Metripol birefringence imaging of unconsolidated glaciotectonized and ice keel scoured sediments: identification of unistrial plasmic fabric     

Lorna D. Linch  Jaap J. M. van der Meer 《Boreas: An International Journal of Quaternary Research》2013,42(3):678-692

In unconsolidated sediments subject to strain, clays and silts are realigned into particular optical birefringent arrangements (plasmic fabrics), which provide information on the style and intensity of sediment deformation. A relatively new, non‐destructive, optical microscopy technique for automatically recording and quantifying birefringence (previously commercialized under the name ‘Metripol’) is pioneered in this study as a valuable and innovative micromorphological tool with which to examine deformation in unconsolidated sediments. Metripol is applied to unistrial plasmic fabric in glaciotectonized and ice keel scoured sediment from the Netherlands and former Glacial Lake Agassiz (Manitoba, Canada) respectively. Colour‐coded images are produced in which colour represents relative optical retardation and thus optical anisotropy through the quantity |sinδ| and optical orientation of anisotropy through the angle Ø (also indicated by linear azimuths). In this study Metripol typically demonstrates that the better developed the unistrial plasmic fabric is, the higher the |sinδ| values, the larger the areas of high |sinδ| values, and the longer and more densely populated the azimuths. In addition, some unistrial plasmic fabrics under Metripol demonstrate lower |sinδ| than previous examples and the surrounding sediment, despite being ‘perceived’ as demonstrating higher birefringence under a standard petrographic microscope. This is particularly true in clay‐rich sediments and has implications for the way we currently describe and interpret unistrial plasmic fabrics in unconsolidated sediment. Finally, the identification and quantification of additional structures that would otherwise have gone undetected using a standard petrographic microscope (e.g. linear and circular structures that are likely to represent discrete shears and skelsepic plasmic fabric, respectively) highlight the potential for Metripol to gather information on the deformation history of unconsolidated sediments that is unavailable to standard techniques.  相似文献   

The limitations of NEO-uniformitarianism     

D. I. Steel 《Earth, Moon, and Planets》1995,71(3):279-292

The geological and biological sciences have gradually dispensed with the nineteenth-century concept of substantive uniformitarianism - or gradualism - whereby the physical and biological features of our planet are assumed to have been brought about by the long-term accumulation of small changes. The catastrophist alternative sees the changes as being wrought largely by discrete, exceptional events; one such type of event is an impact by a substantial asteroid or comet. It is argued here that scientists working on small solar system bodies generally still labour under a form of this gradualism, in that a conventional starting point is to presume a steady-state, and what is seen now is assumed to be diagnostic of the long-term average conditions. This is here termed NEO-uniformitarianism, the NEO referring to Near-Earth Objects. It is maintained herein that this area of science needs to revise its philosophical basis by allowing catastrophist principles to be entertained; that is, the presumption of a steady-state needs to be rejected until such time as evidence to support it is revealed. It is argued that the weight of evidence favours the contrary. For example, evidence is outlined for (a) Variations in the terrestrial cratering rate, disallowing any equating of the crater record with the presently-observed large impactor population; (b) The presence of significant NEO complexes which may be due to giant comet disintegrations within the last 20 kyr, hence solving the problem of the supply of short-period comets; (c) A misbalance between the present supply of meteoroids, there being too many to be supplied by presently-observed comets and also a surplus above the population needed to maintain the interplanetary dust complex; and (d) A substantial variation in the interplanetary dust flux in the past 20 kyr, as might be expected from (b and c).  相似文献   

geneGIS: Geoanalytical Tools and Arc Marine Customization for Individual‐Based Genetic Records     

Dorothy M. Dick  Shaun Walbridge  Dawn J. Wright  John Calambokidis  Erin A. Falcone  Debbie Steel  Tomas Follett  Jason Holmberg  C. Scott Baker 《Transactions in GIS》2014,18(3):324-350

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What is the topset of a shelf-margin prism?     

Ronald J. Steel  Cornel Olariu  Jinyu Zhang  Si Chen 《Basin Research》2020,32(2):263-278

The siliciclastic topset of a continental margin, or a shelf-margin prism in subsiding nonplate-margin deepwater basins, is the flat-lying upper part of the margin succession; it is coeval basinwards with deepwater slope clinoforms. Topsets develop by the aggradation of repeated, cross-shelf, shoreline regressions and transgressions, thereby hosting the shelf portion of stacked, fourth-order stratigraphic sequences. Sediment spreading downdip and along strike during the cross-shelf transit of the sediment delivery system, as well as process regime changes of deltas and shorefaces (regressive) and of estuaries, barrier–lagoon systems and shelf ridges (transgressive) are highly variable over short distances, so that correlation within a single stratigraphic sequence is far more difficult than correlation of the cross-shelf maximum flooding surface boundaries. Thickness of individual regressive–transgressive, fourth-order sequences is given by shelf accommodation, typically <10 m in embayment or on the inner shelf and up to 200 m on outer shelf. Tectonic subsidence and compaction will enhance this thickness only if rates are very high compared to shelf-transit time. In very high subsidence rate settings, the transgressive tracts are well preserved and often thickly developed. Topset sequences in an Icehouse climate setting tend to have a high proportion and greater landward development of marine vs nonmarine deposits, compared to Greenhouse sequences, because of the importance of eustatic rise of sea level in the former. Previous numerical experiments show that even for very wide shelves and irrespective of Icehouse or Greenhouse conditions, deltas rarely take more than 10 s of ky to reach their shelf edge, suggesting that it is fourth-order (or higher) sequences that are the fundamental ones in sequence stratigraphy.  相似文献   

