Coalification of organic matter in coal balls of the Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous) of the Illinois Basin, United States     

Paul C. Lyons  Carolyn L. Thompson  Patrick G. Hatcher  Floyd W. Brown  Michael A. Millay  Nikolaus Szeverenyi  Gary E. Maciel 《Organic Geochemistry》1984,5(4):227-239

An evaluation was made of the degree of coalification of two coal balls from the Illinois Basin of the Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous) of the United States. Previous interpretations are mainly misleading and contradictory, primarily because of the assumption that the brown color and exceptional cellular and subcellular preservation typical of American coal balls imply chemical preservation of cellulose and lignin, the primary components of peat. Xylem tissue from a medullosan seed fern contained in a coal ball and the coal attached to the coal ball from the Calhoun coal bed, Mattoon Formation, Illinois, was analyzed by elemental, petrographic, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques to determine the degree of coalification. The NMR and elemental data indicate the lack of cellulose and lignin and a probable rank of high-volatile C bituminous coal. These data corroborate data for a coal ball from the Herrin (No. 6) coal bed (Carbondale Formation, Middle Pennsylvanian) and support our hypothesis that the organic matter in coal balls of the Pennsylvanian strata of the United States is coalified to about the same degree as the surrounding coal. Data presented show a range of lower reflectances for xylem tissue and vitrinite in the analyzed coal balls compared with vitrinite in the attached coal.The data reported indicate that physical preservation of organic matter in coal balls does not imply chemical preservation. Also our study supports the hypothesis that compactional (static load) pressure is not a prerequisite for coalification up to a rank of high-volatile C bituminous coal.A whole-rock analysis of the Calhoun coal ball indicates a similarity to other carbonate coal balls from the United States. It consists primarily of calcium carbonate and 1–2% organic matter; silica and alumina together make up less than 0.5%, indicating the lack of minerals such as quartz and clays.  相似文献   

Real-time observation of dispersed hydrothermal plumes using nephelometry: examples from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge     

Terry A. Nelsen  Gary P. Klinkhammer  John H. Trefry  Robert P. Trocine 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1987,81(2-3)

As part of the 1984–1985 NOAA VENTS program on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, nephelometry was used to provide real-time detection and tracking of dispersed hydrothermal plumes. At all nine 1984 study sites, hydrothermal activity was detected by in-situ, real-time nephelometer measurements and later confirmed by dissolved Mn and particulate Fe measurements. These same techniques were employed in a site-specific survey of the Trans-Atlantic Geotraverse (TAG) area in 1985 where large water-column anomalies in turbidity and in dissolved Mn helped lead to the discovery of high-temperature black smokers.The optical response of the nephelometer was to hydrothermally-derived particulate matter. Thus strong correlations existed between the nephelometer readings and total suspended matter (r = 0.98, n = 34), and particulate Fe (r = 0.88, n = 32). In addition, digital nephelometer data correlated well with dissolved Mn (r = 0.88; n = 78) throughout a large concentration range (0.2–31.0 nmol/kg).These data provide good evidence for the utility of in-situ nephelometer measurements for locating and surveying plumes from hydrothermal vents. It also appears possible, within limits, to predict concentrations of in-situ total suspended matter, of particulate Fe and of dissolved Mn.  相似文献   

Biological uptake and accumulation of silica on the Amazon continental shelf     

David J. DeMaster  Gary B. Knapp  Charles A. Nittrouer 《Geochimica et cosmochimica acta》1983,47(10):1713-1723

Water column and seabed samples were obtained from 92 stations on the Amazon continental shelf during October of 1979. Uptake of silica near and southeast of the river mouth began at a salinity of 8%. and accounted for 17% of the riverine silica flux to this region. Uptake northwest of the river mouth began at a salinity of 20%. and resulted in 33% removal of the riverine silica flux. Examination of filtered suspended solids revealed abundant diatoms in the surface waters, including Coscinodiscus. Skeletonema, Synedra. and Thalassiosira. The biological uptake of silica appears to be dependent on three factors: turbidity, turbulence, and nutrient availability. There was no evidence of abiological removal of silica in the Amazon estuary. 75 to 88% of the silica removed from surface waters by diatoms dissolves prior to accumulation in the seabed. Based on the mean biogenic silica content of shelf sediment (0.25%) and estimates of rates of sediment accumulation, the biogenic silica accumulation rate on the shelf is 2 × 10¹² g/yr, which represents only 4% of the dissolved silica supplied by the Amazon River. Biological uptake of silica in estuarine surface waters may not accurately reflect permanent removal of biogenic silica to the seabed because of dissolution which occurs in bottom waters and near the sediment-water interface.  相似文献   

