alone and are independent of the slowing-down cross-section for epithermal neutrons

  1. Rb-Sr geochronology of the rocks of the Himalayas, Eastern Nepal, (1)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kai, Kunio

    1981-01-01

    Rb-Sr isotopic measurements were carried out for whole rock and small sliced rock from the Himalayan gneiss which constitutes the metamorphosed basement of the Tethyan sediments. The results of the measurements on whole rock from the Barun migmatite, the Barun gneiss and the Irkhua gneiss indicate that complete Sr isotopic redistribution occurred about 520 m.y. ago. This age is interpreted as the time of the regional metamorphism. The analytical results of the small sliced slabs of the Himalayan gneiss indicate that Sr isotopic redistribution occurred among the sliced slabs 33.3 +- 13.2 m.y. ago. This age is interpreted as the time of the metamorphism in the sillimanite-amphibolite facies. The high initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio of 0.7372 +- 0.0031 from the Barun migmatite of the Himalayan gneiss suggests the Precambrian Origin of the source rocks. The analytical results on the sliced slab of the Barun migmatite indicate that the original age of the rocks is about 800 m.y. The rock is interpreted as the remobilized Precambrian crustal rock. The high initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio of the Barun gneiss and the Irkhua gneiss of the Himalayan gneiss (0.7234 +- 0.0013) indicates also the Precambrian origin of the source rocks. (author)

  2. Studies on the radiation absorption characteristics of various rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahman, K.N.; Abdullah, S.A.; Gazzaz, M.A.

    1984-05-01

    Radiation absorption characteristics of nine different rocks, namely, ferrugenous quartz, metabasalt, larvikite, coarse grained diorite, coarse grained granite, coarse grained alkali granite, marble, quartz mica schist, and metamorphosed rock are studied. The rocks were collected from Jeddah, Makkah, Mina and Taif areas. Special attention was given on the availability, compactness, physical formation and uniform composition in selecting the rocks. The rocks were identified by optical method and their elemental composition determined by chemical analysis. The data were used to calculate the effective atomic numbers, half value layers mass and linear attenuation coefficients. The half value layers and the linear attenuation coefficientsof these rocks were determined experimentally using Am-241, Cs-137,and Co-60 sources. The results are compared with those obtained by theoretical calculations and agrre within 10%. Most of the rocks show much higher radiation attenuation characteristics than the standard concrete. Rocks containing higher percentage of Fe, Ca, Ti, and Mn show much higher radiation absorption characteristics than concrete. Only granites are found to be almost equivalent to concrete. 12 Ref

  3. Phosphate Rocks: Sustainable Secondary Source for Uranium and their Agricultural Impact

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    LeMone, D.V.; Goodell, P.C.; Harris, A.H.; Winston, J.W.

    2009-01-01

    -water systems. The potential resultant impact of this on plant life systems is and will continue to be subject to continuing research. In view of the environmental consequences of continued reliance on fossil fuels, the shift to the extensive development of nuclear power seems inevitable. Given the current national and international conditions, it's necessary to carefully examine the political and economic ramifications of such a shift. Competing alternatives of wind (cost and reliability), solar (cost and size), and hydro (at near capacity) will not even begin to substitute for the current fossil fuel usage (oil, coal, gas, tar sands, etc.). The only realistic source of utilizable energy, now and in the future, will have to be nuclear. The secondary extraction of uranium has long been a tantalizing prospect for developing a sustainable source of the metal. A number of phosphate rich nations have reassessed the prospect of such a development in Asia (e.g., China) North Africa, (e.g., Egypt) and the Middle East (Syria, Jordan). The development of a secondary industry involving extraction of uranium from phosphorite ores has a history of prior development in the United States with eight production plants in Florida and Louisiana. However as a result of a drop in the price of uranium (yellow cake), these plants were forced to close. If the sustainability of a uranium fuel supply is found to be a significant factor, the secondary recovery of uranium from phosphate processing provides a potential continuing source of the metal. The waste streams that result from the processes adapted for the secondary extraction of uranium from phosphate fertilizers also will require evaluation. This does not erase the potential and threatening political consequences involved in the potential illegal accumulation of available metal for clandestine and/or rogue military purposes. The primary sulfuric acid extraction process of phosphate rocks results in the accumulation of phosphogypsum. For every

  4. HEAVY MINERALS IN PLACER DEPOSIT IN SINGKAWANG WATERS, WEST Kalimantan, RELATED TO FELSIC SOURCE ROCK OF ITS COASTAL AREA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deny Setiady

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Placer deposits are physically accumulated by fluvial and marine processes in coastal area. Thirty six samples were selected from seventy seven samples of seafloor sediment of Singkawang waters. Those samples have been analyzed microscopically for heavy mineral contents. Based on this analysis, the heavy minerals can be divided into four groups: oxyde and hydroxyde, silicate, sulphide, and carbonate. The source of most heavy minerals in the study area is commonly formed by Felsic igneous rock and finally deposited on the seafloor sediments.

  5. Waste-rock interactions in the immediate repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McCarthy, G.J.

    1977-01-01

    The high level wastes (HLW's) to be placed underground in rock formations will contain significant amounts of radioactive decay heat for the first hundred-or-so years of isolation. Several physical-chemical changes analogous to natural geochemical processes can occur during this ''thermal period.'' The waste canister can act as a heat source and cause changes in the mineralogy and properties of the surrounding rocks. Geochemically, this is ''contact metamorphism.'' In the event that the canister is corroded and breached, chemical reactions can occur between the HLW, the surrounding rock and possibly the remains of the canister. In a dry repository which has not been backfilled (and thus pressurized) these interactions could be slow at best and with rates decreasing rapidly as the HLW cools. However, significant interactions can occur in years, months or even days under hydrothermal conditions. These conditions could be created by the combination of HLW heat, overburden pressure and water mobilized from the rocks or derived from groundwater intrusion. At the end of the thermal period these interaction products would constitute the actual HLW form (or ''source term'') subject to the low temperature leaching and migration processes under investigation in other laboratories. It is quite possible that these interaction product waste forms will have superior properties compared to the original HLW. Experimental programs initiated at Penn State during the last year aim at determining the nature of any chemical or mineralogical changes in, or interactions between, HLW solids and host rocks under various repository ambients. The accompanying figures describe the simulated HLW forms and the experimental approach and techniques. Studies with basalts as the repository rock are supported by Rockwell Hanford Operations and with shales by the Office of Waste Isolation

  6. The subduction erosion and mantle source region contamination model of Andean arc magmatism: Isotopic evidence from igneous rocks of central Chile

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stern, Charles R

    2001-01-01

    Continental crust may be incorporated in mantle-derived Andean magmas as these magmas rise through the crust (Hildreth and Moorbath, 1988), or alternatively, crust may be tectonically transported into the mantle by subduction of trench sediments and subduction erosion of the continental margin, and then added into the mantle source region of Andean magmas (Stern, 1991). Since the mantle has relatively low Sr, Nd, and Pb concentrations compared to continental crust, differences in the isotopic compositions of magmas erupted in different region of the Andes may be produced by relatively small differences in the amount of subducted crust added to the mantle source region of these magmas. By comparison, significantly larger amounts of crust must be assimilated by mantle-derived magmas to produce isotopic differences of similar magnitude. Therefore, constraining the process by which continental crust is incorporated in Andean magmas has important implications for understanding the chemical cycling that takes place in the Andean subduction-related magma factory. Isotopic data suggest the incorporation of a greater proportion of crust in Andean magmas erupted at the northern portion of the Southern Volcanic Zone of central Chile compared to those erupted in the southern portion of the Southern Volcanic Zone of south central Chile (SSVZ) (Stern et al., 1984; Futa and Stern, 1988; Hildreth and Moorbath, 1988). The NSVZ occurs just south of the current locus of the subduction of the Juan Fernandez Ridge. The southward migration of the locus of subduction of this ridge has resulted in decreasing subduction angle below the NSVZ, the eastward migration of the volcanic front of the Andean arc, and an increase in the crustal thickness below the arc. These factors together have caused changes, since the middle Miocene, in the isotopic composition of Andean igneous rocks of central Chile. The data indicate a close chronologic relation between the southward migrations of the locus

  7. 17,21-Secohopanoic acids, 25-norhopanoic acids, and 28-norhopanoic acids in source rocks and crude oils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xueming Pan; Philp, R.P. [University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (United States). School of Geology and Geophysics

    2006-09-15

    The presence of three families of hopanoic acids, 17,21-secohopanoic acids, 25-norhopanoic acids, and 28-norhopanoic acids, is discussed. Oils from West Siberia and tar balls from the Seychelles Islands were found to contain relatively high proportions of 17,21-secohopanoic acids. These acids have not been previously reported in any oils or source rocks. A heavily biodegraded West Siberian oil, was found to contain an homologous series of 25-norhopanoic acids co-occurring with the 25-norhopanes as previously reported in only a small number of oils from Campos Basin, Brazil. 28-Norhopanoic acids have been reported in various sediments and extracts of the Monterey Shale, but in this study their occurrence has been extended to oils, degraded oils, and tar balls sourced from the Monterey Shale. The primary purpose herein is to report the occurrence of these acids and possible relationships between the acids and corresponding hydrocarbons. (Author)

  8. Sr isotopes in natural waters: Applications to source characterisation and water-rock interaction in contrasting landscapes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shand, P.; Darbyshire, D.P.F.; Love, A.J.; Edmunds, W.M.

    2009-01-01

    Strontium isotopes ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) are routinely measured in hydrochemical studies to determine sources and mixing relationships. They have proved particularly useful in determining weathering processes and quantifying end-member mixing processes. A number of routine case studies are presented which highlight that Sr isotopes represent a powerful tool in the geochemists toolbox helping to constrain weathering reactions, weathering rates, flow pathways and mixing scenarios. Differences in methodologies for determining the weathering component in natural environments, inherent differences in weathering rates of different minerals, and mineral heterogeneity often cause difficulties in defining the weathering component of different catchments or aquifer systems. Nevertheless, Sr isotopes are useful when combined with other hydrochemical data, to constrain models of water-rock interaction and mixing as well as geochemical processes such as ion-exchange. This paper presents a summary of recent work by the authors in constraining the sources of waters and weathering processes in surface catchments and aquifers, and indicates cases where Sr isotopes alone are insufficient to solve hydrological problems.

  9. Sr isotopes in natural waters: Applications to source characterisation and water-rock interaction in contrasting landscapes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shand, P., E-mail: paul.shand@csiro.au [CSIRO Land and Water/CRC LEME, Private Bag 2, Glen Osmond, SA 5064 (Australia); Darbyshire, D.P.F. [NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory, Kingsley Dunham Centre, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG (United Kingdom); Love, A.J. [Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation, P.O. Box 2843, Adelaide 5001 (Australia); Edmunds, W.M. [School of Geography, Oxford University Centre for the Environment, South Parks Road, Oxford (United Kingdom)

    2009-04-15

    Strontium isotopes ({sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr) are routinely measured in hydrochemical studies to determine sources and mixing relationships. They have proved particularly useful in determining weathering processes and quantifying end-member mixing processes. A number of routine case studies are presented which highlight that Sr isotopes represent a powerful tool in the geochemists toolbox helping to constrain weathering reactions, weathering rates, flow pathways and mixing scenarios. Differences in methodologies for determining the weathering component in natural environments, inherent differences in weathering rates of different minerals, and mineral heterogeneity often cause difficulties in defining the weathering component of different catchments or aquifer systems. Nevertheless, Sr isotopes are useful when combined with other hydrochemical data, to constrain models of water-rock interaction and mixing as well as geochemical processes such as ion-exchange. This paper presents a summary of recent work by the authors in constraining the sources of waters and weathering processes in surface catchments and aquifers, and indicates cases where Sr isotopes alone are insufficient to solve hydrological problems.

  10. Isotopic assessment of soil phosphorus fertility and evaluation of rock phosphates as phosphorus sources for plants in subtropical China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiong, L.M.; Zhou, Z.G.; Feng, G.L.; Lu, R.K.; Fardeau, J.C.

    2002-01-01

    Soil phosphorus (P) deficiency is a major factor limiting crop productivity in many tropical and subtropical soils. Due to the acidic nature of these soils, rock phosphate (RP)-based P fertilizers that are cheaper than manufactured water-soluble P fertilizers can be an attractive alternative under certain conditions. Assessment of the efficacy of these alternative P fertilizers and a rational management of local P resources for sustainable agricultural production require an understanding of the dynamics of P in the soil-plant system and the interactions of various P sources in soils and monitoring of soil available P levels. The present work was conducted to test the applicability of the 32 P isotopic kinetic method to assess the soil P fertility status and evaluate the agronomic effectiveness of local rock phosphates in subtropical China. A series of experiments was carried out in the laboratory, greenhouse and field conditions with the following specific objectives: (a) to evaluate the suitability of this isotopic kinetic method in evaluating soil P fertility in 32 soil samples collected across southern China, (b) to test and further develop chemical extraction methods for routine soil P testing, (c) to monitor the dissolution kinetics of local low to medium grade rock phosphate sources and their effect on soil properties and (d) to evaluate their agronomic effectiveness in greenhouse and field experiments. Since most of the studied soils had very low concentrations of soluble P and high P-fixing capacities, the isotopic kinetic method was found unsuitable for evaluating soil P fertility and to predict plant P uptake. In contrast, the proposed chemical extraction method (NaHCO 3 -NH 4 F) predicted very well plant P uptake, suggesting that this extraction method can be routinely used to evaluate soil bioavailable P in similar soils in subtropical China. From the incubation study, it was found that although the local low to medium grade RPs were inferior to the

  11. Thermal Inertia of Rocks and Rock Populations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golombek, M. P.; Jakosky, B. M.; Mellon, M. T.

    2001-01-01

    The effective thermal inertia of rock populations on Mars and Earth is derived from a model of effective inertia versus rock diameter. Results allow a parameterization of the effective rock inertia versus rock abundance and bulk and fine component inertia. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

  12. Studying physical properties of deformed intact and fractured rocks by micro-scale hydro-mechanical-seismicity model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raziperchikolaee, Samin

    The pore pressure variation in an underground formation during hydraulic stimulation of low permeability formations or CO2 sequestration into saline aquifers can induce microseismicity due to fracture generation or pre-existing fracture activation. While the analysis of microseismic data mainly focuses on mapping the location of fractures, the seismic waves generated by the microseismic events also contain information for understanding of fracture mechanisms based on microseismic source analysis. We developed a micro-scale geomechanics, fluid-flow and seismic model that can predict transport and seismic source behavior during rock failure. This model features the incorporation of microseismic source analysis in fractured and intact rock transport properties during possible rock damage and failure. The modeling method considers comprehensive grains and cements interaction through a bonded-particle-model. As a result of grain deformation and microcrack development in the rock sample, forces and displacements in the grains involved in the bond breakage are measured to determine seismic moment tensor. In addition, geometric description of the complex pore structure is regenerated to predict fluid flow behavior of fractured samples. Numerical experiments are conducted for different intact and fractured digital rock samples, representing various mechanical behaviors of rocks and fracture surface properties, to consider their roles on seismic and transport properties of rocks during deformation. Studying rock deformation in detail provides an opportunity to understand the relationship between source mechanism of microseismic events and transport properties of damaged rocks to have a better characterizing of fluid flow behavior in subsurface formations.

  13. The variability and controls of rock strength along rocky coasts of central Spitsbergen, High Arctic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strzelecki, Mateusz Czesław

    2017-09-01

    This paper presents the results of the Schmidt Hammer Rock Tests (SHRTs) across a range of rocky coastal landforms. Northern Billefjorden (central Spitsbergen), represents typical High Arctic microtidal fjord environment. Sheltered location and prolonged sea-ice conditions limit wave action. Coastal cliffs, shore platforms and skerries are developed in various rock types including limestone, sandstone, anhydrite/gypsum, dolomite and metamorphic outcrops. SHRT demonstrated a broad variety of relationships between rock strength and distance from shoreline, presence of sediment cover, distribution of snow patches and icefoot, and accumulations of seaweed and driftwood. In general, rock cliff surfaces were the most resistant in their lower and middle zones, that are thermally insulated by thick winter snowdrifts. More exposed cliff tops were fractured and weathered. The differences in rock strength observed along the shore platforms were highly dependent on thickness of sediment cover and shoreline configuration promoting stronger rock surfaces in areas exposed to the longest wave fetch and washed from gravel deposits. Rock strength of skerry islands is influenced by tidal action controlling the duration of tide inundation and movement of sea-ice scratching boulder surfaces. The results presented in this paper emphasize the richness of rock coast geomorphology and processes operating in High Arctic settings.

  14. Eo-Oligocene Oil Shales of the Talawi, Lubuktaruk, and Kiliranjao Areas, West Sumatra: Are they potential source rocks?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Iqbal

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available DOI:10.17014/ijog.v1i3.198To anticipate the increasing energy demand, additional data and information covering unconventional fossil fuels such as oil shale must be acquired to promote the usage of alternative energy sources to crude oil. The Talawi and Lubuktaruk regions situated within intra-montane Ombilin Basin, and the Kiliranjao assumed to be a small intra montane basin are occupied by Eo-Oligocene sediments of Sangkarewang and Kiliran Formations, respectively. Field activity, geochemical screening techniques, and organic petrographic analysis, supported by SEM mode, are methods used. Most of the oil shale sequence is typically of an organically rich-succession comprising predominantly well-bedded, laminated and fissile, brownish to dark grey organic-rich shale and mudstone rocks. The exinite macerals within oil shale comprise mainly Pediastrum-lamalginite with minor cutinite, resinite, liptodetrinite, sporinite, bituminite, and rare Botryococcus-telalginite. Therefore; the oil shale deposits can be described as “lamosites”. Minor vitrinite maceral is also recognized. TOC analysis on selected shale samples corresponds to a fair up to excellent category of source rock characterization. The hydrogen index (HI for all samples shows a range of values from 207 - 864, and pyrolysis yield (PY ranges from 2.67 to 79.72 mg HC/g rock. The kerogen is suggested to be of mixed Type II and Type I autochthonous materials such as alginite, with minor allochthonous substances. Oil samples collected appear to be positioned within more oil prone rather than gas prone. Thermal maturity of the oil shales gained from Tmax value and production index (PI tends to show immature to marginally/early mature stage. A consistency in the thermal maturity level results by using both Tmax and vitrinite reflectance value is recognized. On the basis of  SEM analysis, the oil shale has undergone a late eodiagenetic process. Thereby, overall, vitrinite reflectance

  15. Modeling tectonic heat flow and source rock maturity in the Rub' Al-Khali Basin (Saudi Arabia), with the help of GOCE satellite gravity data

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Abdul Fattah, R.; Meekes, S.; Bouman, J.; Ebbing, J.; Haagmans, R.

    2014-01-01

    A 3D basin modeling study was carried out to reconstruct the regional heat flow and source rock maturity in the Rub'al-Khali basin. Gravity gradient data from the GOCE satellite were used to model deep structures, such as the Moho interface. Tectonic heat flow was modeled using the GOCE-based Moho

  16. Revised models for hydrocarbon generation, migration and accumulation in Jurassic coal measures of the Turpan basin, NW China

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Maowen; Stasiuk, L.D. [Geological Survey of Canada, Calgary, Alberta (Canada); Bao Jianping [Jianghan Petroleum University, Hubei (China); Lin, R. [Petroleum University (Beijing), Changping (China); Yuan Mingsheng [PetroChina Tu-Ha Oilfield Company, Xingjiang (China)

    2001-07-01

    Whether or not the Lower-Middle Jurassic coal measures in the Turpan basin of NW China have generated commercial quantities of liquid petroleums is a problem of considerable importance that remains contentious as it has not yet been resolved unequivocally. This study provides evidence against the Jurassic humic coals as the only major source for the oils discovered in the Taibei depression of this basin and suggests additional significant contributions from the Upper Permian and Middle-Lower Jurassic lacustrine source rocks. The Carboniferous-Permian marine source rocks may have been important also in limited locations along the major basement faults. Molecular and petrographic data indicate that the majority of the Middle Jurassic strata are currently immature or marginally mature with respect to hydrocarbon generation. Within the major depocenters, the Middle-Lower Jurassic coal-bearing strata of the Baodaowan and Xishanyao formations has reached the conventional oil window (i.e. with vitrinite reflectance >0.7 per cent Ro). Pre-Jurassic (Upper Permian in particular) derived hydrocarbons appear to be widespread in extracts of fractured Jurassic coal and fine-grained rocks. Large differences have been observed in the absolute concentrations of biomarker compounds in rock extracts of various source intervals. Thus, 'coaly' biomarker signatures of the oils most likely resulted from mixing and migration contamination when hydrocarbons derived from mature source rocks migrated up through highly fractured coal seams along deep-seated faults. In addition to conventional exploration targets, revised petroleum generation and accumulation models predict that the focus in the Turpan basin should also include deep structures within the Carboniferous-Permian strata and subtle, low magnitude anticlines and stratigraphic traps within thr Triassic-Jurassic sections. (author)

  17. Lidar-Based Rock-Fall Hazard Characterization of Cliffs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collins, Brian D.; Greg M.Stock,

    2017-01-01

    Rock falls from cliffs and other steep slopes present numerous challenges for detailed geological characterization. In steep terrain, rock-fall source areas are both dangerous and difficult to access, severely limiting the ability to make detailed structural and volumetric measurements necessary for hazard assessment. Airborne and terrestrial lidar survey methods can provide high-resolution data needed for volumetric, structural, and deformation analyses of rock falls, potentially making these analyses straightforward and routine. However, specific methods to collect, process, and analyze lidar data of steep cliffs are needed to maximize analytical accuracy and efficiency. This paper presents observations showing how lidar data sets should be collected, filtered, registered, and georeferenced to tailor their use in rock fall characterization. Additional observations concerning surface model construction, volumetric calculations, and deformation analysis are also provided.

  18. Rock-fall Hazard In The Yosemite Valley, California

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guzzetti, F.; Reichenbach, P.; Wieczorek, G. F.

    Rock slides and rock falls are the most frequent slope movements in Yosemite Na- tional Park, California. In historical time (1851-2001), more than 400 rock falls and rock slides have been documented in the valley, and some of them have been mapped in detail. We present the preliminary results of an attempt to assess rockfall hazard in the Yosemite Valley using STONE, a 3-dimensional rock-fall simulation computer program. The software computes 3-dimensional rock-fall trajectories starting from a digital terrain model (DTM), the location of rock-fall release points (source areas), and maps of the dynamic rolling coefficient and of the coefficients of normal and tan- gential energy restitution. For each DTM cell the software also calculates the number of rock falls passing through the cell, the maximum rock-fall velocity and the maxi- mum flying height. For the Yosemite Valley, a DTM with a ground resolution of 10 x 10 m was prepared using topographic contour lines from USGS 1:24,000-scale maps. Rock-fall release points were identified as DTM cells having a slope steeper than 60 degrees, an assumption based on the location of historical rock falls. Maps of the nor- mal and tangential energy restitution coefficients and of the rolling friction coefficient were produced from a surficial geologic map. The availability of historical rock falls mapped in detail allowed us to check the computer program performance and to cali- brate the model parameters. Visual and statistical comparison of the model results with the mapped rock falls confirmed the accuracy of the model. The model results are also compared with a geomorphic assessment of rock-fall hazard based on potential energy referred to as a "shadow angle" approach, recently completed for the Yosemite Valley.

  19. Litho stratigraphy of precambrian rocks in middle Xingu river basin -Altamira, Para state, Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, M.V. dos; Sousa Filho, E.E. dos; Tassinari, C.C.G.

    1988-01-01

    The basement rocks from the Xingu river is divided into five litho stratigraphic units. They are broadly characterized by domains of ortho and para gneisses, volcano-sedimentary sequences, migmatites and by syntectonic and latetectonic granitoids. In addition acid to intermediate volcanics (Iriri formation) and several sub-volcanic granitic plutons (Maloquinha suite) also occur within the investigated area, as well as basic intrusions and minor arenous sediments covers, slightly metamorphosed. Geochronological studies carried out on the basement rocks and on the volcanics demonstrates an geologic evolution restricted to the trans Amazonian cycle (2.1 - 1.9 Ga). Sr isotopic evolution (high initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios) suggest that strong reworking of crustal material occurred at this time, in association with the tectonic evolution of the Maroni-Itacaiunas mobile belt related to the lower proterozoic, which borders the northern and northerneast part of the Archean central Amazonian province. (author)

  20. Metamorphic Rock-Hosted Orogenic Gold Deposit Type as a Source of Langkowala Placer Gold, Bombana, Southeast Sulawesi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arifudin Idrus

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available DOI: 10.17014/ijog.v6i1.114In 2008, placer gold was discovered in Langkowala area (Bombana Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, and more than 60,000 traditional gold miners in the early 2009 have been operating by digging vertical pits and panning active stream sediments. The grade of placer gold ranges from 50 to 140 g/t. Local geological framework indicates that the placer gold is not related to volcanic rock-related hydrothermal gold deposit, e.g. epithermal, skarn or porphyry. This paper describes a preliminary study on possible primary deposit type as a source of the Langkowala (Bombana secondary placer gold. A field study indicates that the Langkowala (Bombana placer/paleoplacer gold is possibly related to gold-bearing quartz veins/veinlets hosted by metamorphic rocks particularly mica schist and metasediments in the area. These quartz veins/veinlets are currently recognized in metamorphic rocks at Wumbubangka Mountains, a northern flank of Rumbia Mountain Range. Sheared, segmented quartz veins/veinlets are of 2 cm to 2 m in width and contain gold in a grade varying between 2 and 61 g/t. At least, there are two generations of the quartz veins. The first generation of quartz vein is parallel to foliation of mica schist and metasediments with general orientation of N 300oE/60o; the second quartz vein generation crosscut the first quartz vein and the foliation of the wallrock. The first quartz veins are mostly sheared/deformed, brecciated, and occasionally sigmoidal, whereas the second quartz veins are relatively massive. The similar quartz veins/veinlets types are also probably present in Mendoke Mountain Range, in the northern side of Langkowala area. This primary gold deposit is called as ‘orogenic gold type’. The orogenic gold deposit could be a new target of gold exploration in Indonesia in the future.

  1. Rock-brine chemical interactions. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1982-02-01

    The results of experimental interaction of powdered volcanic rock with aqueous solutions are presented at temperatures from 200 to 400/sup 0/C, 500 to 1000 bars fluid pressure, with reaction durations of approximately 30 days under controlled laboratory conditions. The aim of this research is to develop data on the kinetics and equilibria of rock solution interactions that will provide insight into the complex geochemical processes attending geothermal reservoir development, stimulation, and reinjection. The research was done in the Stanford Hydrothermal Lab using gold cell equipment of the Dickson design. This equipment inverts the solution rock mixture several times a minute to ensure thorough mixing. Solution samples were periodically withdrawn without interruption of the experimental conditions. The data from these experiments suggests a path dependent series of reactions by which geothermal fluids might evolve from meteoric or magmatic sources.

  2. Acoustic emission measurements in petroleum-related rock mechanics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Unander, Tor Erling

    2002-07-01

    Acoustic emission activity in rock has usually been studied in crystalline rock, which reflects that rock mechanics has also mostly been occupied with such rocks in relations to seismology, mining and tunneling. On the other hand, petroleum-related rock mechanics focuses on the behaviour of sedimentary rock. Thus, this thesis presents a general study of acoustic emission activity in sedimentary rock, primarily in sandstone. Chalk, limestone and shale have also been tested, but to much less degree because the AE activity in these materials is low. To simplify the study, pore fluids have not been used. The advent of the personal computer and computerized measuring equipment have made possible new methods both for measuring and analysing acoustic emissions. Consequently, a majority of this work is devoted to the development and implementation of new analysis techniques. A broad range of topics are treated: (1) Quantification of the AE activity level, assuming that the event rate best represents the activity. An algorithm for estimating the event rate and a methodology for objectively describing special changes in the activity e.g., onset determination, are presented. (2) Analysis of AE waveform data. A new method for determining the source energy of an AE event is presented, and it is shown how seismic source theory can be used to analyze even intermediate quality data. Based on these techniques, it is shown that a major part of the measured AE activity originates from a region close to the sensor, not necessarily representing the entire sample. (3) An improved procedure for estimating source locations is presented. The main benefit is a procedure that better handles arrival time data with large errors. Statistical simulations are used to quantify the uncertainties in the locations. The analysis techniques are developed with the application to sedimentary rock in mind, and in two articles, the techniques are used in the study of such materials. The work in the first

  3. Rock pushing and sampling under rocks on Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, H.J.; Liebes, S.; Crouch, D.S.; Clark, L.V.

    1978-01-01

    Viking Lander 2 acquired samples on Mars from beneath two rocks, where living organisms and organic molecules would be protected from ultraviolet radiation. Selection of rocks to be moved was based on scientific and engineering considerations, including rock size, rock shape, burial depth, and location in a sample field. Rock locations and topography were established using the computerized interactive video-stereophotogrammetric system and plotted on vertical profiles and in plan view. Sampler commands were developed and tested on Earth using a full-size lander and surface mock-up. The use of power by the sampler motor correlates with rock movements, which were by plowing, skidding, and rolling. Provenance of the samples was determined by measurements and interpretation of pictures and positions of the sampler arm. Analytical results demonstrate that the samples were, in fact, from beneath the rocks. Results from the Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer of the Molecular Analysis experiment and the Gas Exchange instrument of the Biology experiment indicate that more adsorbed(?) water occurs in samples under rocks than in samples exposed to the sun. This is consistent with terrestrial arid environments, where more moisture occurs in near-surface soil un- der rocks than in surrounding soil because the net heat flow is toward the soil beneath the rock and the rock cap inhibits evaporation. Inorganic analyses show that samples of soil from under the rocks have significantly less iron than soil exposed to the sun. The scientific significance of analyses of samples under the rocks is only partly evaluated, but some facts are clear. Detectable quantities of martian organic molecules were not found in the sample from under a rock by the Molecular Analysis experiment. The Biology experiments did not find definitive evidence for Earth-like living organisms in their sample. Significant amounts of adsorbed water may be present in the martian regolith. The response of the soil

  4. Excess europium content in Precambrian sedimentary rocks and continental evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jakes, P.; Taylor, S. R.

    1974-01-01

    It is proposed that the europium excess in Precambrian sedimentary rocks, relative to those of younger age, is derived from volcanic rocks of ancient island arcs, which were the source materials for the sediments. Precambrian sedimentary rocks and present-day volcanic rocks of island arcs have similar REE patterns, total REE abundances, and excess Eu, relative to the North American shale composite. The present upper crustal REE pattern, as exemplified by that of sediments, is depleted in Eu, relative to chondrites. This depletion is considered to be a consequence of development of a granodioritic upper crust by partial melting in the lower crust, which selectively retains europium.

  5. Geology of the plutonic basement rocks of Stewart Island, New Zealand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allibone, A.H.; Tulloch, A.J.

    2004-01-01

    Exposures of basement rocks on Stewart Island provide a c. 70 km long by 50 km wide map of part of the Median Batholith that spans the margin of the Western Province. Because of their distance from the present plate boundary, these rocks are relatively unaffected by Cenozoic tectonism, allowing examination of unmodified Carboniferous-Cretaceous relationships within the Median Batholith. Thirty individual plutons (>c.20 km 2 ) have been mapped along with numerous relatively small intrusions ( 2 ). The large plutons form 85-90% of the Median Batholith on Stewart Island while the many smaller intrusions comprise 10-15%, mostly in the north. Lithologies include: biotite ± minor hornblende granodiorite, granite and leucogranite with accessory titanite - magmatic epidote and allanite (c. 50%); biotite ± muscovite ± garnet granite with S-type affinities (c. 10%); alkaline quartz monzonite, granite, and alkali feldspar granite with rare aegirine and blue-green amphibole (c. 3%); quartz monzodiorite and diorite with hornblende > biotite (c. 23%); gabbro and anorthosite (c. 12%) and ultramafic rocks (c. 2%). U-Pb zircon and monazite dating indicates that c. 12% of these plutonic rocks were emplaced during the Carboniferous between 345 and 290 Ma, c. 20% in the Early-Middle Jurassic at c. 170-165 Ma, c. 30% in the latest Jurassic to earliest Cretaceous between 152 and 128 Ma, and c. 38% in the Early Cretaceous between 128 and 100 Ma. The distribution of Pegasus Group schists and peraluminous granitoid rocks indicates that the northern limit of extensive early Paleozoic Western Province basement is located either within the Gutter Shear Zone or at the Escarpment Fault, 10-15 km south of the Freshwater Fault System previously thought to mark this boundary. Carboniferous and Middle Jurassic magmatism extended plutonic basement northwards as far as the Freshwater Fault System, while further magmatism during the latest Jurassic and earliest Cretaceous produced the basement

  6. Simulating Hydraulic Fracturing: Failure in soft versus hard rocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aleksans, J.; Koehn, D.; Toussaint, R.

    2017-12-01

    In this contribution we discuss the dynamic development of hydraulic fractures, their evolution and the resulting seismicity during fluid injection in a coupled numerical model. The model describes coupling between a solid that can fracture dynamically and a compressible fluid that can push back at the rock and open fractures. With a series of numerical simulations we show how the fracture pattern and seismicity change depending on changes in depth, injection rate, Young's Modulus and breaking strength. Our simulations indicate that the Young's Modulus has the largest influence on the fracture dynamics and also the related seismicity. Simulations of rocks with a Young's modulus smaller than 10 GPa show dominant mode I failure and a growth of fracture aperture with a decrease in Young's modulus. Simulations of rocks with a higher Young's modulus than 10 GPa show fractures with a constant aperture and fracture growth that is mainly governed by a growth in crack length and an increasing amount of mode II failure. We propose that two distinct failure regimes are observed in the simulations, above 10 GPa rocks break with a constant critical stress intensity factor whereas below 10 GPa they break reaching a critical cohesion, i.e. a critical tensile strength. These results are very important for the prediction of fracture dynamics and seismicity during fluid injection, especially since we see a transition from one failure regime to another at around 10 GPa, a Young's modulus that lies in the middle of possible values for natural shale rocks.

  7. Uranium occurrence in major rock types by fission-track mapping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ledger, E.G.; Bomber, B.J.; Schaftenaar, W.E.; Tieh, T.T.

    1984-01-01

    Microscopic occurrence of uranium has been determined in about 50 igneous rocks from various location, and in a genetically unrelated sandstone from south Texas. Precambrian granites from the Llano uplift of central Texas contain from a few ppm uranium (considered normal) to over 100 ppm on a whole-rock basis. In granite, uranium is concentrated in: (1) accessory minerals including zircon, biotite, allanite, Fe-Ti oxides, and altered sphene, (2) along grain boundaries and in microfractures by precipitation from deuteric fluids, and (3) as point sources (small inclusions) in quartz and feldspars. Tertiary volcanic rocks from the Davis Mountains of west Texas include diverse rock types from basalt to rhyolite. Average uranium contents increase from 1 ppm in basalts to 7 ppm in rhyolites. Concentration occurs: (1) in iron-titanium-oxides, zircon, and rutile, (2) in the fine-grained groundmass as uniform and point-source concentrations, and (3) as late uranium in cavities associated with banded, silica-rich material. Uranium in ore-grade sandstone is concentrated to more than 3%. Specific occurrences include (1) leucoxene and/or anatase, (2) opaline and calcite cements, (3) mud clasts and altered volcanic rock fragments, and (4) in a few samples, as silt-size uranium- and molybdenum-rich spheres. Uranium content is quite low in pyrite, marcasite, and zeolites

  8. Remedial Action Plan and Site Design for stabilization of the inactive Uranium Mill Tailings sites at Slick Rock, Colorado: Appendix C to Attachment 3, Calculations. Final

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-09-01

    This volume contains calculations for: Slick Rock processing sites background ground water quality; Slick Rock processing sites lysimeter water quality; Slick Rock processing sites on-site and downgradient ground water quality; Slick Rock disposal site background water quality; Burro Canyon disposal site, Slick Rock, Colorado, average hydraulic gradients and average liner ground water velocities in the upper, middle, and lower sandstone units of the Burro Canyon formation; Slick Rock--Burro Canyon disposal site, Burro Canyon pumping and slug tests--analyses; water balance and surface contours--Burro Canyon disposal cell; and analytical calculation of drawdown in a hypothetical well completed in the upper sandstone unit of the Burro Canyon formation

  9. Tectono-thermal Evolution of the Lower Paleozoic Petroleum Source Rocks in the Southern Lublin Trough: Implications for Shale Gas Exploration from Maturity Modelling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Botor, Dariusz

    2018-03-01

    The Lower Paleozoic basins of eastern Poland have recently been the focus of intensive exploration for shale gas. In the Lublin Basin potential unconventional play is related to Lower Silurian source rocks. In order to assess petroleum charge history of these shale gas reservoirs, 1-D maturity modeling has been performed. In the Łopiennik IG-1 well, which is the only well that penetrated Lower Paleozoic strata in the study area, the uniform vitrinite reflectance values within the Paleozoic section are interpreted as being mainly the result of higher heat flow in the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian times and 3500 m thick overburden eroded due to the Variscan inversion. Moreover, our model has been supported by zircon helium and apatite fission track dating. The Lower Paleozoic strata in the study area reached maximum temperature in the Late Carboniferous time. Accomplished tectono-thermal model allowed establishing that petroleum generation in the Lower Silurian source rocks developed mainly in the Devonian - Carboniferous period. Whereas, during Mesozoic burial, hydrocarbon generation processes did not develop again. This has negative influence on potential durability of shale gas reservoirs.

  10. Strontium isotopic geochemistry of intrusive rocks, Puerto Rico, Greater Antilles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, L.M.; Kesler, S.E.

    1980-01-01

    The strontium isotope geochemistry is given for three Puerto Rican intrusive rocks: the granodioritic Morovis and San Lorenzo plutons and the Rio Blanco stock of quartz dioritic composition. The average calculated initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios are 0.70370, 0.70355 and 0.70408, respectively. In addition, the San Lorenzo data establish a whole-rock isochron of 71 +- 2 m.y., which agrees with the previously reported K-Ar age of 73 m.y. Similarity of most of the intrusive rocks in the Greater Antilles with respect to their strontium isotopic geochemistry regardless of their major element composition indicates that intrusive magmas with a wide range of composition can be derived from a single source material. The most likely source material, in view of the available isotopic data, is the mantle wedge overlying the subduction zone. (orig.)

  11. Experimental Research on Internal Behaviors of Caved Rocks under the Uniaxial Confined Compression

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu-jiang Zhang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available As main composition of longwall gob, caved rocks’ behaviors and their impacts under compression crucially influence strata control, subsidence, associated resources extraction, and many other aspects. However, current researches are based on a whole sample, due to looseness of caved rocks and limitation of observation technology. In this paper, an experiment system was built to investigate internal behaviors of caved rocks’ sample, under the uniaxial confined compression, including movement and breakage behavior by the digital image processing technologies. The results show that the compression process of caved rocks could be divided into two stages by relative density. Boundary effect and changes of voids and contact pressure among caved rocks lead to different movement law in different position in sample’s interior. A stratification phenomenon of breakage was discovered, which presents breakage concentration in the middle of the sample. The nonlinear movement and shear dislocation induced by shifts among caved rocks are the reason of the breakage stratification phenomenon. This phenomenon would have an effect on the permeability and seepage research of similar medium.

  12. 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.

  13. Favorability for uranium in tertiary sedimentary rocks, southwestern Montana

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wopat, M.A.; Curry, W.E.; Robins, J.W.; Marjaniemi, D.K.

    1977-10-01

    Tertiary sedimentary rocks in the basins of southwestern Montana were studied to determine their favorability for potential uranium resources. Uranium in the Tertiary sedimentary rocks was probably derived from the Boulder batholith and from silicic volcanic material. The batholith contains numerous uranium occurrences and is the most favorable plutonic source for uranium in the study area. Subjective favorability categories of good, moderate, and poor, based on the number and type of favorable criteria present, were used to classify the rock sequences studied. Rocks judged to have good favorability for uranium deposits are (1) Eocene and Oligocene strata and undifferentiated Tertiary rocks in the western Three Forks basin and (2) Oligocene rocks in the Helena basin. Rocks having moderate favorability consist of (1) Eocene and Oligocene strata in the Jefferson River, Beaverhead River, and lower Ruby River basins, (2) Oligocene rocks in the Townsend and Clarkston basins, (3) Miocene and Pliocene rocks in the Upper Ruby River basin, and (4) all Tertiary sedimentary formations in the eastern Three Forks basin, and in the Grasshopper Creek, Horse Prairie, Medicine Lodge Creek, Big Sheep Creek, Deer Lodge, Big Hole River, and Bull Creek basins. The following have poor favorability: (1) the Beaverhead Conglomerate in the Red Rock and Centennial basins, (2) Eocene and Oligocene rocks in the Upper Ruby River basin, (3) Miocene and Pliocene rocks in the Townsend, Clarkston, Smith River, and Divide Creek basins, (4) Miocene through Pleistocene rocks in the Jefferson River, Beaverhead River, and Lower Ruby River basins, and (5) all Tertiary sedimentary rocks in the Boulder River, Sage Creek, Muddy Creek, Madison River, Flint Creek, Gold Creek, and Bitterroot basins

  14. Detrital Zircons From the Jack Hills and Mount Narryer, Western Australia: Geochronological, Morphological, and Geochemical Evidence for Diverse >4000 Ma Source Rocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crowley, J. L.; Myers, J. S.; Sylvester, P. J.; Cox, R. A.

    2004-05-01

    Detrital zircons from all major clastic units in the Jack Hills and Mount Narryer metasedimentary belts, Western Australia, were analyzed for morphology, internal zoning, inclusion mineralogy, age, and trace element concentrations (latter two obtained by laser-ablation microprobe ICPMS). The results show that zircons were derived from a wide diversity of rocks, including previously described, >4000 Ma grains that are older than any known terrestrial rocks. In three metaconglomerate samples from the western Jack Hills, 4200-3800 Ma zircons ("old grains") comprise 14% of the population, 3800-3600 Ma grains form only 2%, and 3550-3250 Ma zircons ("young grains") are dominant with a significant peak at 3380 Ma. Old and young grains are interpreted as being from similar rock types because they are indistinguishable in trace element concentrations, size (several hundred microns), morphology (subequant, typically fragmented), internal zoning (typically both oscillatory and sector), and U concentration (50-200 ppm). Many of these properties suggest an intermediate plutonic source, whereas an evolved granitic source was previously interpreted from rare-earth element and oxygen isotope data. Detrital zircons in quartzites and metaconglomerates at Mount Narryer differ significantly from zircons from the western Jack Hills. Old grains comprise only 3% (most of which are 4200-4100 Ma), 3800-3600 Ma zircons form 31%, and there are peaks at 3650, 3600, and 3500 Ma. Old and young grains have similar properties that suggest granitic sources, such as elongate prismatic morphology, oscillatory zoning, high U concentrations (100-600 ppm), and xenotime and monazite inclusions. Trace element concentrations are broadly similar to those in Jack Hills zircons, with notable exceptions being generally higher U, smaller Ce and Eu anomalies, and lower Nb/Ta. It is considered unlikely that Jack Hills zircons were derived from granitic gneisses that surround the metasedimentary belts because

  15. Mineral chemistry of clinopyroxene: guidance on geo- thermobarometry and tectonomagmatic setting of Nabar volcanic rocks, South of Kashan

    OpenAIRE

    Rezvan Mehvari; Moussa Noghreyan; Mortaza Sharifi; Mohammad Ali Mackizadeh; Seyed Hassan Tabatabaei; Ghodrat Torabi

    2017-01-01

    Introduction The Nabar area that is a part of the Urumieh- Dokhtar volcano- plutonic belt is located in the south of Kashan. Research works such as Emami (Emami, 1993) and Abbasi (Abbasi, 2012) have been done about the geology of this area. Rock units in the study area contain middle- upper Eocene intermediate to acidic lavas and pyroclastic rocks, green marl, shale and sandy marls of Oligo- Miocene, limestones of Qom formation, intrusive granitoids with Oligo- Miocene age and quaternar...

  16. Sediments and fossiliferous rocks from the eastern side of the Tongue of the Ocean, Bahamas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gibson, T.G.; Schlee, J.