Criteria for recognizing shelf-slope clinoforms in outcrop; Jurassic Lajas and Los Molles formations,S. Neuquén Basin,Argentina     

Cornel Olariu  Ronald J. Steel  Nataleigh K. Vann  Eugen P. Tudor  Moonsoo Shin  René R. Winter  Yuqian Gan  Eunsil Jung  Flavio N. De Almeida Jr.  Gabriel Giacomone  Daniel Minisini  Walter Brinkworth  Maria L. Loss  Juan Iñigo  Raul Gutierrez 《Basin Research》2020,32(2):279-292

Seismic-reflection data show that most deepwater (>200 m water depth) basins are filled by sand and mud dispersed across clinoformal geometries characterized by gently dipping topsets, steeper foresets and gently dipping bottomsets. However, the entire geometry of these ubiquitous clinoforms is not always recognized in outcrops. Sometimes the infill is erroneously interpreted as “layer cake” or “ramp” stratigraphy because the topset-foreset-bottomset clinoforms are not well exposed. Regional 2-D seismic lines show clinoforms in the Lower to Middle Jurassic Challaco, Lajas, and Los Molles formations in S. Neuquén Basin in Argentina. Time equivalent shelf, slope and basin-floor segments of clinoforms are exposed, and can be walked out in hundreds of metres thick and kilometres-wide outcrops. The studied margin-scale clinoforms are not representing a continental-margin but a deepwater shelf margin that built out in a back-arc basin. Lajas-Los Molles clinoforms have been outcrop-mapped by tracing mudstones interpreted as flooding surfaces on the shelf and abandonment surfaces (low sedimentation rate) in the deepwater basin. The downslope and lateral facies variability in the outcrops is also consistent with a clinoform interpretation. The Lajas topset (shelf) is dominated by fluvial and tidal deposits. The shelf-edge rollover zone is occasionally occupied by a 40–50-m-thick coarse-grained shelf-edge delta, sometimes incising into the underlying slope mudstones, producing oblique clinoforms expressing toplap erosion on seismic. A muddy transgressive phase capping the shelf-edge deltas contains tidal sandbodies. Shelf-edge deltas transition downslope into turbidite- and debris flow-filled channels that penetrate down the mud-prone Los Molles slope. At the base-of-slope, some 300m below the shelf edge, there are basin-floor fan deposits (>200 m thick) composed of sandy submarine-fan lobes separated by muddy abandonment intervals. The large-scale outcrop correlation between topset–foreset–bottomset allows facies and depositional interpretation and sets outcrop criteria recognition for each clinoform segment.  相似文献   

Sediment supply: The main driver of shelf-margin growth   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Cristian Carvajal  Ron Steel  Andrew Petter 《Earth》2009,96(4):221-248

Despite the obvious importance of sediment supply to shelf-margin architecture and to the potential of margins to contain and bypass deep-water sands, the role of supply in shelf-margin growth has received limited attention. High cross-shelf sediment flux is critically important for the occurrence of deep-water sands, not least on Greenhouse or rapidly subsiding margins where the impact of eustatic sea-level fall may be insufficient to drive sediment delivery out across the shelf into deep-water areas. To draw greater attention to the supply parameter we review a number of shelf margins that have grown chiefly through supply by shelf-edge deltas and associated sediment-gravity flows. Based on structural style and water depth, we recognize two broad types of shelf-margin. Moderately deep-water margins produce clinoforms < 1000 m high and show rates of shelf-edge progradation < 60 km/My and aggradation < 270 m/My, and consequently, infill their basins relatively rapidly, and develop more progradational architectures with morphologically smooth and relatively undeformed slopes. Very deep-water margins produce clinoforms > 1000 m high and generally show rates of shelf-edge progradation < 40 km/My and aggradation < 2500 m/My, and therefore infill their basins more slowly and develop more aggradational architectures with much gravity-driven slope deformation, proneness to failure and ponded architectures (salt or shale driven). On both margin types, long-term (> 1 My) rates of shelf-edge progradation of several tens of km/My tend to be linked to the delivery of relatively large volumes of sand into the deep-water basin. Delivery of this sand beyond the shelf-edge happens despite Greenhouse conditions and is likely recurrent and periodic (delivery cycles in the order of 100′s ky). Such prominent margin growth is a strong indication that sediment influx was relatively high and we refer to these margins as “supply-dominated” shelf margins. The Gulf of Mexico margin is a well-known and data-rich example of a “supply-dominated” shelf-margin during certain times (e.g., Paleocene). In contrast, on both margin types, low rates of shelf-edge progradation are linked to diminished (or even non-existent) and less frequently recurrent deep-water sediment delivery suggestive of relatively low sediment influx. Occurrence of deep-water sand delivery under low sediment influx probably requires fall of relative sea level. The differences between rapidly and slowly prograding margins indicate that sediment supply (and not sea level) is likely to be the key limiting factor on the growth of shelf margins and that sediment supply, as interpreted through progradation rate, can therefore be used to make a first-order prediction of relative amounts of sand passed to deep-water areas.  相似文献   

