Evolution of iron crust and clayey Ferralsol in deeply weathered sandstones of Marília Formation (Western Minas Gerais State, Brazil)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosolen, Vania; Bueno, Guilherme Taitson; Melfi, Adolpho José; Montes, Célia Regina; de Sousa Coelho, Carla Vanessa; Ishida, Débora Ayumi; Govone, José Silvio

2017-11-01

Extensive flat plateaus are typical landforms in the cratonic compartment of tropical regions. Paleoclimate, pediplanation, laterization, and dissection have created complex and distinct geological, geomorphological, and pedological features in these landscapes. In the Brazilian territory, the flat plateau sculpted in sandstone of Marília Formation (Neocretaceous) belonging to the Sul-Americana surface presents a very clayey and pisolitic Ferralsol (Red and Yellow Latossolo in the Brazilian soil classification). The clayey texture of soil and the pisolites have been considered as weathering products of a Cenozoic detritical formation which is believed to overlay the Marília Formation sandstones. Using data of petrography (optical microscopy and SEM), mineralogy (RXD), and macroscopic structures (description in the field of the arrangement of horizons and layers), a complete profile of Ferralsol with ferricrete and pisolites was studied. The complex succession of facies is in conformity with a sedimentary structure of Serra da Galga member (uppermost member of Marília Formation). The hardening hematite concentration appears as layered accretions in the subparallel clayey lenses of sandstone saprolite, preserving its structure. Iron contents varied according to different soil fabrics. Higher concentrations of iron are found in the massive ferricrete or in pisolites in the mottled horizon. Kaolinite is a dominant clay mineral and shows two micro-organizations: (1) massive fabric intrinsic to the sedimentary rock, and (2) reworked in pisolites and illuviated features. The pisolites are relicts of ferricrete in the soft bioturbated topsoil. The continuous sequence of ferricrete from saprolite to the Ferralsol indicates that the regolith is autochthonous, developed directly from sandstones of Marília Formation, through a long and intense process of laterization.

Evidence for Buried "Pre-Noachian" Crust Pre-Dating the Oldest Observed Surface Units on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frey, H. V.; Frey, E. L.; Hartmann, W. K.; Tanaka, K. L. T.

2003-01-01

Even though the Early Noachian (EN) used in geologic mapping is undefined at the early end, it is often assumed in absolute chronologies to extend back to 4.6 BYA. We explored this assumption by searching for evidence of buried impact basins, in the largest occurrences of Early Noachian terrain. The hypothesis is that if such basins exist, they indicate crust which must predate the surface units mapped as the oldest on Mars, and those units must then be less than 4.6 BY old. Alternatively, if no such buried features are seen, then the surface units may represent crust of the same age below, which could in principle be as old as Mars. Here we show the former alternative is true. There must be crust older than the oldest mapped surface units. We also show that a number of Noachian terrains on Mars appear to have a common total (visible + buried) crater retention age. This might be either the age of the original (planet-wide?) crust of Mars, or may indicate crater saturation.

Evaluation of black crust formation and soiling process on historical buildings from the Bilbao metropolitan area (north of Spain) using SEM-EDS and Raman microscopy.

PubMed

Calparsoro, Estefanía; Maguregui, Maite; Giakoumaki, Anastasia; Morillas, Héctor; Madariaga, Juan Manuel

2017-04-01

In the present work, several building materials suffering from black crusts and soiled surfaces were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The goal was to examine the elemental and molecular composition, the distribution on the samples, and the morphology of endogenous and exogenous compounds on those black crusts and soiled surfaces. The black crusts were deposited over different building materials such as limestone, sandstone, and brick that constitute a small construction called "malacate" as well as over a limestone substrate of a cemetery gate. Both constructions are dated back to the beginning of the twentieth century. The samples of soiling were taken from the façade of a building constructed in the 1980s. The analytical evaluation allowed in a first stage the determination of the composition and the observation of the morphology of soiling and black crusts. In addition, the evaluation of the compositions of the soiling and black crusts of different grade and formation allowed the assessment of the main weathering phenomena that the buildings have suffered, which were found to be sulfate impact, marine aerosol impact, depositions of metallic particles, crustal particulate matter depositions, carbonaceous particles, biodeterioration, and vandalism.

Response of Surface Soil Hydrology to the Micro-Pattern of Bio-Crust in a Dry-Land Loess Environment, China

PubMed Central

Wei, Wei; Yu, Yun; Chen, Liding

2015-01-01

The specific bio-species and their spatial patterns play crucial roles in regulating eco-hydrologic process, which is significant for large-scale habitat promotion and vegetation restoration in many dry-land ecosystems. Such effects, however, are not yet fully studied. In this study, 12 micro-plots, each with size of 0.5 m in depth and 1 m in length, were constructed on a gentle grassy hill-slope with a mean gradient of 8° in a semiarid loess hilly area of China. Two major bio-crusts, including mosses and lichens, had been cultivated for two years prior to the field simulation experiments, while physical crusts and non-crusted bare soils were used for comparison. By using rainfall simulation method, four designed micro-patterns (i.e., upper bio-crust and lower bare soil, scattered bio-crust, upper bare soil and lower bio-crust, fully-covered bio-crust) to the soil hydrological response were analyzed. We found that soil surface bio-crusts were more efficient in improving soil structure, water holding capacity and runoff retention particularly at surface 10 cm layers, compared with physical soil crusts and non-crusted bare soils. We re-confirmed that mosses functioned better than lichens, partly due to their higher successional stage and deeper biomass accumulation. Physical crusts were least efficient in water conservation and erosion control, followed by non-crusted bare soils. More importantly, there were marked differences in the efficiency of the different spatial arrangements of bio-crusts in controlling runoff and sediment generation. Fully-covered bio-crust pattern provides the best option for soil loss reduction and runoff retention, while a combination of upper bio-crust and lower bare soil pattern is the least one. These findings are suggested to be significant for surface-cover protection, rainwater infiltration, runoff retention, and erosion control in water-restricted and degraded natural slopes. PMID:26207757

Response of Surface Soil Hydrology to the Micro-Pattern of Bio-Crust in a Dry-Land Loess Environment, China.

PubMed

Wei, Wei; Yu, Yun; Chen, Liding

2015-01-01

The specific bio-species and their spatial patterns play crucial roles in regulating eco-hydrologic process, which is significant for large-scale habitat promotion and vegetation restoration in many dry-land ecosystems. Such effects, however, are not yet fully studied. In this study, 12 micro-plots, each with size of 0.5 m in depth and 1 m in length, were constructed on a gentle grassy hill-slope with a mean gradient of 8° in a semiarid loess hilly area of China. Two major bio-crusts, including mosses and lichens, had been cultivated for two years prior to the field simulation experiments, while physical crusts and non-crusted bare soils were used for comparison. By using rainfall simulation method, four designed micro-patterns (i.e., upper bio-crust and lower bare soil, scattered bio-crust, upper bare soil and lower bio-crust, fully-covered bio-crust) to the soil hydrological response were analyzed. We found that soil surface bio-crusts were more efficient in improving soil structure, water holding capacity and runoff retention particularly at surface 10 cm layers, compared with physical soil crusts and non-crusted bare soils. We re-confirmed that mosses functioned better than lichens, partly due to their higher successional stage and deeper biomass accumulation. Physical crusts were least efficient in water conservation and erosion control, followed by non-crusted bare soils. More importantly, there were marked differences in the efficiency of the different spatial arrangements of bio-crusts in controlling runoff and sediment generation. Fully-covered bio-crust pattern provides the best option for soil loss reduction and runoff retention, while a combination of upper bio-crust and lower bare soil pattern is the least one. These findings are suggested to be significant for surface-cover protection, rainwater infiltration, runoff retention, and erosion control in water-restricted and degraded natural slopes.

Hydrology of the Ferron sandstone aquifer and effects of proposed surface-coal mining in Castle Valley, Utah

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lines, G.C.; Morrissey, D.J.

Coal in the Ferron Sandstone Member of the Mancos Shale of Cretaceous age has traditionally been mined by underground techniques in the Emery Coal Field in the southern end of Castle Valley in east-central Utah. However, approximately 99 million tons are recoverable by surface mining. Ground water in the Ferron is the sole source of supply for the town of Emery, but the aquifer is essentially untapped outside the Emery area. A three-dimensional digital-computer model was used to simulate ground-water flow in the Ferron sandstone aquifer in the Emery area. The model also was used to predict the effects ofmore » dewatering of a proposed surface mine on aquifer potentiometric surfaces and the base flow of streams. Discharge from the proposed surface mine is predicted to average about 0.3 cubic foot per second during the 15 years of mine operation. Dewatering of the mine would affect the potentiometric surface of all sections of the Ferron sanstone aquifer, but the greatest effects would be in the upper section. Modeling results indicate that, except for Christiansen Wash, the dewatering of the proposed surface mine would not affect the base flow of streams.« less

Transport of silver nanoparticles in single fractured sandstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neukum, Christoph

2018-02-01

Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NP) are used in various consumer products and are one of the most prevalent metallic nanoparticle in commodities and are released into the environment. Transport behavior of Ag-NP in groundwater is one important aspect for the assessment of environmental impact and protection of drinking water resources in particular. Ag-NP transport processes in saturated single-fractured sandstones using triaxial flow cell experiments with different kind of sandstones is investigated. Ag-NP concentration and size are analyzed using flow field-flow fractionation and coupled SEM-EDX analysis. Results indicate that Ag-NP are more mobile and show generally lower attachment on rock surface compared to experiments in undisturbed sandstone matrix and partially fractured sandstones. Ag-NP transport is controlled by the characteristics of matrix porosity, time depending blocking of attachment sites and solute chemistry. Where Ag-NP attachment occur, it is heterogeneously distributed on the fracture surface.

Biological soil crust succession impact on soil moisture and temperature in the sub-surface along a rainfall gradient

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaady, E.; Yizhaq, H.; Ashkenazy, Y.

2012-04-01

Biological soil crusts produce mucilage sheets of polysaccharides that cover the soil surface. This hydrophobic coating can seal the soil micro-pores and thus cause reduction of water permeability and may influence soil temperature. This study evaluates the impact of crust composition on sub-surface water and temperature over time. We hypothesized that the successional stages of biological soil crusts, affect soil moisture and temperature differently along a rainfall gradient throughout the year. Four experimental sites were established along a rainfall gradient in the western Negev Desert. At each site three treatments; crust removal, pure sand (moving dune) and natural crusted were monitored. Crust successional stage was measured by biophysiological and physical measurements, soil water permeability by field mini-Infiltrometer, soil moisture by neutron scattering probe and temperature by sensors, at different depths. Our main interim conclusions from the ongoing study along the rainfall gradient are: 1. the biogenic crust controls water infiltration into the soil in sand dunes, 2. infiltration was dependent on the composition of the biogenic crust. It was low for higher successional stage crusts composed of lichens and mosses and high with cyanobacterial crust. Thus, infiltration rate controlled by the crust is inverse to the rainfall gradient. Continuous disturbances to the crust increase infiltration rates, 3. despite the different rainfall amounts at the sites, soil moisture content below 50 cm is almost the same. We therefore predict that climate change in areas that are becoming dryer (desertification) will have a positive effect on soil water content and vice versa.

Ancient sandstone condition assessment in relation to degradation, cleaning and consolidation phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drdácký, Miloš; Frankeová, Dita; Slížková, Zuzana

2015-04-01

Non-invasive methods for assessing the state of historic stone types rely on measurement of their surface or subsurface characteristics, which are supposed to correlate with objective physical characteristics. Such measurements are influenced by surface conditions of stone, as well as by previous conservation treatments. The authors performed a comprehensive study of characteristics and behaviour of typical sandstone types present in the Charles' Bridge in Prague as a preparatory work for its diagnostic and restoration in order to understand the problem of a large, important, and non-homogeneous (from the material point of view) historic structure, that was intended for repair interventions. The study itself took advantage of the combination of non-invasive, or considerately destructive methods and fully destructive tests, because it was possible to use damaged sandstone blocks, which were extracted from a masonry rail of the bridge before replacement with new elements. Stone characteristics were studied on test specimens prepared from materials in various conditions and after various interventions. Seven types of sandstone were tested in nine sets (degraded surface layer with a crust, degraded surface layer after cleaning, and unweathered core material; all three without any consolidation treatment, and all three after consolidation with two products based on silicic acid ester - Funcosil 100 and 300). The paper will present only selected results of experiments and the most important conclusions taken from the tests and their comparison. During experimental work the following characteristics were investigated: bending strength, modulus of elasticity, ultrasonic velocity, micro-drilling resistance, water uptake, porosity, frost resistance, hydric dilation and thermal dilation. The degraded stone had a rather strong variation of its characteristics along the depth profile from the surface inside the stone ashlar. Therefore, the stone samples were prepared in a form

Blueberries on Earth and Mars: Correlations Between Concretions in Navajo Sandstone and Terra Meridiani on Mars.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahaney, W. C.; Milner, M. W.; Netoff, D.; Dohm, J.; Kalm, V.; Krinsley, D.; Sodhi, R. N.; Anderson, R. C.; Boccia, S.; Malloch, D.; Kapran, B.; Havics, A.

2008-12-01

Concretionary Fe-Mn-rich nodular authigenic constituents of Jurassic Navajo sandstone (moki marbles) bear a certain relationship to similar concretionary forms ('blueberries') observed on Mars. Their origin on Earth is considered to invoke variable redox conditions with underground fluids penetrating porous quartz-rich sandstone leading to precipitation of hematite and goethite-rich material from solution, generally forming around a central nucleus of fine particles of quartz and orthoclase, recently verified by XRD and SEM-EDS analyses. At the outer rim/inner nucleus boundary, bulbous lobes of fine-grained quartz often invade and fracture the outer rim armored matrix. The bulbous forms are interpreted to result from fluid explusion from the inner concretionary mass, a response to pressure changes accompanying overburden loading. Moki marbles, harder than enclosing rock, often weather out of in situ sandstone outcrops that form a surface lag deposit of varnished marbles that locally resemble desert pavement. The marbles appear morphologically similar to 'blueberries' identified on the martian surface in Terra Meridiani through the MER-1 Opportunity rover. On Earth, redox fluids responsible for the genesis of marbles may have emanated from deep in the crust (often influenced by magmatic processes). These fluids, cooling to ambient temperatures, may have played a role in the genesis of the cemented outer rim of the concretions. The low frequency of fungi filaments in the marbles, contrasts with a high occurrence in Fe-encrusted sands of the Navajo formation [1], indicating that microbial content is of secondary importance in marble genesis relative to the fluctuating influx of ambient groundwater. Nevertheless, the presence of filaments in terrestrial concretions hints at the possibility of discovering fossil/extant life on Mars, and thus should be considered as prime targets for future reconnaissance missions to Mars. 1] Mahaney, W.C., et al. (2004), Icarus, 171, 39-53.

Dust emissions from undisturbed and disturbed, crusted playa surfaces: cattle trampling effects

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Dry playa lake beds can be significant sources of fine dust emission. This study used a portable field wind tunnel to quantify the PM10 emissions from a bare, fine-textured playa surface located in the far northern Chihuahua Desert. The natural, undisturbed crust and its subjection to two levels of ...

Stratigraphic comparison of six oil fields (WV) producing from Big Injun sandstones

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zou, X.; Donaldson, A.C.

1993-08-01

Clustered within western West Virginia, six oil fields produce from the lower Mississippian Big Injun sandstones, and three more oil fields also supplement this production either from underlying Squaw or Weir sandstones. Shales separate these sandstones that occur stratigraphically between the Sunbury Shale (maximum flooding surface) and pre-Greenbrier unconformity (maximum regressive erosional surface), and represent highstand regressive deposits associated with the postorogenic phase of foreland basin accumulation. Stratigraphic studies show two Big Injun sandstones. The upper sandstone, called the Maccrady Big Injun, is separated from the lower Price/Pocono Big Injun sandstone by red shales. Both Big Injun sandstones consist ofmore » fine-grained river-mouth bars capped by coarse-grained river-channel deposits. Although the six fields are within three adjacent counties, Maccrady Big Injun sandstones of Blue Creek (Kanawha) and Rock Creek (Roane) fields are younger and were deposited by a different fluvial-deltaic system than the Price/Pocono Big Injun sandstones of Granny Creek (Clay), Tariff (Roane) Clendenin (Clay), and Pond Fork (Kanawha) fields. Upper Weir sandstones are thick, narrow north-trending belts underlying Pond Fork and Blue Creek fields, with properties suggesting wave-dominated shoreline deposits. Allocycles spanning separate drainage systems indicate eustasy. Postorogenic flexural adjustments probably explain stacked sandstone belts with superposed paleovalleys of overlying unconformities (pre-Greenbrier, Pottsville), particularly where aligned along or parallel basement structures of Rome trough or West Virginia dome. Initially, differential subsidence or uplift during sedimentation influenced the position, geometry, trend, and distribution patterns of these reservoir sandstone, then influenced their preserved condition during erosion of pre-Greenbrier unconformity.« less

Modelling and interpreting biologically crusted dryland soil sub-surface structure using automated micropenetrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoon, Stephen R.; Felde, Vincent J. M. N. L.; Drahorad, Sylvie L.; Felix-Henningsen, Peter

2015-04-01

Soil penetrometers are used routinely to determine the shear strength of soils and deformable sediments both at the surface and throughout a depth profile in disciplines as diverse as soil science, agriculture, geoengineering and alpine avalanche-safety (e.g. Grunwald et al. 2001, Van Herwijnen et al. 2009). Generically, penetrometers comprise two principal components: An advancing probe, and a transducer; the latter to measure the pressure or force required to cause the probe to penetrate or advance through the soil or sediment. The force transducer employed to determine the pressure can range, for example, from a simple mechanical spring gauge to an automatically data-logged electronic transducer. Automated computer control of the penetrometer step size and probe advance rate enables precise measurements to be made down to a resolution of 10's of microns, (e.g. the automated electronic micropenetrometer (EMP) described by Drahorad 2012). Here we discuss the determination, modelling and interpretation of biologically crusted dryland soil sub-surface structures using automated micropenetrometry. We outline a model enabling the interpretation of depth dependent penetration resistance (PR) profiles and their spatial differentials using the model equations, σ {}(z) ={}σ c0{}+Σ 1n[σ n{}(z){}+anz + bnz2] and dσ /dz = Σ 1n[dσ n(z) /dz{} {}+{}Frn(z)] where σ c0 and σ n are the plastic deformation stresses for the surface and nth soil structure (e.g. soil crust, layer, horizon or void) respectively, and Frn(z)dz is the frictional work done per unit volume by sliding the penetrometer rod an incremental distance, dz, through the nth layer. Both σ n(z) and Frn(z) are related to soil structure. They determine the form of σ {}(z){} measured by the EMP transducer. The model enables pores (regions of zero deformation stress) to be distinguished from changes in layer structure or probe friction. We have applied this method to both artificial calibration soils in the

Reservoir characterization of Mesaverde (Campanian) bedload fluvial meanderbelt sandstones, northwestern Colorado

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jones, J.R. Jr.

1984-04-01

Reservoir characterization of Mesaverde meanderbelt sandstones is used to determined directional continuity of permeable zones. A 500-m (1600 ft) wide fluvial meanderbelt in the Mesaverde Group is exposed as laterally continuous 3-10-m (10-33-ft) high sandstone cliffs north of Rangely, Colorado. Forty-eight detailed measured sections through 3 point bar complexes oriented at right angles to the long axis of deposition and 1 complex oriented parallel to deposition were prepared. Sections were tied together by detailed sketches delineating and tracing major bounding surfaces such as scours and clay drapes. These complexes contain 3 to 8 multilateral sandstone packages separated by 5-20 cmmore » (2-8 in.) interbedded siltstone and shale beds. Component facies are point bars, crevasse splays, chute bars, and floodplain/overbank deposits. Two types of lateral accretion surfaces are recognized in the point bar facies. Gently dipping lateral accretions containing fining-upward sandstone packages. Large scale trough cross-bedding at the base grades upward into ripples and plane beds. Steeply dipping lateral accretion surfaces enclose beds characterized by climbing ripple cross laminations. Bounding surfaces draped by shale lags can seal vertically stacked point bars from reservoir communication. Scoured boundaries allow communication in some stacked point bars. Crevasse splays showing climbing ripples form tongues of very fine-grained sandstone which flank point bars. Chute channels commonly cut upper point bar surfaces at their downstream end. Chute facies are upward-fining with small scale troughs and common dewatering structures. Siltstones and shales underlie the point bar complexes and completely encase the meanderbelt system. Bounding surfaces at the base of the complexes are erosional and contain large shale rip-up clasts.« less

Dust Emissions from Undisturbed and Disturbed, Crusted Playa Surfaces: Cattle Trampling Effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zobeck, T. M.; Baddock, M. C.; van Pelt, R.; Fredrickson, E. L.

2009-12-01

Dry playa lake beds can be a significant source of fine dust emissions during high wind events in arid and semiarid landscapes. The physical and chemical properties of the playa surface control the amount and properties of the dust emitted. In this study, we use a field wind tunnel to quantify the dust emissions from a bare, fine-textured playa surface located in the Chihuahua Desert at the Jornada Experimental Range, near Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA. We tested natural, undisturbed crusted surfaces and surfaces that had been subjected to two levels of domestic animal disturbance. The animal disturbance was provided by trampling produced from one and ten passes along the length of the wind tunnel by a 630 kg Angus-Hereford cross cow. The trampling broke the durable crust and created loose erodible material. Each treatment (natural crust, one pass, and ten passes) was replicated three times. A push-type wind tunnel with a 6 m long, 0.5 m wide, and 1 m high test section was used to generate dust emissions under controlled conditions. Clean medium sand was dropped onto the playa surface to act as an abrader material. The tunnel wind speed was equivalent to 15 m/s at a height of 2 m over a smooth soil surface. The tunnel was initially run for ten minutes, with no abrader added. A second 30 minute run was subsequently sampled as abrader was added to the wind stream. Dust and saltating material were collected using an isokinetic slot sampler at the end of the tunnel. Total airborne dust was collected on two 25 cm x 20 cm glass fiber filters (GFF) and measured using a GRIMM particle monitor every 6 sec throughout each test run. Disturbance by trampling generated increased saltating material and airborne dust. The amount of saltating material measured during the initial (no abrader added) run was approximately 70% greater and 5.8 times the amount of saltating material measured on the one pass and ten pass plots, respectively, compared with that observed on the undisturbed

Naturally weathered feldspar surfaces in the Navajo Sandstone aquifer, Black Mesa, Arizona: Electron microscopic characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Chen; Veblen, David R.; Blum, Alex E.; Chipera, Stephen J.

2006-09-01

Naturally weathered feldspar surfaces in the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone at Black Mesa, Arizona, was characterized with high-resolution transmission and analytical electron microscope (HRTEM-AEM) and field emission gun scanning electron microscope (FEG-SEM). Here, we report the first HRTEM observation of a 10-nm thick amorphous layer on naturally weathered K-feldspar in currently slightly alkaline groundwater. The amorphous layer is probably deficient in K and enriched in Si. In addition to the amorphous layer, the feldspar surfaces are also partially coated with tightly adhered kaolin platelets. Outside of the kaolin coatings, feldspar grains are covered with a continuous 3-5 μm thick layer of authigenic smectite, which also coats quartz and other sediment grains. Authigenic K-feldspar overgrowth and etch pits were also found on feldspar grains. These characteristics of the aged feldspar surfaces accentuate the differences in reactivity between the freshly ground feldspar powders used in laboratory experiments and feldspar grains in natural systems, and may partially contribute to the commonly observed apparent laboratory-field dissolution rate discrepancy. At Black Mesa, feldspars in the Navajo Sandstone are dissolving at ˜10 5 times slower than laboratory rate at comparable temperature and pH under far from equilibrium condition. The tightly adhered kaolin platelets reduce the feldspar reactive surface area, and the authigenic K-feldspar overgrowth reduces the feldspar reactivity. However, the continuous smectite coating layer does not appear to constitute a diffusion barrier. The exact role of the amorphous layer on feldspar dissolution kinetics depends on the origin of the layer (leached layer versus re-precipitated silica), which is uncertain at present. However, the nanometer thin layer can be detected only with HRTEM, and thus our study raises the possibility of its wide occurrence in geological systems. Rate laws and proposed mechanisms should consider the

Naturally weathered feldspar surfaces in the Navajo Sandstone aquifer, Black Mesa, Arizona: Electron microscopic characterization

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhu, Chen; Veblen, D.R.; Blum, A.E.; Chipera, S.J.

2006-01-01

Naturally weathered feldspar surfaces in the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone at Black Mesa, Arizona, was characterized with high-resolution transmission and analytical electron microscope (HRTEM-AEM) and field emission gun scanning electron microscope (FEG-SEM). Here, we report the first HRTEM observation of a 10-nm thick amorphous layer on naturally weathered K-feldspar in currently slightly alkaline groundwater. The amorphous layer is probably deficient in K and enriched in Si. In addition to the amorphous layer, the feldspar surfaces are also partially coated with tightly adhered kaolin platelets. Outside of the kaolin coatings, feldspar grains are covered with a continuous 3-5 ??m thick layer of authigenic smectite, which also coats quartz and other sediment grains. Authigenic K-feldspar overgrowth and etch pits were also found on feldspar grains. These characteristics of the aged feldspar surfaces accentuate the differences in reactivity between the freshly ground feldspar powders used in laboratory experiments and feldspar grains in natural systems, and may partially contribute to the commonly observed apparent laboratory-field dissolution rate discrepancy. At Black Mesa, feldspars in the Navajo Sandstone are dissolving at ???105 times slower than laboratory rate at comparable temperature and pH under far from equilibrium condition. The tightly adhered kaolin platelets reduce the feldspar reactive surface area, and the authigenic K-feldspar overgrowth reduces the feldspar reactivity. However, the continuous smectite coating layer does not appear to constitute a diffusion barrier. The exact role of the amorphous layer on feldspar dissolution kinetics depends on the origin of the layer (leached layer versus re-precipitated silica), which is uncertain at present. However, the nanometer thin layer can be detected only with HRTEM, and thus our study raises the possibility of its wide occurrence in geological systems. Rate laws and proposed mechanisms should consider the

Controls on the chemical composition of saline surface crusts and emitted dust from a wet playa in the Mojave Desert (USA)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Goldstein, Harland L.; Breit, George N.; Reynolds, Richard L.

2017-01-01

Saline-surface crusts and their compositions at ephemeral, dry, and drying lakes are important products of arid-land processes. Detailed understanding is lacking, however, about interactions among locally variable hydrogeologic conditions, compositional control of groundwater on vadose zone and surface salts, and dust composition. Chemical and physical data from groundwater, sediments, and salts reveal compositional controls on saline-surface crusts across a wet playa, Mojave Desert, with bearing on similar settings elsewhere. The compositions of chemically and isotopically distinctive shallow (<3 m) water masses are recorded in the composition of associated salts. In areas with deeper and more saline groundwater, however, not all ions are transported through the vadose zone. Retention of arsenic and other elements in the vadose zone diminishes the concentrations of potentially toxic elements in surface salts, but creates a reservoir of these elements that may be brought to the surface during wetter conditions or by human disturbance. Selective wind-erosion loss of sulfate salts was identified by the compositional contrast between surface salt crusts and underlying groundwater. At the sub-basin scale, compositional links exist among groundwater, salt crusts, and dust from wet playas. Across the study basin, however, lateral variations in groundwater and solid-salt compositions are produced by hydrogeologic heterogeneity.

Origin of the Nubian and similar sandstones

USGS Publications Warehouse

McKee, E.D.

1963-01-01

The Nubian Sandstone and similar sandstone bodies exposed across much of northern Africa and adjoining parts of Asia are characteristically formed of clean sand that is conspicuously cross stratified throughout. Such sandstone, here called Nubian-type sandstone, ranges from Cambrian through Cretaceous in age and its genesis has been interpreted in many ways. Studies of its primary structures, and of the direction of sand transport, based on statistical measurements of foreset dip directions, have contributed new data on its genesis. By far the most common structure in Nubian-type sandstone is a medium-scale planar-type cross stratification in which sets of evenly dipping cross beds are bounded by essentially flat-lying top and bottom surfaces to form tabular bodies. Other less numerous but typical structures are large-scale, truncated-wedge cross strata, trough-type cross strata, intraformational recumbent folds, small-scale ripple laminae, and dipping sets of tabular-planar cross beds. An analysis of these structures suggests that in the typical Nubian Sandstone of Cretaceous age eolian deposits are not represented and normal marine types probably also are lacking; flood plain, pond or lagoon, and other continental and marginal environments are indicated. In the Carboniferous rocks of Sinai Peninsula some beach sandstone and possibly some eolian, in addition to the types described, form part of the sequence. Direction of sand transport, as determined from cross-bed dips, was northerly in the Cretaceous Nubian of Libya, Sudan, and Egypt; easterly in the Jurassic Adigrat of Ethiopia; westerly in the Carboniferous of Sinai; northwesterly in the early Paleozoic of Jordan. ?? 1963 Ferdinand Enke Verlag Stuttgart.

Biological Soil Crusts: Webs of Life in the Desert

USGS Publications Warehouse

Belnap, Jayne

2001-01-01

Although the soil surface may look like dirt to you, it is full of living organisms that are a vital part of desert ecosystems. This veneer of life is called a biological soil crust. These crusts are found throughout the world, from hot deserts to polar regions. Crusts generally cover all soil spaces not occupied by green plants. In many areas, they comprise over 70% of the living ground cover and are key in reducing erosion, increasing water retention, and increasing soil fertility. In most dry regions, these crusts are dominated by cyanobacteria (previously called blue-green algae), which are one of the oldest known life forms. Communities of soil crusts also include lichens, mosses, microfungi, bacteria, and green algae. These living organisms and their by-products create a continuous crust on the soil surface. The general color, surface appearance, and amount of coverage of these crusts vary depending on climate and disturbance patterns. Immature crusts are generally flat and the color of the soil, which makes them difficult to distinguish from bare ground. Mature crusts, in contrast, are usually bumpy and dark-colored due to the presence of lichens, mosses, and high densities of cyanobacteria and other organisms.

Sensing, Measuring and Modelling the Mechanical Properties of Sandstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antony, S. J.; Olugbenga, A.; Ozerkan, N. G.

2018-02-01

We present a hybrid framework for simulating the strength and dilation characteristics of sandstone. Where possible, the grain-scale properties of sandstone are evaluated experimentally in detail. Also, using photo-stress analysis, we sense the deviator stress (/strain) distribution at the micro-scale and its components along the orthogonal directions on the surface of a V-notch sandstone sample under mechanical loading. Based on this measurement and applying a grain-scale model, the optical anisotropy index K 0 is inferred at the grain scale. This correlated well with the grain contact stiffness ratio K evaluated using ultrasound sensors independently. Thereafter, in addition to other experimentally characterised structural and grain-scale properties of sandstone, K is fed as an input into the discrete element modelling of fracture strength and dilation of the sandstone samples. Physical bulk-scale experiments are also conducted to evaluate the load-displacement relation, dilation and bulk fracture strength characteristics of sandstone samples under compression and shear. A good level of agreement is obtained between the results of the simulations and experiments. The current generic framework could be applied to understand the internal and bulk mechanical properties of such complex opaque and heterogeneous materials more realistically in future.

Magmatic intrusions in the lunar crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michaut, C.; Thorey, C.

2015-10-01

The lunar highlands are very old, with ages covering a timespan between 4.5 to 4.2 Gyr, and probably formed by flotation of light plagioclase minerals on top of the lunar magma ocean. The lunar crust provides thus an invaluable evidence of the geological and magmatic processes occurring in the first times of the terrestrial planets history. According to the last estimates from the GRAIL mission, the lunar primary crust is particularly light and relatively thick [1] This low-density crust acted as a barrier for the dense primary mantle melts. This is particularly evident in the fact that subsequent mare basalts erupted primarily within large impact basin: at least part of the crust must have been removed for the magma to reach the surface. However, the trajectory of the magma from the mantle to the surface is unknown. Using a model of magma emplacement below an elastic overlying layer with a flexural wavelength Λ, we characterize the surface deformations induced by the presence of shallow magmatic intrusions. We demonstrate that, depending on its size, the intrusion can show two different shapes: a bell shape when its radius is smaller than 4 times Λ or a flat top with small bended edges if its radius is larger than 4 times Λ[2]. These characteristic shapes for the intrusion result in characteristic deformations at the surface that also depend on the topography of the layer overlying the intrusion [3].Using this model we provide evidence of the presence of intrusions within the crust of the Moon as surface deformations in the form of low-slope lunar domes and floor-fractured craters. All these geological features have morphologies consistent with models of magma spreading at depth and deforming an overlying elastic layer. Further more,at floor-fractured craters, the deformation is contained within the crater interior, suggesting that the overpressure at the origin of magma ascent and intrusion was less than the pressure due to the weight of the crust removed by

Quantitative petrographic analysis of Desmoinesian sandstones from Oklahoma

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dyman, Thaddeus S.

1989-01-01

Desmoinesian sandstones from the northern Oklahoma platform and the Anadarko, Arkoma, and Ardmore basins record a complex interaction between mid-Pennsylvanian source-area tectonism and cyclic sedimentation patterns associated with numerous transgressions and regressions. Framework-grain summaries for 50 thin sections from sandstones of the Krebs, Cabaniss, and Marmaton Groups and their surface and subsurface equivalents were subjected to multivariate statistical analyses to establish regional compositional trends for provenance analysis. R-mode cluster and correspondence analyses were used to determine the contributing effect (total variance) of key framework grains. Fragments of monocrystalline and polycrystalline quartz; potassium and plagioclase feldspar; chert; and metamorphic, limestone, and mudstone-sandstone rock fragments contribute most to the variation in the grain population. Q-mode cluster and correspondence analyses were used to identify four petrofacies and establish the range of compositional variation in Desmoinesian sandstones. Petrofacies I is rich in monocrystalline quartz (78-98%); mica and rock fragments are rare. Petrofacies II is also rich in monocrystalline quartz (60-84%) and averages 12% total rock fragments. Petrofacies III and IV are compositionally heterogeneous and contain variable percentages of monocrystalline and polycrystalline quartz, potassium feldspar, mica, chert, and metamorphic and sedimentary rock fragments. Quantitative analyses indicate that Desmoinesian sandstones were derived from sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic source areas. Sandstones of petrofacies I and II occur mostly in the lower Desmoinesian and are widely distributed, although they are most abundant in eastern and central Oklahoma; sandstones of petrofacies III and IV are widely distributed and occur primarily in the middle and upper Desmoinesian. The range of compositional variation and the distribution of petrofacies are related to paleotectonics and

Preliminary evaluation of the basal sandstone in Tennessee for receiving injected wastes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mulderink, Dolores; Bradley, M.W.

1986-01-01

The EPA is authorized, under the Safe Drinking Water Act, to administer the Underground Injection Control program. This program allows for the regulation of deep-well disposal of wastes and establishes criteria to protect underground sources of drinking water from contamination. The basal sandstone in Tennessee occurs west of the Valley and Ridge province at depths of 5,000 to 9,000 ft below land surface. The basal sandstone consists of about 30 to 750 ft of Cambrian sandstone overlying the crystalline basement complex. The basal sandstone is overlain and confined by shale and carbonate rocks of the Middle and Upper Cambrian Conasauga Group. Hydrologic data for the basal sandstone, available from only three sites (four wells) in Tennessee, indicate that the basal sandstone generally has low porosity and permeability with a few zones having enough permeability to accept injected fluids. Limited water quality data indicate the basal sandstone contains water with dissolved solids concentrations exceeding 10,000 mg/L. Since the dissolved-solids concentrations exceed 10,000 mg/L, the basal sandstone is not classified as an underground source of drinking water according to EPA regulations. (Author 's abstract)

How biological crusts are stabilizing the soil surface? The devolpment of organo-mineral interactions in the initial phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, T.; Veste, M.; Wiehe, W.; Lange, P.

2009-04-01

First colonizers of new land surfaces are cryptogames which often form biological soil crusts (BSC) covering the first millimetre of the top soil in many ecosystems from polar to desert ecosystems. These BSC are assemblages of cyanobacteria, green algae, mosses, liverworts, fungi and/or lichens. The development of soil surface crusts plays a major role for the further vegetation pattern through changes to the physico-chemical conditions and influencing various ecosystem processes. We studied the development of BSC on quaternary substrate of an initial artificial water catchment in Lusatia, Germany. Due to lack of organic matter in the geological substrate, photoautotrophic organisms like green algae and cyanobacteria dominated the initial phases of ecosystem development and, hence, of organo-mineral ineractions. We combined SEM/EDX and FTIR microscopy to study the contact zone of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of green algae and cyanobacteria with quartz, spars and mica on a >40 µm scale in undisturbed biological soil crusts, which had a maximum thickness of approx. 2 mm. SEM/EDX microscopy was used to determine the spatial distribution of S, Ca, Fe, Al, Si and K in the profiles, organic compounds were identified using FTIR microscopy. Exudates of crust organisms served as cementing material between sand particles. The crust could be subdivided into two horizontal layers. The upper layer, which had a thickness of approx. 200 µm, is characterized by accumulation of Al and K, but absence of Fe in microbial derived organic matter, indicating capture of weathering products of feldspars and mica by microbial exudates. The pore space between mineral particles was entirely filled with organic matter here. The underlying layer can be characterized by empty pores and organo-mineral bridges between the sand particles. Contrarily to the upper layer of the crust, Fe, Al and Si were associated with organic matter here but K was absent. Highest similarity of the FTIR

Influence of Structural Features and Fracture Processes on Surface Roughness: A Case Study from the Krosno Sandstones of the Górka-Mucharz Quarry (Little Beskids, Southern Poland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pieczara, Łukasz

2015-09-01

The paper presents the results of analysis of surface roughness parameters in the Krosno Sandstones of Mucharz, southern Poland. It was aimed at determining whether these parameters are influenced by structural features (mainly the laminar distribution of mineral components and directional distribution of non-isometric grains) and fracture processes. The tests applied in the analysis enabled us to determine and describe the primary statistical parameters used in the quantitative description of surface roughness, as well as specify the usefulness of contact profilometry as a method of visualizing spatial differentiation of fracture processes in rocks. These aims were achieved by selecting a model material (Krosno Sandstones from the Górka-Mucharz Quarry) and an appropriate research methodology. The schedule of laboratory analyses included: identification analyses connected with non-destructive ultrasonic tests, aimed at the preliminary determination of rock anisotropy, strength point load tests (cleaved surfaces were obtained due to destruction of rock samples), microscopic analysis (observation of thin sections in order to determine the mechanism of inducing fracture processes) and a test method of measuring surface roughness (two- and three-dimensional diagrams, topographic and contour maps, and statistical parameters of surface roughness). The highest values of roughness indicators were achieved for surfaces formed under the influence of intragranular fracture processes (cracks propagating directly through grains). This is related to the structural features of the Krosno Sandstones (distribution of lamination and bedding).

Sensitivity of desert cryptograms to air pollutants: soil crusts and rock lichens

USGS Publications Warehouse

Belnap, J.

1991-01-01

Parks throughout the West are being faced with increasing air pollution threats from current or proposed industries near their boundaries. For this reason, it is important to understand the effects these industries may have on desert ecosystems. Rock lichens can be excellent biomonitors, acting as early warning systems of impending damage to other components of the desert ecosystem. Cryptogamic crusts, consisting mostly of cyanobacteria and lichens, may not only be excellent bioindicators, but also are an essential part of the desert ecosystem. Their presence is critical for soil stability as well as for the contribution of nitrogen to the ecosystem in a form available to higher plants. Air pollutants, such as emissions from coal-fired power plants, may threaten the healthy functioning of these non-vascular plants. The purpose of this study is to determine if, in fact, air pollutants do have an impact on the physiological functioning of cryptogamic crusts or rock lichens in desert systems and, if so, to what extent. Some results have already been obtained. Both rock lichens and cryptogamic crusts exhibit physiological damage in the vicinity of the Navajo Generating Station in Page, Arizona. Increased electrolyte leakage and chlorophyll degradation, along with reduced nitrogen fixation, have been found. Preliminary studies comparing sensitivity between substrates indicate that crusts on limestone and sandstone substrates may be more sensitive than those on gypsum.

Weathering crusts on peridotite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bucher, Kurt; Stober, Ingrid; Müller-Sigmund, Hiltrud

2015-05-01

Chemical weathering of dark-green massive peridotite, including partly serpentinized peridotite, produces a distinct and remarkable brown weathering rind when exposed to the atmosphere long enough. The structure and mineral composition of crusts on rocks from the Ronda peridotite, Spain, have been studied in some detail. The generic overall weathering reaction serpentinized peridotite + rainwater = weathering rind + runoff water describes the crust-forming process. This hydration reaction depends on water supply from the outcrop surface to the reaction front separating green peridotite from the brown crust. The reaction pauses after drying and resumes at the front after wetting. The overall net reaction transforms olivine to serpentine in a volume-conserving replacement reaction. The crust formation can be viewed as secondary serpentinization of peridotite that has been strongly altered by primary hydrothermal serpentinization. The reaction stoichiometry of the crust-related serpentinization is preserved and reflected by the composition of runoff waters in the peridotite massif. The brown color of the rind is caused by amorphous Fe(III) hydroxide, a side product from the oxidation of Fe(II) released by the dissolution of fayalite component in olivine.

Contractional deformation of porous sandstone: Insights from the Aztec Sandstone, SE Nevada, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fossen, Haakon; Zuluaga, Luisa F.; Ballas, Gregory; Soliva, Roger; Rotevatn, Atle

2015-05-01

Contractional deformation of highly porous sandstones is poorly explored, as compared to extensional deformation of such sedimentary rocks. In this work we explore the highly porous Aztec Sandstone in the footwall to the Muddy Mountain thrust in SE Nevada, which contains several types of deformation bands in the Buffington tectonic window: 1) Distributed centimeter-thick shear-enhanced compaction bands (SECBs) and 2) rare pure compaction bands (PCBs) in the most porous parts of the sandstone, cut by 3) thin cataclastic shear-dominated bands (CSBs) with local slip surfaces. Geometric and kinematic analysis of the SECBs, the PCBs and most of the CSBs shows that they formed during ∼E-W (∼100) shortening, consistent with thrusting related to the Cretaceous to early Paleogene Sevier orogeny of the North American Cordilleran thrust system. Based on stress path modeling, we suggest that the compactional bands (PCBs and SECBs) formed during contraction at relatively shallow burial depths, before or at early stages of emplacement of the Muddy Mountains thrust sheet. The younger cataclastic shear bands (CSBs, category 3), also related to E-W Sevier thrusting, are thinner and show larger shear offsets and thus more intense cataclasis, consistent with the initiation of cataclastic shear bands in somewhat less porous materials. Observations made in this work support earlier suggestions that contraction lead to more distributed band populations than what is commonly found in the extensional regime, and that shear-enhanced compaction bands are widespread only where porosity (and permeability) is high.

The influence of temperature on brittle creep in sandstones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heap, M. J.; Baud, P.; Meredith, P. G.; Vinciguerra, S.

2009-04-01

The characterization of time-dependent brittle rock deformation is fundamental to understanding the long-term evolution and dynamics of the Earth's upper crust. The presence of water promotes time-dependent deformation through environment-dependent stress corrosion cracking that allows rocks to deform at stresses far below their short-term failure stress. Here we report results from an experimental study of the influence of an elevated temperature on time-dependent brittle creep in water-saturated samples of Darley Dale (initial porosity of 13%), Bentheim (23%) and Crab Orchard (4%) sandstones. We present results from both conventional creep experiments (or ‘static fatigue' tests) and stress-stepping creep experiments performed under 20°C and 75°C and an effective confining pressure of 30 MPa (50 MPa confining pressure and a 20 MPa pore fluid pressure). The evolution of crack damage was monitored throughout each experiment by measuring the three proxies for damage (1) axial strain (2) pore volume change and (3) the output of AE energy. Conventional creep experiments have demonstrated that, for any given applied differential stress, the time-to-failure is dramatically reduced and the creep strain rate is significantly increased by application of an elevated temperature. Stress-stepping creep experiments have allowed us to investigate the influence of temperature in detail. Results from these experiments show that the creep strain rate for Darley Dale and Bentheim sandstones increases by approximately 3 orders of magnitude, and for Crab Orchard sandstone increases by approximately 2 orders of magnitude, as temperature is increased from 20°C to 75°C at a fixed effective differential stress. We discuss these results in the context of the different mineralogical and microstructural properties of the three rock types and the micro-mechanical and chemical processes operating on them.

Effect of surface wave propagation in a four-layered oceanic crust model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paul, Pasupati; Kundu, Santimoy; Mandal, Dinbandhu

2017-12-01

Dispersion of Rayleigh type surface wave propagation has been discussed in four-layered oceanic crust. It includes a sandy layer over a crystalline elastic half-space and over it there are two more layers—on the top inhomogeneous liquid layer and under it a liquid-saturated porous layer. Frequency equation is obtained in the form of determinant. The effects of the width of different layers as well as the inhomogeneity of liquid layer, sandiness of sandy layer on surface waves are depicted and shown graphically by considering all possible case of the particular model. Some special cases have been deduced, few special cases give the dispersion equation of Scholte wave and Stoneley wave, some of which have already been discussed elsewhere.