    1967-01-01

    In August 1966, two dives were made with the deep-diving submersible Alvin along the eastern side of the Tongue of the Ocean to sample the rock and sediment. Physiographically, the area is marked by steep slopes of silty carbonate sediment and precipitous rock cliffs dusted by carbonate debris. Three rocks, obtained from the lower and middle side of the canyon (914-1676 m depth), are late Miocene-early Pliocene to late Pleistocene-Recent in age; all are deep-water pelagic limestones. They show (i) that the Tongue of the Ocean has been a deep-water area at least back into the Miocene, and (ii) that much shallow-water detritus has been swept off neighbouring banks to be incorporated with the deep-water fauna in the sediment. ?? 1967 Pergamon Press Ltd.

  17. Field studies on two rock phosphate solubilizing actinomycete isolates as biofertilizer sources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mba, Caroline C.

    1994-03-01

    Recently biotechnology is focusing attention on utilization of biological resources to solve a number of environmental problems such as soil fertility management. Results of microbial studies on earthworm compost in the University of Nigeria farm identified a number of rock phosphate solubilizing actinomycetes. Two of these, isclates 02 and 13, were found to be efficient rock phosphate (RP) solubilizers and fast-growing cellulolytic microbes producing extracellular hydrolase enzymes. In this preliminary field study the two microbial isolates were investigated with respect to their effects on the growth of soybean and egusi as well as their effect on the incidence of toxicity of poultry droppings. Application of these isolates in poultry manure-treated field plots, as microbial fertilizers, brought about yield increases of 43% and 17% with soybeans and 19% and 33% with egusi, respectively. Soil properties were also improved. With isolates 02 and 13, the soil available phosphorus increased at the five-leaf stage, while N-fixation in the soil increased by 45% or 11% relative to control. It was further observed that air-dried poultry manure after four days of incubation was still toxic to soybean. The toxic effect of the applied poultry manure was reduced or eliminated with microbial fertilizers 02 or 13, respectively. The beneficial effects of the microbial organic fertilizer are discussed. Justification for more intensive research on rock phosphate organic fertilizer is highlighted.

  18. Development of soda-lime glasses from ornamental rock wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Babisk, Michelle Pereira

    2009-01-01

    During the ornamental rocks production, among other steps, one saw the rock blocks in order to transform them into semi-finished plates. In this step, expressive amounts of residues are generated, which are not properly discharged in nature, without any programmed utilization. The residues of silicide rocks present, in their compositions, oxides which are raw materials employed to fabricate soda-lime type glasses (containing SiO_2, Al_2O_3, CaO, Na_2O and K_2O). On the other hand the residues of carbonatic rocks are constituted of glass net modifier oxides, like CaO and MgO. In this work it was developed four types of soda-lime glasses using ornamental rock residues, where the glasses compositions were adjusted by adding sand, as silica source, as well as sodium and calcium carbonates as sources of Na_2O and CaO, respectively. The obtained glasses were characterized by means of Archimed's method for densities measurements, microstructure by using optical and electronic microscopy, phases by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), hardness by Vickers indentation, spectroscopy (UV/VIS), and hydrolytic resistance according to ISO 719. The XRD analyses confirmed the compositions total vitrification, where the greened aspect of the samples was due to the presence of the iron oxides. The produced glasses properties were compared with those of commercial glasses aiming their industrial employment. The main difference between the produced glasses and those commercials varied primarily regarding the amount of carbonates incorporated. The results showed that the ornamental rocks residues may be used as raw materials for glasses fabrication, and they found a useful economic destination rather than discharge which promotes undesirable environmental impact. (author)

  19. Estimating the Wet-Rock P-Wave Velocity from the Dry-Rock P-Wave Velocity for Pyroclastic Rocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kahraman, Sair; Fener, Mustafa; Kilic, Cumhur Ozcan

    2017-07-01

    Seismic methods are widely used for the geotechnical investigations in volcanic areas or for the determination of the engineering properties of pyroclastic rocks in laboratory. Therefore, developing a relation between the wet- and dry-rock P-wave velocities will be helpful for engineers when evaluating the formation characteristics of pyroclastic rocks. To investigate the predictability of the wet-rock P-wave velocity from the dry-rock P-wave velocity for pyroclastic rocks P-wave velocity measurements were conducted on 27 different pyroclastic rocks. In addition, dry-rock S-wave velocity measurements were conducted. The test results were modeled using Gassmann's and Wood's theories and it was seen that estimates for saturated P-wave velocity from the theories fit well measured data. For samples having values of less and greater than 20%, practical equations were derived for reliably estimating wet-rock P-wave velocity as function of dry-rock P-wave velocity.

  20. Permian arc evolution associated with Panthalassa subduction along the eastern margin of the South China block, based on sandstone provenance and U-Pb detrital zircon ages of the Kurosegawa belt, Southwest Japan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hara, Hidetoshi; Hirano, Miho; Kurihara, Toshiyuki; Takahashi, Toshiro; Ueda, Hayato

    2018-01-01

    We have studied the petrography, geochemistry, and detrital zircon U-Pb ages of sandstones from shallow-marine forearc sediments, accretionary complexes (ACs), and metamorphosed accretionary complexes (Meta-ACs) within the Kurosegawa belt of Southwest Japan. Those rocks formed in a forearc region of a Permian island arc associated with subduction of the Panthalassa oceanic crust along the eastern margin of the South China block (Yangtze block). The provenance of the shallow-marine sediments was dominated by basaltic to andesitic volcanic rocks and minor granitic rocks during the late Middle to Late Permian. The ACs were derived from felsic to andesitic volcanic rocks during the Late Permian. The provenance of Meta-ACs was dominated by andesitic volcanic rocks in the Middle Permian. The provenance, source rock compositions, and zircon age distribution for the forearc sediments, ACs and Meta-ACs have allowed us to reconstruct the geological history of the Permian arc system of the Kurosegawa belt. During the Middle Permian, the ACs were accreted along the eastern margin of the South China block. The Middle Permian arc was an immature oceanic island arc consisting of andesitic volcanic rocks. During the Late Permian, the ACs formed in a mature arc, producing voluminous felsic to andesitic volcanic rocks. A forearc basin developed during the late Middle to Late Permian. Subsequently, the Middle Permian ACs and part of the Late Permian AC underwent low-grade metamorphism in the Late to Early Jurassic, presenting the Meta-ACs.

  1. Long-range, wide-field swept-source optical coherence tomography with GPU accelerated digital lock-in Doppler vibrography for real-time, in vivo middle ear diagnostics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacDougall, Dan; Farrell, Joshua; Brown, Jeremy; Bance, Manohar; Adamson, Robert

    2016-11-01

    We present the design, implementation and validation of a swept-source optical coherence tomography (OCT) system for real-time imaging of the human middle ear in live patients. Our system consists of a highly phase-stable Vernier-tuned distributed Bragg-reflector laser along with a real-time processing engine implemented on a graphics processing unit. We use the system to demonstrate, for the first time in live subjects, real-time Doppler measurements of middle ear vibration in response to sound, video rate 2D B-mode imaging of the middle ear and 3D volumetric B-mode imaging. All measurements were performed non-invasively through the intact tympanic membrane demonstrating that the technology is readily translatable to the clinic.

  2. Petrology of lunar rocks and implication to lunar evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ridley, W. I.

    1976-01-01

    Recent advances in lunar petrology, based on studies of lunar rock samples available through the Apollo program, are reviewed. Samples of bedrock from both maria and terra have been collected where micrometeorite impact penetrated the regolith and brought bedrock to the surface, but no in situ cores have been taken. Lunar petrogenesis and lunar thermal history supported by studies of the rock sample are discussed and a tentative evolutionary scenario is constructed. Mare basalts, terra assemblages of breccias, soils, rocks, and regolith are subjected to elemental analysis, mineralogical analysis, trace content analysis, with studies of texture, ages and isotopic composition. Probable sources of mare basalts are indicated.

  3. 'Escher' Rock

    Science.gov (United States)

    2004-01-01

    [figure removed for brevity, see original site] Chemical Changes in 'Endurance' Rocks [figure removed for brevity, see original site] Figure 1 This false-color image taken by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows a rock dubbed 'Escher' on the southwestern slopes of 'Endurance Crater.' Scientists believe the rock's fractures, which divide the surface into polygons, may have been formed by one of several processes. They may have been caused by the impact that created Endurance Crater, or they might have arisen when water leftover from the rock's formation dried up. A third possibility is that much later, after the rock was formed, and after the crater was created, the rock became wet once again, then dried up and developed cracks. Opportunity has spent the last 14 sols investigating Escher, specifically the target dubbed 'Kirchner,' and other similar rocks with its scientific instruments. This image was taken on sol 208 (Aug. 24, 2004) by the rover's panoramic camera, using the 750-, 530- and 430-nanometer filters. The graph above shows that rocks located deeper into 'Endurance Crater' are chemically altered to a greater degree than rocks located higher up. This chemical alteration is believed to result from exposure to water. Specifically, the graph compares ratios of chemicals between the deep rock dubbed 'Escher,' and the more shallow rock called 'Virginia,' before (red and blue lines) and after (green line) the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity drilled into the rocks. As the red and blue lines indicate, Escher's levels of chlorine relative to Virginia's went up, and sulfur down, before the rover dug a hole into the rocks. This implies that the surface of Escher has been chemically altered to a greater extent than the surface of Virginia. Scientists are still investigating the role water played in influencing this trend. These data were taken by the rover's alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.

  4. Still Bay Point-Production Strategies at Hollow Rock Shelter and Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter and Knowledge-Transfer Systems in Southern Africa at about 80-70 Thousand Years Ago

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lombard, Marlize

    2016-01-01

    It has been suggested that technological variations associated with Still Bay assemblages of southern Africa have not been addressed adequately. Here we present a study developed to explore regional and temporal variations in Still Bay point-production strategies. We applied our approach in a regional context to compare the Still Bay point assemblages from Hollow Rock Shelter (Western Cape) and Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter (KwaZulu-Natal). Our interpretation of the point-production strategies implies inter-regional point-production conventions, but also highlights variability and intra-regional knapping strategies used for the production of Still Bay points. These strategies probably reflect flexibility in the organisation of knowledge-transfer systems at work during the later stages of the Middle Stone Age between about 80 ka and 70 ka in South Africa. PMID:27942012

  5. Geochemical constraints on the petrogenesis of the pyroclastic rocks in Abakaliki basin (Lower Benue Rift), Southeastern Nigeria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chukwu, Anthony; Obiora, Smart C.

    2018-05-01

    The pyroclastic rocks in the Cretaceous Abakaliki basin occur mostly as oval-shaped bodies, consisting of lithic/lava and vitric fragments. They are commonly characterized by parallel and cross laminations, as well contain xenoliths of shale, mudstone and siltstones from the older Asu River Group of Albian age. The rocks are basic to ultrabasic in composition, comprising altered alkali basalts, altered tuffs, minor lapillistones and agglomerates. The mineral compositions are characterized mainly by laths of calcic plagioclase, pyroxene (altered), altered olivines and opaques. Calcite, zeolite and quartz represent the secondary mineral constituents. Geochemically, two groups of volcaniclastic rocks, are distinguished: alkaline and tholeiitic rocks, both represented by fresh and altered rock samples. The older alkali basalts occur within the core of the Abakaliki anticlinorium while the younger tholeiites occur towards the periphery. Though most of the rocks are moderate to highly altered [Loss on ignition (LOI, 3.43-22.07 wt. %)], the use of immobile trace element such as Nb, Zr, Y, Hf, Ti, Ta and REEs reflect asthenospheric mantle source compositions. The rocks are enriched in incompatible elements and REEs (∑REE = 87.98-281.0 ppm for alkaline and 69.45-287.99 ppm for tholeiites). The ratios of La/Ybn are higher in the alkaline rocks ranging from 7.69 to 31.55 compared to the tholeiitic rocks which range from 4.4 to 16.89 and indicating the presence of garnet-bearing lherzolite in the source mantle. The spidergrams and REEs patterns along with Zr/Nb, Ba/Nb, Rb/Nb ratios suggest that the rocks were generated by a mantle plume from partial melting of mixed enriched mantle sources (HIMU, EMI and EMII) similar to the rocks of the south Atlantic Ocean such as St. Helena (alkaline rocks) and Ascension rocks (tholeiitic rocks). The rocks were formed in a within-plate setting of the intra-continental rift type similar to other igneous rocks in the Benue Rift and are not

  6. Sr-Nd isotope systematics of xenoliths in Cenozoic volcanic rocks from SW Japan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kagami, Hiroo; Iwata, Masatoshi; Iizumi, Shigeru; Nureki, Terukazu.

    1993-01-01

    Based on new and previously published Sr and Nd isotope data, we examined the petrogenetic relationship between deep crust- and upper mantle-derived xenoliths contained in Cenozoic volcanic rocks and Cretaceous-Paleogene granitoid rocks in SW Japan. The deep crust- and upper mantle-derived mafic to ultramafic xenoliths contained in Cenozoic volcanic rocks from SW Japan have comparable initial Sr and Nd isotope ratios to the Cretaceous-Paleogene granitoid rocks in their respective districts. This may suggest that these xenoliths were genetically related to the Cretaceous-Paleogene granitoid rocks in SW Japan, and that regional variations in Sr and Nd isotope ratios observed in the granitoid rocks are attributed to differences in the geochemistry of the magma sources. (author)

  7. Correlation of basement rocks from Waka Nui-1 and Awhitu-1, and the Jurassic regional geology of Zealandia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mortimer, N.; Raine, J.I.; Cook, R.A.

    2009-01-01

    Core and cuttings of sandstone and mudstone from Waka Nui-1, an offshore oil exploration well west of Northland, and from Awhitu-1, a water bore in western Auckland, add to the growing number of samples retrieved from otherwise inaccessible basement of the Zealandia continent. On the basis of pollen and spores, the sedimentary rocks at the bottom of Waka Nui-1 are dated as Early-Middle Jurassic, and rocks from Awhitu-1 are Late Jurassic. On the basis of age, sandstone petrology, and geographic position, a correlation of rocks in both wells with Murihiku Terrane is probable. In New Zealand, Jurassic sedimentary rocks have usually been interpreted in a tectonostratigraphic terrane context. An alternative way to look at the New Zealand Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous sedimentary rocks is as potentially interconnected forearc, intra-arc, back-arc, and intracontinental basins that evolved adjacent to an active margin. (author). 47 refs., 6 figs., 3 tabs

  8. The December 2008 Crammont rock avalanche, Mont Blanc massif area, Italy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Deline

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available We describe a 0.5 Mm3 rock avalanche that occurred in 2008 in the western Alps and discuss possible roles of controlling factors in the context of current climate change. The source is located between 2410 m and 2653 m a.s.l. on Mont Crammont and is controlled by a densely fractured rock structure. The main part of the collapsed rock mass deposited at the foot of the rock wall. A smaller part travelled much farther, reaching horizontal and vertical travel distances of 3050 m and 1560 m, respectively. The mobility of the rock mass was enhanced by channelization and snow. The rock-avalanche volume was calculated by comparison of pre- and post-event DTMs, and geomechanical characterization of the detachment zone was extracted from LiDAR point cloud processing. Back analysis of the rock-avalanche runout suggests a two stage event.

    There was no previous rock avalanche activity from the Mont Crammont ridge during the Holocene. The 2008 rock avalanche may have resulted from permafrost degradation in the steep rock wall, as suggested by seepage water in the scar after the collapse in spite of negative air temperatures, and modelling of rock temperatures that indicate warm permafrost (T > −2 °C.

  9. The Eocene Rusayl Formation, Oman, carbonaceous rocks in calcareous shelf sediments: Environment of deposition, alteration and hydrocarbon potential

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dill, H.G.; Wehner, H.; Kus, J. [Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, P.O. Box 510163, D-30631 Hannover (Germany); Botz, R. [University Kiel, Geological-Paleontological Department, Olshausenstrasse 40-60, D-24118 Kiel (Germany); Berner, Z.; Stueben, D. [Technical University Karlsruhe, Institute for Mineralogy and Geochemistry, Fritz-Haber-Weg 2, D-76131 Karlsruhe (Germany); Al-Sayigh, A. [Sultan Qaboos University, Geological Dept. PO Box 36, Al-Khod (Oman)

    2007-10-01

    incursions make up a greater deal of the sedimentary record than mangrove swamps. Terra rossa paleosols mark the end of accumulation of organic material (OM) and herald supratidal conditions at the passage of Rusayl Formation into the overlying Seeb Formation. In the subtidal-supratidal cycles of lithofacies unit VIII the terra rossa horizons are thining upwards and become gradually substituted for by deep-water middle ramp sediments of lithofacies unit IX. Framboidal pyrite, (ferroan) dolomite with very little siderite are indicative of an early diagenetic alteration stage I under rather moderate temperatures of formation. During a subsequent stage II, an increase in the temperature of alteration was partly induced by burial and a high heat flow from the underlying Semail Ophiolite. Type-III kerogen originating from higher plants and, in addition, some marine biota gave rise to the generation of small amounts of soluble organic matter during this stage of diagenesis. The average reflectance of humic particles marks the beginning of the oil window and the production index reveals the existence of free hydrocarbons. Further uplift of the Eocene strata and oxidation during stage IIII caused veins of satin spar to form from organic sulfur and pyrite in the carbonaceous material. Lowering of the pH value of the pore fluid led to the precipitation of jarosite and a set of hydrated aluminum sulfates dependant upon the cations present in the wall rocks. AMD minerals (= acid mine drainage) are not very widespread in this carbonaceous series intercalated among calcareous rocks owing to the buffering effect of carbonate minerals. These carbonate-hosted carbonaceous rocks are below an economic level as far as the mining of coal is concerned, but deserves particular attention as source rocks for hydrocarbons in the Middle East, provided a higher stage of maturity is reached. (author)

  10. Middle Level Preservice Teachers Experience a Natural History Arts-Integrated Interdisciplinary Thematic Unit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber, Carolyn A.; Rule, Audrey C.

    2017-01-01

    Curricular demands and best practices for middle school require interdisciplinary units. Arts integration can provide motivation and a new pathway to learning. This unit focused on inquiry into the natural history of artifacts and rocks recovered from the exposed subsoil of an area near Cedar Falls, Iowa that had been bulldozed as part of…

  11. Cenozoic alkaline volcanic rocks with carbonatite affinity in the Bohemian Massif: Their sources and magma generation

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Ulrych, Jaromír; Štěpánková-Svobodová, Jana

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 46, 1/2 (2014), s. 45-58 ISSN 0369-2086 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA300130902 Institutional support: RVO:67985831 Keywords : alkaline volcanic rocks * melilitic rocks * carbonatites * magma generation * metasomatism * Cenozoic * Bohemian Massif Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy

  12. Middle east gas: supply source of Europe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vivies, P. de

    1995-01-01

    The evolution of gas demand, the decreasing of reserves leads to the question of European future needs satisfaction. The european market can call on the russian production or middle east production. Iran has the most important reserves but the needs of the population can limit the gas supply. Yemen and Oman which have less important reserves but also less important needs to satisfy can be a serious alternative; Abu dhabi reserves are destined to asia market. The qatar has the most important gas offshore field in the world. The LNG (liquefied natural gas) seems to have a better position than gas pipeline to dispatch gas towards Europe

  13. Metasomatized mantle as the source of Mid-Miocene-Quaternary volcanism in NW-Iranian Azerbaijan: Geochronological and geochemical evidence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lechmann, Anna; Burg, Jean-Pierre; Ulmer, Peter; Guillong, Marcel; Faridi, Mohammad

    2018-04-01

    Middle Miocene to Quaternary volcanic rocks cover large areas of the Azerbaijan Province in NW Iran. This study reports two separate age clusters out of 23 new LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon ages: (1) Middle Miocene (16.2-10.6 Ma) and (2) Latest Miocene-Late Pleistocene (5.5-0.4 Ma). Major and trace element bulk rock geochemistry and initial Sr, Nd, Pb radiogenic isotope data on the dated rocks provide new constraints on the Mid-Miocene to Quaternary volcanism in this region. The analyses are distributed over a large compositional range from low-K to high-K calc-alkaline andesites and dacites/rhyolites to more alkaline trachybasalts and dacites with shoshonitic affinities. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns are steep with significant enrichment in LREE and low abundances of HREE indicating a garnet control. Plots of primitive mantle-normalized trace elements show negative Ti and Nb-Ta anomalies indicative of an arc signature. The wide compositional range and the ubiquitous presence of an arc signature reveal that the source mantle is heterogeneous and metasomatically altered. Sr, Nd and Pb radiogenic isotope data further point towards an enriched mantle source and/or crustal contamination. Crustal contamination is best recognized by inherited zircon cores, which yield Late Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian ages typical for the Iranian basement. The occurrence of adakite-like compositions with elevated magnesium numbers, Cr and Ni concentrations argue against a fractionation-driven process but point to a subcrustal origin. Overall, the analyzed lavas show no spatial and temporal relation to a potential subduction zone, confirming the dated volcanics to be post-collisional and not related to singular processes such as slab retreat or delamination of a continuous lower crustal sliver. We propose three hypotheses to explain the reported disparity in distribution, age and composition and favour small-scale sublithospheric convection or incorporation of crustal material into the

  14. Numerical Simulation of Blast Vibration and Crack Forming Effect of Rock-Anchored Beam Excavation in Deep Underground Caverns

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    XinPing Li

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Aiming at surrounding rock damage induced by dynamic disturbance from blasting excavation of rock-anchored beam in rock mass at moderate or far distance in underground cavern, numerical model of different linear charging density and crustal stress in underground cavern is established by adopting dynamic finite element software based on borehole layout, charging, and rock parameter of the actual situation of a certain hydropower station. Through comparison in vibration velocity, contour surface of rock mass excavation, and the crushing extent of excavated rock mass between calculation result and field monitoring, optimum linear charging density of blast hole is determined. Studies are also conducted on rock mass vibration in moderate or far distance to blasting source, the damage of surrounding rock in near-field to blasting source, and crushing degree of excavated rock mass under various in situ stress conditions. Results indicate that, within certain range of in situ stress, the blasting vibration is independent of in situ stress, while when in situ stress is increasing above certain value, the blasting vibration velocity will be increasing and the damage of surrounding rock and the crushing degree of excavated rock mass will be decreasing.

  15. Rock fragmentation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brown, W.S.; Green, S.J.; Hakala, W.W.; Hustrulid, W.A.; Maurer, W.C. (eds.)

    1976-01-01

    Experts in rock mechanics, mining, excavation, drilling, tunneling and use of underground space met to discuss the relative merits of a wide variety of rock fragmentation schemes. Information is presented on novel rock fracturing techniques; tunneling using electron beams, thermocorer, electric spark drills, water jets, and diamond drills; and rock fracturing research needs for mining and underground construction. (LCL)

  16. Geophysical monitoring as an information source of rock massif behaviour

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pavel Bláha

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Geophysical measurements are an integral part of engineering-geological investigation where theypresent a wide range of useful information about the tested geological medium and about its geotechnicalqualities. Lately, repeated geophysical measurements in different time intervals have been used to judgethe changes occurring in the rock massif. These measurements bear the characteristics of total monitoring.This total monitoring contains series of repeated measurements and further an integrated spectrum of linkedactivities including evaluation, comparison with the warning state and making a decision about takingprecautions. From the range of geophysical methods and methodologies used for monitoring in full sensewe may mention, for example, continuous seismoacoustic measurements in mining constructions; (whichmay result even in recalling of the personnel, and further, also seismic measurements in the surroundingsof atomic power stations and measurements considering the protection against radioactive elements and their decay components.As a full monitoring we may also classify measurements in dumping sites with the aid of repeated geoelectrical measurements in the system of fixed electrodes under impermeable foils.These measurements are mostly carried out from time to time followed by taking immediate action when the foil is found damaged. In practice the term monitoring is used, although not very correctly, for all periodically repeated measurements, which do not result in taking action or interference, but supply a wide range of information about the rock massif behavior in time.

  17. The origin, source and cycling of methane in deep crystalline rock biosphere

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Riikka eKietäväinen

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The emerging interest in using stable bedrock formations for industrial purposes, e.g. nuclear waste disposal, has increased the need for understanding microbiological and geochemical processes in deep crystalline rock environments, including the carbon cycle. Considering the origin and evolution of life on Earth, these environments may also serve as windows to the past. Various geological, chemical and biological processes can influence the deep carbon cycle. Conditions of CH4 formation, available substrates and time scales can be drastically different from surface environments. This paper reviews the origin, source and cycling of methane in deep terrestrial crystalline bedrock with an emphasis on microbiology. In addition to potential formation pathways of CH4, microbial consumption of CH4 is also discussed. Recent studies on the origin of CH4 in continental bedrock environments have shown that the traditional separation of biotic and abiotic CH4 by the isotopic composition can be misleading in substrate-limited environments, such as the deep crystalline bedrock. Despite of similarities between Precambrian continental sites in Fennoscandia, South Africa and North America, where deep methane cycling has been studied, common physicochemical properties which could explain the variation in the amount of CH4 and presence or absence of CH4 cycling microbes were not found. However, based on their preferred carbon metabolism, methanogenic microbes appeared to have similar spatial distribution among the different sites.

  18. The origin, source, and cycling of methane in deep crystalline rock biosphere.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kietäväinen, Riikka; Purkamo, Lotta

    2015-01-01

    The emerging interest in using stable bedrock formations for industrial purposes, e.g., nuclear waste disposal, has increased the need for understanding microbiological and geochemical processes in deep crystalline rock environments, including the carbon cycle. Considering the origin and evolution of life on Earth, these environments may also serve as windows to the past. Various geological, chemical, and biological processes can influence the deep carbon cycle. Conditions of CH4 formation, available substrates and time scales can be drastically different from surface environments. This paper reviews the origin, source, and cycling of methane in deep terrestrial crystalline bedrock with an emphasis on microbiology. In addition to potential formation pathways of CH4, microbial consumption of CH4 is also discussed. Recent studies on the origin of CH4 in continental bedrock environments have shown that the traditional separation of biotic and abiotic CH4 by the isotopic composition can be misleading in substrate-limited environments, such as the deep crystalline bedrock. Despite of similarities between Precambrian continental sites in Fennoscandia, South Africa and North America, where deep methane cycling has been studied, common physicochemical properties which could explain the variation in the amount of CH4 and presence or absence of CH4 cycling microbes were not found. However, based on their preferred carbon metabolism, methanogenic microbes appeared to have similar spatial distribution among the different sites.

  19. Oil(Gas) - source rock correlation technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-12-01

    The overview of bio-marker parameters which are applicable to hydrocarbon exploration has been illustrated. Experimental analysis of saturated hydrocarbon and bio-markers of the Pohang E and F core samples has been carried out. Samples were extracted by stirring in dichloromethane at 40-50 degree for 10 hours. The saturated, aromatic and resin fractions of the extract were obtained using thin layer chromatograms. The relative abundance of normal alkane fraction of the samples is low except lowest interval, which is probably due to the biodegradation. The bio-marker assemblage of hopanoids and steranes has been characterized. According to the analysis of saturated hydrocarbons and bio-markers, the sedimentary environment of the Pohang core samples is marine and transitional zone except the terrestrial environment of the lowest samples such as 610.5 m from E core and 667.2 m from F core. The thermal maturity through the studied interval did not reach oil window even though slight increase in thermal maturity with depth, which coincide with Rock Eval pyrolysis data. In order to check the validation of analysis of the bio-markers, same samples were analyzed by the University of Louis Pasteur, France. The distribution and relative peak area of the bio-markers were identical with those by laboratory of KIGAM. For the 2 nd stage of the research, analysis of bio-markers other than hopanoids and steranes should be continued. (author). 29 figs., 7 tabs.

  20. Short wavelength lateral variability of lithospheric mantle beneath the Middle Atlas (Morocco) as recorded by mantle xenoliths

    Science.gov (United States)

    El Messbahi, Hicham; Bodinier, Jean-Louis; Vauchez, Alain; Dautria, Jean-Marie; Ouali, Houssa; Garrido, Carlos J.

    2015-05-01

    The Middle Atlas is a region where xenolith-bearing volcanism roughly coincides with the maximum of lithospheric thinning beneath continental Morocco. It is therefore a key area to study the mechanisms of lithospheric thinning and constrain the component of mantle buoyancy that is required to explain the Moroccan topography. Samples from the two main xenolith localities, the Bou Ibalghatene and Tafraoute maars, have been investigated for their mineralogy, microstructures, crystallographic preferred orientation, and whole-rock and mineral compositions. While Bou Ibalghatene belongs to the main Middle Atlas volcanic field, in the 'tabular' Middle Atlas, Tafraoute is situated about 45 km away, on the North Middle Atlas Fault that separates the 'folded' Middle Atlas, to the South-East, from the 'tabular' Middle Atlas, to the North-West. Both xenolith suites record infiltration of sub-lithospheric melts that are akin to the Middle Atlas volcanism but were differentiated to variable degrees as a result of interactions with lithospheric mantle. However, while the Bou Ibalghatene mantle was densely traversed by high melt fractions, mostly focused in melt conduits, the Tafraoute suite records heterogeneous infiltration of smaller melt fractions that migrated diffusively, by intergranular porous flow. As a consequence the lithospheric mantle beneath Bou Ibalghaten was strongly modified by melt-rock interactions in the Cenozoic whereas the Tafraoute mantle preserves the record of extensional lithospheric thinning, most likely related to Mesozoic rifting. The two xenolith suites illustrate distinct mechanisms of lithospheric thinning: extensional thinning in Tafraoute, where hydrous incongruent melting triggered by decompression probably played a key role in favouring strain localisation, vs. thermal erosion in Bou Ibalghatene, favoured and guided by a dense network of melt conduits. Our results lend support to the suggestion that lithospheric thinning beneath the Atlas

  1. Rock mechanics for hard rock nuclear waste repositories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heuze, F.E.

    1981-09-01

    The mined geologic burial of high level nuclear waste is now the favored option for disposal. The US National Waste Terminal Storage Program designed to achieve this disposal includes an extensive rock mechanics component related to the design of the wastes repositories. The plan currently considers five candidate rock types. This paper deals with the three hard rocks among them: basalt, granite, and tuff. Their behavior is governed by geological discontinuities. Salt and shale, which exhibit behavior closer to that of a continuum, are not considered here. This paper discusses both the generic rock mechanics R and D, which are required for repository design, as well as examples of projects related to hard rock waste storage. The examples include programs in basalt (Hanford/Washington), in granitic rocks (Climax/Nevada Test Site, Idaho Springs/Colorado, Pinawa/Canada, Oracle/Arizona, and Stripa/Sweden), and in tuff

  2. Elastic Rock Heterogeneity Controls Brittle Rock Failure during Hydraulic Fracturing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langenbruch, C.; Shapiro, S. A.

    2014-12-01

    For interpretation and inversion of microseismic data it is important to understand, which properties of the reservoir rock control the occurrence probability of brittle rock failure and associated seismicity during hydraulic stimulation. This is especially important, when inverting for key properties like permeability and fracture conductivity. Although it became accepted that seismic events are triggered by fluid flow and the resulting perturbation of the stress field in the reservoir rock, the magnitude of stress perturbations, capable of triggering failure in rocks, can be highly variable. The controlling physical mechanism of this variability is still under discussion. We compare the occurrence of microseismic events at the Cotton Valley gas field to elastic rock heterogeneity, obtained from measurements along the treatment wells. The heterogeneity is characterized by scale invariant fluctuations of elastic properties. We observe that the elastic heterogeneity of the rock formation controls the occurrence of brittle failure. In particular, we find that the density of events is increasing with the Brittleness Index (BI) of the rock, which is defined as a combination of Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio. We evaluate the physical meaning of the BI. By applying geomechanical investigations we characterize the influence of fluctuating elastic properties in rocks on the probability of brittle rock failure. Our analysis is based on the computation of stress fluctuations caused by elastic heterogeneity of rocks. We find that elastic rock heterogeneity causes stress fluctuations of significant magnitude. Moreover, the stress changes necessary to open and reactivate fractures in rocks are strongly related to fluctuations of elastic moduli. Our analysis gives a physical explanation to the observed relation between elastic heterogeneity of the rock formation and the occurrence of brittle failure during hydraulic reservoir stimulations. A crucial factor for understanding

  3. Rock.XML - Towards a library of rock physics models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jensen, Erling Hugo; Hauge, Ragnar; Ulvmoen, Marit; Johansen, Tor Arne; Drottning, Åsmund

    2016-08-01

    Rock physics modelling provides tools for correlating physical properties of rocks and their constituents to the geophysical observations we measure on a larger scale. Many different theoretical and empirical models exist, to cover the range of different types of rocks. However, upon reviewing these, we see that they are all built around a few main concepts. Based on this observation, we propose a format for digitally storing the specifications for rock physics models which we have named Rock.XML. It does not only contain data about the various constituents, but also the theories and how they are used to combine these building blocks to make a representative model for a particular rock. The format is based on the Extensible Markup Language XML, making it flexible enough to handle complex models as well as scalable towards extending it with new theories and models. This technology has great advantages as far as documenting and exchanging models in an unambiguous way between people and between software. Rock.XML can become a platform for creating a library of rock physics models; making them more accessible to everyone.

  4. O rock desligado de Lóki

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Márcia Carvalho

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an analysis of the documentary Loki: ArnaldoBaptista (2009, direct by Paulo Henrique Fontenelle. This analysis investigates thehistorical research and biographical approach, examining in particular the enhancement oforal memory and musical performances from different sources to put into perspective thehistory of Brazilian rock on movie screens and television.

  5. Modelling of nuclear explosions in hard rock sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brunish, W.M.; App, F.N.

    1993-01-01

    This study represents part of a larger effort to systematically model the effects of differing source region properties on ground motion from underground nuclear explosions at the Nevada Test Site. In previous work by the authors the primary emphasis was on alluvium and both saturated and unsaturated tuff. We have attempted to model events on Pahute Mesa, where either the working point medium, or some of the layers above the working point, or both, are hard rock. The complex layering at these sites, however, has prevented us from drawing unambiguous conclusions about modelling hard rock

  6. Questa baseline and premining ground-water quality investigation. 8. Lake-sediment geochemical record from 1960 to 2002, Eagle Rock and Fawn Lakes, Taos County, New Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Church, S.E.; Fey, D.L.; Marot, M.E.

    2005-01-01

    Geochemical studies of lake sediment from Eagle Rock Lake and upper Fawn Lake were conducted to evaluate the effect of mining at the Molycorp Questa porphyry molybdenum deposit located immediately north of the Red River. Two cores were taken, one from each lake near the outlet where the sediment was thinnest, and they were sampled at 1-cm intervals to provide geochemical data at less than 1-year resolution. Samples from the core intervals were digested and analyzed for 34 elements using ICP-AES (inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry). The activity of 137Cs has been used to establish the beginning of sedimentation in the two lakes. Correlation of the geochemistry of heavy-mineral suites in the cores from both Fawn and Eagle Rock Lakes has been used to develop a sedimentation model to date the intervals sampled. The core from upper Fawn Lake, located upstream of the deposit, provided an annual sedimentary record of the geochemical baseline for material being transported in the Red River, whereas the core from Eagle Rock Lake, located downstream of the deposit, provided an annual record of the effect of mining at the Questa mine on the sediment in the Red River. Abrupt changes in the concentrations of many lithophile and deposit-related metals occur in the middle of the Eagle Rock Lake core, which we correlate with the major flood-of-record recorded at the Questa gage at Eagle Rock Lake in 1979. Sediment from the Red River collected at low flow in 2002 is a poor match for the geochemical data from the sediment core in Eagle Rock Lake. The change in sediment geochemistry in Eagle Rock Lake in the post-1979 interval is dramatic and requires that a new source of sediment be identified that has substantially different geochemistry from that in the pre-1979 core interval. Loss of mill tailings from pipeline breaks are most likely responsible for some of the spikes in trace-element concentrations in the Eagle Rock Lake core. Enrichment of Al2O3, Cu, and Zn

  7. Simulation of HTM processes in buffer-rock barriers based on the French HLW disposal concept

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Xiaoshuo; Roehlig, Klaus-Juergen; Zhang, Chunliang

    2012-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. The main objectives of this paper are to gain experience with modelling and analysis of HTM processes in clay rock and bentonite buffer surrounding heat-generating radioactive waste. The French concept for HLW disposal in drifts with backfilled bentonite buffer considered in numerical calculations which are carried out by using the computer code CODE-BRIGHT developed by the Technical University of Catalonia in Barcelona. The French repository designed by ANDRA is located in the middle of the Callovo-Oxfordian argillaceous formation (COX) of 250 m thickness at a depth of 500 to 630 m below the surface. The French concept has been simplified at this simulation work. A drift is considered to be excavated at a depth of 500 m below the surface. It has a diameter of 2.2 m and a length of 20 m. A large volume of the rock mass around the drift is taken into account by an axisymmetric model of 100 m radius and 100 m length. In fact, this model represents a cylindrical rock-buffer-system with the central axis of the containers, as shown in Figure 1. Some points are selected in the buffer and the rock along the radial line (dash yellow line) in the middle of the drift for recording HTM parameters with time. The display and analysis of the results at this paper are chiefly along this line. The simulation work has been divided to two time steps. At the first step, the drift excavation and ventilation is simulated by reducing the stress normal to the drift wall down to zero and circulating gas along the drift wall with relative humidity of 85 %. Following the drift excavation and ventilation, the HLW containers and the bentonite are emplaced in the drift as the second step of the simulation. This is simulated by simultaneously applying the initial conditions of the buffer and the decayed heat emitting from the waste containers as thermal boundary conditions. Two materials (Clay rock and bentonite buffer) are taken into account

  8. Hydrocarbon potential of Ordovician and Silurian rocks. Siljan Region (Sweden)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Berner, U. [Bundesanstalt fuer Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR), Hannover (Germany); Lehnert, O. [Erlangen-Nuernberg Univ., Erlangen (Germany); Meinhold, G. [Goettingen Univ. (Germany)

    2013-08-01

    Hydrocarbon exploration in the vicinity of Europe's largest impact structure (Siljan, Central Sweden) focused for years on abiogenic concepts and largely neglected state of the art knowledge on hydrocarbon generation via thermal decomposition of organic matter. In our study we use sedimentary rocks obtained from three drill sites (Mora001, Stumsnaes 1 and Solberga 1) within the ring structure around the central uplift to investigate the hydrocarbon potential of Ordovician and Silurian strata of the region and also for comparison with the shale oil and gas potential of age equivalent rocks of the Baltic Sea. Elemental analyses provided information on concentrations of carbonate and organic carbon, total sulfur as well as on the composition of major and minor elements of the sediments. The data has been used to evaluate the depositional environment and possible diagenetic alterations of the organic matter. RockEval pyrolysis and solvent hydrocarbon extraction gave insight into the hydrocarbon generation potential and the type and thermal maturity of the sediments. From the geochemistry data of the studied wells it is obvious that changes of depositional environments (lacustrine - marine) have occurred during Ordovician and Silurian times. Although, the quality of the organic matter has been influenced in marine and brackish environments through sulfate reduction, we observe for a number of marine and lacustrine sediments a good to excellent preservation of the biological precursors which qualify the sediments as hydrocarbon source rocks (Type II kerogens). Lacustrine source rocks show a higher remaining hydrocarbon potential (up to {proportional_to}550 mg HC per g C{sub org}) than those of marine or brackish environments. Our investigations indicate that the thermal maturity of organic matter of the drill sites has reached the initial stage of oil generation. However, at Mora001 some of the sediments were stained with oil indicating that hydrocarbons have

  9. Genomic diversity and evolution of the head crest in the rock pigeon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shapiro, Michael D; Kronenberg, Zev; Li, Cai; Domyan, Eric T; Pan, Hailin; Campbell, Michael; Tan, Hao; Huff, Chad D; Hu, Haofu; Vickrey, Anna I; Nielsen, Sandra C A; Stringham, Sydney A; Hu, Hao; Willerslev, Eske; Gilbert, M Thomas P; Yandell, Mark; Zhang, Guojie; Wang, Jun

    2013-03-01

    The geographic origins of breeds and the genetic basis of variation within the widely distributed and phenotypically diverse domestic rock pigeon (Columba livia) remain largely unknown. We generated a rock pigeon reference genome and additional genome sequences representing domestic and feral populations. We found evidence for the origins of major breed groups in the Middle East and contributions from a racing breed to North American feral populations. We identified the gene EphB2 as a strong candidate for the derived head crest phenotype shared by numerous breeds, an important trait in mate selection in many avian species. We also found evidence that this trait evolved just once and spread throughout the species, and that the crest originates early in development by the localized molecular reversal of feather bud polarity.

  10. Pre-earthquake signals – Part I: Deviatoric stresses turn rocks into a source of electric currents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. T. Freund

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Earthquakes are feared because they often strike so suddenly. Yet, there are innumerable reports of pre-earthquake signals. Widespread disagreement exists in the geoscience community how these signals can be generated in the Earth's crust and whether they are early warning signs, related to the build-up of tectonic stresses before major seismic events. Progress in understanding and eventually using these signals has been slow because the underlying physical process or processes are basically not understood. This has changed with the discovery that, when igneous or high-grade metamorphic rocks are subjected to deviatoric stress, dormant electronic charge carriers are activated: electrons and defect electrons. The activation increases the number density of mobile charge carriers in the rocks and, hence, their electric conductivity. The defect electrons are associated with the oxygen anion sublattice and are known as positive holes or pholes for short. The boundary between stressed and unstressed rock acts a potential barrier that lets pholes pass but blocks electrons. Therefore, like electrons and ions in an electrochemical battery, the stress-activated electrons and pholes in the "rock battery" have to flow out in different directions. When the circuit is closed, the battery currents can flow. The discovery of such stress-activated currents in crustal rocks has far-reaching implications for understanding pre-earthquake signals.

  11. Sedimentary environments and hydrocarbon potential of cretaceous rocks of indus basin, Pakistan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sheikh, S.A.; Naseem, S.

    1999-01-01

    Cretaceous rocks of Indus Basin of Pakistan are dominated by clastics with subordinate limestone towards the top. These rocks represent shelf facies and were deposited in deltaic to reducing marine conditions at variable depths. Indications of a silled basin with restricted circulation are also present. Cretaceous fine clastics/carbonates have good source and reservoir qualities. Variable geothermal gradients in different parts of basin have placed these rocks at different maturity levels; i.e. from oil to condensate and to gas. The potential of these rocks has been proved by several oil and gas discoveries particularly in the Central and Southern provinces of Indus Basin. (author)

  12. Rock burst governance of working face under igneous rock

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Zhenxing; Yu, Yue

    2017-01-01

    As a typical failure phenomenon, rock burst occurs in many mines. It can not only cause the working face to cease production, but also cause serious damage to production equipment, and even result in casualties. To explore how to govern rock burst of working face under igneous rock, the 10416 working face in some mine is taken as engineering background. The supports damaged extensively and rock burst took place when the working face advanced. This paper establishes the mechanical model and conducts theoretical analysis and calculation to predict the fracture and migration mechanism and energy release of the thick hard igneous rock above the working face, and to obtain the advancing distance of the working face when the igneous rock fractures and critical value of the energy when rock burst occurs. Based on the specific conditions of the mine, this paper put forward three kinds of governance measures, which are borehole pressure relief, coal seam water injection and blasting pressure relief.

  13. Determination of radioactivity in Chinese phosphate rock and fertilizer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Jingjian; Zhu Yongyi; Yang Juncheng

    1993-01-01

    The presented paper reported the radioactivity of U-238, Ra-226, Th-232 and K-40 in Chinese phosphate rocks by gamma spectrographic analysis during 1985-1990. The results showed that the decay chain of U-238-Ra-226 was the main source of radionuclides in phosphate rocks. The radionuclides in phosphate fertilizer differed from the forms of phosphate fertilizer. U-238 was the most important radionuclide in phosphoric compound fertilizer. The transfer rate of radionuclides was also estimated. (2 figs., 1 tab.)