Analysis of shake flask experiments results conducted on residues from hydrometallurgical processes     

A. Steel  K. Hawbol  F. Khan 《International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology》2009,6(1):57-68

Hydrometallurgical facilities processing sulfide based ores produce waste residues in the form of sludges that contain concentrations of metals, as well as metal sulfides. As a part of the waste characterization and risk assessment process, a statistical design of experiment was used to assess the significant factors and interactions in the residue leaching process. Two shake flask experiments, a 2⁴ factorial design and 2³ central composite design were employed to evaluate the effect of mixing time, test pH, solid/liquid ratio and residue type on acidity, alkalinity, sulfate and metal concentration and pH of the resulting filtered leachate. The results indicate that the variable tested mixing time and solid/liquid ratio most strongly affect metal concentration in the filtrate from waste residue samples tested over a moderate test pH range. When tests were conducted over a longer test period and at lower test pH values, test pH and residue type were dominant factors contributing to residue filtrate metal concentration.  相似文献   

白云鄂博矿床白云石型矿石中独居石单颗粒U-Th-Pb-Sm-Nd定年   总被引：5，自引：3，他引：5  

刘玉龙陈江峰  李惠民钱卉肖国望  张台荣 《岩石学报》2005,21(3):881-888

使用交换树脂TRU Spec同时分离REE、U、Th、Pb及其他的元素,然后用阴离子交换树脂纯化Pb并用萃淋树脂分离纯化Sm和Nd,Sm、Nd、U和Pb的定量测定借助同位素稀释法,Th的定量测定则用ICP-MS分析,Nd和Pb同位素组成分析用质谱法(TIMS),从而实现独居石U-Th-Pb-Sm-Nd联合定年。用这种方法可以在同一样品上,同时得到U-Th-Pb和Sm-Nd同位素年龄记录。白云鄂博矿床白云石型稀土矿石中12个单颗粒独居石的U-Th-Pb-Sm-Nd同位素联合定年给出Sm-Nd等时线年龄为1008±320 Ma,其中8个独居石的Th-Pb等时线年龄为1231±200 Ma,此二年龄在误差范围内相似。在同一组独居石样品上得到一致的Th-Pb与Sm-Nd的中元古年龄,表明白云鄂博在中元古代的稀土成矿作用是可能的。本文独居石的Th-Pb 和Sm-Nd年龄与以前报道的独居石加里东期Th-Pb年龄差别很大,此问题尚需进一步研究。  相似文献   

An EXAFS study of Gd,Er and Lu site location in the epidote structure     

G. Cressey  A. T. Steel 《Physics and Chemistry of Minerals》1988,15(3):304-312

L _III edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra of Gd, Er and Lu environments in synthetic epidotes of composition CaLa_0.9 X _0.1Al₂MgSi₃O₁₃H (X=Gd or Er or Lu) were recorded using synchrotron radiation. The Fourier transforms of the Gd-, Er- and Lu-EXAFS are clearly different from one another indicating wholly or partially different site occupancy. Model fitting of the Fourier-filtered partial EXAFS and comparison of pair distribution functions with those calculated for natural epidote leads to the conclusion that three different sites are probably involved in the accommodation of these elements in the epidote structure, and that site preference is a function of the rare earth ionic size. Gd is located in A2-type sites, whereas the local atomic environment of Er is consistent with A1 site occupancy and the Lu environment has been modelled on an M3-type octahedral site.  相似文献   

Semi-quantitative ion microprobe mass analyses of mineral-rich particles from the upper freeport coal     

R.B. Finkelman  D.S. Simons  F.T. Dulong  E.B. Steel 《International Journal of Coal Geology》1984,3(3):279-289

An ion microprobe mass analyzer (IMMA) has been used to analyze semi-quantitatively mineral-rich coal particles from two separate facies of the Upper Freeport coal bed. Accuracy is estimated to be ? 20% for those elements making up more than 0.1 wt.% of the particles and ? 50% for elements making up less than 0.1 wt.%. Using IMMA data, we found statistically significant differences between the two samples for five (Fe, Ca, Mn, Li, Ce) of the 25 elements detected. For Li and Mn the differences between the mineral-rich particles within samples were similar to differences found between samples on a whole-coal basis. For Ca and Fe, the differences are attributed to different modes of occurrence, and for Ce, the differences are probably due to an irregular distribution of an inorganic phase. We conclude that the IMMA can be used to obtain semi-quantitative data that may provide insight into the distribution and mode of occurrence of some of the elements in coal.  相似文献