Kinetics of the crust thickness development of bread during baking.

PubMed

Soleimani Pour-Damanab, Alireza; Jafary, A; Rafiee, Sh

2014-11-01

The development of crust thickness of bread during baking is an important aspect of bread quality and shelf-life. Computer vision system was used for measuring the crust thickness via colorimetric properties of bread surface during baking process. Crust thickness had a negative and positive relationship with Lightness (L (*) ) and total color change (E (*) ) of bread surface, respectively. A linear negative trend was found between crust thickness and moisture ratio of bread samples. A simple mathematical model was proposed to predict the development of crust thickness of bread during baking, where the crust thickness was depended on moisture ratio that was described by the Page moisture losing model. The independent variables of the model were baking conditions, i.e. oven temperature and air velocity, and baking time. Consequently, the proposed model had well prediction ability, as the mean absolute estimation error of the model was 7.93 %.

Building Archean cratons from Hadean mafic crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Neil, Jonathan; Carlson, Richard W.

2017-03-01

Geologic processing of Earth’s surface has removed most of the evidence concerning the nature of Earth’s first crust. One region of ancient crust is the Hudson Bay terrane of northeastern Canada, which is mainly composed of Neoarchean felsic crust and forms the nucleus of the Northeastern Superior Province. New data show these ~2.7-billion-year-old rocks to be the youngest to yield variability in neodymium-142 (142Nd), the decay product of short-lived samarium-146 (146Sm). Combined 146-147Sm-142-143Nd data reveal that this large block of Archean crust formed by reworking of much older (>4.2 billion-year-old) mafic crust over a 1.5-billion-year interval of early Earth history. Thus, unlike on modern Earth, mafic crust apparently could survive for more than 1 billion years to form an important source rock for Archean crustal genesis.

The evolution of Mercury's crust: a global perspective from MESSENGER.

PubMed

Denevi, Brett W; Robinson, Mark S; Solomon, Sean C; Murchie, Scott L; Blewett, David T; Domingue, Deborah L; McCoy, Timothy J; Ernst, Carolyn M; Head, James W; Watters, Thomas R; Chabot, Nancy L

2009-05-01

Mapping the distribution and extent of major terrain types on a planet's surface helps to constrain the origin and evolution of its crust. Together, MESSENGER and Mariner 10 observations of Mercury now provide a near-global look at the planet, revealing lateral and vertical heterogeneities in the color and thus composition of Mercury's crust. Smooth plains cover approximately 40% of the surface, and evidence for the volcanic origin of large expanses of plains suggests that a substantial portion of the crust originated volcanically. A low-reflectance, relatively blue component affects at least 15% of the surface and is concentrated in crater and basin ejecta. Its spectral characteristics and likely origin at depth are consistent with its apparent excavation from a lower crust or upper mantle enriched in iron- and titanium-bearing oxides.

Wind erodibility response of physical and biological crusts to rain and flooding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aubault, H.; Bullard, J. E.; Strong, C. L.; Ghadiri, H.; McTainsh, G. H.

2015-12-01

Soil surface crusts are important controllers of the small-scale wind entrainment processes that occur across all dust source regions globally. The crust type influences water and wind erosion by impacting infiltration, runoff, threshold wind velocity and surface storage capacity of both water and loose erodible material. The spatial and temporal patterning of both physical and biological crusts is known to change with rainfall and flooding. However, little is known about the impact of differing water quantity (from light rainfall through to flooding) on soil crusting characteristics (strength, roughness, sediment loss). This study compares the response of two soil types (loamy sand - LS, sandy loam - SL) with and without BSCs to three different rainfall events (2mm, 8mm, 15mm). Two BSC treatments were used one that simulated a young cyanobacteria dominated crust and an older flood induced multi species biological crust. For both soil types, soil surface strength increased with increasing rainfall amount with LS having consistently higher resistance to rupture than SL. Regardless of texture, soils with BSCs were more resistant and strength did not change in response to rainfall impact. Soil loss due to wind erosion was substantially higher on bare LS (4 times higher) and SL (3 times higher) soils compared with those with BSCs. Our results also show that young biological crust (formed by the rainfall event) have reduced soil erodibility with notably greater strength, roughness and reduced sediment losses when compared to soils with physical crust. Interestingly though, the erodibility of the old BSC did not differ greatly from that of the young BSC with respect to strength, roughness and sediment loss. This raises questions regarding the rapid soil surface protection offered by young colonising cyanobacteria crusts. Further analyses exploring the role of biological soil crusts on surface response to rainfall and wind saltation impact are ongoing.

Black manganese-rich crusts on a Gothic cathedral

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macholdt, Dorothea S.; Herrmann, Siegfried; Jochum, Klaus Peter; Kilcoyne, A. L. David; Laubscher, Thomas; Pfisterer, Jonas H. K.; Pöhlker, Christopher; Schwager, Beate; Weber, Bettina; Weigand, Markus; Domke, Katrin F.; Andreae, Meinrat O.

2017-12-01

Black manganese-rich crusts are found worldwide on the façades of historical buildings. In this study, they were studied exemplarily on the façade of the Freiburger Münster (Freiburg Minster), Germany, and measured in-situ by portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The XRF was calibrated to allow the conversion from apparent mass fractions to Mn surface density (Mn mass per area), to compensate for the fact that portable XRF mass fraction measurements from thin layers violate the assumption of a homogeneous measurement volume. Additionally, 200-nm femtosecond laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (fs LA-ICP-MS) measurements, scanning transmission X-ray microscopy-near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (STXM-NEXAFS), Raman spectroscopy, and imaging by light microscopy were conducted to obtain further insight into the crust material, such as potential biogenic contributions, element distributions, trace element compositions, and organic functional groups. While black crusts of various types are present at many places on the minster's facade, crusts rich in Mn (with a Mn surface density >150 μg cm-2) are restricted to a maximum height of about 7 m. The only exceptions are those developed on the Renaissance-Vorhalle (Renaissance Portico) at a height of about 8 m. This part of the façade had been cleaned and treated with a silicon resin as recently as 2003. These crusts thus accumulated over a period of only 12 years. Yet, they are exceptionally Mn-rich with a surface density of 1200 μg cm-2, and therefore require an accumulation rate of about 100 μg cm-2 Mn per year. Trace element analyses support the theory that vehicle emissions are responsible for most of the Mn supply. Lead, barium, and zinc correlate with manganese, indicating that tire material, brake pads, and resuspended road dust are likely to be the element sources. Microscopic investigations show no organisms on or in the Mn-rich crusts. In contrast, Mn-free black

Comparative petrology of arkosic sandstone lithofacies of Cowlitz, Spencer, and Yamhill Formations, northwest Oregon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Van Atta, R.O.

Recent discovery (1979) and commercial production of natural gas in arkosic sandstone (Clark and Wilson sand, informal) of the Cowlitz Formation near Mist, Oregon, has stimulated interest in the sedimentology and stratigraphy of Narizian sandstones of northwestern Oregon and the Willamette lowlands. Petrographic study of arkosic sandstone in the lower part of the Cowlitz Formation in surface outcrops in Clatsop, Tillamook, and Columbia Counties, Oregon, and in the Texaco 1 Clatskanie well reveals that the composition is more lithic than that of arkosic sandstone (Clark and Wilson sand) in the upper part of the Cowlitz Formation. The petrography of highlymore » permeable, arkosic sandstone in the Spencer Formation in the western Tualatin Valley south of the Mist gas field is identical in framework grain composition, texture, matrix composition, and heavy mineral content to that of the gas producing Clark and Wilson sand. The petrography of sandstone in the Yamhill Formation in the western Tualatin Valley is very like that of sandstone in the lower part of the Cowlitz Formation of northern northwest Oregon. Diagenetic alteration is more pronounced in arkosic sandstone in the lower part of the Cowlitz Formation and in the Yamhill Formation compared to diagenesis, which is almost nil in arkosic sandstone in the upper part of the cowlitz and in the Spencer Formations. Natural gas exploration will be aided by a clearer and more certain understanding of these petrologic differences between Eocene sandstones in northwestern Oregon.« less

USArray Imaging of North American Continental Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Xiaofei

The layered structure and bulk composition of continental crust contains important clues about its history of mountain-building, about its magmatic evolution, and about dynamical processes that continue to happen now. Geophysical and geological features such as gravity anomalies, surface topography, lithospheric strength and the deformation that drives the earthquake cycle are all directly related to deep crustal chemistry and the movement of materials through the crust that alter that chemistry. The North American continental crust records billions of years of history of tectonic and dynamical changes. The western U.S. is currently experiencing a diverse array of dynamical processes including modification by the Yellowstone hotspot, shortening and extension related to Pacific coast subduction and transform boundary shear, and plate interior seismicity driven by flow of the lower crust and upper mantle. The midcontinent and eastern U.S. is mostly stable but records a history of ancient continental collision and rifting. EarthScope's USArray seismic deployment has collected massive amounts of data across the entire United States that illuminates the deep continental crust, lithosphere and deeper mantle. This study uses EarthScope data to investigate the thickness and composition of the continental crust, including properties of its upper and lower layers. One-layer and two-layer models of crustal properties exhibit interesting relationships to the history of North American continental formation and recent tectonic activities that promise to significantly improve our understanding of the deep processes that shape the Earth's surface. Model results show that seismic velocity ratios are unusually low in the lower crust under the western U.S. Cordillera. Further modeling of how chemistry affects the seismic velocity ratio at temperatures and pressures found in the lower crust suggests that low seismic velocity ratios occur when water is mixed into the mineral matrix

Supply-limited horizontal sand drift at an ephemerally crusted, unvegetated saline playa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gillette, Dale A.; Niemeyer, T.C.; Helm, P.J.

2001-01-01

A site at Owens Dry Lake was observed for more than 4 years. The site was a vegetation-free saline playa where the surface formed "ephemeral crusts," crusts that form after rainfall. Sometimes these crusts were destroyed and often a layer of particles on the crust would engage in vigorous aeolian activity. Three "phases" of active sand drifting are defined as almost no movement (extreme supply limitation), loose particles on crust with some degree of sand drift (moderate supply limitation), and unlimited source movement corresponding to a destroyed surface crust (unlimited supply). These "phases" occurred 45, 49, and 6% of the time, respectively. The accumulation of loose particles on the crust was mostly the result of in situ formation. Crusted sediments with loose particles on top can exhibit mass flux rates about the same as for noncrusted sediments. Crusted sediments limit or eliminate sand drift in two conditions: for rough crusts that effect a sufficiently high threshold friction velocity (above the wind friction velocity) and for limited amounts of loose particles on the crust where particle supply is less than would be transported in normal saltation for a thick sandy surface. These "supply-limited" cases are similar to wind erosion of limited spilled material on a hard concrete surface. We quantified "supply limitation" by defining a "potential" or "supply unlimited" sand drift function Q = AG where A represents supply limitation that decreases as the particle source is depleted. Here Q is the mass of sand transported through a surface perpendicular to the ground and to the wind and having unit width during time period t, and G = ??? u*(u*2 - u*t2) dt for u* > u*t. G is integrated for the same time period t as for Q, u* is the friction velocity of the wind, and u*t is the threshold friction velocity of the wind. Hard crusts (usually formed in the summer) tended to show almost no change of threshold friction velocity with time and often gave total

Seastacks buried beneath newly reported Lower Miocene sandstone, northern Santa Barbara County, California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fritsche, A.E.; Hanna, F.M.

1985-04-01

Three large, isolated exposures of a light-gray, coarse-grained, thick-bedded sandstone unit occur in the northern San Rafael Mountains of Santa Barbara County, California. These rocks are moderately fossiliferous and contain Vertipecten bowersi, Amussiopecten vanvlecki, Aequipecten andersoni, Otrea howelli, shark teeth, whale bones, and regular echinoid spines. The fossils indicate that the sandstone unit, although previously reported as upper(.) Miocene, correlates best with the lower Miocene Vaqueros Formation. This unit was deposited in angular unconformity on a Cretaceous, greenish-gray turbidite sequence of interbedded sandstone and shale, and onlaps the unconformity erosion surface from west to east, the unit being thicker inmore » the west and older at its base. The underlying Cretaceous sandstone beds are well indurated, and during the eastward transgression of the early Miocene sea, they resisted wave erosion and stood as seastacks offshore of the advancing coastline, thus creating a very irregular topographic surface upon which the Vaqueros Formation was deposited. Some seastacks were as much as 4 m tall, as indicated by inliers of Cretaceous rock surrounded by 4-m thick sections of the Vaqueros Formation.« less

Transdomes sampling of lower and middle crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teyssier, C. P.; Whitney, D. L.; Roger, F.; Rey, P. F.

2015-12-01

Migmatite transdomes are formed by lateral and upward flow of partially molten crust in transtension zones (pull-apart structures). In order to understand the flow leading to this type of domes, 3D numerical models were set-up to simulate the general case of an extensional domain located between two strike-slip faults (pull-apart or dilational bridge). Results show that upper crust extension induces flow of the deep, low-viscosity crust, with rapid upward movement of transdome material when extension becomes localized. At this point a rolling hinge detachment allows rapid removal of upper crust. The internal structure of transdomes includes a subvertical high strain zone located beneath the zone of localized upper crust extension; this shear zone separates two elongate subdomes of foliation that show refolded/sheath folds. Lineation tends to be oriented dominantly subhorizontal when the amount of strike-slip motion is greater than the amount of upward flow of dome rocks. Models also predict nearly isothermal decompression of transdome material and rapid transfer of ~50 km deep rocks to the near surface. These model results are compared to the structural and metamorphic history of several transdomes, and in particular the Variscan Montagne Noire dome (French Massif Central) that consists of two domes separated by a complex high strain zone. The Montagne Noire dome contains ~315 Ma eclogite bodies (U-Pb zircon age) that record 1.4 GPa peak pressure. The eclogite bodies are wrapped in highly sheared migmatite that yield 314-310 Ma monazite ages interpreted as the metamorphism and deformation age. Based on these relations we conclude that the Montagne Noire transdome developed a channel of partially molten crust that likely entrained eclogite bodies from the deep crust (~50 km) before ascending to the near-surface. One implication of this work is that the flowing crust was deeply seated in the orogen although it remained a poor recorder of peak pressure of metamorphism

Hydrological modelling in sandstone rocks watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponížilová, Iva; Unucka, Jan

2015-04-01

The contribution is focused on the modelling of surface and subsurface runoff in the Ploučnice basin. The used rainfall-runoff model is HEC-HMS comprising of the method of SCS CN curves and a recession method. The geological subsurface consisting of sandstone is characterised by reduced surface runoff and, on the contrary, it contributes to subsurface runoff. The aim of this paper is comparison of the rate of influence of sandstone on reducing surface runoff. The recession method for subsurface runoff was used to determine the subsurface runoff. The HEC-HMS model allows semi- and fully distributed approaches to schematisation of the watershed and rainfall situations. To determine the volume of runoff the method of SCS CN curves is used, which results depend on hydrological conditions of the soils. The rainfall-runoff model assuming selection of so-called methods of event of the SCS-CN type is used to determine the hydrograph and peak flow rate based on simulation of surface runoff in precipitation exceeding the infiltration capacity of the soil. The recession method is used to solve the baseflow (subsurface) runoff. The method is based on the separation of hydrograph to direct runoff and subsurface or baseflow runoff. The study area for the simulation of runoff using the method of SCS CN curves to determine the hydrological transformation is the Ploučnice basin. The Ploučnice is a hydrologically significant river in the northern part of the Czech Republic, it is a right tributary of the Elbe river with a total basin area of 1.194 km2. The average value of CN curves for the Ploučnice basin is 72. The geological structure of the Ploučnice basin is predominantly formed by Mesozoic sandstone. Despite significant initial loss of rainfall the basin response to the causal rainfall was demonstrated by a rapid rise of the surface runoff from the watershed and reached culmination flow. Basically, only surface runoff occures in the catchment during the initial phase of

Desert and groundwater dynamics of the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone, southeast Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, M. A.; Hasiotis, S. T.; Parrish, J. T.

2017-12-01

The Jurassic Navajo Sandstone of southeastern Utah is a rich archive of a desert complex with an active groundwater system, influenced by climate changes and recharge from the Uncompahgre Uplift of the Ancestral Rocky Mountains. This eastern erg margin was dominated by dune deposits of large (>10 m thick) and small (m-scale) crossbedded sandstone sets. Within these porous deposits, common soft sediment deformation is expressed as contorted and upturned bedding, fluid escape structures, concentrations of clastic pipes with ring faults, and thick intervals of massive sandstone embedded in crossbedded sandstone. Collectively, these deformation features reflect changes and/or overpressure in the groundwater system. Interdune deposits record laterally variable bounding surfaces, resulting from the change in position of and proximity to the water table. Interdune modification by pedogenesis from burrows, roots, and trees suggest stable periods of moisture and water supply, as well as periodic drying expressed as polygonal cracked mud- to sand-cracked layers. Freshwater bedded and platy limestone beds represent lakes of decameter to kilometer extent, common in the upper part of the formation. Some carbonate springs that fed the lakes are preserved as limestone buildups (tufa mounds) with microbial structures. Extradunal deposits of rivers to small ephemeral streams show channelized and lenticular, subhorizontal, cm- to m-scale sandstone bodies with basal scours and rip-up clasts. Proxy records of the active hydrology imply a changing landscape at the Navajo desert's edge, punctuated by periods of significant rainfall, runoff, rivers, lakes, and springs, fed by high water table conditions to sustain periods of flourishing communities of plants, arthropods, reptiles, mammals, and dinosaurs. Strong ground motion perturbations periodically disrupted porous, water-saturated sands with possible surface eruptions, adding to the dynamic activity of the desert regime.

Assessing processes and timescales of sandstone 'peak forest' formation at Wulingyuan (Hunan, China)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fink, David; May, Henne; Huang, He-quing; Fujioka, Toshiyuki; Wray, Robert

2013-04-01

Sandstone landscapes around the globe exhibit a surprising variety in terms of their landforms and formative processes. Ultimately, this reflects the wide range of geomorphic controls that dominate on regional scales, such as lithology, physical and chemical weathering, tectonics, and climate . At Wulingyuan, Hunan Province, China, a unique landscape has developed in Devonian sandstone over an area of ~400 km2, the "Wulingyuan peak forest", which is characterized by sheer vertical sandstone pillars over 3000 m in relief, overlayed with a substructure of peaks and walls of up to 350 m height. Due to these spectacular features, the area has become a major tourist attraction, and has recently been declared an UNESCO Global Geopark. Uplift, a densely spaced joint pattern, and the uniformity of sandstone beds have been suggested as major prerequisites for the formation and preservation of the unique morphology around Wulingyuan. We aim to investigate the underlying processes and controls responsible for the "peak forest" by determining a chronological framework for its age, rate of formation and rates of surface erosion. The initiation of uplift ~ 1 Ma ago and subsequent stepwise evolution of the "peak forest" has been inferred from cave sediments and surrounding alluvial terraces. No direct information, however, is available on the shorter-term evolution of the vertical sandstone walls, peaks and pillars. In this study , we (i) consider sampling strategies for applying surface exposure dating (SED) in this challenging morphological setting. (ii) present some first results, and (iii) discuss their significance in providing first estimates on rates of catchment-wide denudation, weathering, retreat of the vertical sandstone walls, and bedrock incision. In combination with a GIS-based assessment of sediment volumes stored in and eroded from the catchment, our data will help to elucidate the relative roles of fluvial, mass-wasting, and weathering processes in the longer

Hydrology of the Ferron sandstone aquifer and effects of proposed surface-coal mining in Castle Valley, Utah, with sections on stratigraphy and leaching of overburden

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lines, Gregory C.; Morrissey, Daniel J.; Ryer, Thomas A.; Fuller, Richard H.

1983-01-01

Coal in the Ferron Sandstone Member of the Mancos Shale of Cretaceous age has traditionally been mined by underground techniques in the Emery Coal Field in the southern end of Castle Valley in east-central Utah. However, approximately 99 million tons are recoverable by surface mining. Ground water in the Ferron is the sole source of supply for the town of Emery, but the aquifer is essentially untapped outside the Emery area.The Ferron Sandstone Member crops out along the eastern edge of Castle Valley and generally dips 2 ? to 10 ? to the northwest. Sandstones in the Ferron are enclosed between relatively impermeable shale in the Tununk and Blue Gate Members of the Mancos Shale. Along the outcrop, the Ferron ranges in thickness from about 80 feet in the northern part of Castle Valley to 850 feet in the southern part. The Ferron also generally thickens in the subsurface downdip from the outcrop. Records from wells and test holes indicate that the full thickness of the Ferron is saturated with water in most areas downdip from the outcrop area.Tests in the Emery area indicate that transmissivity of the Ferron sandstone aquifer ranges from about 200 to 700 feet squared per day where the Ferron is fully saturated. Aquifer transmissivity is greatest near the Paradise Valley-Joes Valley fault system where permeability has been increased by fracturing. Storage coefficient ranges from about 10 .6 to 10 -3 where the Ferron sandstone aquifer is confined and probably averages 5 x 10-2 where it is unconfined.

Timing magma migration through the Icelandic Crust: from the Moho to the surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mutch, E. J. F.; Maclennan, J.; Edmonds, M.

2017-12-01

The rate of magma transfer throughout the crust, particularly the amount of time it takes for melt to travel from the upper mantle to the surface, is largely unknown. Only one previous study has investigated the timescales of transport of crystals that were in equilibrium with mantle melts [1]. Despite estimating timescales on the order of months to years, the depths from which these crystals were entrained is poorly constrained. Borgarhraun is an exceptionally well-characterised picrite lava flow in the Theistareykir Volcanic System of Northern Iceland. The crystal-cargo of this lava includes macrocrysts of olivine (Fo86-90), plagioclase (An84-90), clinopyroxene and spinel with much rarer wehrlitic nodules. Crystallisation has been estimated to have taken place in deep sub-Moho magma chambers ( 24 km). Melt inclusions in primitive olivine macrocrysts (Fo88-90) are the result of mixing a suite of geochemically distinct mantle melts that were CO2 undersaturated [2-3]. Zoning in the macrocrysts holds a record of concurrent crystallisation and mixing of these variable mantle melts, as well as ascent through the crust prior to eruption [4]. We have conducted a multi-phase, multi-element approach by applying finite-element diffusion models to wehrlite olivines and plagioclase macrocrysts to constrain the timescales of crystal residence and magma ascent prior to eruption. Model results suggest that at 1250 °C the timescale of final ascent was on the order of 20-50 days, whilst longer-term crystal residence times can exceed 700 years. This analysis shows that magma can ascend from the base of the crust to the surface in under a couple of months, suggesting picrites such as Borgarhraun are the result of high speed conduits to sub-Moho magma chambers. These rapid ascent timescales have important implications for the physical modelling of primitive magmas as well as for understanding the architecture of magma-plumbing systems in the temporal domain. References [1] Ruprecht

Sandstone dykes in siwalik sandstone-sedimentology and basin analysis-subansiri district (NEFA), Eastern Himalaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Surendar; Singh, Trilochan

1982-11-01

Sandstone dykes (including sills) of varied thickness and with tapering ends are present either transecting or (sills) parallel to bedding in the Siwalik sandstone of Arunachal Pradesh (NEFA), Eastern Himalaya. The different sedimentary and microstructural analyses show varied conditions of deposition with changing facies from fluvial channel, to alluvial fan, to coastal plain-fan delta. The non-marine and shallow marine environments are indicated by the presence of organised and disorganised gradation and the presence of sandstone dykes in the interface regions. The orientations of the longer axes of the conglomerate along with the sand bedding indicate palaeoflow.

Advantages of using microbial technology over traditional chemical technology in removal of black crusts from stone surfaces of historical monuments.

PubMed

Cappitelli, Francesca; Toniolo, Lucia; Sansonetti, Antonio; Gulotta, Davide; Ranalli, Giancarlo; Zanardini, Elisabetta; Sorlini, Claudia

2007-09-01

This study compares two cleaning methods, one involving an ammonium carbonate-EDTA mixture and the other involving the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio vulgaris subsp. vulgaris ATCC 29579, for the removal of black crust (containing gypsum) on marble of the Milan Cathedral (Italy). In contrast to the chemical cleaning method, the biological procedure resulted in more homogeneous removal of the surface deposits and preserved the patina noble under the black crust. Whereas both of the treatments converted gypsum to calcite, allowing consolidation, the chemical treatment also formed undesirable sodium sulfate.

Advantages of Using Microbial Technology over Traditional Chemical Technology in Removal of Black Crusts from Stone Surfaces of Historical Monuments▿

PubMed Central

Cappitelli, Francesca; Toniolo, Lucia; Sansonetti, Antonio; Gulotta, Davide; Ranalli, Giancarlo; Zanardini, Elisabetta; Sorlini, Claudia

2007-01-01

This study compares two cleaning methods, one involving an ammonium carbonate-EDTA mixture and the other involving the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio vulgaris subsp. vulgaris ATCC 29579, for the removal of black crust (containing gypsum) on marble of the Milan Cathedral (Italy). In contrast to the chemical cleaning method, the biological procedure resulted in more homogeneous removal of the surface deposits and preserved the patina noble under the black crust. Whereas both of the treatments converted gypsum to calcite, allowing consolidation, the chemical treatment also formed undesirable sodium sulfate. PMID:17601804

Elemental composition of the Martian crust.

PubMed

McSween, Harry Y; Taylor, G Jeffrey; Wyatt, Michael B

2009-05-08

The composition of Mars' crust records the planet's integrated geologic history and provides clues to its differentiation. Spacecraft and meteorite data now provide a global view of the chemistry of the igneous crust that can be used to assess this history. Surface rocks on Mars are dominantly tholeiitic basalts formed by extensive partial melting and are not highly weathered. Siliceous or calc-alkaline rocks produced by melting and/or fractional crystallization of hydrated, recycled mantle sources, and silica-poor rocks produced by limited melting of alkali-rich mantle sources, are uncommon or absent. Spacecraft data suggest that martian meteorites are not representative of older, more voluminous crust and prompt questions about their use in defining diagnostic geochemical characteristics and in constraining mantle compositional models for Mars.

Deep-ocean ferromanganese crusts and nodules

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hein, James R.; Koschinsky, Andrea

2014-01-01

Ferromanganese crusts and nodules may provide a future resource for a large variety of metals, including many that are essential for emerging high- and green-technology applications. A brief review of nodules and crusts provides a setting for a discussion on the latest (past 10 years) research related to the geochemistry of sequestration of metals from seawater. Special attention is given to cobalt, nickel, titanium, rare earth elements and yttrium, bismuth, platinum, tungsten, tantalum, hafnium, tellurium, molybdenum, niobium, zirconium, and lithium. Sequestration from seawater by sorption, surface oxidation, substitution, and precipitation of discrete phases is discussed. Mechanisms of metal enrichment reflect modes of formation of the crusts and nodules, such as hydrogenetic (from seawater), diagenetic (from porewaters), and mixed diagenetic–hydrogenetic processes.

Rocks of the early lunar crust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

James, O. B.

1980-01-01

Data are summarized which suggest a model for the early evolution of the lunar crust. According to the model, during the final stages of accretion, the outer part of the moon melted to form a magma ocean approximately 300 km deep. This ocean fractionated to form mafic and ultramafic cumulates at depth and an overlying anorthositic crust made up of ferroan anorthosites. Subsequent partial melting in the primitive mantle underlying the crystallized magma ocean produced melts which segregated, moved upward, intruded the primordial crust, and crystallized to form layered plutons consisting of Mg-rich plutonic rocks. Intense impact bombardment at the lunar surface mixed and melted the rocks of the two suites to form a thick layer of granulated debris, granulitic breccias, and impact-melt rocks.

Deformation of Tibetan Crust and Mantle and the Uplift of the Plateau: Insights from Broadband Surface Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agius, M. R.; Lebedev, S.

2013-12-01

Seismic deployments over the last two decades have produced dense broadband data coverage across the Tibetan Plateau. Yet, the lithospheric dynamics of Tibet is still debated, with very different end-member models advocated to this day. Uncertainties over the anomalies in seismic tomography models contribute to the uncertainty of their interpretations, ranging from the subduction of India as far as northern Tibet to subduction of Asia there and to extreme viscous thickening of the entire Tibetan lithosphere. Within the lithosphere itself, a low-viscosity layer in the mid-lower crust is evidenced by many observations. It is still unclear, however, whether this layer accommodates a large-scale channel flow (which may have uplifted northern and eastern Tibet, according to one model) or if, instead, deformation within it is similar to that observed at the surface (which implies different uplift mechanisms). Broad-band surface waves provide resolving power from the upper crust down to the asthenosphere, for both isotropic-average shear-wave speeds (proxies for composition and temperature) and the radial and azimuthal shear-wave anisotropy (indicative of the patterns of deformation and flow). We measured highly accurate Love- and Rayleigh-wave phase-velocity curves in broad period ranges (up to 5-200 s) for a few tens of pairs and groups of stations across Tibet, combining, in each case, hundreds to thousands of inter-station measurements, made with cross-correlation and waveform-inversion methods. Robust shear-velocity profiles were then determined by series of non-linear inversions, yielding depth-dependent ranges of shear speeds and radial anisotropy consistent with the data. Temperature anomalies in the upper mantle were estimated from shear-velocity ones using accurate petro-physical relationships. Azimuthal anisotropy in the crust and upper mantle was determined by surface-wave tomography and, also, by sub-array analysis targeting the anisotropy amplitude. Our

"Sydney sandstone": Heritage Stone from Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, Barry; Kramar, Sabina

2014-05-01

Sydney is Australia's oldest city being founded in 1788. The city was fortunate to be established on an extensive and a relatively undeformed layer of lithified quartz sandstone of Triassic age that has proved to be an ideal building stone. The stone has been long identified by geologists as the Hawkesbury Sandstone. On the other hand the term "Sydney sandstone" has also been widely used over a long period, even to the extent of being utilised as the title of published books, so its formal designation as a heritage stone will immediately formalise this term. The oldest international usage is believed to be its use in the construction of the Stone Store at Kerikeri, New Zealand (1832-1836). In the late 19th century, public buildings such as hospitals, court houses as well as the prominent Sydney Town Hall, Sydney General Post Office, Art Gallery of New South Wales, State Library of New South Wales as well as numerous schools, churches, office building buildings, University, hotels, houses, retaining walls were all constructed using Sydney sandstone. Innumerable sculptures utilising the gold-coloured stone also embellished the city ranging from decorative friezes and capitals on building to significant monuments. Also in the late 19th and early 20th century, Sydney sandstone was used for major construction in most other major Australian cities especially Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane to the extent that complaints were expressed that suitable local stone materials were being neglected. Quarrying of Sydney sandstone continues today. In 2000 it was recorded noted that there were 33 significant operating Sydney sandstone quarries including aggregate and dimension stone operations. In addition sandstone continues to be sourced today from construction sites across the city area. Today major dimension stone producers (eg Gosford Quarries) sell Sydney sandstone not only into the Sydney market but also on national and international markets as cladding and paving products

Crusts: biological

USGS Publications Warehouse

Belnap, Jayne; Elias, Scott A.

2013-01-01

Biological soil crusts, a community of cyanobacteria, lichens, mosses, and fungi, are an essential part of dryland ecosystems. They are critical in the stabilization of soils, protecting them from wind and water erosion. Similarly, these soil surface communities also stabilized soils on early Earth, allowing vascular plants to establish. They contribute nitrogen and carbon to otherwise relatively infertile dryland soils, and have a strong influence on hydrologic cycles. Their presence can also influence vascular plant establishment and nutrition.

Numerical investigation of deep-crust behavior under lithospheric extension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korchinski, Megan; Rey, Patrice F.; Mondy, Luke; Teyssier, Christian; Whitney, Donna L.

2018-02-01

What are the conditions under which lithospheric extension drives exhumation of the deep orogenic crust during the formation of gneiss domes? The mechanical link between extension of shallow crust and flow of deep crust is investigated using two-dimensional numerical experiments of lithospheric extension in which the crust is 60 km thick and the deep-crust viscosity and density parameter space is explored. Results indicate that the style of extension of the shallow crust and the path, magnitude, and rate of flow of deep crust are dynamically linked through the deep-crust viscosity, with density playing an important role in experiments with a high-viscosity deep crust. Three main groups of domes are defined based on their mechanisms of exhumation across the viscosity-density parameter space. In the first group (low-viscosity, low-density deep crust), domes develop by lateral and upward flow of the deep crust at km m.y-1 velocity rates (i.e. rate of experiment boundary extension). In this case, extension in the shallow crust is localized on a single interface, and the deep crust traverses the entire thickness of the crust to the Earth's near-surface in 5 m.y. This high exhuming power relies on the dynamic feedback between the flow of deep crust and the localization of extension in the shallow crust. The second group (intermediate-viscosity, low-density deep crust) has less exhuming power because the stronger deep crust flows less readily and instead accommodates more uniform extension, which imparts distributed extension to the shallow crust. The third group represents the upper limits of viscosity and density for the deep crust; in this case the low buoyancy of the deep crust results in localized thinning of the crust with large upward motion of the Moho and lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary. These numerical experiments test the exhuming power of the deep crust in the formation of extensional gneiss domes.

Mineralogy and diagenesis of low-permeability sandstones of Late Cretaceous age, Piceance Creek Basin, northwestern Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hansley, Paula L.; Johnson, Ronald C.

1980-01-01

This report presents preliminary results of a mineralogic and diagenetic study of some low-permeability sandstones from measured surface sections and cores obtained from drill holes in the Piceance Creek Basin of northwestern Colorado. A documentation of the mineralogy and diagenetic history will aid in the exploration for natural gas and in the development of recovery technology in these low-permability sandstones. These sandstones are in the nonmarine upper part of the Mesaverde Formation (or Group) of Late Cretaceous age and are separated from overlying lower Tertiary rocks by a major regional unconformity. Attention is focused on the sandstone units of the Ohio Creek Member, which directly underlies the unconformity; however, comparisons between the mineralogy of the Ohio Creek strata and that of the underlying sandstone units are made whenever possible. The Ohio Creek is a member of the Hunter Canyon Formation (Mesaverde Group) in the southwestern part of the basin, and the Mesaverde Formation in the southern and central parts of the basin. The detrital mineralogy is fairly constant throughout all of these nonrnarine Cretaceous sandstone units; however, in the southeastern part of the basin, there is an increase in percentage of feldspar, quartzite, and igneous rock fragments in sandstones of the Ohio Creek Member directly underlying the unconformity. In the southwestern part of the basin, sandstones of the Ohio Creek Member are very weathered and are almost-entirely comprised of quartz, chert, and kaolinite. A complex diagenetic history, partly related to the overlying unconformity, appears to be responsible for transforming these sandstones into potential gas reservoirs. The general diagenetic sequence for the entire Upper Cretaceous interval studied is interpreted to be (early to late): early(?) calcite cement, chlorite, quartz overgrowths, calcite cement, secondary porosity, analcime (surface only), kaolinite and illite, and late carbonate cements

Global lunar crust - Electrical conductivity and thermoelectric origin of remanent magnetism

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyal, P.; Parkin, C. W.; Daily, W. D.

1977-01-01

An upper limit is placed on the average crustal conductivity from an investigation of toroidal (V x B) induction in the moon, using ten-minute data intervals of simultaneous lunar orbiting and surface magnetometer data. Crustal conductivity is determined as a function of crust thickness. For an average global crust thickness of about 80 km, the crust surface electrical conductivity is of the order of 1 hundred millionth mho/m. The toroidal-induction results lower the surface-conductivity limit obtained from poloidal-induction results by approximately four orders of magnitude. In addition, a thermoelectric (Seebeck effect) generator model is presented as a magnetic-field source for thermoremanent magnetization of the lunar crust during its solidification and cooling. Magnetic fields from 1000 to 10,000 gammas are calculated for various crater and crustal geometries. Solidified crustal material cooling through the iron Curie temperature in the presence of such ancient lunar fields could have received thermoremanent magnetization consistent with that measured in most returned lunar samples.

Soil stabilization by biological soil crusts in arid Tunisia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guidez, Sabine; Couté, Alain; Bardat, Jacques

2015-04-01

As part of the fight against desertification (LCD) in arid Tunisia, we have been able to highlight the important role played by biological soil crusts (BSC) in soil stabilization. The identification of the major species of cyanobacteria, lichens and bryophytes, their adaptation and terrestrial colonization strategies in this high climatic constraints area through their morpho-anatomical criteria have been set. In addition to their biological composition, their internal arrangement (i.e. texture and microstructure) reflects the structural stability of BSC against erosion. Precisely, the aggregative power of cyanobacteria and their ways of moving inside a soil, the capacity of mosses to grow through the sediments and lichens ability to bind at particles on surface, thus stabilizing the substrate have been demonstrated. Then, the three biological components ability to capture soil particles has been widely illustrated, proving the major environmental contribution of BSC in arid areas biological crusts formation, providing that soils will experience an increase of organic matter and fine particles rates subsequently gaining faster and better stability. Although the thickness and the morphology of crusts are related to the cover rates of these different biological components, the water properties of the latter, studied at the environmental SEM, illustrate their important role in altering the water cycle. Thus, the mixed crusts, i.e. with good presence of three biological components, cause the highest runoff rates by their ability to retain the water and spread on the surface. In spite of a swelling coefficient in presence of water higher than cryptogams, the cyanobacterial crusts located in newly stabilized areas of our studied region, remain finally insufficiently dense to impact surface hydrology. But, we showed after all that the cyanobacteria, pioneer species, have a certain environmental role. The lichen crusts cause a increased runoff because the lichens have a

Investigation of the relationship between CO2 reservoir rock property change and the surface roughness change originating from the supercritical CO2-sandstone-groundwater geochemical reaction at CO2 sequestration condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Minhee; Wang, Sookyun; Kim, Seyoon; Park, Jinyoung

2015-04-01

Lab scale experiments were performed to investigate the property changes of sandstone slabs and cores, resulting from the scCO2-rock-groundwater reaction for 180 days under CO2 sequestration conditions (100 bar and 50 °C). The geochemical reactions, including the surface roughness change of minerals in the slab, resulted from the dissolution and the secondary mineral precipitation for the sandstone reservoir of the Gyeongsang basin, Korea were reproduced in laboratory scale experiments and the relationship between the geochemical reaction and the physical rock property change was derived, for the consideration of successful subsurface CO2 sequestration. The use of the surface roughness value (SRrms) change rate and the physical property change rate to quantify scCO2-rock-groundwater reaction is the novel approach on the study area for CO2 sequestration in the subsurface. From the results of SPM (Scanning Probe Microscope) analyses, the SRrms for each sandstone slab was calculated at different reaction time. The average SRrms increased more than 3.5 times during early 90 days reaction and it continued to be steady after 90 days, suggesting that the surface weathering process of sandstone occurred in the early reaction time after CO2 injection into the subsurface reservoir. The average porosity of sandstone cores increased by 8.8 % and the average density decreased by 0.5 % during 90 days reaction and these values slightly changed after 90 days. The average P and S wave velocities of sandstone cores also decreased by 10 % during 90 days reaction. The trend of physical rock property change during the geochemical reaction showed in a logarithmic manner and it was also correlated to the logarithmic increase in SRrms, suggesting that the physical property change of reservoir rocks originated from scCO2 injection directly comes from the geochemical reaction process. Results suggested that the long-term estimation of the physical property change for reservoir rocks in CO2

Reservoir sedimentology of the Big Injun sandstone in Granny Creek field, West Virginia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zou, Xiangdong; Donaldson, K.; Donaldson, A.C.

1992-01-01

Big Injun sandstones of Granny Creek oil field (WV) are interpreted as fluvial-deltaic deposits from core and geophysical log data. The reservoir consists of two distinctive lithologies throughout the field; fine-grained sandstones overlain by pebbly and coarse-grained sandstones. Lower fine-grained sandstones were deposited in westward prograding river-mouth bars, where distal, marine-dominant proximal, and fluvial-dominant proximal bar subfacies are recognized. Principal pay is marine-influenced proximal bar, where porosity ranges from 13 to 23% and permeability, up to 24 md. Thin marine transgressive shales and their laterally equivalent low-permeability sandstones bound time-rock sequences generally less than 10 meters thick. Where field mapped,more » width of prograding bar sequence is approximately 2.7 km (dip trend), measured from truncated eastern edge (pre-coarse-grained member erosional surface) to distal western margin. Dip-trending elongate lobes occur within marine-influenced proximal mouth-bar area, representing thickest part of tidally influenced preserved bar. Upper coarse-grained part of reservoir consists of pebbly sandstones of channel fill from bedload streams. Laterally persistent low permeability cemented interval in lower part commonly caps underlying pay zone and probably serves as seal to vertical oil migration. Southwest paleoflow trends based on thickness maps of unit portent emergence of West Virginia dome, which influences erosion patterns of pre-Greenbrier unconformity for this combination oil trap.« less

Quartz cement in sandstones: a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McBride, Earle F.

Quartz cement as syntaxial overgrowths is one of the two most abundant cements in sandstones. The main factors that control the amount of quartz cement in sandstones are: framework composition; residence time in the "silica mobility window"; and fluid composition, flow volume and pathways. Thus, the type of sedimentary basin in which a sand was deposited strongly controls the cementation process. Sandstones of rift basins (arkoses) and collision-margin basins (litharenites) generally have only a few percent quartz cement; quartzarenites and other quartzose sandstones of intracratonic, foreland and passive-margin basins have the most quartz cement. Clay and other mineral coatings on detrital quartz grains and entrapment of hydrocarbons in pores retard or prevent cementation by quartz, whereas extremely permeable sands that serve as major fluid conduits tend to sequester the greatest amounts of quartz cement. In rapidly subsiding basins, like the Gulf Coast and North Sea basins, most quartz cement is precipitated by cooling, ascending formation water at burial depths of several kilometers where temperatures range from 60° to 100° C. Cementation proceeds over millions of years, often under changing fluid compositions and temperatures. Sandstones with more than 10% imported quartz cement pose special problems of fluid flux and silica transport. If silica is transported entirely as H 4SiO 4, convective recycling of formation water seems to be essential to explain the volume of cement present in most sandstones. Precipitation from single-cycle, upward-migrating formation water is adequate to provide the volume of cement only if significant volumes of silica are transported in unidentified complexes. Modeling suggests that quartz cementation of sandstones in intracratonic basins is effected by advecting meteoric water, although independent petrographic, isotopic or fluid inclusion data are lacking. Silica for quartz cement comes from both shale and sandstone beds within

Building Archean Cratons From Hadean Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Neil, J.; Carlson, R.

2016-12-01

Geologic processing of Earth's surface has removed most of the evidence concerning the nature of Earth's first crust. The largest volumes of ancient crust, the so-called Archean cratons, are dominated by felsic Tonalite-Trondhjemite-Granodiorite (TTG) rocks. These felsic rocks, however, are most likely derived by melting of an older mafic precursor. Although in part dictated by survivability, the scarcity of Hadean zircons also suggests that felsic rocks may have not been a prominent component of the earliest crust. Both points raise questions about the nature of the primordial crust and how, or if, it was involved in the formation of stable Archean cratons. The Hudson Bay Terrane of the Northeastern Superior Province is one of such Archean cratons, mainly composed of 2.88 to 2.69 Ga TTG. New data show these Neoarchean granitoids to be the youngest to yield significantly low 142Nd/144Nd, down to 15 ppm lower than that of the terrestrial Nd standard. 142Nd is the decay product of short-lived radioactive 146Sm and because of the short 103 Ma half-life of 146Sm, deviations in 142Nd/144Nd ratio can only be produced by Sm-Nd fractionation prior to 4 Ga. The variability in 142Nd/144Nd ratios in 2.7 Ga felsic rocks from the Hudson Bay Terrane shows conclusively that this large block of Archean crust was formed by reworking of much older > 4.2 Ga crust over a 1.5 billion year interval of early Earth history. Reworking of pre-existing crust likely is an important mechanism contributing to the stabilization of Earth's first continents.

Temporal Dynamics of Sodic Playa Salt Crust Patterns: Implications for Aeolian Dust Emission Potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nield, J. M.; King, J.; Bryant, R. G.; Wiggs, G.; Eckardt, F. D.; Thomas, D. S.; Washington, R.