  14. Water-rock-tailings interactions and sources of sulfur and metals in the subtropical mining region of Taxco, Guerrero (southern Mexico): A multi-isotopic approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Talavera Mendoza, Oscar; Ruiz, Joaquin; Díaz Villaseñor, Elvia; Ramírez Guzmán, Alejandro; Cortés, Alejandra; Salgado Souto, Sergio Adrián; Dótor Almazán, Azucena; Rivera Bustos, Reymundo

    2016-01-01

    Multi-isotope (H, O, S, Sr, Pb) systems coupled with conventional (major and trace element) hydrogeochemical analysis were applied to determine the origin of water, to model water-rock-tailings interactions and for source apportionment of sulfur and associated toxic metals in the mining region of Taxco, Guerrero in southern Mexico. Oxygen and H isotopes indicate that meteoric water in the zone is rainwater undergoing varying degrees of isotopic fractionation by atmospheric evaporation whereas Sr isotopes trace the interaction of pristine water from volcanics of the regional recharge zone and subsequently flowing through sandstone and shale to spring points. Leachates form from two distinctive sources (spring water and surface water) having differential interactions with bedrocks prior to entering the tailings. Compared to pristine water, leachates are enriched in sulfate, metals (e.g. Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn) and metalloids (e.g. As). The sulfur isotopic composition of ore-sulfides, leachates, secondary precipitates, regional surface water and hypogenic sulfates is described in terms of a two-component mixing model with shale of Mexcala and limestone of Morelos formations representing the light and heavy end-members, respectively, whereas Sr isotopic composition is bracketed combining three lithogenic (Mexcala/Morelos, Tilzapotla and Taxco Schist) sources. Finally, leachates have a mixture of lead from ore-sulfides and Taxco Schist Formation (Family I) or from ore-sulfides alone (Family II). The application of multiple environmental isotopic techniques is an outstanding tool for elucidating complex interactions of water with bedrocks and tailings and for determining the source of sulfur and toxic metal from mining and other metal polluted environments. - Highlights: • We applied multi-isotope techniques to model water-bedrocks-tailings interaction. • Spring water records fractionation by evaporation and interaction with local rocks. • The sulfur cycle is modeled in

  15. The Australian national reactive phosphate rock project - Aims, experimental approach, and site characteristics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McLaughlin, M.J.

    2002-01-01

    Field-based cutting trials were established across Australia in a range of environments to evaluate the agronomic effectiveness of 5 phosphate rocks, and 1 partially acidulated phosphate rock, relative to either single super-phosphate or triple superphosphate. The phosphate rocks differed in reactivity, as determined by the degree of carbonate substitution for phosphate in the apatite structure and solubility of phosphorus present in the fertilizers in 2% formic acid, 2% citric acid and neutral ammonium citrate. Sechura (Bayovar) and North Carolina phosphate rocks were highly reactive (>70% solubility in 2% formic acid), whilst Khouribja (Moroccan) and Hamrawein (Egypt) phosphate rock were moderately reactive. Duchess phosphate rock from Queensland was relatively unreactive ( 2 , from 4.0 to 5.1, and Colwell extractable phosphorus ranged from 3 to 47 μg/g prior to fertilizer application. Two core experiments were established at each site. The first measured the effects of phosphate rock reactivity on agronomic effectiveness, while the second core experiment measured the effects of the degree of water solubility of the phosphorus source on agronomic effectiveness. The National Reactive Phosphate Rock Project trials provided the opportunity to confirm the suitability of accepted procedures to model fertilizer response and to develop new approaches for comparing different fertilizer responses. The Project also provided the framework for subsidiary studies such as the effect of fertilizer source on soil phosphorus extractability; cadmium and fluorine concentrations in herbage; evaluation of soil phosphorus tests; and the influence of particle size on phosphate rock effectiveness. The National Reactive Phosphate Rock Project presents a valuable model for a large, Australia-wide, collaborative team approach to an important agricultural issue. The use of standard and consistent experimental methodologies at every site ensured that maximum benefit was obtained from data

  16. A new archosauriform (Reptilia: Diapsida) from the Manda beds (Middle Triassic) of southwestern Tanzania.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nesbitt, Sterling J; Butler, Richard J; Gower, David J

    2013-01-01

    Archosauria and their closest relatives, the non-archosaurian archosauriforms, diversified in the Early and Middle Triassic, soon after the end-Permian extinction. This diversification is poorly documented in most Lower and Middle Triassic rock sequences because fossils of early groups of archosauriforms are relatively rare compared to those of other amniotes. The early Middle Triassic (? late Anisian) Manda beds of southwestern Tanzania form an exception, with early archosaur skeletons being relatively common and preserved as articulated or associated specimens. The Manda archosaur assemblage is exceptionally diverse for the Middle Triassic. However, to date, no non-archosaurian archosauriforms have been reported from these rocks. Here, we name a new taxon, Asperoris mnyama gen. et sp. nov., from the Manda beds and thoroughly describe the only known specimen. The specimen consists of a well-preserved partial skull including tooth-bearing elements (premaxilla, maxilla), the nasal, partial skull roof, and several incomplete elements. All skull elements are covered in an autapomorphic highly rugose sculpturing. A unique combination of character states indicates that A. mnyama lies just outside Archosauria as a stem archosaur within Archosauriformes, but more precise relationships of A. mnyama relative to other early archosauriform clades (e.g., Erythrosuchidae) cannot be determined currently. Asperoris mnyama is the first confirmed non-archosaurian archosauriform from the Manda beds and increases the morphological and taxonomic diversity of early archosauriforms known from the Middle Triassic. The direct association of A. mnyama with species referable to Archosauria demonstrates that non-archosaurian archosauriforms were present during the rise and early diversification of Archosauria. Non-archosaurian archosauriforms and archosaurs co-occur in fossil reptile assemblages across Pangaea from the late Early Triassic to the end of the Late Triassic.

  17. A computer-assisted rock type data catalogue for gas formations; Ein rechnergestuetzter Gesteinsdatenkatalog fuer Gasformationen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reitenbach, V.; Pusch, G.; Moeller, M.; Koll, S. [TU Clausthal (Germany). Inst. fuer Erdoel- und Erdgastechnik; Constantini, A.; Junker, A.; Anton, H. [RWE Dea AG, Hamburg (Germany)

    2007-09-13

    Modern reservoir management commonly requires versatile reservoir data which are neces-sary for integrated reservoir characterization, evaluation and development planning. The rock data necessary for numerical reservoir simulation studies often have to be collected from different sources, analysed and sorted with a considerable effort. In a framework of DGMK research program (DGMK project 593-9/4), the Institute of Petro-leum Engineering (Clausthal University of Technology) and RWE DEA AG have developed a new tool named Rock Data Catalogue, which is capable of managing large amounts of rock data more efficiently and deriving new specific correlations for European rock types. The use of Rock Data Catalogue can facilitate the essential input data generation and proc-essing procedure for reservoir simulation studies. The Rock Data Catalogue is comprised of a Data Base Module of digitalized reservoir rock data and an interactive Data Correlation Module. Both modules are built-up as an interface to common reservoir simulation software. The universal structure of the software also makes it possible to exchange the data with other rock data information systems. The Data Correlation Module implements a ''Decision-Structure'' module, which helps the reservoir engineer to select the rock data for analysis and correlation depending on its litho-facial type and permeability class. The Data Base Module enables a quick search of appro-priated data sets and their export into the correlation module. The open source data of the North German Rotliegend gas formations as well as the data of measurements on Rotliegend core samples performed at the ITE in course of the DGMK tight gas projects were implemented in the rock data base. Correlations of poro/perm data, two-phase flow and capillary pressure functions of the Rotliegend sandstones with the per-meability range between 20 and 0.01 mD are implemented in the rock data base and serve for quality checking of the

  18. K-Ar ages of rocks from Lago Alumine, Rucachoroi and Quillen, North Patagonian Andes, Neuquen, Republica Argentina

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Latorre, Carlos O.; Vattuone, M.E; Linares, Enrique; Leal, Pablo R

    2001-01-01

    This study presents new K-Ar ages of granitic rocks from the Patagonian Batholit in the North Patagonian Andes (38 o 00'- 39 o 30' SL), from localities near Alumine lake and from Norquinco lake to Quillen valley, in the Neuquen Province, Argentine. The granitic rocks of Patagonia had been recognized as Upper Paleozoic to Middle Jurassic batholits and as Late Jurassic to Tertiary batholiths (Rapela and Pankhurst, 1992). Geochronologically, Rapela and Kay (1988) had distinguished Early Cretaceous (140 to 120 Ma) and Late Cretaceous (110 to 75 Ma ) magmatic episodes based in potassium-argon data. For the granitic rocks of the area of Paso Icalma, Moquehue and the Rahue granodiorites, Cingolani et al. (1991) presented Rb-Sr whole rock isochron ages of 70±10 Ma, 209±13 Ma and 237±37 Ma, respectively, and Varela et al. (1994), with the same method, cited an age of 285±5 Ma for the Rahue granodiorites and diorites (au)

  19. Ore potential of basic rocks in Finland

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reino, J.; Ekberg, M.; Heinonen, P.; Karppanen, T.; Hakapaeae, A.; Sandberg, E.

    1993-02-01

    The report is associated with a study programme on basic rocks, which has the aim to complement the preliminary site investigations on repository for TVO's (Teollisuuden Voima Oy) spent nuclear fuel. The report comprises a mining enterprise's view of the ore potential of basic plutonic rocks in Finland. The ores associated with basic plutonic rocks are globally known and constitute a significant share of the global mining industry. The ores comprise chromium, vanadium-titanium-iron, nickel-copper and platinum group element ores. The resources of the metals in question and their mining industry are examined globally. A review of the use of these metals in the industry is presented as well. General factors affecting the mining industry, such as metal prices, political conjunctures, transport facilities, environmental requirements and raw material sources for the Finnish smelters have been observed from the point of view of their future effect on exploration activity and industrial development in Finland. Information on ores and mineralizations associated with Finnish basic rocks have been compiled in the report. The file comprises 4 chromium occurrences, 8 vanadium-titanium-iron occurrences, 13 PGE occurrences and 38 nickel-copper occurrences

  20. Evaluating Re-Os systematics in organic-rich sedimentary rocks in response to petroleum generation using hydrous pyrolysis experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rooney, A.D.; Selby, D.; Lewan, M.D.; Lillis, P.G.; Houzay, J.-P.

    2012-01-01

    Successful application of the 187Re–187Os geochronometer has enabled the determination of accurate and precise depositional ages for organic-rich sedimentary rocks (ORS) as well as establishing timing constraints of petroleum generation. However, we do not fully understand the systematics and transfer behaviour of Re and Os between ORS and petroleum products (e.g., bitumen and oil). To more fully understand the behaviour of Re–Os systematics in both source rocks and petroleum products we apply hydrous pyrolysis to two immature hydrocarbon source rocks: the Permian Phosphoria Formation (TOC = 17.4%; Type II-S kerogen) and the Jurassic Staffin Formation (TOC = 2.5%; Type III kerogen). The laboratory-based hydrous pyrolysis experiments were carried out for 72 h at 250, 300, 325 and 350 °C. These experiments provided us with whole rock, extracted rock and bitumen and in some cases expelled oil and asphaltene for evaluation of Re–Os isotopic and elemental abundance. The data from these experiments demonstrate that the majority (>95%) of Re and Os are housed within extracted rock and that thermal maturation does not result in significant transfer of Re or Os from the extracted rock into organic phases. Based on existing thermodynamic data our findings suggest that organic chelating sites have a greater affinity for the quadravalent states of Re and Os than sulphides. Across the temperature range of the hydrous pyrolysis experiments both whole rock and extracted rock 187Re/188Os ratios show small variations (3.3% and 4.7%, for Staffin, respectively and 6.3% and 4.9% for Phosphoria, respectively). Similarly, the 187Os/188Os ratios show only minor variations for the Staffin and Phosphoria whole rock and extracted rock samples (0.6% and 1.4% and 1.3% and 2.2%). These isotopic data strongly suggest that crude oil generation through hydrous pyrolysis experiments does not disturb the Re–Os systematics in ORS as supported by various studies on natural systems. The

  1. Nd and Sr isotopes and K-Ar ages of the Ulreungdo alkali volcanic rocks in the East Sea, South Korea

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim Kyuhan; Jang Sunkyung; Tanaka, Tsuyoshi; Nagao, Keisuke

    1999-01-01

    Temporal geochemical and isotopical variations in the Ulreundgo alkali volcanic rocks provide important constraints on the origin and evolution of the volcanic rocks in relation to backarc basin tectonism. We determined the K-Ar ages, major and trace element contents, and Nd and Sr isotopic rations of the alkali volcanic rocks. The activities of Ulreungdo volcanoes can be divided, on the basis of radiometric ages and field occurrences, into five stages, though their activities range from 1.4 Ma to 0.01 Ma with short volcanic hiatus (ca. 0.05-0.3 Ma). The Nd-Sr isotopic data for Ulreungdo volcanic rocks enable us to conclude that: (1) the source materials of Ulreungdo volcanics are isotopically heterogeneous in composition, which is explained by the mixing of mantle derived magma and continental crustal source rocks. There is no systematic isotopic variations with eruption stages. Particularly, some volcanic rocks of stage 2 and 3 have extremely wide initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr isotopic variations ranging from 0.7038 to 0.7092, which are influenced by seawater alterations; (2) the Ulreungdo volcanic rocks show EMI characteristic, while volcanic rocks from the Jejudo, Yeong-il and Jeon-gok areas have slightly depleted mantle source characteristics; (3) the trachyandesite of the latest eruption stage was originated from the mantle source materials which differ from other stages. A schematic isotopic evolution model for alkali basaltic magma is presented in the Ulreungdo volcanic island of the backarc basin of Japanese island arc system. (author)

  2. Geochemistry, environmental and provenance study of the Middle Miocene Leitha limestones (Central Paratethys

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Ahmed

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Mineralogical, major, minor, REE and trace element analyses of rock samples were performed on Middle Miocene limestones (Leitha limestones, Badenian collected from four localities from Austria (Mannersdorf, Wöllersdorf, Kummer and Rosenberg quarries and the Fertőrákos quarry in Hungary. Impure to pure limestones (i.e. limited by Al2O3 contents above or below 0.43 wt. % were tested to evaluate the applicability of various geochemical proxies and indices in regard to provenance and palaeoenvironmental interpretations. Pure and impure limestones from Mannersdorf and Wöllersdorf (southern Vienna Basin show signs of detrital input (REEs = 27.6 ± 9.8 ppm, Ce anomaly = 0.95 ± 0.1 and the presence of quartz, muscovite and clay minerals in impure limestones and diagenetic influence (low contents of, e.g., Sr = 221 ± 49 ppm, Na is not detected, Ba = 15.6 ± 8.8 ppm in pure limestones. Thus, in both limestones the reconstruction of original sedimentary palaeoenvironments by geochemistry is hampered. The Kummer and Fertőrákos (Eisenstadt–Sopron Basin comprise pure limestones (e.g., averages Sr = 571 ± 139 ppm, Na = 213 ± 56 ppm, Ba = 21 ± 4 ppm, REEs = 16 ± 3 ppm and Ce anomaly = 0.62 ± 0.05 and composed predominantly of calcite exhibiting negligible diagenesis. Deposition under a shallow-water, well oxygenated to intermittent dysoxic marine environment can be reconstructed. Pure to impure limestones at Rosenberg–Retznei (Styrian Basin are affected to some extent by detrital input and volcano-siliciclastic admixture. The Leitha limestones at Rosenberg have the least diagenetic influence among the studied localities (i.e. averages Sr = 1271 ± 261 ppm, Na = 315 ± 195 ppm, Ba = 32 ± 15 ppm, REEs = 9.8 ± 4.2 ppm and Ce anomaly = 0.77 ± 0.1 and consist of calcite, minor dolomite and quartz. The siliciclastic sources are characterized by immobile elemental ratios (i.e. La/Sc and Th/Co which apply not only for the siliciclastics, but also

  3. Geochemistry, environmental and provenance study of the Middle Miocene Leitha limestones (Central Paratethys)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Ahmed; Wagreich, Michael

    2017-06-01

    Mineralogical, major, minor, REE and trace element analyses of rock samples were performed on Middle Miocene limestones (Leitha limestones, Badenian) collected from four localities from Austria (Mannersdorf, Wöllersdorf, Kummer and Rosenberg quarries) and the Fertőrákos quarry in Hungary. Impure to pure limestones (i.e. limited by Al2O3 contents above or below 0.43 wt. %) were tested to evaluate the applicability of various geochemical proxies and indices in regard to provenance and palaeoenvironmental interpretations. Pure and impure limestones from Mannersdorf and Wöllersdorf (southern Vienna Basin) show signs of detrital input (REEs = 27.6 ± 9.8 ppm, Ce anomaly = 0.95 ± 0.1 and the presence of quartz, muscovite and clay minerals in impure limestones) and diagenetic influence (low contents of, e.g., Sr = 221 ± 49 ppm, Na is not detected, Ba = 15.6 ± 8.8 ppm in pure limestones). Thus, in both limestones the reconstruction of original sedimentary palaeoenvironments by geochemistry is hampered. The Kummer and Fertőrákos (Eisenstadt-Sopron Basin) comprise pure limestones (e.g., averages Sr = 571 ± 139 ppm, Na = 213 ± 56 ppm, Ba = 21 ± 4 ppm, REEs = 16 ± 3 ppm and Ce anomaly = 0.62 ± 0.05 and composed predominantly of calcite) exhibiting negligible diagenesis. Deposition under a shallow-water, well oxygenated to intermittent dysoxic marine environment can be reconstructed. Pure to impure limestones at Rosenberg-Retznei (Styrian Basin) are affected to some extent by detrital input and volcano-siliciclastic admixture. The Leitha limestones at Rosenberg have the least diagenetic influence among the studied localities (i.e. averages Sr = 1271 ± 261 ppm, Na = 315 ± 195 ppm, Ba = 32 ± 15 ppm, REEs = 9.8 ± 4.2 ppm and Ce anomaly = 0.77 ± 0.1 and consist of calcite, minor dolomite and quartz). The siliciclastic sources are characterized by immobile elemental ratios (i.e. La/Sc and Th/Co) which apply not only for the siliciclastics, but also for marls and

  4. For Those About to Rock : Naislaulajat rock-genressä

    OpenAIRE

    Herranen, Linda

    2015-01-01

    For those about to rock – naislaulajat rock-genressä antaa lukijalleen kokonaisvaltaisen käsityksen naisista rock-genressä: rockin historiasta, sukupuolittuneisuudesta, seksismistä, suomalaisten naislaulajien menestyksestä. Työn aineisto on koottu aihepiirin kirjallisuudesta ja alalla toimiville naislaulajille teetettyjen kyselyiden tuloksista. Lisäksi avaan omia kokemuksiani ja ajatuksiani, jotta näkökulma naisista rock-genressä tulisi esille mahdollisimman monipuolisesti. Ajatus aihees...

  5. Proceedings of the 3. Canada-US rock mechanics symposium and 20. Canadian rock mechanics symposium : rock engineering 2009 : rock engineering in difficult conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2009-07-01

    This conference provided a forum for geologists, mining operators and engineers to discuss the application of rock mechanics in engineering designs. Members of the scientific and engineering communities discussed challenges and interdisciplinary elements involved in rock engineering. New geological models and methods of characterizing rock masses and ground conditions in underground engineering projects were discussed along with excavation and mining methods. Papers presented at the conference discussed the role of rock mechanics in forensic engineering. Geophysics, geomechanics, and risk-based approaches to rock engineering designs were reviewed. Issues related to high pressure and high flow water conditions were discussed, and new rock physics models designed to enhance hydrocarbon recovery were presented. The conference featured 84 presentations, of which 9 have been catalogued separately for inclusion in this database. tabs., figs.

  6. Pop-rock musicians: assessment of their satisfaction provided by hearing protectors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santoni, Cristiane Bolzachini; Fiorini, Ana Claudia

    2010-01-01

    Pop-rock musicians are at risk of developing hearing loss and other symptoms related to amplified music. The aim of the present study was to assess the satisfaction provided by the use of hearing protection in pop-rock musicians. Contemporary cohort study. A study of 23 male pop-rock musicians, aged between 25 to 45 years. After audiological evaluation (pure tone audiometry, middle ear analysis, TEOAE and DPOAE) hearing protective devices were provided to be used for three months. After that musicians answered a satisfaction assessment questionnaire. The prevalence of hearing loss was of 21.7%. The most common complaints about the hearing protectors were: autophonia, pressure in the ears, interference in high frequencies perception and full time use of the hearing protector during concerts. There was a positive correlation between a reduction in tinnitus after the use of the HPD with the following complaints: tinnitus after beginning the career (p= 0.044), discomfort with the sound intensity in the work place (p= 0.009) and intolerance to loud sound (p= 0.029). There was a high prevalence of hearing loss and a positive tendency towards the use of the ear protector device among the sample population.

  7. Emplacement of rock avalanche material across saturated sediments, Southern Alp, New Zealand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dufresne, A.; Davies, T. R.; McSaveney, M. J.

    2012-04-01

    The spreading of material from slope failure events is not only influenced by the volume and nature of the source material and the local topography, but also by the materials encountered in the runout path. In this study, evidence of complex interactions between rock avalanche and sedimentary runout path material were investigated at the 45 x 106 m3 long-runout (L: 4.8 km) Round Top rock avalanche deposit, New Zealand. It was sourced within myolinitic schists of the active strike-slip Alpine Fault. The narrow and in-failure-direction elongate source scarp is deep-seated, indicating slope failure was triggered by strong seismic activity. The most striking morphological deposit features are longitudinal ridges aligned radially to source. Trenching and geophysical surveys show bulldozed and sheared substrate material at ridge termini and laterally displaced sedimentary strata. The substrate failed at a minimum depth of 3 m indicating a ploughing motion of the ridges into the saturated material below. Internal avalanche compression features suggest deceleration behind the bulldozed substrate obstacle. Contorted fabric in material ahead of the ridge document substrate disruption by the overriding avalanche material deposited as the next down-motion hummock. Comparison with rock avalanches of similar volume but different emplacement environments places Round Top between longer runout avalanches emplaced over e.g. playa lake sediments and those with shorter travel distances, whose runout was apparently retarded by topographic obstacles or that entrained high-friction debris. These empirical observations indicate the importance of runout path materials on tentative trends in rock avalanche emplacement dynamics and runout behaviour.

  8. Fundamental observations concerning hysteresis in the deformation of intact and jointed rock with applications to nonlinear attenuation in the near source region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boitnott, G.N.

    1993-01-01

    In order to estimate yields of large underground explosions, it is important that we have a clear understanding of the near source phenomena and their effects on regional and teleseismic signals. While it is generally accepted that a considerable amount of attenuation and resultant waveform distortion occurs due to nonlinear deformation near the source, an area that has received little attention is the broad enveloping region where moderate stress perturbations occur. In this region, where strain perturbation amplitudes range from microstrains to a few millistrains, the resulting deformation of rock is inelastic and nonlinear but little to no permanent deformation results. Owing to its great extent, the moderate strain regime has the potential to influence the entire frequency band of the regional and teleseismic signals and thus may be central to the problem of inferring source characteristics from far field signals. Detailed rheological descriptions are required in order to understand the effects of the nonlinearities on the spectral content of regional and teleseismic signals

  9. Using pattern classification and nuclear forensic signatures to link UOC to source rocks and purification processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marks, N.; Robel, M.; Borg, M.; Hutcheon, I.; Kristo, M.

    2014-01-01

    Nuclear forensics is a scientific discipline interfacing law enforcement, nuclear science and nonproliferation. Information on the history and on the potential origin of unknown nuclear material can be obtained through nuclear forensic analysis. Using commonly available techniques of mass spectrometry, microscopy and x-ray diffraction, we have gained insight into the processing and origin of a suite of uranium ore concentrate (UOC) samples. We have applied chemometric techniques to investigate the relationships between uranium ore deposits and UOC samples in order to identify chemical and isotopic signatures of nuclear forensic importance. We developed multivariate signatures based on elemental concentrations and isotope ratios using a database of characteristics of UOC originating throughout the world. By introducing detailed and specific information about the source rock geology for each sample, we improved our understanding of the preservation of forensic signatures in UOC. Improved characterization of sample processing and provenance allows us to begin to assess the statistical significance of different groupings of samples and identify underlying patterns. Initial results indicate the concentration of uranium in the ore body, the geochemical conditions associated with uranium emplacement, and host rock petrogenesis exert controlling influences on the impurities preserved in UOC. Specific ore processing techniques, particularly those related to In-Situ Recovery, are also reflected in UOC impurity signatures. Stable and radiogenic isotope geochemistry can be used in conjunction with rare earth element patterns and other characteristics to link UOCs to specific geologic deposits of origin. We will present a number of case studies illustrating the ways in which nuclear forensic analysis can provide insight into the ore geology and production and purification processes used to produce UOC. (author)

  10. lower and Middle Miocene Foraminiferal Paleoecology of Southwest Sinai Area, Egypt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El Ashwah, A.A.E.; Mandur, M.M.; Obeid, F.L.

    2005-01-01

    The planktonic and benthonic foraminifera content of the lower and middle miocene successions exposed at southwest Sinai in Egypt have been studied. One hundred and thirty three foraminifera species were identified (30 planktonic species and 103 benthonic species). This study aims to contribute in the understanding of the paleoecology, paleobathymetry and tectonic history of these sedimentary sequences. These sediments are subdivided into four rock units, from base to top, as follow: Nukhul, Rudeis, Kareem and Balayim formations. According to the foraminifera content the studied successions are subdivided into five eco zones. The environment of each ec ozone is deduced. These environments point to outer neritic for the Nukhul formation, middle to inner neritic for the Rudeis formation, inner to littoral neritic for the Kareem formation and littoral neritic for the Belayim formation. A proposed paleobathymetric curve is presented. The interpretation of this curve helped to deduce the tectonic history of the lower and Middle Miocene sediments in the studied area

  11. Art Rocks with Rock Art!

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bickett, Marianne

    2011-01-01

    This article discusses rock art which was the very first "art." Rock art, such as the images created on the stone surfaces of the caves of Lascaux and Altimira, is the true origin of the canvas, paintbrush, and painting media. For there, within caverns deep in the earth, the first artists mixed animal fat, urine, and saliva with powdered minerals…

  12. Mechanical weathering and rock erosion by climate-dependent subcritical cracking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eppes, Martha-Cary; Keanini, Russell

    2017-06-01

    This work constructs a fracture mechanics framework for conceptualizing mechanical rock breakdown and consequent regolith production and erosion on the surface of Earth and other terrestrial bodies. Here our analysis of fracture mechanics literature explicitly establishes for the first time that all mechanical weathering in most rock types likely progresses by climate-dependent subcritical cracking under virtually all Earth surface and near-surface environmental conditions. We substantiate and quantify this finding through development of physically based subcritical cracking and rock erosion models founded in well-vetted fracture mechanics and mechanical weathering, theory, and observation. The models show that subcritical cracking can culminate in significant rock fracture and erosion under commonly experienced environmental stress magnitudes that are significantly lower than rock critical strength. Our calculations also indicate that climate strongly influences subcritical cracking—and thus rock weathering rates—irrespective of the source of the stress (e.g., freezing, thermal cycling, and unloading). The climate dependence of subcritical cracking rates is due to the chemophysical processes acting to break bonds at crack tips experiencing these low stresses. We find that for any stress or combination of stresses lower than a rock's critical strength, linear increases in humidity lead to exponential acceleration of subcritical cracking and associated rock erosion. Our modeling also shows that these rates are sensitive to numerous other environment, rock, and mineral properties that are currently not well characterized. We propose that confining pressure from overlying soil or rock may serve to suppress subcritical cracking in near-surface environments. These results are applicable to all weathering processes.

  13. Geochemical typification of kimberlite and related rocks of the North Anabar region, Yakutia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kargin, A. V.; Golubeva, Yu. Yu.

    2017-11-01

    The results of geochemical typification of kimberlites and related rocks (alneites and carbonatites) of the North Anabar region are presented with consideration of the geochemical specification of their source and estimation of their potential for diamonds. The content of representative trace elements indicates the predominant contribution of an asthenospheric component (kimberlites and carbonatites) in their source, with a subordinate contribution of vein metasomatic formations containing Cr-diopside and ilmenite. A significant contribution of water-bearing potassium metasomatic parageneses is not recognized. According to the complex of geochemical data, the studied rocks are not industrially diamondiferous.

  14. EFFECT OF ALTERNATIVE MULTINUTRIENT SOURCES ON SOIL CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vanessa Martins

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The current high price of potassium chloride and the dependence of Brazil on imported materials to supply the domestic demand call for studies evaluating the efficiency of alternative sources of nutrients. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of silicate rock powder and a manganese mining by-product, and secondary materials originated from these two materials, on soil chemical properties and on brachiaria production. This greenhouse experiment was conducted in pots with 5 kg of soil (Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo distrófico - Oxisol. The alternative nutrient sources were: verdete, verdete treated with NH4OH, phonolite, ultramafic rock, mining waste and the proportion of 75 % of these K fertilizers and 25 % lime. Mixtures containing 25 % of lime were heated at 800 ºC for 1 h. These sources were applied at rates of 0, 150, 300, 450 and 600 kg ha-1 K2O, and incubated for 45 days. The mixtures of heated silicate rocks with lime promoted higher increases in soil pH in decreasing order: ultramafic rock>verdete>phonolite>mining waste. Applying the mining waste-lime mixture increased soil exchangeable K, and available P when ultramafic rock was incorporated. When ultramafic rock was applied, the release of Ca2+ increased significantly. Mining subproduct released the highest amount of Zn2+ and Mn2+ to the soil. The application of alternative sources of K, with variable chemical composition, altered the nutrient availability and soil chemical properties, improving mainly plant development and K plant uptake, and are important nutrient sources.

  15. Recovery of uranium from low-grade sandstone ores and phosphate rock

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kennedy, R H [United States Atomic Energy Commission, Washington, D. C. (United States)

    1967-06-15

    This paper is concerned principally with commercial-scale experience in the United States in the recovery of uranium from low-grade sources. Most of these operations have been conducted by the operators of uranium mills as an alternative to processing normal-grade ores. The operations have been generally limited, therefore, to the treatment of low-grade materials generated in the course of mining normal-grade ores. In some circumstances such materials can be treated by simplified procedures as an attractive source of additional production. The experience gained in uranium recovery from phosphate rock will be treated in some detail. The land pebble phosphate rock of central Florida generally contains about 0.01 to 0.02% U{sub 3}O{sub 8}. While no uranium is being recovered from this source at the present time, it does represent a significant potential source of by-product uranium production because of the large tonnages being mined. (author)

  16. RADIATION CHEMICAL CONVERSION OF OIL DERIVED FROM OIL-BITUMEN ROCK

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lala Jabbarova

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The results of research in the radiation processing of synthetic oil derived from oil–bitumen rock of the Balakhany deposit in Azerbaijan are presented. The study has been conducted on a 60Co gamma-source at a dose rate of P = 0.5 Gy/s and various absorbed doses of D = 43–216 kGy. Samples of synthetic oil from natural bitumen rocks have been analyzed by chromatography, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and IR-spectroscopy, and their radiation resistance has been evaluated. The results of the study allow for both assessment of the feasibility of manufacturing petrochemicals for various applications by radiation processing and use of these materials for isolating radioactive sources to preclude their impact on the environment.

  17. The Usability of Rock-Like Materials for Numerical Studies on Rocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zengin, Enes; Abiddin Erguler, Zeynal

    2017-04-01

    The approaches of synthetic rock material and mass are widely used by many researchers for understanding the failure behavior of different rocks. In order to model the failure behavior of rock material, researchers take advantageous of different techniques and software. But, the majority of all these instruments are based on distinct element method (DEM). For modeling the failure behavior of rocks, and so to create a fundamental synthetic rock material model, it is required to perform related laboratory experiments for providing strength parameters. In modelling studies, model calibration processes are performed by using parameters of intact rocks such as porosity, grain size, modulus of elasticity and Poisson ratio. In some cases, it can be difficult or even impossible to acquire representative rock samples for laboratory experiments from heavily jointed rock masses and vuggy rocks. Considering this limitation, in this study, it was aimed to investigate the applicability of rock-like material (e.g. concrete) to understand and model the failure behavior of rock materials having complex inherent structures. For this purpose, concrete samples having a mixture of %65 cement dust and %35 water were utilized. Accordingly, intact concrete samples representing rocks were prepared in laboratory conditions and their physical properties such as porosity, pore size and density etc. were determined. In addition, to acquire the mechanical parameters of concrete samples, uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) tests were also performed by simultaneously measuring strain during testing. The measured physical and mechanical properties of these extracted concrete samples were used to create synthetic material and then uniaxial compressive tests were modeled and performed by using two dimensional discontinuum program known as Particle Flow Code (PFC2D). After modeling studies in PFC2D, approximately similar failure mechanism and testing results were achieved from both experimental and

  18. Natural analogue for storage of radwaste in crystalline rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brookins, D.G.; Abashian, M.S.; Cohen, L.H.; Wollenberg, H.A. Jr.

    1982-01-01

    The Bryan-Eldora stock (Colorado) intruded the Precambrian Idaho Springs Formation metamorphic rocks 58 million years ago. Geochronologic-geochemical work by Hart et al. [S.R. Hart et al., in Radiometric Dating for Geologists, E.I. Hamilton, R.S. Farquhar, eds. (Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1968) pp. 73-110] has demonstrated that the heat from the cooling intrusive rocks was sufficient to affect mineral isotopic systematics up to 2000 m from the contact, and the nature of these isotopic perturbations can be explained by a simple diffusion model in turn based on various heat flow models. Our new studies are focused on elemental exchange between stock and intruded rock as a function of distance from the contact; the assumption is made that the stock is a very large, high heat source analogous to a waste form emplaced in the metamorphic rocks without benefit of canister or engineered backfill. Data for U, Th and the REE indicate actinide and lanthanide immobility except perhaps in the 0 to 2m contact zone where some infiltration of the country rocks by stock-derived fluids occurred. Beyond 4m no stock-derived U, Th, REE or *Pb are noted. Further, whole rock Rb-Sr and stable O isotopic data indicate conductive cooling as opposed to convective, water-induced cooling. The intruded rocks possess low porosity and permeability; this helped prevent elemental migration during the 10 5 to 10 6 years of stock crystallization. The petrographic and geochemical studies show that the Idaho Springs (or equivalent) metamorphic rocks are well suited for radwaste storage. 1 figure, 1 table

  19. Nd and Sr isotopes and K-Ar ages of the Ulreungdo alkali volcanic rocks in the East Sea, South Korea

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim Kyuhan; Jang Sunkyung [Ewha Womans Univ., Seoul (Korea); Tanaka, Tsuyoshi; Nagao, Keisuke

    1999-07-01

    Temporal geochemical and isotopical variations in the Ulreundgo alkali volcanic rocks provide important constraints on the origin and evolution of the volcanic rocks in relation to backarc basin tectonism. We determined the K-Ar ages, major and trace element contents, and Nd and Sr isotopic rations of the alkali volcanic rocks. The activities of Ulreungdo volcanoes can be divided, on the basis of radiometric ages and field occurrences, into five stages, though their activities range from 1.4 Ma to 0.01 Ma with short volcanic hiatus (ca. 0.05-0.3 Ma). The Nd-Sr isotopic data for Ulreungdo volcanic rocks enable us to conclude that: (1) the source materials of Ulreungdo volcanics are isotopically heterogeneous in composition, which is explained by the mixing of mantle derived magma and continental crustal source rocks. There is no systematic isotopic variations with eruption stages. Particularly, some volcanic rocks of stage 2 and 3 have extremely wide initial {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr isotopic variations ranging from 0.7038 to 0.7092, which are influenced by seawater alterations; (2) the Ulreungdo volcanic rocks show EMI characteristic, while volcanic rocks from the Jejudo, Yeong-il and Jeon-gok areas have slightly depleted mantle source characteristics; (3) the trachyandesite of the latest eruption stage was originated from the mantle source materials which differ from other stages. A schematic isotopic evolution model for alkali basaltic magma is presented in the Ulreungdo volcanic island of the backarc basin of Japanese island arc system. (author)

  20. Relationship between the rock mass deformation and places of occurrence of seismological events

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Janusz Makowka; Jozef Kabiesz; Lin-ming Ddou [Central Mining Institute, Katowice (Poland)

    2009-09-15

    Static effort of rock mass very rarely causes of rock burst in Polish coal mines. Rock bursts with source in the seismic tremor within the roof rock layers are prevailing. A seismic tremor is an effect of rupture or sliding in roof layers above the exploited panel in coal seam, sometime in a distance from actual exploitation. Sliding, as a rule occurs in fault zone and tremors in it are expected, but monolithic layer rupture is very hard to predict. In a past few years a practice of analyzing state of deformation in high energy seismic tremors zones has been employed. It let gathering experience thanks to witch determination of dangerous shape of reformatted roof is possible. In the paper some typical forms of roof rocks deformations leading to seismic tremor occurrence will be presented. In general these are various types of multidirectional rock layers bending. Real examples of seismic events and rock bursts in the Czech Republic will be shown. 5 refs., 6 figs.

  1. Theory and technology of rock excavation for civil engineering

    CERN Document Server

    Zou, Dingxiang

    2017-01-01

    This book summarizes the technical advances in recent decades and the various theories on rock excavation raised by scholars from different countries, including China and Russia. It not only focuses on rock blasting but also illustrates a number of non-blasting methods, such as mechanical excavation in detail. The book consists of 3 parts: Basic Knowledge, Surface Excavation and Underground Excavation. It presents a variety of technical methods and data from diverse sources in the book, making it a valuable theoretical and practical reference resource for engineers, researchers and postgraduates alike.

  2. Application of NURE data to the study of crystalline rocks in the Wyoming uranium province

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rush, S.M.; Anderson, J.R.; Bennett, J.E.

    1983-03-01

    The Wyoming uranium province study is a part of the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) program conducted by Bendix Field Engineering Corporation for the US Department of Energy. The ultimate objective of the entire project is the integration of NURE and other data sources to develop a model for a uranium province centered in Wyoming. This paper presents results of the first phase of the Wyoming uranium province study, which comprises characterization of the crystalline rocks of the study area using NURE hydrogeochemical and stream-sediment data, aerial radiometric and magnetic data, and new data generated for zircons from intrusive rocks in the study area. The results of this study indicate that the stream-sediment, aerial radiometric, aerial magnetic, and zircon data are useful in characterization of the crystalline rocks of the uranium province. The methods used in this project can be applied in two ways toward the recognition of a uranium province: (1) to locate major uranium deposits and occurrences, and (2) to generally identify different crystalline rock types, particularly those that could represent significant uranium source rocks. 14 figures, 8 tables

  3. A Coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Model of Jointed Hard Rock for Compressed Air Energy Storage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoying Zhuang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Renewable energy resources such as wind and solar are intermittent, which causes instability when being connected to utility grid of electricity. Compressed air energy storage (CAES provides an economic and technical viable solution to this problem by utilizing subsurface rock cavern to store the electricity generated by renewable energy in the form of compressed air. Though CAES has been used for over three decades, it is only restricted to salt rock or aquifers for air tightness reason. In this paper, the technical feasibility of utilizing hard rock for CAES is investigated by using a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM modelling of nonisothermal gas flow. Governing equations are derived from the rules of energy balance, mass balance, and static equilibrium. Cyclic volumetric mass source and heat source models are applied to simulate the gas injection and production. Evaluation is carried out for intact rock and rock with discrete crack, respectively. In both cases, the heat and pressure losses using air mass control and supplementary air injection are compared.

  4. Greated era of volcanic front in Middle Kyushu and Western Chugoku districts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kamata, Hirotake; Hoshizumi, Hideo; Koyaguchi, Takehiro

    1987-10-01

    Purpose of this study was to determine the era when the creation of the volcanos commenced which were extending from north-east to south west, by using the K-Ar age of volcanic rocks which were continuously distributed from middle Kyushu to San-in district and which were mainly composed of amphibole andesite. By comparing with geological map, relation with the stratigraphic order of layers at Yabakei, Himejima and Aono were considered. It was concluded that, in every place, the vocanic activities commenced much later era than creation of basement rock. It was also recognized that, by studying the relation with Phillipine Plate, deep earthquake was related with the volcanic front of south west Japan arc. (8 figs, 2 tabs, 14 refs)

  5. Geochronology (Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd and Pb-Pb) of the proterozoic granulitic and granitic rocks around Usilampatti, Madurai district, Tamil Nadu: implication on age of various lithounits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pandey, U.K.; Pandey, B.K.; Krishnamurthy, P.

    2005-01-01

    Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd and Pb-Pb systematics on mafic granulites, intermediate- charnockites, charnockites, calc-granulites, orthogneisses, leptynites, granites and two (2) mineral samples (microcline and muscovite) from pegmatite have been studied. Sm-Nd model ages (T DM ) for most of the rocks cluster around 2.1 Ga. Calc-granulites gave Rb-Sr whole rock isochron age of 1339 ± 110 Ma with initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio (I.R.) = 0.709. Mesoproterozoic age for the Metasedimentary Group of rocks (calc-granulites) has been inferred based on their 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio also. Granites and leptynites have yielded Rb-Sr whole rock isochron ages of 823± 38 Ma, with I.R. = 0.713 and 894± 82 Ma, with I.R. = 0.708 respectively which are younger than the calc-granulites. Microcline and muscovite from pegmatite gave Rb-Sr model ages as 532 and 491 Ma respectively. Granites, leptynites and calc-granulites are derived from the crustal source as indicated by their high initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios. Most probably the protolith of the granitic and granulitic rocks is of Palaeoproterozoic age in this part of the Madurai Block. The minimum age of granulite grade of metamorphism has been inferred at c. 850 Ma, indirectly on the basis of Rb-Sr ages of leptynites, which normally form during the evolution of granulite facies assemblages. Both granulite facies metamorphism and granitic magmatism probably took place during Neoproterozoic period correlatable to the early phase of Pan-African orogeny. Later decompression, causing mineral scale resetting of the Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd systematics, around 450-550 Ma, may correspond to the final exhumation, which brought the middle to lower crustal granulites to upper crustal levels, during the last phase of Pan-African activity. As per ages obtained on various lithounits in the present study the Metasedimentary Group of rocks (Mesoproterozoic) are younger than the Charnockite Group of rocks (Palaeoproterozoic) followed by the rocks belonging to the Migmatite Complex

  6. Geochronology (Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd and Pb-Pb) of the proterozoic granulitic and granitic rocks around Usilampatti, Madurai District, Tamil Nadu: implication on age of various lithounits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pandey, U.K.; Pandey, B.K.; Krishnamurthy, P.

    2005-01-01

    Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd and Pb-Pb systematics on mafic granulites, intermediate-charnockites, charnockites, calc- granulites, orthogneisses, leptynites, granites and two (2) mineral samples (microcline and muscovite) from pegmatite have been studied. Sm-Nd model ages (T DM ) for most of the rocks cluster around 2.1 Ga. Calc-granulites gave Rb-Sr whole rock isochron age of 1339± 110 Ma with initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio (IR)= 0.709. Mesoproterozoic age for the metasedimentary group of rocks (calc-granulites) has been inferred based on their 86 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio also. Granites and leptynites have yielded Rb-Sr whole rock isochron ages of 823 ± 38 Ma, with I.R. = 0.713 and 894± 82 Ma, with I.R.= 0.708 respectively which are younger than the calc-granulites. Microcline and muscovite from pegmatite gave Rb-Sr model ages as 532 and 491 Ma respectively. Granites, leptynites and calc-granulites are derived from the crustal source as indicated by their high initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios. Most probably the protolith of the granitic and granulitic rocks is of Palaeoproterozoic age in this part of the Madurai Block. The minimum age of granulite grade of metamorphism has been inferred at c. 850 Ma, indirectly on the basis of Rb-Sr ages of leptynites, which normally form during the evolution of granulite facies assemblages. Both granulite facies metamorphism and granitic magmatism probably took place during Neoproterozoic period correlatable to the early phase of Pan-African orogeny. Later decompression, causing mineral scale resetting of the Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd systematics, around 450-550 Ma, may correspond to the final exhumation, which brought the middle to lower crustal granulites to upper crustal levels, during the last phase of Pan-African activity. As per ages obtained on various lithounits in the present study the Metasedimentary Group of rocks (Mesoproterozoic) are younger than the Charnockite Group of rocks (Palaeoproterozoic) followed by the rocks belonging to the Migmatite Complex

  7. Study of marbles from Middle Atlas (Morocco): elemental, mineralogical and structural analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khrissi, S.; Bejjit, L.; Haddad, M.; Falguères, C.; Ait Lyazidi, S.; El Amraoui, M.