Chemical and isotopic investigations into the origin of clay minerals from the Galapagos hydrothermal mounds field     

Gary M. McMurtry 《Geochimica et cosmochimica acta》1983,47(3):475-489

A dark green authigenic nontronite is the major component of the Galapagos hydrothermal mounds field sediments. Oxygen isotopic compositions of the chemically purified, <0.2-μm fraction of the nontronitic clays indicate formation temperatures of 25° to 47°C, in contrast with measured in situ mounds temperatures of up to 15°C. Assuming an authigenic origin, the Fe-rich montmorillonite that dominates in the noncarbonate clay fraction of the surrounding pelagic ooze has isotopic formation temperatures of 27° to 39°C, compared with measured in situ temperatures of ca. 3.5° to 6.5°C. The higher isotopic formation temperatures calculated for the hydrothermal nontronite suggest either complex patterns of fluid circulation and nontronite precipitation presently within the mounds or a higher thermal history associated with rapid and episodic periods of deposition during the Holocene-Pleistocene. The apparent high isotopic temperature of the Fe-rich montmorillonite may reflect: (1) formation under hydrothermal conditions at spreading centers with subsequent dispersal by bottom currents, (2) a detrital origin of the mineral, or (3) a mixture of authigenic Fe-montmorillonite and detrital Al-montmorillonite in this region.  相似文献   

Site occupancies of minor elements in synthetic olivines as determined by channeling-enhanced X-ray emission     

Tamsin C. McCormick  Joseph R. Smyth  Gary E. Lofgren 《Physics and Chemistry of Minerals》1987,14(4):368-372

Major- and minor-element site occupancies have been determined for Ni- and Mn-rich synthetic forsteritic olivines that were equilibrated to 300, 600, 900, or 1,050° C, by analyzing electron-channeling-enhanced x-ray emissions. Site preferences for minor elements (Ni>Cr for M1; Ca>Mn for M2) are consistent with those reported in previous studies. Degrees of ordering at different elevated temperatures differ less than analytical errors, although there may be significant differences in ordering between olivines that have been rapidly quenched from 300° C or higher and those that have undergone normal lava-flow cooling histories. An x-ray structure refinement of San Carlos olivine (R=0.031) gives major-element occupancies similar to those determined by electron-channeling on the same material. Thus, the channeling technique gives results that are consistent with other methods, and it may be possible to use the technique to identify olivines that have undergone very rapid quenching.  相似文献   

Littoral cells and harbor dredging along the California coast     

Gary B. Griggs 《Environmental Geology》1987,10(1):7-20

Beach compartments or littoral cells form the framework for our understanding of the sources, transport, and sinks of sand in the nearshore zone. In general, along the California coast, beach sand is derived from rivers or clifferosion, moves alongshore under the influence of the prevailing waver conditions, and ultimately is lost either to a submarine canyon or a dune field. Marinas or harbors built either between or at the upcoast ends of beach compartments have been relatively maintenance-free, because of a lack of significant littoral drift at these locations. On the other hand, those harbors built in the middle reaches or at the downcoast ends of littoral cells have had expensive annual dredging problems, because of the interruption of large volumes of littoral drift. Although engineers have labored for years on various breakwater, jetty, or entrance channel configurations, the actual design utilized is of secondary importance. The critical factors are harbor location within a littoral cell and annual litoral drift volume.  相似文献   

Instantaneous photochemical rates in the global stratosphere     

Johnston  Harold  Whitten  Gary 《Pure and Applied Geophysics》1973,106(1):1468-1489