2013-12-01

Salt pans (or playas) are common in arid environments and can be major sources of windblown mineral dust, but there are uncertainties associated with their dust emission potential. These landforms typically form crusts which modify both their erosivity and erodibility by limiting sediment availability, modifying surface and aerodynamic roughness and limiting evaporation rates and sediment production. Here we show the relationship between seasonal surface moisture change and crust pattern development based on both remote-sensing and field surface and atmospheric measurements. We use high resolution (sub-cm) terrestrial laser scanning (TLS; ground-based lidar) surveys over weekly, monthly and annual timescales to accurately characterise crustal ridge thrusting and collapse. This can be as much as 2 mm/day on fresh pan areas that have recently been reset by flooding. Over a two month period, this ridge growth can change aerodynamic roughness length values by 6.5 mm. At the same time, crack densities across the surface increase and this raises the availability of erodible fluffy, low density dust source sediment stored below the crust layer. Ridge spaces are defined in the early stages of crust development, as identified by Fourier Transform analysis, but wider wavelengths become more pronounced over time. We present a conceptual model accounting for the driving forces (subsurface, surface and atmospheric moisture) and feedbacks between these and surface shape that lead to crust pattern trajectories between highly emissive degraded surfaces and less emissive ridged or continuous crusts. These findings improve our understanding of temporal changes in dust availability and supply from playa source regions.

Energy evolution mechanism in process of Sandstone failure and energy strength criterion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yunfei; Cui, Fang

2018-07-01

To reveal the inherent relation between energy change and confining pressure during the process of sandstone damage, and its characteristics of energy storage and energy dissipation in different deformation stage. Obtaining the mechanical parameters by testing the Sandstone of two1 coal seam roof under uniaxial compression in Zhaogu coalmine, using Particle Flow Code (PFC) and fish program to get the meso-mechanical parameters, studying Sandstone energy evolution mechanism under different confining pressures, and deducing energy strength criterion based on energy principle of rock failure, some main researching results are reached as follows: with the increasing of confining pressure, the Sandstone yield stage and ductility increases, but brittleness decreases; Under higher confining pressure, the elastic strain energy of Sandstone before peak approximately keeps constant in a certain strain range, and rock absorbs all the energy which converts into surface energy required for internal damage development; Under lower confining pressure, Sandstone no longer absorbs energy with increasing strain after peak under lower confining pressure, while it sequentially absorbs energy under higher confining pressure; Under lower confining pressure, the energy Sandstone before peak absorbed mainly converts into elastic strain energy, while under higher confining pressure, dissipation energy significantly increases before peak, which indicates that the degree rock strength loss is higher under higher confining pressure; with the increasing of confining pressure, the limit of elastic strain energy increases and there exists a favourable linear variation relationship; At the peak point, the ratio of elastic strain energy to total energy of Sandstone nonlinearly decreases, while the ratio of dissipation energy to total energy nonlinearly increases with the increasing of confining pressure; According to energy evolution mechanism of rock failure, an energy strength criterion is

Development and hydrology of biological soil crusts -- first results from a surface inoculation experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mykhailova, Larysa; Raab, Thomas; Gypser, Stella; Fischer, Thomas

2016-04-01

Representing a set of various micro-biocoenoses, biocrusts often reside in adjacent patches, which not necessarily relate to structural elements of the habitat, like (micro-) topography or vegetational patterns. Such biocrust patches may become more stable through the formation of mutually dependent ecohydrological regimes. For example, algal patches inhibiting infiltration and generating runoff alternate with runoff-receiving moss patches possessing high water holding capacities. Here, we preliminarily report on a lysimeter field experiment where natural biocrust isolates were used for surface inoculation to (I) prove stochastic vs. deterministic biocrust development and (II) to quantitatively relate biocrust development to soil hydrology. Lysimeter sand was collected from 3-4 m below surface at natural dune outcrops in south-eastern Brandenburg, Germany (Glashütte (GLA) and Neuer Lugteich (LUG)), where biocrust samples were collected at the respective dune bases. The lysimeters were designed to prevent runoff. In a completely randomized full-factorial design, three factors were considered. (A) Inocolum in three treatments (bare control, mosses, algae), (B) mineral substrate texture in two treatments (GLA: 55% and LUG: 79% particles >630 μm), and (C) surface compaction in two treatments (control, 41.5 kN m-2 for 30 seconds). The samples were kept dry and re-moistened to -60 hPa two days before inoculation. After a species inventory, the inoculate was isolated by gently washing off sand particles from the biocrust samples. Algal/lichen crusts were dominated by Zygogonium ericetorum and Cladonia sp. at both sites. All moss crusts were dominated by Polytrichum piliferum and Ceratodon purpureus, whereas Brachythecium albicans was present at GLA only. 20 g of homogenized moist inoculate were spread over the surface of each lysimeter (Ø 19 cm, 22 cm depth). We performed autochthonous inoculation, i.e. biocrust isolates collected from GLA were used for inoculation of

Response of desert biological soil crusts to alterations in precipitation frequency

USGS Publications Warehouse

Belnap, J.; Phillips, S.L.; Miller, M.E.

2004-01-01

Biological soil crusts, a community of cyanobacteria, lichens, and mosses that live on the soil surface, occur in deserts throughout the world. They are a critical component of desert ecosystems, as they are important contributors to soil fertility and stability. Future climate scenarios predict alteration of the timing and amount of precipitation in desert environments. Because biological soil crust organisms are only metabolically active when wet, and as soil surfaces dry quickly in deserts during late spring, summer, and early fall, the amount and timing of precipitation is likely to have significant impacts on the physiological functioning of these communities. Using the three dominant soil crust types found in the western United States, we applied three levels of precipitation frequency (50% below-average, average, and 50% above-average) while maintaining average precipitation amount (therefore changing both timing and size of applied events). We measured the impact of these treatments on photosynthetic performance (as indicated by dark-adapted quantum yield and chlorophyll a concentrations), nitrogenase activity, and the ability of these organisms to maintain concentrations of radiation-protective pigments (scytonemin, beta-carotene, echinenone, xanthophylls, and canthaxanthin). Increased precipitation frequency produced little response after 2.5 months exposure during spring (1 April-15 June) or summer (15 June-31 August). In contrast, most of the above variables had a large, negative response after exposure to increased precipitation frequency for 6 months spring-fall (1 April-31 October) treatment. The crusts dominated by the soil lichen Collema, being dark and protruding above the surface, dried the most rapidly, followed by the dark surface cyanobacterial crusts (Nostoc-Scytonema-Microcoleus), and then by the light cyanobacterial crusts (Microcoleus). This order reflected the magnitude of the observed response: crusts dominated by the lichen Collema

Microenvironments and microscale productivity of cyanobacterial desert crusts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garcia-Pichel, F.; Belnap, Jayne

1996-01-01

We used microsensors to characterize physicochemical microenvironments and photosynthesis occurring immediately after water saturation in two desert soil crusts from southeastern Utah, which were formed by the cyanobacteria Microcoleus vaginatus Gomont, Nostoc spp., and Scytonema sp. The light fields within the crusts presented steep vertical gradients in magnitude and spectral composition. Near-surface light-trapping zones were formed due to the scattering nature of the sand particles, but strong light attenuation resulted in euphotic zones only ca. 1 mm deep, which were progressively enriched in longer wavelengths with depth. Rates of gross photosynthesis (3.4a??9.4 mmol O2A?ma??2A?ha??1) and dark respiration (0.81a??3.1 mmol Oa??2A?ma??2A?ha??1) occurring within 1 to several mm from the surface were high enough to drive the formation of marked oxygen microenvironments that ranged from oxygen supersaturation to anoxia. The photosynthetic activity also resulted in localized pH values in excess of 10, 2a??3 units above the soil pH. Differences in metabolic parameters and community structure between two types of crusts were consistent with a successional pattern, which could be partially explained on the basis of the microenvironments. We discuss the significance of high metabolic rates and the formation of microenvironments for the ecology of desert crusts, as well as the advantages and limitations of microsensor-based methods for crust investigation.

Initiation and propagation of mixed mode fractures in granite and sandstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rück, Marc; Rahner, Roman; Sone, Hiroki; Dresen, Georg

2017-10-01

We investigate mixed mode fracture initiation and propagation in experimentally deformed granite and sandstone. We performed a series of asymmetric loading tests to induce fractures in cylindrical specimens at confining pressures up to 20 MPa. Loading was controlled using acoustic emission (AE) feedback control, which allows studying quasi-static fracture propagation for several hours. Location of acoustic emissions reveals distinct differences in spatial-temporal fracture evolution between granite and sandstone samples. Before reaching peak stress in experiments performed on granite, axial fractures initiate first at the edge of the indenter and then propagate through the entire sample. Secondary inclined fractures develop during softening of the sample. In sandstone, inclined shear fractures nucleate at peak stress and propagate through the specimen. AE source type analysis shows complex fracturing in both materials with pore collapse contributing significantly to fracture growth in sandstone samples. We compare the experimental results with numerical models to analyze stress distribution and energy release rate per unit crack surface area in the samples at different stages during fracture growth. We thereby show that for both rock types the energy release rate increases approximately linearly during fracture propagation. The study illuminates how different material properties modify fracture initiation direction under similar loading conditions.

Evaporative losses from soils covered by physical and different types of biological soil crusts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chamizo, S.; Cantón, Y.; Domingo, F.; Belnap, J.

2013-01-01

Evaporation of soil moisture is one of the most important processes affecting water availability in semiarid ecosystems. Biological soil crusts, which are widely distributed ground cover in these ecosystems, play a recognized role on water processes. Where they roughen surfaces, water residence time and thus infiltration can be greatly enhanced, whereas their ability to clog soil pores or cap the soil surface when wetted can greatly decrease infiltration rate, thus affecting evaporative losses. In this work, we compared evaporation in soils covered by physical crusts, biological crusts in different developmental stages and in the soils underlying the different biological crust types. Our results show that during the time of the highest evaporation (Day 1), there was no difference among any of the crust types or the soils underlying them. On Day 2, when soil moisture was moderately low (11%), evaporation was slightly higher in well-developed biological soil crusts than in physical or poorly developed biological soil crusts. However, crust removal did not cause significant changes in evaporation compared with the respective soil crust type. These results suggest that the small differences we observed in evaporation among crust types could be caused by differences in the properties of the soil underneath the biological crusts. At low soil moisture (<6%), there was no difference in evaporation among crust types or the underlying soils. Water loss for the complete evaporative cycle (from saturation to dry soil) was similar in both crusted and scraped soils. Therefore, we conclude that for the specific crust and soil types tested, the presence or the type of biological soil crust did not greatly modify evaporation with respect to physical crusts or scraped soils.

Geometrical characteristics of sandstone with different sample sizes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheon, D. S.; Takahashi, M., , Dr

2017-12-01

In many rock engineering projects such as CO2 underground storage, engineering geothermal system, it is important things to understand the fluid flow behavior in the deep geological conditions. This fluid flow is generally affected by the geometrical characteristics of rock, especially porous media. Furthermore, physical properties in rock may depend on the existence of voids space in rock. Total porosity and pore size distribution can be measured by Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry and the other geometrical and spatial information of pores can be obtained through micro-focus X-ray CT. Using the micro-focus X-ray CT, we obtained the extracted void space and transparent image from the original CT voxel images of with different sample sizes like 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm cubes. The test samples are Berea sandstone and Otway sandstone. The former is well-known sandstone and it is used for the standard sample to compared to the result from the Otway sandstone. Otway sandstone was obtained from the CO2CRC Otway pilot site for the CO2 geosequestraion project. From the X-ray scan and ExFACT software, we get the informations including effective pore radii, coordination number, tortuosity and effective throat/pore radius ratio etc. The geometrical information analysis showed that for Berea sandstone and Otway sandstone, there is rarely differences with different sample sizes and total value of coordination number show high porosity, the tortuosity of Berea sandstone is higher than the Otway sandstone. In the future, these information will be used for the permeability of the samples.

Sandstone-body and shale-body dimensions in a braided fluvial system: Salt wash sandstone member (Morrison formation), Garfield County, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robinson, J.W.; McCabea, P.J.

1997-01-01

Excellent three-dimensional exposures of the Upper Jurassic Salt Wash Sandstone Member of the Morrison Formation in the Henry Mountains area of southern Utah allow measurement of the thickness and width of fluvial sandstone and shale bodies from extensive photomosaics. The Salt Wash Sandstone Member is composed of fluvial channel fill, abandoned channel fill, and overbank/flood-plain strata that were deposited on a broad alluvial plain of low-sinuosity, sandy, braided streams flowing northeast. A hierarchy of sandstone and shale bodies in the Salt Wash Sandstone Member includes, in ascending order, trough cross-bedding, fining-upward units/mudstone intraclast conglomerates, singlestory sandstone bodies/basal conglomerate, abandoned channel fill, multistory sandstone bodies, and overbank/flood-plain heterolithic strata. Trough cross-beds have an average width:thickness ratio (W:T) of 8.5:1 in the lower interval of the Salt Wash Sandstone Member and 10.4:1 in the upper interval. Fining-upward units are 0.5-3.0 m thick and 3-11 m wide. Single-story sandstone bodies in the upper interval are wider and thicker than their counterparts in the lower interval, based on average W:T, linear regression analysis, and cumulative relative frequency graphs. Multistory sandstone bodies are composed of two to eight stories, range up to 30 m thick and over 1500 m wide (W:T > 50:1), and are also larger in the upper interval. Heterolithic units between sandstone bodies include abandoned channel fill (W:T = 33:1) and overbank/flood-plain deposits (W:T = 70:1). Understanding W:T ratios from the component parts of an ancient, sandy, braided stream deposit can be applied in several ways to similar strata in other basins; for example, to (1) determine the width of a unit when only the thickness is known, (2) create correlation guidelines and maximum correlation lengths, (3) aid in interpreting the controls on fluvial architecture, and (4) place additional constraints on input variables to

The Mafic Lower Crust of Neoproterozoic age beneath Western Arabia: Implications for Understanding African Lower Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stern, R. J.; Mooney, W. D.

2011-12-01

We review evidence that the lower crust of Arabia - and by implication, that beneath much of Africa was formed at the same time as the upper crust, rather than being a product of Cenozoic magmatic underplating. Arabia is a recent orphan of Africa, separated by opening of the Red Sea ~20 Ma, so our understanding of its lower crust provides insights into that of Africa. Arabian Shield (exposed in W. Arabia) is mostly Neoproterozoic (880-540 Ma) reflecting a 300-million year process of continental crustal growth due to amalgamated juvenile magmatic arcs welded together by granitoid intrusions that make up as much as 50% of the Shield's surface. Seismic refraction studies of SW Arabia (Mooney et al., 1985) reveal two layers, each ~20 km thick, separated by a well-defined Conrad discontinuity. The upper crust has average Vp ~6.3 km/sec whereas the lower crust has average Vp ~7.0 km/sec, corresponding to a granitic upper crust and gabbroic lower crust. Neogene (<30 ma) lava fields in Arabia (harrats) extend over 2500 km, from Yemen to Syria. Many of these lavas contain xenoliths, providing a remarkable glimpse of the lower-crustal and upper-mantle lithosphere beneath W. Arabia. Lower crustal xenoliths brought up in 8 harrats in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria are mostly 2-pyroxene granulites of igneous (gabbroic, anorthositic, and dioritic) origin. They contain plagioclase, orthopyroxene, and clinopyroxene, and a few contain garnet and rare amphibole and yield mineral-equilibrium temperatures of 700-900°C. Pyroxene-rich and plagioclase-rich suites have mean Al2O3 contents of 13% and 19%, respectively: otherwise the two groups have similar elemental compositions, with ~50% SiO2 and ~1% TiO2, with low K2O (<0.5%) and Na2O (1-3%). Both groups show tholeiitic affinities, unrelated to their alkali basalt hosts. Mean pyroxene-rich and plagioclase-rich suites show distinct mean MgO contents (11% vs. 7%), Mg# (67 vs. 55), and contents of compatible elements Ni (169 vs. 66 ppm

Evaluation of stratigraphic relations of sandstone-producing reservoirs in upper Council Grove and Chase groups (Permian) in north-central Oklahoma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chaplin, J.R.

1989-08-01

Poor well control and the absence of surface stratigraphic control made previous interpretations of the stratigraphic relations of sandstone-producing reservoirs tenuous. Recent extensive analyses of surface outcrops and well and core data support the contention that the major sandstone-producing reservoirs can be physically correlated with formations in the outcrop section. Sandstone bodies within the upper Council Grove Group include Neva sand and Blackwell sand (Neva Limestone), Hotson-Kisner sand (Eskridge Shale), and the Whitney-Hodges sand. The Whitney-Hodges sand correlates, in part, with the Speiser Shale (Garrison Formation) of the outcrop section. However, previous usage suggested tentative correlations with sandstone bodies stratigraphicallymore » lower in the section. These sands were probably deposited in channels that were, in part, fluvial, tidal, or estuarine. Production from the Chase Group occurs locally within channelform sandstone bodies referred to as the Hoy-Matfield sand. These sands appear to be equivalent, occupying essentially the position of the Kinney Limestone Member (Matfield Shale) of the outcrop section. Detailed core-hole data at and in the vicinity of Kaw Dam, southeastern Kay County, and outcrops along the shoreline of Kaw Lake at Kaw City, Kay County, clearly demonstrate the facies distribution of the Hoy sand. Core-hole data has also delineated additional potential sandstone reservoirs within and near or at the top of the Fort Riley Limestone Member (Barneston Limestone). The Wolfe sand, a producing sandstone locally, occupies a stratigraphic position within the Doyle Shale.« less

Soil fertility in deserts: a review on the influence of biological soil crusts and the effect of soil surface disturbance on nutrient inputs and losses

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reynolds, R.; Phillips, S.; Duniway, M.; Belnap, J.

2003-01-01

Sources of desert soil fertility include parent material weathering, aeolian deposition, and on-site C and N biotic fixation. While parent materials provide many soil nutrients, aeolian deposition can provide up to 75% of plant-essential nutrients including N, P, K, Mg, Na, Mn, Cu, and Fe. Soil surface biota are often sticky, and help retain wind-deposited nutrients, as well as providing much of the N inputs. Carbon inputs are from both plants and soil surface biota. Most desert soils are protected by cyanobacterial-lichen-moss soil crusts, chemical crusts and/or desert pavement. Experimental disturbances applied in US deserts show disruption of soil surfaces result in decreased N and C inputs from soil biota by up to 100%. The ability to glue aeolian deposits in place is compromised, and underlying soils are exposed to erosion. The ability to withstand wind increases with biological and physical soil crust development. While most undisturbed sites show little sediment production, disturbance by vehicles or livestock produce up to 36 times more sediment production, with soil movement initiated at wind velocities well below commonly-occurring wind speeds. Soil fines and flora are often concentrated in the top 3 mm of the soil surface. Winds across disturbed areas can quickly remove this material from the soil surface, thereby potentially removing much of current and future soil fertility. Thus, disturbances of desert soil surfaces can both reduce fertility inputs and accelerate fertility losses.

Formation of continental crust by intrusive magmatism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rozel, A. B.; Golabek, G. J.; Jain, C.; Tackley, P. J.; Gerya, T.

2017-09-01

How were the continents formed in the Earth? No global numerical simulation of our planet ever managed to generate continental material self-consistently. In the present study, we show that the latest developments of the convection code StagYY enable to estimate how to produce the early continents, more than 3 billion years ago. In our models, melting of pyrolitic rocks generates a basaltic melt and leaves behind a depleted solid residue (a harzburgite). The melt generated in the mantle is transported to the surface. Only basaltic rocks melting again can generate continental crust. Should the basaltic melt always reach the open air and cool down? Should the melt be intruded warm in the pre-existing crust? The present study shows that both processes have to be considered to produce continents. Indeed, granitoids can only be created in a tight window of pressure-temperature. If all basalt is quickly cooled by surface volcanism, the lithosphere will be too cold. If all basalt is intruded warm below the crust then the lithosphere will be too warm. The key is to have both volcanism and plutonism (intrusive magmatism) to reach the optimal temperature and form massive volumes of continental material.

Ecological succession, hydrology and carbon acquisition of biological soil crusts measured at the micro-scale.

PubMed

Tighe, Matthew; Haling, Rebecca E; Flavel, Richard J; Young, Iain M

2012-01-01

The hydrological characteristics of biological soil crusts (BSCs) are not well understood. In particular the relationship between runoff and BSC surfaces at relatively large (>1 m(2)) scales is ambiguous. Further, there is a dearth of information on small scale (mm to cm) hydrological characterization of crust types which severely limits any interpretation of trends at larger scales. Site differences and broad classifications of BSCs as one soil surface type rather than into functional form exacerbate the problem. This study examines, for the first time, some hydrological characteristics and related surface variables of a range of crust types at one site and at a small scale (sub mm to mm). X-ray tomography and fine scale hydrological measurements were made on intact BSCs, followed by C and C isotopic analyses. A 'hump' shaped relationship was found between the successional stage/sensitivity to physical disturbance classification of BSCs and their hydrophobicity, and a similar but 'inverse hump' relationship exists with hydraulic conductivity. Several bivariate relationships were found between hydrological variables. Hydraulic conductivity and hydrophobicity of BSCs were closely related but this association was confounded by crust type. The surface coverage of crust and the microporosity 0.5 mm below the crust surface were closely associated irrespective of crust type. The δ (13)C signatures of the BSCs were also related to hydraulic conductivity, suggesting that the hydrological characteristics of BSCs alter the chemical processes of their immediate surroundings via the physiological response (C acquisition) of the crust itself. These small scale results illustrate the wide range of hydrological properties associated with BSCs, and suggest associations between the ecological successional stage/functional form of BSCs and their ecohydrological role that needs further examination.

Ferromanganese crusts as indicators for paleoceanographic events in the NE Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koschinsky, A.; Halbach, P.; Hein, J. R.; Mangini, A.

Hydrogenetic ferromanganese crusts reflect the chemical conditions of the seawater from which they formed. Fine-scale geochemical analysis of crust layers in combination with age determinations can therefore be used to investigate paleoceanographic changes which are recorded in geochemical gradients in the crusts. At Tropic seamount (off northwest Africa), uniform crust growth influenced by terrigenous input from the African continent occurred during approximately the past 12Ma. Phosphatization of these crusts is minor. In contrast, crusts from Lion seamount, located between Madeira and the Portuguese coast, display a much more variable growth history. A pronounced increase in Ni, Cu, and Zn is observed in some intervals of the crusts, which probably reflects increased surface productivity. A thick older phosphatized generation occurs in many samples. Hydrographic profiles indicate that Mediterranean outflow water (MOW) may play an important role in the composition of these crusts. 10Be dating of one sample confirms that the interruption of the MOW during the Messinian salinity crisis (6.2-5Ma ago) resulted in changes in element composition. Sr-isotope dating of the apatite phase of the old crust generation has been carried out to obtain a minimum age for the older generation of Atlantic crusts and to determine whether crust phosphatization in the Atlantic can be related to phosphatization episodes recorded in Pacific crusts. The preliminary data show that the old phosphatized crust generation might be as old as approximately 30-40Ma.

Ferromanganese crusts as indicators for paleoceanographic events in the NE Atlantic

USGS Publications Warehouse

Koschinsky, A.; Halbach, P.; Hein, J.R.; Mangini, A.

1996-01-01

Hydrogenetic ferromanganese crusts reflect the chemical conditions of the seawater from which they formed. Fine-scale geochemical analysis of crust layers in combination with age determinations can therefore be used to investigate paleoceanographic changes which are recorded in geochemical gradients in the crusts. At Tropic seamount (off northwest Africa), uniform crust growth influenced by terrigenous input from the African continent occurred during approximately the past 12 Ma. Phosphatization of these crusts is minor. In contrast, crusts from Lion seamount, located between Madeira and the Portuguese coast, display a much more variable growth history. A pronounced increase in Ni, Cu, and Zn is observed in some intervals of the crusts, which probably reflects increased surface productivity. A thick older phosphatized generation occurs in many samples. Hydrographic profiles indicate that Mediterranean outflow water (MOW) may play an important role in the composition of these crusts. 10Be dating of one sample confirms that the interruption of the MOW during the Messinian salinity crisis (6.2-5 Ma ago) resulted in changes in element composition. Sr-isotope dating of the apatite phase of the old crust generation has been carried out to obtain a minimum age for the older generation of Atlantic crusts and to determine whether crust phosphatization in the Atlantic can be related to phosphatization episodes recorded in Pacific crusts. The preliminary data show that the old phosphatized crust generation might be as old as approximately 30-40 Ma.

Coupling Aeolian Stratigraphic Architecture to Paleo-Boundary Conditions: The Scour-Fill Dominated Jurassic Page Sandstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardenas, B. T.; Kocurek, G.; Mohrig, D. C.; Swanson, T.

2017-12-01

The stratigraphic architecture of aeolian sandstones is thought to encode signals originating from both autogenic dune behavior and allogenic boundary conditions within which the dune field evolves. Mapping of outcrop-scale bounding surfaces and sets of cross-strata between these surfaces for the Jurassic Page Sandstone near Page, AZ, USA, demonstrates that dune autogenic behavior manifested in variable dune scour depth, whereas the dominant boundary conditions were antecedent topography and water-table elevation. At the study area, the Page Sandstone is 60 m thick and is separated from the underlying Navajo Sandstone by the J-2 regional unconformity, which shows meters of relief. Filling J-2 depressions are thin, climbing sets of cross-strata. In contrast, the overlying Page consists of packages of one to a few, meter-scale sets of cross-strata between the outcrop-scale bounding surfaces. These surfaces, marked by polygonal fractures and local overlying sabkha deposits, are regional in scale and correlated to high stands of the adjacent Carmel sea. Over the km-scale outcrop, the surfaces show erosional relief and packages of cross-strata are locally truncated. Notably absent within these cross-strata packages are early dune-field accumulations, interdune deposits, and apparent dune-climbing. These strata are interpreted to represent a scour-fill architecture created by migrating large dunes within a mature dry aeolian sand sea, in which early phases of dune-field construction have been cannibalized and dune fill of the deepest scours is recorded. At low angles of climb, set thickness is dominated by the component of scour-depth variation over the component resulting from the angle of climb. After filling of J-2 depressions, the Page consists of scour-fill accumulations formed during low stands. Carmel transgressions limited sediment availability, causing deflation to the water table and development of the regional bounding surfaces. Each subsequent fall of the

The significance of slab-crusted lava flows for understanding controls on flow emplacement at Mount Etna, Sicily

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guest, John E.; Stofan, Ellen R.

2005-04-01

Slab-crusted flows on Mount Etna, Sicily are defined here as those whose crust has ridden on the flow core without significant disruption or deformation and have a high length to width ratio. They typically erupt from ephemeral boccas as late-stage products on dominantly aa flow fields, such as that of the 1983 eruption on Mount Etna. Slab-crusted flows tend to inflate mainly as they approach and after they reach the maximum length of slab-crust formation, the flow interior acting as a preferential pathway for injecting lava under a stable crust. Coalescence of vesicles under successive crusts causes separation between core and crust giving a new cooling surface within the flow, on which ropy surfaces (and occasionally aa textures) of limited areal extent may develop. Slab-crusted flows tend to form at ephemeral boccas together with other surface textural types including toes, ropy pahoehoe sheets and aa flows. This suggests that, on Etna, slab-crusted flows form from lava of the same rheological properties as both aa and pahoehoe textured flows. They do not represent a transition between aa and pahoehoe as argued for toothpaste flows in Hawaii. We conclude that slab-crusted flows on Etna owe their morphology to a relatively high critical ratio of effusion rate to advance rate, related to vent cross-sectional area and the slope over which the flow forms.

The interplay of fractures and sedimentary architecture: Natural gas from reservoirs in the Molina sandstones, Piceance Basin, Colorado

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lorenz, J.C.

1997-03-01

The Molina Member of the Wasatch Formation produces natural gas from several fields along the Colorado River in the Piceance Basin, northwestern Colorado. The Molina Member is a distinctive sandstone that was deposited in a unique fluvial environment of shallow-water floods. This is recorded by the dominance of plane-parallel bedding in many of the sandstones. The Molina sandstones crop out on the western edge of the basin, and have been projected into the subsurface and across the basin to correlate with thinner sandy units of the Wasatch Formation at the eastern side of the basin. Detailed study, however, has shownmore » that the sedimentary characteristics of the type-section Molina sandstones are incompatible with a model in which the eastern sandstones are its distal facies equivalent. Rather, the eastern sandstones represent separate and unrelated sedimentary systems that prograded into the basin from nearby source-area highlands. Therefore, only the subsurface {open_quotes}Molina{close_quotes} reservoirs that are in close proximity to the western edge of the basin are continuous with the type-section sandstones. Reservoirs in the Grand Valley and Rulison gas fields were deposited in separate fluvial systems. These sandstones contain more typical fluvial sedimentary structures such as crossbeds and lateral accretion surfaces. Natural fractures play an important role in enhancing the conductivity and permeability of the Molina and related sandstones of the Wasatch Formation.« less

CRUST1.0: An Updated Global Model of Earth's Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laske, G.; Masters, G.; Ma, Z.; Pasyanos, M. E.

2012-04-01

We present an updated global model of Earth's crustal structure. The new model, CRUST1.0, serves as starting model in a more comprehensive effort to compile a global model of Earth's crust and lithosphere, LITHO1.0. CRUST1.0 is defined on a 1-degree grid and is based on a new database of crustal thickness data from active source seismic studies as well as from receiver function studies. In areas where such constraints are still missing, for example in Antarctica, crustal thicknesses are estimated using gravity constraints. The compilation of the new crustal model initially follows the philosophy of the widely used crustal model CRUST2.0 (Bassin et al., 2000; http://igppweb.ucsd.edu/~gabi/crust2.html). Crustal types representing properties in the crystalline crust are assigned according to basement age or tectonic setting. The classification of the latter loosely follows that of an updated map by Artemieva and Mooney (2001) (http://www.lithosphere.info). Statistical averages of crustal properties in each of these crustal types are extrapolated to areas with no local seismic or gravity constraint. In each 1-degree cell, boundary depth, compressional and shear velocity as well as density is given for 8 layers: water, ice, 3-layer sediment cover and upper, middle and lower crystalline crust. Topography, bathymetry and ice cover are taken from ETOPO1. The sediment cover is essentially that of our sediment model (Laske and Masters, 1997; http://igppweb.ucsd.edu/~sediment.html), with several near-coastal updates. In the sediment cover and the crystalline crust, updated scaling relationships are used to assign compressional and shear velocity as well as density. In an initial step toward LITHO1.0, the model is then validated against our new global group velocity maps for Rayleigh and Love waves, particularly at frequencies between 30 and 40 mHz. CRUST1.0 is then adjusted in areas of extreme misfit where we suspect deficiencies in the crustal model. These currently include

Influence of Normal and Shear Stress on the Hydraulic Transmissivity of Thin Cracks in a Tight Quartz Sandstone, a Granite, and a Shale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rutter, Ernest H.; Mecklenburgh, Julian

2018-02-01

Transmissivity of fluids along fractures in rocks is reduced by increasing normal stress acting across them, demonstrated here through gas flow experiments on Bowland shale, and oil flow experiments on Pennant sandstone and Westerly granite. Additionally, the effect of imposing shear stress at constant normal stress was determined, until frictional sliding started. In all cases, increasing shear stress causes an accelerating reduction of transmissivity by 1 to 3 orders of magnitude as slip initiated, as a result of the formation of wear products that block fluid pathways. Only in the case of granite, and to a lesser extent in the sandstone, was there a minor amount of initial increase of transmissivity prior to the onset of slip. These results cast into doubt the commonly applied presumption that cracks with high resolved shear stresses are the most conductive. In the shale, crack transmissivity is commensurate with matrix permeability, such that shales are expected always to be good seals. For the sandstone and granite, unsheared crack transmissivity was respectively 2 and 2.5 orders of magnitude greater than matrix permeability. For these rocks crack transmissivity can dominate fluid flow in the upper crust, potentially enough to permit maintenance of a hydrostatic fluid pressure gradient in a normal (extensional) faulting regime.

Evidence for Buried "Pre-Noachian" Crust Pre-Dating the Oldest Observed Surface Units on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frey, H. V.; Frey, E. L.; Hartmann, W. K.; Tanaka, K. L. T.

2004-01-01

MOLA gridded data shows clear evidence for Quasi-Circular Depressions not visible on images in Early Noachian (EN) terrain units on Mars. We suggest these are buried impact basins that pre-date the superimposed craters whose high density makes these EN units the oldest visible at the surface of Mars. There is crust older than the oldest visible terrain units on Mars, and these EN units cannot date from 4.6 BYA. These and other Noachian units have similar total (visible + buried) crater retention ages, suggesting a common "pre-Noachian" crustal age OR crater saturation beyond which we cannot see.

Magma Transport from Deep to Shallow Crust and Eruption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, R. S.; Greenfield, T. S.; Green, R. G.; Brandsdottir, B.; Hudson, T.; Woods, J.; Donaldson, C.; Ágústsdóttir, T.

2016-12-01

We have mapped magma transport paths from the deep (20 km) to the shallow (6 km) crust and in two cases to eventual surface eruption under several Icelandic volcanoes (Askja, Bardarbunga, Eyjafjallajokull, Upptyppingar). We use microearthquakes caused by brittle fracture to map magma on the move and tomographic seismic studies of velocity perturbations beneath volcanoes to map the magma storage regions. High-frequency brittle failure earthquakes with magnitudes of typically 0-2 occur where melt is forcing its way through the country rock, or where previously frozen melt is repeatedly re-broken in conduits and dykes. The Icelandic crust on the rift zones where these earthquakes occur is ductile at depths greater than 7 km beneath the surface, so the occurrence of brittle failure seismicity at depths as great as 20 km is indicative of high strain rates, for which magma movement is the most likely explanation. We suggest that high volatile pressures caused by the exsolution of carbon dioxide in the deep crust is driving the magma movement and seismicity at depths of 15-20 km. Eruptions from shallow crustal storage areas are likewise driven by volatile exsolution, though additional volatiles, and in particular water are also involved in the shallow crust.

Can weak crust explain the correlation of geoid and topography on Venus?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buck, W. Roger

1993-01-01

The effect on geoid and topography of low viscosity crust overlying a steady-state convecting mantle is estimated under the assumption that the shear between crust and mantle does not alter the mantle flow. The weak crustal layer can change the sign of the geoid to topography ratio (admittance). The positive long wavelength admittance for Venus is consistent with a weak crust overlying a mantle with a viscosity that increases strongly with depth. The accepted interpretation of the strong positive correlation of geoid and topography on Venus, is that the convecting mantle of Venus has a constant viscosity with depth. Topography results from vertical normal stresses caused by mantle convection and highlands occur where mantle upwells. For topography to be supported by normal stress, the time scale for crustal flow must be long compared to the time scale for changes in the pattern of mantle flow. Because the high surface temperature of Venus may cause the crust to have a low viscosity, this assumption may be false. Topography should then be dominated by shear coupling between the crust and mantle. In the absence of a crustal layer, convection in a constant viscosity layer gives rise to a geoid anomaly that correlates positively with surface topography. When the viscosity in the layer increases with depth by several orders of magnitude, the surface topography and geoid anomaly become anti-correlated.

Energy conservation in the earth's crust and climate change.

PubMed

Mu, Yao; Mu, Xinzhi

2013-02-01

Among various matters which make up the earth's crust, the thermal conductivity of coal, oil, and oil-gas, which are formed over a long period of geological time, is extremely low. This is significant to prevent transferring the internal heat of the earth to the thermal insulation of the surface, cooling the surface of the earth, stimulating biological evolution, and maintaining natural ecological balance as well. Fossil energy is thermal insulating layer in the earth's crust. Just like the function of the thermal isolation of subcutaneous fatty tissue under the dermis of human skin, it keeps the internal heat within the organism so it won't be transferred to the skin's surface and be lost maintaining body temperature at low temperatures. Coal, oil, oil-gas, and fat belong to the same hydrocarbons, and the functions of their thermal insulation are exactly the same. That is to say, coal, oil, and oil-gas are just like the earth's "subcutaneous fatty tissue" and objectively formed the insulation protection on earth's surface. This paper argues that the human large-scale extraction of fossil energy leads to damage of the earth's crust heat-resistant sealing, increasing terrestrial heat flow, or the heat flow as it is called, transferring the internal heat of the earth to Earth's surface excessively, and causing geotemperature and sea temperature to rise, thus giving rise to global warming. The reason for climate warming is not due to the expansion of greenhouse gases but to the wide exploitation of fossil energy, which destroyed the heat insulation of the earth's crust, making more heat from the interior of the earth be released to the atmosphere. Based on the energy conservation principle, the measurement of the increase of the average global temperature that was caused by the increase of terrestrial heat flow since the Industrial Revolution is consistent with practical data. This paper illustrates "pathogenesis" of climate change using medical knowledge. The

Dakota sandstone facies, western Oklahoma panhandle

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Atalik, E.; Mansfield, C.F.

The Cretaceous Dakota Sandstone in Cimarron County comprised three sandstone units and intervening mudrocks; it overlies the Kiowa Shale Member of the Purgatoire Formation. Deposits include shoreface, beach (foreshore) and dune, estuarine and tidal channel, marine marginal bay and swamp/marsh in a generally progradational sequences associated with marine regression in the Western Interior. The shoreface sand, characterized by ripple lamination, bioturbation and the trace fossils Teichichnus and Thalassinoides, is fine-grained, 5-10 m (15-30 ft) thick and grades into the underlying Kiowa Shale. Beach and associated dune deposits are 2-5 m (6-16 ft) thick, medium to fine-grained, medium to thick-bedded, tabular-planarmore » cross-bedded, and lenticular; cross-bed paleocurrent headings are northeasterly and northwesterly. Estuarine channel deposits are 3-5 m (10 to 16 ft) thick, trough to tabular-planar cross-bedded, and medium to coarse-grained with local conglomerate overlying the scoured base which commonly cuts into the Kiowa Shale or overlying shoreface sandstone; rip-up clasts and wood pieces are common but trace fossils are rare; southeasterly and southwesterly paleocurrents predominate. Tidal channel deposits are thinner (up to 2 m of 6 ft) and finer grained (medium to fine-grained) that the estuarine channel deposits; they occur within fine-grained sandstone and mudrock sequences, are trough cross-bedded, and commonly contain trace fossils (e.g., Skolithos) and wood fragments. Marine marginal (tidal flat or bay.) deposits comprise fine-grained sandstone, siltstone and interbedded shale, that are 1-3m (3-10 ft) thick with abundant burrows, small ripple marks, and parallel lamination. These grade into the fine to very fine-grained sandstones, siltstones, shales, and coals of the swamp/marsh deposits that are 1-5m (3-16 ft) thick and contain ripple marks, burrows, other trace fossils, and parallel lamination.« less

Deformation of Reservoir Sandstones by Elastic versus Inelastic Deformation Mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pijnenburg, R.; Verberne, B. A.; Hangx, S.; Spiers, C. J.

2016-12-01

Hydrocarbon or groundwater production from sandstone reservoirs can result in surface subsidence and induced seismicity. Subsidence results from combined elastic and inelastic compaction of the reservoir due to a change in the effective stress state upon fluid extraction. The magnitude of elastic compaction can be accurately described using poroelasticity theory. However inelastic or time-dependent compaction is poorly constrained. Specifically, the underlying microphysical processes controlling sandstone compaction remain poorly understood. We use sandstones recovered by the field operator (NAM) from the Slochteren gas reservoir (Groningen, NE Netherlands) to study the importance of elastic versus inelastic deformation processes upon simulated pore pressure depletion. We conducted conventional triaxial tests under true in-situ conditions of pressure and temperature. To investigate the effect of applied differential stress (σ1 - σ3 = 0 - 50 MPa) and initial sample porosity (φi = 12 - 24%) on instantaneous and time-dependent inelastic deformation, we imposed multiple stages of axial loading and relaxation. The results show that inelastic strain develops at all stages of loading, and that its magnitude increases with increasing value of differential stress and initial porosity. The stress sensitivity of the axial creep strain rate and microstructural evidence suggest that inelastic compaction is controlled by a combination of intergranular slip and intragranular cracking. Intragranular cracking is shown to be more pervasive with increasing values of initial porosity. The results are consistent with a conceptual microphysical model, involving deformation by poro-elasticity combined with intergranular sliding and grain contact failure. This model aims to predict sandstone deformation behavior for a wide range of stress conditions.

Zeta potential in oil-brine-sandstone system and its role in oil recovery during controlled salinity waterflooding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, S.; Jackson, M.

2017-12-01

Wettability alteration is widely recognised as a primary role in improved oil recovery (IOR) during controlled salinity waterflooding (CSW) by modifying brine composition. The change of wettability of core sample depends on adsorption of polar oil compounds into the mineral surface which influences its surface charge density and zeta potential. It has been proved that zeta potentials can be useful to quantify the wettability and incremental oil recovery in natural carbonates. However, the study of zeta potential in oil-brine-sandstone system has not investigated yet. In this experimental study, the zeta potential is used to examine the controlled salinity effects on IOR in nature sandstone (Doddington) aged with two types of crude oils (Oil T and Oil D) over 4 weeks at 80 °C. Results show that the zeta potential measured in the Oil T-brine-sandstone system following primary waterflooding decreases compared to that in fully water saturation, which is consistent with the negative oil found in carbonates study, and IOR response during secondary waterflooding using diluted seawater was observed. In the case of negative oil, the injected low salinity brine induces a more repulsive electrostatic force between the mineral-brine interface and oil-brine interface, which results in an increase disjoining pressure and alters the rock surface to be more water-wet. For Oil D with a positive oil-brine interface, the zeta potential becomes more positive compared to that under single phase condition. The conventional waterflooding fails to observe the IOR in Oil D-brine-sandstone system due to a less repulsive electrostatic force built up between the two interfaces. After switching the injection brine from low salinity brine to formation brine, the IOR was observed. Measured zeta potentials shed some light on the mechanism of wettability alteration in the oil-brine-sandstone system and oil recovery during CSW.

Petrological features of selected components of the Cergowa sandstones (Outer Carpathians) recorded by scanning electron microscopy - preliminary study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pszonka, Joanna

2017-11-01

The scanning electron microscope analysis of the Cergowa sandstones brings new data on their petrological features and chemical composition. Previous work in standard petrographic examination, e.g. polarising (PL) or cathodoluminescence (CL) microscopy, displayed limited information on grain surface topography and only assumptions to their geochemistry. Both identification and characterisation of minerals are fundamental in the progress of mining and minerals processing systems. Detrital grains of the Cergowa sandstones are bound by calcite and dolomitic cement and commonly corroded by diagenetic fluids, however, in varying degrees, which is illustrated here by feldspar, quartz and dolomite minerals. Dissolution processes of marginal parts of these mineral grains resulted in corrosion, which increased the contact surface between the grains and the cement. The difference in resistance to these processes was observed not only among distinct groups of minerals, but also within the group of feldspars: between K-feldspars and minerals of plagioclase. That combination resulted in exceptionally strong cementation of the Cergowa sandstones, which is expressed by their high hardness and resistance to abrasion, freezing, and thawing. Inherent parameters of sandstones are characterised by their petrographical properties.

3D Crust and Uppermost Mantle Structure beneath Tian Shan Region from ambient noise and earthquake surface waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, X.; Wen, L.

2017-12-01

As a typical active intracontinental mountain range in Central Asia, Tian Shan Mt serves as the prototype in studying geodynamic processes and mechanism of intracontinental mountain building. We study 3D crust and the uppermost mantle structure beneath Tian Shan region using ambient noise and earthquake surface waves. Our dataset includes vertical component records of 62 permanent broadband seismic stations operated by the Earthquake Administration of China. Firstly, we calculate two-year stacked Cross-Correlation Functions (CCFs) of ambient noise records between the stations. The CCFs are treated as the Empirical Green's Functions (EGFs) of each station pair, from which we measured phase velocities of fundamental-mode Rayleigh wave in the period of 3-40 s using a frequency-time analysis method. Secondly, we collect surface wave data from tele-seismic events with Mw > 5.5 and depth shallower than 200 km and measure phase velocities of the fundamental-mode of Rayleigh wave in the period of 30-150 s using a two-station method. Finally, we combine the phase velocity measurements from ambient noise and earthquake surface waves, obtain lateral isotropic phase velocity maps at different periods based on tomography and invert a 3D Vsv model of crust and uppermost mantle down to about 150 km using a Monte Carlo Inversion method. We will discuss our inversion results in detail, as well as their implications to the tectonics in the region.

Lithium isotope constraints on crust-mantle interactions and surface processes on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magna, Tomáš; Day, James M. D.; Mezger, Klaus; Fehr, Manuela A.; Dohmen, Ralf; Aoudjehane, Hasnaa Chennaoui; Agee, Carl B.