    2018-05-01

    A series of marbles sampled from the region of Middle Atlas (Morocco), are characterized by different complementary spectroscopic techniques. X-Ray fluorescence is used to determine elemental composition of rock while X-Ray diffraction and the Raman spectroscopy are used to determine major crystalline phases (calcite and dolomite) and minor ones (quartz).The samples display typical EPR spectra of Mn2+ in calcite and reveal the presence of Fe3+ ions.

  8. Magnesium Isotopic Evidence for Ancient Subducted Oceanic Crust in LOMU-Like Potassium-Rich Volcanic Rocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Yang; Teng, Fang-Zhen; Ying, Ji-Feng; Su, Ben-Xun; Hu, Yan; Fan, Qi-Cheng; Zhou, Xin-Hua

    2017-10-01

    To evaluate the role of subducted oceanic crust in the genesis of potassium-rich magmas, we report high-precision Mg isotopic data for a set of Cenozoic volcanic rocks from Northeast China. These rocks overall are lighter in Mg isotopic composition than the normal mantle and display considerable Mg isotopic variations, with δ26Mg ranging from -0.61 to -0.23. The covariation of δ26Mg with TiO2 in these rocks suggests that their light Mg isotopic compositions were derived from recycled oceanic crust in the form of carbonated eclogite in the source region. The strong correlations between δ26Mg and (Gd/Yb)N ratio as well as Sr-Pb isotopes further indicate a multicomponent and multistage origin of these rocks. Magnesium isotopes may thus be used as a novel tracer of recycled oceanic crust in the source region of mantle-derived magmas.

  9. Rock Art

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henn, Cynthia A.

    2004-01-01

    There are many interpretations for the symbols that are seen in rock art, but no decoding key has ever been discovered. This article describes one classroom's experiences with a lesson on rock art--making their rock art and developing their own personal symbols. This lesson allowed for creativity, while giving an opportunity for integration…

  10. DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT AND ORGANIC GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF LOWER EOCENE BITUMINOUS ROCKS, IN THE KÜRNÜÇ/GÖYNÜK-BOLU AREA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali SARI

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available In this study, dark gray and dark brown colored, organic-carbon rich bituminous rocks (bituminous marl and bituminous shale exposing around the Kürnüç area (Göynük, Bolu are investigated by means of or- ganic geochemical characteristics. In this respect, rock lithologies, depositional environments, rock source potential, kerogen and organic maturity types and hydrocarbon generation potentials of bituminous rocks were determined. For this reason, pyrolysis (Rock Eval–VI analysis, gas chromatography (GC and gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS analyses were carried out. In addition, spore color index (SCI was determined with organic petrographic method and stable carbon analysis (δ13C of the samples were also conducted. Lithology of the studied samples is of clastic source and the depositional environ- ment is a lagoon with a partial connection to the sea. In bituminous rocks with excellent source rock potential TOC values are in the range of 2.52-8.38 wt % (average 6.08 wt %. With the exception of two samples (Type II kerogen type of all samples is Type I. According to pyrolysis, GC and GC-MS organic maturity results, all the samples are in immature stage. Organic geochemical data indicate that bituminous rocks have an excellent oil generation potential and there is no organic contamination.

  11. Geochemical characterization of Parana Basin volcanic rocks: petrogenetic implications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marques, L.S.

    1988-01-01

    A detailed study of the geochemical characteristics of Parana Basin volcanic rocks is presented. The results are based on the analyses of major and trace elements of 158 samples. Ninety three of these volcanic samples belong to 8 flow sequences from Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina States. The remaining sixty five samples are distributed over the entire basin. In order to study the influence of crustal contamination processes in changing chemical characteristics of the volcanic rocks, 47 samples representative of the crystalline basement of the southern and southeastern Parana Basin were also analysed. Several petrogenetic models were tested to explain the compocional variability of the volcanic rocks, in particular those of southern region. The results obtained sugest an assimilation-fractional crystallization process as viable to explain the differences of both the chemical characteristics and Sr isotope initial ratios observed in basic and intermediate rocks. A model involving melting processes of basic material, trapped at the base of the crust, with composition similar to low and high TiO 2 basalts appears to be a possibility to originate the Palmas and Chapeco acid melts, respectively. The study of ''uncontaminated'' or poorly contaminated low TiO 2 basic rocks from the southern, central and northern regions shows the existence of significant differences in the geochemical charactetistics according to their geographical occurrence. A similar geochemical diversity is also observed in high TiO 2 basalts and Chapeco volcanics. Differences in incompatible element ratios between low and high TiO 2 ''uncontaminated'' or poorly contaminated basalts suggest that they could have been produced by different degrees of melting in a garnet peridotite source. Geochemical and isotopic (Sr and Nd) data also support the view that basalts from northern and southern regions of Parana Basin originated from mantle source with different composition. (author) [pt

  12. Geochemical and geochronological constrains on the Chiang Khong volcanic rocks (northwestern Thailand) and its tectonic implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qian, Xin; Feng, Qinglai; Chonglakmani, Chongpan; Monjai, Denchok

    2013-12-01

    Volcanic rocks in northwestern Thailand exposed dominantly in the Chiang Khong area, are commonly considered to be genetically linked to the tectonic evolution of the Paleo-Tethyan Ocean. The volcanic rocks consist mainly of andesitic to rhyolitic rocks and are traditionally mapped as Permian-Triassic sequences. Our zircon U-Pb geochronological results show that two andesitic samples (TL-1-B and TL-31-B), are representative of the Doi Yao volcanic zone, and give a mean weighted age of 241.2±4.6 Ma and 241.7±2.9 Ma, respectively. The rhyolitic sample (TL-32-B1) from the Doi Khun Ta Khuan volcanic zone erupted at 238.3±3.8 Ma. Such ages indicate that Chiang Khong volcanic rocks erputed during the early Middle Triassic period. Seven samples from the Doi Yao and Doi Khun Ta Khuan zones exhibit an affinity to arc volcanics. Three rhyolitic samples from the Chiang Khong area have a geochemical affinity to both arc and syn-collisional volcanic rocks. The Chiang Khong arc volcanic rocks can be geochemically compared with those in the Lampang area in northern Thailand, also consistent with those in Jinghong area of southwestern Yunnan. This indicates that the Chiang Rai arc-volcanic zone might northwardly link to the Lancangjiang volcanic zone in southwestern China.

  13. Hydrology of some deep mines in Precambrian rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yardley, D.H.

    1975-10-01

    A number of underground mines were investigated during the summer of 1975. All of them are in Precambrian rocks of the Lake Superior region. They represent a variety of geologic settings. The purpose of the investigations was to make a preliminary study of the dryness, or lack of dryness of these rocks at depth. In other words, to see if water was entering the deeper workings through the unmined rock by some means such as fracture or fault zones, joints or permeable zones. Water entering through old mine workings extending to, or very near to the surface, or from the drilling equipment, was of interest only insofar as it might mask any water whose source was through the hanging or footwall rocks. No evidence of running, seeping or moving water was seen or reported at depths exceeding 3,000 feet. At depths of 3,000 feet or less, water seepages do occur in some of the mines, usually in minor quantities but increased amounts occur as depth becomes less. Others are dry at 2,000 feet of depth. Rock movements associated with extensive mining should increase the local secondary permeability of the rocks adjoining the mined out zones. Also most ore bodies are located where there has been a more than average amount of faulting, fracturing, and folding during the geologic past. They tend to cluster along crustal flows. In general, Precambrian rocks of similar geology, to those seen, well away from zones that have been disturbed by extensive deep mining, and well away from the zones of more intense geologic activity ought to be even less permeable than their equivalents in a mining district

  14. Hydrology of some deep mines in Precambrian rocks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yardley, D.H.

    1975-10-01

    A number of underground mines were investigated during the summer of 1975. All of them are in Precambrian rocks of the Lake Superior region. They represent a variety of geologic settings. The purpose of the investigations was to make a preliminary study of the dryness, or lack of dryness of these rocks at depth. In other words, to see if water was entering the deeper workings through the unmined rock by some means such as fracture or fault zones, joints or permeable zones. Water entering through old mine workings extending to, or very near to the surface, or from the drilling equipment, was of interest only insofar as it might mask any water whose source was through the hanging or footwall rocks. No evidence of running, seeping or moving water was seen or reported at depths exceeding 3,000 feet. At depths of 3,000 feet or less, water seepages do occur in some of the mines, usually in minor quantities but increased amounts occur as depth becomes less. Others are dry at 2,000 feet of depth. Rock movements associated with extensive mining should increase the local secondary permeability of the rocks adjoining the mined out zones. Also most ore bodies are located where there has been a more than average amount of faulting, fracturing, and folding during the geologic past. They tend to cluster along crustal flows. In general, Precambrian rocks of similar geology, to those seen, well away from zones that have been disturbed by extensive deep mining, and well away from the zones of more intense geologic activity ought to be even less permeable than their equivalents in a mining district.

  15. Radioactive safety analysis and assessment of waste rock pile site in uranium tailings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Changrong; Liu Zehua; Wang Zhiyong; Zhou Xinghuo

    2007-01-01

    Based on theoretical calculation and in-situ test results, distribution and emissions of radioactive nuclides of uranium tailings impoundment and waste rock pile sites are analyzed in this paper. It is pointed out that 222 Rn is the main nuclide of uranium tailings impoundment and waste rock pile site. Also 222 Rn is the main source term of public dose. 222 Rn concentrations in the atmospheric environment around and individual dose to Rn gradually decrease with increasing distances to uranium tailings impoundment and waste rock pile site. Based on in-situ tests on five uranium tailings impoundment and waste rock pile sites, a decisive method and safety protection distance are presented, which can be used to guide the validation and design of radioactive safety protection in uranium tailings impoundment and waste rock pile sites. (authors)

  16. Thermally induced rock stress increment and rock reinforcement response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hakala, M.; Stroem, J.; Nujiten, G.; Uotinen, L.; Siren, T.; Suikkanen, J.

    2014-07-01

    This report describes a detailed study of the effect of thermal heating by the spent nuclear fuel containers on the in situ rock stress, any potential rock failure, and associated rock reinforcement strategies for the Olkiluoto underground repository. The modelling approach and input data are presented together repository layout diagrams. The numerical codes used to establish the effects of heating on the in situ stress field are outlined, together with the rock mass parameters, in situ stress values, radiogenic temperatures and reinforcement structures. This is followed by a study of the temperature and stress evolution during the repository's operational period and the effect of the heating on the reinforcement structures. It is found that, during excavation, the maximum principal stress is concentrated at the transition areas where the profile changes and that, due to the heating from the deposition of spent nuclear fuel, the maximum principal stress rises significantly in the tunnel arch area of NW/SW oriented central tunnels. However, it is predicted that the rock's crack damage (CD, short term strength) value of 99 MPa will not be exceeded anywhere within the model. Loads onto the reinforcement structures will come from damaged and loosened rock which is assumed in the modelling as a free rock wedge - but this is very much a worst case scenario because there is no guarantee that rock cracking would form a free rock block. The structural capacity of the reinforcement structures is described and it is predicted that the current quantity of the rock reinforcement is strong enough to provide a stable tunnel opening during the peak of the long term stress state, with damage predicted on the sprayed concrete liner. However, the long term stability and safety can be improved through the implementation of the principles of the Observational Method. The effect of ventilation is also considered and an additional study of the radiogenic heating effect on the brittle

  17. Thermally induced rock stress increment and rock reinforcement response

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hakala, M. [KMS Hakala Oy, Nokia (Finland); Stroem, J.; Nujiten, G.; Uotinen, L. [Rockplan, Helsinki (Finland); Siren, T.; Suikkanen, J.

    2014-07-15

    This report describes a detailed study of the effect of thermal heating by the spent nuclear fuel containers on the in situ rock stress, any potential rock failure, and associated rock reinforcement strategies for the Olkiluoto underground repository. The modelling approach and input data are presented together repository layout diagrams. The numerical codes used to establish the effects of heating on the in situ stress field are outlined, together with the rock mass parameters, in situ stress values, radiogenic temperatures and reinforcement structures. This is followed by a study of the temperature and stress evolution during the repository's operational period and the effect of the heating on the reinforcement structures. It is found that, during excavation, the maximum principal stress is concentrated at the transition areas where the profile changes and that, due to the heating from the deposition of spent nuclear fuel, the maximum principal stress rises significantly in the tunnel arch area of NW/SW oriented central tunnels. However, it is predicted that the rock's crack damage (CD, short term strength) value of 99 MPa will not be exceeded anywhere within the model. Loads onto the reinforcement structures will come from damaged and loosened rock which is assumed in the modelling as a free rock wedge - but this is very much a worst case scenario because there is no guarantee that rock cracking would form a free rock block. The structural capacity of the reinforcement structures is described and it is predicted that the current quantity of the rock reinforcement is strong enough to provide a stable tunnel opening during the peak of the long term stress state, with damage predicted on the sprayed concrete liner. However, the long term stability and safety can be improved through the implementation of the principles of the Observational Method. The effect of ventilation is also considered and an additional study of the radiogenic heating effect on the

  18. Influence of the rock heterogeneity on the results of gamma-gamma logging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Umiastowski, K.; Buniak, M.

    1977-01-01

    The influence of the grain size of granular rock and that of the empty holes size of porous rock on the results of gamma-gamma measurements was investigated. Monte-Carlo calculations and experiments were performed to establish this influence. For the grain (or empty holes) size greater than about 10mm the significant influence on the results of density measurements was found if a 137 Cs source was used. This effect is greater for the dry rock than for the water-saturated one. Formulae enabling the correct density value to be found, if the grain size is known, were proposed. (author)

  19. Comparison of disposal concepts for rock salt and hard rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Papp, R.

    1998-01-01

    The study was carried out in the period 1994-1996. The goals were to prepare a draft on spent fuel disposal in hard rock and additionally a comparison with existing disposal concepts for rock salt. A cask for direct disposal of spent fuel and a repository for hard rock including a safeguards concept were conceptually designed. The results of the study confirm, that the early German decision to employ rock salt was reasonable. (orig.)

  20. Novel maturity parameters for mature to over-mature source rocks and oils based on the distribution of phenanthrene series compounds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zixiang Wang

    2016-03-01

    Two additional novel and an optimized maturation parameters based on the distribution of phenanthrene series compounds are proposed and their relationships to EasyRo% (x are established: log(MPs/P = 0.19x + 0.08 (0.9% < EasyRo% < 2.1%; log(MPs/P = 0.64x − 0.86 (2.1% < EasyRo% < 3.4%; log(DMPs/TMPs = 0.71x − 0.55 (0.9% < EasyRo% < 3.4%; log(MTR = 0.84x − 0.75 (0.9% < EasyRo% < 3.4%. These significant positive correlations are strong argument for using log(MPs/P, log(DMPs/TMPs and log(MTR as maturity parameters, especially for mature to over-mature source rocks.

  1. Mechanism of Rock Burst Occurrence in Specially Thick Coal Seam with Rock Parting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jian-chao; Jiang, Fu-xing; Meng, Xiang-jun; Wang, Xu-you; Zhu, Si-tao; Feng, Yu

    2016-05-01

    Specially thick coal seam with complex construction, such as rock parting and alternative soft and hard coal, is called specially thick coal seam with rock parting (STCSRP), which easily leads to rock burst during mining. Based on the stress distribution of rock parting zone, this study investigated the mechanism, engineering discriminant conditions, prevention methods, and risk evaluation method of rock burst occurrence in STCSRP through setting up a mechanical model. The main conclusions of this study are as follows. (1) When the mining face moves closer to the rock parting zone, the original non-uniform stress of the rock parting zone and the advancing stress of the mining face are combined to intensify gradually the shearing action of coal near the mining face. When the shearing action reaches a certain degree, rock burst easily occurs near the mining face. (2) Rock burst occurrence in STCSRP is positively associated with mining depth, advancing stress concentration factor of the mining face, thickness of rock parting, bursting liability of coal, thickness ratio of rock parting to coal seam, and difference of elastic modulus between rock parting and coal, whereas negatively associated with shear strength. (3) Technologies of large-diameter drilling, coal seam water injection, and deep hole blasting can reduce advancing stress concentration factor, thickness of rock parting, and difference of elastic modulus between rock parting and coal to lower the risk of rock burst in STCSRP. (4) The research result was applied to evaluate and control the risk of rock burst occurrence in STCSRP.

  2. Draft Genome Sequences of the Black Rock Fungus Knufia petricola and Its Spontaneous Nonmelanized Mutant

    OpenAIRE

    Tesei, Donatella; Tafer, Hakim; Poyntner, Caroline; Piñar, Guadalupe; Lopandic, Ksenija; Sterflinger, Katja

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT The fungal genus Knufia mostly comprises extremotolerant species from environmental sources, especially rock surfaces. The draft genome sequence of the rock fungus Knufia petricola presented here is the first whole-genome sequence of the only species among black fungi known to have a nonmelanized spontaneous mutant.

  3. Juvenile helium in ancient rocks: II. U-He,K-Ar, Sm-Nd, and Rb-Sr systematics in the Monche Pluton. 3He/4He ratios frozen in uranium-free ultramafic rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tolstikhin, I.N.; Dokuchaeva, V.S.; Kamensky, I.L.; Amelin, Yu.V.

    1992-01-01

    The important geodynamic parameter, the 3 He/ 4 He ratio in rocks and fluids of the continental crust, is generally decreasing from the mantle values (≅ 10 -5 ) to the radiogenic ratio (≅ 10 -8 ) on the time scale of about 1 Ga or less. However, the ratios, observed in some ancient rocks and minerals, are much higher than the radiogenic value due to a preferential retention of trapped He, when compared with radiogenic helium and/or a low U/ 3 He ratio in a sample. The distribution of He, Ar, Nd, and Sr isotopes, K, Rb, Sm, and U in ultrabasic rocks, in rock-forming minerals, in ores from the 2.49 Ga Monche Pluton, and in basic rocks of the Main Range (the Kola Peninsula) enables one to distinguish sources of the rocks and trapped fluids and outline some peculiarities of petrogenetic and fluid processes. The initial values of var-epsilon Nd (T) = -0.9 ± 0.5 , 87 Sr/ 86 Sr(T) = 0.7021 ± 0.0002, for the 2.49 Ga Monche Pluton are rather similar to these for other layered intrusions of the Baltic Shield. They differ considerably from the model values for the depleted 2.5 Ga old mantle. The observed and rather different sources of 3 He and 4 He as well as the considerable constancy of their ratio in different minerals, separated from both the ultramafic rocks and gabbros, implies: (1) an intensive process of mixing between mantle and crustal components: a melt convection in the chamber may have occurred; (2) the two types of rocks could originate by crystallization differentiation of one and the same melt. Practically all 3 He and 4 He are concentrated in secondary amphiboles; hence the fluid which stimulated the metamorphic process was probably released from the ultramafite-bearing melt

  4. Rollerjaw Rock Crusher

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peters, Gregory; Brown, Kyle; Fuerstenau, Stephen

    2009-01-01

    The rollerjaw rock crusher melds the concepts of jaw crushing and roll crushing long employed in the mining and rock-crushing industries. Rollerjaw rock crushers have been proposed for inclusion in geological exploration missions on Mars, where they would be used to pulverize rock samples into powders in the tens of micrometer particle size range required for analysis by scientific instruments.

  5. Range sections as rock models for intensity rock scene segmentation

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Mkwelo, S

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents another approach to segmenting a scene of rocks on a conveyor belt for the purposes of measuring rock size. Rock size estimation instruments are used to monitor, optimize and control milling and crushing in the mining industry...

  6. Dispersion of uranium in accessory apatite in crystalline rocks and its possible petrogenetic meaning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kral, J.; Burchart, J.

    1983-01-01

    The coefficient of variation for grain-by-grain fission track uranium analysis of apatites from igneous rocks seems to reflect the temperature of crystallization and the cooling rate. For metamorphic rocks the coefficient represents a complex record of the homogeneity of the source and of metamorphic neocrystallization. As a test case 41 West Carpathian rocks have been examined and the coefficients of variation for U in apatites found to be: granitic rocks 0.30-0.79, paragneisses 0.35-0.95, migmatites 0.55-0.87, and volcanic rocks 0.30-0.40. Most of the frequency distributions are lognormal, though for some cases a normal distribution gives a better fit, and some are incompatible with either of the two distributions. (orig.)

  7. Transient diffusion from a waste solid into fractured porous rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahn, J.; Chambre, P.L.; Pigford, T.H.

    1988-01-01

    Previous analytical studies of the advective transport of dissolved contaminants through fractured rock have emphasized the effect of molecular diffusion in the rock matrix in affecting the space-time-dependent concentration of the contaminant as it moves along the fracture. Matrix diffusion only in the direction normal to the fracture surface was assumed. Contaminant sources were constant-concentration surfaces of width equal to the fracture aperture and of finite or infinite extent in the transverse direction. Such studies illustrate the far-field transport features of fractured media. To predict the time-dependent mass transfer from a long waste cylinder surrounded by porous rock and intersected by a fracture, the present study includes diffusion from the waste surface directly into porous rock, as well as the more realistic geometry. Here the authors present numerical results from Chambre's analytical solution for the time-dependent mass transfer from the cylinder for the low-flow conditions wherein near-field mass transfer is expected to be controlled by molecular diffusion

  8. Iconography in Bradshaw rock art: breaking the circularity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pettigrew, Jack

    2011-09-01

    Interpreting the symbols found in the rock art of an extinct culture is hampered by the fact that such symbols are culturally determined. How does one break the circularity inherent in the fact that the knowledge of both the symbols and the culture comes from the same source? In this study, the circularity is broken for the Bradshaw rock art of the Kimberley by seeking anchors from outside the culture. Bradshaw rock art in the Kimberley region of Australia and Sandawe rock art in the Kolo region of Eastern Tanzania were surveyed in six visits on foot, by vehicle, by helicopter and from published or shared images, as well as from the published and online images of Khoisan rock art. Uniquely shared images between Bradshaw and Sandawe art, such as the 'mushroom head' symbol of psilocybin use, link the two cultures and indicate that they were shamanistic. Therefore, many mysterious features in the art can be understood in terms of trance visualisations. A number of other features uniquely link Bradshaw and Sandawe cultures, such as a special affinity for small mammals. There are also many references to baobabs in early Bradshaw art but not later. This can be explained in the context of the Toba super-volcano, the likely human transport of baobabs to the Kimberley and the extraordinary utility of the baobab. Many more mysterious symbols in Bradshaw rock art might await interpretation using the approaches adopted here. © 2011 The Author. Clinical and Experimental Optometry © 2011 Optometrists Association Australia.

  9. The ammonium content in the Malayer igneous and metamorphic rocks (Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone, Western Iran)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahadnejad, Vahid; Hirt, Ann Marie; Valizadeh, Mohammad-Vali; Bokani, Saeed Jabbari

    2011-04-01

    The ammonium (NH4+) contents of the Malayer area (Western Iran) have been determined by using the colorimetric method on 26 samples from igneous and metamorphic rocks. This is the first analysis of the ammonium contents of Iranian metamorphic and igneous rocks. The average ammonium content of metamorphic rocks decreases from low-grade to high-grade metamorphic rocks (in ppm): slate 580, phyllite 515, andalusite schist 242. In the case of igneous rocks, it decreases from felsic to mafic igneous types (in ppm): granites 39, monzonite 20, diorite 17, gabbro 10. Altered granitic rocks show enrichment in NH4+ (mean 61 ppm). The high concentration of ammonium in Malayer granites may indicate metasedimentary rocks as protoliths rather than meta-igneous rocks. These granitic rocks (S-types) have high K-bearing rock-forming minerals such as biotite, muscovite and K-feldspar which their potassium could substitute with ammonium. In addition, the high ammonium content of metasediments is probably due to inheritance of nitrogen from organic matter in the original sediments. The hydrothermally altered samples of granitic rocks show highly enrichment of ammonium suggesting external sources which intruded additional content by either interaction with metasedimentary country rocks or meteoritic solutions.

  10. Alteration of immature sedimentary rocks on Earth and Mars. Recording Aqueous and Surface-atmosphere Processes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cannon, Kenneth M. [Brown Univ., Providence, RI (United States); Mustard, John F. [Brown Univ., Providence, RI (United States); Salvatore, Mark R. [Arizona State Univ., Mesa, AZ (United States)

    2015-03-05

    The rock alteration and rind formation in analog environments like Antarctica may provide clues to rock alteration and therefore paleoclimates on Mars. Clastic sedimentary rocks derived from basaltic sources have been studied in situ by martian rovers and are likely abundant on the surface of Mars. Moreover, how such rock types undergo alteration when exposed to different environmental conditions is poorly understood compared with alteration of intact basaltic flows. Here we characterize alteration in the chemically immature Carapace Sandstone from Antarctica, a terrestrial analog for martian sedimentary rocks. We employ a variety of measurements similar to those used on previous and current Mars missions. Laboratory techniques included bulk chemistry, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), hyperspectral imaging and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Through these methods we find that primary basaltic material in the Carapace Sandstone is pervasively altered to hydrated clay minerals and palagonite as a result of water–rock interaction. A thick orange rind is forming in current Antarctic conditions, superimposing this previous aqueous alteration signature. The rind exhibits a higher reflectance at visible-near infrared wavelengths than the rock interior, with an enhanced ferric absorption edge likely due to an increase in Fe3+ of existing phases or the formation of minor iron (oxy)hydroxides. This alteration sequence in the Carapace Sandstone results from decreased water–rock interaction over time, and weathering in a cold, dry environment, mimicking a similar transition early in martian history. This transition may be recorded in sedimentary rocks on Mars through a similar superimposition mechanism, capturing past climate changes at the hand sample scale. These results also suggest that basalt-derived sediments could have sourced significant volumes of hydrated minerals on early Mars due to their greater permeability compared with intact igneous rocks.

  11. Study on geochronology and uranium source of sandstone-type uranium deposit in Dongsheng area

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Haibin; Xia Yuliang; Tian Shifeng

    2007-01-01

    This paper studied the geochronology of sandstone-type uranium deposit in the Dongsheng area of Ordos Basin. In eastern segment, ages of mineralization at the wing of the ore-roll are found to be 120 ± 5 Ma and 80 ± 5 Ma, and at the front of the ore-roll are 20 ± 2 Ma and 8 ± 1 Ma; While in middle segment, ages of mineralization are 124 ± 6 Ma and 80 ± 5 Ma. This means that the main mineralization in Dongsheng area were formed at early Jurassic and late Cretaceous, and correspondent to the time of structure uplift. Mineralization of roll-front (rich ore) which formed in Miocene and Pliocene may related to tectonic-thermal event taken place at that time and reformed the early mineralization in this area. The isochron line age of sample with uranium grade 0 ) in the sandbody is 24.64 x 10 -6 also shows the uranium pre-concentration in the strata. The even value of ΔU of rocks in Zhiluo formation is -70.2%, this shows that non-mineralized rocks have migrated uranium and acted as important metallogenic uranium sources. (authors)

  12. Nitrogen in rock: Occurrences and biogeochemical implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holloway, J.M.; Dahlgren, R.A.

    2002-01-01

    There is a growing interest in the role of bedrock in global nitrogen cycling and potential for increased ecosystem sensitivity to human impacts in terrains with elevated background nitrogen concentrations. Nitrogen-bearing rocks are globally distributed and comprise a potentially large pool of nitrogen in nutrient cycling that is frequently neglected because of a lack of routine analytical methods for quantification. Nitrogen in rock originates as organically bound nitrogen associated with sediment, or in thermal waters representing a mixture of sedimentary, mantle, and meteoric sources of nitrogen. Rock nitrogen concentrations range from trace levels (>200 mg N kg -1) in granites to ecologically significant concentrations exceeding 1000 mg N kg -1 in some sedimentary and metasedimentary rocks. Nitrate deposits accumulated in arid and semi-arid regions are also a large potential pool. Nitrogen in rock has a potentially significant impact on localized nitrogen cycles. Elevated nitrogen concentrations in water and soil have been attributed to weathering of bedrock nitrogen. In some environments, nitrogen released from bedrock may contribute to nitrogen saturation of terrestrial ecosystems (more nitrogen available than required by biota). Nitrogen saturation results in leaching of nitrate to surface and groundwaters, and, where soils are formed from ammonium-rich bedrock, the oxidation of ammonium to nitrate may result in soil acidification, inhibiting revegetation in certain ecosystems. Collectively, studies presented in this article reveal that geologic nitrogen may be a large and reactive pool with potential for amplification of human impacts on nitrogen cycling in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

  13. Pyroclastic rocks: another manifestation of ultramafic volcanism on Gorgona Island, Colombia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Echeverría, Lina M.; Aitken, Bruce G.

    1986-04-01

    Tertiary ultramafic volcanism on Gorgona Island, Colombia, is manifested not only by komatiite flows, but also by a more voluminous sequence of tuff breccias, which is cut by comagmatic picrite dikes. The ultramafic pyroclastic rocks are chaotic to stratified mixtures of angular to subrounded glassy picritic blocks and a fine grained volcaniclastic matrix that consists primarily of plastically-deformed, glassy globules. The entire deposit is interpreted to have formed by an explosive submarine eruption of phenocryst-laden picritic magma. MgO contents of tuff breccias and picrite dikes range from 21 to 27 wt%. Relative to nearby komatiite flows, these rocks are MgO-rich, and FeO-, TiO2- and Ni-poor. HREE concentrations are very low (source region. Nd isotopic data suggest a cogenetic relationship between the picritic magma that formed the tuff breccia and associated dikes and that which produced the komatiite flows. Nevertheless Pb isotopic data as well as whole rock geochemistry preclude such a connection, either due to olivine fractionation/accumulation or to different degrees of partial melting. These ultramafic rock types crystallized from magmas which most likely were extracted from distinct mantle source regions.

  14. Early to Middle Jurassic palaeoenvironmental changes: High resolution δ13C and δ18O records from the UK

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Korte, Christoph; Hesselbo, Stephen; Ullmann, Clemens Vinzenz

    Low-Mg-calcite fossils, such as bivalves, belemnites and brachiopods, and bulk rocks have been extensively utilized to reconstruct past seawater chemistry and paleoenviron¬mental changes. Recent work on major bioevents demonstrated that particularly higher resolution stable isotope records...... are necessary to reveal short-term paleoenviron¬mental fluctuations and, in addition, to discover its causes. Here we present a new high resolution carbon and oxygen isotope dataset generated from low-Mg-calcite fossils, fossil wood and bulk rocks collected from Early to Middle Jurassic marine successions...

  15. Fluid and rock interaction in permeable volcanic rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lindley, J.I.

    1985-01-01

    Four types of interrelated changes -geochemical, mineralogic, isotopic, and physical - occur in Oligocene volcanic units of the Mogollon-Datil volcanic field, New Mexico. These changes resulted from the operation of a geothermal system that, through fluid-rock interaction, affected 5 rhyolite ash-flow tuffs and an intercalated basaltic andesite lava flow causing a potassium metasomatism type of alteration. (1) Previous studies have shown enrichment of rocks in K 2 O as much as 130% of their original values at the expense of Na 2 O and CaO with an accompanying increase in Rb and decreases in MgO and Sr. (2) X-ray diffraction results of this study show that phenocrystic plagioclase and groundmass feldspar have been replaced with pure potassium feldspar and quartz in altered rock. Phenocrystic potassium feldspar, biotite, and quartz are unaffected. Pyroxene in basaltic andesite is replaced by iron oxide. (3) delta 18 O increases for rhyolitic units from values of 8-10 permil, typical of unaltered rock, to 13-15 permil, typical of altered rock. Basaltic andesite, however, shows opposite behavior with a delta 18 of 9 permil in unaltered rock and 6 permit in altered. (4) Alteration results in a density decrease. SEM revealed that replacement of plagioclase by fine-grained quartz and potassium feldspar is not a volume for volume replacement. Secondary porosity is created in the volcanics by the chaotic arrangement of secondary crystals

  16. The coupling of dynamics and permeability in the hydrocarbon accumulation period controls the oil-bearing potential of low permeability reservoirs: a case study of the low permeability turbidite reservoirs in the middle part of the third member of Shahejie Formation in Dongying Sag

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yang, Tian; Cao, Ying-Chang; Wang, Yan-Zhong

    2016-01-01

    The relationships between permeability and dynamics in hydrocarbon accumulation determine oilbearing potential (the potential oil charge) of low permeability reservoirs. The evolution of porosity and permeability of low permeability turbidite reservoirs of the middle part of the third member...... facies A and diagenetic facies B do not develop accumulation conditions with low accumulation dynamics in the late accumulation period for very low permeability. At more than 3000 m burial depth, a larger proportion of turbidite reservoirs are oil charged due to the proximity to the source rock. Also...

  17. Infilling Littleton Street Mine, Wallsall, with colliery spoil rock paste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jarvis, S.T.; Braithwaite, P.A. [Ove Arup and Partners, Birmingham (United Kingdom)

    1993-12-31

    Describes the filling of an abandoned underground mine with low strength (12-20 kPa) paste made of coal mining waste. With a volume of 550,000 m{sup 3}, it was the largest mine to be filled with rock paste to date. The abandoned mine, flooded with underground water, consists of room and pillar workings at shallow depth of 35 to 60 m. Height of the underground mine cavity varies between 4 and 8 m. The process of infilling and tests and systems for monitoring infilling completeness and strength are described. Benefits of rock paste over other forms of infilling are discussed. Land reclamation work at the source sites is also described. Mineral waste source sites and specifications of the materials are given. After work completion, about 18 ha of derelict urban land were released for redevelopment. 6 refs.

  18. Phosphate-rich sedimentary rocks: significance for organic facies and petroleum exploration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Waples, D W

    1982-03-01

    Phosphorus-bearing rocks and sediments can be divided into two genetically distinct classes: phosphatic shales or limestones and phosphorites. Phosphatic shales are primary sediments in which phosphate nodules or micronodules have formed diagenetically by precipitation of calcium phosphates derived mainly from organic phosphorus. The nodules form in reducing environments at shallow depths within the sediments, where loss of phosphate by diffusion to the overlying water column is minimized. Highly biogenic sediments containing large amounts of organic matter and some fine clastic debris provide ideal environments for the formation of phosphate nodules. Phosphorites, in contrast, represent concentrated accumulations of reworked phosphate nodules which originated in phosphatic shales or limestones. Currents, wave action, recrystallization, and erosion and resedimentation are important mechanisms in the concentration process. Phosphatic shales and limestones may become excellent oil source rocks if thermal maturity is achieved. They are useful facies indicators for anoxic or nearly anoxic depositional environments, and are often associated with restricted basins, or, during certain geologic periods, with broad shelves developed during transgressions. Phosphorites, in contrast, are often correlated with sea-level regressions or uplifts. They are modest source rocks because of their low organic carbon contents and the fact that they were reworked under oxidizing conditions. Nevertheless, because phosphorites are derived from, and often grade into, phosphatic shales, they also are of potential utility in the search for oil source beds.

  19. Natural sources of ionizing radiations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marej, A.N.

    1984-01-01

    Natural sources of ionizing radiations are described in detail. The sources are subdivided into sources of extraterrestrial origin (cosmic radiation) and sources of terrestrial origin. Data on the concentration of different nuclides in rocks, various soils, ground waters, atmospheric air, tissues of plants and animals, various food stuffs are presented. The content of natural radionuclides in environmental objects, related to human activities, is discussed

  20. Strong-motion characteristics and source process during the Suruga Bay earthquake in 2009 through observed records on rock sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shiba, Yoshiaki; Sato, Hiroaki; Kuriyama, Masayuki

    2010-01-01

    On 11 August 2009, a moderate earthquake of M 6.5 occurred in the Suruga Bay region, south of Shizuoka prefecture. During this event, JMA Seismic Intensity reached 6 lower in several cities around the hypocenter, and at Hamaoka nuclear power plant of Chubu Electric Power reactors were automatically shutdown due to large ground motions. Though the epicenter is located at the eastern edge of source area for the assumed great Tokai earthquake of M 8, this event is classified into the intra-plate (intra-slab) earthquake, due to its focal depth lower than that of the plate boundary and fault geometry supposed from the moment tensor solution. Dense strong-motion observation network has been deployed mainly on the rock outcrops by our institute around the source area, and the waveform data of the main shock and several aftershocks were obtained at 13 stations within 100 km from the hypocenter. The observed peak ground motions and velocity response spectral amplitudes are both obviously larger than the empirical attenuation relations derived from the inland and plate-boundary earthquake data, which displays the characteristics of the intra-slab earthquake faulting. Estimated acceleration source spectra of the main shock also exhibit the short period level about 1.7 times larger than the average of those for past events, and it corresponds with the additional term in the attenuation curve of the peak ground acceleration for the intra-plate earthquake. Detailed source process of the main shock is inferred using the inversion technique. The initial source model is assumed to be composed of two distinct fault planes according to the minute aftershock distribution. Estimated source model shows that large slip occurred near the hypocenter and at the boundary region between two fault planes where the rupture transfers from primary to secondary fault. Furthermore the broadband source inversion using velocity motions in the frequency up to 5 Hz demonstrates the high effective

  1. Sedimentological characteristics and depositional environment of Upper Gondwana rocks in the Chintalapudi sub-basin of the Godavari valley, Andhra Pradesh, India

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramamohanarao, T.; Sairam, K.; Venkateswararao, Y.; Nagamalleswararao, B.; Viswanath, K.

    2003-03-01

    The Kota (Early to Middle Jurassic) and Gangapur (Early Cretaceous) rocks of the Chintalapudi sub-basin of Gondwana are poorly to very poorly sorted, positively to very positively skewed, and leptokurtic to very leptokurtic. The Kota rocks show a single prominent truncation line at the inflection of saltation/suspension at 2.0 φ of the river mode of transportation. The Gangapur rocks show two truncation lines of saltation/suspension, one at 0.5-1.7 φ and the other at 2.4-4.0 φ. These are inferred to be due to a high turbulent phase of the river. On the multigroup multivariant discriminant functions V1- V2 diagram, the bulk of the samples from Kota and Gangapur fall in the field of turbidite deposition. This study supports the view that the discrimination of river from turbidite deposits on this diagram is poor since both deposits are identical in terms of settling velocity distribution. On the C- M diagram, the Kota and Gangapur rocks show segments of rolling, bottom suspension, and graded suspension during river transport of sediment. The Q-R segments of graded suspension for these rocks have a C/ M ratio of 2.5, which is close to the ratio of the turbidites. The Kota and Gangapur rocks have nearly the same assemblage of heavy minerals. The provenance is inferred to consist of basic igneous rocks, acid igneous rocks, high-grade metamorphic rocks and sedimentary rocks.

  2. A middle Permian ophiolite fragment in Late Triassic greenschist- to blueschist-facies rocks in NW Turkey: An earlier pulse of suprasubduction-zone ophiolite formation in the Tethyan belt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Topuz, Gültekin; Okay, Aral I.; Schwarz, Winfried H.; Sunal, Gürsel; Altherr, Rainer; Kylander-Clark, Andrew R. C.

    2018-02-01

    The Eastern Mediterranean region within the Tethyan belt is characterised by two main pulses of suprasubduction-zone ophiolite formation during the Early-Middle Jurassic and Late Cretaceous. Despite vast exposures of the Permo-Triassic accretionary complexes, related suprasubduction-zone ophiolites and the timing of subduction initiation leading to the formation of Permo-Triassic accretionary complexes are unknown so far. Here we report on a 40 km long and 0.3 to 1.8 km wide metaophiolite fragment within transitional greenschist- to blueschist-facies oceanic rocks from NW Turkey. The metaophiolite fragment is made up mainly of serpentinite and minor dykes or stocks of strongly sheared metagabbro with mineral assemblages involving actinolite/winchite, chlorite, epidote, albite, titanite and phengite. The metagabbro displays (i) variable CaO and MgO contents, (ii) anomalously high Mg# (= 100 ∗ molar MgO/(MgO + FeOtot)) of 75-88, and (iii) positive Eu anomalies, together with low contents of incompatible elements such as Ti, P and Zr, suggesting derivation from former plagioclase cumulates. The serpentinites comprise serpentine, ± chlorite, ± talc, ± calcite and relict Cr-Al spinel surrounded by ferrichromite to magnetite. Relict Cr-Al spinels are characterised by (i) Cr/(Cr + Al) ratios of 0.45-0.56 and Mg/(Mg + Fe2 +) ratio of 0.76-0.22, (ii) variable contents of ZnO and MnO, and (iii) extremely low TiO2 contents. Zn and Mn contents are probably introduced into Cr-Al spinels during greenschist- to blueschist metamorphism. Compositional features of the serpentinite such as (i) Ca- and Al-depleted bulk compositions, (ii) concave U-shaped, chondrite-normalised rare earth element patterns (REE) with enrichment of light and heavy REEs, imply that serpentinites were probably derived from depleted peridotites which were refertilised by light rare earth element enriched melts in a suprasubduction-zone mantle wedge. U-Pb dating on igneous zircons from three metagabbro

  3. First data on Sm-Nd systematization of Khanka Massif metamorphic rocks, Primor'e

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mishkin, M.A.; Khanchuk, A.I.; Zhuravlev, D.Z.; Lavrik, S.N.

    2000-01-01

    The age of the metamorphic rocks of the Khanka massif, Primor'e, is determined through the method of the Sm-Nd isotopic dating. The results of the isotopic studies on the amphibolites of the Nakhimov suite of the Khanka massif indicated that the rocks of this suite are not older than 1.7 billion years. The obtained age corresponds to the time of the amphibolite protolith formation, the source whereof is the moderately depleted mantle. The isotopic age of the amphibole and plagioclase mineral fractions constitutes 733 ± 25 mln years, which reflects the time of the Nakhimov suite rocks metamorphism [ru

  4. Disc cutter wear and rock texture in hard rock TBM tunneling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koizumi, Yu; Tsusaka, Kimikazu; Tanimoto, Chikaosa; Nakagawa, Shigeo; Fujita, Naoya

    2008-01-01

    Disc cutter wear in TBM tunneling is caused by initial fragmentation of a solid rock face (the primary fragmentation) and fragmentation of residual rock pieces between a cutterhead and the face (the secondary fragmentation). In two projects through sedimentary and granitic rocks, the authors investigated the relationships between the rate of cutter wear caused by the primary fragmentation, point load index and the grain size and contents of abrasive minerals. As a result, it was found that the tensile strength and the mineral contents of rocks significantly influenced the cutter wear in both projects and thus it is necessary to take into account of rock type. (author)

  5. The case for pre-Middle Cretaceous extensional faulting in northern Yucca Flat, southwestern Nevada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cole, J.C.; Harris, A.G.; Lanphere, M.A.; Barker, C.E.; Warren, R.G.

    1993-01-01

    Extremely complex low-angle fault relationships within the Late Proterozoic to Pennsylvania sedimentary rocks near Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, have been previously ascribed to Mesozoic compression during the Sevier orogeny, or to middle Tertiary extension of a pre-existing thrust stack. New field evidence and detailed studies of a 3,500-foot drillhole show that this structural complexity results from post-thrust regional extension that may be much older than previously recognized. The interpreted age constraint is inferred from thermal disturbances recorded by rocks above the altered monzodiorite(?) porphyry border phase of an intrusion penetrated in the bottom of the drillhole. The pluton intrudes middle Devonian dolomite that forms the lowermost of at least seven structural sheets. Each sheet is bounded by breccia zones and consists of an identifiable slice of the local Paleozoic section without ordered sequence. The intervening structural sheets of carbonaceous siltstone appear to have been thermally disturbed because they yield essentially no volatile hydrocarbons during pyrolysis. All observed features are consistent with thermal overprinting by the 102 Ma intrusion and permit an interpretation that the complicated fault/stratigraphy relationships also predate 102 Ma. Outcrop studies of numerous low-angle faults within the Paleozoic and late Proterozoic rocks in this region indicate that many are extensional, whether they involve younger-over-older or older-over-younger age relations. The authors infer a dominantly extensional origin for the structural sheets encountered in the drillhole on the basis of similarities with the outcrop faults, but the sheets must have been derived from the upper plate of the nearby CP thrust fault

  6. Hydrocarbon occurrence in NW Africa's MSGBC area

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reymond, A.; Negroni, P.