Starting with the average actual distribution of ozone (Dütsch [15]) and temperature in the stratosphere, we have calculated the solar intensity as a function of wavelength and the instantaneous rates (molecules cm^–3 sec^–1) for each Chapman reaction and for each of several reactions of the oxides of nitrogen. The calculation is similar to that ofBrewer andWilson [5]. These reaction rates were calculated independently in each volume element in spherical polar coordinates defined by R=1 km from zero to 50, =5° latitude, and ø=15° longitude (thus including day and night conditions). Calculations were made for two times: summer-winter (January 15) and spring-fall (March 22). As input data we take observed solar intensities (Ackerman [1]) and observed, critically evaluated. constants for elementary chemical and photochemical reactions; no adjustable parameters are employed. (These are not photochemical equilibrium calculations.) According to the Chapman model, the instantaneous, integrated, world-wide rate of formation of ozone from sunlight is about five times faster than the rate of ozone destruction, and locally (lower tropical stratosphere) the rate of ozone formation exceeds the rate of destruction by a factors as great as 1000. The global rates of increase of ozone are more than 50 times faster thanBrewer andWilson's [5] estimate of the average annual transfer rate of ozone to the troposphere. The rate constants of the Chapman reactions are believed to be well-enough known that it is highly improbable that these discrepancies are, due to erroneous rate constants. It is concluded that something else besides neutral oxygen species is very important in stratospheric ozone photochemistry. The inclusion of a uniform concentration of the oxides of nitrogen (NO_x as, NO and NO₂) averaging 6.6×10^–9 mole fraction gives a balance between global ozone formation and destruction rates. The inclusion of a uniform mole fraction of NO_x at 28×10^–9 also gives a global balance. These calculations support the hypethesis (Crutzen [10],Johnston [24]) that the oxides of nitrogen are the most important factor in the global, natural ozone balance. Several authors have recently evaluated the natural source strength of NO_x in the stratosphere; the projected fleets of supersonic transports would constitute an artificial source of NO_x about equal to the natural value, thus promising more or less to double an active natural stratospheric ingredient.  相似文献   

Minimal structural response under random excitation using the vibration absorber     

Paul H. Wirsching  Gary W. Campbell 《地震工程与结构动力学》1973,2(4):303-312

The equations of motion are derived for the first mode response of a linear multistorey structure having a linear vibration absorber attached to the roof. Furthermore, the variance of the first mode response to a gaussian white noise lateral base acceleration (as a model of earthquake excitation) is determined. Smallest possible values of the variance of the response along with corresponding absorber parameters are established using an optimization program. It is demonstrated that the absorber is quite effective in reducing first mode response for 5- and 10-storey structures even with relatively small values of the absorber mass. Moreover, minimal responses for the randomly excited single-degree-of-freedom system have been determined, and a design example is presented. The absorber system has potential application not only in earthquake engineering but also in aerospace and terrestrial vehicle design.  相似文献   

Guidelines for finding concretionary Mn-Fe oxides in streams     

Gary A. Nowlan 《Journal of Geochemical Exploration》1982,17(1):77-79

Concretionary Mn-Fe oxides in streams form at interfaces between oxidizing and reducing environments. A reducing environment produces waters high in dissolved Mn and Fe, and an oxidizing environment causes precipitation. Mineralogical, microprobe, and optical studies of concretionary Mn-Fe oxides may further our understanding of the role of Mn-Fe oxides in determining the trace-element geochemistry of stream sediments.  相似文献   

Stability dependence of fluxes and bulk transfer coefficients in a tropical boundary layer     

Gary K. Greenhut 《Boundary-Layer Meteorology》1982,24(2):253-264

Turbulence data obtained aboard a NOAA P-3 research aircraft during flights over the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean are used to obtain mean vertical profiles of water vapor density, potential temperature, wind speed and fluxes of latent heat, buoyancy and momentum. The variation of eddy fluxes and bulk transfer coefficients as a function of atmospheric stability are plotted for two of the flights. The observed transfer coefficients generally agree with those obtained from parameterizations based on surface-layer similarity theory (Deardorff, 1968; Kondo, 1975).  相似文献