2015-08-01

Lithium abundances and isotope compositions are reported for a suite of martian meteorites that span the range of petrological and geochemical types recognized to date for Mars. Samples include twenty-one bulk-rock enriched, intermediate and depleted shergottites, six nakhlites, two chassignites, the orthopyroxenite Allan Hills (ALH) 84001 and the polymict breccia Northwest Africa (NWA) 7034. Shergottites unaffected by terrestrial weathering exhibit a range in δ7Li from 2.1 to 6.2‰, similar to that reported for pristine terrestrial peridotites and unaltered mid-ocean ridge and ocean island basalts. Two chassignites have δ7Li values (4.0‰) intermediate to the shergottite range, and combined, these meteorites provide the most robust current constraints on δ7Li of the martian mantle. The polymict breccia NWA 7034 has the lowest δ7Li (-0.2‰) of all terrestrially unaltered martian meteorites measured to date and may represent an isotopically light surface end-member. The new data for NWA 7034 imply that martian crustal surface materials had both a lighter Li isotope composition and elevated Li abundance compared with their associated mantle. These findings are supported by Li data for olivine-phyric shergotitte NWA 1068, a black glass phase isolated from the Tissint meteorite fall, and some nakhlites, which all show evidence for assimilation of a low-δ7Li crustal component. The range in δ7Li for nakhlites (1.8 to 5.2‰), and co-variations with chlorine abundance, suggests crustal contamination by Cl-rich brines. The differences in Li isotope composition and abundance between the martian mantle and estimated crust are not as large as the fractionations observed for terrestrial continental crust and mantle, suggesting a difference in the styles of alteration and weathering between water-dominated processes on Earth versus possibly Cl-S-rich brines on Mars. Using high-MgO shergottites (>15 wt.% MgO) it is possible to estimate the δ7Li of Bulk Silicate Mars

Icelandic-type crust

USGS Publications Warehouse

Foulger, G.R.; Du, Z.; Julian, B.R.

2003-01-01

Numerous seismic studies, in particular using receiver functions and explosion seismology, have provided a detailed picture of the structure and thickness of the crust beneath the Iceland transverse ridge. We review the results and propose a structural model that is consistent with all the observations. The upper crust is typically 7 ?? 1 km thick, heterogeneous and has high velocity gradients. The lower crust is typically 15-30 ?? 5 km thick and begins where the velocity gradient decreases radically. This generally occurs at the V p ??? 6.5 km s-1 level. A low-velocity zone ??? 10 000 km2 in area and up to ??? 15 km thick occupies the lower crust beneath central Iceland, and may represent a submerged, trapped oceanic microplate. The crust-mantle boundary is a transition zone ???5 ?? 3 km thick throughout which V p increases progressively from ???7.2 to ???8.0 km s-1. It may be gradational or a zone of alternating high- and low-velocity layers. There is no seismic evidence for melt or exceptionally high temperatures in or near this zone. Isostasy indicates that the density contrast between the lower crust and the mantle is only ???90 kg m-3 compared with ???300 kg m-3 for normal oceanic crust, indicating compositional anomalies that are as yet not understood. The seismological crust is ???30 km thick beneath the Greenland-Iceland and Iceland-Faeroe ridges, and eastern Iceland, ???20 km beneath western Iceland, and ???40 km thick beneath central Iceland. This pattern is not what is predicted for an eastward-migrating plume. Low attenuation and normal V p/V s ratios in the lower crust beneath central and southwestern Iceland, and normal uppermost mantle velocities in general, suggest that the crust and uppermost mantle are subsolidus and cooler than at equivalent depths beneath the East Pacific Rise. Seismic data from Iceland have historically been interpreted both in terms of thin-hot and thick-cold crust models, both of which have been cited as supporting the plume

Depositional environments and sand body morphologies of the muddy sandstones at Kitty Field, Powder River Basin, Wyoming

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Larberg, G.M.B.

1980-01-01

Lower Cretaceous muddy sandstones form a stratigraphic trap at Kitty Field, Campbell County, Wyoming. Porosity and permeability are generally low, but the best reservoir develop maximum effective porosity of 17% and maximum permeability of 442 md. Reservoirs sandstones average less than 15 ft and rarely exceed 30 ft in thickness. Ultimate recovery from the field is estimated at 23 million bbl. Based on electric log character, 4 easily recognizable zones within the muddy interval at Kitty were numbered one through 4 in slabbed cores and petrographic analyses of selected core samples, suggest that sandstones in the second, third, and fourthmore » muddy zones were deposited as part of a sequence associated with the overall transgression of the lower Cretaceous sea. Fourth zone sandstones are fluvial in origin, and were deposited in lows on the unconformable surface of the underlying skull creek shale. 18 references.« less

Nitrogen fixation in biological soil crusts from southeast Utah, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Belnap, Jayne

2002-01-01

Biological soil crusts can be the dominant source of N for arid land ecosystems. We measured potential N fixation rates biweekly for 2 years, using three types of soil crusts: (1) crusts whose directly counted cells were >98% Microcoleus vaginatus (light crusts); (2) crusts dominated by M. vaginatus, but with 20% or more of the directly counted cells represented by Nostoc commune and Scytonema myochrous (dark crusts); and (3) the soil lichen Collema sp. At all observation times, Collema had higher nitrogenase activity (NA) than dark crusts, which had higher NA than light crusts, indicating that species composition is critical when estimating N inputs. In addition, all three types of crusts generally responded in a similar fashion to climate conditions. Without precipitation within a week of collection, no NA was recorded, regardless of other conditions being favorable. Low (<1°C) and high (>26°C) temperatures precluded NA, even if soils were moist. If rain or snow melt had occurred 3 or less days before collection, NA levels were highly correlated with daily average temperatures of the previous 3 days (r2=0.93 for Collema crusts; r2=0.86 for dark crusts and r2=0.83 for light crusts) for temperatures between 1°C and 26°C. If a precipitation event followed a long dry period, NA levels were lower than if collection followed a time when soils were wet for extended periods (e.g., winter). Using a combination of data from a recording weather datalogger, time-domain reflectometry, manual dry-down curves, and N fixation rates at different temperatures, annual N input from the different crust types was estimated. Annual N input from dark crusts found at relatively undisturbed sites was estimated at 9 kg ha–1 year–1. With 20% cover of the N-fixing soil lichen Collema, inputs are estimated at 13 kg ha–1 year–1. N input from light crusts, generally indicating soil surface disturbance, was estimated at 1.4 kg ha–1 year–1. The rates in light crusts are

Magnetization of the oceanic crust: TRM or CRM?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raymond, C. A.; Labrecque, J. L.

1987-01-01

A model was proposed in which chemical remanent magnetization (CRM) acquired within the first 20 Ma of crustal evolution may account for 80% of the bulk natural remanent magnetization (NRM) of older basalts. The CRM of the crust is acquired as the original thermoremanent magnetization (TRM) is lost through low temperature alteration. The CRM intensity and direction are controlled by the post-emplacement polarity history. This model explains several independent observations concerning the magnetization of the oceanic crust. The model accounts for amplitude and skewness discrepancies observed in both the intermediate wavelength satellite field and the short wavelength sea surface magnetic anomaly pattern. It also explains the decay of magnetization away from the spreading axis, and the enhanced magnetization of the Cretaceous Quiet Zones while predicting other systematic variations with age in the bulk magnetization of the oceanic crust. The model also explains discrepancies in the anomaly skewness parameter observed for anomalies of Cretaceous age. Further studies indicate varying rates of TRM decay in very young crust which depicts the advance of low temperature alteration through the magnetized layer.

Provenance of sandstones in the Golconda terrane, north central Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jones, E.A.

1991-02-01

The upper Paleozoic Golconda terrane of north-central Nevada is a composite of several structurally bounded subterranes made of clastic, volcanic, and carbonate rocks. The clastic rocks provide important clues for the interpretation of the provenance and paleogeographic settings of the different lithologic assemblages found in these subterranes. Two petrographically distinct sandstones are identified in the Golconda terrane in the Osgood Mountains and the Hot springs Range of north-central Nevada. The sandstone of the Mississippian Farrel Canyon Formation, part of the Dry Hills subterrane, is characterized by quartzose and sedimentary and lithic-rich clasts with a small feldspar component. in contrast, themore » sandstone of the Permian Poverty Peak (II) subterrane is a silty quartzarenite with no lithic component, and a very limited feldspar component. The sandstone of the Farrel Canyon Formation is similar to nonvolcanic sandstones reported from elsewhere in the Golconda terrane. Modal data reflect a provenance of a recycled orogen and permit the interpretation that it could have been derived from the antler orogen as has been proposed for other sandstones of the golconda terrane. The sandstone of the Poverty Peak (II) subterrane is more mature than any of the other sandstones in either the Golconda terrane, the Antler overlap sequence, or the Antler foreland basin sequence. Modal data put the Poverty Peak (II) sandstone in the continental block provenance category. The distinct extrabasinal provenances represented in these different sandstones support the idea that the Golconda basin was made up of complex paleogeographic settings, which included multiple sources of extrabasinal sediment.« less

Failure warning of hydrous sandstone based on electroencephalogram technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Kai; Zheng, Wei

2018-06-01

Sandstone is a type of rock mass that widely exists in nature. Moisture is an important factor that leads to sandstone structural failure. The major failure assessment methods of hydrous sandstone at present cannot satisfy real-time and portability requirements, especially lacks of warning function. In this study, acoustic emission (AE) and computed tomography (CT) techniques are combined for real-time failure assessment of hydrous sandstone. Eight visual colors for warning are screened according to different failure states, and an electroencephalogram (EEG) experiment is conducted to demonstrate their diverse excitations of the human brain's concentration.

Don’t bust the biological soil crust: Preserving and restoring an important desert resource

Treesearch

Sue Miller; Steve Warren; Larry St. Clair

2017-01-01

Biological soil crusts are a complex of microscopic organisms growing on the soil surface in many arid and semi-arid ecosystems. These crusts perform the important role of stabilizing soil and reducing or eliminating water and wind erosion. One of the largest threats to biological soil crusts in the arid and semi-arid areas of the western United States is mechanical...

Stress-dependent permeability evolution in sandstones with anisotropic physical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metz, V.; David, C.; Louis, L.; Rodriguez Rey, A.; Ruiz de Argandona, V. G.

2003-04-01

Fluid flow in reservoir rocks is strongly dependent on stress path and rock microstructure which may present a significant anisotropy. We present recent experimental data on the evolution of permeability with applied stress for three sandstones tested under triaxial conditions in the low confining pressure range (<10 MPa). Samples with diameter 40 mm and length 80 mm were cored in three orthogonal directions in blocks retrieved from quarries. One coring direction was perpendicular to the bedding plane whereas the other directions were arbitrarily chosen within the bedding plane. The selected rocks are the Bentheim sandstone (BNT), a quartz-rich cretaceous sandstone from Germany with 24% porosity, and two different varieties of a same jurassic formation in Northern Spain, the La Marina sandstone. The Yellow La Marina sandstone (YLM) with porosity 28% has a low cohesion and is the weathered form of the well-consolidated Grey La Marina sandstone (GLM) with porosity 17%. When loaded up to the failure stress, the more porous sandstones (BNT, YLM) exhibited a monotonic decrease of permeability even when the rock was dilating at deviatoric stresses close to the failure stress. On the other hand the permeability of the less porous sandstone (GLM) increased during the dilating phase. These results are in agreement with previous studies. In addition we observed that all three sandstones are anisotropic with respect to several physical properties including permeability. We systematically found a lower permeability in the direction perpendicular to the bedding plane, but the ratio of "vertical" to "horizontal" permeability varies from one sandstone to the other. The permeability anisotropy is compared to the anisotropy of electrical conductivity, acoustic velocity, capillary imbibition and elastic moduli: in general good correlations are found for all the properties. For the Bentheim sandstone, a microstructural study on thin sections revealed that the rock anisotropy is due

Reduction of acrylamide content in bread crust by starch coating.

PubMed

Liu, Jie; Liu, Xiaojie; Man, Yong; Liu, Yawei

2018-01-01

A technique of starch coating to reduce acrylamide content in bread crust was proposed. Bread was prepared in accordance with a conventional procedure and corn or potato starch coating was brushed on the surface of the fermented dough prior to baking. Corn starch coating caused a decrease in acrylamide of 66.7% and 77.1% for the outer and inner crust, respectively. The decrease caused by the potato starch coating was 68.4% and 77.4%, respectively. Starch coating reduced asparagine content significantly (43.4-82.9%; P < 0.01)in both the outer and inner crust. A lower temperature (difference of 10-20 °C) in combination with a higher moisture content (maximum difference of 8%) of bread crust were a result of starch coating, which effectively shortened the time span (4-8 min) over which acrylamide could form and accumulate. The present study demonstrates that starch coating could be a simple, effective and practical application for reducing acrylamide levels in bread crust without changing the texture and crust color of bread. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

The potential roles of biological soil crusts in dryland hydrologic cycles

USGS Publications Warehouse

Belnap, J.

2006-01-01

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are the dominant living cover in many drylands of the world. They possess many features that can influence different aspects of local hydrologic cycles, including soil porosity, absorptivity, roughness, aggregate stability, texture, pore formation, and water retention. The influence of biological soil crusts on these factors depends on their internal and external structure, which varies with climate, soil, and disturbance history. This paper presents the different types of biological soil crusts, discusses how crust type likely influences various aspects of the hydrologic cycle, and reviews what is known and not known about the influence of biological crusts on sediment production and water infiltration versus runoff in various drylands around the world. Most studies examining the effect of biological soil crusts on local hydrology are done by comparing undisturbed sites with those recently disturbed by the researchers. Unfortunately, this greatly complicates interpretation of the results. Applied disturbances alter many soil features such as soil texture, roughness, aggregate stability, physical crusting, porosity, and bulk density in ways that would not necessarily be the same if crusts were not naturally present. Combined, these studies show little agreement on how biological crusts affect water infiltration or runoff. However, when studies are separated by biological crust type and utilize naturally occurring differences among these types, results indicate that biological crusts in hyperarid regions reduce infiltration and increase runoff, have mixed effects in and regions, and increase infiltration and reduce runoff in semiarid cool and cold drylands. However, more studies are needed before broad generalizations can be made on how biological crusts affect infiltration and runoff. We especially need studies that control for sub-surface soil features such as bulk density, micro- and macropores, and biological crust structure. Unlike

The potential roles of biological soil crusts in dryland hydrologic cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belnap, Jayne

2006-10-01

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are the dominant living cover in many drylands of the world. They possess many features that can influence different aspects of local hydrologic cycles, including soil porosity, absorptivity, roughness, aggregate stability, texture, pore formation, and water retention. The influence of biological soil crusts on these factors depends on their internal and external structure, which varies with climate, soil, and disturbance history. This paper presents the different types of biological soil crusts, discusses how crust type likely influences various aspects of the hydrologic cycle, and reviews what is known and not known about the influence of biological crusts on sediment production and water infiltration versus runoff in various drylands around the world. Most studies examining the effect of biological soil crusts on local hydrology are done by comparing undisturbed sites with those recently disturbed by the researchers. Unfortunately, this greatly complicates interpretation of the results. Applied disturbances alter many soil features such as soil texture, roughness, aggregate stability, physical crusting, porosity, and bulk density in ways that would not necessarily be the same if crusts were not naturally present. Combined, these studies show little agreement on how biological crusts affect water infiltration or runoff. However, when studies are separated by biological crust type and utilize naturally occurring differences among these types, results indicate that biological crusts in hyperarid regions reduce infiltration and increase runoff, have mixed effects in arid regions, and increase infiltration and reduce runoff in semiarid cool and cold drylands. However, more studies are needed before broad generalizations can be made on how biological crusts affect infiltration and runoff. We especially need studies that control for sub-surface soil features such as bulk density, micro- and macropores, and biological crust structure

Numerical simulation of multi-dimensional NMR response in tight sandstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Jiangfeng; Xie, Ranhong; Zou, Youlong; Ding, Yejiao

2016-06-01

Conventional logging methods have limitations in the evaluation of tight sandstone reservoirs. The multi-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logging method has the advantage that it can simultaneously measure transverse relaxation time (T 2), longitudinal relaxation time (T 1) and diffusion coefficient (D). In this paper, we simulate NMR measurements of tight sandstone with different wettability and saturations by the random walk method and obtain the magnetization decays of Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill pulse sequences with different wait times (TW) and echo spacings (TE) under a magnetic field gradient, resulting in D-T 2-T 1 maps by the multiple echo trains joint inversion method. We also study the effects of wettability, saturation, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of data and restricted diffusion on the D-T 2-T 1 maps in tight sandstone. The results show that with decreasing wetting fluid saturation, the surface relaxation rate of the wetting fluid gradually increases and the restricted diffusion phenomenon becomes more and more obvious, which leads to the wetting fluid signal moving along the direction of short relaxation and the direction of the diffusion coefficient decreasing in D-T 2-T 1 maps. Meanwhile, the non-wetting fluid position in D-T 2-T 1 maps does not change with saturation variation. With decreasing SNR, the ability to identify water and oil signals based on NMR maps gradually decreases. The wetting fluid D-T 1 and D-T 2 correlations in NMR diffusion-relaxation maps of tight sandstone are obtained through expanding the wetting fluid restricted diffusion models, and are further applied to recognize the wetting fluid in simulated D-T 2 maps and D-T 1 maps.

Depositional environment of downdip Yegua (Eocene) sandstones, Jackson County, Texas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Whitten, C.J.; Berg, R.R.

Yegua sandstones at a depth of 8300-8580 ft (2530-2615 m) were partly cored in the Arco Jansky 1 dry hole. Total thickness of the sandstone section is approximately 240 ft (73 m). The sandstones are enclosed in thick marine shales and are about 20 mi (32 km) downdip from thicker and more abundant sandstones in the Yegua Formation. The section is similar to reservoirs recently discovered in the area at the Toro Grande (1984), Lost Bridge (1984), and El Torito (1985) fields. The sandstones are fine to very fine grained and occur in thin beds that are 0.5-9 ft (0.15-2.7more » m) thick. Sedimentary structures within the beds range from a lower massive division to a laminated or rippled upper division. Grain size within beds fines upward from 0.18 mm at the base to 0.05 mm at the top. The sandstones are interpreted to be turbidites of the AB type that were deposited within channels. The sandstones contain an average of 50% quartz and are classified as volcanic-arenites to feldspathic litharenites. Carbonate cement ranges from 0 to 27%. Average porosity is 29% and permeabilities are in the range of 60-1600 md in the clean sandstones. Much of the porosity is secondary and is the result of the dissolution of cements, volcanic rock fragments, and feldspar grains. Yegua sandstones produce gas and condensate at nearby Toro Grande field on a gentle, faulted anticline. The local trend of reservoir sandstones may be controlled in part by faulting that was contemporaneous with deposition.« less

Hawaiian submarine manganese-iron oxide crusts - A dating tool?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, J.G.; Clague, D.A.

2004-01-01

Black manganese-iron oxide crusts form on most exposed rock on the ocean floor. Such crusts are well developed on the steep lava slopes of the Hawaiian Ridge and have been sampled during dredging and submersible dives. The crusts also occur on fragments detached from bedrock by mass wasting, on submerged coral reefs, and on poorly lithified sedimentary rocks. The thickness of the crusts was measured on samples collected since 1965 on the Hawaiian Ridge from 140 dive or dredge localities. Fifty-nine (42%) of the sites were collected in 2001 by remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). The thinner crusts on many samples apparently result from post-depositional breakage, landsliding, and intermittent burial of outcrops by sediment. The maximum crust thickness was selected from each dredge or dive site to best represent crusts on the original rock surface at that site. The measurements show an irregular progressive thickening of the crusts toward the northwest-i.e., progressive thickening toward the older volcanic features with increasing distance from the Hawaiian hotspot. Comparison of the maximum crust thickness with radiometric ages of related subaerial features supports previous studies that indicate a crust-growth rate of about 2.5 mm/m.y. The thickness information not only allows a comparison of the relative exposure ages of two or more features offshore from different volcanoes, but also provides specific age estimates of volcanic and landslide deposits. The data indicate that some of the landslide blocks within the south Kona landslide are the oldest exposed rock on Mauna Loa, Kilauea, or Loihi volcanoes. Crusts on the floors of submarine canyons off Kohala and East Molokai volcanoes indicate that these canyons are no longer serving as channelways for downslope, sediment-laden currents. Mahukona volcano was approximately synchronous with Hilo Ridge, both being younger than Hana Ridge. The Nuuanu landslide is considerably older than the Wailau landslide. The Waianae

Development of a carbonate crust on alkaline nuclear waste sludge at the Hanford site.

PubMed

Page, Jason S; Reynolds, Jacob G; Ely, Tom M; Cooke, Gary A

2018-01-15

Hard crusts on aging plutonium production waste have hindered the remediation of the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington, USA. In this study, samples were analyzed to determine the cause of a hard crust that developed on the highly radioactive sludge during 20 years of inactivity in one of the underground tanks (tank 241-C-105). Samples recently taken from the crust were compared with those acquired before the crust appeared. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that aluminum and uranium phases at the surface had converted from (hydr)oxides (gibbsite and clarkeite) into carbonates (dawsonite and cejkaite) and identified trona as the cementing phase, a bicarbonate that formed at the expense of thermonatrite. Since trona is more stable at lower pH values than thermonatrite, the pH of the surface decreased over time, suggesting that CO 2 from the atmosphere lowered the pH. Thus, a likely cause of crust formation was the absorption of CO 2 from the air, leading to a reduction of the pH and carbonation of the waste surface. The results presented here help establish a model for how nuclear process waste can age and can be used to aid future remediation and retrieval activities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A study regarding the stability of the primordial crust of asteroid Ceres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Formisano, Michelangelo; Federico, Costanzo; De Sanctis, Maria Cristina; De Angelis, Simone

2016-04-01

Ceres is a particular object of the solar system, since it is a "transition body" between the icy satellites of the outer solar system and the rocky bodies of the inner part. Probably it is differentiated [1,2], i.e. it has a core made of "rock" (silicates) with a weak presence of metals, a large icy mantle and a rocky crust. In particular, it has been proposed the existence on the surface of the ammoniated phyllosilicates, compatible with an outer solar system origin [3]. Also water in clay minerals, brucite, and iron-rich serpentine have been proposed to exist on the surface [4]. Ice directly on the surface regolith seems to be very unstable: numerical simulations of [5] indicate that it can last for very few orbits. A crust made of a mixture of ice and rock is potentially unstable. In the solar system, for example, Callisto has such a crust but its surface temperature is below the critical temperature for the Rayleigh-Taylor instability [6]: this seems not to be the case of Ceres. In this work, we verify the stability of the primordial crust, by assuming a certain initial composition (ice and rock) and thickness. We assume a post-differentiation Ceres, made of three layers (rocky core, icy mantle and crust). The key role is played by the viscosity of the layers, which influenced the survival or not of the primordial crust. We applied the method of the parametrized thermal convection widely diffused in literature. [1] McCord, T.B. and Sotin, C., 2005, JGR 110 [2] Castillo-Rogez, J.C., and McCord, T.B., 2010, Icarus 205, 443-459 [3] De Sanctis, M.C. et al., 2015, doi:10.1038/nature16172 [4] Rivkin, A.S., et al., 2014, Space Sci Rev, 95-116, 163, doi 10.1007/s11214-010-9677-4 [5] Formisano, M., et al., 2016, MRAS 455, 1892-1904 [6] Shoji, D. and Kurita, K., 2014, doi:10.1002/2014JE004695.

Paleohydrologic controls on soft-sediment deformation in the Navajo Sandstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryant, Gerald; Cushman, Robert; Nick, Kevin; Miall, Andrew

2016-10-01

Many workers have noted the presence of contorted cross-strata in the Navajo Sandstone and other ancient eolianites, and have recognized their significance as indicators of sediment saturation during the accumulation history. Horowitz (1982) proposed a general model for the production of such features in ancient ergs by episodic, seismically induced liquefaction of accumulated sand. A key feature of that popular model is the prevalence of a flat water table, characteristic of a hyper-arid climatic regime, during deformation. Under arid climatic conditions, the water table is established by regional flow and liquefaction is limited to the saturated regions below the level of interdune troughs. However, various paleohydrological indicators from Navajo Sandstone outcrops point toward a broader range of water table configurations during the deformation history of that eolianite. Some outcrops reveal extensive deformation complexes that do not appear to have extended to the contemporary depositional surface. These km-scale zones of deformation, affecting multiple sets of cross-strata, and grading upward into undeformed crossbeds may represent deep water table conditions, coupled with high intensity triggers, which produced exclusively intrastratal deformation. Such occurrences contrast with smaller-scale complexes formed within the zone of interaction between the products of soft-sediment deformation and surface processes of deposition and erosion. The Horowitz model targets the smaller-scale deformation morphologies produced in this near-surface environment. This study examines the implications of a wet climatic regime for the Horowitz deformation model. It demonstrates how a contoured water table, characteristic of humid climates, may have facilitated deformation within active bedforms, as well as in the accumulation. Intra-dune deformation would enable deflation of deformation features during the normal course of dune migration, more parsimoniously accounting for

Timing of crust formation and recycling in accretionary orogens: Insights learned from the western margin of South America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahlburg, Heinrich; Vervoort, Jeffrey D.; Du Frane, S. Andrew; Bock, Barbara; Augustsson, Carita; Reimann, Cornelia

2009-12-01

Accretionary orogens are considered major sites of formation of juvenile continental crust. In the central and southern Andes this is contradicted by two observations: siliciclastic fills of Paleozoic basins in the central Andean segment of the accretionary Terra Australis Orogen consist almost exclusively of shales and mature sandstones; and magmatic rocks connected to the Famatinian (Ordovician) and Late Paleozoic magmatic arcs are predominantly felsic and characterized by significant crustal contamination and strongly unradiogenic Nd isotope compositions. Evidence of juvenile crustal additions is scarce. We present laser ablation (LA)-ICPMS U-Pb ages and LA-MC-ICPMS Hf isotope data of detrital zircons from seven Devonian to Permian turbidite sandstones incorporated into a Late Paleozoic accretionary wedge at the western margin of Gondwana in northern Chile. The combination with Nd whole-rock isotope data permits us to trace the evolution of the South American continental crust through several Proterozoic and Paleozoic orogenic cycles. The analyzed detrital zircon spectra reflect all Proterozoic orogenic cycles representing the step-wise evolution of the accretionary SW Amazonia Orogenic System between 2.0 and 0.9 Ga, followed by the Terra Australis Orogen between 0.9 and 0.25 Ga. The zircon populations are characterized by two prominent maxima reflecting input from Sunsas (Grenville) age magmatic rocks (1.2-0.9 Ga) and from the Ordovician to Silurian Famatinian magmatic arc (0.52-0.42 Ga). Grains of Devonian age are scarce or absent from the analyzed zircon populations. The Hf isotopic compositions of selected dated zircons at the time of their crystallization ( ɛHf ( T) ; T = 3.3-0.25 Ga) vary between - 18 and + 11. All sandstones have a significant juvenile component; between 20 and 50% of the zircons from each sedimentary rock have positive ɛHf ( T) and can be considered juvenile. The majority of the juvenile grains have Hf-depleted mantle model ages (Hf

Some aspects of lithological and exogenic control of sandstone morphology, the Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross) Mts. case study, Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urban, Jan; Górnik, Marek

2017-10-01

Various morphologies of cliffs built of different quartzose rocks in the Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross) Mts. (upland region, central Poland) - from Cambrian quartzites and Devonian quartzitic sandstones to Triassic and Jurassic porous sandstones - were described in order to examine the constraints of their lithological and spatial occurrence. The quantitative study of the occurrence of these morphologies on cliffs makes it possible to distinguish two principal groups of morphologies: angular relief produced by rock splitting (crumbling), typical of quartzites indurated in silica and of open porosity less than 1.5%, and morphologies developed due to granular disintegration and exfoliation of sandstones of open porosity higher than 1.5%. Among the relief types of this second group, morphology reflecting sedimentary and diagenetic structures as well as smooth surfaces are the most common and are referred to sandstones of a wide range of porosity, whereas honeycombs and surfaces suffering fast granular decay and scaling are characteristic of rocks of specific porosity (respectively: 5-8% and 3.5-8%). The occurrence of honeycombs on rock surfaces is also conditioned by exogenic factors: sun, wind and rain, since this morphology tends to occur on cliffs with aspects ranging from south-east, through south, to west-north-west.

Evidence for the Buried "Pre-Noachian" Crust Pre-Dating the Oldest Observed Surface Units on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frey, H. V.; Frey, E. L.; Hartmann, W. K.; Tanaka, K. L. T.

2003-01-01

MOLA gridded data shows clear evidence for Quasi-Circular Depressions not visible on images in Early Noachian (EN) terrain units on Mars. We suggest these are buried impact basins that pre-date the superimposed craters whose high density makes these EN units the oldest visible at the surface of Mars. There is crust older than the oldest visible terrain units on Mars, and these EN units cannot date from 4.6 BYA. These and other Noa-chian units have similar total (visible + buried) crater retention ages, suggesting a common "pre-Noachian" crustal age OR crater saturation beyond which we cannot see.

Continental crust

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pakiser, L.C.

1964-01-01

The structure of the Earth’s crust (the outer shell of the earth above the M-discontinuity) has been intensively studied in many places by use of geophysical methods. The velocity of seismic compressional waves in the crust and in the upper mantle varies from place to place in the conterminous United States. The average crust is thick in the eastern two-thirds of the United States, in which the crustal and upper-mantle velocities tend to be high. The average crust is thinner in the western one-third of the United States, in which these velocities tend to be low. The concept of eastern and western superprovinces can be used to classify these differences. Crustal and upper-mantle densities probably vary directly with compressional-wave velocity, leading to the conclusion that isostasy is accomplished by the variation in densities of crustal and upper-mantle rocks as well as in crustal thickness, and that there is no single, generally valid isostatic model. The nature of the M-discontinuity is still speculative.

Is Ishtar Terra a thickened basaltic crust?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arkani-Hamed, Jafar

1992-01-01

The mountain belts of Ishtar Terra and the surrounding tesserae are interpreted as compressional regions. The gravity and surface topography of western Ishtar Terra suggest a thick crust of 60-110 km that results from crustal thickening through tectonic processes. Underthrusting was proposed for the regions along Danu Montes and Itzpapalotl Tessera. Crustal thickening was suggested for the entire Ishtar Terra. In this study, three lithospheric models with total thicknesses of 40.75 and 120 km and initial crustal thicknesses of 3.9 and 18 km are examined. These models could be produced by partial melting and chemical differentiation in the upper mantle of a colder, an Earth-like, and a hotter Venus having temperatures of respectively 1300 C, 1400 C, and 1500 C at the base of their thermal boundary layers associated with mantle convection. The effects of basalt-granulite-eclogite transformation (BGET) on the surface topography of a thickening basaltic crust is investigated adopting the experimental phase diagram and density variations through the phase transformation.

On the state of stress in the near-surface of the earth's crust

USGS Publications Warehouse

Savage, W.Z.; Swolfs, H.S.; Amadei, B.

1992-01-01

Five models for near-surface crustal stresses induced by gravity and horizontal deformation and the influence of rock property contrasts, rock strength, and stress relaxation on these stresses are presented. Three of the models-the lateral constraint model, the model for crustal stresses caused by horizontal deformation, and the model for the effects of anisotropy-are linearly elastic. The other two models assume that crustal rocks are brittle or viscoelastic in order to account for the effects of rock strength and time on near-surface stresses. It is shown that the lateral constraint model is simply a special case of the combined gravity-and deformation-induced stress field when horizontal strains vanish and that the inclusion of the effect of rock anisotropy in the solution for crustal stresses caused by gravity and horizontal deformation broadens the range for predicted stresses. It is also shown that when stress levels in the crust reach the limits of brittle rock strength, these stresses become independent of strain rates and that stress relaxation in ductile crustal rocks subject to constant horizontal strain rates causes horizontal stresses to become independent of time in the long term. ?? 1992 Birkha??user Verlag.

The nature of orogenic crust in the central Andes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beck, Susan L.; Zandt, George

2002-10-01

The central Andes (16°-22°S) are part of an active continental margin mountain belt and the result of shortening of the weak western edge of South America between the strong lithospheres of the subducting Nazca plate and the underthrusting Brazilian shield. We have combined receiver function and surface wave dispersion results from the BANJO-SEDA project with other geophysical studies to characterize the nature of the continental crust and mantle lithospheric structure. The major results are as follows: (1) The crust supporting the high elevations is thick and has a felsic to intermediate bulk composition. (2) The relatively strong Brazilian lithosphere is underthrusting as far west (65.5°W) as the high elevations of the western part of the Eastern Cordillera (EC) but does not underthrust the entire Altiplano. (3) The subcrustal lithosphere is delaminating piecemeal under the Altiplano-EC boundary but is not completely removed beneath the central Altiplano. The Altiplano crust is characterized by a brittle upper crust decoupled from a very weak lower crust that is dominated by ductile deformation, leading to lower crustal flow and flat topography. In contrast, in the high-relief, inland-sloping regions of the EC and sub-Andean zone, the upper crust is still strongly coupled across the basal thrust of the fold-thrust belt to the underthrusting Brazilian Shield lithosphere. Subcrustal shortening between the Altiplano and Brazilian lithosphere appears to be accommodated by delamination near the Altiplano-EC boundary. Our study suggests that orogenic reworking may be an important part of the "felsification" of continental crust.

Transport of Organic Contaminants Mobilized from Coal through Sandstone Overlying a Geological Carbon Sequestration Reservoir

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhong, Lirong; Cantrell, Kirk J.; Bacon, Diana H.

2014-02-01

Column experiments were conducted using a wetted sandstone rock installed in a tri-axial core holder to study the flow and transport of organic compounds mobilized by scCO2 under simulated geologic carbon storage (GCS) conditions. The sandstone rock was collected from a formation overlying a deep saline reservoir at a GCS demonstration site. Rock core effluent pressures were set at 0, 500, or 1000 psig and the core temperature was set at 20 or 50°C to simulate the transport to different subsurface depths. The concentrations of the organic compounds in the column effluent and their distribution within the sandstone core weremore » monitored. Results indicate that the mobility though the core sample was much higher for BTEX compounds than for naphthalene. Retention of organic compounds from the vapor phase to the core appeared to be primarily controlled by partitioning from the vapor phase to the aqueous phase. Adsorption to the surfaces of the wetted sandstone was also significant for naphthalene. Reduced temperature and elevated pressure resulted in greater partitioning of the mobilized organic contaminants into the water phase.« less

Experimental study on the CO2-flow mechanism in the two different sandstones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imasato, M.; Honda, H.; Kitamura, K.

2016-12-01

It is important to discuss the flow properties of CO2 in the reservoir for estimations of storage potential and safety of CCS operation. In this study, we conducted the CO2-injection tests into two different types of porous sandstones with extremely low CO2 flow rate (10µl/min) under supercritical CO2 conditions. It was measured CO2 saturation (SCO2) and differential pressure (ΔP) between upstream and downstream of specimen. It was also monitored P-wave velocity (Vp) and electrical impedance (Z) for the monitoring of CO2 behavior in the specimen. We set three Vp measurement lines in different height for monitoring the movement of CO2 front. The results of ΔP measurement indicated that the Berea sandstone showed no obvious change, but the Ainoura sandstone was increasing gradually and peaked in 73 hours. After that, ΔP of the Ainoura sandstone started reducing. Both sandstones showed stepwise Vp-reduction from the bottom Vp-measurement line, which is near CO2 injection end. There are large differences of CO2 arrival time at the bottom line between Berea and Ainoura sandstone. In case of Ainoura sandstone, it took 29 hours to reduce Vp which is the nearest to CO2 injection end, but in case of Berea sandstone, it took 3.3 hours. This is also confirmed the arrival time at the top channel, 2.5 hours in the Berea sandstone and 11 hours in the Ainoura sandstone. The impedances of both sandstones indicted the gradual increment. It took 25 hours to become constant in the Berea sandstone and 148 hours in the Ainoura sandstone. SCO2 of the Berea sandstone was about 6% and Ainoura sandstone reached over 20%. These results suggest that it is due to the difference of the pore structure of Berea sandstone and Ainoura sandstone.

A Geochemical View on the Interplay Between Earth's Mantle and Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chauvel, C.

2017-12-01

Over most of Earth history, oceanic and continental crust was created and destroyed. The formation of both types of crust involves the crystallization and differentiation of magmas producing by mantle melting. Their destruction proceeds by mechanical erosion and weathering above sea level, chemical alteration on the seafloor, and bulk recycling in subduction zones. All these processes enrich of some chemical element and deplete others but each process has its own effect on chemical elements. While the flux of material from mantle to crust is well understood, the return flux is much more complex. In contrast to mantle processes, erosion, weathering, chemical alteration and sedimentary processes strongly decouple elements such as the rare earths and high-field strength elements due to their different solubilities in surface fluids and mineralogical sorting during transport. Soluble elements such as strontium or uranium are quantitatively transported to the ocean by rivers and decoupled from less soluble elements. Over geological time, such decoupling significantly influences the extent to which chemical elements remain at the Earth's surface or find their way back to the mantle through subduction zones. For example, elements like Hf or Nd are retained in heavy minerals on continents whereas U and Sr are transported to the oceans and then in subduction zones to the mantle. The consequence is that different radiogenic isotopic systems give disparate age estimates for the continental crust; e.g, Hf ages could be too old. In subduction zones, chemical elements are also decoupled, due to contrasting behavior during dehydration or melting in subducting slabs. The material sent back into the mantle is generally enriched in non-soluble elements while most fluid-mobile elements return to the crust. This, in turn, affects the relationship between the Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, Lu-Hf and U-Th-Pb isotopic systems and creates correlations unlike those based on magmatic processes. By

Global occurrence of tellurium-rich ferromanganese crusts and a model for the enrichment of tellurium

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hein, J.R.; Koschinsky, A.; Halliday, A.N.

2003-01-01

Hydrogenetic ferromanganese oxyhydroxide crusts (Fe-Mn crusts) precipitate out of cold ambient ocean water onto hard-rock surfaces (seamounts, plateaus, ridges) at water depths of about 400 to 4000 m throughout the ocean basins. The slow-growing (mm/Ma) Fe-Mn crusts concentrate most elements above their mean concentration in the Earth's crust. Tellurium is enriched more than any other element (up to about 50,000 times) relative to its Earth's crustal mean of about 1 ppb, compared with 250 times for the next most enriched element. We analyzed the Te contents for a suite of 105 bulk hydrogenetic crusts and 140 individual crust layers from the global ocean. For comparison, we analyzed 10 hydrothermal stratabound Mn-oxide samples collected from a variety of tectonic environments in the Pacific. In the Fe-Mn crust samples, Te varies from 3 to 205 ppm, with mean contents for Pacific and Atlantic samples of about 50 ppm and a mean of 39 ppm for Indian crust samples. Hydrothermal Mn samples have Te contents that range from 0.06 to 1 ppm. Continental margin Fe-Mn crusts have lower Te contents than open-ocean crusts, which is the result of dilution by detrital phases and differences in growth rates of the hydrogenetic phases. Correlation coefficient matrices show that for hydrothermal deposits, Te has positive correlations with elements characteristic of detrital minerals. In contrast, Te in open-ocean Fe-Mn crusts usually correlates with elements characteristic of the MnO2, carbonate fluorapatite, and residual biogenic phases. In continental margin crusts, Te also correlates with FeOOH associated elements. In addition, Te is negatively correlated with water depth of occurrence and positively correlated with crust thickness. Q-mode factor analyses support these relationships. However, sequential leaching results show that most of the Te is associated with FeOOH in Fe-Mn crusts and ???10% is leached with the MnO2. Thermodynamic calculations indicate that Te occurs

Production and recycling of oceanic crust in the early Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Thienen, P.; van den Berg, A. P.; Vlaar, N. J.

2004-08-01

Because of the strongly different conditions in the mantle of the early Earth regarding temperature and viscosity, present-day geodynamics cannot simply be extrapolated back to the early history of the Earth. We use numerical thermochemical convection models including partial melting and a simple mechanism for melt segregation and oceanic crust production to investigate an alternative suite of dynamics which may have been in operation in the early Earth. Our modelling results show three processes that may have played an important role in the production and recycling of oceanic crust: (1) Small-scale ( x×100 km) convection involving the lower crust and shallow upper mantle. Partial melting and thus crustal production takes place in the upwelling limb and delamination of the eclogitic lower crust in the downwelling limb. (2) Large-scale resurfacing events in which (nearly) the complete crust sinks into the (eventually lower) mantle, thereby forming a stable reservoir enriched in incompatible elements in the deep mantle. New crust is simultaneously formed at the surface from segregating melt. (3) Intrusion of lower mantle diapirs with a high excess temperature (about 250 K) into the upper mantle, causing massive melting and crustal growth. This allows for plumes in the Archean upper mantle with a much higher excess temperature than previously expected from theoretical considerations.

Biological Soil Crust Web Site

Science.gov Websites

www.soilcrust.org Crust 101 Advanced Gallery References CCERS site Links Biological Soil Crusts Textbook Corrections Level of Development Index Biological soil crusts are the community of organisms , mosses, liverworts and lichens. A Field Guide to Biological Soil Crusts of Western U.S. Drylands: Common

Visually assessing the level of development and soil surface stability of cyanobacterially dominated biological soil crusts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Belnap, J.; Phillips, S.L.; Witwicki, D.L.; Miller, M.E.

2008-01-01

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are an integral part of dryland ecosystems and often included in long-term ecological monitoring programs. Estimating moss and lichen cover is fairly easy and non-destructive, but documenting cyanobacterial level of development (LOD) is more difficult. It requires sample collection for laboratory analysis, which causes soil surface disturbance. Assessing soil surface stability also requires surface disturbance. Here we present a visual technique to assess cyanobacterial LOD and soil surface stability. We define six development levels of cyanobacterially dominated soils based on soil surface darkness. We sampled chlorophyll a concentrations (the most common way of assessing cyanobacterial biomass), exopolysaccharide concentrations, and soil surface aggregate stability from representative areas of each LOD class. We found that, in the laboratory and field, LOD classes were effective at predicting chlorophyll a soil concentrations (R2=68-81%), exopolysaccharide concentrations (R2=71%), and soil aggregate stability (R2=77%). We took representative photos of these classes to construct a field guide. We then tested the ability of field crews to distinguish these classes and found this technique was highly repeatable among observers. We also discuss how to adjust this index for the different types of BSCs found in various dryland regions.

High-resolution surface wave tomography of the European crust and uppermost mantle from ambient seismic noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Yang; Stehly, Laurent; Paul, Anne; AlpArray Working Group

2018-05-01

Taking advantage of the large number of seismic stations installed in Europe, in particular in the greater Alpine region with the AlpArray experiment, we derive a new high-resolution 3-D shear-wave velocity model of the European crust and uppermost mantle from ambient noise tomography. The correlation of up to four years of continuous vertical-component seismic recordings from 1293 broadband stations (10° W-35° E, 30° N-75° N) provides Rayleigh wave group velocity dispersion data in the period band 5-150 s at more than 0.8 million virtual source-receiver pairs. Two-dimensional Rayleigh wave group velocity maps are estimated using adaptive parameterization to accommodate the strong heterogeneity of path coverage. A probabilistic 3-D shear-wave velocity model, including probability densities for the depth of layer boundaries and S-wave velocity values, is obtained by non-linear Bayesian inversion. A weighted average of the probabilistic model is then used as starting model for the linear inversion step, providing the final Vs model. The resulting S-wave velocity model and Moho depth are validated by comparison with previous geophysical studies. Although surface-wave tomography is weakly sensitive to layer boundaries, vertical cross-sections through our Vs model and the associated probability of presence of interfaces display striking similarities with reference controlled-source (CSS) and receiver-function sections across the Alpine belt. Our model even provides new structural information such as a ˜8 km Moho jump along the CSS ECORS-CROP profile that was not imaged by reflection data due to poor penetration across a heterogeneous upper crust. Our probabilistic and final shear wave velocity models have the potential to become new reference models of the European crust, both for crustal structure probing and geophysical studies including waveform modeling or full waveform inversion.

Waterborne Superhydrophobic and Superoleophobic Coatings for the Protection of Marble and Sandstone

PubMed Central

Aslanidou, Dimitra; Lampakis, Dimitrios

2018-01-01

Silica nanoparticles were dispersed in an aqueous emulsion of alkoxy silanes and organic fluoropolymer. The dispersion was sprayed onto white marble and sandstone. The deposited composite coatings exhibited (i) superhydrophobicity and superoleophobicity, as evidenced by the high (>150°) static contact angles of water and oil drops as well as (ii) water and oil repellency according to the low (<7°) corresponding tilt contact angles. Apart from marble and sandstone, the coatings with extreme wetting properties were deposited onto concrete, silk, and paper, thus demonstrating the versatility of the method. The siloxane/fluoropolymer product was characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy equipped with an Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometer (SEM-EDX). Moreover, SEM and FT-IR were used to reveal the surface structures of the composite coatings and their transition from superhydrophobicity to superhydrophilicity which occurred after severe thermal treatment. The composite coatings slightly reduced the breathability of marble and sandstone and had practically no optical effect on the colour of the two stones. Moreover, the coatings offered good protection against water penetration by capillarity. PMID:29642652

Biological Soil Crust Technical Reference

Science.gov Websites

Technical Reference Our understanding of the biology, ecology and physiology of biological soil crusts has published studies on soil crusts. The attached PDF file is a 90-page report that summarizes our current state of knowledge about biological soil crusts, with emphasis on crusts found in the western United

Temporal dynamics of salt crust patterns on a sodic playa: implications for aerodynamic roughness and dust emission potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nield, Joanna; Bryant, Robert; Wiggs, Giles; King, James; Thomas, David; Eckardt, Frank; Washington, Richard

2015-04-01

Salt pans (or playas) are common in arid environments and can be major sources of windblown mineral dust, but there are uncertainties associated with their dust emission potential. These landforms typically form crusts which modify both their erosivity and erodibility by limiting sediment availability, modifying surface and aerodynamic roughness and limiting evaporation rates and sediment production. Here we show the relationship between seasonal surface moisture change and crust pattern development on part of the Makgadikgadi Pans of Botswana (a Southern Hemisphere playa that emits significant dust), based on both remote-sensing and field surface and atmospheric measurements. We use high resolution (sub-cm) terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) surveys over weekly, monthly and annual timescales to accurately characterise crustal ridge thrusting and collapse. Ridge development can change surface topography as much as 30 mm/week on fresh pan areas that have recently been reset by flooding. The corresponding change aerodynamic roughness can be as much as 3 mm/week. At the same time, crack densities across the surface increase and this raises the availability of erodible fluffy, low density dust source sediment stored below the crust layer. We present a conceptual model accounting for the driving forces (subsurface, surface and atmospheric moisture) and feedbacks between these and surface shape that lead to crust pattern trajectories between highly emissive degraded surfaces and less emissive ridged or continuous crusts. These findings improve our understanding of temporal changes in dust availability and supply from playa source regions.