    1989-06-01

    The MSGBC (Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea Conakry) coastal basin has evolved as a passive margin from Jurassic time up to the present following a period of poorly known rifting of Permian to Middle Jurassic age. Structural configuration of the Paleozoic series is documented by large outcrops and a good number of seismic sections. Based on previous exploration efforts that found significant hydrocarbon shows, a comprehensive study of this African basin's source rocks, maturation evolution and petroleum generation potential was undertaken. About 1,000 geochemical analyses of the Paleozoic, Cretaceous and Tertiary series identified good source rocks in the Cenomano-Turonian, Silurian, Senonian and Paleocene ages. The parameters used to identify and characterize source rock are: Total organic carbon content (TOC) in percent and source potential (in kg HC/t), representing the amount of hydrocarbon generated per ton of rock and determined by Rock-Eval pyrolysis.

  7. Rock 'n' Roll Heroes: Letter to President Eisenhower.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mueller, Jean W., Ed.

    1985-01-01

    This primary source document can be used to teach secondary students about the rock 'n' roll era that emerged in the 1950's. The document is a letter written in 1958 by three teenagers to President Eisenhower concerning the induction of Elvis Presley into the U.S. Army. Class activities are also suggested. (RM)

  8. Rocks Can Wow? Yes, Rocks Can Wow!

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hardman, Sally; Luke, Sue

    2016-01-01

    Rocks and fossils appear in the National Curriculum of England science programmes of study for children in year 3 (ages 7-8). A frequently asked question is "How do you make the classification of rocks engaging?" In response to this request from a school, a set of interactive activities was designed and organised by tutors and students…

  9. Determined Initial lead for South Of Isua (SOI) terrain suggests a single homogeneous source for it and possibly other archaean rocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tera, F.

    2011-12-01

    other rocks from Isua Greenstone Belt (1) and Amîtsoq gneiss (4) fall inside the TULIP triangle of SOI, suggesting potential derivation of these Archaean rocks from the same homogeneous source.

  10. Physicomechanical parameters of sedimentary rocks in eastern Sichuan, China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo, Jian; Sun, Yan; Shu, Liangshu; Zhu, Wenbin; Wang, Feng; Li, Benliang; Liu, Deliang

    2009-01-01

    Rock samples were collected and selected from the sedimentary covering strata from Cambrian to Jurassic in eastern Sichuan, China, which belongs to the Upper Yangtze plate. Physicomechanical parameters were measured systematically. Based on parametric texture characteristics and observation data of geology, five regional layer-slip systems are derived. The five layer-slip systems correspond to five reservoir–cover systems, as the incompetent beds correspond to cover beds and the competent beds to reservoir beds. In comparison with the Middle and Lower Yangtze plates, the physicomechanical parameters, lithologic composition and structural characteristics are basically similar to the Upper Yangtze plate. This comparison offers some insight into the oil and gas reservoir–cover systems in the region

  11. The fragmented character of Middle Palaeolithic stone tool technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turq, Alain; Roebroeks, Wil; Bourguignon, Laurence; Faivre, Jean-Philippe

    2013-11-01

    The importance of the transport of stone artefacts in structuring Neandertal lithic assemblages has often been addressed, but the degree to which this led to fragmentation of lithic reduction over Middle Palaeolithic landscapes has not been explicitly studied thus far. Large-scale excavations of Middle Palaeolithic open-air sites and refitting studies of the retrieved assemblages have yielded new, high-resolution data on the mobile aspects of Neandertal stone tool technology. In this paper, we integrate lithic technology and raw material data from recent studies of Middle Palaeolithic open-air and rock shelter sites in Western Europe. We demonstrate that the results of a variety of typological, technological (especially refitting), and lithological studies have important consequences for our knowledge of the acquisition of raw materials and subsequent production, usage and discard of stone artefacts in the Middle Palaeolithic. Neandertal production and use of stone tools was fragmented in three domains: the spatial, the temporal and the social domain. We show that this versatile segmentation of stone artefact handling strategies is a main determinant of the character of the Neandertal archaeological record. Our data testify to ubiquitous and continuous transport of stone artefacts of a wide variety of forms, picked by Neandertals using selection criteria that were sometimes far removed from what archaeologists have traditionally considered, and to some degree still consider, to be desired end products of knapping activities. The data presented here testify to the variability and versatility of Middle Palaeolithic stone tool technology, whose fragmented character created very heterogeneous archaeological assemblages, usually the product of a wide variety of independent import, use, discard and/or subsequent transport events. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Thermal history of rocks in southern San Joaquin Valley, California: evidence from fission-track analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naeser, N.D.; Naeser, C.W.; McCulloh, T.H.

    1990-01-01

    Fission-track analysis has been used to study the thermal and depositional history of the subsurface Tertiary sedimentary rocks on both sides of the active White Wolf reverse fault in the southern San Joaquin Valley. The distinctly different thermal histories of the rocks in the two structural blocks are clearly reflected in the apatite fission-track data, which suggest that rocks in the rapidly subsiding basin northwest of the fault have been near their present temperature for only about 1 m.y. compared with about 10 m.y. for rocks southeast of the fault. These estimates of heating time agree with previous estimates for these rocks. Zircon fission-track data indicate that the Tertiary sediments were derived from parent rocks of more than one age. However, from at least the Eocene to late Miocene or Pliocene, the major sediment source was rocks related to the youngest Sierra Nevada Mesozoic intrusive complexes, which are presently exposed east and south of the southern San Joaquin Valley. -from Authors

  13. Preliminary analysis of the potential for thermally-induced rock fracture around high-level waste containers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ratigan, J.L.

    1976-01-01

    The major results are: the development of parametric formulations relating the potential for thermally induced fracturing in the high-level radioactive waste repository concept to the elastic and thermal properties of the site rock and the depth of the excavation, and the recognition of a need to determine the actual ''failure envelope'' for any potential site rock in the laboratory and adjust the parametric relations appropriately. Analysis of five rock types indicated that none would experience elastic/brittle failure due to the thermal stresses induced by the introduction of a 5 kW heat source. However, the rock strengths and elastic properties are laboratory values and not in situ values

  14. Analysis of mercury in rock varnish samples in areas impacted by coal-fired power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nowinski, Piotr; Hodge, Vernon F.; Gerstenberger, Shawn; Cizdziel, James V.

    2013-01-01

    Rock varnish is a manganese–iron rich coating that forms on rocks, most often in arid climates. To assess its utility as an environmental monitor of mercury contamination, cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS) was used for analysis. Samples were collected in the fallout patterns of two coal-fired power plants in southern Nevada: the defunct Mohave Power Plant (MPP) and the operating Reid Gardner Power Plant (RGPP). The resultant Hg concentrations in rock varnishes were plotted as a function of the distance from each power plant. The highest concentrations of Hg occurred at locations that suggest the power plants are the main source of pollutants. In addition, past tracer plume studies carried out at MPP show that the highest tracer concentrations coincide with the highest rock varnish Hg concentrations. However, additional samples are required to further demonstrate that power plants are indeed the sources of mercury in varnishes. -- Highlights: •We analyze desert varnish samples collected in the fallout patterns of two coal-fired and analyzed for Hg by CVAA. •The resultant Hg concentrations in the desert varnish samples were plotted as a function of the distance from each power plant. •The highest concentrations of Hg occurred at locations that suggest the power plants are the main source of pollutants. •Data indicate the utility of desert varnish as a passive environmental monitor for Hg atmospheric pollution. -- Cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS) was used for analysis of mercury in varnished rocks collected in the fallout zones of two coal-fired power plants

  15. Evaluation of the instability problems in rock slopes surrounding historical Safranbolu by kinematic analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    İnan Keskin

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Safranbolu which has high probability for slope-induced disasters is a very worthwhile settlement for our country and also for the world with its historical and cultural heritage. Finding out potential hazards that may affect the wealth of this world heritage city is very crucial. The historic Safranbolu is surrounded by very steep rock slopes, and occasionally instability occurs in the rock mass that forms these slopes. The rock blocks that are relaesed in various causes and shapes can damage the historic town living spaces by creating a source for the rock fallings and moving down the slope in these very steep slopes. The rock slopes were evaluated by kinematic analysis in order to reduce the mentioned damages and to reveal potential hazards. In the study, characteristics of mass that causes rock fallings are analysed, kinematic controlled instability types are determined considering the obtained data and characteristic of slopes.

  16. Effect of diagenesis on pore pressures in fine-grained rocks in the Egersund Basin, Central North Sea

    OpenAIRE

    Kalani, Mohsen; Zadeh, Mohammad Koochak; Jahren, Jens; Mondol, Nazmul Haque; Faleide, Jan Inge

    2015-01-01

    - Pore pressure in fine-grained rocks is important with respect to drilling problems such as kicks, blowouts, borehole instability, stuck pipe and lost circulation. In this study, a succession of overpressured, fine-grained, sedimentary rocks located in the Egersund Basin, Central North Sea, was analysed with respect to mineralogical composition, source-rock maturation and log-derived petrophysical properties to highlight the effect of diagenetic processes on the pore pressure. Pe...

  17. Rock Physics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fabricius, Ida Lykke

    2017-01-01

    Rock physics is the discipline linking petrophysical properties as derived from borehole data to surface based geophysical exploration data. It can involve interpretation of both elastic wave propagation and electrical conductivity, but in this chapter focus is on elasticity. Rock physics is based...... on continuum mechanics, and the theory of elasticity developed for statics becomes the key to petrophysical interpretation of velocity of elastic waves. In practice, rock physics involves interpretation of well logs including vertical seismic profiling (VSP) and analysis of core samples. The results...

  18. STRAIN LOCALIZATION PECULIARITIES AND DISTRIBUTION OF ACOUSTIC EMISSION SOURCES IN ROCK SAMPLES TESTED BY UNIAXIAL COMPRESSION AND EXPOSED TO ELECTRIC PULSES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. A. Mubassarova

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Results of uniaxial compression tests of rock samples in electromagnetic fields are presented. The experiments were performed in the Laboratory of Basic Physics of Strength, Institute of Continuous Media Mechanics, Ural Branch of RAS (ICMM. Deformation of samples was studied, and acoustic emission (AE signals were recorded. During the tests, loads varied by stages. Specimens of granite from the Kainda deposit in Kyrgyzstan (similar to samples tested at the Research Station of RAS, hereafter RS RAS were subject to electric pulses at specified levels of compression load. The electric pulses supply was galvanic; two graphite electrodes were fixed at opposite sides of each specimen. The multichannel Amsy-5 Vallen System was used to record AE signals in the six-channel mode, which provided for determination of spatial locations of AE sources. Strain of the specimens was studied with application of original methods of strain computation based on analyses of optical images of deformed specimen surfaces in LaVISION Strain Master System.Acoustic emission experiment data were interpreted on the basis of analyses of the AE activity in time, i.e. the number of AE events per second, and analyses of signals’ energy and AE sources’ locations, i.e. defects.The experiment was conducted at ICMM with the use of the set of equipment with advanced diagnostic capabilities (as compared to earlier experiments described in [Zakupin et al., 2006a, 2006b; Bogomolov et al., 2004]. It can provide new information on properties of acoustic emission and deformation responses of loaded rock specimens to external electric pulses.The research task also included verification of reproducibility of the effect (AE activity when fracturing rates responded to electrical pulses, which was revealed earlier in studies conducted at RS RAS. In terms of the principle of randomization, such verification is methodologically significant as new effects, i.e. physical laws, can be considered

  19. Microstructural variation of vitrified floor tile incorporated with granitic rock waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Souza, A.J.; Holanda, J.N.F.

    2009-01-01

    The ornamental rock industry from Northwest Fluminense generates huge amounts of wastes in the form of a fine powder. These wastes are deposited in nature without any care about environmental degradation, which can cause damage to public health, pollution of the natural water sources, and silted banks of rivers. In addition, they also can to affect the landscape aesthetically. In this work was used a granitic rock waste from Santo Antonio de Padua-RJ. This waste is rich in alkaline oxides, which promote the formation of liquid phase and assist the densification of traditional ceramics. The ceramic bodies with up to 47.5% granitic rock waste were pressed at 50 MPa. The ceramic pieces were fired at 1250 deg C. The evolution of sintered microstructure was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The results showed that the granitic rock waste influences significantly the microstructure of the sintered ceramic bodies. (author)

  20. The seismic investigation of rock properties at the Carwynnen test mine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    New, B.M.

    1984-11-01

    The research described follows on from the seismic velocity tomography carried out previously at this site and describes an attempt to map the rock mass in terms of its attenuative properties. This is done by comparison of the spectral distributions of energy within wave packets observed at various distances from numerous source locations. The method was not found sensitive to the variations in natural rock condition at this site as the spectra were dominated by the effects of man-made openings and rock damage which appeared to control the energy input/output transfer function at each location. The seismic shadow caused by the presence of a major void in the area was clearly identified and suggested that similar observations could considerably enhance the value of velocity tomography techniques. Shear and compressional wave velocities are used to obtain estimates of the dynamic elastic properties of the rock mass. Brief recommendations regarding future seismic research are given. (author)

  1. Correlation chart of Pennsylvanian rocks in Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, and Pennsylvania showing approximate position of coal beds, coal zones, and key stratigraphic units: Chapter D.2 in Coal and petroleum resources in the Appalachian basin: distribution, geologic framework, and geochemical character

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruppert, Leslie F.; Trippi, Michael H.; Slucher, Ernie R.; Ruppert, Leslie F.; Ryder, Robert T.

    2014-01-01

    The Appalachian basin, one of the largest Pennsylvanian bituminous coal-producing regions in the world, currently contains nearly one-half of the top 15 coal-producing States in the United States (Energy Information Agency, 2006). Anthracite of Pennsylvanian age occurs in synclinal basins in eastern Pennsylvania, but production is minimal. A simplified correlation chart was compiled from published and unpublished sources as a means of visualizing currently accepted stratigraphic relations between the rock formations, coal beds, coal zones, and key stratigraphic units in Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. The thickness of each column is based on chronostratigraphic divisions (Lower, Middle, and Upper Pennsylvanian), not the thickness of strata. Researchers of Pennsylvanian strata in the Appalachian basin also use biostratigraphic markers and other relative and absolute geologic age associations between the rocks to better understand the spatial relations of the strata. Thus, the stratigraphic correlation data in this chart should be considered provisional and will be updated as coal-bearing rocks within the Appalachian coal regions continue to be evaluated.

  2. Mineral and rock chemistry of Mata da Corda Kamafugitic Rocks (Minas Gerais State, Brazil)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Albuquerque Sgarbi, Patricia B. de; Valenca, Joel G.

    1995-01-01

    The volcanic rocks of the Mata da Corda Formation (Upper Cretaceous) in Minas Gerais, Brazil, are mafic potassic to ultra potassic rocks of kamafugitic affinity containing essentially clinopyroxenes, perovskite, magnetite and occasionally olivine, phlogopite, melilite pseudomorphs and apatite. The felsic phases are kalsilite and/or leucite pseudomorphs. The rocks are classified as mafitites, leucitites and kalsilitites. The analysis of the available data of the rocks studied, based on the relevant aspects of the main proposals for the classification of alkaline mafic to ultramafic potassic rocks leads to the conclusion that Sahama's (1974) proposal to divide potassium rich alkaline rocks in two large families is the one to which the Mata da Corda rocks adapt best. According to this and the data in the literature on the mineralogy and mineral and rock chemistries of the other similar occurrences, these rocks may be interpreted as alkaline potassic to ultra potassic rocks of hamafugitic affinity. 11 figs., 5 tabs

  3. Natural radionuclides in the rocks of the Valle del Cervo Pluton in Piedmont.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sesana, Lucia; Fumagalli, Marco; Carnevale, Mauro; Polla, Giancarla; Facchini, Ugo; Colombo, Annita; Tunesi, Annalisa; De Capitani, Luisa; Rusconi, Rosella

    2006-01-01

    Monitoring of the gamma radiation in Valle del Cervo Pluton was performed by determining U and Th contents in the main rock types cropping out over the entire area and pertaining to the granitic complex, syenitic complex and monzonitic complex. In particular, syenitic rocks were largely used as building and ornamental materials (e.g. Sienite della Balma). All the samples are fresh and do not present joints or fractures filled with U minerals. In the crushed samples the activity of uranium varies from 346 to 764 Bq/kg. Concentration of thorium varies from 202 to 478 Bq/kg. For all the analysed rocks uranium activity is higher than thorium one. The lowest value of radioactive concentration is referred to rocks of the granitic complex. The most active rocks are syenites. The data confirm the high activities of Valle del Cervo rock types, strongly connected with high K content of the source magma (geochemical signature); on the contrary, the activity seems to be not related to the location of the samples.

  4. Pb, Sr and Nd isotope geological characteristics and its evolution of Jianchaling rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pang Chunyong; Chen Minyang; Xu Wenxin

    2003-01-01

    It has been a long time debatable subject on the raw material source and its genesis of Jianchaling ultrabasic rock, because the original rock phases, the original mineral compositions, texture and structure, even part of the chemical components of the rocks had been changed completely after many periods and phases of metamorphism. According to the content of Pb, Rb, Sr, Nd elements and their Pb, Sr, Nd isotope compositions of the rocks, together with the isotope geological age of late magmatic activities, the authors analyze the evolution of Pb, Sr, Nd isotope compositions, The inferred initiate Nd isotope ratio of ultrabasic rocks is 0.510233, lower than that of meteorite unity at a corresponding period, its ε Nd(T)>O; The initiate Sr ratios inferred by the isotope geological age ranges from 0.702735 to 0.719028; Projecting the lead isotope compositions on the Pb tectonic evolution model, the result indicates that the raw material of Jianchaling ultrabasic rock coming from the deplete upper mantle. The ultrabasic magma which enrich of Mg, Ni and less S intruded the crust and formed the Jianchaling ultrabasic rock at late Proterozoic era (927 Ma±). The forming time of serpentinite is mostly equal to the granitoid intruding time, showing the intrusion o flate acidic magma caused a large scale alteration of the ultrabasic rocks and formed the meta-ultrabasic phase rock observed today. (authors)

  5. Glaciation of alpine valleys: The glacier - debris-covered glacier - rock glacier continuum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Robert S.; Anderson, Leif S.; Armstrong, William H.; Rossi, Matthew W.; Crump, Sarah E.

    2018-06-01

    Alpine ice varies from pure ice glaciers to partially debris-covered glaciers to rock glaciers, as defined by the degree of debris cover. In many low- to mid-latitude mountain ranges, the few bare ice glaciers that do exist in the present climate are small and are found where snow is focused by avalanches and where direct exposure to radiation is minimized. Instead, valley heads are more likely to be populated by rock glaciers, which can number in the hundreds. These rock-cloaked glaciers represent some of the most identifiable components of the cryosphere today in low- to mid-latitude settings, and the over-steepened snouts pose an often overlooked hazard to travel in alpine terrain. Geomorphically, rock glaciers serve as conveyor belts atop which rock is pulled away from the base of cliffs. In this work, we show how rock glaciers can be treated as an end-member case that is captured in numerical models of glaciers that include ice dynamics, debris dynamics, and the feedbacks between them. Specifically, we focus on the transition from debris-covered glaciers, where the modern equilibrium line altitude (ELA) intersects the topography, to rock glaciers, where the modern ELA lies above the topography. On debris-covered glaciers (i.e., glaciers with a partial rock mantle), rock delivered to the glacier from its headwall, or from sidewall debris swept into the glacier at tributary junctions, travels englacially to emerge below the ELA. There it accumulates on the surface and damps the rate of melt of underlying ice. This allows the termini of debris-covered glaciers to extend beyond debris-free counterparts, thereby decreasing the ratio of accumulation area to total area of the glacier (AAR). In contrast, rock glaciers (i.e., glaciers with a full rock mantle) occur where and when the environmental ELA rises above the topography. They require avalanches and rockfall from steep headwalls. The occurrence of rock glaciers reflects this dependence on avalanche sources

  6. Palladium, platinum, rhodium, iridium and ruthenium in chromite- rich rocks from the Samail ophiolite, Oman.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Page, N.J.; Pallister, J.S.; Brown, M.A.; Smewing, J.D.; Haffty, J.

    1982-01-01

    30 samples of chromitite and chromite-rich rocks from two stratigraphic sections, 250 km apart, through the basal ultramafic member of the Samail ophiolite were spectrographically analysed for platinum-group elements (PGE) and for Co, Cu, Ni and V. These data are reported as are Cr/(Cr + Al), Mg/(Mg + Fe) and wt.% TiO2 for most samples. The chromitite occurs as pods or lenses in rocks of mantle origin or as discontinuous layers at the base of the overlying cumulus sequence. PGE abundances in both sections are similar, with average contents in chromite-rich rocks: Pd 8 ppb, Pt 14 ppb, Rh 6 ppb, Ir 48 ppb and Ru 135 ppb. The PGE data, combined with major-element and petrographic data on the chromitite, suggest: 1) relatively larger Ir and Ru contents and highest total PGE in the middle part of each section; 2) PGE concentrations and ratios do not correlate with coexisting silicate and chromite abundances or chromite compositions; 3) Pd/PGE, on average, increases upward in each section; 4) Samail PGE concentrations, particularly Rh, Pt and Pd, are lower than the average values for chromite-rich rocks in stratiform intrusions. 2) suggests that PGEs occur in discrete alloy or sulphide phases rather than in the major oxides or silicates, and 4) suggests that chromite-rich rocks from the oceanic upper mantle are depleted in PGE with respect to chondrites. L.C.C.

  7. Geochemical and isotopic characteristics of volcanic rocks from the northern East China Sea shelf margin and the Okinawa Trough

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    ZENG Zhigang; YU Shaoxiong; WANG Xiaoyuan; FU Yongtao; YIN Xuebo; ZHANG Guoliang; WANG Xiaomei; CHEN Shuai

    2010-01-01

    Volcanic rocks both from the northern East China Sea (NECS) shelf margin and the northern Okinawa Trough are subalkaline less aluminous,and lower in High Field Strength Elements (HFSE).These rocks are higher in Large Ion Lithophile Elements (LILE),thorium and uranium contents,positive lead anomalies,negative Nb-Ta anomalies,and enrichment in Light Rare Earth Elements (LREE).Basalts from the NECS shelf margin are akin to Indian Ocean Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB),and rhyolites from the northern Okinawa Trough have the highest 207Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/204Pb ratios.The NECS shelf margin basalts have lower 87Sr/86Sr ratios,εNd and σ18O than the northern Okinawa Trough silicic rocks.According to 40K-40Ar isotopic ages of basalts from the NECS shelf margin,rifting of the Okinawa Trough may have been active since at least 3.65-3.86 Ma.The origin of the NECS shelf margin basalt can be explained by the interaction of melt derived from Indian Ocean MORB-like mantle with enriched subcontinental lithosphere.The basalts from both sides of the Okinawa Trough may have a similar origin during the initial rifting of the Okinawa Trough,and the formation of basaltic magmas closely relates to the thinning of continental crust.The source of the formation of the northern Okinawa Trough silicic rocks was different from that of the middle Okinawa Trough,which could have been generated by the interaction of basaltic melt with an enriched crustal component.From the Ryukyu island arc to East China,the Cenozoic basalts have apparently increasing trends of MgO contents and ratios of LREE to Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREE),suggesting that the trace element variabilities of basalts may have been influenced by the subduction of the Philippine Sea plate,and that the effects of subduction of the Philippine Sea plate on the chemical composition of basaltic melts have had a decreasing effect from the Ryukyu island arc to East China.

  8. Comments to Middle Miocene closure of the Central American Seaway

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coates, A.G.; Stallard, Robert F.

    2016-01-01

    In a recent paper proposing an early (mid-Miocene) closure of the Central American Seaway (CAS), Montes et al. 2015 (1) disregard existing paleogeographic data that invalidate Panama as a source for zircons, and inappropriately ignore the evidence for trans-isthmian marine connections until 4-3 Ma. They also fail to cite previous work (2, 3), that had reconstructed the Central American arc already docked with South America by 12 Ma. Montes et al. 2015 (1) (Fig. 1) disregard the Atrato-San Juan sedimentary basin (3), a shallowing Oligocene to Pliocene, Pacific to Caribbean seaway (3, 4, 5). This deep graben (6) is filled with thousands of meters of Pre-Pliocene marine sediments (3, 5, 6) that now occupy a lowland between the Baudo uplift to the west and the Western Cordillera to the east. The Mande Batholith and numerous Eocene and younger volcanic rocks (4), the most proximal source of the zircons, are situated to the east of this seaway and would have shed zircons eastward towards the Cordillera Central. There is no evidence for any rivers crossing the seaway (3, 5), and thus no Panamanian source of zircons. Instead this seaway is evidence of a significant marine connection between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans into the Pliocene. The authors assume that the middle Miocene closure of the CAS effectively creates a continuous land bridge connecting North and South America and separating the Atlantic from the Pacific. They acknowledge, but then discount, marine connections across the Isthmus until 4-3 Ma even though these satisfactorily explain (Coates and Stallard, 2014 (6)) the oceanographic, molecular and Great American Biological Interchange events ignore unexplained by Montes et al. 2015. Only by conspicuously ignoring these events can they imply that the Isthmus was formed at 15-13 Ma. References 1. C. Montes et al., Middle Miocene closure of the Central American Seaway. Science 348, 226-229 (2015). 2. A. G. Coates, R. F. Stallard, How old is the Isthmus of

  9. Sangkulirang Mangkalihat: The Earliest Prehistoric Rock-Art in the World

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imam Gozali Sumantri, Dirga; Soeria Atmadja, Dicky A. S.; Setiawan, Pindi

    2018-05-01

    Borneo island, a part of Sundaland - a great mainland in South East Asia thousands of years ago - is the largest island in Indonesian Archipelago. In the middle-eastern of East Borneo, lies a peninsula karst region named Sangkulirang Mangkalihat. The region's biodiversity contains many species of flora and fauna which are part of karst ecosystem. Surprisingly, thousands prehistoric rock art paintings and engraving were found here, spread over 48 inland caves in seven different karst mountain areas. The rock arts are painted on the ceiling, wall, and hollow of the cave depends on the meaning. They illustrate forms such as spiritual images (zoomorphic and antropomorphic) for sacred spiritual meaning, and social phenomenon images (tools and weapons) for description of daily life. From all those rock-arts, hand paintings are the most common elements appeared. Compared to other paintings, these are the only negative images using different techniques. Radiocarbon dating indicated that the rock-arts at Tewet Cave in Sangkulirang Mangkalihat is 40,000 BP. It is much earlier compared to Lascaux Cave (35,400 BP) and Chauvet Cave (32,000) in France which were previously known as the earliest one in the world. Rock arts and some archeological findings also indicate the migration of Austronesian People. During the migration, Borneo's climate and land cover were changing from time to time. Continental climate occurred when all Sundaland was still dry (40,000-21,000 BP), followed by tropical savanna climate and archipelagic climate (12,000-7.000 BP), and then Tropical Rainforest consecutively (1,000 BP). Correlatively, geological interpretations from such areas indicate land cover changes. These changes effected Austronesian ways of living, e.g. from hunting to fishing, and were depicted clearly on their paintings. Today, - as observed from time series satellite images - industrial activities such as karst exploitation for cement production and land clearing for palm

  10. Rock History and Culture

    OpenAIRE

    Gonzalez, Éric

    2013-01-01

    Two ambitious works written by French-speaking scholars tackle rock music as a research object, from different but complementary perspectives. Both are a definite must-read for anyone interested in the contextualisation of rock music in western popular culture. In Une histoire musicale du rock (i.e. A Musical History of Rock), rock music is approached from the point of view of the people – musicians and industry – behind the music. Christophe Pirenne endeavours to examine that field from a m...

  11. Across and along arc geochemical variations in altered volcanic rocks: Evidence from mineral chemistry of Jurassic lavas in northern Chile, and tectonic implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossel, Pablo; Oliveros, Verónica; Ducea, Mihai N.; Hernandez, Laura

    2015-12-01

    Postmagmatic processes mask the original whole-rock chemistry of most Mesozoic igneous rocks from the Andean arc and back-arc units preserved in Chile. Mineral assemblages corresponding to subgreenschist metamorphic facies and/or propylitic hydrothermal alteration are ubiquitous in volcanic and plutonic rocks, suggesting element mobility at macroscopic and microscopic scale. However, fresh primary phenocrysts of clinopyroxene and plagioclase do occur in some of the altered rocks. We use major and trace element chemistry of such mineral phases to infer the geochemical variations of four Jurassic arc and four back-arc units from northern Chile. Clinopyroxene belonging to rocks of the main arc and two units of the bark-arc are augites with low contents of HFSE and REE; they originated from melting of an asthenospheric mantle source. Clinopyroxenes from a third back-arc unit show typical OIB affinities, with high Ti and trace element contents and low Si. Trace elemental variations in clinopyroxenes from these arc and back-arc units suggest that olivine and clinopyroxene were the main fractionating phases during early stages of magma evolution. The last back-arc unit shows a broad spectrum of clinopyroxene compositions that includes depleted arc-like augite, high Al and high Sr-Ca diopside (adakite-like signature). The origin of these lavas is the result of melting of a mixture of depleted mantle plus Sr-rich sediments and subsequent high pressure fractionation of garnet. Thermobarometric calculations suggest that the Jurassic arc and back-arc magmatism had at least one crustal stagnation level where crystallization and fractionation took place, located at ca. ~ 8-15 km. The depth of this stagnation level is consistent with lower-middle crust boundary in extensional settings. Crystallization conditions calculated for high Al diopsides suggest a deeper stagnation level that is not consistent with a thinned back-arc continental crust. Thus minor garnet fractionation

  12. Rock-Bound Arsenic Influences Ground Water and Sediment Chemistry Throughout New England

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, Gilpin R.; Ayotte, Joseph D.

    2007-01-01

    The information in this report was presented at the Northeastern Region Geological Society of America meeting held March 11-14, 2007, in Durham, New Hampshire. In the New England crystalline bedrock aquifer, concentrations of arsenic that exceed the drinking water standard of 10 ?g/L occur most frequently in ground water from wells sited in specific metamorphic and igneous rock units. Geochemical investigations indicate that these geologic units typically have moderately elevated whole-rock concentrations of arsenic compared to other rocks in the region. The distribution of ground water wells with As > 5 ?g/L has a strong spatial correlation with specific bedrock units where average whole-rock concentrations of arsenic exceed 1.1 mg/kg and where geologic and geochemical factors produce high pH ground water. Arsenic concentrations in stream sediments collected from small drainages reflect the regional distribution of this natural arsenic source and have a strong correlation with both rock chemistry and the distribution of bedrock units with elevated arsenic chemistry. The distribution of ground water wells with As > 5 ?g/L has a strong spatial correlation with the distribution of stream sediments where concentrations of arsenic exceed 6 mg/kg. Stream sediment chemistry also has a weak correlation with the distribution of agricultural lands where arsenical pesticides were used on apple, blueberry, and potato crops. Elevated arsenic concentrations in bedrock wells, however, do not correlate with agricultural areas where arsenical pesticides were used. These results indicate that both stream sediment chemistry and the solubility and mobility of arsenic in ground water in bedrock are influenced by host-rock arsenic concentrations. Stream sediment chemistry and the distribution of geologic units have been found to be useful parameters to predict the areas of greatest concern for elevated arsenic in ground water and to estimate the likely levels of human exposure to

  13. Big Rock Point: 35 years of electrical generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petrosky, T.D.

    1998-01-01

    On September 27, 1962, the 75 MWe boiling water reactor, designed and built by General Electric, of the Big Rock Point Nuclear Power Station went critical for the first time. The US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and the plant operator, Consumers Power, had designed the plant also as a research reactor. The first studies were devoted to fuel behavior, higher burnup, and materials research. The reactor was also used for medical technology: Co-60 radiation sources were produced for the treatment of more than 120,000 cancer patients. After the accident at the Three Mile Island-2 nuclear generating unit in 1979, Big Rock Point went through an extensive backfitting phase. Personnel from numerous other American nuclear power plants were trained at the simulator of Big Rock Point. The plant was decommissioned permanently on August 29, 1997 after more than 35 years of operation and a cumulated electric power production of 13,291 GWh. A period of five to seven years is estimated for decommissioning and demolition work up to the 'green field' stage. (orig.) [de

  14. Apollo rocks, fines and soil cores

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allton, J.; Bevill, T.

    Apollo rocks and soils not only established basic lunar properties and ground truth for global remote sensing, they also provided important lessons for planetary protection (Adv. Space Res ., 1998, v. 22, no. 3 pp. 373-382). The six Apollo missions returned 2196 samples weighing 381.7 kg, comprised of rocks, fines, soil cores and 2 gas samples. By examining which samples were allocated for scientific investigations, information was obtained on usefulness of sampling strategy, sampling devices and containers, sample types and diversity, and on size of sample needed by various disciplines. Diversity was increased by using rakes to gather small rocks on the Moon and by removing fragments >1 mm from soils by sieving in the laboratory. Breccias and soil cores are diverse internally. Per unit weight these samples were more often allocated for research. Apollo investigators became adept at wringing information from very small sample sizes. By pushing the analytical limits, the main concern was adequate size for representative sampling. Typical allocations for trace element analyses were 750 mg for rocks, 300 mg for fines and 70 mg for core subsamples. Age-dating and isotope systematics allocations were typically 1 g for rocks and fines, but only 10% of that amount for core depth subsamples. Historically, allocations for organics and microbiology were 4 g (10% for cores). Modern allocations for biomarker detection are 100mg. Other disciplines supported have been cosmogenic nuclides, rock and soil petrology, sedimentary volatiles, reflectance, magnetics, and biohazard studies . Highly applicable to future sample return missions was the Apollo experience with organic contamination, estimated to be from 1 to 5 ng/g sample for Apollo 11 (Simonheit &Flory, 1970; Apollo 11, 12 &13 Organic contamination Monitoring History, U.C. Berkeley; Burlingame et al., 1970, Apollo 11 LSC , pp. 1779-1792). Eleven sources of contaminants, of which 7 are applicable to robotic missions, were

  15. Regional stratigraphy, sedimentology, and tectonic significance of Oligocene-Miocene sedimentary and volcanic rocks, northern Baja California, Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dorsey, Rebecca J.; Burns, Beverly

    1994-01-01

    Upper Oligocene (?) to middle Miocene sedimentary and volcanic rocks in northern Baja California were deposited along the western margin of North America during subduction of the Guadalupe plate and southward migration of the Rivera Triple Junction. Regional mapping and compilation of stratigraphic data reveal a sequence of three regionally traceable stratigraphic units. (1) Oligocene (?) to lower Miocene Mesa Formation: basal quartz-rich fluvial sandstone, grus, conglomerate, and accessory facies, whose detrital compositions reflect the composition of local pre-Tertiary basement rock. (2) Lower to middle Miocene Comondú Formation: laterally variable sequence of volcaniclastic conglomerate, breccia, sandstone, tuff and minor volcanic flow units. (3) Widespread mesa-capping rhyolite tuff, typically welded and crystal-rich, probably upper Miocene in age. The Mesa Formation overlies a highly irregular and deeply dissected erosional surface developed on pre-Tertiary basement rock. The shift from pre-Mesa erosion to widespread (though localized) deposition and valley-filling records the final phase of late Cretaceous to middle Tertiary regional subsidence and eastward transgression that resulted from slow cooling and thermal contraction of Cretaceous arc crust during a temporal gap in magmatic activity along the western Cordilleran margin. Nonmarine sediments of the Mesa Formation were deposited in small, steep-walled paleovalleys and basins that gradually filled and evolved to form through-going, low-energy ephemeral stream systems. The gradational upward transition from the Mesa to Comondú Formation records the early to middle Miocene onset of subduction-related arc magmatism in eastern Baja California and related westward progradation of alluvial volcaniclastic aprons shed from high-standing eruptive volcanic centers. Pre-existing streams were choked with the new influx of volcanic detritus, causing the onset of rapid sediment deposition by stream flows and dilute

  16. Thermomechanical stability of underground installations: significance of the thermophysical properties of rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mirkovich, V.

    1981-01-01

    When heat is generated in an underground installation, there are several interdependent factors-such as the rate of heat dissipation, changes in this rate with temperature, or the effects of thermal gradients and thermal expansivities-which influence the stability of the rock mass. To evaluate the thermomechanical stability of a proposed site for an underground nuclear power station, rock specimens from a 300 m deep drill core were obtained, and their thermal diffusivity and linear thermal expansion were measured between 25 0 C and 500 0 C. The thermal conductivity was also measured, in the temperature range 100-500 0 C. Under normal operating conditions, heat transfer to the surface of the rock mass surrounding the power installation would be low. However, in some contingencies, this heat load could become large. The results are discussed from the point of view of the stability of a rock enclosure at higher heat fluxes; they indicate that the rocks studied would, in general, not be suitable as an unprotected wall for containment of such a heat source. (author)

  17. Analytical Solution of Displacements Around Circular Openings in Generalized Hoek-Brown Rocks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huang Houxu

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The rock in plastic region is divided into numbers of elements by the slip lines, resulted from shear localization. During the deformation process, the elements will slip along the slip lines and the displacement field is discontinuous. Slip lines around circular opening in isotropic rock, subjected to hydrostatic stress are described by the logarithmic spirals. Deformation of the plastic region is mainly attributed to the slippage. Relationship between the shear stresses and slippage on slip lines is presented, based on the study of Revuzhenko and Shemyakin. Relations between slippage and rock failure are described, based on the elastic-brittle-plastic model. An analytical solution is presented for the plane strain analysis of displacements around circular openings in the Generalized Hoek-Brown rock. With properly choosing of slippage parameters, results obtained by using the proposed solution agree well with those presented in published sources.

  18. Investigation on the Vibration Effect of Shock Wave in Rock Burst by In Situ Microseismic Monitoring

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mingshi Gao

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Rock burst is a physical explosion associated with enormous damage at a short time. Due to the complicity of mechanics of rock burst in coal mine roadway, the direct use of traditional investigation method applied in tunnel is inappropriate since the components of surrounding rock are much more complex in underground than that of tunnel. In addition, the reliability of the results obtained through these methods (i.e., physical simulation, theoretical analysis, and monitoring in filed application is still not certain with complex geological conditions. Against this background, present experimental study was first ever conducted at initial site to evaluate the effect of shock wave during the rock burst. TDS-6 microseismic monitoring system was set up in situ to evaluate the propagation of shock wave resulting in microexplosions of roadway surrounding rock. Various parameters including the distance of epicentre and the characteristic of response have been investigated. Detailed test results revealed that (1 the shock wave attenuated exponentially with the increase of the distance to seismic source according to the equation of E=E0e-ηl; particularly, the amplitude decreased significantly after being 20 m apart from explosive resource and then became very weak after being 30 m apart from the seismic source; (2 the response mechanics are characteristic with large scatter based on the real location of surrounding rock despite being at the same section. That is, the surrounding rock of floor experienced serious damage, followed by ribs, the roof, and the humeral angles. This in situ experimental study also demonstrated that microseismic monitoring system can be effectively used in rock burst through careful setup and data investigation. The proposed in situ monitoring method has provided a new way to predict rock burst due to its simple instalment procedure associated with direct and reasonable experimental results.

  19. Lacustrine basin evolution and coal accumulation of the Middle Jurassic in the Saishiteng coalfield, northern Qaidam Basin, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meng Li

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Based on an extensive borehole survey of the Middle Jurassic coal-bearing sequences in the Saishiteng coalfield, northern Qaidam Basin (NQB, a total of 20 rock types and 5 sedimentary facies were identified, including braided river, meandering river, braided delta, meandering river delta, and lacustrine facies. The distribution of rock types and sedimentary facies contributed to the reconstruction of three periods' sedimentary facies maps of the Middle Jurassic in the Saishiteng coalfield, namely, the Dameigou age, the early Shimengou age and the late Shimengou age. That also provided the basis for the development of a three-stage depositional model of the Middle Jurassic in the NQB, indicating the lacustrine basin of the NQB in the Dameigou age and early Shimengou age were corresponding to an overfill basin, and that in the late Shimengou age was related to a balanced-fill basin. The analysis of the stability and structure of coal seams based on sedimentary facies maps showed that the preferred coal-forming facies in the Saishiteng coalfield were inter-delta bay and interdistributary bay of lower delta plain in the Dameigou age. In particular, the swamps that developed on the subaqueous palaeohigh favored the development of thick coal seams. Thus, minable coal seams may also be found along the Pingtai palaeohigh in the western part of the Saishiteng coalfield.

  20. Middle proterozoic supra crustal and brazilian orogeny in the southeast Ceara state: a mono cyclic evolution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sa, J.M.; Bezerra, F.H.R.; Freitas Macedo, M.H. de; Pereira, R.

    1988-01-01

    The Oros belt is situated in the southeastern part of Ceara state, Brazil, and geologically pertains to the Borborema province. This belt comprises a volcano-sedimentary sequence of middle proterozoic age resting unconformably upon basement of Archean/low proterozoic age. In the geological map of Ceara state, this belt displays an elongate shape towards N-S, turning to ENE-WSW in the south, and reaches 12 km wide in the central park. This paper describes the relationships between the country rocks and the supra crustal sequence, as well as the plutonic intrusions and their tectonic metamorphic evolution. New Rb-Sr whole-rock dates are presented which are very important to separate anorogenic and syn-orogenic granites. (author)

  1. Literature Search and Analysis for Cultural Resources in Areas 1 through 5 of the Rock River, Illinois

    Science.gov (United States)

    1982-03-01

    el Mundo Centroamericano de Su Tiempo (Vu Centenario de Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo). San Jose, Costa Rica: Editorial Texto Ltda.), pp. 149- 156...elsewhere. For example, in Tennessee the Stanley-type cluster , an evolutionary variant of the bifurcated-base tradition, marks a diagnostic Middle...Mississippian groups functioned as middlemen for trade along the Rock River. The cluster of Upper Mississip- pian sites in the Sterling area may have

  2. Integrated system for investigating sub-surface features of a rock formation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vu, Cung Khac; Skelt, Christopher; Nihei, Kurt; Johnson, Paul A.; Guyer, Robert; Ten Cate, James A.; Le Bas, Pierre -Yves; Larmat, Carene S.

    2015-08-18

    A system for investigating non-linear properties of a rock formation around a borehole is provided. The system includes a first sub-system configured to perform data acquisition, control and recording of data; a second subsystem in communication with the first sub-system and configured to perform non-linearity and velocity preliminary imaging; a third subsystem in communication with the first subsystem and configured to emit controlled acoustic broadcasts and receive acoustic energy; a fourth subsystem in communication with the first subsystem and the third subsystem and configured to generate a source signal directed towards the rock formation; and a fifth subsystem in communication with the third subsystem and the fourth subsystem and configured to perform detection of signals representative of the non-linear properties of the rock formation.

  3. Learning the Language of Earth Science: Middle School Students' Explorations of Rocks and Minerals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reid-Griffin, Angelia

    2016-01-01

    The approaches and interpretations of a class of 6th graders and a class of 8th graders in a U.S. middle school asked to engage in tasks that involved using observations to describe and classify samples is the subject of this paper. Overall 8th graders were better able to perform the tasks, suggesting a developmental advantage aspect. However, the…

  4. 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)

  5. Rapid formation of rock armour for soil - rock fragment mixture during simulated rainfall

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poultney, E.; McGrath, G. S.; Hinz, C.

    2009-04-01

    Preventing erosion is an important issue in disturbed semi-arid and arid landscapes. This is in particular of highest importance for mining companies while undertaking land rehabilitation. An onsite investigation of the impact of surface rock fragments on erosion was conducted at Telfer goldmine in the Great Sandy Desert, Western Australia. The study site is a waste rock dump designed to mimic the concave slope of a natural mesa to both discourage erosion and blend in with its natural surroundings. Four treatments were used to construct the slope: two are topsoil mixed with rock fragments, and two are unmixed topsoil. A field study investigating erosion rills, particle size distribution, rock fragment coverage surface roughness and vegetation was carried out to determine changes down and across slope. The treatments constructed by mixing topsoil and rock fragments are more stable and show rock fragment distributions that more closely resemble patterns found on natural mesas surrounding Telfer. A controlled study using trays of topsoil mixed with rock fragment volumes of 50%, 60%, 70% and 80% were used to investigate how varying mixtures of rock fragments and topsoil erode using rainfall intensities between 20 and 100 mm h-1. Two runs of 25 minutes each were used to assess the temporal evolution of rock armouring. Surface coverage results converged for the 50%, 60% and 70% mixtures after the first run to coverage of about 90%, suggesting that fine sediment proportion does not affect rate and degree of rock armouring.