Petrography and geochemistry of Jurassic sandstones from the Jhuran Formation of Jara dome, Kachchh basin, India: Implications for provenance and tectonic setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Periasamy, V.; Venkateshwarlu, M.

2017-06-01

Sandstones of Jhuran Formation from Jara dome, western Kachchh, Gujarat, India were studied for major, trace and rare earth element (REE) geochemistry to deduce their paleo-weathering, tectonic setting, source rock characteristics and provenance. Petrographic analysis shows that sandstones are having quartz grains with minor amount of K-feldspar and lithic fragments in the modal ratio of Q 89:F 7:L 4. On the basis of geochemical results, sandstones are classified into arkose, sub-litharenite, wacke and quartz arenite. The corrected CIA values indicate that the weathering at source region was moderate to intense. The distribution of major and REE elements in the samples normalized to upper continental crust (UCC) and chondrite values indicate similar pattern of UCC. The tectonic discrimination diagram based on the elemental concentrations and elemental ratios of Fe2O3 + MgO vs. TiO2, SiO2 vs. log(K2O/Na2O), Sc/Cr vs. La/Y, Th-Sc-Zr/10, La-Th-Sc plots Jhuran Formation samples in continental rift and collision settings. The plots of Ni against TiO2, La/Sc vs. Th/Co and V-Ni-Th ∗10 reveals that the sediments of Jhuran Formation were derived from felsic rock sources. Additionally, the diagram of (Gd/Yb) N against Eu/Eu ∗ suggest the post-Archean provenance as source possibly Nagar Parkar complex for the studied samples.

Elevated Uranium in Aquifers of the Jacobsville Sandstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherman, H.; Gierke, J.

2003-12-01

The EPA has announced a new standard for uranium in drinking water of 30 parts per billion (ppb). This maximum contaminant level (MCL) takes effect for community water supplies December 2003. The EPA's ruling has heightened awareness among residential well owners that uranium in drinking water may increase the risk of kidney disease and cancer and has created a need for a quantified, scientific understanding of the occurrence and distribution of uranium isotopes in aquifers. The authors are investigating the occurrence of elevated uranium in northern Michigan aquifers of the Middle Proterozoic Jacobsville sandstone, a red to mottled sequence of sandstones, conglomerates, siltstones and shales deposited as basin fill in the 1.1 Ga Midcontinent rift. Approximately 25% of 300 well water samples tested for isotopic uranium have concentrations above the MCL. Elevated uranium occurrences are distributed throughout the Jacobsville sandstone aquifers stretching across Michigan's Upper Peninsula. However, there is significant variation in well water uranium concentrations (from 0.01 to 190 ppb) and neighboring wells do not necessarily have similar concentrations. The authors are investigating hydrogeologic controls on ground water uranium concentrations in the Jacobsville sandstone, e.g. variations in lithology, mineralogy, groundwater residence time and geochemistry. Approximately 2000' of Jacobsville core from the Amoco St. Amour well was examined in conjunction with the spectral gamma ray log run in the borehole. Spikes in equivalent uranium (eU) concentration from the log are frequently associated with clay and heavy mineral layers in the sandstone core. The lithology and mineralogy of these layers will be determined by analysis of thin sections and x-ray diffraction. A portable spectrometer, model GRS-2000/BL, will be used on the sandstone cliffs along Lake Superior to characterize depositional and lithologic facies of the Jacobsville sandstone in terms of

Subduction of the Indian lithosphere beneath Tibet and deformation of the Tibetan crust and mantle, imaged with broad-band surface waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agius, Matthew R.; Lebedev, Sergei

2013-04-01

Seismic deployments over the last two decades have produced dense broadband data coverage across the Tibetan Plateau. Yet, the lithospheric dynamics of Tibet remains enigmatic, with even its basic features debated and with very different end-member models still advocated today. Most body-wave tomographic models do not resolve any high-velocity anomalies in the upper mantle beneath central and northern Tibet, which motivated the inference that the Indian lithosphere may sink into deep mantle beneath the Himalayas in the south, with parts of it possibly extruded laterally eastward. In contrast, surface-wave tomographic models all show pronounced high-velocity anomalies beneath much of Tibet at depths around 200 km. Uncertainties over the shapes and amplitudes of the anomalies, however, contribute to the uncertainty of their interpretations, ranging from the subduction of India or Asia to the extreme viscous thickening of the Tibetan lithosphere. Within the lithosphere itself, a low-viscosity layer in the mid-lower crust is evidenced by many observations. It is still unclear, however, whether this layer accommodates a large-scale channel flow (which may have uplifted eastern Tibet, according to one model) or if, instead, deformation within it is similar to that observed at the surface. Broad-band surface waves provide resolving power from the upper crust down to the asthenosphere, for both the isotropic-average shear-wave speeds (characterising the composition and thermal state of the lithosphere) and the radial and azimuthal shear-wave anisotropy (indicative, in an actively deforming region, of the current and recent flow). We measured highly accurate Love- and Rayleigh-wave phase-velocity curves in broad period ranges (up to 5-200 s) for a few tens of pairs and groups of stations across Tibet, combining, in each case, hundreds to thousands of inter-station measurements made with cross-correlation and waveform-inversion methods. Robust shear-velocity profiles were

Survival of artificially inoculated Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium on the surface of raw poultry products subjected to crust freezing.

PubMed

Chaves, B D; Han, I Y; Dawson, P L; Northcutt, J K

2011-12-01

Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. are ubiquitous in the poultry production environment, and hence, their transmission to poultry products is of concern. Industry has widely used freezing as a strategy to halt pathogen growth, and more recently, crust freezing has been suggested as a means to improve mechanical operations, quality, and safety of poultry products. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of crust freezing on the survival of Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium that were artificially inoculated on the surface of raw poultry products with or without adhering skin. Ampicillin-resistant (AR) E. coli JM 109 and nalidixic acid-resistant (NAR) Salmonella Typhimurium were used in the experiments. A set of cultures was subjected to cold-shock stress by storage at 4°C for 10 d. After being either cold-shocked or non-cold-shocked, commercial chicken breasts without skin and chicken thighs with skin were inoculated in separate experiments with each bacterium. Samples were crust frozen at -85°C for 20 min or completely frozen at -85°C for 60 min. The E. coli and Salmonella Typhimurium were recovered on appropriate selective and nonselective media containing the corresponding antibiotic. Log reductions and extent of injury were calculated and treatments were compared using ANOVA. No significant differences were observed in the reduction of cold-shocked or non-cold-shocked bacteria on products with or without skin that were crust or completely frozen. The average reduction for E. coli was 0.15 log(10) cfu/mL of rinse, and for Salmonella Typhimurium 0.10 log(10) cfu/mL of rinse; therefore, none of the final reductions were greater than the desired target (1 log). Bacterial cell injury was not significantly different (P > 0.05) among any of the treatments. Data showed no practical significance for initial reduction of these pathogens from crust freezing and thus, this technology should not be considered as a strategy for the reduction of E

The Athabasca Granulite Terrane and Evidence for Dynamic Behavior of Lower Continental Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dumond, Gregory; Williams, Michael L.; Regan, Sean P.

2018-05-01

Deeply exhumed granulite terranes have long been considered nonrepresentative of lower continental crust largely because their bulk compositions do not match the lower crustal xenolith record. A paradigm shift in our understanding of deep crust has since occurred with new evidence for a more felsic and compositionally heterogeneous lower crust than previously recognized. The >20,000-km2 Athabasca granulite terrane locally provides a >700-Myr-old window into this type of lower crust, prior to being exhumed and uplifted to the surface between 1.9 and 1.7 Ga. We review over 20 years of research on this terrane with an emphasis on what these findings may tell us about the origin and behavior of lower continental crust, in general, in addition to placing constraints on the tectonic evolution of the western Canadian Shield between 2.6 and 1.7 Ga. The results reveal a dynamic lower continental crust that evolved compositionally and rheologically with time.

Magnetic structure of the crust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wasilewski, P.

1985-01-01

The bibuniqueness aspect of geophysical interpretation must be constrained by geological insight to limit the range of theoretically possible models. An additional step in depth understanding of the relationship between rock magnetization and geological circumstances on a grand scale is required. Views about crustal structure and the distribution of lithologies suggests a complex situation with lateral and vertical variability at all levels in the crust. Volcanic, plutonic, and metamorphic processes together with each of the observed anomalies. Important questions are addressed: (1) the location of the magnetic bottom; (2) whether the source is a discrete one or are certain parts of the crust cumulatively contributing to the overall magnetization; (3) if the anomaly to some recognizable surface expression is localized, how to arrive at a geologically realistic model incorporating magnetization contrasts which are realistic; (3) in the way the primary mineralogies are altered by metamorphism and the resulting magnetic contracts; (4) the effects of temperature and pressure on magnetization.

Fluvial sandstone reservoirs of Travis Peak (Hosston) Formation, east Texas basin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tye, R.S.

1989-03-01

Gas production (7.2 billion ft/sup 3/) from low-permeability sandstones in the Travis Peak Formation, North Appleby field, Nacogdoches County, Texas, is enhanced through massive hydraulic fracturing of stacked sandstones that occur at depths between 8000 and 10,000 ft. stratigraphic reservoirs were formed in multilateral tabular sandstones owing to impermeable mudstone interbeds that encase blocky to upward-fining sandstones. Pervasive quartz cement in the sandstones decreases porosity and permeability and augments the reservoir seal. Subsurface data indicate that much of this 2000-ft thick section represents aggradation of alluvial-valley deposits. Multiple channel belts form a network of overlapping, broad, tabular sandstones having thickness-to-widthmore » ratios of 1:850 (8-44 ft thick; widths exceed 4-5 mi). Six to eight channel belts, each containing 80-90% medium to fine-grained sandstone, can occupy a 200-ft thick interval. In a vertical sequence through one channel belt sandstone, basal planar cross-bedding grades upward into thinly interbedded sets of planar cross-beds and ripple cross-lamination. Clay-clast conglomerates line scoured channel bases. Adjacent to the channels, interbedded mudstones accumulated in well-drained swamps and lakes. Poorly sorted sandstones represent overbank deposition (crevasse splays and lacustrine deltas). During Travis Peak deposition, fluvial styles evolved from dominantly braided systems near the base of the formation to more mud-rich, meandering systems at the top.« less

High-Silica Hadean Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boehnke, P.; Bell, E. A.; Stephan, T.; Trappitsch, R.; Keller, C. B.; Pardo, O. S.; Davis, A. M.; Harrison, M.; Pellin, M. J.

2017-12-01

Understanding Hadean (>4 Ga) Earth requires knowledge of its crust. The composition of the crust and volatiles migrating through it directly influence the makeup of the atmosphere, the composition of seawater, and nutrient availability. Despite its importance, there is little known and less agreed upon regarding the nature of the Hadean crust. For example, compilations of whole-rock elemental abundances suggest to some a dominantly mafic crust, while the geochemistry and inclusions in Hadean zircons suggest the existence of felsic crust and possibly even life. We address this question by analyzing the 87Sr/86Sr ratio of apatite inclusions in Archean zircons from Nuvvuagittuq, Canada, using the Chicago Instrument for Laser Ionization (CHILI). Our results show that the protolith of the Nuvvuagittuq zircons had formed a reservoir with a high (>1) Rb/Sr ratio by 4.4 Ga. The Rb/Sr ratio of this reservoir is too high to be explained by only a mafic crust or a terrestrial "KREEP" layer. Indeed, high Rb/Sr ratios only occur in high SiO2 rocks, and our data suggests that the 4.4 Ga Nuvvuagittuq source was felsic rather than mafic. Specifically, our results suggest that the 4.4 Ga Nuvvuagittuq protolith was of rhyolitic compositions. This finding implies that the early crust had a broad range of igneous rocks, extending from mafic to highly silicic compositions.

Consequences of the low density of the lunar primary crust on its magmatic history (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michaut, C.; Thorey, C.

2013-12-01

The lunar highlands are very old, with ages covering a timespan between 4.5 to 4.2 Gyr, and probably formed by flotation of light plagioclase minerals on top of the lunar magma ocean. The lunar crust provides thus an invaluable evidence of the geological and magmatic processes occurring in the first times of the terrestrial planets history. According to the last estimates from the GRAIL mission, the lunar primary crust is particularly light and relatively thick. This low-density crust acted as a barrier for the dense primary mantle melts. This is particularly evident in the fact that subsequent mare basalts erupted primarily within large impact basins: at least part of the crust must have been removed for the magma to reach the surface. However, the trajectory of the magma from the mantle to the surface is unknown. Here, we provide evidence of intrusions within the crust of the Moon as surface deformations in the form of low-slope lunar domes and floor-fractured craters. All these geological features have morphologies consistent with models of magma spreading at depth and deforming an overlying elastic layer. Furthermore, at floor-fractured craters, the deformation is contained within the crater interior, suggesting that the overpressure at the origin of magma ascent and intrusion was less than the pressure due to the weight of the crust removed by impact. The pressure release due to material removal by impact is significant over a depth equivalent to the crater radius. Because many of these floor-fractured craters are relatively small, i.e. less than 20 to 30 km in radius, this observation suggests that the magma at the origin of the intrusion was already stored within or just below the crust, in deeper intrusions. Thus, a large fraction of the mantle melt might have stored at depth below or within the light primary crust before reaching shallower layers. And hence, magma intrusions must have had a large influence on the thermal and geological evolution of the

3D visualization of liquefaction-induced dune collapse in the Navajo Sandstone, Utah, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, Colby; Nick, Kevin; Bryant, Gerald

2015-04-01

The eolian Navajo Sandstone outcrop on the Canyon Overlook Trail in Zion National Park in Southern Utah is dissected by modern erosion in a way which reveals a great deal of the three-dimensional architecture of a major soft-sediment deformation event. The feature is bounded below by a well-developed interdune complex made up of two superimposed carbonate lenses, above by an irregular truncational surface, and incorporates 3 - 10 m of sandstone over an approximately 2 km area. The material above the deformed interval is undeformed cross-bedded sandstone, with crossbeds downlapping onto the surface of truncation. The stratigraphic confinement of deformation and the irregularity of the upper bounding surface suggests a deformation process which created topography, which was in turn covered by the next upwind dune before it could be eroded flat. The deformed material itself is laterally segmented by a stacked succession of shear surfaces, which all strike approximately perpendicular to the paleo-wind direction and dip at decreasing angles in the down paleo-wind direction. These factors point to the collapse of a major dune into the downwind interdune area, likely initiated by liquefaction in the interdune complex. The foundering of the dune's toe into the liquefied area created a powerful lateral stress field which did not extend significantly into the subsurface. The dune collapse process has been used in the past to describe other soft-sediment deformation features in the Navajo Sandstone, but this site provides a wealth of physical details which were not previously associated with dune collapse. Shear surfaces originate in the interdune deposit as slip between laminae, then the cohesive muds provided support as they were thrust upward to angles of up to 50 degrees. The margins of the site also contain important paleoenvironmental indicators. Dinosaur tracks are exposed both at the extreme upwind and downwind margins of the interdune deposit in and slightly above

Evolution of Fractal Parameters through Development Stage of Soil Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ospina, Abelardo; Florentino, Adriana; Tarquis, Ana Maria

2016-04-01

Soil surface characteristics are subjected to changes driven by several interactions between water, air, biotic and abiotic components. One of the examples of such interactions is provided through biological soil crusts (BSC) in arid and semi-arid environments. BSC are communities composed of cyanobacteria, fungi, mosses, lichens, algae and liverworts covering the soil surface and play an important role in ecosystem functioning. The characteristics and formation of these BSC influence the soil hydrological balance, control the mass of eroded sediment, increase stability of soil surface, and influence plant productivity through the modification of nitrogen and carbon cycle. The site of this work is located at Quibor and Ojo de Agua (Lara state, Venezuela). The Quibor Depression in Venezuela is a major agricultural area being at semi-arid conditions and limited drainage favor the natural process of salinization. Additionally, the extension and intensification of agriculture has led to over-exploitation of groundwater in the past 30 years (Méndoza et al., 2013). The soil microbial crust develops initially on physical crusts which are mainly generated since wetting and drying, being a recurrent feature in the Quíbor arid zone. The microbiotic crust is organic, composed of macro organisms (bryophytes and lichens) and microorganisms (cyanobacteria, fungi algae, etc.); growing on the ground, forming a thickness no greater than 3 mm. For further details see Toledo and Florentino (2009). This study focus on characterize the development stage of the BSC based on image analysis. To this end, grayscale images of different types of biological soil crust at different stages where taken, each image corresponding to an area of 12.96 cm2 with a resolution of 1024x1024 pixels (Ospina et al., 2015). For each image lacunarity and fractal dimension through the differential box counting method were calculated. These were made with the software ImageJ/Fraclac (Karperien, 2013

Raising the continental crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, Ian H.; Davies, D. Rhodri

2017-02-01

The changes that occur at the boundary between the Archean and Proterozoic eons are arguably the most fundamental to affect the evolution of Earth's continental crust. The principal component of Archean continental crust is Granite-Greenstone Terranes (GGTs), with granites always dominant. The greenstones consist of a lower sequence of submarine komatiites and basalts, which erupted onto a pre-existing Tonalite-Trondhjemite-Granodiorite (TTG) crust. These basaltic rocks pass upwards initially into evolved volcanic rocks, such as andesites and dacites and, subsequently, into reworked felsic pyroclastic material and immature sediments. This transition coincides with widespread emplacement of granitoids, which stabilised (cratonised) the continental crust. Proterozoic supra-crustal rocks, on the other hand, are dominated by extensive flat-lying platform sequences of mature sediments, which were deposited on stable cratonic basements, with basaltic rocks appreciably less abundant. The siliceous TTGs cannot be produced by direct melting of the mantle, with most hypotheses for their origin requiring them to be underlain by a complimentary dense amphibole-garnet-pyroxenite root, which we suggest acted as ballast to the early continents. Ubiquitous continental pillow basalts in Archean lower greenstone sequences require the early continental crust to have been sub-marine, whereas the appearance of abundant clastic sediments, at higher stratigraphic levels, shows that it had emerged above sea level by the time of sedimentation. We hypothesise that the production of komatiites and associated basalts, the rise of the continental crust, widespread melting of the continental crust, the onset of sedimentation and subsequent cratonisation form a continuum that is the direct result of removal of the continent's dense amphibole-garnet-pyroxenite roots, triggered at a regional scale by the arrival of a mantle plume at the base of the lithosphere. Our idealised calculations suggest

The Oceanic Crust.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Francheteau, Jean

1983-01-01

The earth's oceanic crust is created and destroyed in a flow outward from midocean ridges to subduction zones, where it plunges back into the mantle. The nature and dynamics of the crust, instrumentation used in investigations of this earth feature, and research efforts/findings are discussed. (JN)

Decay of sandstone monuments in Petra (Jordan): Gravity-induced stress as a stabilizing factor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Řihošek, Jaroslav; Bruthans, Jiří; Mašín, David; Filippi, Michal; Schweigstillova, Jana

2016-04-01

As demonstrated by physical experiments and numerical modeling the gravity-induced stress (stress in further text) in sandstone massive reduces weathering and erosion rate (Bruthans et al. 2014). This finding is in contrast to common view that stress threatens stability of man-made monuments carved to sandstone. Certain low- levels of gravity-induced stress can in fact stabilize and protect these forms against weathering and disintegration. The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate the effect of the stress on weathering of sandstone monuments at the Petra World Heritage Site in Jordan via field observations, salt weathering experiments, and physical and numerical modeling. Previous studies on weathering of Petra monuments have neglected the impact of stress, but the ubiquitous presence of stress-controlled landforms in Petra suggests that it has a substantial effect on weathering and erosion processes on man-made monuments and natural surfaces. Laboratory salt weathering experiments with cubes of Umm Ishrin sandstone from Petra demonstrated the inverse relationship between stress magnitude and decay rate. Physical modeling with Strelec locked sand from the Czech Republic was used to simulate weathering and decay of Petra monuments. Sharp forms subjected to water erosion decayed to rounded shapes strikingly similar to tombs in Petra subjected to more than 2000 years of weathering and erosion. The physical modeling results enabled visualization of the recession of monument surfaces in high spatial and temporal resolution and indicate that the recession rate of Petra monuments is far from constant both in space and time. Numerical modeling of stress fields confirms the physical modeling results. This novel approach to investigate weathering clearly demonstrates that increased stress decreases the decay rate of Petra monuments. To properly delineate the endangered zones of monuments, the potential damage caused by weathering agents should be combined with stress

Polygonal deformation bands in sandstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonellini, Marco; Nella Mollema, Pauline

2017-04-01

We report for the first time the occurrence of polygonal faults in sandstone, which is compelling given that layer-bound polygonal fault systems have been observed so far only in fine-grained sediments such as clay and chalk. The polygonal faults are dm-wide zones of shear deformation bands that developed under shallow burial conditions in the lower portion of the Jurassic Entrada Fm (Utah, USA). The edges of the polygons are 1 to 5 meters long. The shear deformation bands are organized as conjugate faults along each edge of the polygon and form characteristic horst-like structures. The individual deformation bands have slip magnitudes ranging from a few mm to 1.5 cm; the cumulative average slip magnitude in a zone is up to 10 cm. The deformation bands heaves, in aggregate form, accommodate a small isotropic horizontal extension (strain < 0.005). The individual shear deformation bands show abutting T-junctions, veering, curving, and merging where they mechanically interact. Crosscutting relationships are rare. The interactions of the deformation bands are similar to those of mode I opening fractures. Density inversion, that takes place where under-compacted and over-pressurized layers (Carmel Fm) lay below normally compacted sediments (Entrada Sandstone), may be an important process for polygonal deformation bands formation. The gravitational sliding and soft sediment structures typically observed within the Carmel Fm support this hypothesis. Soft sediment deformation may induce polygonal faulting in the section of the Entrada Sandstone just above the Carmel Fm. The permeability of the polygonal deformation bands is approximately 10-14 to 10-13 m2, which is less than the permeability of the host, Entrada Sandstone (range 10-12 to 10-11 m2). The documented fault networks have important implications for evaluating the geometry of km-scale polygonal fault systems in the subsurface, top seal integrity, as well as constraining paleo-tectonic stress regimes.

Field aided characterization of a sandstone reservoir: Arroyo Grande Oil Field, California, USA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Antonellini, M.; Aydin, A.

1995-08-01

The Arroyo Grande Oil Field in Central California has been productive since 1905 from the miopliocene Edna member of the Pismo formation. The Edna member is a massive poorly consolidated sandstone unit with an average porosity of 0.2 and a permeability of 1000-5000 md; the producing levels are shallow, 100 to 500 m from the ground surface. Excellent surface exposures of the same formation along road cuts across the field and above the reservoir provide an opportunity to study reservoir rocks at the surface and to relate fracture and permeability distribution obtained from cores to folds and faults observed inmore » outcrops. We mapped in outcrops the major structures of the oil field and determine the statistical distribution and orientation of small faults (deformation bands) that have been observed both in cores and outcrop. The relation between deformation bands and major structures has also been characterized with detailed mapping. By using synthetic logs it is possible to determine the log signature of structural heterogeneities such as deformation bands in sandstone; these faults cause a neutron porosity drop respect to the host rock in the order of 1-4%. Image analysis has been used to determine the petrophysical properties of the sandstone in outcrop and in cores; permeability is three orders of magnitude lower in faults than in the host rock and capillary pressure is 1-2 orders of magnitude larger in faults than in the host rock. Faults with tens of meters offsets are associated with an high density of deformation bands (10 to 250 m{sup -1}) and with zones of cement precipitation up to 30 m from the fault. By combining well and field data, we propose a structural model for the oil field in which high angle reverse faults with localized deformation bands control the distribution of the hydrocarbons on the limb of a syncline, thereby explaining the seemingly unexpected direction of slope of the top surface of the reservoir which was inferred by well data

Mobilization of aluminum by the acid percolates within unsaturated zone of sandstones.

PubMed

Navrátil, Tomáš; Vařilová, Zuzana; Rohovec, Jan

2013-09-01

The area of the Black Triangle has been exposed to extreme levels of acid deposition in the twentieth century. The chemical weathering of sandstones found within the Black Triangle became well-known phenomenon. Infiltration of acid rain solutions into the sandstone represents the main input of salt components into the sandstone. The infiltrated solutions--sandstone percolates--react with sandstone matrix and previously deposited materials such as salt efflorescence. Acidic sandstone percolates pH 3.2-4.8 found at ten sites within the National Park Bohemian Switzerland contained high Al-tot (0.8-10 mg L(-1)) concentrations and high concentrations of anions SO4 (5-66 mg L(-1)) and NO3 (2-42 mg L(-1)). A high proportion (50-98 %) of Al-tot concentration in acid percolates was represented by toxic reactive Al(n+). Chemical equilibrium modeling indicated as the most abundant Al species Al(3+), AlSO4 (+), and AlF(2+). The remaining 2-50 % of Al-tot concentration was present in the form of complexes with dissolved organic matter Al-org. Mobilization and transport of Al from the upper zones of sandstone causes chemical weathering and sandstone structure deterioration. The most acidic percolates contained the highest concentrations of dissolved organic material (estimated up to 42 mg L(-1)) suggesting the contribution of vegetation on sandstone weathering processes. Very low concentrations of Al-tot in springs at BSNP suggest that Al mobilized in unsaturated zone is transported deeper into the sandstone. This process of mobilization could represent a threat for the water quality small-perched aquifers.

The crust and uppermost mantle structure in Southern Peru from ambient noise and earthquake surface wave analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Y.; Clayton, R. W.

2012-12-01

We determine the Vs structure to a depth of 140 km of Southern Peru, where the subducted Nazca slab changes from normal to flat subduction. The data are from a box-like array that is approximately 300 km on a side, and with 150 stations in total. The structure is inverted from surface wave dispersion curves measured between 5 s to 23 s period from ambient noise cross-correlations, and between 25 s to 69 s from earthquake two-plane-wave analysis. From the map views of different depths, we observe that: (1) The forearc region is characterized by shallow crustal thickness and higher crustal velocity compared with the backarc. (2) The upper-crust velocity in the backarc above normal subduction (3.0-3.2 km/s) is lower compared with that above flat subduction region (3.2-3.4 km/s). The low velocity coincides with the deep sediments above the Altiplano plateau. (3) The transition from the normal to flat subduction is characterized by a comparatively lower upper-mid crust velocity (3.2-3.4 km/s). The lower velocity zone also coincides with the highest topography (>4700 m) in the study area. (4) The mantle wedge velocity above the flat subduction (4.6-4.9 km/s) is higher than the surrounding mantle and the mantle above the normal subduction region (4.3-4.5 km/s). We deduce that the upper-mid crust above the transition of the slab geometry is probably more felsic, which can be due to the old volcanic activity during the normal-flat transition, and thus can more easily accommodate the crustal shortening. The lack of present volcanism above the flat subduction, however, could be explained by the high velocity anomaly related to the flat slab. It may indicate a cold environment, and thus the lack of mantle melting.

Altitude and configuration of the potentiometric surface in the Triassic sandstones and shales, northeastern Chester County, Pennsylvania, September 1987 through January 1988

USGS Publications Warehouse

Senior, Lisa A.; Garges, John A.

1989-01-01

The altitude of the water levels in the Triassic sandstones and shales in northeastern Chester County is shown on a map at a scale of 1:24,000. The map is based on water levels in 173 non-pumping drilled and dug wells measured in 1956 and 1965, and on the altitude of two springs that were flowing in November and December 1987. Water level altitudes are contoured at an interval of 20 ft. The surface defined by the contoured water levels may approximately represent the water table. Water table altitudes range from 379 ft to less than 80 ft above sea level. (USGS)

The Middle Jurassic Entrada Sandstone near Gallup, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robertson, J.F.; O'Sullivan, R. B.

2001-01-01

Near Gallup, New Mexico, the Middle Jurassic Entrada Sandstone consists of, in ascending order, the Iyanbito Member, the Rehoboth Member, and an upper sandstone member. The Rehoboth Member is named herein to replace the middle siltstone member, with a type section located 26 km east of Gallup. The Iyanbito Member has been erroneously equated with the Wingate Sandstone of northeast Arizona, and the Rehoboth Member has been miscorrelated with the Dewey Bridge Member of the Entrada in Utah. The Dewey Bridge is an older unit that does not extend into New Mexico. The Iyanbito Member, east of Gallup, overlies the J-2 unconformity and the eroded tops of the Owl Rock and Petrified Forest Members of the Chinle Formation. The Wingate Sandstone of the Lower Jurassic Glen Canyon Group overlies the J-0 unconformity and the underlying Rock Point Member (topmost unit) of the Chinle Formation in northeast Arizona. Both the Wingate Sandstone and the Rock Point Member are missing east of Gallup below the J-2 unconformity. Similarly, the Wingate is missing southwest of Gallup, near Lupton, Arizona, but the Rock Point Member is present and underlies the Iyanbito from Zuni northward to Toadlena, New Mexico. The Wingate and other formations of the Glen Canyon Group thin and wedge out southward and eastward in northeast Arizona. The J-2 unconformity truncates the Wingate Sandstone and the underlying J-0 unconformity, 5 km north of Toadlena.

Giant weathering pits in the Entrada Sandstone, southeastern Utah: Preliminary findings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Netoff, D.I.; Shroba, R.R.

Giant weathering pits formed in outcrops of the lower Entrada Sandstone slickrock of Jurassic age are present in two areas in the Glen Canyon region of arid southeastern Utah. The pits are far larger than any previously described in the geologic literature. The pits near Cookie Jar Butte are commonly cylindrical, typically have low width-to-depth ratios (1.5--3.6), and have a depth of closure of as much as 18 m. There are no obvious lithologic or structural controls that determine their shape or location. Many of the pits at Rock Creek Bay are elongate; several of them have long axes inmore » excess of 53 m, and the longest one is 74 m. Many of the pit walls are breached at the top, and the depth of closure is generally less than 6 m. The shapes of these pits are influenced by point orientation and pit coalescence. Thin-section analyses of near-surface sandstone cores taken near Cookie Jar Butte from pit walls, floors, and rims reveal no significant diagenetic alteration of the fine-grained to very fine frained quartzose sandstone (quartz arenite). Quartz grains appear fresh, and feldspar grains are only slightly weathered. The cement between the grains is mostly CaCO[sub 3]. In several of the pits in both areas sandy sediment veneers the bedrock floor. This sediment is similar in character to the adjacent sandstone and is probably locally derived. Possible origins of the giant pits include various physical, chemical, and biological weathering processes that initiate pit development, followed by excavation by plunge-pool action, wind deflation, dissolution, and piping. Preliminary field and laboratory data do not clearly identify and single process of group of processes that account for pit development.« less

Rayleigh-wave dispersion reveals crust-mantle decoupling beneath eastern Tibet.

PubMed

Legendre, Cédric P; Deschamps, Frédéric; Zhao, Li; Chen, Qi-Fu

2015-11-09

The Tibetan Plateau results from the collision of the Indian and Eurasian Plates during the Cenozoic, which produced at least 2,000 km of convergence. Its tectonics is dominated by an eastward extrusion of crustal material that has been explained by models implying either a mechanical decoupling between the crust and the lithosphere, or lithospheric deformation. Discriminating between these end-member models requires constraints on crustal and lithospheric mantle deformations. Distribution of seismic anisotropy may be inferred from the mapping of azimuthal anisotropy of surface waves. Here, we use data from the CNSN to map Rayleigh-wave azimuthal anisotropy in the crust and lithospheric mantle beneath eastern Tibet. Beneath Tibet, the anisotropic patterns at periods sampling the crust support an eastward flow up to 100°E in longitude, and a southward bend between 100°E and 104°E. At longer periods, sampling the lithospheric mantle, the anisotropic structures are consistent with the absolute plate motion. By contrast, in the Sino-Korean and Yangtze cratons, the direction of fast propagation remains unchanged throughout the period range sampling the crust and lithospheric mantle. These observations suggest that the crust and lithospheric mantle are mechanically decoupled beneath eastern Tibet, and coupled beneath the Sino-Korean and Yangtze cratons.

Biological soil crusts as an integral component of desert environments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Belnap, Jayne; Weber, Bettina

2013-01-01

The biology and ecology of biological soil crusts, a soil surface community of mosses, lichens, cyanobacteria, green algae, fungi, and bacteria, have only recently been a topic of research. Most efforts began in the western U.S. (Cameron, Harper, Rushforth, and St. Clair), Australia (Rogers), and Israel (Friedmann, Evenari, and Lange) in the late 1960s and 1970s (e.g., Friedmann et al. 1967; Evenari 1985reviewed in Harper and Marble 1988). However, these groups worked independently of each other and, in fact, were often not aware of each other’s work. In addition, biological soil crust communities were seen as more a novelty than a critical component of dryland ecosystems. Since then, researchers have investigated many different aspects of these communities and have shown that although small to microscopic, biological soil crusts are critical in many ecological processes of deserts. They often cover most of desert soil surfaces and substantially mediate inputs and outputs from desert soils (Belnap et al. 2003). They can be a large source of biodiversity for deserts, as they can contain more species than the surrounding vascular plant community (Rosentreter 1986). These communities are important in reducing soil erosion and increasing soil fertility through the capture of dust and the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen and carbon into forms available to other life forms (Elbert et al. 2012). Because of their many effects on soil characteristics, such as external and internal morphological characteristics, aggregate stability, soil moisture, and permeability, they also affect seed germination and establishment and local hydrological cycles. Covering up to 70% of the surface area in many arid and semi-arid regions around the world (Belnap and Lange 2003), biological soil crusts are a key component within desert environments.

Bacterial communities in pigmented biofilms formed on the sandstone bas-relief walls of the Bayon Temple, Angkor Thom, Cambodia.

PubMed

Kusumi, Asako; Li, Xianshu; Osuga, Yu; Kawashima, Arata; Gu, Ji-Dong; Nasu, Masao; Katayama, Yoko

2013-01-01

The Bayon temple in Angkor Thom, Cambodia has shown serious deterioration and is subject to the formation of various pigmented biofilms. Because biofilms are damaging the bas-reliefs, low reliefs engraved on the surface of sandstone, information about the microbial community within them is indispensable to control biofilm colonization. PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of biofilm samples from the pigmented sandstone surfaces showed that the bacterial community members in the biofilms differed clearly from those in the air and had low sequence similarity to database sequences. Non-destructive sampling of biofilm revealed novel bacterial groups of predominantly Rubrobacter in salmon pink biofilm, Cyanobacteria in chrome green biofilm, Cyanobacteria and Chloroflexi in signal violet biofilm, Chloroflexi in black gray biofilm, and Deinococcus-Thermus, Cyanobacteria, and Rubrobacter in blue green biofilm. Serial peeling-off of a thick biofilm by layers with adhesive sheets revealed a stratified structure: the blue-green biofilm, around which there was serious deterioration, was very rich in Cyanobacteria near the surface and Chloroflexi in deep layer below. Nitrate ion concentrations were high in the blue-green biofilm. The characteristic distribution of bacteria at different biofilm depths provides valuable information on not only the biofilm formation process but also the sandstone weathering process in the tropics.

Basin Excavation, Lower Crust, Composition, and Bulk Moon Mass balance in Light of a Thin Crust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jolliff, B. L.; Korotev, R. L.; Ziegler, R. A.

2013-01-01

New lunar gravity results from GRAIL have been interpreted to reflect an overall thin and low-density lunar crust. Accordingly, crustal thickness has been modeled as ranging from 0 to 60 km, with thinnest crust at the locations of Crisium and Moscoviense basins and thickest crust in the central farside highlands. The thin crust has cosmochemical significance, namely in terms of implications for the Moon s bulk composition, especially refractory lithophile elements that are strongly concentrated in the crust. Wieczorek et al. concluded that the bulk Moon need not be enriched compared to Earth in refractory lithophile elements such as Al. Less Al in the crust means less Al has been extracted from the mantle, permitting relatively low bulk lunar mantle Al contents and low pre- and post-crust-extraction values for the mantle (or the upper mantle if only the upper mantle underwent LMO melting). Simple mass-balance calculations using the method of [4] suggests that the same conclusion might hold for Th and the entire suite of refractory lithophile elements that are incompatible in olivine and pyroxene, including the KREEP elements, that are likewise concentrated in the crust.

Biosignatures of Hypersaline Environments (Salt Crusts) an Analog for Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, H. D.; Duncan, A. G.; Davilla, A. F.; McKay, C. P.

2016-05-01

Halophilic ecosystems are models for life in extreme environments including planetary surfaces such as Mars. Our research focuses on biosignatures in a salt crusts and the detection of these biomarkers by ground and orbital assests.

Late-time Cooling of Neutron Star Transients and the Physics of the Inner Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deibel, Alex; Cumming, Andrew; Brown, Edward F.; Reddy, Sanjay

2017-04-01

An accretion outburst onto a neutron star transient heats the neutron star’s crust out of thermal equilibrium with the core. After the outburst, the crust thermally relaxes toward equilibrium with the neutron star core, and the surface thermal emission powers the quiescent X-ray light curve. Crust cooling models predict that thermal equilibrium of the crust will be established ≈ 1000 {days} into quiescence. Recent observations of the cooling neutron star transient MXB 1659-29, however, suggest that the crust did not reach thermal equilibrium with the core on the predicted timescale and continued to cool after ≈ 2500 {days} into quiescence. Because the quiescent light curve reveals successively deeper layers of the crust, the observed late-time cooling of MXB 1659-29 depends on the thermal transport in the inner crust. In particular, the observed late-time cooling is consistent with a low thermal conductivity layer near the depth predicted for nuclear pasta that maintains a temperature gradient between the neutron star’s inner crust and core for thousands of days into quiescence. As a result, the temperature near the crust-core boundary remains above the critical temperature for neutron superfluidity, and a layer of normal neutrons forms in the inner crust. We find that the late-time cooling of MXB 1659-29 is consistent with heat release from a normal neutron layer near the crust-core boundary with a long thermal time. We also investigate the effect of inner crust physics on the predicted cooling curves of the accreting transient KS 1731-260 and the magnetar SGR 1627-41.

Characteristics of deltaic deposits in the Cretaceous Pierre Shale, Trinidad Sandstone, and Vermejo Formation, Raton Basin, Colorado.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flores, R.M.; Tur, S.M.

1982-01-01

Detailed facies analyses of closely spaced measured surface sections in the Trinidad and adjacent areas of Colorado reflect deposition in the river-influenced delta. That this deltaic system was accompanied by abandonment of subdeltas is indicated by a destructional-deltaic facies of heavily bioturbated, carbonaceous sandstones, siltstones, and shales best recorded in the delta front deposits of the Trinidad Sandstone. Coal accumulation of the Vermejo deposits nevertheless remained primarily controlled by persistent organic sedimentation in interdistributary backswamps. These backswamps, which accumulated thick, lenticular coals, were formed during the normal constructional phase of the delta plain. -from Authors

What do we really know about Earth's early crust?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudnick, R. L.; Tang, M.

2016-12-01

The oldest minerals on Earth, the detrital Hadean Jack Hills zircons from western Australia, show evidence for their crystallization from hydrous, low temperature, granitic magmas. However, considerable debate centers on whether the parental melts are minimum-melt granites formed in subduction zone settings and implying widespread, evolved continental crust (e.g., Harrison, 2009, AREPS), or crystallized from the last differentiates of mafic magmas (Darling et al., 2009, Geology), or even late differentiates of impact melt sheets on a largely water-covered Earth (Kenny et al., 2016, Geology). Another means by which to interrogate the nature of Earth's early crust is through analyses of ancient fine-grained terrigenous sedimentary rocks such as shales or glacial diamictites, which provide averages of the surface of the Earth that is exposed to chemical weathering and erosion. From these studies it has long been known that Archean crust contained a higher proportion of mafic rocks. However, only recently has that proportion been constrained based on a change in the average MgO content of the upper continental crust from 15 wt.% at 3.2 Ga, to 4 wt.% at 2.6 Ga (Tang et al., 2016, Science). These data for terrigeneous sediments require the pre 3.2 Ga crust to be dominated by mafic rocks (only 10-40% `granite' s.l.) and to be high-standing and susceptible to subareal weathering and erosion, implying the mafic crust was thick (see Tang and Rudnick, this meeting). The dramatic transition that occurred in upper crustal composition between 3.2 and 2.6 Ga likely marks the onset of widespread subduction as a means of generating voluminous granite.

Introduction to Biological Soil Crusts

Science.gov Websites

Introduction to Biological Soil Crusts In more arid regions, vegetative cover is generally sparse. Open spaces are usually covered by biological soil crusts, a highly specialized community of cyanobacteria, mosses , and lichens (Figure 1). Biological soil crusts are commonly found in semiarid and arid environments

A new model of lunar crust: asymmetry in crustal composition and evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arai, Tomoko; Takeda, Hiroshi; Yamaguchi, Akira; Ohtake, Makiko

2008-04-01

Earlier models of lunar crustal formation as a simple flotation of ferroan anorthosites (FAN) do not account for the diverse crustal composition revealed by feldspathic lunar meteorites and granulites in the Apollo samples. Based on the integrated results of recent studies of lunar meteorites and global chemical and mineralogical maps, we propose a novel asymmetric crust model with a ferroan, noritic, nearside crust and a magnesian, troctolitic farside crust. Asymmetric crystallization of a primordial magma ocean can be one possibility to produce a crust with an asymmetric composition. A post-magma-ocean origin for a portion of the lunar crust is also possible and would account for the positive eNd value for FAN and phase equilibria. The formation of giant basins, such as the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin may have significant effects on resurfacing of the early lunar crust. Thus, the observed surface composition of the feldspathic highland terrane (FHT) represents the combined results of magma ocean crystallization, post-magma-ocean magmatism and resurfacing by basin formation. The Mg/(Mg+Fe) ratios, rock types, and mineral compositions of the FHT and the South Pole-Aitken basin Terrane (SPAT) obtained from the KAGUYA mission, coupled with further mineralogical and isotopic studies of lunar meteorites, will facilitate an assessment of the feasibility of the proposed crust model and improve understanding of lunar crustal genesis and evolution.

Intrusion of Magmatic Bodies Into the Continental Crust: 3-D Numerical Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorczyk, Weronika; Vogt, Katharina

2018-03-01

Magma intrusion is a major material transfer process in the Earth's continental crust. Yet the mechanical behavior of the intruding magma and its host are a matter of debate. In this study we present a series of numerical thermomechanical simulations on magma emplacement in 3-D. Our results demonstrate the response of the continental crust to magma intrusion. We observe change in intrusion geometries between dikes, cone sheets, sills, plutons, ponds, funnels, finger-shaped and stock-like intrusions, and injection time. The rheology and temperature of the host are the main controlling factors in the transition between these different modes of intrusion. Viscous deformation in the warm and deep crust favors host rock displacement and plutons at the crust-mantle boundary forming deep-seated plutons or magma ponds in the lower to middle crust. Brittle deformation in the cool and shallow crust induces cone-shaped fractures in the host rock and enables emplacement of finger- or stock-like intrusions at shallow or intermediate depth. Here the passage of magmatic and hydrothermal fluids from the intrusion through the fracture pattern may result in the formation of ore deposits. A combination of viscous and brittle deformation forms funnel-shaped intrusions in the middle crust. Intrusion of low-density magma may more over result in T-shaped intrusions in cross section with magma sheets at the surface.

Mars primordial crust: unique sites for investigating proto-biologic properties.

PubMed

Perry, Randall S; Hartmann, William K

2006-12-01

The Martian meteorite collection suggests that intact outcrops or boulder-scale fragments of the 4.5 Ga Martian crust exist within tens of meters of the present day surface of Mars. Mars may be the only planet where such primordial crust samples, representing the first 100 Ma of a planet's environment, are available. The primordial crust has been destroyed on Earth by plate tectonics and other geological phenomena and is buried on the Moon under hundreds or thousands of meters of megaregoltih. Early Mars appears to have been remarkably similar to early Earth, and samples of rock from the first few Ma or first 100 Ma may reveal "missing link" proto-biological forms that could shed light on the transition from abiotic organic chemistry to living cells. Such organic snapshots of nascent life are unlikely to be found on Earth.

Lithostratigraphic controls on bedding-plane fractures and the potential for discrete groundwater flow through a siliciclastic sandstone aquifer, southern Wisconsin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swanson, Susan K.

2007-04-01

Outcrop-analog studies of the Upper Cambrian Tunnel City Group sandstones in southern Wisconsin show the utility of lithostratigraphic information in hydrostratigraphic studies of siliciclastic sandstone aquifers. Recent work supports the lateral continuity of discrete groundwater flow through these sandstones. Lithologic description of the Reno Member of the Lone Rock Formation (Tunnel City Group) in outcrop and core reveals repeating sequences of three dominant lithofacies, including flat-pebble intraclast conglomerate with a glauconite-rich matrix; glauconitic and feldspathic subquartzose sandstone with horizontal-planar, low-angle, and hummocky lamination; and feldspathic subquartzose sandstone with dolomite-filled burrows. The vertically stacked Reno Member sequences have been interpreted as having a storm-related origin, and they are laterally continuous on the scale of an outcrop. Horizontal fracture locations correlate with bedding planes at contacts between lithofacies. They are most commonly associated with the base of the flat-pebble intraclast conglomerate or with partings along laminae and erosional surfaces in the laminated subquartzose sandstone lithofacies. Sequences show upward increases in natural gamma radiation due to increasing potassium feldspar content. The incorporation of the detailed lithostratigraphic information allows a more accurate interpretation of borehole natural gamma logs where the rocks are buried and saturated and clarifies the role of sedimentary structures in the distribution of features that might promote discrete flow through these rocks.

Characterizing flow pathways in a sandstone aquifer at multiple depths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medici, Giacomo; West, Jared; Mountney, Nigel

2017-04-01

Sandstone aquifers are commonly assumed to represent porous media characterized by a permeable matrix. However, such aquifers may be heavily fractured where rock properties and timing of deformation favour brittle failure and crack opening. In many aquifer types, fractures associated with faults, bedding planes and stratabound joints represent preferential pathways for fluids and contaminants. This presentation reports well-test results and outcrop-scale studies that reveal how strongly lithified siliciclastic rocks may be entirely dominated by fracture flow at shallow depths (≤ 150 m), similar to limestone and crystalline aquifers. The Triassic St Bees Sandstone Formation of the UK East Irish Sea Basin represents an optimum succession for study of the influence of both sedimentary and tectonic aquifer heterogeneities in a strongly lithified sandstone aquifer-type. This sedimentary succession of fluvial origin accumulated in rapidly subsiding basins, which typically favour preservation of complete depositional cycles, including fine-grained mudstone and silty sandstone layers of floodplain origin interbedded with sandstone-dominated fluvial channel deposits. Vertical joints in the St Bees Sandstone Formation form a pervasive stratabound system whereby joints terminate at bedding-parallel discontinuities. Additionally, normal faults are present through the succession and record development of open-fractures in their damage zones. Here, the shallow aquifer (depth ≤150 m BGL) was characterized in outcrop and well tests. Fluid temperature, conductivity and flow-velocity logs record inflows and outflows from normal faults, as well as from pervasive bed-parallel fractures. Quantitative flow logging analyses in boreholes that cut fault planes indicate that zones of fault-related open fractures typically represent ˜ 50% of well transmissivity. The remaining flow component is dominated by bed-parallel fractures. However, such sub-horizontal fractures become the

Collisional stripping of planetary crusts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carter, Philip J.; Leinhardt, Zoë M.; Elliott, Tim; Stewart, Sarah T.; Walter, Michael J.

2018-02-01

Geochemical studies of planetary accretion and evolution have invoked various degrees of collisional erosion to explain differences in bulk composition between planets and chondrites. Here we undertake a full, dynamical evaluation of 'crustal stripping' during accretion and its key geochemical consequences. Crusts are expected to contain a significant fraction of planetary budgets of incompatible elements, which include the major heat producing nuclides. We present smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations of collisions between differentiated rocky planetesimals and planetary embryos. We find that the crust is preferentially lost relative to the mantle during impacts, and we have developed a scaling law based on these simulations that approximates the mass of crust that remains in the largest remnant. Using this scaling law and a recent set of N-body simulations of terrestrial planet formation, we have estimated the maximum effect of crustal stripping on incompatible element abundances during the accretion of planetary embryos. We find that on average approximately one third of the initial crust is stripped from embryos as they accrete, which leads to a reduction of ∼20% in the budgets of the heat producing elements if the stripped crust does not reaccrete. Erosion of crusts can lead to non-chondritic ratios of incompatible elements, but the magnitude of this effect depends sensitively on the details of the crust-forming melting process on the planetesimals. The Lu/Hf system is fractionated for a wide range of crustal formation scenarios. Using eucrites (the products of planetesimal silicate melting, thought to represent the crust of Vesta) as a guide to the Lu/Hf of planetesimal crust partially lost during accretion, we predict the Earth could evolve to a superchondritic 176Hf/177Hf (3-5 parts per ten thousand) at present day. Such values are in keeping with compositional estimates of the bulk Earth. Stripping of planetary crusts during accretion can lead to

Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy studies of Berea sandstone at high temperature

DOE PAGES

Davis, Eric S.; Sturtevant, Blake T.; Sinha, Dipen N.; ...

2016-09-04

Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy was used in this paper to determine the elastic moduli of Berea sandstone from room temperature to 478 K. Sandstone is a common component of oil reservoirs, and the temperature range was chosen to be representative of typical downhole conditions, down to about 8 km. In agreement with previous works, Berea sandstone was found to be relatively soft with a bulk modulus of approximately 6 GPa as compared to 37.5 GPa for α-quartz at room temperature and pressure. Finally, it was found that Berea sandstone undergoes a ~17% softening in bulk modulus between room temperature and 385more » K, followed by an abnormal behavior of similar stiffening between 385 K and 478 K.« less

Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy studies of Berea sandstone at high temperature

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davis, Eric S.; Sturtevant, Blake T.; Sinha, Dipen N.

Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy was used in this paper to determine the elastic moduli of Berea sandstone from room temperature to 478 K. Sandstone is a common component of oil reservoirs, and the temperature range was chosen to be representative of typical downhole conditions, down to about 8 km. In agreement with previous works, Berea sandstone was found to be relatively soft with a bulk modulus of approximately 6 GPa as compared to 37.5 GPa for α-quartz at room temperature and pressure. Finally, it was found that Berea sandstone undergoes a ~17% softening in bulk modulus between room temperature and 385more » K, followed by an abnormal behavior of similar stiffening between 385 K and 478 K.« less

Role of biological soil crusts in desert hydrology and geomorphology: Implications for military training operations

Treesearch

Steven D. Warren

2014-01-01

Biological soil crusts, composed of soil surfaces stabilized by a consortium of cyanobacteria, algae, fungi, lichens, and/or bryophytes, are common in most deserts and perform functions of primary productivity, nitrogen fixation, nutrient cycling, water redistribution, and soil stabilization. The crusts are highly susceptible to disturbance. The degree of perturbation...

High-Albedo Salt Crusts on the Tropical Ocean of Snowball Earth: Measurements and Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carns, R.; Light, B.; Warren, S. G.

2014-12-01

During a Snowball Earth event, almost all of the ocean surface first freezes as sea ice. As in modern sea ice, trapped inclusions of liquid brine permeate the ice cover. As the ice grows and cools, salt crystals precipitate within the inclusions. At -23C, the most abundant salt in seawater, sodium chloride, begins to precipitate as the dihydrate mineral hydrohalite (NaCl·2H2O). Crystals of hydrohalite within the sea ice scatter light. Measurements of cold, natural sea ice show a broadband albedo increase of 10-20% when salt precipitates. Such snow-free natural sea ice with a surface temperature below -23C is rare on modern Earth, but would have been common in tropical regions of a Snowball Earth where evaporation exceeded precipitation. The persistent cold and lack of summer melt on the Snowball ocean surface, combined with net evaporation, is hypothesized to yield lag deposits of hydrohalite crystals on the ice surface. To investigate this process, we prepared laboratory-grown sea ice in a 1000 liter tank in a walk-in freezer laboratory. The ice was cooled below -23 C and the surface sprayed with a 23% NaCl solution to create a layer of hydrohalite-enriched ice, a proxy for lag deposits that would have formed over long periods of surface sublimation. We have developed a novel technique for measuring the spectral albedo of ice surfaces in the laboratory; this technique was used to monitor the evolution of the surface albedo of our salt crust as the ice matrix sublimated away leaving a layer of fine-grained hydrohalite crystals. Measurements of this hydrohalite surface crust show a very high albedo, comparable to fresh snow at visible wavelengths and significantly larger than fresh snow at near infrared wavelengths. Broadband albedos are 0.55 for bare artificial sea ice at -30C, 0.75 for ice containing 25% hydrohalite by volume, 0.84 after five days of desiccation and 0.93 after 47 days of desiccation. Using our laboratory measurements, along with estimates of

Development of diagenetic seals in carbonates and sandstones

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schmidt, V.; Almon, W.

1983-03-01

Diagenetic seals effectively block the movement of reservoir hydrocarbons in many sandstone and carbonate rock units. Diagenetic seals in sandstones and carbonate rocks encase reservoir rocks with either depositional or diagenetic porosity. Diagenetic reservoir porosity may originate before or after the establishment of an effective diagenetic seal. Hydrocarbon traps with diagenetic seals may conform in their geometry as well to structure or stratigraphy as to diagenetic facies. Therefore, some structural and stratigraphic traps may, in part or entirely, depend on diagenetic seals. Detailed analysis of diagenetic seals in sandstones and carbonate rocks can considerably improve our ability to predict theirmore » occurrence and to recognize their spatial and temporal relationship to reservoir rocks and hydrocarbon migration.« less

What Hf isotopes in zircon tell us about crust-mantle evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iizuka, Tsuyoshi; Yamaguchi, Takao; Itano, Keita; Hibiya, Yuki; Suzuki, Kazue

2017-03-01

The 176Lu-176Hf radioactive decay system has been widely used to study planetary crust-mantle differentiation. Of considerable utility in this regard is zircon, a resistant mineral that can be precisely dated by the U-Pb chronometer and record its initial Hf isotope composition due to having low Lu/Hf. Here we review zircon U-Pb age and Hf isotopic data mainly obtained over the last two decades and discuss their contributions to our current understanding of crust-mantle evolution, with emphasis on the Lu-Hf isotope composition of the bulk silicate Earth (BSE), early differentiation of the silicate Earth, and the evolution of the continental crust over geologic history. Meteorite zircon encapsulates the most primitive Hf isotope composition of our solar system, which was used to identify chondritic meteorites best representative of the BSE (176Hf/177Hf = 0.282793 ± 0.000011; 176Lu/177Hf = 0.0338 ± 0.0001). Hadean-Eoarchean detrital zircons yield highly unradiogenic Hf isotope compositions relative to the BSE, providing evidence for the development of a geochemically enriched silicate reservoir as early as 4.5 Ga. By combining the Hf and O isotope systematics, we propose that the early enriched silicate reservoir has resided at depth within the Earth rather than near the surface and may represent a fractionated residuum of a magma ocean underlying the proto-crust, like urKREEP beneath the anorthositic crust on the Moon. Detrital zircons from world major rivers potentially provide the most robust Hf isotope record of the preserved granitoid crust on a continental scale, whereas mafic rocks with various emplacement ages offer an opportunity to trace the Hf isotope evolution of juvenile continental crust (from εHf[4.5 Ga] = 0 to εHf[present] = + 13). The river zircon data as compared to the juvenile crust composition highlight that the supercontinent cycle has controlled the evolution of the continental crust by regulating the rates of crustal generation and intra

Diagenesis Along Fractures in an Eolian Sandstone, Gale Crater, Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ming, D. W.; Yen, A. S.; Rampe, E. B.; Grotzinger, J. P.; Blake, D. F.; Bristow, T. F.; Chipera, S. J.; Downs, R.; Morris, R. V.; Morrison, S. M.;

Europa's Crust and Ocean: Origin, Composition, and the Prospects for Life

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kargel, J.S.; Kaye, J.Z.; Head, J. W.; Marion, G.M.; Sassen, R.; Crowley, J.K.; Ballesteros, O.P.; Grant, S.A.; Hogenboom, D.L.

2000-01-01

We have considered a wide array of scenarios for Europa's chemical evolution in an attempt to explain the presence of ice and hydrated materials on its surface and to understand the physical and chemical nature of any ocean that may lie below. We postulate that, following formation of the jovian system, the europan evolutionary sequence has as its major links: (a) initial carbonaceous chondrite rock, (b) global primordial aqueous differentiation and formation of an impure primordial hydrous crust, (c) brine evolution and intracrustal differentiation, (d) degassing of Europa's mantle and gas venting, (e) hydrothermal processes, and (f) chemical surface alteration. Our models were developed in the context of constraints provided by Galileo imaging, near infrared reflectance spectroscopy, and gravity and magnetometer data. Low-temperature aqueous differentiation from a carbonaceous CI or CM chondrite precursor, without further chemical processing, would result in a crust/ocean enriched in magnesium sulfate and sodium sulfate, consistent with Galileo spectroscopy. Within the bounds of this simple model, a wide range of possible layered structures may result; the final state depends on the details of intracrustal differentiation. Devolatilization of the rocky mantle and hydrothermal brine reactions could have produced very different ocean/crust compositions, e.g., an ocean/crust of sodium carbonate or sulfuric acid, or a crust containing abundant clathrate hydrates. Realistic chemical-physical evolution scenarios differ greatly in detailed predictions, but they generally call for a highly impure and chemically layered crust. Some of these models could lead also to lateral chemical heterogeneities by diapiric upwellings and/or cryovolcanism. We describe some plausible geological consequences of the physical-chemical structures predicted from these scenarios. These predicted consequences and observed aspects of Europa's geology may serve as a basis for further analys is

Petroleum geology of Carter sandstone (upper Mississippian), Black Warrior Basin, Alabama

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bearden, B.L.; Mancini, E.A.

1985-03-01

The presence of combination petroleum traps makes the Black Warrior basin of northwestern Alabama an attractive area for continued hydrocarbon exploration. More than 1,500 wells have been drilled, and more than 90 separate petroleum pools have been discovered. The primary hydrocarbon reservoirs are Upper Mississippian sandstones. The Carter sandstone is the most productive petroleum reservoir in the basin. Productivity of the Carter sandstone is directly related to its environment of deposition. The Carter accumulated within a high constructive elongate to lobate delta, which prograded into the basin from the northwest to the southeast. Carter bar-finger and distal-bar lithofacies constitute themore » primary hydrocarbon reservoirs. Primary porosity in the Carter sandstone has been reduced by quartz overgrowths and calcite cementation. Petroleum traps in the Carter sandstone in central Fayette and Lamar Counties, Alabama, are primarily stratigraphic and combination (structural-stratigraphic) traps. The potential is excellent for future development of hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Upper Mississippian Carter sandstone. Frontier regions south and east of the known productive limits of the Black Warrior basin are ideal areas for continued exploration.« less

Temporal dynamics of flooding, evaporation, and desiccation cycles and observations of salt crust area change at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowen, Brenda B.; Kipnis, Evan L.; Raming, Logan W.

2017-12-01

The Bonneville Salt Flats (BSF) in Utah is a dynamic saline playa environment responding to natural and anthropogenic forces. Over the last century, the saline groundwater from below BSF has been harvested to produce potash via evaporative mining, mostly used as agricultural fertilizers, while the surface halite crust has provided a significant recreational site for land speed racing. Perceptions of changes in the salt crust through time have spurred debates about land use and management; however, little is known about the timescales of natural change as the salt crust responds to climatic parameters that drive flooding, evaporation, and desiccation (FED) cycles that control surface salt growth and dissolution. Climate data over the last 30 years are examined to identify annual patterns in surface water balance at BSF to identify annual and seasonal climate constraints on FED cycles. Landsat satellite data from 1986 to the present are used to map the areal extent of the surface halite salt crust at BSF at the end of the desiccation season (between August 15 and October 30) annually. Overall, the observed area of the desiccation-stage BSF halite crust has varied from a maximum of 156 km2 in 1993 to a minimum of 72 km2 in 2014 with an overall trend of declining area of halite observed over the 30 years of analysis. Climatic variables that influence FED cycles and seasonal salt dissolution and precipitation have also varied through this time period; however, the relationship between surface water fluxes and salt crust area do not clearly correlate, suggesting that other processes are influencing the extent of the salt. Intra-annual analyses of salt area and weather illustrate the importance of ponded surface water, wind events, and microtopography in shaping a laterally extensive but thin and ephemeral halite crust. Examination of annual to decadal changes in salt crust extent and environmental parameters at BSF provides insights into the processes driving change and

Magnetization of the Lunar Crust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carley, R. A.; Whaler, K. A.; Purucker, M. E.; Halekas, J. S.

2012-01-01

Magnetic fields measured by the satellite Lunar Prospector show large scale features resulting from remanently magnetized crust. Vector data synthesized at satellite altitude from a spherical harmonic model of the lunar crustal field, and the radial component of the magnetometer data, have been used to produce spatially continuous global magnetization models for the lunar crust. The magnetization is expressed in terms of localized basis functions, with a magnetization solution selected having the smallest root-mean square magnetization for a given fit to the data, controlled by a damping parameter. Suites of magnetization models for layers with thicknesses between 10 and 50 km are able to reproduce much of the input data, with global misfits of less than 0.5 nT (within the uncertainties of the data), and some surface field estimates. The magnetization distributions show robust magnitudes for a range of model thicknesses and damping parameters, however the magnetization direction is unconstrained. These global models suggest that magnetized sources of the lunar crust can be represented by a 30 km thick magnetized layer. Average magnetization values in magnetized regions are 30-40 mA/m, similar to the measured magnetizations of the Apollo samples and significantly weaker than crustal magnetizations for Mars and the Earth. These are the first global magnetization models for the Moon, providing lower bounds on the magnitude of lunar crustal magnetization in the absence of multiple sample returns, and can be used to predict the crustal contribution to the lunar magnetic field at a particular location.

Drilling history and stratigraphic correlation of Rose Run sandstone of northeastern Ohio

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moyer, C.C.

1988-08-01

To date, 40 known tests have penetrated the Knox unconformity in Ashtabula, Lake, Trumbull, Geauga, and Portage Counties, Ohio. Prior to 1980, there were only 22 tests. Of these, only 10 penetrated and logged rocks older than the Rose Run sandstone. In the period 1980-1986, two Rose Run discoveries were drilled, one in New Lyme Township of Ashtabula County and one in Burton Township of Geauga County. Both discovery wells have been offset. Attempts have been made to correlate these two areas with older tests in northeastern Ohio and with the Rose Run sandstones of Coshocton County. In northeastern Ohio,more » preliminary studies indicate a Rose Run sandstone and/or dolomite interval approximately 100 ft thick. The upper 50 ft is predominantly sandstone and the lower 50 ft changes locally from sandstone to dolomite. The upper sandy member can be correlated to the A, B, and C sandstone units of Coshocton County.« less

Diffuse degassing through magmatic arc crust (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manning, C. E.; Ingebritsen, S.

2013-12-01

The crust of magmatic arcs plays an important role in the volatile cycle at convergent margins. The fluxes of subduction- and arc-related volatiles such as H2O, C, Cl, S are poorly known. It is commonly believed that gases emitted from volcanoes account nearly quantitatively for the volatiles that cross the Moho beneath the volcanic front. This volcanic degassing may occur during eruption, emission from summit fumaroles and hot springs, or more 'diffuse' delivery to volcano flanks. However, several observations suggest that volatiles also transit arc crust by even more diffuse pathways, which could account for significant volatile loss on long time and length scales. Active metamorphism of arc crust produces crustal-scale permeability that is sufficient to transport a large volume of subducted volatiles (Ingebritsen and Manning, 2002, PNAS, 99, 9113). Arc magmas may reach volatile saturation deeper than the maximum depths recorded by melt inclusions (e.g., Blundy et al., 2010, EPSL, 290, 289), and exhumed sections of magmatic arc crust typically record voluminous plutons reflecting magma crystallization and volatile loss at depths well below the volcanic edifice. At shallower depths, topographically driven meteoric groundwater systems can absorb magmatic volatiles and transport them laterally by tens of km (e.g., James et al., 1999, Geology, 27, 823; Evans et al., 2002, JVGR, 114, 291). Hydrothermal ore deposits formed at subvolcanic depths sequester vast amounts of volatiles, especially sulfur, that are only returned to the surface on the time scale of exhumation and/or erosion. Water-rich metamorphic fluids throughout the crust can readily carry exsolved volcanic gases because the solubilities of volatile bearing minerals such as calcite, anhydrite, and fluorite are quite high at elevated pressure and temperature (e.g., Newton and Manning, 2002, Am Min, 87, 1401; 2005, J Pet, 46, 701; Tropper and Manning, 2007, Chem Geol, 242, 299). Taken together, these

Biological soil crust and disturbance controls on surface hydrology in a semi-arid ecosystem

USGS Publications Warehouse

Faist, Akasha M; Herrick, Jeffrey E.; Belnap, Jayne; Van Zee, Justin W; Barger, Nichole N

2017-01-01

Biological soil crust communities (biocrusts) play an important role in surface hydrologic processes in dryland ecosystems, and these processes may then be dramatically altered with soil surface disturbance. In this study, we examined biocrust hydrologic responses to disturbance at different developmental stages on sandy soils on the Colorado Plateau. Our results showed that all disturbance (trampling, scalping and trampling+scalping) of the early successional light cyanobacterial biocrusts generally reduced runoff. In contrast, trampling well-developed dark-cyano-lichen biocrusts increased runoff and sediment loss relative to intact controls. Scalping did not increase runoff, implying that soil aggregate structure was important to the infiltration process. Well-developed, intact dark biocrusts generally had lower runoff, low sediment loss, and highest aggregate stability whereas the less-developed light biocrusts were highest in runoff and sediment loss when compared to the controls. These results suggest the importance of maintaining the well-developed dark biocrusts, as they are beneficial for lowering runoff and reducing soil loss and redistribution on the landscape. These data also suggest that upslope patches of light biocrust may either support water transport to downslope vegetation patches or alternatively this runoff may place dark biocrust patches at risk of disruption and loss, given that light patches increase runoff and thus soil erosion potential.

Magnetization of the oceanic crust - Thermoremanent magnetization of chemical remanent magnetization?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raymond, C. A.; Labrecque, J. L.

1987-01-01

A model was proposed in which chemical remanent magnetization (CRM) acquired within the first 20 Ma of crustal evolution may account for 80 percent of the bulk natural remanent magnetization (NRM) of older basalts. The CRM of the crust is acquired as the original thermoremanent magnetization (TRM) is lost through low temperature alteration. The CRM intensity and direction are controlled by the post-emplacement polarity history. This model explains several independent observations concerning the magnetization of the oceanic crust. The model accounts for amplitude and skewness dicrepancies observed in both the intermediate wavelength satellite field and the short wavelength sea surface magnetic anomaly pattern. It also explains the decay of magnetization away from the spreading axis, and the enhanced magnetization of the Cretaceous Quiet Zones while predicting other systematic variations with age in the bulk magnetization of the oceanic crust. The model also explains discrepancies in the anomaly skewness parameter observed for anomalies of Cretaceous age. Further studies indicate varying rates of TRM decay in very young crust which depicts the advance of low temperature alteration through the magnetized layer.

Influence of Disturbance on Soil Respiration in Biologically Crusted Soil during the Dry Season

PubMed Central

Feng, Wei; Zhang, Yu-qing; Wu, Bin; Zha, Tian-shan; Jia, Xin; Qin, Shu-gao; Shao, Chen-xi; Liu, Jia-bin; Lai, Zong-rui; Fa, Ke-yu

2013-01-01

Soil respiration (Rs) is a major pathway for carbon cycling and is a complex process involving abiotic and biotic factors. Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are a key biotic component of desert ecosystems worldwide. In desert ecosystems, soils are protected from surface disturbance by BSCs, but it is unknown whether Rs is affected by disturbance of this crust layer. We measured Rs in three types of disturbed and undisturbed crusted soils (algae, lichen, and moss), as well as bare land from April to August, 2010, in Mu Us desert, northwest China. Rs was similar among undisturbed soils but increased significantly in disturbed moss and algae crusted soils. The variation of Rs in undisturbed and disturbed soil was related to soil bulk density. Disturbance also led to changes in soil organic carbon and fine particles contents, including declines of 60–70% in surface soil C and N, relative to predisturbance values. Once BSCs were disturbed, Q 10 increased. Our findings indicate that a loss of BSCs cover will lead to greater soil C loss through respiration. Given these results, understanding the disturbance sensitivity impact on Rs could be helpful to modify soil management practices which promote carbon sequestration. PMID:24453845

Sequestration of volatiles in the martian crust through hydrated minerals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mustard, J. F.; Ehlmann, B. L.; Poulet, F.; Fraeman, A. A.; Carter, J.

2011-12-01

The magnitude and history of volatile reservoirs is a key question in understanding Mars' evolution. The volumes of reservoirs for water through time have been estimated on the basis of morphology (e.g. Carr 1996) and modeling while the volume of active identifiable modern reservoirs such as the polar caps, the near-surface cryosphere, and the atmosphere are reasonably well known. One reservoir that has been hypothesized but not examined is the crust where water would be in the form of hydrous minerals. The OMEGA and CRISM experiments on Mars Express and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter respectively, have shown that phyllosilicate minerals are commonly observed in the Noachian crust of Mars. Modeling has shown that depending on the location the abundance of clays and phyllosilicates can exceed 50% but more typically is less or absent, particularly in the Hesperian and younger terrains (Poulet 2007). Phyllosilicate-bearing outcrops have been observed in the deepest wall exposures of Valles Marineris (8 km below the rim) and in the central peaks of impact craters as large of 100 km. Modeling suggests that the porosity of the crust in maintained to approximate 8-10 km depth permitting the circulation of water to this depth and formation of phyllosilicate and other hydrated minerals. Based on these and other observations it is evident that at least the top 10 km of the crust can be considered to contain hydrated silicate minerals. These observations also show that phyllosilicates are globally present in Noachian crust. We use altered oceanic crust as an analog for the amount of alteration on Mars. Analyses show that the average volume fraction of hydrous phases in the lower oceanic crust is 10%. Simple calculations show this results in a water content of between 1 - 3%. If the upper 10 km of the martian crust is altered to this extent then a global equivalent thickness (GET) of water of 0.3 to 0.9 km is stored in the crust due to alteration minerals. This is comparable to

Quantification of the effects of secondary matrix on the analysis of sandstone composition, and a petrographic-chemical technique for retrieving original framework grain modes of altered sandstones.

PubMed

Cox, R; Lowe, D R

1996-05-01

Most studies of sandstone provenance involve modal analysis of framework grains using techniques that exclude the fine-grained breakdown products of labile mineral grains and rock fragments, usually termed secondary matrix or pseudomatrix. However, the data presented here demonstrate that, when the proportion of pseudomatrix in a sandstone exceeds 10%, standard petrographic analysis can lead to incorrect provenance interpretation. Petrographic schemes for provenance analysis such as QFL and QFR should not therefore be applied to sandstones containing more than 10% secondary matrix. Pseudomatrix is commonly abundant in sandstones, and this is therefore a problem for provenance analysis. The difficulty can be alleviated by the use of whole-rock chemistry in addition to petrographic analysis. Combination of chemical and point-count data permits the construction of normative compositions that approximate original framework grain compositions. Provenance analysis is also complicated in many cases by fundamental compositional alteration during weathering and transport. Many sandstones, particularly shallow marine deposits, have undergone vigorous reworking, which may destroy unstable mineral grains and rock fragments. In such cases it may not be possible to retrieve provenance information by either petrographic or chemical means. Because of this, pseudomatrix-rich sandstones should be routinely included in chemical-petrological provenance analysis. Because of the many factors, both pre- and post-depositional, that operate to increase the compositional maturity of sandstones, petrologic studies must include a complete inventory of matrix proportions, grain size and sorting parameters, and an assessment of depositional setting.

The effect of organic acids on wettability of sandstone and carbonate rocks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mwangi, Paulina; Brady, Patrick V.; Radonjic, Mileva

This paper examines the role of crude oil’s organic acid surface active compounds (SAC) in determining the reservoir wettability over a range of salinities and temperatures. To isolate the effects of individual SACs, this project used model oil mixtures of pure decane and single SACs to represent the oleic phase. Due to the large number of experiments in this study, we used wettability measurement method by the modified flotation technique (MFT) to produce fast, reliable, and quantitative results. The results showed that oil wetting by decane increased with temperature for carbonate rocks. Sandstones oil wetting showed little temperature dependency. Themore » presence of long-chained acids in decane increased oil wetting in sandstone and carbonate rocks as salinity was lowered, while the short-chained acid increased water wetting under the same conditions. The effect of organic acids on wettability was slightly enhanced with increasing temperature for all rock types.« less

The effect of organic acids on wettability of sandstone and carbonate rocks

DOE PAGES

Mwangi, Paulina; Brady, Patrick V.; Radonjic, Mileva; ...

2018-02-21

This paper examines the role of crude oil’s organic acid surface active compounds (SAC) in determining the reservoir wettability over a range of salinities and temperatures. To isolate the effects of individual SACs, this project used model oil mixtures of pure decane and single SACs to represent the oleic phase. Due to the large number of experiments in this study, we used wettability measurement method by the modified flotation technique (MFT) to produce fast, reliable, and quantitative results. The results showed that oil wetting by decane increased with temperature for carbonate rocks. Sandstones oil wetting showed little temperature dependency. Themore » presence of long-chained acids in decane increased oil wetting in sandstone and carbonate rocks as salinity was lowered, while the short-chained acid increased water wetting under the same conditions. The effect of organic acids on wettability was slightly enhanced with increasing temperature for all rock types.« less

Archean upper crust transition from mafic to felsic marks the onset of plate tectonics.

PubMed

Tang, Ming; Chen, Kang; Rudnick, Roberta L

2016-01-22

The Archean Eon witnessed the production of early continental crust, the emergence of life, and fundamental changes to the atmosphere. The nature of the first continental crust, which was the interface between the surface and deep Earth, has been obscured by the weathering, erosion, and tectonism that followed its formation. We used Ni/Co and Cr/Zn ratios in Archean terrigenous sedimentary rocks and Archean igneous/metaigneous rocks to track the bulk MgO composition of the Archean upper continental crust. This crust evolved from a highly mafic bulk composition before 3.0 billion years ago to a felsic bulk composition by 2.5 billion years ago. This compositional change was attended by a fivefold increase in the mass of the upper continental crust due to addition of granitic rocks, suggesting the onset of global plate tectonics at ~3.0 billion years ago. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Snow and Ice Crust Changes over Northern Eurasia since 1966

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulygina, O.; Groisman, P. Y.; Razuvaev, V.; Radionov, V.

2009-12-01

When temperature of snow cover reaches zero Celsius first time since its establishment, snowmelt starts. In many parts of the world this process can be lengthy. The initial amount of heat that “arrives” to the snowpack might be insufficient for complete snowmelt, during the colder nights re-freeze of the melted snow may occur (thus creating the ice crust layers), and a new cold front (or the departure of the warm front that initiated melt) can decrease temperatures below the freezing point again and stop the snowmelt completely. It well can be that first such snowmelt occurs in winter (thaw day) and for several months thereafter snowpack stays on the ground. However, even the first such melt initiates a process of snow metamorphosis on its surface changing snow albedo and generating snow crust as well as on its bottom generating ice crust. Once emerged, the crusts will not disappear until the complete snowmelt. Furthermore, these crusts have numerous pathways of impact on the wild birds and animals in the Arctic environment as well as on domesticated reindeers. In extreme cases, the crusts may kill some wild species and prevent reindeers’ migration and feeding. Ongoing warming in high latitudes created situations when in the western half of Eurasian continent days with thaw became more frequent. Keeping in mind potential detrimental impacts of winter thaws and associated with them snow/ice crust development, it is worthwhile to study directly what are the major features of snow and ice crust over Eurasia and what is their dynamics. For the purpose of this study, we employed the national snow survey data set archived at the Russian Institute for Hydrometeorological Information. The dataset has routine snow surveys run throughout the cold season each decade (during the intense snowmelt, each 5 days) at all meteorological stations of the former USSR, thereafter, in Russia since 1966. Prior to 1966 snow surveys are also available but the methodology of

Density Sorting During the Evolution of Continental Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelemen, P. B.; Behn, M. D.; Hacker, B. R.

2015-12-01

We consider two settings - in addition to "delamination" of arc lower crust - in which dense, mafic eclogites founder into the convecting mantle while buoyant, felsic lithologies accumulate at the base of evolving continental crust. Arc processes play a central role in generating continental crust, but it remains uncertain how basaltic arc crust is transformed to andesitic continental crust. Dense, SiO2-poor products of fractionation may founder from the base of arc crust by "delamination", but lower arc crust after delamination has significantly different trace elements compared to lower continental crust (LCC). In an alternative model, buoyant magmatic rocks generated at arcs are first subducted, mainly via subduction erosion. Upon heating, these buoyant lithologies ascend through the mantle wedge or along a subduction channel, and are "relaminated" at
the base of overlying crust (e.g., Hacker et al EPSL 11, AREPS 15). Average buoyant lavas and plutons
for the Aleutians, Izu-Bonin-Marianas, Kohistan and Talkeetna arcs fall within the range of estimated LCC major and trace elements. Relamination is more efficient in generating continental crust than delamination. Himalayan cross-sections show Indian crust thrust beneath Tibetan crust, with no intervening mantle. There is a horizontal Moho at ca 80 km depth, extending from thickened Indian crust, across the region where Tibetan crust overlies Indian crust, into thickened Tibetan crust. About half the subducted Indian crust is present, whereas the other half is missing. Data (Vp/Vs; Miocene lavas formed by interaction of continental crust with mantle; xenolith thermometry) indicate 1000°C or more from ca 50 km depth to the Moho since the Miocene. We build on earlier studies (LePichon et al Tectonics 92, T'phys 97; Schulte-Pelkum et al Nature 05; Monsalve et al JGR 08) to advance the hypothesis that rapid growth of garnet occurs at 70-80 km and 1000°C within subducting Indian crust. Dense eclogites founder

Structures and processes of biological soil crusts during initial ecosystem genesis of an artificial watershed in Lusatia, NE Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spröte, Roland; Fischer, Thomas; Veste, Maik; Yair, Aaron; Wiehe, Wolfgang; Lange, Philipp; Bens, Oliver; Raab, Thomas; Hüttl, Reinhard F.

2010-05-01

The influence of biological soil crusts (BSC) in natural ecosystems on structures and processes is well investigated. In southern Brandenburg (NE Germany) it was possible to study the development of BSCs during initial ecosystem genesis on the artificial water catchment 'Hühnerwasser'. The experimental site is located in the recultivation area of the lignite open-cast mining district of southern Brandenburg (Germany). The geomorphological differentiation at the site was related to crust development, where substrate-dependent water availability defined the crust types. The mosaic-like pattern of the BSCs was associated with the distribution of fine-grained material. We defined three types if BSC: (a) initial cyanobacterial crusts (BSC-I), (b) cyanobacterial and green algae crusts on the soil surface (BSC-CG) and (c) crusts with mosses (BSC-M) between dense vegetation. The chlorophyll A content as an index for the biomass of the cryptogams increased significantly with crust type from 0.97 mg m-2 (BSC-I), 6.34 mg m-2 (BSC-CG) to 13.32 mg m-2(BSC-M). The sandy substrates with high contents of silt and clay were poorly sorted and spatially re-distributed by fluvial and aeolian processes. The contents of silt and clay were 15.9%-23.8% in the cyanobacterial crusts (BSC-I, BSC-CG) and 30.5% in the moss-crust (BSC-M). The pH values were about 7 (neutral) in all BSCs. The heighest Corg contents were found in BSC-CG (0.51%), but were not significantly lower in BSC-I (0.47%) and BSC-M (0.44%), where Corg concentrations of the original substrate ranged from 0.16 to 0.22% at construction of the catchment. The BSC types were very heterogeneously distributed and developed. Different crust types occurred in small-scale patches. Cyanobacteria which exude mucilaginous material and the rhizoids and protonemata of mosses contributed to aggregating sand grains and enhanced the topsoil stability. Furthermore, filamentous cyanobacteria and algae partially filled in the matrix pores and

Urban decay of trachyte: correlating crust composition with air quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Germinario, Luigi; Maritan, Lara; Mazzoli, Claudio; Siegesmund, Siegfried

2017-04-01

Decay of trachyte in the urban built environment was investigated on the Renaissance city walls of Padua, in northern Italy. They were raised by the Republic of Venice Serenissima in the 16th century for defending its most important mainland center, using trachyte of the Euganean Hills as building stone, a subvolcanic porphyritic rock quarried nearby. Weathering crusts and patinas were sampled on trachyte exposed surfaces and analyzed by optical microscopy, SEM, EDS mapping, XRD and LA-ICPMS, in order to determine their mineralogical and microstructural features, and major- and trace-element chemical composition. The results were placed in direct correlation with quantitative environmental parameters, in particular concerning air quality and anthropogenic emission of pollutants, either measured or modelled. Influence of the specific composition of trachyte and other neighboring materials was explored as well. The weathering layers on trachyte turned out to be mainly originated by exogenous processes. The enrichment in carbon and heavy metals (lead, arsenic, chromium, nickel, cadmium, antimony, bismuth etc.) is traced back to deposition of particulate matter from road traffic and domestic combustion of woody biomass; a secondary source is industrial processes in Padua and Venice-Porto Marghera, one of the biggest coastal industrial zones in Europe. The crystalline matrix of the crusts and patinas is typically formed by carbonates, especially calcite: since their concentration is negligible in the host rock, their near-surface abundance can be explained mostly by leaching of calcium from neighboring lime-mortar joints, and its mobilization and reprecipitation on trachyte according to local pH fluctuations. It is worth noting that the calcite layers may even promote growth of gypsum crusts, but their occurrence is seldom though. The sole significant intrinsic factor of trachyte alteration is related to dissolution of iron from biotite and other Fe-bearing phases

Mobility of partially molten crust, heat and mass transfer, and the stabilization of continents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teyssier, Christian; Whitney, Donna L.; Rey, Patrice F.

2017-04-01

The core of orogens typically consists of migmatite terrains and associated crustal-derived granite bodies (typically leucogranite) that represent former partially molten crust. Metamorphic investigations indicate that migmatites crystallize at low pressure (cordierite stability) but also contain inclusions of refractory material (mafic, aluminous) that preserve evidence of crystallization at high pressure (HP), including HP granulite and eclogite (1.0-1.5 GPa), and in some cases ultrahigh pressure (2.5-3.0 GPa) when the continental crust was subducted (i.e. Norwegian Caledonides). These observations indicate that the partially molten crust originates in the deep crust or at mantle depths, traverses the entire orogenic crust, and crystallizes at shallow depth, in some cases at the near-surface ( 2 km depth) based on low-T thermochronology. Metamorphic assemblages generally show that this nearly isothermal decompression is rapid based on disequilibrium textures (symplectites). Therefore, the mobility of partially molten crust results in one of the most significant heat and mass transfer mechanisms in orogens. Field relations also indicate that emplacement of partially molten crust is the youngest major event in orogeny, and tectonic activity essentially ceases after the partially molten crust is exhumed. This suggests that flow and emplacement of partially molten crust stabilize the orogenic crust and signal the end of orogeny. Numerical modeling (open source software Underworld; Moresi et al., 2007, PEPI 163) provides useful insight into the mechanisms of exhumation of partially molten crust. For example, extension of thickened crust with T-dependent viscosity shows that extension of the shallow crust initially drives the mobility of the lowest viscosity crust (T>700°C), which begins to flow in a channel toward the zone of extension. This convergent flow generates channel collision and the formation of a double-dome of foliation (two subdomes separated by a steep

Hydropressure tongues within regionally geopressured lower Tuscaloosa sandstone, Tuscaloosa trend, Louisiana

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McCulloh, R.P.; Purcell, M.D.

1983-09-01

A regional study of the Tuscaloosa Formation in Louisiana, undertaken to assess geopressured-geothermal potential, revealed lobate, downdip extensions of the hydropressured zone in lower Tuscaloosa massive sandstone facies below the regional top of geopressure. Normal pressure zones within geopressured section were identified by drilling-mud weights less than 13 lb/gal on electric logs of massive lower Tuscaloosa sandstone; cross section demonstrated updip continuity of these zones with the regional hydropressured zone. These hydropressure tongues are permitted by the anomalously high permeabilities reported from the deep Tuscaloosa trend, and they are attributed to both primary and secondary porosity by investigators of Tuscaloosamore » sandstone petrography. The hydropressure tongues correspond with lobes of thick net sandstone, principally in Pointe Coupee, East Felinicana, East Baton Rouge, and Livingston Parishes in the central Tuscaloosa trend. Limited control suggests at least one hydropressure tongue in the Chandeleur Sound area to the east. Dimensions of hydropressure tongues range up to 27 km (17 mi) parallel to srike and 17 km (11 mi) oblique to strike. In many places, tongues are terminated downdip by faults, which, by acting as pressure seals, prevent the tongues from extending to the downdip edge of the massive sandstone in the expanded sections of the downthrown blocks. The areal extent of geopressured Tuscaloosa sandstone is controlled updip by these fault zones, and downdip by pinch-out of the sandstone units basinward. Local hydropressure tongues diminish the geopressured-geothermal potential of the Tuscaloosa trend, but show no discernible relation to gas-productive areas.« less

Seismic properties of the crust and uppermost mantle of North America

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Braile, L. W.; Hinze, W. J.; Vonfrese, R. R. B.; Keller, G. R.

1983-01-01

Seismic refraction profiles for the North American continent were compiled. The crustal models compiled data on the upper mantle seismic velocity (P sub n), the crustal thickness (H sub c) and the average seismic velocity of the crystalline crust (V sub p). Compressional wave parameters were compared with shear wave data derived from surface wave dispersion models and indicate an average value for Poisson's ratio of 0.252 for the crust and of 0.273 for the uppermost mantle. Contour maps illustrate lateral variations in crustal thickness, upper mantle velocity and average seismic velocity of the crystalline crust. The distribution of seismic parameters are compared with a smoothed free air anomaly map of North America and indicate that a complidated mechanism of isostatic compensation exists for the North American continent. Several features on the seismic contour maps also correlate with regional magnetic anomalies.

Material properties of Godula sandstones and forms and reasons of their deterioration in constructions in industrial environment of the Ostrava region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vavro, Martin; Souček, Kamil; Martinec, Petr; Vavro, Leona; Handzelová, Barbora

2015-04-01

The Upper Cretaceous green glauconitic sandstones, referred to as Godula or Těšín sandstones according to their stratigraphic position or area of mining, represent a traditional building and decorative stone widely used since the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries in constructions in the industrial region of Ostrava and adjacent part of the Těšín Silesia. In terms of their physical and mechanical properties, the sandstones can be characterized by high values of bulk density, low absorption capacity and low total porosity, high abrasion resistance, high to very high values of strength properties and high fracture toughness. Due to their high compactness and strength, they can get relatively good polish, as one of few sandstones mined in the Czech Republic. However, in contrast to high quality of physical and mechanical properties of the Godula sandstones, degree of their durability in the case of exterior use is often very low. Already after 5 to 10 years of exposure to weather, moreover in combination with road salting, almost total surface decay of the stone can occur. In order to determine the reasons of usually very rapid degradation of the Godula sandstones in exterior conditions, time-dependent water saturation and evaporation, and size distribution and shape parameters of rock pore space were determined using the Hg-porosimetry and the X-Ray computed micro-tomography. It has been found that typical for the Godula sandstones is a closed pore space with domination of small pores (<500 nm) of configurative and cemented type in the matrix with gradual saturation of pores by water and retardation of evaporation from the rock surface. Therefore, there is high probability of water retention in the pore system with all consequences on rock stability, for example, due to freezing and thawing. The process of stone weathering can also be encouraged by the chemistry of authigenic glauconite which is a typical mineral component of the Godula sandstones, as well as

Analyzing the Sand-fixing Effect of Feldspathic Sandstone from the Texture Characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, lu; Ban, Jichang

2018-01-01

The purpose of this research was aimed to study the sand fixing effect of feldspathic sandstone in Mu Us Sandy Land, to provide a scienticic basis for desertification control, soil and water conservation and development of farming there. Methods of mixing feldspathic sandstone and aeolian sandy soil according to 1: 0, 1: 1, 1: 2, 1: 5, and 0: 1 mass ratioes, the graded composition and characteristics were studied with laser particle size analyzer. The result showed that these features of sand-based, loosely structured, easy to wind erosion of aeolian sandy soil were changed before feldspathic sandstone and aeolian sandy soil compounding. The <0.05 mm particle mass increased with feldspathic sandstone mass increasing. The texture presented this kind of change from sand to sandy loam to loam to silt loam. The small particle size distribution, good homogeneity and other features of aeolian sandy soil were improved to a certain degree, and the particle size distribution became broad before feldspathic sandstone and aeolian sandy soil compounding. The particle grading was continuous, and the grading characteristic was good when m(F): m(S) was 1: 5(Cu was 54.71 and Cc was 2.54) or when m(F): m(S) was 1: 2(Cu was 76.21, Cc was 1.12). The conclusion is that feldspathic sandstone has sand-fixing effect in texture characteristics, which heightens with feldspathic sandstone mass increasing, and when the mass ratio of feldspathic sandstone: aeolian sandy soil is 1: 2 or 1: 5 which compound better.