  6. Extracting real-crack properties from non-linear elastic behaviour of rocks: abundance of cracks with dominating normal compliance and rocks with negative Poisson ratios

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Y. Zaitsev

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Results of examination of experimental data on non-linear elasticity of rocks using experimentally determined pressure dependences of P- and S-wave velocities from various literature sources are presented. Overall, over 90 rock samples are considered. Interpretation of the data is performed using an effective-medium description in which cracks are considered as compliant defects with explicitly introduced shear and normal compliances without specifying a particular crack model with an a priori given ratio of the compliances. Comparison with the experimental data indicated abundance (∼ 80 % of cracks with the normal-to-shear compliance ratios that significantly exceed the values typical of conventionally used crack models (such as penny-shaped cuts or thin ellipsoidal cracks. Correspondingly, rocks with such cracks demonstrate a strongly decreased Poisson ratio including a significant (∼ 45 % portion of rocks exhibiting negative Poisson ratios at lower pressures, for which the concentration of not yet closed cracks is maximal. The obtained results indicate the necessity for further development of crack models to account for the revealed numerous examples of cracks with strong domination of normal compliance. Discovering such a significant number of naturally auxetic rocks is in contrast to the conventional viewpoint that occurrence of a negative Poisson ratio is an exotic fact that is mostly discussed for artificial structures.

  7. Geohydrology of rocks penetrated by test well USW H-6, Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Craig, R.W.; Reed, R.L.

    1991-01-01

    Test well USW H-6 is one of several wells drilled in the Yucca Mountain area near the southwestern part of the Nevada Test Site for investigations related to isolation of high-level nuclear waste. This well was drilled to a depth of 1,220 meters. Rocks penetrated are predominantly ash-flow tuffs of Tertiary age, with the principal exception of dacitic(?) lave penetrated at a depth from 877 to 1,126 meters. The composite static water level was about 526 meters below the land surface; the hydraulic head increased slightly with depth. Most permeability in the saturated zone is in two fractured intervals in Crater Flat Tuff. Based on well-test data using the transitional part of a dual-porosity solution, an interval of about 15 meters in the middle part of the Bullfrog Member of the Crater Flat Tuff has a calculated transmissivity of about 140 meters squared per day, and an interval of about 11 meters in the middle part of the Tram Member of the Crater Flat Tuff has a calculated transmissivity of about 75 meters squared per day. The upper part of the Bullfrog Member has a transmissivity of about 20 meters squared per day. The maximum likely transmissivity of any rocks penetrated by the test well is about 480 meters squared per day, based on a recharge-boundary model. The remainder of the open hole had no detectable production. Matrix hydraulic conductivity ranges from less than 5 x 10 -5 to 1 x 10 -3 meter per day. Ground water is a sodium bicarbonate type that is typical of water from tuffaceous rock of southern Nevada. The apparent age of the water is about 14,6000 years. 29 refs., 26 figs., 5 tabs

  8. Comparative efficiency of high (trip super phosphate) and low (rock phosphate) grade p nutrition source enriched with organic amendment in maize crop

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sabah, N.U.; Sarwar, G.; Tahir, M.A.

    2016-01-01

    Pakistan falls under arid to semi-arid climate and therefore, Pakistani soils are sufferer of phosphorus deficiency. Costly phosphatic commercial fertilizers and their unavailability at the time of crop demand is the burning issue in Pakistan. Under such circumstances, use of locally available rock phosphate (RP) grasps the interest of researchers now a day. Pakistan has blessed with considerable quantity of cheaper low grade RP in Abbottabad and Hazara districts of KPK province. Due to this scenario, a pot experiment was carried out to evaluate growth efficiency of maize crop by adding organic manure fortified with RP in comparison with TSP in normal soil (pHs= 8.15, ECe= 1.28 dSm-1, SAR = 4.77 mmol L-1, saturation percentage = 29% and sandy clay loam texture). The study was comprised of 7 treatments replicated three times including: T1 = Control (0 P); T2 = Recommended NK + organic material; T3 = Recommended NK + RRP; T4 = Recommended NK + RRP + OM; T5 = Recommended NK + TSP; T6 = Recommended NK + TSP + OM and T7 = N + K + TSP + 0.5 Organic manure. It was concluded that integrated use of organic amendment with RP (Local Hazara Red Rock Phosphate) and TSP proved superior as compared to their sole use on maize crop growth. A significant increase in available P concentration of the growth medium was observed due to addition of organic material along with TSP as a source of P. Addition of organic material also enhanced the soil carbon level as compared to control. It can be concluded that rock phosphate (RP) could be an effective and economic substitution for TSP when it is integrated with suitable organic amendment with specific size. (author)

  9. Elemental geochemistry of sedimentary rocks at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    McLennan, S.M.; Anderson, R.B.; Bell III, J.F.; Bridges, J.C.; Calef III, F.; Campbell, J.L.; Clark, B.C.; Clegg, S.; Conrad, P.; Cousin, A.; Des Marais, D.J.; Dromart, G.; Dyar, M.D.; Edgar, L.A.; Ehlmann, B.L.; Fabre, C.; Forni, O.; Gasnault, O.; Gellert, R.; Gordon, S.; Grant, J.A.; Grotzinger, J.P.; Gupta, S.; Herkenhoff, K.E.; Hurowitz, J.A.; King, P.L.; Mouélic, S.L.; Leshin, L.A.; Léveillé, R.; Lewis, K.W.; Mangold, N.; Maurice, S.; Ming, D.W.; Morris, R.V.; Nachon, M.; Newsom, H.E.; Ollila, A.M.; Perrett, G.M.; Rice, M.S.; Schmidt, M.E.; Schwenzer, S.P.; Stack, K.; Stolper, E.M.; Sumner, D.Y.; Treiman, A.H.; VanBommel, S.; Vaniman, D.T.; Vasavada, A.; Wiens, R.C.; Yingst, R.A.; ten Kate, Inge Loes|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/292012217

    2014-01-01

    Sedimentary rocks examined by the Curiosity rover at Yellowknife Bay, Mars, were derived from sources that evolved from an approximately average martian crustal composition to one influenced by alkaline basalts. No evidence of chemical weathering is preserved, indicating arid, possibly cold,

  10. Development of artificial soft rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kishi, Kiyoshi

    1995-01-01

    When foundation base rocks are deeper than the level of installing structures or there exist weathered rocks and crushed rocks in a part of base rocks, often sound artificial base rocks are made by substituting the part with concrete. But in the construction of Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Station of Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc., the foundation base rocks consist of mudstone, and the stiffness of concrete is large as compared with the surrounding base rocks. As the quality of the substituting material, the nearly same stiffness as that of the surrounding soft rocks and long term stability are suitable, and the excellent workability and economical efficiency are required, therefore, artificial soft rocks were developed. As the substituting material, the soil mortar that can obtain the physical property values in stable form, which are similar to those of Nishiyama mudstone, was selected. The mechanism of its hardening and the long term stability, and the manufacturing plant are reported. As for its application to the base rocks of Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Station, the verification test at the site and the application to the base rocks for No. 7 plant reactor building and other places are described. (K.I.)

  11. Rock mechanics related to Jurassic underburden at Valdemar oil field

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Foged, Niels

    1999-01-01

    .It has been initiated as a feasibility study of the North Jens-1 core 12 taken in the top Jurassic clay shale as a test specimens for integrated petrological, mineralogical and rock mechanical studies. Following topics are studied:(1) Pore pressure generation due to conversion of organic matter...... and deformation properties of the clay shale using the actual core material or outcrop equivalents.(3) Flushing mechanisms for oil and gas from source rocks due to possibly very high pore water pressure creating unstable conditions in deeply burried sedimentsThere seems to be a need for integrating the knowledge...... in a number of geosciences to the benefit of common understanding of important reservoir mechanisms. Rock mechanics and geotechnical modelling might be key points for this understanding of reservoir geology and these may constitute a platform for future research in the maturing and migration from the Jurassic...

  12. Candidate sites for future hot-dry-rock development in the United States

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goff, F.; Decker, E.R.

    1982-12-01

    Generalized geologic and other data are tabulated for 24 potential hot dry rock (HDR) sites in the contiguous United States. The data show that HDR resources occur in many geologic and tectonic settings. Potential reservoir rocks at each prospect are described and each system is cateogrized accoridng to inferred heat sources. The Fenton Hill area in New Mexico is discussed in detail because this region may be considered ideal for HDR development. Three other prospectively valuable localities are described: The Geysers-Clear lake region in California, the Roosevelt Hot Springs area in Utah, and the White Mountains region in New Hampshire. These areas are singled out to illustrate the roles of significantly different geology and geophysics, reservoir rocks, and reservoir heat contents in possible HDR developments.

  13. The Vaigat Rock Avalanche Laboratory, west-central Greenland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunning, S.; Rosser, N. J.; Szczucinski, W.; Norman, E. C.; Benjamin, J.; Strzelecki, M.; Long, A. J.; Drewniak, M.

    2013-12-01

    Rock avalanches have unusually high mobility and pose both an immediate hazard, but also produce far-field impacts associated with dam breach, glacier collapse and where they run-out into water, tsunami. Such secondary hazards can often pose higher risks than the original landslide. The prediction of future threats posed by potential rock avalanches is heavily reliant upon understanding of the physics derived from an interpretation of deposits left by previous events, yet drawing comparisons between multiple events is normally challenging as interactions with complex mountainous terrain makes deposits from each event unique. As such numerical models and the interpretation of the underlying physics which govern landslide mobility is commonly case-specific and poorly suited to extrapolation beyond the single events the model is tuned to. Here we present a high-resolution LiDAR and hyperspectral dataset captured across a unique cluster of large rock avalanche source areas and deposits in the Vaigat straight, west central Greenland. Vaigat offers the unprecedented opportunity to model a sample of > 15 rock avalanches of various age sourced from an 80 km coastal escarpment. At Vaigat many of the key variables (topography, geology, post-glacial history) are held constant across all landslides providing the chance to investigate the variations in dynamics and emplacement style related to variable landslide volume, drop-heights, and thinning/spreading over relatively simple, unrestricted run-out zones both onto land and into water. Our data suggest that this region represents excellent preservation of landslide deposits, and hence is well suited to calibrate numerical models of run out dynamics. We use this data to aid the interpretation of deposit morphology, structure lithology and run-out characteristics in more complex settings. Uniquely, we are also able to calibrate our models using a far-field dataset of well-preserved tsunami run-up deposits, resulting from the 21

  14. Study on natural radioactive elements in soil and rock samples around Mandya district, India

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shivakumara, B.C.; Paramesh, L.; Shashikumar, T.S.; Chandrashekara, M.S.

    2012-01-01

    The soil is a complex mixture of different compounds and rocks. In the natural environment, it is an important source of exposure to radiation due to naturally occurring, gamma emitting radionuclides which include 226 Ra, 232 Th and 40 K present in the soil. The study of distribution of these radionuclides in soil and rock is of great importance for radiation protection and measurements. The activity concentrations of 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K in soil and rock samples collected in Mandya District, Karnataka state, India have been measured by gamma ray spectrometry. The average activity concentrations of 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K (Bq/kg) are found to be 40.2, 62.3, and 317.5 Bq/kg, respectively, in soil samples and 30.5, 34.4, and 700.2 Bq/kg, respectively, in rock samples. The concentrations of radionuclides in soil samples are found to higher than in rock samples. The concentrations of radionuclides in soil and rock samples in the study area are slightly higher than Indian average and world average values. (author)

  15. Geometrical and hydrogeological impact on the behaviour of deep-seated rock slides during reservoir impoundment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lechner, Heidrun; Zangerl, Christian

    2015-04-01

    Given that there are still uncertainties regarding the deformation and failure mechanisms of deep-seated rock slides this study concentrates on key factors that influence the behaviour of rock slides in the surrounding of reservoirs. The focus is placed on the slope geometry, hydrogeology and kinematics. Based on numerous generic rock slide models the impacts of the (i) rock slide geometry, (ii) reservoir impoundment and level fluctuations, (iii) seepage and buoyancy forces and (iv) hydraulic conductivity of the rock slide mass and the basal shear zone are examined using limit equilibrium approaches. The geometry of many deep-seated rock slides in metamorphic rocks is often influenced by geological structures, e.g. fault zones, joints, foliation, bedding planes and others. With downslope displacement the rock slide undergoes a change in shape. Several observed rock slides in an advanced stage show a convex, bulge-like topography at the foot of the slope and a concave topography in the middle to upper part. Especially, the situation of the slope toe plays an important role for stability. A potentially critical situation can result from a partially submerged flat slope toe because the uplift due to water pressure destabilizes the rock slide. Furthermore, it is essential if the basal shear zone daylights at the foot of the slope or encounters alluvial or glacial deposits at the bottom of the valley, the latter having a buttressing effect. In this study generic rock slide models with a shear zone outcropping at the slope toe are established and systematically analysed using limit equilibrium calculations. Two different kinematic types are modelled: (i) a translational or planar and (ii) a rotational movement behaviour. Questions concerning the impact of buoyancy and pore pressure forces that develop during first time impoundment are of key interest. Given that an adverse effect on the rock slide stability is expected due to reservoir impoundment the extent of

  16. Research on Relationship Between Parameters Correlation of Acoustic Emission and Rock Failure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Duan Dong

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Analyzes that granite AE signal parameters under uniaxial loading by that way of Pearson linear correlation, research that correlation of characterization parameters within that separate group with various characteristics, and analyzes that relationship between each parameter and destruction. This study shows that: impact, events and ringing are mainly used to describe the damage degree of rock, amplitude characteristics, time characteristics and frequency characteristics are mainly used for acoustic emission source properties, and energy characteristics can not only be used to describe the damage degree of rock, but also be used to analyze the acoustic emission source. That ringing counts are highly interrelated with energy, intensity, duration, RMS and ASL have high correlation, a high correlation is in the three parameters of the energy characteristics, and there is a higher correlation between the two parameters of the timing characteristics. The correlation between the parameters of frequency is very low, and the acoustic emission parameters can't be replaced for each other in analysis, which need separate analysis. Characteristics of ringing and energy can be a very good description of failure, but failure precursors can't be quantized. However, the amplitude, RMS, ASL, can quantify characterization of that precursor of failure, such as the effective voltage value 0.7 V as the precursor of destruction, the emergence of amplitude exceeding 95 dB as that destructive precursor. The relationship between the timing characteristics and damage is not obvious, so you can't use those parameters analysis that fracture of rocks. But those parameters can be used to describe AE source characteristics. The peak frequency, inverse frequency and the center frequency can't reflect AE source characteristics, and that average frequency and initial frequency can reflect AE source characteristics.

  17. The origin of groundwater salinity in granitic rocks: identification and characterisation of chloride sources; Origine de la salinite des eaux souterraines en milieu granitique: identification et caracterisation des sources de chlorure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Savoye, S.

    1998-04-29

    Hydrogeological research in crystalline rocks, developed either in geothermics or in feasibility studies for geological disposal of radioactive waste, points out a wide range of chloride contents in associated groundwaters. The aim of this dissertation is to identify the possible origins of chloride in groundwaters within different geological conditions. The three possible chloride reservoirs (chloride-bearing minerals, fluid inclusions, micro-porosity) located in rock have been characterised by studying samples from eight granitic sites with different technical approaches (electronic microbeam, alkaline fusion, micro-thermometry, crush-leaching, diffusion experiment). Firstly, this allows the definition of a new typology of the sites, by considering not only hydrogeological features but also occurrence of salt-rich fluid inclusions with sedimentary origin. Secondly, the use of tracers (such as Cl/Br ratio, {delta}{sup 37}Cl) and mass balance calculations shows that the contribution of fluid inclusions trapped in quartz and chloride-bearing minerals cannot account for the high salinity of groundwater. In this case, the chloride origin could be of sedimentary type. Chloride would be stored in micro-porosity and in fluid inclusions trapped in carbonates. Thirdly, we have pointed out the importance of micro-porosity, acting more as a sieve and a buffer than as a source. Finally, we have shown that the low salinity of groundwaters has not always an internal origin. (author) 187 refs.

  18. New understandings of the lithofacies paleogeography of the middle assemblage of Majiagou Fm in the Ordos Basin and its exploration significance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jinhua Fu

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Accurate lithofacies-paleogeographic reconstruction is of great significance in predicting the dolomite reservoir distribution of the middle assemblage of Ordovician Majiagou Fm in the Ordos Basin. In this paper, the controlling effects of palaeotectonic background over sedimentation were first analyzed. Then the sedimentary mode of the middle assemblage was established and the lithofacies-paleogeography was reconstructed objectively for three intervals (Ma55, Ma57 and Ma59, based on the observation results of a large number of drilling cores and rock sections, together with the results of logging interpretation of rock composition and structure, single factor maps analysis and seismic data interpretation. The following findings were obtained. First, the middle assemblage of Majiagou Fm presents the uplift-depression alternation; two secondary low uplift zones extending in NS, i.e. Wushen Banner–Wuqi and Shenmu–Yulin–Yan'an, are developed in the eastern side of the central paleo-uplift, between which there is intraplatform depression, and lagoons are deposited in the Mizhi area in the east of the basin. Second, in the Ordos Basin, four NE-trending rift troughs are developed in the Proterozoic, which greatly affects the Ordovician sedimentary pattern and controls the distribution of intraplatform grain banks. Third, influenced jointly by the uplift-depression alternation and the intraplatform rift troughs of the Proterozoic, the intraplatform grain banks in the middle assemblage are mainly developed in the two low uplift zones, i.e. Shenmu–Yulin–Yan'an and Wushen Banner–Wuqi, trending NE in a similar echelon distribution. In conclusion, the two low uplift zones are the main development areas for high-quality carbonate reservoirs within the middle assemblage of Majiagou Fm in the basin.

  19. Rock-Eval 6 Applications in Hydrocarbon Exploration, Production, and Soil Contamination Studies Les applications de Rock-Eval 6 dans l'exploration et la production des hydrocarbures, et dans les études de contamination des sols

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lafargue E.

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available Successful petroleum exploration relies on detailed analysis of the petroleum system in a given area. Identification of potential source rocks, their maturity and kinetic parameters, and their regional distribution are best accomplished by rapid screening of rock samples (cores and/or cuttings using the Rock-Eval apparatus. The technique has been routinely used for about fifteen years and has become a standard tool for hydrocarbon exploration. This paper describes how the new functions of the latest version of Rock-Eval (Rock-Eval 6 have expanded applications of the method in petroleum geoscience. Examples of new applications are illustrated for source rock characterization, reservoir geochemistry, and environmental studies, including quantification. Le succès d'une exploration pétrolière repose sur l'analyse détaillée du système pétrolier dans une zone donnée. L'identification des roches mères potentielles, la détermination de leur maturité, de leurs paramètres cinétiques et de leur répartition sont réalisées au mieux à partir d'examens rapides d'échantillons de roches (carottes ou déblais au moyen de la pyrolyse Rock-Eval. Cette technique a été utilisée en routine pendant une quinzaine d'années et elle est devenue un outil standard pour l'exploration des hydrocarbures. Cet article décrit comment les nouvelles fonctionnalités de la dernière version de l'appareil Rock-Eval (Rock-Eval 6 ont permis une expansion des applications de la méthode en géosciences pétrolières. Des exemples d'applications nouvelles sont illustrés dans les domaines de la caractérisation des roches mères, de la géochimie de réservoir et des études environnementales incluant la quantification et la description des hydrocarbures dans des sols contaminés.

  20. Teaching the Rock Cycle with Ease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bereki, Debra

    2000-01-01

    Describes a hands-on lesson for teaching high school students the concept of the rock cycle using sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks. Students use a rock cycle diagram to identify pairs of rocks. From the rock cycle, students explain on paper how their first rock became the second rock and vice versa. (PVD)

  1. Uranium mineralization in fluorine-enriched volcanic rocks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Burt, D.M.; Sheridan, M.F.; Bikun, J.; Christiansen, E.; Correa, B.; Murphy, B.; Self, S.

    1980-09-01

    Several uranium and other lithophile element deposits are located within or adjacent to small middle to late Cenozoic, fluorine-rich rhyolitic dome complexes. Examples studied include Spor Mountain, Utah (Be-U-F), the Honeycomb Hills, Utah (Be-U), the Wah Wah Mountains, Utah (U-F), and the Black Range-Sierra Cuchillo, New Mexico (Sn-Be-W-F). The formation of these and similar deposits begins with the emplacement of a rhyolitic magma, enriched in lithophile metals and complexing fluorine, that rises to a shallow crustal level, where its roof zone may become further enriched in volatiles and the ore elements. During initial explosive volcanic activity, aprons of lithicrich tuffs are erupted around the vents. These early pyroclastic deposits commonly host the mineralization, due to their initial enrichment in the lithophile elements, their permeability, and the reactivity of their foreign lithic inclusions (particularly carbonate rocks). The pyroclastics are capped and preserved by thick topaz rhyolite domes and flows that can serve as a source of heat and of additional quantities of ore elements. Devitrification, vapor-phase crystallization, or fumarolic alteration may free the ore elements from the glassy matrix and place them in a form readily leached by percolating meteoric waters. Heat from the rhyolitic sheets drives such waters through the system, generally into and up the vents and out through the early tuffs. Secondary alteration zones (K-feldspar, sericite, silica, clays, fluorite, carbonate, and zeolites) and economic mineral concentrations may form in response to this low temperature (less than 200 C) circulation. After cooling, meteoric water continues to migrate through the system, modifying the distribution and concentration of the ore elements (especially uranium).

  2. Uranium mineralization in fluorine-enriched volcanic rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burt, D.M.; Sheridan, M.F.; Bikun, J.; Christiansen, E.; Correa, B.; Murphy, B.; Self, S.

    1980-09-01

    Several uranium and other lithophile element deposits are located within or adjacent to small middle to late Cenozoic, fluorine-rich rhyolitic dome complexes. Examples studied include Spor Mountain, Utah (Be-U-F), the Honeycomb Hills, Utah (Be-U), the Wah Wah Mountains, Utah (U-F), and the Black Range-Sierra Cuchillo, New Mexico (Sn-Be-W-F). The formation of these and similar deposits begins with the emplacement of a rhyolitic magma, enriched in lithophile metals and complexing fluorine, that rises to a shallow crustal level, where its roof zone may become further enriched in volatiles and the ore elements. During initial explosive volcanic activity, aprons of lithicrich tuffs are erupted around the vents. These early pyroclastic deposits commonly host the mineralization, due to their initial enrichment in the lithophile elements, their permeability, and the reactivity of their foreign lithic inclusions (particularly carbonate rocks). The pyroclastics are capped and preserved by thick topaz rhyolite domes and flows that can serve as a source of heat and of additional quantities of ore elements. Devitrification, vapor-phase crystallization, or fumarolic alteration may free the ore elements from the glassy matrix and place them in a form readily leached by percolating meteoric waters. Heat from the rhyolitic sheets drives such waters through the system, generally into and up the vents and out through the early tuffs. Secondary alteration zones (K-feldspar, sericite, silica, clays, fluorite, carbonate, and zeolites) and economic mineral concentrations may form in response to this low temperature (less than 200 C) circulation. After cooling, meteoric water continues to migrate through the system, modifying the distribution and concentration of the ore elements

  3. Recreating Rocks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Posth, Nicole R

    2008-01-01

    Nicole Posth and colleagues spent a month touring South African rock formations in their quest to understand the origin of ancient iron and silicate layers.......Nicole Posth and colleagues spent a month touring South African rock formations in their quest to understand the origin of ancient iron and silicate layers....

  4. Hydrological characteristics of Japanese rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ijiri, Yuji; Sawada, Atsushi; Akahori, Kuniaki

    1999-11-01

    It is crucial to evaluate the hydrogeological characteristics of rock in Japan in order to assess the performance of geosphere. This report summarizes the hydrogeological characteristics of various rock types obtained from broad literature surveys and the fields experiments at the Kamaishi mine in northern Japan and at the Tono mine in central Japan. It is found that the hydraulic conductivity of rock mass ranges from 10 -9 m/s to 10 -8 m/s, whereas the hydraulic conductivity of fault zone ranges from 10 -9 m/s to 10 -3 m/s. It is also found that the hydraulic conductivity tends to decrease with depth. Therefore, the hydraulic conductivity of rock mass at the depth of a repository will be smaller than above values. From the investigations at outcrops and galleries throughout the country, fractures are observed as potential pathways in all rock types. All kinds of crystalline rocks and pre-Neogene sedimentary rocks are classified as fractured media where fracture flow is dominant. Among these rocks, granitic rock is considered the archetype fractured media. On the other hand, andesite, tuff and Neogene sedimentary rocks are considered as intermediate between fractured media and porous media where flow in fractures as well as in rock matrix are significant. (author)

  5. Experimental leaching of uranium from tuffaceous rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goodell, P.C.; Trentham, R.C.

    1980-07-01

    The premise to be tested in this work is that felsic volcanic rocks particularly ash-flow tuffs, can serve as source rocks for certain uranium deposits. The applicability of this idea to several geologic environments is investigated. A genetic model is developed dealing with the behavior of uranium during and subsequent to ash-flow tuff deposition. It is based upon previously described investigations, geologic logic, data presented here, and speculation. Ash-flow tuff sequences described in the literature show significant alkali element variation, particularly in thick tuff units. Some variation is attributed to initial magma variations, whereas additional change may be produced during cooling and degassing of the tuff. Uranium variations have been documented in tuff sequences which are assumed to represent magmatic compositions. Uranium may be released during the initial degassing, during hydrothermal alteration, and/or during later diagenesis. Experimental studies have been designed and carried out to simulate natural leaching conditions such as might occur during diagenesis. Synthetic ground waters have been pumped through pulverized uraniferous vitrophyres. Major and minor element contents have been determined. The most significant chemical changes take place quickly, within a matter of days. Several starting and product leachant solutions were analyzed fluorimetrically for uranium. They show significant increases in uranium contents, from less than 1 ppB at the start to greater than 10 ppB maximu. Such leachant solutions might be significant transport agents of uranium given geologic time. Leaching at low temperatures appears to involve a thin surface reaction and diffusion layer. Both dissolution and ion exchange influence the leachant composition. It is also concluded that glassy ash-flow tuffs may serve as uranium source rocks during low temperature diagenetic changes

  6. Petrography, geochemistry and tectonic setting of Salmabad Tertiary volcanic rocks, southeast of Sarbisheh, eastern Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masoumeh Goodarzi

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Introduction The area reviewed and studied in this paper is located 5 km southeast of Sarbisheh city at eastern border of the Lut block (Jung et al., 1983; Karimpour et al., 2011; Richards et al., 2012 in eastern Iran between 59° 47′ and 59° 53′ E longitude and 32°30′ and 32°34′ N latitude. The magmatic activity in the Lut block began in middle Jurassic (165-162 Ma and reached its peak in Tertiary (Jung et al., 1983. Volcanic and subvolcanic rocks of Tertiary age cover over half of Lut block with up to 2000 m thickness and formed due to subduction prior to the collision of the Arabian and Asian plates (Camp and Griffis, 1982; Tirrul et al., 1983; Berberianet et al., 1982. Most of magmatic activity in the Lut block formed in middle Eocene (Karimpour et al., 2011 The andesitic volcanics were erupted together with the dacites and rhyodacites during a time interval of some 50 Ma from early Cretaceous to early Neogene. It can be assumed that the intensity of the volcanic activity was varying significantly during this time span (Jung et al., 1983.Tertiary volcanic rocks (Eocene-Oligocene to Pliocene with intermediate composition associated with pyroclastic rocks cropped out in eastern parts of Salmabad village, southeast of Sarbisheh. The main purpose of this paper is better understand the tectono-magmatic setting of the Tertiary volcanic rocks in southeast of Sarbisheh, eastern Iran based on geochemical characteristics. Materials and methods Eleven samples were analyzed for major elements by inductively coupled plasma (ICP technologies and trace elements were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS, following a lithium metaborate/tetraborate fusion and nitric acid total digestion, at the SGS Laboratories, Toronto, Canada. Results In the Salmabad area, Tertiary volcanic rocks with mainly intermediate (andesitic composition are exposed associated with pyroclastic deposits such as tuff, breccia and agglomerate

  7. Problems in the K-Ar dating of Quaternary volcanic rocks younger than 1 Ma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takaoka, Nobuo

    1989-01-01

    The assumption that the 40 Ar/ 36 Ar ratio of Ar trapped in volcanic rocks at eruption is atmospheric often gives a large systematic error in the K-Ar dating of Quaternary volcanic rocks younger than 1 Ma. There are two possible sources of error, the existence of excess Ar and mass-fractionated, initial Ar. The major source of excess Ar is supposed to be magma. The 40 Ar/ 36 Ar ratio for magmatic Ar in the North-East Japan arc is tentatively estimated to be 340±10 from measurements of Ar in large phenocrysts separated from Quaternary volcanic rocks. Separation of phenocrysts is the most effective to decrease the systematic error caused by excess Ar. The mass-fractionation of initial Ar should give the 38 Ar/ 36 Ar ratio which was changed from the atmospheric ratio. This can be checked by determining the 38 Ar/ 36 Ar ratio in samples. Since the systematic error caused by the mass-fractionated, initial Ar increases greatly with the increasing atmospheric Ar correction, it is important to correct the result for the mass-fractionation. Correction formulae are given. The error sources other than those mentioned above are uncertainty in the blank correction and instabilities in the sensitivity of spectrometer and the Ar isotopic ratio measurement. In order to increase accuracy of the K-Ar age obtained, to check the systematic errors by measuring samples together with standard samples is of great importance in the K-Ar dating of very young volcanic rocks. (author)

  8. Rock Goes to School on Screen: A Model for Teaching Non-"Learned" Musics Derived from the Films "School of Rock" (2003) and "Rock School" (2005)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webb, Michael

    2007-01-01

    What can be learned from two films with "rock" and "school" in their titles, about rock in school and about music and schooling more broadly? "School of Rock" (2003), a "family comedy," and "Rock School" (2005), a documentary, provoke a range of questions, ideological and otherwise, surrounding the inclusion of rock in formal instructional…

  9. Evaluation of Uranium depositional system in sedimentary rocks of Sibolga formation, Tapanuli Tengah

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    I Gde Sukadana; Heri Syaeful

    2016-01-01

    Uranium in nature formed in various deposit type, depends on its sources, process, and depositional environments. Uranium occurrence in Sibolga, hosted in sedimentary rocks of Sibolga Formation, is properly potential to develop; nevertheless, the depositional pattern and uranium mineralization process so far had not been recognized. The research aim is to determine the rock distribution patterns and the existence of uranium grade anomalies based on surface geology and borehole log data. Mineralization occurrences from borehole log data distributed from basalt conglomerate unit (Kgl 1), sandstone 1 unit (Bp 1), conglomerate 2 unit (Kgl 2), and sandstone 2 unit (Bp 2) with their distribution and thickness are thinning to the top. Mineralization distribution in the eastern area, mainly on Kgl 1 unit, dominated by detritus materials from epi-genetic depositional in the form of monazite which is formed along with the formation of granite as its source rock. Meanwhile, mineralization on the upper rocks units formed a channel pattern trending northeast-southwest, which formed in syn-genetic process consist of uraninite, carnotite, and coffinite. Sibolga Formation deposition originated from east to west and uranium deposit formed because of the differences of depositional environment from oxidation in the east to the more reductive in the southwest. The increasing of organic materials in southwest basin caused the reduction condition of depositional environment. (author)

  10. Grinding into Soft, Powdery Rock

    Science.gov (United States)

    2004-01-01

    This hole in a rock dubbed 'Clovis' is the deepest hole drilled so far in any rock on Mars. NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit captured this view with its microscopic imager on martian sol 217 (Aug. 12, 2004) after drilling 8.9 millimeters (0.35 inch) into the rock with its rock abrasion tool. The view is a mosaic of four frames taken by the microscopic imager. The hole is 4.5 centimeters (1.8 inches) in diameter. Clovis is key to a developing story about environmental change on Mars, not only because it is among the softest rocks encountered so far in Gusev Crater, but also because it contains mineral alterations that extend relatively deep beneath its surface. In fact, as evidenced by its fairly crumbly texture, it is possibly the most highly altered volcanic rock ever studied on Mars. Scientific analysis shows that the rock contains higher levels of the elements sulfur, chlorine, and bromine than are normally encountered in basaltic rocks, such as a rock dubbed 'Humphrey' that Spirit encountered two months after arriving on Mars. Humphrey showed elevated levels of sulfur, chlorine, and bromine only in the outermost 2 millimeters (less than 0.1 inch) of its surface. Clovis shows elevated levels of the same elements along with the associated softness of the rock within a borehole that is 4 times as deep. Scientists hope to compare Clovis to other, less-altered rocks in the vicinity to assess what sort of water-based processes altered the rock. Hypotheses include transport of sulfur, chlorine, and bromine in water vapor in volcanic gases; hydrothermal circulation (flow of volcanically heated water through rock); or saturation in a briny soup containing the same elements. In this image, very fine-grained material from the rock has clumped together by electrostatic attraction and fallen into the borehole. NASA/JPL/Cornell/USGS

  11. Using apatite to discriminate synchronous ore-associated and barren granitoid rocks: A case study from the Edong metallogenic district, South China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duan, Deng-Fei; Jiang, Shao-Yong

    2018-06-01

    In order to find criteria to discriminate the synchronous ore-associated and barren granitoid rocks, we have determined apatite chemistry associated with ore-associated (Cu-Au) and barren granitoid rocks in the Edong district of the Middle and Lower Yangtze River metallogenic belt, South China. Both rock types give zircon U-Pb ages between 135.0 and 138.7 Ma. Apatite has a higher volatile and Li content (Cl: 0.19-0.57 wt%, average 0.35 wt%, SO3: 0.08-0.71 wt%, average 0.32 wt%, Li: 0.49-7.99 ppm, average 3.23 ppm) in ore-associated rocks than those in barren rocks (Cl: 0.09-0.31 wt%, average 0.16 wt%, SO3: 0.06-0.28 wt%, average 0.16 wt%, Li: 0.15-0.89 ppm, average 0.36 ppm). Apatite (La/Yb)N ratios and Eu/Eu* values are relatively high and show wider variation in ore-associated rocks than those in barren rocks. Apatite (La/Sm)N and (Yb/Sm)N show positive correlation in ore-associated rocks but negative in barren rocks. The higher volatile content occurs in ore-associated magma, favoring Cu-Au transportation and deposition. Furthermore, amphibole fractional crystallization in ore-associated magma further enriched the ore elements in the residual melt. Barren rocks may have undergone fluid exsolution before emplacement, which makes it barren in Cl, S and ore elements (Cu, S). These signatures emphases the significance of volatile and magma evolution in mineralization and indicate that analyses of magmatic apatite can serve to distinguish ore-associated from barren intrusions.

  12. Elemental Geochemistry of Sedimentary Rocks at Yellowknife Bay, Gale Crater, Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLennan, S. M.; Anderson, R. B.; Bell, J. F.; Bridges, J. C.; Calef, F.; Campbell, J. L.; Clark, B. C.; Clegg, S.; Conrad, P.; Cousin, A.; Des Marais, D. J.; Dromart, G.; Dyar, M. D.; Edgar, L. A.; Ehlmann, B. L.; Fabre, C.; Forni, O.; Gasnault, O.; Gellert, R.; Gordon, S.; Grant, J. A.; Grotzinger, J. P.; Gupta, S.; Herkenhoff, K. E.; Hurowitz, J. A.; King, P. L.; Le Mouélic, S.; Leshin, L. A.; Léveillé, R.; Lewis, K. W.; Mangold, N.; Maurice, S.; Ming, D. W.; Morris, R. V.; Nachon, M.; Newsom, H. E.; Ollila, A. M.; Perrett, G. M.; Rice, M. S.; Schmidt, M. E.; Schwenzer, S. P.; Stack, K.; Stolper, E. M.; Sumner, D. Y.; Treiman, A. H.; VanBommel, S.; Vaniman, D. T.; Vasavada, A.; Wiens, R. C.; Yingst, R. A.; Kemppinen, Osku; Bridges, Nathan; Johnson, Jeffrey R.; Minitti, Michelle; Cremers, David; Farmer, Jack; Godber, Austin; Wadhwa, Meenakshi; Wellington, Danika; McEwan, Ian; Newman, Claire; Richardson, Mark; Charpentier, Antoine; Peret, Laurent; Blank, Jennifer; Weigle, Gerald; Li, Shuai; Milliken, Ralph; Robertson, Kevin; Sun, Vivian; Baker, Michael; Edwards, Christopher; Farley, Kenneth; Griffes, Jennifer; Miller, Hayden; Newcombe, Megan; Pilorget, Cedric; Siebach, Kirsten; Brunet, Claude; Hipkin, Victoria; Marchand, Geneviève; Sánchez, Pablo Sobrón; Favot, Laurent; Cody, George; Steele, Andrew; Flückiger, Lorenzo; Lees, David; Nefian, Ara; Martin, Mildred; Gailhanou, Marc; Westall, Frances; Israël, Guy; Agard, Christophe; Baroukh, Julien; Donny, Christophe; Gaboriaud, Alain; Guillemot, Philippe; Lafaille, Vivian; Lorigny, Eric; Paillet, Alexis; Pérez, René; Saccoccio, Muriel; Yana, Charles; Armiens-Aparicio, Carlos; Rodríguez, Javier Caride; Blázquez, Isaías Carrasco; Gómez, Felipe Gómez; Gómez-Elvira, Javier; Hettrich, Sebastian; Malvitte, Alain Lepinette; Jiménez, Mercedes Marín; Martínez-Frías, Jesús; Martín-Soler, Javier; Martín-Torres, F. Javier; Jurado, Antonio Molina; Mora-Sotomayor, Luis; Caro, Guillermo Muñoz; López, Sara Navarro; Peinado-González, Verónica; Pla-García, Jorge; Manfredi, José Antonio Rodriguez; Romeral-Planelló, Julio José; Fuentes, Sara Alejandra Sans; Martinez, Eduardo Sebastian; Redondo, Josefina Torres; Urqui-O'Callaghan, Roser; Mier, María-Paz Zorzano; Chipera, Steve; Lacour, Jean-Luc; Mauchien, Patrick; Sirven, Jean-Baptiste; Manning, Heidi; Fairén, Alberto; Hayes, Alexander; Joseph, Jonathan; Squyres, Steven; Sullivan, Robert; Thomas, Peter; Dupont, Audrey; Lundberg, Angela; Melikechi, Noureddine; Mezzacappa, Alissa; DeMarines, Julia; Grinspoon, David; Reitz, Günther; Prats, Benito; Atlaskin, Evgeny; Genzer, Maria; Harri, Ari-Matti; Haukka, Harri; Kahanpää, Henrik; Kauhanen, Janne; Kemppinen, Osku; Paton, Mark; Polkko, Jouni; Schmidt, Walter; Siili, Tero; Wray, James; Wilhelm, Mary Beth; Poitrasson, Franck; Patel, Kiran; Gorevan, Stephen; Indyk, Stephen; Paulsen, Gale; Bish, David; Schieber, Juergen; Gondet, Brigitte; Langevin, Yves; Geffroy, Claude; Baratoux, David; Berger, Gilles; Cros, Alain; d'Uston, Claude; Lasue, Jérémie; Lee, Qiu-Mei; Meslin, Pierre-Yves; Pallier, Etienne; Parot, Yann; Pinet, Patrick; Schröder, Susanne; Toplis, Mike; Lewin, Éric; Brunner, Will; Heydari, Ezat; Achilles, Cherie; Oehler, Dorothy; Sutter, Brad; Cabane, Michel; Coscia, David; Israël, Guy; Szopa, Cyril; Robert, François; Sautter, Violaine; Buch, Arnaud; Stalport, Fabien; Coll, Patrice; François, Pascaline; Raulin, François; Teinturier, Samuel; Cameron, James; DeLapp, Dorothea; Dingler, Robert; Jackson, Ryan Steele; Johnstone, Stephen; Lanza, Nina; Little, Cynthia; Nelson, Tony; Williams, Richard B.; Jones, Andrea; Kirkland, Laurel; Baker, Burt; Cantor, Bruce; Caplinger, Michael; Davis, Scott; Duston, Brian; Edgett, Kenneth; Fay, Donald; Hardgrove, Craig; Harker, David; Herrera, Paul; Jensen, Elsa; Kennedy, Megan R.; Krezoski, Gillian; Krysak, Daniel; Lipkaman, Leslie; Malin, Michael; McCartney, Elaina; McNair, Sean; Nixon, Brian; Posiolova, Liliya; Ravine, Michael; Salamon, Andrew; Saper, Lee; Stoiber, Kevin; Supulver, Kimberley; Van Beek, Jason; Van Beek, Tessa; Zimdar, Robert; French, Katherine Louise; Iagnemma, Karl; Miller, Kristen; Summons, Roger; Goesmann, Fred; Goetz, Walter; Hviid, Stubbe; Johnson, Micah; Lefavor, Matthew; Lyness, Eric; Breves, Elly; Fassett, Caleb; Blake, David F.; Bristow, Thomas; Edwards, Laurence; Haberle, Robert; Hoehler, Tori; Hollingsworth, Jeff; Kahre, Melinda; Keely, Leslie; McKay, Christopher; Wilhelm, Mary Beth; Bleacher, Lora; Brinckerhoff, William; Choi, David; Dworkin, Jason P.; Eigenbrode, Jennifer; Floyd, Melissa; Freissinet, Caroline; Garvin, James; Glavin, Daniel; Harpold, Daniel; Jones, Andrea; Mahaffy, Paul; Martin, David K.; McAdam, Amy; Pavlov, Alexander; Raaen, Eric; Smith, Michael D.; Stern, Jennifer; Tan, Florence; Trainer, Melissa; Meyer, Michael; Posner, Arik; Voytek, Mary; Anderson, Robert C.; Aubrey, Andrew; Beegle, Luther W.; Behar, Alberto; Blaney, Diana; Brinza, David; Christensen, Lance; Crisp, Joy A.; DeFlores, Lauren; Ehlmann, Bethany; Feldman, Jason; Feldman, Sabrina; Flesch, Gregory; Jun, Insoo; Keymeulen, Didier; Maki, Justin; Mischna, Michael; Morookian, John Michael; Parker, Timothy; Pavri, Betina; Schoppers, Marcel; Sengstacken, Aaron; Simmonds, John J.; Spanovich, Nicole; Juarez, Manuel de la Torre; Webster, Christopher R.; Yen, Albert; Archer, Paul Douglas; Cucinotta, Francis; Jones, John H.; Niles, Paul; Rampe, Elizabeth; Nolan, Thomas; Fisk, Martin; Radziemski, Leon; Barraclough, Bruce; Bender, Steve; Berman, Daniel; Dobrea, Eldar Noe; Tokar, Robert; Williams, Rebecca M. E.; Cleghorn, Timothy; Huntress, Wesley; Manhès, Gérard; Hudgins, Judy; Olson, Timothy; Stewart, Noel; Sarrazin, Philippe; Vicenzi, Edward; Wilson, Sharon A.; Bullock, Mark; Ehresmann, Bent; Hamilton, Victoria; Hassler, Donald; Peterson, Joseph; Rafkin, Scot; Zeitlin, Cary; Fedosov, Fedor; Golovin, Dmitry; Karpushkina, Natalya; Kozyrev, Alexander; Litvak, Maxim; Malakhov, Alexey; Mitrofanov, Igor; Mokrousov, Maxim; Nikiforov, Sergey; Prokhorov, Vasily; Sanin, Anton; Tretyakov, Vladislav; Varenikov, Alexey; Vostrukhin, Andrey; Kuzmin, Ruslan; Wolff, Michael; Botta, Oliver; Drake, Darrell; Bean, Keri; Lemmon, Mark; Lee, Ella Mae; Sucharski, Robert; Hernández, Miguel Ángel de Pablo; Ávalos, Juan José Blanco; Ramos, Miguel; Kim, Myung-Hee; Malespin, Charles; Plante, Ianik; Muller, Jan-Peter; Navarro-González, Rafael; Ewing, Ryan; Boynton, William; Downs, Robert; Fitzgibbon, Mike; Harshman, Karl; Morrison, Shaunna; Dietrich, William; Kortmann, Onno; Palucis, Marisa; Williams, Amy; Lugmair, Günter; Wilson, Michael A.; Rubin, David; Jakosky, Bruce; Balic-Zunic, Tonci; Frydenvang, Jens; Jensen, Jaqueline Kløvgaard; Kinch, Kjartan; Koefoed, Asmus; Madsen, Morten Bo; Stipp, Susan Louise Svane; Boyd, Nick; Pradler, Irina; Jacob, Samantha; Owen, Tobias; Rowland, Scott; Atlaskin, Evgeny; Savijärvi, Hannu; Boehm, Eckart; Böttcher, Stephan; Burmeister, Sönke; Guo, Jingnan; Köhler, Jan; García, César Martín; Mueller-Mellin, Reinhold; Wimmer-Schweingruber, Robert; McConnochie, Timothy; Benna, Mehdi; Franz, Heather; Bower, Hannah; Brunner, Anna; Blau, Hannah; Boucher, Thomas; Carmosino, Marco; Atreya, Sushil; Elliott, Harvey; Halleaux, Douglas; Rennó, Nilton; Wong, Michael; Pepin, Robert; Elliott, Beverley; Spray, John; Thompson, Lucy; Williams, Joshua; Vasconcelos, Paulo; Bentz, Jennifer; Nealson, Kenneth; Popa, Radu; Kah, Linda C.; Moersch, Jeffrey; Tate, Christopher; Day, Mackenzie; Kocurek, Gary; Hallet, Bernard; Sletten, Ronald; Francis, Raymond; McCullough, Emily; Cloutis, Ed; ten Kate, Inge Loes; Kuzmin, Ruslan; Arvidson, Raymond; Fraeman, Abigail; Scholes, Daniel; Slavney, Susan; Stein, Thomas; Ward, Jennifer; Berger, Jeffrey; Moores, John E.