Comparison of characteristic of soils with and without salt crust soils in a hyper-arid floodplain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LI, X.; Feng, G.

2017-12-01

Soil salt crusts have been shown to restrict soil erosion, and influence the water and salt movement in soil, was great concern in the world. However, there is little information for the comparison of characteristic of soil with and without salt crust in a hyper-arid flood plains. The objective of this study was to investigate paired samples of salt crusts and the surface soil without a salt curst in the flood plain of Tarim River in China. The results revealed that the salt crust soils most distributed in shrubland dominated by Tarimax, in which account for 73%, the wetland was followed, with shallower groundwater table (<2.4 m). The salt crust was comprised of salt greater than 109 g·kg-1, crust was not found on the soils as its salt content less than 89 g·kg-1. The salt content of soils either with crust or without crust ranged from 89 to 109 g·kg-1. The salt crust thickness had positive correlation with salt content (R2=0.61), and also with crust strength (R2=0.64). Compared with soils without salt crust, the salt crust soils had more clay, silt and soil organic matter content. It was found that those soils were located in low-lying area, experience relatively higher frequent overflowing flood. This study revealed that the flood did not reduce salt content in top soils. Salt crust was probably formed due to salt accumulation from shallow groundwater (e.g. <2.4 m) in this region.

Microbial Response to UV Exposure and Nitrogen Limitation in Desert Soil Crusts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fulton, J. M.; Van Mooy, B. A.

2016-12-01

Microbiotic soil crusts have diverse biomarker distributions and C and N stable isotopic compositions that covary with soil type. Sparse plant cover and the relative lack of soil disturbance in arid/semi-arid landscapes allows populations of soil cyanobacteria to develop along with fungi and heterotrophic bacteria. Microbial communities in this extreme environment depend in part on the production of scytonemin, a UV protective pigment, by cyanobacteria near the top of the crust. N limitation of microbial growth also affects soil crust population dynamics, increasing the requirement of N2fixation by diazotrophic cyanobacteria. We collected 56 soil crust samples from 27 locations throughout the Great Salt Lake Desert, including four transects spanning high-elevation, erosion-dominated soils to lower elevation soils dominated by silt-accumulation. Erosion-dominated soil surfaces included rounded gravel and cobbles; in the interstices there were poorly-developed microbiotic crusts on sandy loam with low δ15N values near 0‰ that point toward microbial growth dependent on cyanobacterial N2 fixation. Nutrients regenerated by heterotrophic bacteria may have been eroded from the system, providing a positive feedback for N2 fixation. High scytonemin:chlorophyll a ratios suggest that cyanobacteria required enhanced protection from UV damage in these crusts. A similar increase in scytonemin:chlorophyll a ratio during soil crust rehydration experiments also points toward the importance of UV protection. Glycolipid:phospholipid ratios were lowest where N2 fixation was favored, however, suggesting that the cyanobacterial population was relatively small, possibly because of the metabolic cost of N2fixation. Microbiotic crusts on silt loam soils, on the other hand, had higher δ15N values between 3.5 and 7.8‰, consistent with heterotrophic growth and nutrient recycling. Lower scytonemin:chlorophyll a ratios suggest that relatively high photosynthetic activity was supported in

Effective pressure law for permeability of E-bei sandstones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, M.; Bernabé, Y.; Xiao, W.-I.; Chen, Z.-Y.; Liu, Z.-Q.

2009-07-01

Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the effective pressure law for permeability of tight sandstone rocks from the E-bei gas reservoir, China. The permeability k of five core samples was measured while cycling the confining pressure pc and fluid pressure pf. The permeability data were analyzed using the response-surface method, a statistical model-building approach yielding a representation of k in (pc, pf) space that can be used to determine the effective pressure law, i.e., peff = pc - κpf. The results show that the coefficient κ of the effective pressure law for permeability varies with confining pressure and fluid pressure as well as with the loading or unloading cycles (i.e., hysteresis effect). Moreover, κ took very small values in some of the samples, even possibly lower than the value of porosity, in contradiction with a well-accepted theoretical model. We also reanalyzed a previously published permeability data set on fissured crystalline rocks and found again that the κ varies with pc but did not observe κ values lower than 0.4, a value much larger than porosity. Analysis of the dependence of permeability on effective pressure suggests that the occurrence of low κ values may be linked to the high-pressure sensitivity of E-bei sandstones.

Mars Crust: Made of Basalt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, G. J.

2009-05-01

By combining data from several sources, Harry Y. (Hap) McSween (University of Tennessee), G. Jeffrey Taylor (University of Hawaii) and Michael B. Wyatt (Brown University) show that the surface of Mars is composed mostly of basalt not unlike those that make up the Earth's oceanic crust. McSween and his colleagues used data from Martian meteorites, analyses of soils and rocks at robotic landing sites, and chemical and mineralogical information from orbiting spacecraft. The data show that Mars is composed mostly of rocks similar to terrestrial basalts called tholeiites, which make up most oceanic islands, mid-ocean ridges, and the seafloor beneath sediments. The Martian samples differ in some respects that reflect differences in the compositions of the Martian and terrestrial interiors, but in general are a lot like Earth basalts. Cosmochemistst have used the compositions of Martian meteorites to discriminate bulk properties of Mars and Earth, but McSween and coworkers' synthesis shows that the meteorites differ from most of the Martian crust (the meteorites have lower aluminum, for example), calling into question how diagnostic the meteorites are for understanding the Martian interior.

Seismically imaging the structural legacy of rifting and collision events in the central and eastern U.S. crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmandt, B.; Lin, F. C.; Karlstrom, K. E.

2015-12-01

EarthScope's USArray now provides broadband seismic data across the contiguous U.S. and southeastern Canada. We used teleseismic receiver functions and surface wave tomography to map crustal structure beneath the entire array. Crust thickness was estimated with multi-mode Ps receiver function images using <0.5 Hz Ps and <0.25 Hz 2p1s and 2s1p reverberations between the free-surface and Moho. In areas of sedimentary basins or large impedance contrasts in the middle crust the reverberations alone often provide clearer images of the Moho than the Ps mode, because of interference from conversions at shallow interfaces is reduced at greater lag times. The new results enable large-scale comparison of the structural legacy of multiple rifting and collision events in eastern North America. Some Proterozoic rift segments defined by Bouguer gravity and surface geology maintain locally thin crust while others lack correlated Moho topography or are areas of locally thicker crust. Locally thin crust is found at southern end of the mid-continent rift (MCR) in northern Kansas and southern Nebraska, along the Reelfoot rift, and beneath inferred rifts in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. The Oklahoma aulacogen is not associated with a coherent change in crust thickness along its length, at least at a scale resolvable by USArray data and our imaging approach. The MCR extending northeast from Nebraska to Lake Superior has locally thicker crust, consistent with other recent results. We suggest that magmatic additions to the lower crust overwhelmed extension in the northern mid-continent rift, but not the rift segments further south and east. Collision events of the Grenville orogeny and Paleozoic orogens that created the Appalachian Mountains are still associated with ~45-55 km thick crust extending from the Grenville front eastward across the Appalachian Mountains to the fall line that marks the abrupt geomorphic transition to the coastal plains. Despite the ~45-55 km crust thickness long

Large-scale subduction of continental crust implied by India-Asia mass-balance calculation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ingalls, Miquela; Rowley, David B.; Currie, Brian; Colman, Albert S.

2016-11-01

Continental crust is buoyant compared with its oceanic counterpart and resists subduction into the mantle. When two continents collide, the mass balance for the continental crust is therefore assumed to be maintained. Here we use estimates of pre-collisional crustal thickness and convergence history derived from plate kinematic models to calculate the crustal mass balance in the India-Asia collisional system. Using the current best estimates for the timing of the diachronous onset of collision between India and Eurasia, we find that about 50% of the pre-collisional continental crustal mass cannot be accounted for in the crustal reservoir preserved at Earth's surface today--represented by the mass preserved in the thickened crust that makes up the Himalaya, Tibet and much of adjacent Asia, as well as southeast Asian tectonic escape and exported eroded sediments. This implies large-scale subduction of continental crust during the collision, with a mass equivalent to about 15% of the total oceanic crustal subduction flux since 56 million years ago. We suggest that similar contamination of the mantle by direct input of radiogenic continental crustal materials during past continent-continent collisions is reflected in some ocean crust and ocean island basalt geochemistry. The subduction of continental crust may therefore contribute significantly to the evolution of mantle geochemistry.

Endolithic diversity of microorganisms on sandstone and implications for biogenic weathering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hallmann, C.; Friedenberger, H.; Hoppert, M.

2012-04-01

Molecular methods allow a comprehensive view on uncultured microbial communities in dimension stone. In the presented study, we focus on depth profiles of microbial colonization in sandstones with different porosity and overall durability. All sandstones were taken from quarries where they were exposed to the environment for several years. Approximately 0.1 g of material from the stone surface, from 5 mm and from 30 mm depths was taken under sterile conditions and subjected to analysis of microbial DNA and culturing experiments. In particular, DNA was extracted from the material, the phylogenetic marker gene of eukaryotic organisms (18S rDNA) was amplified and used for generation of clone libraries, which were then analysed by sequencing. "Roter Wesersandstein" was just colonized at the material surface, predominantly with algal and fungal microorganisms. No environmental DNA could be isolated from depth profiles. From "Nebraer Sandstein" with high pore size (shown by thin sections), environmental DNA from depths down to 3 cm could be retrieved. Though the uppermost layer is dominated by microalgae (as concluded from the retrieved clones), the percentage of algal clones from 5 mm and 30 mm depths drop to 10 % of all clones. There, apart from filamentous fungi, moss clones clearly dominate the microbial community. At a depth of 30 mm, 70-80 % of the retrieved clones match to various mosses (Bryophyta). Though mosses do not form layers on the stone surfaces, moss rhizoids or protonemata must be abundant as endoliths inside the stone material. It is reasonable to assume that the rhizoids may contribute to an increase in pore size by active penetration of the clastic material, even though colonization of the surface by mosses is not obvious. This feature may imply stronger impact of stone decay induced by endolithic growth of bryophytes than hitherto observed.

Hydrogeology of the Potsdam Sandstone in northern New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, John H.; Reynolds, Richard J.; Franzi, David A.; Romanowicz, Edwin A.; Paillet, Frederick L.

2010-01-01

The Potsdam Sandstone of Cambrian age forms a transboundary aquifer that extends across northern New York and into southern Quebec. The Potsdam Sandstone is a gently dipping sequence of arkose, subarkose, and orthoquartzite that unconformably overlies Precambrian metamorphic bedrock. The Potsdam irregularly grades upward over a thickness of 450 m from a heterogeneous feldspathic and argillaceous rock to a homogeneous, quartz-rich and matrix-poor rock. The hydrogeological framework of the Potsdam Sandstone was investigated through an analysis of records from 1,500 wells and geophysical logs from 40 wells, and through compilation of GIS coverages of bedrock and surficial geology, examination of bedrock cores, and construction of hydrogeological sections. The upper several metres of the sandstone typically is weathered and fractured and, where saturated, readily transmits groundwater. Bedding-related fractures in the sandstone commonly form sub-horizontal flow zones of relatively high transmissivity. The vertical distribution of sub-horizontal flow zones is variable; spacings of less than 10 m are common. Transmissivity of individual flow zones may be more than 100 m2/d but typically is less than 10 m2/d. High angle fractures, including joints and faults, locally provide vertical hydraulic connection between flow zones. Hydraulic head gradients in the aquifer commonly are downward; a laterally extensive series of sub-horizontal flow zones serve as drains for the groundwater flow system. Vertical hydraulic head differences between shallow and deep flow zones range from 1 m to more than 20 m. The maximum head differences are in recharge areas upgradient from the area where the Chateauguay and Chazy Rivers, and their tributaries, have cut into till and bedrock. Till overlies the sandstone in much of the study area; its thickness is generally greatest in the western part, where it may exceed 50 m. A discontinuous belt of bedrock pavements stripped of glacial drift extends

Cense Explosion Test Program. Report 1. Cense 1. Explosions in Sandstone

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-09-01

series, "Analysis and Summary of CENSE Data." 10 * _ CHAPTER 2 APPROACH 2.1 DESCRIPTION OF TEST SITE An exposed outcrop of Kayenta sandstone with 180...ft/s seismic velocity previously determined (References 12-14) for the unweathered upper zone of the Kayenta sandstone. 16 I The P-wave propagation...Propagation along the horizontal radial was 8400 ft/s. The seismic velocity pre- viously determined for Kayenta sandstone in this area was 7500 ft/s

Microstructure, texture and colour development during crust formation on whole muscle chicken fillets.

PubMed

Barbut, S

2013-01-01

1. The development of crust during a 22-min period was evaluated in an oven, and in previously cooked-in-bag products (no crust) placed in an oven for 10 min. The oven-roasted products started to develop a thin (2-4 μm) crust layer after 4 min. At that point, the colour of the fillets turned white but no browning was observed. As roasting time increased, crust thickness and shear force increased, the product turned brown and eventually black at certain spots. 2. Light microscopy revealed the shrinking of muscle fibres close to the surface, as they also lost water. At a certain point, tears between the different layers started to appear. The inner muscle fibres also progressively shrank and the spaces between them increased. Microscopy of cook-in-bag products revealed no crust formation during heating. Upon moving to the oven, crust started to form but was much faster compared with the other products. 3. Cook-in-the-bag samples showed a higher rate of cook loss during the first 12 min (to internal 70°C) compared with oven heating. This could have been due to the fast heating rate in water and/or no crust formation. 4. White colour was fully formed on water-cooked fillets within 2 min (L* = 83), while it was gradually forming on oven-roasted samples (max L* of 79 after 12 min). 5. Shear force measurements showed an increase in both treatments up to 18 min, with a decrease thereafter (when dry crust started to crack).

Provenance and depositional conditions of Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary sandstones from northeastern Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rehrmann, Stephanie; Augustsson, Carita; Izaguirre Valdez, Rocio Nereyda; Jenchen, Uwe; Schulte, Peter

2012-12-01

We compare Late Maastrichtian siliciclastic sandstone in northeastern Mexico with those representing the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary to reveal differences in provenance and depositional conditions between background sedimentation and K-Pg sand. Lithology and compositional variations are presented for the deep-water Burgos Basin and the shallow-water La Popa Basin. The Late Maastrichtian sandstones in the Burgos Basin have sharp lower contacts, contain abundant trace fossils and are separated by meter-thick marl layers. They represent sporadic mass flows from coastal areas separated by long phases of hemipelagic sedimentation. The K-Pg sandstone layers are amalgamated, contain thin marl intercalations only in the uppermost part and trace fossils are present in the top sandstone layer only. Also this succession represents mass-flow deposits, but the sand may have been deposited during a very short period. The La Popa Basin sandstones represent deltaic sedimentation interrupted by submarine channel deposition during the K-Pg boundary transition with abundant rip-up clasts and bioclasts at the base. The sandstones of the Burgos Basin are quartz to akosic wacke dominated by quartz (> 90%) and some feldspar (< 10%) in calcite cement and matrix. Lithic fragments are rare and dominated by chert and bioclasts. Ultra-stable heavy minerals (ZTR = 50-80) and plutonic quartz grains (ca. 40% of the total quartz population) are particularly common in the K-Pg sandstones. In the Maastrichtian sandstones, metamorphic heavy minerals, particularly chlorite, clinozoisite, and tourmaline (20-50% of the heavy mineral population), and metamorphic quartz (80% of the quartz population) have higher abundances. The La Popa sandstones are subarkose to arkose and arkosic wacke and have a high abundance of feldspar (15-30%) and lithic fragments (5-20%), mainly of siltstone and carbonate. The sandstones from both basins have chemical compositions typical for recycling (Zr/Sc = 12-27 and

Supercritical CO2 Migration under Cross-Bedded Structures: Outcrop Analog from the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, S.; Allen, J.; Han, W.; Lu, C.; McPherson, B. J.

2011-12-01

Jurassic aeolian sandstones (e.g. Navajo and White Rim Sandstones) on the Colorado Plateau of Utah have been considered potential sinks for geologic CO2 sequestration due to their regional lateral continuity, thickness, high porosity and permeability, presence of seal strata and proximity to large point sources of anthropogenic CO2. However, aeolian deposits usually exhibit inherent internal complexities induced by migrating bedforms of different sizes and their resulting bounding surfaces. Therefore, CO2 plume migration in such complex media should be well defined and successively linked in models for better characterization of the plume behavior. Based on an outcrop analog of the upper Navajo Sandstone in the western flank of the San Rafael Swell, Utah, we identified five different bedform types with dune and interdune facies to represent the spatial continuity of lithofacies units. Using generated 3D geometrical facies patterns of cross-bedded structures in the Navajo Sandstone, we performed numerical simulations to understand the detailed behavior of CO2 plume migration under the different cross-bedded bedforms. Our numerical simulation results indicate that cross-bedded structures (bedform types) play an important role on governing the rate and directionality of CO2 migration, resulting in changes of imbibition processes of CO2. CO2 migration tends to follow wind ripple laminations and reactivation surfaces updip. Our results suggest that geologically-based upscaling of CO2 migration is crucial in cross-bedded formations as part of reservoir or basin scale models. Furthermore, comparative modeling studies between 3D models and 2D cross-sections extracted from 3D models showed the significant three-dimensional interplay in a cross-bedded structure and the need to correctly capture the geologic heterogeneity to predict realistic CO2 plume behavior. Our outcrop analog approach presented in this study also demonstrates an alternative method for assessing geologic

Simulations of the Neutron Star Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schramm, Stefan; Nandi, Rana

The properties of the neutron star crust are crucially important for many physical processes occurring in the star. For instance, the crustal transport coefficients define the temperature evolution of accreting stars after bursts, which can be compared to observation. Furthermore, the structure of the inner crust can modify the neutrino transport through the matter considerably, significantly impacting the dynamics of supernova explosions. Therefore, we perform numerical studies of the inner crust, and among other aspects, investigate the dependence of the pasta phase on the isospin properties of the nuclear interactions. To this end we developed an efficient computer code to simulate the inner and outer crust using molecular dynamics techniques. First results of the simulations and insights into the crust-core transition are presented.

Multi-scale nitrate transport in a sandstone aquifer system under intensive agriculture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paradis, Daniel; Ballard, Jean-Marc; Lefebvre, René; Savard, Martine M.

2018-03-01

Nitrate transport in heterogeneous bedrock aquifers is influenced by mechanisms that operate at different spatial and temporal scales. To understand these mechanisms in a fractured sandstone aquifer with high porosity, a groundwater-flow and nitrate transport model—reproducing multiple hydraulic and chemical targets—was developed to explain the actual nitrate contamination observed in groundwater and surface water in a study area on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Simulations show that nitrate is leached to the aquifer year-round, with 61% coming from untransformed and transformed organic sources originating from fertilizers and manure. This nitrate reaches the more permeable shallow aquifer through fractures in weathered sandstone that represent only 1% of the total porosity (17%). Some of the nitrate reaches the underlying aquifer, which is less active in terms of groundwater flow, but most of it is drained to the main river. The river-water quality is controlled by the nitrate input from the shallow aquifer. Groundwater in the underlying aquifer, which has long residence times, is also largely influenced by the diffusion of nitrate in the porous sandstone matrix. Consequently, following a change of fertilizer application practices, water quality in domestic wells and the river would change rapidly due to the level of nitrate found in fractures, but a lag time of up to 20 years would be necessary to reach a steady level due to diffusion. This demonstrates the importance of understanding nitrate transport mechanisms when designing effective agricultural and water management plans to improve water quality.

Geology of deep-water sandstones in the Mississippi Stanley Shale at Cossatot Falls, Arkansas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Coleman, J.L. Jr.

1993-09-01

The Mississippian Stanley Shale crops out along the Cossatot River in the Ouachita Mountains of western Arkansas. Here, exposures of deep-water sandstones and shales, on recently established public lands, present a rare, three-dimensional look at sandstones of the usually obscured Stanley. Cossatot Falls, within the Cossatot River State Park Natural Area, is a series of class IV and V rapids developed on massive- to medium-bedded quartz sandstones on the northern flank of an asymmetric, thrust-faulted anticline. In western Arkansas, the Stanley Shale is a 10,000-ft (3200-m) succession of deep-water sandstone and shale. At Cossatot Falls, approximately 50 ft (155 m)more » of submarine-fan-channel sedimentary rocks are exposed during low-river stages. This section is composed primarily of sets of thinning-upward sandstone beds. With rare exceptions, the sandstones are turbidites, grading from massive, homogeneous, basal beds upward through festoon-cross-bedded thick beds, into rippled medium and thin beds. Sandstone sets are capped by thin shales and siltstones. Regional, north-northwestward paleocurrent indicators are substantiated by abundant, generally east-west ripple crests asymmetric to the north-northwest. Flute casts at the top of the sandstone sequence indicate an additional east-ward flow component. Based on regional, lithologic characteristics, the sandstones at Cossatot Falls appear to be within the Moyers Formation. The Moyers is the upper sandstone unit of the Stanley and is an oil and gas reservoir in the eastern Oklahoma Ouachita Mountains.« less

Evaporative sodium salt crust development and its wind tunnel derived transport dynamics under variable climatic conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nield, Joanna M.; McKenna Neuman, Cheryl; O'Brien, Patrick; Bryant, Robert G.; Wiggs, Giles F. S.

2016-12-01

Playas (or ephemeral lakes) can be significant sources of dust, but they are typically covered by salt crusts of variable mineralogy and these introduce uncertainty into dust emission predictions. Despite the importance of crust mineralogy to emission potential, little is known about (i) the effect of short-term changes in temperature and relative humidity on the erodibility of these crusts, and (ii) the influence of crust degradation and mineralogy on wind speed threshold for dust emission. Our understanding of systems where emission is not driven by impacts from saltators is particularly poor. This paper describes a wind tunnel study in which dust emission in the absence of saltating particles was measured for a suite of climatic conditions and salt crust types commonly found on Sua Pan, Botswana. The crusts were found to be non-emissive under climate conditions characteristic of dawn and early morning, as compared to hot and dry daytime conditions when the wind speed threshold for dust emission appears to be highly variable, depending upon salt crust physicochemistry. Significantly, sodium sulphate rich crusts were found to be more emissive than crusts formed from sodium chloride, while degraded versions of both crusts had a lower emission threshold than fresh, continuous crusts. The results from this study are in agreement with in-situ field measurements and confirm that dust emission from salt crusted surfaces can occur without saltation, although the vertical fluxes are orders of magnitude lower (∼10 μg/m/s) than for aeolian systems where entrainment is driven by particle impact.

Biological soil crusts as soil stabilizers: Chapter 16

USGS Publications Warehouse

Belnap, Jayne; Buedel, Burkhard; Weber, Bettina; Buedel, Burkhard; Belnap, Jayne

2016-01-01

Soil erosion is of particular concern in dryland regions, as the sparse cover of vascular plants results in large interspaces unprotected from the erosive forces of wind and water. Thus, most of these soil surfaces are stabilized by physical or biological soil crusts. However, as drylands are extensively used by humans and their animals, these crusts are often disturbed, compromising their stabilizing abilities. As a result, approximately 17.5% of the global terrestrial lands are currently being degraded by wind and water erosion. All components of biocrusts stabilize soils, including green algae, cyanobacteria, fungi, lichens, and bryophytes, and as the biomass of these organisms increases, so does soil stability. In addition, as lichens and bryophytes live atop the soil surface, they provide added protection from raindrop impact that cyanobacteria and fungi, living within the soil, cannot. Much research is still needed to determine the relative ability of individual species and suites of species to stabilize soils. We also need a better understanding of why some individuals or combination of species are better than others, especially as these organisms become more frequently used in restoration efforts.

Deformation and rupture of the oceanic crust may control growth of Hawaiian volcanoes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Got, J.-L.; Monteiller, V.; Monteux, J.; Hassani, R.; Okubo, P.

2008-01-01

Hawaiian volcanoes are formed by the eruption of large quantities of basaltic magma related to hot-spot activity below the Pacific Plate. Despite the apparent simplicity of the parent process - emission of magma onto the oceanic crust - the resulting edifices display some topographic complexity. Certain features, such as rift zones and large flank slides, are common to all Hawaiian volcanoes, indicating similarities in their genesis; however, the underlying mechanism controlling this process remains unknown. Here we use seismological investigations and finite-element mechanical modelling to show that the load exerted by large Hawaiian volcanoes can be sufficient to rupture the oceanic crust. This intense deformation, combined with the accelerated subsidence of the oceanic crust and the weakness of the volcanic edifice/oceanic crust interface, may control the surface morphology of Hawaiian volcanoes, especially the existence of their giant flank instabilities. Further studies are needed to determine whether such processes occur in other active intraplate volcanoes. ??2008 Nature Publishing Group.

Deformation and rupture of the oceanic crust may control growth of Hawaiian volcanoes.

PubMed

Got, Jean-Luc; Monteiller, Vadim; Monteux, Julien; Hassani, Riad; Okubo, Paul

2008-01-24

Hawaiian volcanoes are formed by the eruption of large quantities of basaltic magma related to hot-spot activity below the Pacific Plate. Despite the apparent simplicity of the parent process--emission of magma onto the oceanic crust--the resulting edifices display some topographic complexity. Certain features, such as rift zones and large flank slides, are common to all Hawaiian volcanoes, indicating similarities in their genesis; however, the underlying mechanism controlling this process remains unknown. Here we use seismological investigations and finite-element mechanical modelling to show that the load exerted by large Hawaiian volcanoes can be sufficient to rupture the oceanic crust. This intense deformation, combined with the accelerated subsidence of the oceanic crust and the weakness of the volcanic edifice/oceanic crust interface, may control the surface morphology of Hawaiian volcanoes, especially the existence of their giant flank instabilities. Further studies are needed to determine whether such processes occur in other active intraplate volcanoes.

What makes the desert bloom? Contribution of dust and crusts to soil fertility on the Colorado Plateau

Treesearch

Jayne Belnap; Richard Reynolds; Marith Reheis; Susan L. Phillips

2001-01-01

Eolian dust (windblown silt and clay) and biological soil crusts are both important to ecosystem functioning of arid lands. Dust furnishes essential nutrients, influences hydrology, contributes to soil formation, and renders surfaces vulnerable to erosion. Biological soil crusts contribute directly to soil fertility by fixing carbon and nitrogen, and indirectly by...

Transition from continental to oceanic crust on the Wilkes-Adelie margin of Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eittreim, Stephen L.

1994-12-01

The Wilkes-Adelie margin of East Antarctica, a passive margin rifted in the Early Cretaceous, has an unusually reflective Moho which can be traced seismically across the continent-ocean transition. Velocity models and depth sections were constructed from a combined set of U.S. and French multichannel seismic reflection lines to investigate the transition from continental to oceanic crust. These data show that the boundary between oldest oceanic crust and transitional continental crust is marked by a minimum in subsediment crustal thickness and, in places, by a shoaling of Moho. The Moho reflection is continuous across the edge of oceanic crust, and gradually deepens landward under the continental edge. A marginal rift basin, some tens of kilometers in width, lies in the transition between continental and oceanic crust, contains an average of about 4 km of synrift sediment that is prograded in places, and has characteristics of a former rift valley, now subsided to about 10 km. Three types of reflections in the seismic data are interpreted as volcanic deposits: (1) high-amplitude reflections that floor the marginal rift basin, (2) irregularly seaward dipping sequences that comprise an anomalously thick edge of oceanic crust, and (3) highly irregular and diffractive reflections from oceanic crustal basins that cap a normal-thickness ocean crust. The present depth to the prefit surface of continental crust is compatible with passive margin subsidence since 95 Ma, corrected for its load of synrift and postrift sediment and mechanically stretched by factors of beta = 1.8 or higher. Comparison of seismic crustal thickness measurements with inferred crustal thinning from subsidence analysis shows agreement for areas where beta less than 4. In areas where beta greater than 4, measured thickness is greater than that inferred from subsidence analysis, a result that could be explained by underplating the crust beneath the marginal rift basin.

Effects of Pisha sandstone content on solute transport in a sandy soil.

PubMed

Zhen, Qing; Zheng, Jiyong; He, Honghua; Han, Fengpeng; Zhang, Xingchang

2016-02-01

In sandy soil, water, nutrients and even pollutants are easily leaching to deeper layers. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of Pisha sandstone on soil solute transport in a sandy soil. The miscible displacement technique was used to obtain breakthrough curves (BTCs) of Br(-) as an inert non-adsorbed tracer and Na(+) as an adsorbed tracer. The incorporation of Pisha sandstone into sandy soil was able to prevent the early breakthrough of both tracers by decreasing the saturated hydraulic conductivity compared to the controlled sandy soil column, and the impeding effects increased with Pisha sandstone content. The BTCs of Br(-) were accurately described by both the convection-dispersion equation (CDE) and the two-region model (T-R), and the T-R model fitted the experimental data slightly better than the CDE. The two-site nonequilibrium model (T-S) accurately fit the Na(+) transport data. Pisha sandstone impeded the breakthrough of Na(+) not only by decreasing the saturated hydraulic conductivity but also by increasing the adsorption capacity of the soil. The measured CEC values of Pisha sandstone were up to 11 times larger than those of the sandy soil. The retardation factors (R) determined by the T-S model increased with increasing Pisha sandstone content, and the partition coefficient (K(d)) showed a similar trend to R. According to the results of this study, Pisha sandstone can successfully impede solute transport in a sandy soil column. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimating the formation age distribution of continental crust by unmixing zircon ages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korenaga, Jun

2018-01-01

Continental crust provides first-order control on Earth's surface environment, enabling the presence of stable dry landmasses surrounded by deep oceans. The evolution of continental crust is important for atmospheric evolution, because continental crust is an essential component of deep carbon cycle and is likely to have played a critical role in the oxygenation of the atmosphere. Geochemical information stored in the mineral zircon, known for its resilience to diagenesis and metamorphism, has been central to ongoing debates on the genesis and evolution of continental crust. However, correction for crustal reworking, which is the most critical step when estimating original formation ages, has been incorrectly formulated, undermining the significance of previous estimates. Here I suggest a simple yet promising approach for reworking correction using the global compilation of zircon data. The present-day distribution of crustal formation age estimated by the new "unmixing" method serves as the lower bound to the true crustal growth, and large deviations from growth models based on mantle depletion imply the important role of crustal recycling through the Earth history.

Variability of physicochemical and mineralogical characteristics of biological soil crusts at local scale in the Sahelian zone of western Niger

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cancès, B.; Gommeaux, G.; Marin, B.; Ponthieu, M.; Ralahimanana, C.; Ayachi, S.; Malam Issa, O.

2012-04-01

Biological soil crusts (BSC) are organo-mineral complexes resulting from the colonisation of soil surface by living microorganisms, mainly cyanobacteria. Their form, structure and composition vary depending on characteristics related to soils, biological composition and external factors (climate conditions and land uses). This study focussed on the influence of soil characteristics and human activities on BSC properties. BSC samples from Banizoumbou (Niger) taken on protected (ungrazed) and opened (grazed) fallow lands were analysed. BSC characteristics were investigated by using chemical and mineralogical techniques, microscopic and image analysis approach as well as measurements of chlorophyll a content. Hydrophobicity measurements were also performed by the water drop penetration time method. On the basis of their colour, two types of crusts have been identified : black BSC, which occur in protected and unprotected fallow, and red BSC, which only occur in depression zones of the protected fallow. The black crusts are dominated by quartz grains trapped in the network of the filaments of Cyanobacteria. A sandy texture and a reverse grading of mineral particles are typical of physical soil crusts called sieving crusts. The dark surface coloration of the BSC is related to the high density of filamentous Cyanobacteria. Black crusts samples from protected fallow exhibit high biomass related to high cover, whereas samples from grazed fallow lands showed low biomass related to low surface cover. In both cases, hydrophobicity measurements revealed that these BSC are wettable to slightlty water repellent. However, higher values of hydrophobicity were observed on ungrazed samples compared to their grazed counterpart. This variability is likely due to the difference of cover between the two types of samples. This type of BSC corresponds to a later successional stage than the red-coloured BSC. The red BSC has a loamy-sandy texture and a normal grading typical of physical

Characterization of the Oriskany and Berea Sandstones: Evaluating Biogeochemical Reactions of Potential Sandstone–Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid Interaction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Verba, Circe; Harris, Aubrey

The Marcellus shale, located in the mid-Atlantic Appalachian Basin, has been identified as a source for natural gas and targeted for hydraulic fracturing recovery methods. Hydraulic fracturing is a technique used by the oil and gas industry to access petroleum reserves in geologic formations that cannot be accessed with conventional drilling techniques (Capo et al., 2014). This unconventional technique fractures rock formations that have low permeability by pumping pressurized hydraulic fracturing fluids into the subsurface. Although the major components of hydraulic fracturing fluid are water and sand, chemicals, such as recalcitrant biocides and polyacrylamide, are also used (Frac Focus, 2015).more » There is domestic concern that the chemicals could reach groundwater or surface water during transport, storage, or the fracturing process (Chapman et al., 2012). In the event of a surface spill, understanding the natural attenuation of the chemicals in hydraulic fracturing fluid, as well as the physical and chemical properties of the aquifers surrounding the spill site, will help mitigate potential dangers to drinking water. However, reports on the degradation pathways of these chemicals are limited in existing literature. The Appalachian Basin Marcellus shale and its surrounding sandstones host diverse mineralogical suites. During the hydraulic fracturing process, the hydraulic fracturing fluids come into contact with variable mineral compositions. The reactions between the fracturing fluid chemicals and the minerals are very diverse. This report: 1) describes common minerals (e.g. quartz, clay, pyrite, and carbonates) present in the Marcellus shale, as well as the Oriskany and Berea sandstones, which are located stratigraphically below and above the Marcellus shale; 2) summarizes the existing literature of the degradation pathways for common hydraulic fracturing fluid chemicals [polyacrylamide, ethylene glycol, poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride

Petroleum produced water disposal: Mobility and transport of barium in sandstone and dolomite rocks.

PubMed

Ebrahimi, Pouyan; Vilcáez, Javier

2018-09-01

To assess the risk of underground sources of drinking water contamination by barium (Ba) present in petroleum produced water disposed into deep saline aquifers, we examined the effect of salinity (NaCl), competition of cations (Ca, Mg), temperature (22 and 60°C), and organic fracturing additives (guar gum) on the sorption and transport of Ba in dolomites and sandstones. We found that at typical concentration levels of NaCl, Ca, and Mg in petroleum produced water, Ba sorption in both dolomites and sandstones is inhibited by the formation of Ba(Cl) + complexes in solution and/or the competition of cations for binding sites of minerals. The inhibition of Ba sorption by both mechanisms is greater in dolomites than in sandstones. This is reflected by a larger decrease in the breakthrough times of Ba through dolomites than through sandstones. We found that the presence of guar gum has little influence on the sorption and thus the transport of Ba in both dolomites and sandstones. Contrary to most heavy metals, Ba sorption in both dolomites and sandstones decreases with increasing temperature, however the reducing effect of temperature on Ba sorption is relevant only at low salinity conditions. Higher inhibition of Ba sorption in dolomites than in sandstones is due to the greater reactivity of dolomite over sandstone. The results of this study which includes the formulation of a reactive transport model and estimation of partition coefficients of Ba in dolomites and sandstones have significant implications in understanding and predicting the mobility and transport of Ba in deep dolomite and sandstone saline aquifers. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ANALYSIS OF OIL-BEARING CRETACEOUS SANDSTONE HYDROCARBON RESERVOIRS, EXCLUSIVE OF THE DAKOTA SANDSTONE, ON THE JICARILLA APACHE INDIAN RESERVATION, NEW MEXICO

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jennie Ridgley

2000-01-21

An additional 450 wells were added to the structural database; there are now 2550 wells in the database with corrected tops on the Juana Lopez, base of the Bridge Creek Limestone, and datum. This completes the structural data base compilation. Fifteen oil and five gas fields from the Mancos-ElVado interval were evaluated with respect to the newly defined sequence stratigraphic model for this interval. The five gas fields are located away from the structural margins of the deep part of the San Juan Basin. All the fields have characteristics of basin-centered gas and can be considered as continuous gas accumulationsmore » as recently defined by the U.S. Geological Survey. Oil production occurs in thinly interbedded sandstone and shale or in discrete sandstone bodies. Production is both from transgressive and regressive strata as redefined in this study. Oil production is both stratigraphically and structurally controlled with production occurring along the Chaco slope or in steeply west-dipping rocks along the east margin of the basin. The ElVado Sandstone of subsurface usage is redefined to encompass a narrower interval; it appears to be more time correlative with the Dalton Sandstone. Thus, it was deposited as part of a regressive sequence, in contrast to the underlying rock units which were deposited during transgression.« less

Rockfall monitoring of a poorly consolidated marly sandstone cliff by TLS and IR thermography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lefeuvre, Caroline; Guérin, Antoine; Carrea, Dario; Derron, Marc-Henri; Jaboyedoff, Michel

2017-04-01

The study area of La Cornalle (Vaud, Switzerland) is a 40 m high south-west facing cliff which is also part of a larger landslide (Bersier 1975 ; Parriaux, 1998). The cliff is formed by an alternation of marls and sandstones. The thicknesses of sandstone layers range from 0.5 to 4 meters. The rockfall activity of this cliff is high, with an average of one event per day. The aim of this study is to better understand the links between rockfall activity, cliff's structures, and weather and thermal conditions. The 3D surface evolution of the Cornalle cliff is monitored approximately every month since September 2012 using a Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) data in order to get a monthly inventory of rockfall events. Since November 2013, a weather station located 150 meters away from the cliff collects data such as temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, rain and solar radiation every 15 minutes. Furthermore, we also fixed a thermic probe in the sandstone at 10 cm deep which measures temperature every 10 minutes. A detailed analysis has been performed during a short period (01/29/2016-04/08/2016) and pointed out a correlation between daily rainfall and rockfall. We found that a fall occurred the day or the day after a cumulative daily rainfall of at least 10 mm/day.In parallel to this monthly monitoring, the northwest part of La Cornalle cliff (the most active part) was monitored for 24 consecutive hours in July 2016 (from 12:30 to 12:30) using infrared thermography and crackmeters with a precision of 0.01mm. We collected a series of thermal pictures every 20 minutes, and measured the opening of a crack in sandstone layers every hour. We observed that marls are more affected by external changes of temperature than sandstones. Their surface temperature rises (resp. falls) more with an increase (resp. decrease) of external temperature than sandstones. Crackmeters measured an opening of the crack with an increase of the rock temperature and the opposite displacement

Soil nematode communities are ecologically more mature beneath late- than early-successional stage biological soil crusts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Darby, B.J.; Neher, D.A.; Belnap, J.

2007-01-01

Biological soil crusts are key mediators of carbon and nitrogen inputs for arid land soils and often represent a dominant portion of the soil surface cover in arid lands. Free-living soil nematode communities reflect their environment and have been used as biological indicators of soil condition. In this study, we test the hypothesis that nematode communities are successionally more mature beneath well-developed, late-successional stage crusts than immature, early-successional stage crusts. We identified and enumerated nematodes by genus from beneath early- and late-stage crusts from both the Colorado Plateau, Utah (cool, winter rain desert) and Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico (hot, summer rain desert) at 0-10 and 10-30 cm depths. As hypothesized, nematode abundance, richness, diversity, and successional maturity were greater beneath well-developed crusts than immature crusts. The mechanism of this aboveground-belowground link between biological soil crusts and nematode community composition is likely the increased food, habitat, nutrient inputs, moisture retention, and/or environmental stability provided by late-successional crusts. Canonical correspondence analysis of nematode genera demonstrated that nematode community composition differed greatly between geographic locations that contrast in temperature, precipitation, and soil texture. We found unique assemblages of genera among combinations of location and crust type that reveal a gap in scientific knowledge regarding empirically derived characterization of dominant nematode genera in deserts soils and their functional role in a crust-associated food web. ?? 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Statistical analyses on sandstones: Systematic approach for predicting petrographical and petrophysical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stück, H. L.; Siegesmund, S.

2012-04-01

Sandstones are a popular natural stone due to their wide occurrence and availability. The different applications for these stones have led to an increase in demand. From the viewpoint of conservation and the natural stone industry, an understanding of the material behaviour of this construction material is very important. Sandstones are a highly heterogeneous material. Based on statistical analyses with a sufficiently large dataset, a systematic approach to predicting the material behaviour should be possible. Since the literature already contains a large volume of data concerning the petrographical and petrophysical properties of sandstones, a large dataset could be compiled for the statistical analyses. The aim of this study is to develop constraints on the material behaviour and especially on the weathering behaviour of sandstones. Approximately 300 samples from historical and presently mined natural sandstones in Germany and ones described worldwide were included in the statistical approach. The mineralogical composition and fabric characteristics were determined from detailed thin section analyses and descriptions in the literature. Particular attention was paid to evaluating the compositional and textural maturity, grain contact respectively contact thickness, type of cement, degree of alteration and the intergranular volume. Statistical methods were used to test for normal distributions and calculating the linear regression of the basic petrophysical properties of density, porosity, water uptake as well as the strength. The sandstones were classified into three different pore size distributions and evaluated with the other petrophysical properties. Weathering behavior like hygric swelling and salt loading tests were also included. To identify similarities between individual sandstones or to define groups of specific sandstone types, principle component analysis, cluster analysis and factor analysis were applied. Our results show that composition and porosity

Shear-velocity structure, radial anisotropy and dynamics of the Tibetan crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agius, Matthew R.; Lebedev, Sergei

2014-12-01

Geophysical and geological data suggest that Tibetan middle crust is a partially molten, mechanically weak layer, but it is debated whether this low-viscosity layer is present beneath the entire plateau, what its properties are, how it deforms, and what role it has played in the plateau's evolution. Broad-band seismic surface waves yield resolution in the entire depth range of the Tibetan crust and can be used to constrain its shear-wave velocity structure (indicative of crustal composition, temperature and partial melting) and radial anisotropy (indicative of the patterns of deformation). We measured Love- and Rayleigh-wave phase-velocity curves in broad period ranges (up to 7-200 s) for a few tens of pairs and groups of stations across Tibet, combining, in each case, hundreds of interstation measurements, made with cross-correlation and waveform-inversion methods. Shear-velocity profiles were then determined by extensive series of non-linear inversions of the data, designed to constrain the depth-dependent ranges of isotropic-average shear speeds and radial anisotropy. Shear wave speeds within the Tibetan middle crust are anomalously low and, also, show strong lateral variations across the plateau. The lowest mid-crustal shear speeds are found in the north and west of the plateau (˜3.1-3.2 km s-1), within a pronounced low-velocity zone. In southeastern Tibet, crustal shear wave speeds increase gradually towards southeast, whereas in the north, the change across the Kunlun Fault is relatively sharp. The lateral variations of shear speeds within the crust are indicative of those in temperature. A mid-crustal temperature of 800 °C, reported previously, can account for the low shear velocities across Lhasa. In the north, the temperature is higher and exceeds the solidus, resulting in partial melting that we estimate at 3-6 per cent. Strong radial anisotropy is required by the data in western-central Tibet (>5 per cent) but not in northeastern Tibet. The amplitude

Dynamics of Crust Dissolution and Gas Release in Tank 241-SY-101

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

SD Rassat; CW Stewart; BE Wells

2000-01-26

Due primarily to an increase in floating crust layer thickness, the waste level in Hanford Tank 241-SY-101 (SY-101) has grown appreciably, and the flammable gas volume stored in the crust has become a potential hazard. To remediate gas retention in the crust and the potential for buoyant displacement gas releases from the nonconnective layer at the bottom of the tank, SY-101 will be diluted to dissolve a large fraction of the solids that allow the waste to retain gas. In this work we develop understanding of the state of the tank waste and some of its physical properties, investigate howmore » added water will be distributed in the tank and affect the waste, and use the information to evaluate mechanisms and rates of waste solids dissolution and gas release. This work was completed to address these questions and in support of planning and development of controls for the SY-101 Surface Level Rise Remediation Project. Particular emphasis is given to dissolution of and gas release from the crust, although the effects of back-dilution on all waste layers are addressed. The magnitude and rates of plausible gas release scenarios are investigated, and it is demonstrated that none of the identified mechanisms of continuous (dissolution-driven) or sudden gas release, even with conservative assumptions, lead to domespace hydrogen concentrations exceeding the lower flammability limit. This report documents the results of studies performed in 1999 to address the issues of the dynamics, of crust dissolution and gas release in SY-101. It contains a brief introduction to the issues at hand; a summary of our knowledge of the SY-101 crust and other waste properties, including gas fractions, strength and volubility; a description of the buoyancy and dissolution models that are applied to predict the crust response to waste transfers and back dilution; and a discussion of the effectiveness of mixing for water added below the crust and the limited potential for significant

Pervasive Layering in the Lunar Highland Crust: Evidence from Apollos 15, 16,and 17

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lowman, Paul D., Jr.; Yang, Tiffany

2005-01-01

This paper presents results of a photogeologic reconnaissance of 70 mm photographs taken on the lunar surface during the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 missions, whose primary objective was to investigate the lunar highland crust. Photographs at all three sites, notably the Apennine Front, show pervasive layered structure. These layers are easily distinguished from lighting artifacts, and are considered genuine crustal structures. Their number, thickness, and extent implies that they are lava flows, not ejecta blankets or intrusive features. They appear to be the upper part of the earliest lunar crust, possibly forming a layer tens of kilometers thick. Remote sensing studies (X-ray fluorescence and reflectance spectroscopy), indicate that the highland crust is dominantly a feldspathic basalt. It is concluded that the highland layers represent a global crust formed by eruptions of high-alumina basalt in the first few hundred million years of the Moon's history.