    2014-01-01

    Sedimentary rocks examined by the Curiosity rover at Yellowknife Bay, Mars, were derived from sources that evolved from an approximately average martian crustal composition to one influenced by alkaline basalts. No evidence of chemical weathering is preserved, indicating arid, possibly cold, paleoclimates and rapid erosion and deposition. The absence of predicted geochemical variations indicates that magnetite and phyllosilicates formed by diagenesis under low-temperature, circumneutral pH, rock-dominated aqueous conditions. Analyses of diagenetic features (including concretions, raised ridges, and fractures) at high spatial resolution indicate that they are composed of iron- and halogen-rich components, magnesium-iron-chlorine-rich components, and hydrated calcium sulfates, respectively. Composition of a cross-cutting dike-like feature is consistent with sedimentary intrusion. The geochemistry of these sedimentary rocks provides further evidence for diverse depositional and diagenetic sedimentary environments during the early history of Mars.

  13. Elemental geochemistry of sedimentary rocks at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLennan, S M; Anderson, R B; Bell, J F; Bridges, J C; Calef, F; Campbell, J L; Clark, B C; Clegg, S; Conrad, P; Cousin, A; Des Marais, D J; Dromart, G; Dyar, M D; Edgar, L A; Ehlmann, B L; Fabre, C; Forni, O; Gasnault, O; Gellert, R; Gordon, S; Grant, J A; Grotzinger, J P; Gupta, S; Herkenhoff, K E; Hurowitz, J A; King, P L; Le Mouélic, S; Leshin, L A; Léveillé, R; Lewis, K W; Mangold, N; Maurice, S; Ming, D W; Morris, R V; Nachon, M; Newsom, H E; Ollila, A M; Perrett, G M; Rice, M S; Schmidt, M E; Schwenzer, S P; Stack, K; Stolper, E M; Sumner, D Y; Treiman, A H; VanBommel, S; Vaniman, D T; Vasavada, A; Wiens, R C; Yingst, R A

    2014-01-24

    Sedimentary rocks examined by the Curiosity rover at Yellowknife Bay, Mars, were derived from sources that evolved from an approximately average martian crustal composition to one influenced by alkaline basalts. No evidence of chemical weathering is preserved, indicating arid, possibly cold, paleoclimates and rapid erosion and deposition. The absence of predicted geochemical variations indicates that magnetite and phyllosilicates formed by diagenesis under low-temperature, circumneutral pH, rock-dominated aqueous conditions. Analyses of diagenetic features (including concretions, raised ridges, and fractures) at high spatial resolution indicate that they are composed of iron- and halogen-rich components, magnesium-iron-chlorine-rich components, and hydrated calcium sulfates, respectively. Composition of a cross-cutting dike-like feature is consistent with sedimentary intrusion. The geochemistry of these sedimentary rocks provides further evidence for diverse depositional and diagenetic sedimentary environments during the early history of Mars.

  14. Source apportionment of Pb pollution in saltmarsh sediments from southwest England

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iurian, Andra-Rada; Millward, Geoffrey; Taylor, Alex; Marshall, William; Rodríguez, Javier; Gil Ibarguchi, José Ignacio; Blake, William H.

    2017-04-01

    The local availability of metal resources played a crucial role in Britain's development during the industrial revolution, but centuries of mining within Cornwall and Devon (UK) have left a legacy of contamination in river basin and estuary sediments. Improved knowledge of historical heavy metal sources, emissions and pathways will result in a better understanding of the contemporary pollution conditions and a better protection of the environment from legacy contaminants. Our study aims to trace historical sources of Pb pollution in the area of east Cornwall and west Devon, UK, using a multi proxy approach for contaminants stored in saltmarsh sediment columns from 3 systems characterized by different contamination patterns. Source apportionment investigations included the determination of Pb concentration and Pb isotopic composition (204Pb, 206Pb, 207Pb, and 208Pb) for selected down-core sediment samples, and for local ore and parent rock materials. General trends in pollutant loading (e.g. Pb) could be identified, with maximum inputs occurring in the middle of the 19th century and decreasing towards the present day, while an increase in the catchment disturbance was apparent for the last decades. The isotopic ratios of Pb further indicate that sediments with higher Pb content have a less radiogenic signature, these particular inputs being derived from Pb mining and smelting sources in the catchment area. Acknowledgements: Andra-Rada Iurian acknowledges the support of a Marie Curie Fellowship (H2020-MSCA-IF-2014, Grant Agreement number: 658863) within the Horizon 2020.

  15. Caught in the Middle: Some in Canada’s Middle Class are Doing Well; Others Have Good Reason to Worry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Philip Cross

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available It is sometimes difficult to tell which group is more distressed about the purportedly deteriorating well-being of Canada’s middle class: Politicians courting middle-class voters, or the Canadians who actually identify as middle class. Even more difficult to discern is whether either group truly understands precisely who it is they are worrying about. There is no firm consensus on where the upper and lower boundaries of the middle class lie, with economists and statisticians disagreeing on the income levels and brackets that should be included in the definition of middle class, and some even arguing that income itself may be an inappropriate measure (preferring instead, for instance, consumption and lifestyle. And yet, despite all the conflicting approaches to measuring the middle class, what emerges from a review of the array of definitions and data sources is that the politicians and voters can at least partly justify their angst. While the middle class has seen its income grow, it has not kept pace with the income growth rate of higherearning groups. But not all members of the so-called middle class face the same plight. The workers who have lost the most ground relative to higher-income groups, are those with below-average human capital (that is, lower skill and education, and are at the lower end of the middle-income bracket. The largest source of downward pressure on middle-class incomes has been the decline of Canada’s manufacturing industry. Beginning in the postwar years, factory jobs developed a misplaced reputation for being well-paying middleclass work. In fact, the work provided generous pay and benefits only relative to the low human capital that was necessary to find employment in manufacturing. As manufacturing has declined across all industrialized countries, lower-skilled workers have been forced to accept lower rates of income growth. Meanwhile, more gains have been made by those with high levels of human capital. Public

  16. THM-coupled modeling of selected processes in argillaceous rock relevant to rock mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Czaikowski, Oliver

    2012-01-01

    Scientific investigations in European countries other than Germany concentrate not only on granite formations (Switzerland, Sweden) but also on argillaceous rock formations (France, Switzerland, Belgium) to assess their suitability as host and barrier rock for the final storage of radioactive waste. In Germany, rock salt has been under thorough study as a host rock over the past few decades. According to a study by the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, however, not only salt deposits but also argillaceous rock deposits are available at relevant depths and of extensions in space which make final storage of high-level radioactive waste basically possible in Germany. Equally qualified findings about the suitability/unsuitability of non-saline rock formations require fundamental studies to be conducted nationally because of the comparatively low level of knowledge. The article presents basic analyses of coupled mechanical and hydraulic properties of argillaceous rock formations as host rock for a repository. The interaction of various processes is explained on the basis of knowledge derived from laboratory studies, and open problems are deduced. For modeling coupled processes, a simplified analytical computation method is proposed and compared with the results of numerical simulations, and the limits to its application are outlined. (orig.)

  17. Seismic response of rock joints and jointed rock mass

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghosh, A.; Hsiung, S.M.; Chowdhury, A.H.

    1996-06-01

    Long-term stability of emplacement drifts and potential near-field fluid flow resulting from coupled effects are among the concerns for safe disposal of high-level nuclear waste (HLW). A number of factors can induce drift instability or change the near-field flow patterns. Repetitive seismic loads from earthquakes and thermal loads generated by the decay of emplaced waste are two significant factors. One of two key technical uncertainties (KTU) that can potentially pose a high risk of noncompliance with the performance objectives of 10 CFR Part 60 is the prediction of thermal-mechanical (including repetitive seismic load) effects on stability of emplacement drifts and the engineered barrier system. The second KTU of concern is the prediction of thermal-mechanical-hydrological (including repetitive seismic load) effects on the host rock surrounding the engineered barrier system. The Rock Mechanics research project being conducted at the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses (CNWRA) is intended to address certain specific technical issues associated with these two KTUs. This research project has two major components: (i) seismic response of rock joints and a jointed rock mass and (ii) coupled thermal-mechanical-hydrological (TMH) response of a jointed rock mass surrounding the engineered barrier system (EBS). This final report summarizes the research activities concerned with the repetitive seismic load aspect of both these KTUs

  18. Preliminary study of uranium favorability of upper cretaceous, paleocene, and lower eocene rocks of the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming and Montana

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hesse, S.L.; Dunagan, J.F. Jr.

    1978-02-01

    This report presents an evaluation of the uranium favorability of continental sediments of the Upper Cretaceous Lance, Paleocene Polecat Bench, and lower Eocene Willwood Formations in the Bighorn Basin of Wyoming and Montana, an intermontane structural basin of Laramide age. Previous work dealing with the Bighorn Basin was reviewed, and field investigations were carried out in the spring and summer of 1976. Subsurface data were collected and results of surface and subsurface investigations were evaluated with respect to uranium favorability. Precambrian plutonic and metamorphic rocks and Tertiary tuffaceous rocks in the Bighorn Basin and bordering uplifts are considered insignificant as source rocks, although the Wiggins Formation (White River equivalent) cannot be evaluated as a possible source because of a lack of data. Potential host rocks locally show only limited favorability. Lithology of strata exposed along the western and southern basin margins is more favorable than that of rocks in the central and eastern parts of the basin, but there is little organic material, pyrite, or other reducing agents in these rocks. Strata of the Lance, Polecat Bench, and Willwood Formations in the Bighorn Basin are considered generally unfavorable for sandstone uranium deposits

  19. Rocking convex array used for 3D synthetic aperture focusing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andresen, Henrik; Nikolov, Svetoslav; Pedersen, M M

    2008-01-01

    Volumetric imaging can be performed using 1D arrays in combination with mechanical motion. Outside the elevation focus of the array, the resolution and contrast quickly degrade compared to the azimuth plane, because of the fixed transducer focus. The purpose of this paper is to use synthetic...... aperture focusing (SAF) for enhancing the elevation focusing for a convex rocking array, to obtain a more isotropic point spread function. This paper presents further development of the SAF method, which can be used with curved array combined with a rocking motion. The method uses a virtual source (VS...... Kretztechnik, Zipf, Austria). The array has an elevation focus at 60 mm of depth, and the angular rocking velocity is up to 140deg/s. The scan sequence uses an fprf of 4500 - 7000 Hz allowing up to 15 cm of penetration. The full width at half max (FWHM) and main-lobe to side-lobe ratio (MLSL) is used...

  20. Effects of confinement on rock mass modulus: A synthetic rock mass modelling (SRM study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. Vazaios

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available The main objective of this paper is to examine the influence of the applied confining stress on the rock mass modulus of moderately jointed rocks (well interlocked undisturbed rock mass with blocks formed by three or less intersecting joints. A synthetic rock mass modelling (SRM approach is employed to determine the mechanical properties of the rock mass. In this approach, the intact body of rock is represented by the discrete element method (DEM-Voronoi grains with the ability of simulating the initiation and propagation of microcracks within the intact part of the model. The geometry of the pre-existing joints is generated by employing discrete fracture network (DFN modelling based on field joint data collected from the Brockville Tunnel using LiDAR scanning. The geometrical characteristics of the simulated joints at a representative sample size are first validated against the field data, and then used to measure the rock quality designation (RQD, joint spacing, areal fracture intensity (P21, and block volumes. These geometrical quantities are used to quantitatively determine a representative range of the geological strength index (GSI. The results show that estimating the GSI using the RQD tends to make a closer estimate of the degree of blockiness that leads to GSI values corresponding to those obtained from direct visual observations of the rock mass conditions in the field. The use of joint spacing and block volume in order to quantify the GSI value range for the studied rock mass suggests a lower range compared to that evaluated in situ. Based on numerical modelling results and laboratory data of rock testing reported in the literature, a semi-empirical equation is proposed that relates the rock mass modulus to confinement as a function of the areal fracture intensity and joint stiffness. Keywords: Synthetic rock mass modelling (SRM, Discrete fracture network (DFN, Rock mass modulus, Geological strength index (GSI, Confinement

  1. Cataclysmic Rock Avalanche from El Capitan, Yosemite Valley, circa 3.6 ka

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stock, G. M.

    2008-12-01

    El Capitan in Yosemite Valley is one of the largest and most iconic granite faces in the world. Despite glacially steepened walls exceeding 90 degrees, a historic database shows relatively few rock falls from El Capitan in the past 150 years. However, a massive bouldery deposit beneath the southeast face suggests an earlier rock avalanche of unusually large size. Spatial analysis of airborne LiDAR data indicate that the rock avalanche deposit has a volume of ~2.70 x 106 m3, a maximum thickness of 18 m, and a runout distance of 660 m, roughly twice the horizontal extent of the adjacent talus. The deposit is very coarse on its distal edge, with individual boulder volumes up to 2500 m3. Cosmogenic 10Be exposure dates from boulders distributed across the deposit confirm this interpretation. Four 10Be samples are tightly clustered between 3.5 and 3.8 ka, with a mean age of 3.6 +/- 0.6 ka. A fifth sample gives a much older age of 22.0 ka, but a glacier occupied Yosemite Valley at this time, prohibiting deposition; thus, the older age likely results from exposure on the cliff face prior to failure. The similarity of ages and overall morphology suggest that the entire deposit formed during a single event. The mean exposure age coincides with inferred Holocene rupture of the northern Owens Valley and/or White Mountain fault(s) between 3.3 and 3.8 ka (Lee et al., 2001; Bacon and Pezzopane, 2007). This time coincidence, combined with the fact that historic rupture of the Owens Valley fault in A.D. 1872 generated numerous large rock falls in Yosemite Valley, strongly suggests that the El Capitan rock avalanche was triggered by a seismic event along the eastern margin of the Sierra Nevada circa 3.6 ka. As there is not an obvious "scar" on the expansive southeast face, the exact source area of the rock avalanche is not yet known. Detrital apatite U-Th/(He) thermochronometry can determine the elevation(s) from which rock fall boulders originate, but significant inter-sample age

  2. Mesozoic–Cenozoic Climate and Neotectonic Events as Factors in Reconstructing the Thermal History of the Source-Rock Bazhenov Formation, Arctic Region, West Siberia, by the Example of the Yamal Peninsula

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isaev, V. I.; Iskorkina, A. A.; Lobova, G. A.; Starostenko, V. I.; Tikhotskii, S. A.; Fomin, A. N.

    2018-03-01

    Schemes and criteria are developed for using the measured and modeled geotemperatures for studying the thermal regime of the source rock formations, as well as the tectonic and sedimentary history of sedimentary basins, by the example of the oil fields of the Yamal Peninsula. The method of paleotemperature modeling based on the numerical solution of the heat conduction equation for a horizontally layered solid with a movable upper boundary is used. The mathematical model directly includes the climatic secular trend of the Earth's surface temperature as the boundary condition and the paleotemperatures determined from the vitrinite reflectance as the measurement data. The method does not require a priori information about the nature and intensities of the heat flow from the Earth's interior; the flow is determined by solving the inverse problem of geothermy with a parametric description of the of the sedimentation history and the history of the thermophysical properties of the sedimentary stratum. The rate of sedimentation is allowed to be zero and negative which provides the possibility to take into account the gaps in sedimentation and denudation. The formation, existence, and degradation of the permafrost stratum and ice cover are taken into account as dynamical lithological-stratigraphic complexes with anomalously high thermal conductivity. It is established that disregarding the paleoclimatic factors precludes an adequate reconstruction of thermal history of the source-rock deposits. Revealing and taking into account the Late Eocene regression provided the computationally optimal and richest thermal history of the source-rock Bazhenov Formation, which led to more correct volumetric-genetic estimates of the reserves. For estimating the hydrocarbon reserves in the land territories of the Arctic region of West Siberia by the volumetric-genetic technique, it is recommended to use the Arctic secular trend of temperatures and take into account the dynamics of the

  3. Rock Physical Interpretation of the Relationship between Dynamic and Static Young's Moduli of Sedimentary Rocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, T.

    2017-12-01

    The static Young's modulus (deformability) of a rock is indispensable for designing and constructing tunnels, dams and underground caverns in civil engineering. Static Young's modulus which is an elastic modulus at large strain level is usually obtained with the laboratory tests of rock cores sampled in boreholes drilled in a rock mass. A deformability model of the entire rock mass is then built by extrapolating the measurements based on a rock mass classification obtained in geological site characterization. However, model-building using data obtained from a limited number of boreholes in the rock mass, especially a complex rock mass, may cause problems in the accuracy and reliability of the model. On the other hand, dynamic Young's modulus which is the modulus at small strain level can be obtained from seismic velocity. If dynamic Young's modulus can be rationally converted to static one, a seismic velocity model by the seismic method can be effectively used to build a deformability model of the rock mass. In this study, we have, therefore, developed a rock physics model (Mavko et al., 2009) to estimate static Young's modulus from dynamic one for sedimentary rocks. The rock physics model has been generally applied to seismic properties at small strain level. In the proposed model, however, the sandy shale model, one of rock physics models, is extended for modeling the static Young's modulus at large strain level by incorporating the mixture of frictional and frictionless grain contacts into the Hertz-Mindlin model. The proposed model is verified through its application to the dynamic Young's moduli derived from well log velocities and static Young's moduli measured in the tri-axial compression tests of rock cores sampled in the same borehole as the logs were acquired. This application proves that the proposed rock physics model can be possibly used to estimate static Young's modulus (deformability) which is required in many types of civil engineering applications

  4. Post-glacial rock avalanches in the Obersee Valley, Glarner Alps, Switzerland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagelisen, Jan; Moore, Jeffrey R.; Vockenhuber, Christoph; Ivy-Ochs, Susan

    2015-06-01

    The geological record of prehistoric rock avalanches provides invaluable data for assessing the hazard posed by these rare but destructive mass movements. Here we investigate two large rock avalanches in the Obersee valley of the Glarner Alps, Switzerland, providing detailed mapping of landslide and related Quaternary phenomena, revised volume estimates for each event, and surface exposure dating of rock avalanche deposits. The Rautispitz rock avalanche originated from the southern flank of the Obersee valley, releasing approximately 91 million m3 of limestone on steeply-dipping bedding planes. Debris had maximum horizontal travel distance of ~ 5000 m, a fahrboeschung angle (relating fall height to length) of 18°, and was responsible for the creation of Lake Obersee; deposits are more than 130 m thick in places. The Platten rock avalanche encompassed a source volume of 11 million m3 sliding from the northern flank of the Obersee valley on similar steeply-dipping limestone beds (bedrock forms a syncline under the valley). Debris had a maximum horizontal travel distance of 1600 m with a fahrboeschung angle of 21°, and is more than 80 m thick in places. Deposits of the Platten rock avalanche are superposed atop those from the Rautispitz event at the end of the Obersee valley where they dam Lake Haslensee. Runout for both events was simulated using the dynamic analysis code DAN3D; results showed excellent match to mapped deposit extents and thickness and helped confirm the hypothesized single-event failure scenarios. 36Cl cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure dating of 13 deposited boulders revealed a Younger Dryas age of 12.6 ± 1.0 ka for the Rautispitz rock avalanche and a mid-Holocene age of 6.1 ± 0.8 ka for the Platten rock avalanche. A seismological trigger is proposed for the former event due to potentially correlated turbidite deposits in nearby Lake Zurich.

  5. Suprasubduction volcanic rocks of the Char ophiolite belt, East Kazakhstan: new geochemical and first geochronological data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Safonova, Inna; Simonov, Vladimir; Seltmann, Reimar; Yamamoto, Shinji; Xiao, Wenjiao

    2016-04-01

    -1530°C and 14-26 kbar and crystallized at 1150-1190°C (Simonov et al., 2010). All these features are indicative of a supra-subduction origin of rocks. The age of gabbro, dolerite, andesite and tonalite was determined by LA ICP MS U-Pb zircon dating performed in the University of Kyoto, Japan. The andesites and tonalites yielded Carboniferous ages of ca. 322-336 Ma and the gabbro and dolerite appeared Devonian (387-395 Ma). Thus, the Char volcanic rocks possess geochemical signatures of supra-subduction magmas and could be derived at high degree melting of relatively shallow mantle sources. The volcanic units probably formed at one or two island-arcs or at an intra-oceanic arc and continental margin arc during the Middle Devonian - Mississippian. Later, the island-arc units were probably accreted to the active margin of the Kazakhstan continent. The work was supported by RFBR Project no. 16-05-00313. Contribution to IGCP#592 of UNESCO-IUGS. Safonova, I.Yu., Simonov V.A., Kurganskaya E.V., Obut O.T., Romer R.L., Seltmann R., 2012. Late Paleozoic oceanic basalts hosted by the Char suture-shear zone, East Kazakhstan: geological position, geochemistry, petrogenesis and tectonic setting. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 49, 20-39. Simonov V.A., Safonova I.Yu., Kovyazin S.V., 2010. Petrogenesis of island-arc complexes of the Char zone, East Kazakhstan. Petrology 18, 59-72.

  6. The Rock Cycle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Raman J.; Bushee, Jonathan

    1977-01-01

    Presents a rock cycle diagram suitable for use at the secondary or introductory college levels which separates rocks formed on and below the surface, includes organic materials, and separates products from processes. (SL)

  7. Water-rock interaction in a high-FeO olivine rock in nature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hellmuth, K.H.; Lindberg, A.; Tullborg, E.L.

    1992-12-01

    The long-term behaviour in nature of high-FeO olivine rock in contact with surface water has been studied at the Lovasjaervi instrusion, SE-Finland. The rock has been proposed as a high-capasity, higly reactive redox-buffer backfill in a repository for spent fuel. Favourable groundwater chemistry is a major parameter relevant to safety of such a repository. Reducing conditions favour the retardation of long-lived, redox-sensitive radionuclides. Weathering influences have been studied at the natural outcrop of the rock mass. The interaction of oxidizing surface waters with rock at greater depths has been studied by using fissure filling minerals. Investigation of weathered rock from the outcrop indicates that the olivine rock is highly reactive on a geological time scale and its redox capasity is available although the instrusion as a whole is surprisingly well preserved. The fissure fillings studied allow the conclusion that oxygen seems to be efficiently removed from intruding surface water. Oxidation seem to have caused visible effects only along very conducting fractures and near the contact zones of the surrounding granitic rock. Stable isotope data of fissure filling calcites indicate that the influence of surface waters can be traced clearly down to a depth of about 50 m, but also at greater depths re-equilibration has occurred. Groundwater data from the site were not available. (orig.)

  8. Cecal bacterial communities in wild Japanese rock ptarmigans and captive Svalbard rock ptarmigans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ushida, Kazunari; Segawa, Takahiro; Tsuchida, Sayaka; Murata, Koichi

    2016-02-01

    Preservation of indigenous gastrointestinal microbiota is deemed to be critical for successful captive breeding of endangered wild animals, yet its biology is poorly understood. Here, we investigated cecal bacterial communities in wild Japanese rock ptarmigans (Lagopus muta japonica) and compared them with those in Svalbard rock ptarmigans (L. m. hyperborea) in captivity. Ultra-deep sequencing of 16S rRNA gene indicated that the community structure of cecal microbiota in wild rock ptarmigans was remarkably different from that in captive Svalbard rock ptarmigans. Fundamental differences between bacterial communities in the two groups of birds were detected at the phylum level. Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Synergistetes were the major phyla detected in wild Japanese rock ptarmigans, whereas Firmicutes alone occupied more than 80% of abundance in captive Svalbard rock ptarmigans. Furthermore, unclassified genera of Coriobacteriaceae, Synergistaceae, Bacteroidaceae, Actinomycetaceae, Veillonellaceae and Clostridiales were the major taxa detected in wild individuals, whereas in zoo-reared birds, major genera were Ruminococcus, Blautia, Faecalibacterium and Akkermansia. Zoo-reared birds seemed to lack almost all rock ptarmigan-specific bacteria in their intestine, which may explain the relatively high rate of pathogenic infections affecting them. We show evidence that preservation and reconstitution of indigenous cecal microflora are critical for successful ex situ conservation and future re-introduction plan for the Japanese rock ptarmigan.

  9. Detrital rutile geochemistry and thermometry from the Dabie orogen: Implications for source-sediment links in a UHPM terrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Lei; Xiao, Yilin; Wörner, G.; Kronz, A.; Simon, K.; Hou, Zhenhui

    2014-08-01

    This study explores the potential of detrital rutile geochemistry and thermometry as a provenance tracer in rocks from the Central Dabie ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic (UHPM) zone in east-central China that formed during Triassic continental collision. Trace element data of 176 detrital rutile grains selected from local river sediments and 91 rutile grains from distinct bedrocks in the Shuanghe and Bixiling areas, obtained by both electron microprobe (EMP) and in situ LA-ICP-MS analyses, suggest that geochemical compositions and thermometry of detrital rutiles are comparable to those from their potential source rocks. After certification of the Cr-Nb discrimination method for the Central Dabie UHPM zone, we show that 29% of the detrital rutiles in the Shuanghe area were derived from metamafic sources whereas in the Bixiling area that it is up to 76%. Furthermore, the proportion of distinct types of detrital rutiles combined with modal abundances of rutile in metapelites and metamafic bedrocks can be used to estimate the proportion of different source lithologies. Based on this method the proportion of mafic source rocks was estimated to ∼10% at Shuanghe and >60% at Bixiling, respectively, which is consistent with the proportions of eclogite (the major rutile-bearing metamafic rock) distribution in the field. Therefore, the investigation of detrital rutiles is a potential way to evaluate the proportion of metamafic rocks and even to prospect for metamafic bodies in UHPM terranes. Zr-in-rutile temperatures were calculated at different pressures and compared with temperatures derived from rock-in rutiles and garnet-clinopyroxene Fe-Mg thermometers. Temperatures calculated for detrital rutiles range from 606 °C to 707 °C and 566 °C to 752 °C in Shuanghe and Bixiling, respectively, at P = 3 GPa with an average temperatures of ca. 630 °C for both areas. These temperature averages and ranges are similar to those calculated for rutiles from surrounding source rocks

  10. Rock engineering in Finland

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1986-01-01

    Contains a large collection of short articles concerned with tunnels and underground caverns and their construction and use. The articles are grouped under the following headings: use of the subsurface space; water supply; waste water services; energy management (includes articles on power stations, district heating and oil storage and an article on coal storage); multipurpose tunnels; waste disposal; transport; shelters; sporting and recreational amenities located in rock caverns; storage facilities; industrial, laboratory, and service facilities; rock foundations; tourism and culture; utilization of rock masses; research on the disposal of nuclear waste; training and research in the field of rock engineering; site investigation techniques; design of structures in rock; construction; the environment and occupational safety; modern equipment technology; underground space in Helsinki.

  11. Vital Signs: Exposure to Electronic Cigarette Advertising Among Middle School and High School Students - United States, 2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Tushar; Marynak, Kristy; Arrazola, René A; Cox, Shanna; Rolle, Italia V; King, Brian A

    2016-01-08

    Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use has increased considerably among U.S. youths since 2011. Tobacco use among youths in any form, including e-cigarettes, is unsafe. Tobacco product advertising can persuade youths to start using tobacco. CDC analyzed data from the 2014 National Youth Tobacco Survey to estimate the prevalence of e-cigarette advertisement exposure among U.S. middle school and high school students. The 2014 National Youth Tobacco Survey, a school-based survey of middle school and high school students in grades 6-12, included 22,007 participants. Exposure to e-cigarette advertisements (categorized as "sometimes," "most of the time," or "always") was assessed for four sources: retail stores, Internet, TV and movies, and newspapers and magazines. Weighted exposure estimates were assessed overall and by school type, sex, race/ethnicity, and grade. In 2014, 68.9% of middle and high school students (18.3 million) were exposed to e-cigarette advertisements from at least one source. Among middle school students, exposure was highest for retail stores (52.8%), followed by Internet (35.8%), TV and movies (34.1%), and newspapers and magazines (25.0%). Among high school students, exposure was highest for retail stores (56.3%), followed by Internet (42.9%), TV and movies (38.4%), and newspapers and magazines (34.6%). Among middle school students, 23.4% reported exposure to e-cigarette advertising from one source, 17.4% from two sources, 13.7% from three sources, and 11.9% from four sources. Among high school students, 21.1% reported exposure to e-cigarette advertising from one source, 17.0% from two sources, 14.5% from three sources, and 18.2% from four sources. Approximately seven in 10 U.S. middle and high school students were exposed to e-cigarette advertisements in 2014. Exposure to e-cigarette advertisements might contribute to increased use of e-cigarettes among youths. Multiple approaches are warranted to reduce youth e-cigarette use and exposure to e

  12. Sliding rocks on Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park: first observation of rocks in motion.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard D Norris

    Full Text Available The engraved trails of rocks on the nearly flat, dry mud surface of Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park, have excited speculation about the movement mechanism since the 1940s. Rock movement has been variously attributed to high winds, liquid water, ice, or ice flotation, but has not been previously observed in action. We recorded the first direct scientific observation of rock movements using GPS-instrumented rocks and photography, in conjunction with a weather station and time-lapse cameras. The largest observed rock movement involved > 60 rocks on December 20, 2013 and some instrumented rocks moved up to 224 m between December 2013 and January 2014 in multiple move events. In contrast with previous hypotheses of powerful winds or thick ice floating rocks off the playa surface, the process of rock movement that we have observed occurs when the thin, 3 to 6 mm, "windowpane" ice sheet covering the playa pool begins to melt in late morning sun and breaks up under light winds of -4-5 m/s. Floating ice panels 10 s of meters in size push multiple rocks at low speeds of 2-5 m/min. along trajectories determined by the direction and velocity of the wind as well as that of the water flowing under the ice.

  13. Effect of Micro-Structure on Fatigue Behavior of Intact Rocks under Completely Reversed Loading

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saeed Jamali Zavareh

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Rock formations and structures can be subjected to both static and dynamic loadings. Static loadings resulting from different sources such as gravity and tectonic forces and dynamic forces are intermittently transmitted via vibrations of the earth’s crust, through major earthquakes, rock bursts, rock blasting and drilling and also, traffic. Reaction of rocks to cyclic and repetitive stresses resulting from dynamic loads has been generally neglected with the exception of a few rather limited studies. In this study, , two crystalline quarry stones in Iran; (Natanz gabbro and Green onyx and one non-crystalline rock (Asmari limestone are used to evaluate the effect of micro-structure of intact rock on fatigue behavior. These rocks have different mineral compositions and formation conditions. A new apparatus based on rotating beam fatigue testing machine (R.R.Moore, which is commonly used for laboratory fatigue test in metals, is developed and fatigue behavior and existence of the endurance limit were evaluated for the mentioned rocks based on stress-life method. The obtained results in the variation of applied amplitude stress versus loading cycle number (S-N diagram followed common relationship in other materials. In addition, the endurance limit is perceived for all tested rocks. The results also illustrated that the endurance limits for all types of tested rocks in this study are ranged between 0.4 and 0.6 of their tensile strengths. The endurance limit to tensile strength fraction of green onyx and Natanz gabbro were approximated in a higher value compared to the Asmari limestone with non-crystalline micro-structure.

  14. Rock stresses (Grimsel rock laboratory)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pahl, A.; Heusermann, S.; Braeuer, V.; Gloeggler, W.

    1989-01-01

    On the research and development project 'Rock Stress Measurements' the BGR has developed and tested several test devices and methods at GTS for use in boreholes at a depth of 200 m and has carried out rock mechanical and engineering geological investigations for the evaluation and interpretation of the stress measurements. The first time a computer for data processing was installed in the borehole together with the BGR-probe. Laboratory tests on hollow cylinders were made to study the stress-deformation behavior. To validate and to interprete the measurement results some test methods were modelled using the finite-element method. The dilatometer-tests yielded high values of Young's modulus, whereas laboratory tests showed lower values with a distinct deformation anisotropy. Stress measurements with the BGR-probe yielded horizontal stresses being higher than the theoretical overburden pressure and vertical stresses which agree well with the theoretical overburden pressure. These results are comparable to the results of the hydraulic fracturing tests, whereas stresses obtained with CSIR-triaxial cells are generally lower. The detailed geological mapping of the borehole indicated relationships between stress and geology. With regard to borehole depth different zones of rock structure joint frequency, joint orientation, and orientation of microfissures as well as stress magnitude, stress direction, and degree of deformation anisotropy could be distinguished. (orig./HP) [de

  15. Review on the prevailing methods for the prediction of potential rock burst / rock spalling in tunnels

    OpenAIRE

    Panthi, Krishna Kanta

    2017-01-01

    Rock burst / rock spalling is among the prevailing stability challenges, which can be met while tunneling through hard rock mass. Especially, this is very relevant for the mountainous country like Norway where hard rock is dominating and many road, railway and hydropower tunnels have to be aligned deep into the mountain with steep valley slope topography. Tunnels passing beneath deep rock cover (overburden), in general, are subjected to high in-situ stresses. If the rock mass is relatively un...

  16. Determination of the heavy rare earth radionuclides in melted rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Yinming; Wang Yalong; Zhang Quanshi

    1995-01-01

    There are some heavy rare earth radionuclides in the melted rocks, such as 160 Tb, 168,170 Tm, 88,91 Y, 174,177 Lu, 169 Yb, etc.. Because their contents are very low in the melted rocks and the light rare earth fission products are interfered with their determination, it is very complicated to measure them quantitatively. So a new method has been studied in which P507 resin is used to separate and purify the rare earths. Radioactive sources are prepared by the pieces of filter paper for determining chemical yield with X-fluorescence analysis, and radioactive activity is determined with the γ-spectra analysis. It is proved that this method has satisfied the demands of experiments

  17. Synthetic Rock Analogue for Permeability Studies of Rock Salt with Mudstone

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hongwu Yin

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Knowledge about the permeability of surrounding rock (salt rock and mudstone interlayer is an important topic, which acts as a key parameter to characterize the tightness of gas storage. The goal of experiments that test the permeability of gas storage facilities in rock salt is to develop a synthetic analogue to use as a permeability model. To address the permeability of a mudstone/salt layered and mixed rock mass in Jintan, Jiangsu Province, synthetic mixed and layered specimens using the mudstone and the salt were fabricated for permeability testing. Because of the gas “slippage effect”, test results are corrected by the Klinkenberg method, and the permeability of specimens is obtained by regression fitting. The results show that the permeability of synthetic pure rock salt is 6.9 × 10−20 m2, and its porosity is 3.8%. The permeability of synthetic mudstone rock is 2.97 × 10−18 m2, with a porosity 17.8%. These results are close to those obtained from intact natural specimens. We also find that with the same mudstone content, the permeability of mixed specimens is about 40% higher than for the layered specimens, and with an increase in the mudstone content, the Klinkenberg permeability increases for both types of specimens. The permeability and mudstone content have a strong exponential relationship. When the mudstone content is below 40%, the permeability increases only slightly with mudstone content, whereas above this threshold, the permeability increases rapidly with mudstone content. The results of the study are of use in the assessment of the tightness of natural gas storage facilities in mudstone-rich rock salt formations in China.

  18. How did the ball of rock we live on get so nice?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armstrong, K.

    2017-12-01

    We want to understand how the big ball of rock, water, and air we live on got to be as nice as it is. Some of the things that made our world so nice are what it's made of, and what happened to those things after they were all put together. When our home ball of rock was little, it got bigger by grabbing some of the other stuff that was close by in space. So our world is made of all that space stuff, which was rocks, and that stuff that turns red if you let it get wet. Most of that red stuff is deep down in the middle of the world, covered up by a lot of rocks. But there is a lot of it inside the rocks, too. That red stuff does a lot of cool stuff when it touches other things, especially the kind of air we like to breathe- that is what makes it turn red. Just one very tiny piece of the red stuff can join up with the breathing air in different ways: it can team up with none at all, or a little bit, or a lot, or even more. If we look at how much of the breathing air is teamed up with the red stuff inside the rocks, we can learn about how the rocks got there and what happened to them a long time ago. In the rocks that we can look at, there is more of the breathing air teamed up with the red stuff than we might have thought. We think that maybe that is because when more and more stuff tries to fit in the same small space, and gets pressed down, like it does deep down in our world, it can change in ways we do not expect. When our world was almost as big as it is now, it probably grabbed some space stuff that was almost as big as it was. The space stuff would have run into our world really hard, and that would have made everything really hot, hot enough to make all the rocks in the world move like water. We have an idea that maybe, when all the rocks on the world were really hot and moved around like water, deep down the red stuff and the breathing air might have got all pressed together very hard, so that more of the breathing air would team up with the red stuff than it

  19. The determination of initial ratio of strontium isotope in rocks and its geological application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ying Junlong; Zhao Puyun; Lin Xiulan

    1989-04-01

    The method to determine the initial ratio of strontium isotopes existed in rocks of poor rubidium and rich strontium and main carrier minerals is introduced. The initial ratio obtained from this method is equivalent to that acquired by Rb-Sr isochrone. Based on this result, information on regional rock genesis and mineralization regularities can be provided. It has great significance in the research on activities of ancient continental margin and material sources as well as their evolution. The migration of rock, and ore-forming materials, matallogenetic mechanism and its distribution in the space and time evolution are studied by using these data. In conclusion, the determination of strontium isotopes has broad prospects in the geological research

  20. Geology and oil and gas assessment of the Todilto Total Petroleum System, San Juan Basin Province, New Mexico and Colorado: Chapter 3 in Total petroleum systems and geologic assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the San Juan Basin Province, exclusive of Paleozoic rocks, New Mexico and Colorado

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ridgley, J.L.; Hatch, J.R.

    2013-01-01

    Organic-rich, shaly limestone beds, which contain hydrocarbon source beds in the lower part of the Jurassic Todilto Limestone Member of the Wanakah Formation, and sandstone reservoirs in the overlying Jurassic Entrada Sandstone, compose the Todilto Total Petroleum System (TPS). Source rock facies of the Todilto Limestone were deposited in a combined marine-lacustrine depositional setting. Sandstone reservoirs in the Entrada Sandstone were deposited in eolian depositional environments. Oil in Todilto source beds was generated beginning in the middle Paleocene, about 63 million years ago, and maximum generation of oil occurred in the middle Eocene. In the northern part of the San Juan Basin, possible gas and condensate were generated in Todilto Limestone Member source beds until the middle Miocene. The migration distance of oil from the Todilto source beds into the underlying Entrada Sandstone reservoirs was short, probably within the dimensions of a single dune crest. Traps in the Entrada are mainly stratigraphic and diagenetic. Regional tilt of the strata to the northeast has influenced structural trapping of oil, but also allowed for later introduction of water. Subsequent hydrodynamic forces have influenced the repositioning of the oil in some reservoirs and flushing in others. Seals are mostly the anhydrite and limestone facies of the Todilto, which thin to as little as 10 ft over the crests of the dunes. The TPS contains only one assessment unit, the Entrada Sandstone Conventional Oil Assessment Unit (AU) (50220401). Only four of the eight oil fields producing from the Entrada met the 0.5 million barrels of oil minimum size used for this assessment. The AU was estimated at the mean to have potential additions to reserves of 2.32 million barrels of oil (MMBO), 5.56 billion cubic feet of natural gas (BCFG), and 0.22 million barrels of natural gas liquids (MMBNGL).

  1. Sources of radioactive contamination inside houses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sajet, A.S.

    2010-01-01

    People may be exposed at home to multiple sources of nuclear radiation such as gamma, beta and alpha rays emitters. House atmosphere is polluted with nuclear radiation from water pollutants and rocks used in the construction. Radon is the only radioactive non-metallic element. Environmental organizations estimated that all houses contain varying concentrations of radon gas, and the residents are exposed to levels of radon over the years. The source of radon in houses is uranium, which may be found in rocks of the house, soil of the garden, water of the deep artesian wells and building materials, especially granite rocks. Breathing air that contains high levels of radon causes lung cancer. Radon is the second cause of lung disease after smoking. There are many means to reduce house pollution including: utilisation of air filters to remove contaminated dust particles, keep residential areas away from the establishments that use nuclear technology or embedded by nuclear waste, avoid using materials made from asbestos in construction works and proper use and disposal of chemicals and medicines containing radioactive isotopes. (author)

  2. 'Mister Badger' Pushing Mars Rock

    Science.gov (United States)

    1976-01-01

    Viking's soil sampler collector arm successfully pushed a rock on the surface of Mars during the afternoon of Friday, October 8. The irregular-shaped rock was pushed several inches by the Lander's collector arm, which displaced the rock to the left of its original position, leaving it cocked slightly upward. Photographs and other information verified the successful rock push. Photo at left shows the soil sampler's collector head pushing against the rock, named 'Mister Badger' by flight controllers. Photo at right shows the displaced rock and the depression whence it came. Part of the soil displacement was caused by the collector s backhoe. A soil sample will be taken from the site Monday night, October 11. It will then be delivered to Viking s organic chemistry instrument for a series of analyses during the next few weeks. The sample is being sought from beneath a rock because scientists believe that, if there are life forms on Mars, they may seek rocks as shelter from the Sun s intense ultraviolet radiation.

  3. Stratigraphy of Slick Rock district and vicinity, San Miguel and Dolores Counties, Colorado

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shawe, Daniel R.; Simmons, George C.; Archbold, Norbert L.

    1968-01-01

    , siltstone, and conglomerate, of late Paleozoic and Mesozoic age. Above these rocks is as much as 2,300 feet of marine shale of late Mesozoic age. Perhaps about 5,000 feet of clastic sedimentary rocks, dominantly sandstone and in part shale, of late Mesozoic and early Cenozoic age, overlay the older rocks of the district prior to late Cenozoic erosion...Outside the Slick Rock district the Mancos Shale is overlain by dominantly terrestrial sandstone, mudstone, and coaly beds of the Mesaverde Group of Late Cretaceous age, and younger units such as the Wasatch and Green River Formations of Tertiary age, which once may have extended across the district. These units, totaling possibly 5,000 feet in thickness, were removed by erosion following middle Tertiary uplift of the Colorado Plateau.Igneous rocks of Tertiary age crop out in only one small area in the district, but they are intruded extensively in the Mancos Shale east of the district, and, as shown by deep oil test wells, appear to be intruded widely in the Paradox Member of the Hermosa Formation in the southern part of the district and southeast of the district. Andesite porphyry occurs in a dike on Glade Mountain, microgranogabbro and microgranodiorite occur in thin sills east of the district, and rocks of similar composition form thick sills in the subsurface. All are similar chemically to igneous rocks in the San Juan Mountains southeast of the district and probably were the result of a specific igneous episode. They were intruded most likely during the Miocene.Surficial deposits of Quaternary age include glacial till, terrace gravels, alluvial fans, landslide debris, loess, other soil, alluvium, colluvium, and talus. On Glade Mountain, glacial till of probable early Pleistocene age merges westward with terrace gravels that are correlative with terrace gravels which lie on an old weathered surface of Mancos Shale farther west on the rim of the Dolores River Canyon.

  4. Basic rocks in Finland

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Piirainen, T.; Gehoer, S.; Iljina, M.; Kaerki, A.; Paakkola, J.; Vuollo, J.

    1992-10-01

    Basic igneous rocks, containing less than 52% SiO 2 , constitute an important part of the Finnish Archaean and Proterozoic crust. In the Archaean crust exist two units which contain the majority of the basic rocks. The Arcaean basic rocks are metavolcanics and situated in the Greenstone Belts of Eastern Finland. They are divided into two units. The greenstones of the lower one are tholeiites, komatiites and basaltic komatiites. The upper consists of bimodal series of volcanics and the basic rocks of which are Fe-tholeiites, basaltic komatiites and komatiites. Proterozoic basic rocks are divided into seven groups according to their ages. The Proterozoic igneous activity started by the volominous basic magmatism 2.44 Ga ago. During this stage formed the layered intrusions and related dykes in the Northern Finland. 2.2 Ga old basic rocks are situated at the margins of Karelian formations. 2.1 Ga aged Fe-tholeiitic magmatic activity is widespread in Eastern and Northern Finland. The basic rocks of 1.97 Ga age group are met within the Karelian Schist Belts as obducted ophiolite complexes but they occur also as tholeiitic diabase dykes cutting the Karelian schists and Archean basement. The intrusions and the volcanics of the 1.9 Ga old basic igneous activity are mostly encountered around the Granitoid Complex of Central Finland. Subjotnian, 1.6 Ga aged tholeiitic diabases are situated around the Rapakivi massifs of Southern Finland, and postjotnian, 1.2 Ga diabases in Western Finland where they form dykes cutting Svecofennian rocks

  5. Nitrate release from waste rock dumps in the Elk Valley, British Columbia, Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahmood, Fazilatun N; Barbour, S Lee; Kennedy, C; Hendry, M Jim

    2017-12-15

    The origin, distribution and leaching of nitrate (NO 3 - ) from coal waste rock dumps in the Elk Valley, British Columbia, Canada were defined using chemical and NO 3 - isotope analyses (δ 15 N- and δ 18 O-NO 3 - ) of solids samples of pre- and post-blast waste rock and from thick (up to 180m) unsaturated waste rock dump profiles constructed between 1982 and 2012 as well as water samples collected from a rock drain located at the base of one dump and effluent from humidity cell (HC) and leach pad (LP) tests on waste rock. δ 15 N- and δ 18 O-NO 3 - values and NO 3 - concentrations of waste rock and rock drain waters confirmed the source of NO 3 - in the waste rock to be explosives and that limited to no denitrification occurs in the dump. The average mass of N released during blasting was estimated to be about 3-6% of the N in the explosives. NO 3 - concentrations in the fresh-blast waste rock and recently placed waste rock used for the HC and LP experiments were highly variable, ranging from below detection to 241mg/kg. The mean and median concentrations of these samples ranged from 10-30mg/kg. In this range of concentrations, the initial aqueous concentration of fresh-blasted waste rock could range from approximately 200-600mg NO 3 - -N/L. Flushing of NO 3 - from the HCs, LPs and a deep field profile was simulated using a scale dependent leaching efficiency (f) where f ranged from 5-15% for HCs, to 35-80% for the LPs, to 80-90% for the field profile. Our findings show aqueous phase NO 3 - from blasting residuals is present at highly variable initial concentrations in waste rock and the majority of this NO 3 - (>75%) should be flushed by recharging water during displacement of the first stored water volume. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. The role of vermetid gastropods in the development of the Florida Middle Ground, northeast Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reich, Christopher D.; Poore, Richard Z.; Hickey, Todd D.

    2013-01-01

    The Florida Middle Ground is a complex of north to northwest trending ridges that lie approximately 180 km northwest of Tampa Bay, Florida. The irregular ridges appear on the otherwise gently sloping West Florida shelf and exhibit between 10-15 m of relief. Modern studies interpret the ridges as remnants of a Holocene coral-reef buildup that today provide a hard substrate for growth of a variety of benthic organisms including hydrocorals, scleractinians, alcyonarians, and algae. Recent rotary coring reveals that the core of the eastern ridge of the Florida Middle Ground complex consists of unconsolidated marine calcareous muddy sand that is capped by a boundstone composed primarily of the sessile vermetid gastropod Petaloconchus sp., and overlays a weathered, fossiliferous limestone. Accelerator Mass Spectrometry radiocarbon ages (uncalibrated) on the 3.6-m thick vermetid worm rock indicate that it developed during a sea-level stillstand in the early Holocene (8,225 ±30-8,910 ± 25 yr B.P.). Our observations suggest that the Florida Middle Ground is a remnant of a series of shore parallel bars that formed in the early Holocene and were capped by a 3.6-m thick unit of vermetid gastropods. During a rapid sea-level rise that began ~8,000 yr B.P. the vermetids growth ceased and the worm rock preserved the ridges structure. Diver observations document that the edges of the ridges are currently being eroded and undermined by biological activity and current action, leading to calving of large capstone blocks.

  7. Pore-scale analysis of electrical properties in thinly bedded rock using digital rock physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Jianmeng; Zhao, Jianpeng; Liu, Xuefeng; Chen, Hui; Jiang, LiMing; Zhang, JinYan

    2014-01-01

    We investigated the electrical properties of laminated rock consist of macro-porous layers and micro-porous layers based on digital rock technology. Due to the bedding effect and anisotropy, traditional Archie equations cannot well describe the electrical behavior of laminated rock. The RI-Sw curve of laminated rock shows a nonlinear relationship. The RI-Sw curve can be divided into two linear segments with different saturation exponent. Laminated sand-shale sequences and laminated sands of different porosity or grain size will yield macroscopic electrical anisotropy. Numerical simulation and theoretical analysis lead to the conclusion that electrical anisotropy coefficient of laminated rock is a strong function of water saturation. The function curve can be divided into three segments by the turning point. Therefore, the electrical behavior of laminated rock should be considered in oil exploration and development. (paper)

  8. Passive detection of Pb in water using rock phosphate agarose beads.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edenborn, Harry M; Howard, Bret H; Sams, James I; Vesper, Dorothy J; Edenborn, Sherie L

    2017-08-15

    In this study, passive detectors for Pb were prepared by immobilizing powdered rock phosphate in agarose beads. Rock phosphate has been used to treat Pb-contaminated waters and soil by fixing the metal as an insoluble pyromorphite mineral. Under lab conditions, Pb was rapidly adsorbed from aqueous solution by the beads over time, consistent with the acidic dissolution of rock phosphate, the precipitation of pyromorphite within the pore space of the agarose gel matrix, and surface exchange reactions. Net accumulation of Pb occurred when beads were exposed to simulated periodic releases of Pb over time. Under field conditions, beads in mesh bags were effective at detecting dissolved Pb being transported as surface runoff from a site highly contaminated with Pb. Rates of Pb accumulation in beads under field conditions appeared to be correlated with the frequency of storm events and total rainfall. The rock phosphate agarose bead approach could be an inexpensive way to carry out source-tracking of Pb pollution, to verify the successful remediation of sites with Pb-contaminated soil, and to routinely monitor public water systems for potential Pb contamination. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  9. Lower and Middle Ordovician conodonts of Laurentian affinity from blocks of limestone in the Rosroe Formation, South Mayo Trough, western Ireland and their palaeogeographic implication

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stouge, Svend; Harper, David A. T.; Sevastopulo, George D.

    2016-01-01

    The Middle Ordovician Rosroe Formation consists of some 1350m of coarse, mainly siliciclastic to volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks, deposited in a submarine fan environment, and is restricted to the southern limb of the South Mayo Trough, western Ireland. Discrete allochthonous blocks, reaching 5m...

  10. Study on high-resolution sequence stratigraphy framework of uranium-hosting rock series in Qianjiadian sag

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Fanghong; Zhang Mingyu

    2005-01-01

    The ore-hosting Yaojia Formation is composed of a set of braided stream medium-fine grained sediments. Guided by the basic theory of high-resolution sequence stratigraphy, and based on the core observation, the analysis of chemical composition of rocks, and data of natural potential logging and apparent resistivity logging, the authors have set up the high-resolution sequence stratigraphy framework of the ore-hosting Yaojia Formation, and discussed the relation of the stratigraphic structure of the middle cycle, as well as the paleotopography, the micro-facies to the formation of uranium deposit. (authors)

  11. Computer modeling of inelastic wave propagation in porous rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheney, J.A.; Schatz, J.F.; Snell, C.

    1979-01-01

    Computer modeling of wave propagation in porous rock has several important applications. Among them are prediction of fragmentation and permeability changes to be caused by chemical explosions used for in situ resource recovery, and the understanding of nuclear explosion effects such as seismic wave generation, containment, and site hardness. Of interest in all these applications are the distance from the source to which inelastic effects persist and the amount of porosity change within the inelastic region. In order to study phenomena related to these applications, the Cam Clay family of models developed at Cambridge University was used to develop a similar model that is applicable to wave propagation in porous rock. That model was incorporated into a finite-difference wave propagation computer code SOC. 10 figures, 1 table

  12. Geology and Geochemistry of some crystalline basement rocks in ilesha area, southwestern nigeria: implications on provenance and evolution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oyinloye, A.O.

    2007-01-01

    Geological and geochemical study of the basement complex rocks in ilesha schist belt revealed that amphibolite, hornblende gneiss and granite gneiss are the major constituents. The gneisses are composed of similar rock forming silicates with variations in abundance. The amphibolite being a mafic rock has different compositions, containing abundant pyroxene, actinolite and tremolite. Monazite is present in the mineralogy of all these rocks. Chemical composition of these rocks revealed that they are petrogenetically related. Geochemical diagrams, plotted from chemical composition of these rocks, REE fractionation trends and presence of monazite in their mineralogy reveal that all these rocks were derived from a mixed magma source which did not originate from a pure tipper mantle, but possibly from a back arc tectonic setting. The pattern of the REE, progressively increasing negative Eu/Eu anomaly, La/sub N//Yb/sub N/ from the amphibolite to the granite gneiss and marked Eu depletion tend to implicate evolution through fractionation of a mixed basaltic magma to form the precursor of these rocks. The amphibolite probably represents the sample of the original basaltic magma. (author)

  13. Petrography of the Paleogene Volcanic Rocks of the Sierra Maestra, Southeastern Cuba

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bemis, V. L.

    2006-12-01

    This study is a petrographic analysis of over 200 specimens of the Paleogene volcanic rocks of the Sierra Maestra (Southerneastern Cuba), a key structure in the framework of the northern Caribbean plate boundary evolution. The purpose of this study is to understand the eruptive processes and the depositional environments. The volcanic sequence in the lower part of the Sierra Maestra begins with highly porphyritic pillow lavas, topped by massive tuffs and autoclastic flows. The presence of broken phenocrystals, palagonitic glass and hyaloclastites in this section of the sequence suggests that the prevalent mode of eruption was explosive. The absence of welding in the tuffs suggests that the rocks were emplaced in a deep submarine environment. Coherent flows, much less common than the massive tuffs, show evidence of autoclastic fracturing, also indicating low temperature-submarine environments. These observations support the hypothesis that the Sierra Maestra sequence may be neither part of the Great Antilles Arc of the Mesozoic nor any other fully developed volcanic arc, rather a 250 km long, submarine eruptive system of dikes, flows and sills, most likely a back-arc structure. The volcanic rocks of the upper sequence are all very fine grained, reworked volcaniclastic materials, often with the structures of distal turbidities, in mode and texture similar to those drilled on the Cayman Rise. This study suggests that the Sierra Maestra most likely records volcanism of diverse sources: a local older submarine source, and one or more distal younger sources, identifiable with the pan-Caribbean volcanic events of the Tertiary.

  14. Arsenic, Chromium, and Other Potentially Toxic Elements in the Rocks and Sediments of Oropos-Kalamos Basin, Attica, Greece

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Alexakis

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Rocks and sediments are non-anthropogenic sources of elements contamination. In this study, a series of potentially toxic elements were quantified in rocks and sediments of the Oropos-Kalamos basin. Only As, Hg, Pb, and Sb contents, in all the examined rocks and sediments, were higher than the levels given in international literature. Concentration of the elements As, Cr, Hg, Mo, Ni, and U is highly elevated in the lignite compared to crustal element averages. The enrichment of Cr and Ni in the lignite can be attributed to the known ultramafic rock masses surrounding the basin, while enrichment of As, Hg, Mo, Sb, and U is associated with the past geothermal activity of the Upper Miocene (about 15 million years ago. Nickel and Cr were transported into the lignite deposition basin by rivers and streams draining ultramafic rock bodies. The results of this study imply the natural source of Cr3+ and Cr6+ contamination of the Oropos-Kalamos groundwater, since high Cr contents were also recorded in the lignite (212.3 mg kg−1, chromiferous iron ore occurrences (256.6 mg kg−1, and alluvial deposits (212.5 mg kg−1, indicating Cr leaching and transportation to the depositional basin dating from the Upper Miocene age.

  15. Research into basic rocks types

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-06-01

    Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO) has carried out research into basic rock types in Finland. The research programme has been implemented in parallel with the preliminary site investigations for radioactive waste disposal in 1991-1993. The program contained two main objectives: firstly, to study the properties of the basic rock types and compare those with the other rock types under the investigation; secondly, to carry out an inventory of rock formations consisting of basic rock types and suitable in question for final disposal. A study of environmental factors important to know regarding the final disposal was made of formations identified. In total 159 formations exceeding the size of 4 km 2 were identified in the inventory. Of these formations 97 were intrusive igneous rock types and 62 originally extrusive volcanic rock types. Deposits consisting of ore minerals, industrial minerals or building stones related to these formations were studied. Environmental factors like natural resources, protected areas or potential for restrictions in land use were also studied

  16. Lower and Middle Devonian Malvinokaffric ostracods from the Precordillera Basin of San Juan, Argentina

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salas, María J.; Rustán, Juan J.; Sterren, Andrea F.

    2013-08-01

    Ostracod from the upper Lower to Middle Devonian rocks of the Argentine Precordillera Basin (Talacasto and Punta Negra formations) are studied. One new genus Pircawayra nov. gen., and five species (including three new: Pircawayra gigantea nov. gen. and sp., Lapazites trinodis nov. sp. and Keslingiella? teresae nov. sp.) are defined. The recorded ostracod fauna closely resembles that coeval from Bolivia and South Africa, exhibiting a remarkable endemism, not only at the genus level, but also at the species level. In addition to its low-diversity, the Malvinokaffric ostracod association is also characterized by having large, thick, coarsely ornamented and swollen valves. The similar ostracod composition from the Andean and South African basins suggests faunal exchange between these two areas. Based on the ostracod faunas, the Malvinokaffric Realm is clearly recognizable at least up to the Middle Devonian.

  17. Evaluation of Rock Bolt Support for Polish Hard Rock Mines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skrzypkowski, Krzysztof

    2018-03-01

    The article presents different types of rock bolt support used in Polish ore mining. Individual point resin and expansion rock bolt support were characterized. The roof classes for zinc and lead and copper ore mines were presented. Furthermore, in the article laboratory tests of point resin rock bolt support in a geometric scale of 1:1 with minimal fixing length of 0.6 m were made. Static testing of point resin rock bolt support were carried out on a laboratory test facility of Department of Underground Mining which simulate mine conditions for Polish ore and hard coal mining. Laboratory tests of point resin bolts were carried out, especially for the ZGH Bolesław, zinc and lead "Olkusz - Pomorzany" mine. The primary aim of the research was to check whether at the anchoring point length of 0.6 m by means of one and a half resin cartridge, the type bolt "Olkusz - 20A" is able to overcome the load.The second purpose of the study was to obtain load - displacement characteristic with determination of the elastic and plastic range of the bolt. For the best simulation of mine conditions the station steel cylinders with an external diameter of 0.1 m and a length of 0.6 m with a core of rock from the roof of the underground excavations were used.

  18. Summary of the stratigraphy, sedimentology, and mineralogy of Pennsylvanian and permian rocks of Oklahoma in relation to uranium-resource potential

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olmsted, R.W.; Hanson, R.E.; May, R.T.; Owens, R.T.

    1976-01-01

    Pennsylvanian-Permian strata in Oklahoma were deposited in environments which ranged from deep marine to alluvial fan. The former was most common in the Ouachita geosyncline during Early Pennsylvanian, but parts of the Anadarko basin were also relatively deep water during Middle and Late Pennsylvanian. Alluvial-fan deposits in Oklahoma are related primarily to the Amarillo-Wichita-Criner, Arbuckle, and Ouachita uplifts. As a result of erosion of the Wichita and Arbuckle areas during the Pennsylvanian-Permian, Precambrian and Cambrian felsic igneous rocks were exposed and became sources of significant quantities of feldspar in the sandstones and conglomerates, especially those on the flanks of the uplifts, and possibly sources of significant uranium concentrations in basinal waters. The Ouachita uplift, Sierra Grande-Apishapa uplift to the northwest, and possibly the Appalachian system also furnished feldspar to form the rather common subarkoses in the Upper Pennsylvanian-Permian. Feldspar is an apparent source of uranium which is present in the alluvial-fan deposits associated with the Wichita and Arbuckle uplifts, the Permian sandstones on oil-producing structures in southern Oklahoma, the lenticular sandstones on the Muenster-Waurika arch, and the tidal-flat sandstone-siltstones in western Oklahoma and possibly in north-central Oklahoma. Radioactive anomalies associated with Cherokee sandstones may be related to the Desmoinesian phosphatic shales, local depositional environments of deltaic complexes which influenced diagenetic conditions, and/or the pre-Pennsylvanian unconformity with respect to the radioactive Woodford Shale

  19. Minor sources of miner exposure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strong, J.C.; Green, N.; Brown, K.; O'Riordan, M.C.

    1983-01-01

    The sources of radiation exposure to miners in non-coal mines in addition to radon daughters are thoron daughters in mine air, long-lived radionuclides in mine dust and gamma radiation from the local rocks. A crude estimate of the total annual effective dose equivalent from these minor sources is 2 - 5 mSv which is of secondary importance compared to the dose from radon daughters. (UK)

  20. Long-distance stone transport and pigment use in the earliest Middle Stone Age

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brooks, Alison S.; Yellen, John E.; Potts, Richard; Behrensmeyer, Anna K.; Deino, Alan L.; Leslie, David E.; Ambrose, Stanley H.; Ferguson, Jeffrey R.; d’Errico, Francesco; Zipkin, Andrew M.; Whittaker, Scott; Post, Jeffrey; Veatch, Elizabeth G.; Foecke, Kimberly; Clark, Jennifer B.

    2018-04-01

    Previous research suggests that the complex symbolic, technological, and socioeconomic behaviors that typify Homo sapiens had roots in the middle Pleistocene methods. Hominins at these sites made prepared cores and points, exploited iron-rich rocks to obtain red pigment, and procured stone tool materials from ≥25- to 50-kilometer distances. Associated fauna suggests a broad resource strategy that included large and small prey. These practices imply notable changes in how individuals and groups related to the landscape and to one another and provide documentation relevant to human social and cognitive evolution.

  1. Discussion of metallogenic substance source of Xiangshan uranium orefield

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shao Fei; Tang Xiangsheng; Zou Maoqin; Hu Maomei; He Xiaomei; Chen Xiaoming; Xu Hengli

    2008-01-01

    Analysis of uranium source is a key problem for study on uranium deposit genesis. Based on analysis of general implication for determination of uranium source on distribution characteristics of regional uranium abundance, according to temporal and spatial evolution of regional metallogenic substances in process of geological history, and combining with indication for analysis of uranium source by Pb isotopic composition of ores and REE geochemistry of both rocks and ores in Xiangshan orefield, Lower Cambrian strata are determined as regional uranium source bed, Xiangshan volcanic basin is the accumulation area for regional metallogenic substances, magma and hydrothermal solution of post magmatism are media for uranium. Magmatism realizes uranium migration from 'source' to 'accumulation'. In process of magmatic evolution, uranium transformed into gas phase to provide substance base for uranium mineralization. Fluid-rock interaction of post magmatism also promoted some uranium from schist of the basement and rhyodacite into metallogenic solution. (authors)

  2. Igneous Rocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doe, Bruce R.

    “Igneous Rocks was written for undergraduate geology majors who have had a year of college-level chemistry and a course in mineralogy … and for beginning graduate students. Geologists working in industry, government, or academia should find this text useful as a guide to the technical literature up to 1981 and as an overview of topics with which they have not worked but which may have unanticipated pertinence to their own projects.” So starts the preface to this textbook.As one who works part time in research on igneous rocks, especially as they relate to mineral deposits, I have been looking for such a book with this avowed purpose in a field that has a choking richness of evolving terminology and a bewildering volume of interdisciplinary literature. In addition to the standard topics of igneous petrology, the book contains a chapter on the role of igneous activity in the genesis of mineral deposits, its value to geothermal energy, and the potential of igneous rocks as an environment for nuclear waste disposal. These topics are presented rather apologetically in the preface, but the author is to be applauded for including this chapter. The apology shows just how new these interests are to petrology. Recognition is finally coming that, for example, mineral deposits are not “sports of nature,” a view held even by many economic geologists as recently as the early 1960's; instead they are perfectly ordinary geochemical features formed by perfectly ordinary geologic processes. In fact, the mineral deposits and their attendant alteration zones probably have as much to tell us about igneous rocks as the igneous rocks have to tell us about mineral deposits.

  3. Geological Identification of Seismic Source at Opak Fault Based on Stratigraphic Sections of the Southern Mountains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hita Pandita

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Earthquake is one of the unpredicted natural disasters on our earth. Despite of the absence of high-accuracy method to precisely predict the occurrence of earthquake, numerous studies have been carried out by seismologists to find it. One of the efforts to address the vulnerability of a region to earthquakes is by recognizing the type of rock as the source of the earthquake. Opak Fault is an active fault which was thought to be the source of earthquakes in Yogyakarta and adjacent areas. This study aimed to determine the seismic source types of rocks in Yogyakarta and adjacent areas. The methods were by measuring stratigraphic sections and the layer thickness in the western part of Southern Mountains. Field study was done in 6 (six research sites. Results of stratigraphic measurement indicated the sedimentary rocks in the Southern Mountains was 3.823 km in thick, while the bedrock was more than 1.042 km in thick. Based on the result, the rock types as the seismic source were thought to originate from the continental crust rocks formed of granite and metamorphic complex.

  4. Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotopic compositions and Petrogenesis of ore-related intrusive rocks of gold-rich porphyry copper Maherabad prospect area (North of Hanich), east of Iran

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malekzadeh Shafaroudi, A.; Karimpour, M. H.; Mazaheri, S. A.

    2010-01-01

    The Maherabad gold-rich porphyry copper prospect area is located in the eastern part of Lut block, east of Iran. This is the first porphyry Cu-Au prospecting area which is discovered in eastern Iran. Fifteen mineralization-related intrusive rocks range (Middle Eocene 39 Ma) in composition from diorite to monzonite have been distinguished. Monzonitic porphyries had major role in Cu-Au mineralization. The ore bearing porphyries are I-type, meta luminous, high-Kcalc-alkaline to shoshonite intrusive rocks which were formed in island arc setting. These rocks are characterized by average of SiO 2 > 59 wt %, Al 2 O 3 > 15 wt %, MgO 2 O> 3 wt %, Sr> 870 ppm, Y 55, moderate Light rare earth elements, relatively low heavy rare earth elements and enrichment LILE (Sr, Cs, Rb, K and Ba) relative to HFSE (Nb, Ta, Ti, Hf and Zr). They are chemically similar to some adakites, but their chemical signatures differ in some ways from normal adakites, including higher K 2 O contents and K 2 O/Na 2 O ratios and lower Mg, (La/Yb) N , (Ce/Yb) N and εNd in Maherabad rocks. Maherabad intrusive rocks are the first K-rich adakites that can be related with subduction zone. Partial melting of mantle hybridized by hydrous, silica-rich slab-derived melts or/and input of enriched mantle-derived ultra-potassic magmas during or prior to the formation and migration of adakitic melts could be explain their high K 2 O contents and K 2 O/Na 2r atios. Low Mg values and relatively low MgO, Cr and Ni contents imply limited interaction between adakite-like magma and mantle wedge peridotite. The initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and ( 143 Nd/ 144 Nd)i was recalculated to an age of 39 Ma (unpublished data). Initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios for hornblende monzonite porphyry are 0.7047-0.7048. The ( 143 Nd/ 144 Nd)i isotope composition are 0.512694-0.512713. Initial εNd isotope values 1.45-1.81. These values could be considered as representative of oceanic slab-derived magmas. Source modeling indicates that high-degree of

  5. Carbonate rocks of the Seward Peninsula, Alaska: Their correlation and paleogeographic significance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dumoulin, Julie A.; Harris, Alta; Repetski, John E.

    2014-01-01

    Paleozoic carbonate strata deposited in shallow platform to off-platform settings occur across the Seward Peninsula and range from unmetamorphosed Ordovician–Devonian(?) rocks of the York succession in the west to highly deformed and metamorphosed Cambrian–Devonian units of the Nome Complex in the east. Faunal and lithologic correlations indicate that early Paleozoic strata in the two areas formed as part of a single carbonate platform. The York succession makes up part of the York terrane and consists of Ordovician, lesser Silurian, and limited, possibly Devonian rocks. Shallow-water facies predominate, but subordinate graptolitic shale and calcareous turbidites accumulated in deeper water, intraplatform basin environments, chiefly during the Middle Ordovician. Lower Ordovician strata are mainly lime mudstone and peloid-intraclast grainstone deposited in a deepening upward regime; noncarbonate detritus is abundant in lower parts of the section. Upper Ordovician and Silurian rocks include carbonate mudstone, skeletal wackestone, and coral-stromatoporoid biostromes that are commonly dolomitic and accumulated in warm, shallow to very shallow settings with locally restricted circulation. The rest of the York terrane is mainly Ordovician and older, variously deformed and metamorphosed carbonate and siliciclastic rocks intruded by early Cambrian (and younger?) metagabbros. Older (Neoproterozoic–Cambrian) parts of these units are chiefly turbidites and may have been basement for the carbonate platform facies of the York succession; younger, shallow- and deep-water strata likely represent previously unrecognized parts of the York succession and its offshore equivalents. Intensely deformed and altered Mississippian carbonate strata crop out in a small area at the western edge of the terrane. Metacarbonate rocks form all or part of several units within the blueschist- and greenschist-facies Nome Complex. The Layered sequence includes mafic meta¬igneous rocks and

  6. Radioactivities (dose rates) of rocks in Japan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuda, Hideharu; Minato, Susumu

    1995-01-01

    The radioactive distribution (radiation doses) of major rocks in Japan was monitored to clarify the factors influencing terrestrial gamma-ray absorbed dose rates. The rock samples were reduced to powder and analyzed by well-type NaI(Tl) scintillation detector and pulse height analyzer. Terrestrial gamma-ray dose rates were estimated in terms of gamma radiation dose rate 1 m above the ground. The radioactivity concentration was highest in acidic rock which contains much SiO 2 among igneous rock, followed by neutral rock, basic rock, and ultrabasic rock. The radioactive concentration was 30-40% lower in acidic and clastic rocks than those of the world average concentration. Higher radioactive concentration was observed in soils than the parent rocks of sedimentary rock and metamorphic rock. The gamma radiation dose rate was in proportion to the radioactive concentration of the rocks. To clarify the radioactive effect in the change course of rocks into soils, comparative measurement of outcrop and soil radioactive concentrations is important. (S.Y.)

  7. Rock critics as 'Mouldy Modernists'

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Becky Shepherd

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Contemporary rock criticism appears to be firmly tied to the past. The specialist music press valorise rock music of the 1960s and 1970s, and new emerging artists are championed for their ‘retro’ sounding music by journalists who compare the sound of these new artists with those included in the established ‘canon’ of rock music. This article examines the narrative tropes of authenticity and nostalgia that frame the retrospective focus of this contemporary rock writing, and most significantly, the maintenance of the rock canon within contemporary popular culture. The article concludes by suggesting that while contemporary rock criticism is predominately characterised by nostalgia, this nostalgia is not simply a passive romanticism of the past. Rather, this nostalgia fuels a process of active recontextualisation within contemporary popular culture.

  8. Source and fractionation controls on subduction-related plutons and dike swarms in southern Patagonia (Torres del Paine area) and the low Nb/Ta of upper crustal igneous rocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Müntener, Othmar; Ewing, Tanya; Baumgartner, Lukas P.; Manzini, Mélina; Roux, Thibaud; Pellaud, Pierre; Allemann, Luc

    2018-05-01

    The subduction system in southern Patagonia provides direct evidence for the variability of the position of an active continental arc with respect to the subducting plate through time, but the consequences on the arc magmatic record are less well studied. Here we present a geochemical and geochronological study on small plutons and dykes from the upper crust of the southern Patagonian Andes at 51°S, which formed as a result of the subduction of the Nazca and Antarctic plates beneath the South American continent. In situ U-Pb geochronology on zircons and bulk rock geochemical data of plutonic and dyke rocks are used to constrain the magmatic evolution of the retro-arc over the last 30 Ma. We demonstrate that these combined U-Pb and geochemical data for magmatic rocks track the temporal and spatial migration of the active arc, and associated retro-arc magmatism. Our dataset indicates that the rear-arc area is characterized by small volumes of alkaline basaltic magmas at 29-30 Ma that are characterized by low La/Nb and Th/Nb ratios with negligible arc signatures. Subsequent progressive eastward migration of the active arc culminated with the emplacement of calc-alkaline plutons and dikes 17-16 Ma with elevated La/Nb and Th/Nb ratios and typical subduction signatures constraining the easternmost position of the southern Patagonian batholith at that time. Geochemical data on the post-16 Ma igneous rocks including the Torres del Paine laccolith indicate an evolution to transitional K-rich calc-alkaline magmatism at 12.5 ± 0.2 Ma. We show that trace element ratios such as Nb/Ta and Dy/Yb systematically decrease with increasing SiO2, for both the 17-16 Ma calc-alkaline and the 12-13 Ma K-rich transitional magmatism. In contrast, Th/Nb and La/Nb monitor the changes in the source composition of these magmas. We suggest that the transition from the common calc-alkaline to K-rich transitional magmatism involves a change in the source component, while the trace element ratios

  9. Bioremediation in fractured rock: 2. Mobilization of chloroethene compounds from the rock matrix

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shapiro, Allen M.; Tiedeman, Claire; Imbrigiotta, Thomas; Goode, Daniel J.; Hsieh, Paul A.; Lacombe, Pierre; DeFlaun, Mary F.; Drew, Scott R.; Curtis, Gary P.

    2018-01-01

    A mass balance is formulated to evaluate the mobilization of chlorinated ethene compounds (CE) from the rock matrix of a fractured mudstone aquifer under pre- and postbioremediation conditions. The analysis relies on a sparse number of monitoring locations and is constrained by a detailed description of the groundwater flow regime. Groundwater flow modeling developed under the site characterization identified groundwater fluxes to formulate the CE mass balance in the rock volume exposed to the injected remediation amendments. Differences in the CE fluxes into and out of the rock volume identify the total CE mobilized from diffusion, desorption, and nonaqueous phase liquid dissolution under pre- and postinjection conditions. The initial CE mass in the rock matrix prior to remediation is estimated using analyses of CE in rock core. The CE mass mobilized per year under preinjection conditions is small relative to the total CE mass in the rock, indicating that current pump-and-treat and natural attenuation conditions are likely to require hundreds of years to achieve groundwater concentrations that meet regulatory guidelines. The postinjection CE mobilization rate increased by approximately an order of magnitude over the 5 years of monitoring after the amendment injection. This rate is likely to decrease and additional remediation applications over several decades would still be needed to reduce CE mass in the rock matrix to levels where groundwater concentrations in fractures achieve regulatory standards.

  10. Regulation of ROCK Activity in Cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Morgan-Fisher, Marie; Wewer, Ulla M; Yoneda, Atsuko

    2013-01-01

    , these findings demonstrate additional modes to regulate ROCK activity. This review describes the molecular mechanisms of ROCK activity regulation in cancer, with emphasis on ROCK isoform-specific regulation and interaction partners, and discusses the potential of ROCKs as therapeutic targets in cancer.......Cancer-associated changes in cellular behavior, such as modified cell-cell contact, increased migratory potential, and generation of cellular force, all require alteration of the cytoskeleton. Two homologous mammalian serine/threonine kinases, Rho-associated protein kinases (ROCK I and II), are key...... regulators of the actin cytoskeleton acting downstream of the small GTPase Rho. ROCK is associated with cancer progression, and ROCK protein expression is elevated in several types of cancer. ROCKs exist in a closed, inactive conformation under quiescent conditions, which is changed to an open, active...

  11. Life on rock. Scaling down biological weathering in a new experimental design at Biosphere-2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaharescu, D. G.; Dontsova, K.; Burghelea, C. I.; Chorover, J.; Maier, R.; Perdrial, J. N.

    2012-12-01

    Biological colonization and weathering of bedrock on Earth is a major driver of landscape and ecosystem development, its effects reaching out into other major systems such climate and geochemical cycles of elements. In order to understand how microbe-plant-mycorrhizae communities interact with bedrock in the first phases of mineral weathering we developed a novel experimental design in the Desert Biome at Biosphere-2, University of Arizona (U.S.A). This presentation will focus on the development of the experimental setup. Briefly, six enclosed modules were designed to hold 288 experimental columns that will accommodate 4 rock types and 6 biological treatments. Each module is developed on 3 levels. A lower volume, able to withstand the weight of both, rock material and the rest of the structure, accommodates the sampling elements. A middle volume, houses the experimental columns in a dark chamber. A clear, upper section forms the habitat exposed to sunlight. This volume is completely sealed form exterior and it allows a complete control of its air and water parameters. All modules are connected in parallel with a double air purification system that delivers a permanent air flow. This setup is expected to provide a model experiment, able to test important processes in the interaction rock-life at grain-to- molecular scale.

  12. Failure mechanism and coupled static-dynamic loading theory in deep hard rock mining: A review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xibing Li

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Rock failure phenomena, such as rockburst, slabbing (or spalling and zonal disintegration, related to deep underground excavation of hard rocks are frequently reported and pose a great threat to deep mining. Currently, the explanation for these failure phenomena using existing dynamic or static rock mechanics theory is not straightforward. In this study, new theory and testing method for deep underground rock mass under coupled static-dynamic loading are introduced. Two types of coupled loading modes, i.e. “critical static stress + slight disturbance” and “elastic static stress + impact disturbance”, are proposed, and associated test devices are developed. Rockburst phenomena of hard rocks under coupled static-dynamic loading are successfully reproduced in the laboratory, and the rockburst mechanism and related criteria are demonstrated. The results of true triaxial unloading compression tests on granite and red sandstone indicate that the unloading can induce slabbing when the confining pressure exceeds a certain threshold, and the slabbing failure strength is lower than the shear failure strength according to the conventional Mohr-Column criterion. Numerical results indicate that the rock unloading failure response under different in situ stresses and unloading rates can be characterized by an equivalent strain energy density. In addition, we present a new microseismic source location method without premeasuring the sound wave velocity in rock mass, which can efficiently and accurately locate the rock failure in hard rock mines. Also, a new idea for deep hard rock mining using a non-explosive continuous mining method is briefly introduced.

  13. Provenance, Source Rock Characteristics And Paleoweathering Conditions Of The Nearshore Continental Sediments Off Pondicherry, South East Coast Of India

    Science.gov (United States)

    Natarajan, T.; Seshachalam, S.; Ponniah, J.; Varadhan, R.; M, S.

    2008-05-01

    Geochemical studies, comprising major elements and trace elements, including the Rare Earth Elements (REE), have been carried out on the modern sediments of inner continental shelf representing nearshore marine environments. Concentrations were normalized with Chondrite and PAAS show LREE enriched and flat HREE patterns with slight positive Eu anomaly which is due to the influence of feldspar rich source materials. The LREE enriched and flat HREE patterns with positive Eu anomaly have been considered as the typical character of post- Archaean Sediments. The La/Th ratio ranges from 1.66 to 8.84 with an average value of 4.09, which indicates a heterogenitic source for the sediments of the study area. The La-Th-Sc ternary plot suggests all the samples fall close to the field dominated by tonalite to granite and away from the basalt and komatiite compositions and appear to be derived from sources enriched in felsic components. The transition metal ratios such as Cr/V, Ni/CO and V/Ni indicate both Archaean and Post-Archaean nature to the sediments indicating that the sediments have been derived from heterogenitic sources. The ternary diagram plot of Th-Hf-Co and La-Th-Sc falls in the field of upper continental crust of post Archaean age. This clearly indicates the terrestrial source for the sediments from the nearby landmass. The data are slightly offset from the upper crustal composition away from the Hf apex. This is probably a result of Zircon concentration. Geochemical data have also helped in ascertaining the weathering trends. The Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) has been used to quantify the degree of weathering. The calculated CIA values for sediments demonstrate both low CIA values of less than 50 percent (low silicate weathering) and intermediate CIA values (60-70 percent) indicating that the sediments are possibly the product of sedimentary and metasedimentary rocks that have undergone intermediate chemical weathering. On an A—CN—K diagram, the data

  14. Popping Rocks Revealed: Investigations from 14°N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wanless, V. D.; Jones, M.; Kurz, M. D.; Soule, S. A.; Fornari, D. J.; Bendana, S.; Mittelstaedt, E. L.

    2017-12-01

    The popping rock, recovered in dredge 2πD43 in 1985, is commonly considered to be one of the most representative samples of undegassed upper mantle, based on high volatile and noble gas abundances. While this basalt is used to reconstruct mantle volatile contents and CO2 fluxes from mid-ocean ridges (MOR), the origin of the popping rock has remained ambiguous due to a lack of geologic context. Here, we present results from the first combined geochemical, geophysical, and geologic investigation of popping rocks from 14N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. By combining lava compositions with high-resolution bathymetric maps, we show that the popping rocks are confined to a single geographic area, at the transition between magmatic and tectonic segments. Fifteen popping rocks were collected in situ using the Alvin submersible in 2016. X-ray microtomography indicates that these lavas have variable vesicle abundances; including the highest vesicularities (>19%) recorded for any MOR basalt. Dissolved CO2 contents (163-175 ppm) are similar to proximal non-popping rocks and are in equilibrium at their eruption depths (>3600 m); however, total CO2 contents (based on vesicularity, dissolved CO2, and vesicle gas contents) are higher than non-popping rocks, ranging from 2800-14150 ppm. The popping rocks have average 3He/4He ratios of 8.17 ± 0.1 Ra and 4He concentrations of 1.84e-5 to 7.67e-5 cc/g STP. Compared to non-popping lavas, the popping rocks have a narrow range of major and trace element concentrations, suggesting little to no crystallization occurred during ascent or eruption. REE patterns and trace element ratios are indistinguishable in the popping rocks (La/Sm = 2.89 ± 0.05), indicating similar mantle sources and extents of melting. Based on lava compositions and spatial distribution, we suggest that the popping rocks at 14N were produced under similar magmatic conditions and erupted over short timescales, perhaps during a series of closely timed eruptions.

  15. A novel method for boron determination in rock thin sections : first results from Ngawha

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vickridge, I.C.

    1994-01-01

    Previous studies of boron in New Zealand rock have relied on whole rock analyses. In order to gain more detailed knowledge of the sources of boron in rocks, we have developed a nuclear probe technique based on the 1 1B(p,α) nuclear reaction. The technique performs well on powdered USGS standards down to below 10 wt. ppm, and we have applied it with a proton beam focused down to 25 x 25 micrometre on a hydrothermally unaltered greywacke from Puketona, near Ngawha, Northland. There appears to be little variation in the boron concentrations in the sedimentary groundmass, but in the veins the boron appears to be more concentrated in the prehnite than in the quartz. (author). 2 tabs., 5 figs., 14 refs

  16. A study of radon emanation from waste rock at Northern Territory uranium mines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mason, G.C.; Gan, T.H.; Elliott, G.

    1983-01-01

    Field measurements were made of radon emanation rates from waste rock sources at Ranger, Nabarlek and Rum Jungle, three Northern Territory uranium mine sites. The preliminary mean emanation rate was approximately 50 Bq m - 2 s - 2 per percent ore grade

  17. Rock stress measurements in the Grimsel Underground Rock Laboratory and their geological interpretation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Braeuer, V.; Heusermann, S.; Pahl, A.

    1989-01-01

    Rock stress is being studied as part of the Swiss-German cooperation between the National Cooperative for the Storage of Radioactive Waste (NAGRA), the Research Centre for Environmental Sciences (GSF), and the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) in the Grimsel Rock Laboratory in Switzerland. Several methods and various equipment for measuring rock stress have been developed and tested in an approximately 200-m borehole drilled from a gallery at a depth of 450 m. The measurements were made continually during overcoring; the data were recorded and processed in a computer located downhole or outside the borehole. The results of the overcoring tests and of frac tests indicate a principle horizontal stress of 25-40 MPa, directed mainly NW-SE. Detailed geological mapping shows relationships between stress and rock structure. A zone of nearly unfractured rock exhibits an increase in stress and a change in stress direction. (orig.)

  18. Estimation of Carbon Sink in Surface Carbonate Rocks of Guangxi Province by Using Remote Sensing Images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, B.; Zhou, G.; Wang, H.; Yue, T.; Huang, W.

    2018-04-01

    Studies of the imbalance of source sinks in the carbon cycle show that CO2 absorbed during rock weathering is part of the "miss carbon" of the global carbon cycle. The carbon sink contribution of carbonate rocks obviously plays a very important role in the absorption of atmospheric CO2. Estimation of carbon sinks in karst dynamic system of Guangxi province has great significance for further understanding of global karst carbon cycle and global climate research. This paper quotes the rock data from Tao Xiaodong's paper, which is obtained using RS and GIS techniques. At the same time, the dissolution rate model studied by Zhou Guoqing and others was used to estimate the dissolution rate of carbonate rocks in Guangxi Province. Finally, the CO2 content consumed by carbonate karstification in Guangxi Province was 1342910.447 t a-1. The results obtained are in the same order of magnitude as the CO2 content consumed by carbonate rock karstification in Guangxi Province calculated by Tao Xiaodong.

  19. Rock in Rio: forever young

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ricardo Ferreira Freitas

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to discuss the role of Rock in Rio: The Musical, as herald of megafestival Rock in Rio. Driven by the success that musicals have reached in Brazil, we believe that the design of this spectacle of music, dance and staging renews the brand of the rock festival, once it adds the force of young and healthy bodies to its concept. Moreover, the musical provides Rock in Rio with some distance from the controversal trilogy of sex, drugs and rock and roll, a strong mark of past festivals around the world. Thus, the musical expands the possibilities of growth for the brand.

  20. Analysis of Western Australian zebra rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clark, M.J.; Cashion, J.D.

    2000-01-01

    Full text: Zebra rock is a striking rock from the Ord River area of Western Australia which contains regularly spaced white and red-brown bands or rods. Its ease of working has made it popular for use in ornaments and costume jewellery. However, the mechanism for its formation has been a source of controversy for 75 years and is still not settled. Possible mechanisms proposed include slow sedimentation with regular addition of hydrated iron oxides, leaching of a reddish mudstone, post-depositional mobilisation and subsequent rhythmic precipitation of iron oxides from groundwaters, and accumulation of iron-containing minerals in ripple troughs. Loughnan and Roberts suggested a more detailed explanation and from a detailed mineralogical examination, including XRD, XRF, SEM and TEM, they concluded that the only major difference between the two coloured bands was the presence of hematite, α-Fe 2 O 3 . In an attempt to throw more light on the problem, we have taken 57 Fe Moessbauer spectra of samples from the two different coloured regions. As expected, the white coloured material contained little iron, giving a weak, broad single line spectrum at room temperature. At 78 K, the spectrum has split into a magnetic sextet which has not yet been positively identified. As expected from the XRD, the spectrum of the red part principally consists of a strong sextet due to hematite, although there is also a weak component from the phase in the white material. It is hoped that further analysis will help us to eliminate at least some of the proposed mechanisms for the formation of zebra rock