A Comparison of Microbial Communities from Deep Igneous Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, A. R.; Flores, G. E.; Fisk, M. R.; Colwell, F. S.; Thurber, A. R.; Mason, O. U.; Popa, R.

2013-12-01

Recent investigations of life in Earth's crust have revealed common themes in organism function, taxonomy, and diversity. Capacities for hydrogen oxidation, carbon fixation, methanogenesis and methanotrophy, iron and sulfur metabolisms, and hydrocarbon degradation often predominate in deep life communities, and crustal mineralogy has been hypothesized as a driving force for determining deep life community assemblages. Recently, we found that minerals characteristic of the igneous crust harbored unique communities when incubated in the Juan de Fuca Ridge flank borehole IODP 1301A. Here we present attached mineral biofilm morphologies and a comparison of our mineral communities to those from a variety of locations, contamination states, and igneous crustal or mineralogical types. We found that differences in borehole mineral communities were reflected in biofilm morphologies. Olivine biofilms were thick, carbon-rich films with embedded cells of uniform size and shape and often contained secondary minerals. Encrusted cells, spherical and rod-shaped cells, and tubes were indicative of glass surfaces. We also found that the attached communities from incubated borehole minerals were taxonomically more similar to native, attached communities from marine and continental crust than to communities from the aquifer water that seeded it. Our findings further support the hypothesis that mineralogy selects for microbial communities that have distinct phylogenetic, morphological, and potentially functional, signatures. This has important implications for resolving ecosystem function and microbial distributions in igneous crust, the largest deep habitat on Earth.

Earthquakes in Stable Continental Crust.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnston, Arch C.; Kanter, Lisa R.

1990-01-01

Discussed are some of the reasons for earthquakes which occur in stable crust away from familiar zones at the ends of tectonic plates. Crust stability and the reactivation of old faults are described using examples from India and Australia. (CW)

Sandstone units of the Lee Formation and related strata in eastern Kentucky

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rice, Charles L.

1984-01-01

Most of the Cumberland Plateau region of southeastern Kentucky is underlain by thick sequences of quartzose sandstone which are assigned for the most part to the Lee Formation. Much new information has been gathered about the Lee and related strata as a result of the cooperative mapping program of the U. S. Geological Survey and the Kentucky Geological Survey between 1960 and 1978. This report summarizes the age, lithology, distribution, sedimentary structures, and stratigraphic relations of the sandstone units of the Lee within and between each of three major outcrop belts in Kentucky: Cumberland Mountain, Pine Mountain, and the Pottsville Escarpment area. The Lee Formation generally has been regarded as Early Pennsylvanian in age and separated from Mississippian strata in Kentucky by an unconformity. However, lithostratigraphic units included in the formation as presently defined are broadly time-transgressive and range in age from Late Mississippian in parts of the Cumberland Mountain outcrop belt to Middle Pennsylvanian in the Pottsville Escarpment area. Members of the Lee intertongue with and grade into the underlying Pennington Formation and overlying Breathitt Formation. Sandstone and conglomeratic sandstone members of the Lee of Mississippian age found only in parts of the Cumberland overthrust sheet are closely associated with marine rocks; Pennsylvanian members are mostly associated with continental coal-bearing strata. Sandstone members of the Lee are mostly quartz rich and range from more than 90 percent to more than 99 percent quartz. They are relatively coarse grained, commonly pebbly, and in places conglomeratic. The units are southwest-trending linear or broadly lobate bodies. The Lee Formation is as much as 1,500 ft thick in the type area in Cumberland Mountain where it has been divided into eight members. The Pinnacle Overlook, Chadwell, White Rocks Sandstone, Middlesboro, Bee Rock Sandstone, and Naese Sandstone Members are mostly quartzose

Evidence for preferential flow through sandstone aquifers in Southern Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Swanson, S.K.; Bahr, J.M.; Bradbury, K.R.; Anderson, K.M.

2006-01-01

Sandstones often escape extensive hydrogeologic characterization due to their high primary porosity and perceived homogeneity of permeability. This study provides evidence for laterally extensive, high permeability zones in the Tunnel City Group, an undeformed, Cambrian-aged sandstone unit that exists in the subsurface throughout much of central and southern Wisconsin, USA. Several discrete high-permeability zones were identified in boreholes using flow logging and slug tests, and the interconnectedness of the features was tested using a site-specific numerical model for springs in the region. Explicit incorporation of a high-permeability layer leads to improvements in the flux calibration over simulations that lack the features, thus supporting the hydraulic continuity of high-permeability zones in the sandstone aquifer over tens of kilometers. The results suggest that stratigraphically controlled heterogeneities like contrasts in lithology or bedding-plane fractures, which have been shown to strongly influence the flow of groundwater in more heterogeneous sedimentary rocks, may also deserve close examination in sandstone aquifers. ?? 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Role of Carbon in Exotic Crust Formation on Mercury

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vander Kaaden, Kathleen E.; McCubbin, Francis M.

2018-01-01

The terrestrial planets that comprise our inner Solar System, including the Moon, are all rocky bodies that have differentiated into a crust, mantle, and core. Furthermore, all of these bodies have undergone various igneous processes since their time of primary crust formation. These processes have resurfaced each of these bodies, at least in part, resulting in the production of a secondary crust, to which Mercury is no exception. From its first flyby encounter with Mercury on January 14, 2008, the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft collected data on the structure, chemical makeup, and density of the planet among other important characteristics. The X-Ray Spectrometer on board MESSENGER measured elevated abundances of sulfur and low abundances of iron, suggesting the planets oxygen fugacity (fO2) is several log10 units below the Iron-Wustite buffer. Similar to the role of other volatiles (e.g. sulfur) on highly reducing planetary bodies, carbon is expected to behave differently in an oxygen starved environment than it does in an oxygen enriched environment (e.g., Earth).

Assessment of the effects of air pollution on european monuments through a geochemical characterization of black crusts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Comite, Valeria; Barca, Donatella; Belfiore, Cristina Maria; Bonazza, Alessandra; La Russa, Mauro Francesco; Ruffolo, SIlvestro Antonio; Pezzino, Antonino; Sabbioni, Cristina

2014-05-01

This contribution focuses on spectrometric analyses carried out on black crust samples, collected from buildings and churches belonging to the European built Heritage, i.e., the Corner Palace in Venice (Italy), the Cathedral of St. Rombouts in Mechelen (Belgium), the Church of St. Eustache in Paris (France) and the Tower of London (United Kingdom). Such monuments, all built in carbonate stones, were selected for their historic and artistic relevance, as well as for their location in different urban environments. For an exhaustive account of the sampled black crusts, an approach integrating complementary techniques was used, including OM, SEM-EDS, FT-IR and LA-ICP-MS. The complete characterization of the damage layers provided information on their chemical composition, the state of conservation of the underlying substrates and the interactions between crusts and stones. In particular, the geochemical study in terms of trace elements revealed that all crusts are enriched in heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn, Ti, V, and Zn) compared to substrates. The different concentrations of such elements in all analyzed crust samples can be ascribed to several factors, such as: height of sampling, morphology of the sampled surfaces (vertical or horizontal), exposure to atmospheric agents as well as to direct (road or boat traffic) or indirect (industries) sources of pollution, accumulation time of pollutants on the surface, wash out and particulate air pollution. Specifically, the crusts collected at lower heights (Corner Palace, Cathedral of St. Rombouts, Tower of London) resulted to be mainly influenced by mobile sources of pollution (vehicular or boat traffic), while samples taken at higher heights (Church of St. Eustache and Corner Palace) are generally mostly affected by stationary combustion sources. In some cases, the detailed analysis of multilayered crusts (Palazzo Corner) contributed to recognize the variation of combustion sources responsible

Petrology and Wavespeeds in Central Tibet Indicate a Partially Melted Mica-Bearing Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hacker, B. R.; Ritzwoller, M. H.; Xie, J.

2013-12-01

S-wave speeds and Vp/Vs ratios in the middle to deep crust of Tibet are best explained by a partially melted, mica-bearing middle to lower crust with a subhorizontal to gently dipping foliation. Surface-wave tomography [e.g., Yang et al., 2012; Xie et al., 2013] shows that the central Tibetan Plateau (the Qiangtang block) is characterized by i) slow S-wave speeds of 3.3-3.5 km/s at depths from 20-25 km to 45-50 km, ii) S-wave radial anisotropy of at least 4% (Vsh > Vsv) with stronger anisotropy in the west than the east [Duret et al., 2010], and iii) whole-crust Vp/Vs ratios in the range of 1.73-1.78 [Xu et al., 2013]. The depth of the Curie temperature for magnetite inferred from satellite magnetic measurements [Alsdorf and Nelson, 1999], the depth of the α-β quartz transition inferred from Vp/Vs ratios [Mechie et al., 2004], and the equilibration pressures and temperatures of xenoliths erupted from the mid-deep crust [Hacker et al., 2000] indicate that the thermal gradient in Qiangtang is steep, reaching 1000°C at 30-40 km depth. This thermal gradient crosses the dehydration-melting solidi for crustal rocks at 20-30 km depth, implying the presence or former presence of melt in the mid-deep crust. These temperatures do not require the wholesale breakdown of mica at these depths, because F and Ti can stabilize mica to at least 1300°C [Dooley and Patino Douce, 1996]. Petrology suggests, then, that the Qiangtang middle to deep crust consists of a mica-bearing residue from which melt has been extracted or is being extracted. Wavespeeds calculated for mica-bearing rocks with a subhorizontal to gently dipping foliation and minor silicate melt are the best match to the wavespeeds and anisotropy observed by seismology. Alsdorf, D., and D. Nelson, The Tibetan satellite magnetic low: Evidence for widespread melt in the Tibetan crust?, Geology, 27, 943-946, 1999. Dooley, D.F., and A.F. Patino Douce, Fluid-absent melting of F-rich phlogopite + rutile +quartz, American

Integrated geomechanical, petrographical and petrophysical study of the sandstones of the Wajid Group, SW Saudi Arabia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benaafi, Mohammed; Hariri, Mustafa; Al-Shaibani, Abdulaziz; Abdullatif, Osman; Makkawi, Mohammed

2018-07-01

The Cambro-Permian siliciclastic succession in southwestern Saudi Arabia is represented by the Wajid Group, which consists mainly of fluvial, shallow marine, aeolian, and glacial sandstones. The Wajid Group comprises the Dibsiyah, Sanamah, Qalibah, Khusayyayn, and Juwayl Formations. It is exposed in the Wadi Al-Dawasir area and extends to Najran City. The sandstones of the Wajid Group serve as groundwater aquifers in the Wadi Al-Dawasir and Najran areas and host hydrocarbon (mainly gas) reservoirs in the Rub' Al-Khali Basin. This study aims to characterize the geomechanical properties (rock strength and Young's modulus) of the sandstones of the Wajid Group using field and experimental techniques. A further objective is to investigate the relationships between the geomechanical properties and the petrographical and petrophysical properties of the studied sandstones. The geomechanical properties of the studied sandstones vary from glacial to non-glacial sandstones, as the glacial sandstones display high values of the geomechanical properties with high variability indices. Four geological factors including grain size, cement content, porosity and permeability were observed as the main controls on the geomechanical behaviour of the studied sandstones except for the Khusayyayn sandstone, where the mineral composition was also important. Significant correlations were observed between the petrographical and petrophysical properties and the geomechanical properties of the glacial sandstones. Predictive models of the geomechanical properties (RN, UCS, and E) were generated using regression analysis to account for the glacial sandstones.

CO2 Storage Potential of the Eocene Tay Sandstone, Central North Sea, UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gent, Christopher; Williams, John

2017-04-01

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is crucial for low-carbon industry, climate mitigation and a sustainable energy future. The offshore capacity of the UK is substantial and has been estimated at 78 Gt of CO2 in saline aquifers and hydrocarbon fields. The early-mid Eocene Tay Sandstone Member of the Central North Sea (CNS) is a submarine-fan system and potential storage reservoir with a theoretical capacity of 123 Mt of CO2. The Tay Sandstone comprises of 4 sequences, amalgamating into a fan complex 125km long and 40 km at a minimum of 1500 m depth striking NW-SE, hosting several hydrocarbon fields including Gannett A, B, D and Pict. In order to better understand the storage potential and characteristics, the Tay Sandstone over Quadrant 21 has been interpreted using log correlation and 3D seismic. Understanding the internal and external geometry of the sandstone as well as the lateral extent of the unit is essential when considering CO2 vertical and horizontal fluid flow pathways and storage security. 3D seismic mapping of a clear mounded feature has revealed the youngest sequence of the Tay complex; a homogenous sand-rich channel 12 km long, 1.5 km wide and on average 100 m thick. The sandstone has porosity >35%, permeability >5 D and a net to gross of 0.8, giving a total pore volume of 927x106 m3. The remaining three sequences are a series of stacked channels and interbedded mudstones which are more quiescent on the seismic, however, well logs indicate each subsequent sequence reduce in net to gross with age as mud has a greater influence in the early fan system. Nevertheless, the sandstone properties remain relatively consistent and are far more laterally extensive than the youngest sequence. The Tay Sandstone spatially overlaps several other potential storage sites including the older Tertiary sandstones of the Cromarty, Forties and Mey Members and deeper Jurassic reservoirs. This favours the Tay Sandstone to be considered in a secondary or multiple stacked

Crust-mantle mechanical coupling in Eastern Mediterranean and eastern Turkey.

PubMed

Özeren, M Sinan

2012-05-29

Present-day crust-mantle coupling in the Eastern Mediterranean and eastern Turkey is studied using the Global Positioning System (GPS) and seismic anisotropy data. The general trend of the shear wave fast-splitting directions in NE Turkey and Lesser Caucaus align well with the geodetic velocities in an absolute plate motion frame of reference pointing to an effective coupling in this part of the region of weak surface deformation. Farther south, underneath the Bitlis Suture, however, there are significant Pn delays with E-W anisotropy axes indicating significant lateral escape. Meanwhile, the GPS reveals very little surface deformation. This mismatch possibly suggests a decoupling along the suture. In the Aegean, the shear wave anisotropy and the Pn anisotropy directions agree with the extensional component of the right-lateral shear strains except under the Crete Basin and other parts of the southern Aegean Sea. This extensional direction matches perfectly also with the southward pulling force vectors across the Hellenic trench; however, the maximum right-lateral shear directions obtained from the GPS data in the Aegean do not match either of these anisotropies. Seismic anisotropy from Rayleigh waves sampled at 15 s, corresponding to the lower crust, match the maximum right-lateral maximum shear directions from the GPS indicating decoupling between the crust and the mantle. This decoupling most likely results from the lateral variations of the gravitational potential energies and the slab-pull forces.

Crust-mantle mechanical coupling in Eastern Mediterranean and Eastern Turkey

PubMed Central

Sinan Özeren, M.

2012-01-01

Present-day crust-mantle coupling in the Eastern Mediterranean and eastern Turkey is studied using the Global Positioning System (GPS) and seismic anisotropy data. The general trend of the shear wave fast-splitting directions in NE Turkey and Lesser Caucaus align well with the geodetic velocities in an absolute plate motion frame of reference pointing to an effective coupling in this part of the region of weak surface deformation. Farther south, underneath the Bitlis Suture, however, there are significant Pn delays with E-W anisotropy axes indicating significant lateral escape. Meanwhile, the GPS reveals very little surface deformation. This mismatch possibly suggests a decoupling along the suture. In the Aegean, the shear wave anisotropy and the Pn anisotropy directions agree with the extensional component of the right-lateral shear strains except under the Crete Basin and other parts of the southern Aegean Sea. This extensional direction matches perfectly also with the southward pulling force vectors across the Hellenic trench; however, the maximum right-lateral shear directions obtained from the GPS data in the Aegean do not match either of these anisotropies. Seismic anisotropy from Rayleigh waves sampled at 15 s, corresponding to the lower crust, match the maximum right-lateral maximum shear directions from the GPS indicating decoupling between the crust and the mantle. This decoupling most likely results from the lateral variations of the gravitational potential energies and the slab-pull forces. PMID:22592788

Factors controlling reservoir quality in tertiary sandstones and their significance to geopressured geothermal production

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Loucks, R.G.; Richmann, D.L.; Milliken, K.L.

1981-01-01

Variable intensity of diagenesis is the factor primarily responsible for contrasting regional reservoir quality of Tertiary sandstones from the upper and lower Texas coast. Detailed comparison of Frio sandstone from the Chocolate Bayou/Danbury Dome area, Brazoria County, and Vicksburg sandstones from the McAllen Ranch Field area, Hidalgo County, reveals that extent of diagenetic modification is most strongly influenced by (1) detrital mineralogy and (2) regional geothermal gradients. The regional reservoir quality of Frio sandstones from Brazoria County is far better than that characterizing Vicksburg sandstones from Hidalgo County, especially at depths suitable for geopressured geothermal energy production. However, in predictingmore » reservoir quality on a site-specific basis, locally variable factors such as relative proportions for porosity types, pore geometry as related to permeability, and local depositional environment must also be considered. Even in an area of regionally favorable reservoir quality, such local factors can significantly affect reservoir quality and, hence, the geothermal production potential of a specific sandstone unit.« less

Numerical Experiments on the Role of the Lower Crust in the Development of Extension-driven Gneiss Domes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korchinski, M.; Rey, P. F.; Teyssier, C. P.; Mondy, L. S.; Whitney, D.

2016-12-01

Flow of orogenic crust is a critical geodynamic process in the chemical and physical evolution of continents. Deeply sourced rocks are transported to the near surface within gneiss domes, which are ubiquitous features in orogens and extensional regions. Exhumation of material within a gneiss dome can occur as the result of tectonic stresses, where material moves into space previously occupied by the shallow crust as the result of extension localized along a detachment system. Gravitationally driven flow may also contribute to exhumation. This research addresses how physical parameters (density, viscosity) of the deep crust (base of brittle crust to Moho) impact (1) the localization of extension in the shallow crust, and (2) the flow of deep crust by tectonic and non-tectonic stresses. We present 2D numerical experiments in which the density (2900-3100 kg m-3) and viscosity (1e19-1e21 Pa s) of the deep crust are systematically varied. Lateral and vertical transport of deep crustal rocks toward the gneiss dome occurs across the entire parameter space. A low viscosity deep crust yields localized extension in the upper crust and crustal-scale upward flow; this case produces the highest exhumation. A high viscosity deep crust results in distributed thinning of the upper crust, which suppresses upward mass transport. The density of the deep crust has only a second-order effect on the shallow crust extension regime. We capture the flow field generated after the cessation of extension to evaluate mass transport that is not driven by tectonic stresses. Upward transport of material within the gneiss dome is present across the entire parameter space. In the case of a low-viscosity deep crust, horizontal flow occurs adjacent to the dome above the Moho; this flow is an order of magnitude higher than that within the dome. Density variations do not drastically alter the flow field in the low viscosity lower crust. However, a high density and high viscosity deep crust results in

Spatial modeling of biological soil crusts to support rangeland assessment and monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bowker, M.A.; Belnap, J.; Miller, M.E.

2006-01-01

Biological soil crusts are a diverse soil surface community, prevalent in semiarid regions, which function as ecosystem engineers and perform numerous important ecosystem services. Loss of crusts has been implicated as a factor leading to accelerated soil erosion and other forms of land degradation. To support assessment and monitoring efforts aimed at ensuring the sustainability of rangeland ecosystems, managers require spatially explicit information concerning potential cover and composition of biological soil crusts. We sampled low disturbance sites in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (Utah, USA) to determine the feasibility of modeling the potential cover and composition of biological soil crusts in a large area. We used classification and regression trees to model cover of four crust types (light cyanobacterial, dark cyanobacterial, moss, lichen) and 1 cyanobacterial biomass proxy (chlorophyll a), based upon a parsimonious set of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) data layers (soil types, precipitation, and elevation). Soil type was consistently the best predictor, although elevation and precipitation were both invoked in the various models. Predicted and observed values for the dark cyanobacterial, moss, and lichen models corresponded moderately well (R 2 = 0.49, 0.64, 0.55, respectively). Cover of late successional crust elements (moss + lichen + dark cyanobacterial) was also successfully modeled (R2 = 0.64). We were less successful with models of light cyanobacterial cover (R2 = 0.22) and chlorophyll a (R2 = 0.09). We believe that our difficulty modeling chlorophyll a concentration is related to a severe drought and subsequent cyanobacterial mortality during the course of the study. These models provide the necessary reference conditions to facilitate the comparison between the actual cover and composition of biological soil crusts at a given site and their potential cover and composition condition so that sites in poor condition can be

Lower Cretaceous Avile Sandstone, Neuquen basin, Argentina - Exploration model for a lowstand clastic wedge in a back-arc basin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ryer, T.A.

1991-03-01

The Neuquen basin of western Argentina is a back-arc basin that was occupied by epeiric seas during much of Jurassic and Cretaceous time. The Avile Sandstone Member of the Agrio Formation records a pronounced but short-lived regression of the Agrio sea during middle Hauterivian (Early Cretaceous) time. Abrupt lowering of relative sea level resulted in emergence and erosion of the Agrio sea floor; shoreline and fluvial facies characteristic of the Centenario Formation shifted basinward. The Avile rests erosionally upon lower Agrio shale over a large area; well-sorted, porous sandstones within the member pinch out laterally against the base-Avile erosional surface.more » Avile deposition closed with an abrupt transgression of the shoreline to the approximate position it had occupied prior to the Avile regression. The transgressive deposits are carbonate rich, reflecting starvation of the basin as a consequence of sea-level rise. The Avile lowstand clastic wedge consists predominantly of sandstones deposited in fluvial to shallow-marine paleoenvironments; eolian sandstones probably constitute an important component in the eastern part of the area. The sandstones locally have excellent reservoir characteristics; they constitute the reservoirs in the Puesto Hernandez, Chihuido de la Sierra Negra, and Filo Morado fields. The pinch-out of the Avile lowstand clastic wedge has the potential to form stratigraphic traps in favorable structural positions. The depositional model indicates that there may be a viable stratigraphic play to be made along the Avile pinch-out in the deep, relatively undrilled, northwestern part of the Neuquen basin.« less

Hydrogenetic Ferromanganese Crusts of the California Continental Margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conrad, Tracey A.

Hydrogenetic Ferromanganese (Fe-Mn) crusts grow from seawater and in doing so sequester elements of economic interest and serve as archives of past seawater chemistry. Ferromanganese crusts have been extensively studied in open-ocean environments. However, few studies have examined continent-proximal Fe-Mn crusts especially from the northeast Pacific. This thesis addresses Fe-Mn crusts within the northeast Pacific California continental margin (CCM), which is a dynamic geological and oceanographic environment. In the first of three studies, I analyzed the chemical and mineralogical composition of Fe-Mn crusts and show that continental-proximal processes greatly influence the chemistry and mineralogy of CCM Fe-Mn crusts. When compared to global open-ocean Fe-Mn crusts, CCM crusts have higher concentrations of iron, silica, and thorium with lower concentrations of many elements of economic interest including manganese, cobalt, and tellurium, among other elements. The mineralogy of CCM Fe-Mn crusts is also unique with more birnessite and todorokite present than found in open-ocean samples. Unlike open-ocean Fe-Mn crusts, carbonate-fluorapatite is not present in CCM crusts. This lack of phosphatization makes CCM Fe-Mn crusts excellent candidates for robust paleoceanography records. The second and third studies in this thesis use isotope geochemistry on select CCM Fe-Mn crusts from four seamounts in the CCM to study past terrestrial inputs into the CCM and sources and behavior of Pb and Nd isotopes over the past 7 million years along the northeast Pacific margin. The second study focuses on riverine inputs into the Monterey Submarine Canyon System and sources of the continental material. Osmium isotopes in the crusts are compared to the Cenozoic Os seawater curve to develop an age model for the samples that show the crusts range in age of initiation of crust growth from approximately 20 to 6 Myr. Lead and neodymium isotopes measured in select Fe-Mn crusts show that

The Point Lookout Sandstone: a tale of two cores, or petrology, diagenesis, and reservoir properties of Point Lookout Sandstone, Southern Ute Indian Reservation, San Juan Basin, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keighin, C.W.; Zech, R.S.; Dunbar, R.W.

1993-01-01

The Point Lookout sandstones are quartz-rich, fine to very-fine grained, and contain moderately variable quantities of potassium feldspar (2 to 20 modal percent) and lithic fragments (9 to 20 modal percent). Locally, sandstone is tightly cemented by carbonate cement; clays are not important as cementing agents, although they significantly reduce permeability of some samples. Pores are small; many are intergranular micropores between crystals of authigenic clay. Depositional environments are highly variable and range from lower shoreface to coastal plain and include minor deltaic environments. The best reservoir characteristics are generally in the upper shoreface sandstones. -from Authors

Threshold friction velocity of crusted windblown soils in the Columbia Plateau

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Wind erosion processes are governed by soil physical properties and surface characteristics. Erosion is initiated when the friction velocity exceeds the threshold friction velocity (u*t) of soils. Although u*t is influenced by soil physical properties such as wetness and crusting, there is little in...

Traces of the heritage arising from the Macelj sandstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golež, Mateja

2014-05-01

The landscape of Southeast Slovenia and its stone heritage principally reveal itself through various Miocene sandstones. The most frequently found type on the borderline between Slovenia and Croatia, i.e. east of Rogatec, is the micaceous-quartz Macelj sandstone. This rock ranges in colour from greenish grey to bluish grey and yellowish, depending on the content of glauconite, which colours it green. In its composition, the rock is a heterogeneous mixture of grains of quartz, dolomite, muscovite, microcline, anorthite and glauconite. The average size of grains is 300μm. In cross-section, they are oblong, semi-rounded or round. The mechanical-physical and durability properties of the Macelj sandstone, which have been characterised pursuant to the applicable standards for natural stone, reveal that the rock exhibits poor resistance to active substances from the atmosphere, particularly in the presence of salt. In the surroundings of Rogatec, there are around 45 abandoned quarries of the Macelj sandstone, which are the result of the exploitation of this mineral resource from the 17th century on. The local quarrymen earned their bread until 1957, when the Kambrus quarry industry closed down. From the original use of this mineral resource as construction and decorative material, the useful value of the Macelj sandstone expanded during the development of the metals industry to the manufacture of large and small grindstones for the needs of the domestic and international market. Therefore, traces of quarrying can not only be seen in the disused quarries, but also in the rich architectural heritage of Rogatec and its surroundings, the stone furniture - from portals, window frames, wells, various troughs, pavements to stone walls - and other. The living quarrying heritage slowly passed into oblivion after World War II, although the analysis of the social image of the people residing in Rogatec and its surroundings revealed that there was an average of one stonemason in

Effects of microstructure on water imbibition in sandstones using X-ray computed tomography and neutron radiography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yixin; Xue, Shanbin; Han, Songbai; Chen, Zhongwei; Liu, Shimin; Elsworth, Derek; He, Linfeng; Cai, Jianchao; Liu, Yuntao; Chen, Dongfeng

2017-07-01

Capillary imbibition in variably saturated porous media is important in defining displacement processes and transport in the vadose zone and in low-permeability barriers and reservoirs. Nonintrusive imaging in real time offers the potential to examine critical impacts of heterogeneity and surface properties on imbibition dynamics. Neutron radiography is applied as a powerful imaging tool to observe temporal changes in the spatial distribution of water in porous materials. We analyze water imbibition in both homogeneous and heterogeneous low-permeability sandstones. Dynamic observations of the advance of the imbibition front with time are compared with characterizations of microstructure (via high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT)), pore size distribution (Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry), and permeability of the contrasting samples. We use an automated method to detect the progress of wetting front with time and link this to square-root-of-time progress. These data are used to estimate the effect of microstructure on water sorptivity from a modified Lucas-Washburn equation. Moreover, a model is established to calculate the maximum capillary diameter by modifying the Hagen-Poiseuille and Young-Laplace equations based on fractal theory. Comparing the calculated maximum capillary diameter with the maximum pore diameter (from high-resolution CT) shows congruence between the two independent methods for the homogeneous silty sandstone but less effectively for the heterogeneous sandstone. Finally, we use these data to link observed response with the physical characteristics of the contrasting media—homogeneous versus heterogeneous—and to demonstrate the sensitivity of sorptivity expressly to tortuosity rather than porosity in low-permeability sandstones.

Influence of substrate rocks on Fe Mn crust composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hein, James R.; Morgan, Charles L.

1999-05-01

Principal Component and other statistical analyses of chemical and mineralogical data of Fe-Mn oxyhydroxide crusts and their underlying rock substrates in the central Pacific indicate that substrate rocks do not influence crust composition. Two ridges near Johnston Atoll were dredged repetitively and up to seven substrate rock types were recovered from small areas of similar water depths. Crusts were analyzed mineralogically and chemically for 24 elements, and substrates were analyzed mineralogically and chemically for the 10 major oxides. Compositions of crusts on phosphatized substrates are distinctly different from crusts on substrates containing no phosphorite. However, that relationship only indicates that the episodes of phosphatization that mineralized the substrate rocks also mineralized the crusts that grew on them. A two-fold increase in copper contents in crusts that grew on phosphatized clastic substrate rocks, relative to crusts on other substrate rock types, is also associated with phosphatization and must have resulted from chemical reorganization during diagenesis. Phosphatized crusts show increases in Sr, Zn, Ca, Ba, Cu, Ce, V, and Mo contents and decreases in Fe, Si, and As contents relative to non-phosphatized crusts. Our statistical results support previous studies which show that crust compositions reflect predominantly direct precipitation from seawater (hydrogenetic), and to lesser extents reflect detrital input and diagenetic replacement of parts of the older crust generation by carbonate fluorapatite.

Influence of substrate rocks on Fe-Mn crust composition

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hein, J.R.; Morgan, C.L.

1999-01-01

Principal Component and other statistical analyses of chemical and mineralogical data of Fe-Mn oxyhydroxide crusts and their underlying rock substrates in the central Pacific indicate that substrate rocks do not influence crust composition. Two ridges near Johnston Atoll were dredged repetitively and up to seven substrate rock types were recovered from small areas of similar water depths. Crusts were analyzed mineralogically and chemically for 24 elements, and substrates were analyzed mineralogically and chemically for the 10 major oxides. Compositions of crusts on phosphatized substrates are distinctly different from crusts on substrates containing no phosphorite. However, that relationship only indicates that the episodes of phosphatization that mineralized the substrate rocks also mineralized the crusts that grew on them. A two-fold increase in copper contents in crusts that grew on phosphatized clastic substrate rocks, relative to crusts on other substrate rock types, is also associated with phosphatization and must have resulted from chemical reorganization during diagenesis. Phosphatized crusts show increases in Sr, Zn, Ca, Ba, Cu, Ce, V, and Mo contents and decreases in Fe, Si, and As contents relative to non-phosphatized crusts. Our statistical results support previous studies which show that crust compositions reflect predominantly direct precipitation from seawater (hydrogenetic), and to lesser extents reflect detrital input and diagenetic replacement of parts of the older crust generation by carbonate fluorapatite.

Cratering on Ceres: Implications for its crust and evolution

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hiesinger, H.; Marchi, S.; Schmedemann, N.; Schenk, P.; Pasckert, J. H.; Neesemann, A.; O'Brien, D. P.; Kneissl, T.; Ermakov, A.; Fu, R.R.; Bland, M. T.; Nathues, A.; Platz, T.; Williams, D.A.; Jaumann, R.; Castillo-Rogez, J. C.; Ruesch, O.; Schmidt, B.; Park, R.S.; Preusker, F.; Buczkowski, D.L.; Russell, C.T.; Raymond, C.A.

2016-01-01

Thermochemical models have predicted that Ceres, is to some extent, differentiated and should have an icy crust with few or no impact craters. We present observations by the Dawn spacecraft that reveal a heavily cratered surface, a heterogeneous crater distribution, and an apparent absence of large craters. The morphology of some impact craters is consistent with ice in the subsurface, which might have favored relaxation, yet large unrelaxed craters are also present. Numerous craters exhibit polygonal shapes, terraces, flowlike features, slumping, smooth deposits, and bright spots. Crater morphology and simple-to-complex crater transition diameters indicate that the crust of Ceres is neither purely icy nor rocky. By dating a smooth region associated with the Kerwan crater, we determined absolute model ages (AMAs) of 550 million and 720 million years, depending on the applied chronology model.

From a collage of microplates to stable continental crust - an example from Precambrian Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korja, Annakaisa

2013-04-01

Svecofennian orogen (2.0-1.7 Ga) comprises the oldest undispersed orogenic belt on Baltica and Eurasian plate. Svecofennian orogenic belt evolved from a series of short-lived terrane accretions around Baltica's Archean nucleus during the formation of the Precambrian Nuna supercontinent. Geological and geophysical datasets indicate W-SW growth of Baltica with NE-ward dipping subduction zones. The data suggest a long-lived retreating subduction system in the southwestern parts whereas in the northern and central parts the northeasterly transport of continental fragments or microplates towards the continental nucleus is also documented. The geotectonic environment resembles that of the early stages of the Alpine-Himalayan or Indonesian orogenic system, in which dispersed continental fragments, arcs and microplates have been attached to the Eurasian plate margin. Thus the Svecofennian orogeny can be viewed as proxy for the initial stages of an internal orogenic system. Svecofennian orogeny is a Paleoproterozoic analogue of an evolved orogenic system where terrane accretion is followed by lateral spreading or collapse induced by change in the plate architecture. The exposed parts are composed of granitoid intrusions as well as highly deformed supracrustal units. Supracrustal rocks have been metamorphosed in LP-HT conditions in either paleo-lower-upper crust or paleo-upper-middle crust. Large scale seismic reflection profiles (BABEL and FIRE) across Baltica image the crust as a collage of terranes suggesting that the bedrock has been formed and thickened in sequential accretions. The profiles also image three fold layering of the thickened crust (>55 km) to transect old terrane boundaries, suggesting that the over-thickened bedrock structures have been rearranged in post-collisional spreading and/or collapse processes. The middle crust displays typical large scale flow structures: herringbone and anticlinal ramps, rooted onto large scale listric surfaces also suggestive

Influence of Water Saturation on Thermal Conductivity in Sandstones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fehr, A.; Jorand, R.; Koch, A.; Clauser, C.

2009-04-01

Information on thermal conductivity of rocks and soils is essential in applied geothermal and hydrocarbon maturation research. In this study, we investigate the dependence of thermal conductivity on the degree of water saturation. Measurements were made on five sandstones from different outcrops in Germany. In a first step, we characterized the samples with respect to mineralogical composition, porosity, and microstructure by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mercury injection. We measured thermal conductivity with an optical scanner at different levels of water saturation. Finally we present a simple and easy model for the correlation of thermal conductivity and water saturation. Thermal conductivity decreases in the course of the drying of the rock. This behaviour is not linear and depends on the microstructure of the studied rock. We studied different mixing models for three phases: mineral skeleton, water and air. For argillaceous sandstones a modified arithmetic model works best which considers the irreducible water volume and different pore sizes. For pure quartz sandstones without clay minerals, we use the same model for low water saturations, but for high water saturations a modified geometric model. A clayey sandstone rich in feldspath shows a different behaviour which cannot be explained by simple models. A better understanding will require measurements on additional samples which will help to improve the derived correlations and substantiate our findings.

Dependence of Thermal Conductivity on Water Saturation of Sandstones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fehr, A.; Jorand, R.; Koch, A.; Clauser, C.

2008-12-01

Information on thermal conductivity of rocks and soils is essential in applied geothermal and hydrocarbon maturation research. In this study, we investigate the dependence of thermal conductivity on the degree of water saturation. Measurements were made on five sandstones from different outcrops in Germany. In a first step, we characterized the samples with respect to mineralogical composition, porosity, and microstructure by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mercury injection. We measured thermal conductivity with an optical scanner at different levels of water saturation. Finally we present a simple and easy model for the correlation of thermal conductivity and water saturation. Thermal conductivity decreases in the course of the drying of the rock. This behaviour is not linear and depends on the microstructure of the studied rock. We studied different mixing models for three phases: mineral skeleton, water and air. For argillaceous sandstones a modified arithmetic model works best which considers the irreducible water volume and different pore sizes. For pure quartz sandstones without clay minerals, we use the same model for low water saturations, but for high water saturations a modified geometric model. A clayey sandstone rich in feldspath shows a different behaviour which cannot be explained by simple models. A better understanding will require measurements on additional samples which will help to improve the derived correlations and substantiate our findings.

Sedimentological reservoir characteristics of the Paleocene fluvial/lacustrine Yabus Sandstone, Melut Basin, Sudan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahgoub, M. I.; Padmanabhan, E.; Abdullatif, O. M.

2016-11-01

Melut Basin in Sudan is regionally linked to the Mesozoic-Cenozoic Central and Western African Rift System (CWARS). The Paleocene Yabus Formation is the main oil producing reservoir in the basin. It is dominated by channel sandstone and shales deposited in fluvial/lacustrine environment during the third phase of rifting in the basin. Different scales of sedimentological heterogeneities influenced reservoir quality and architecture. The cores and well logs analyses revealed seven lithofacies representing fluvial, deltaic and lacustrine depositional environments. The sandstone is medium to coarse-grained, poorly to moderately-sorted and sub-angular to sub-rounded, arkosic-subarkosic to sublitharenite. On the basin scale, the Yabus Formation showed variation in sandstone bodies, thickness, geometry and architecture. On macro-scale, reservoir quality varies vertically and laterally within Yabus Sandstone where it shows progressive fining upward tendencies with different degrees of connectivity. The lower part of the reservoir showed well-connected and amalgamated sandstone bodies, the middle to the upper parts, however, have moderate to low sandstone bodies' connectivity and amalgamation. On micro-scale, sandstone reservoir quality is directly affected by textures and diagenetic changes such as compaction, cementation, alteration, dissolution and kaolinite clays pore fill and coat all have significantly reduced the reservoir porosity and permeability. The estimated porosity in Yabus Formation ranges from 2 to 20% with an average of 12%; while permeability varies from 200 to 500 mD and up to 1 Darcy. The understanding of different scales of sedimentological reservoir heterogeneities might contribute to better reservoir quality prediction, architecture, consequently enhancing development and productivity.

Multidisciplinary studies on ancient sandstone quarries of Western Sardinia (Italy).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grillo, Silvana Maria; Del Vais, Carla; Naitza, Stefano

2013-04-01

The ancient coastal quarries of Mediterranean are increasingly considered geosites of multidisciplinary relevance. They are sites of historical-archaeological interest that show ancient techniques of stone extraction; they are significant for cultural heritage conservation and restoration, as sources of the stones used in ancient buildings and monuments; they are sites of geological relevance, as often retain important stratigraphic sections; they are also useful markers of secular changes in the sea level. A multisciplinary study is in progress on the ancient quarries of the Sinis region (western Sardinia island), integrating archaeological, geological, minero-petrographical data. In Sardinia, coastal quarries have been established from Punic and Roman times. Many of them exploited Quaternary sediments along the southern and western coasts of the island. They consist of middle-late Pleistocene marine conglomerates and carbonate sandstones, and of coastal (aeolian) carbonate sandstones. Sandstone blocks of different sizes have been widely used in ancient cities for buildings, defensive works, harbours, etc. Three main areas of stone extraction (San Giovanni di Sinis, Punta Maimoni, Is Arutas) have been so far recognized in the Sinis. GIS-supported mapping and documentation of the sites includes their geology and stratigraphy, the extension and layout of the quarries, and an evaluation of volumes of extracted rocks. Documented archaeological evidences include ancient extraction fronts, spoil heaps, working areas, working traces in the old fronts, transport routes of blocks, and traces of loading facilities. The study is aimed at reconstructing the relationships of the quarries with the urban areas of Sinis, as the ancient Punic-Roman city of Tharros. Consequently, a minero-petrographical characterization (optical microscopy, XRD) is performed on sandstones sampled in each quarry, and in historical buildings in Tharros and other centres of the region (Cabras

Analysis of deformation bands in the Aztec Sandstone, Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hill, R.E.

1993-04-01

This research concerns two types of deformation structures, deformation bands and low-angle slip surfaces, that occur in the Aztec Sandstone in the Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada. Deformation bands were analyzed by mapping and describing over 500 of the structures on a bedding surface of about 560 square meters. Deformation bands are narrow zones of reduced porosity which form resistant ribs in the sandstone. Three sets of deformation bands are present at the study site (type 1,2, and 3). Type 1 and 2 bands are interpreted as coeval and form a conjugate set with a dihedral angle of 90more » degrees. These sets are usually composed of multiple bands. A third set is interpreted to be subsidiary to the older set, and intersections angles with the earlier formed sets are approximately 45 degrees. In contrast with the older sets, the third set is nearly always a single band which is sinuous or jagged along its length. All three sets of deformation bands are crosscut and sometimes offset by low-angle slip surfaces. These faults have reverse dip slip displacement and locally have mullions developed. Displacements indicate eastward movement of the hanging wall which is consistent with the inferred movements of major Mesozoic thrust faults in the vicinity. The change of deformation style from deformation bands to low-angle slip surfaces may document a change in the stress regime. Paleostress interpretation of the deformation band geometry indicates the intermediate stress axis is vertical. The low-angle slip surfaces indicate the least compressive stress axis is vertical. This possible change in stress axes may be the result of increasing pore pressure associated with tectonic loading from emplacement of the Muddy Mountain thrust.« less

Bryophyte-dominated biological soil crusts mitigate soil erosion in an early successional Chinese subtropical forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seitz, Steffen; Nebel, Martin; Goebes, Philipp; Käppeler, Kathrin; Schmidt, Karsten; Shi, Xuezheng; Song, Zhengshan; Webber, Carla L.; Weber, Bettina; Scholten, Thomas

2017-12-01

This study investigated the development of biological soil crusts (biocrusts) in an early successional subtropical forest plantation and their impact on soil erosion. Within a biodiversity and ecosystem functioning experiment in southeast China (biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) China), the effect of these biocrusts on sediment delivery and runoff was assessed within micro-scale runoff plots under natural rainfall, and biocrust cover was surveyed over a 5-year period. Results showed that biocrusts occurred widely in the experimental forest ecosystem and developed from initial light cyanobacteria- and algae-dominated crusts to later-stage bryophyte-dominated crusts within only 3 years. Biocrust cover was still increasing after 6 years of tree growth. Within later-stage crusts, 25 bryophyte species were determined. Surrounding vegetation cover and terrain attributes significantly influenced the development of biocrusts. Besides high crown cover and leaf area index, the development of biocrusts was favoured by low slope gradients, slope orientations towards the incident sunlight and the altitude of the research plots. Measurements showed that bryophyte-dominated biocrusts strongly decreased soil erosion, being more effective than abiotic soil surface cover. Hence, their significant role in mitigating sediment delivery and runoff generation in mesic forest environments and their ability to quickly colonise soil surfaces after disturbance are of particular interest for soil erosion control in early-stage forest plantations.

Petrologic and isotopic data from the Cretaceous (Campanian) Blackhawk Formation and Star Point Sandstone (Mesaverde Group), Wasatch Plateau, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fishman, Neil S.; Turner, Christine E.; Peterson, Fred

2013-01-01

The presence of discrete minerals associated with coal—whether (1) detrital or authigenic constituents of the coals or in thin mudstone or siltstone units interbedded with coals, or (2) authigenic phases that formed along cleats—might influence its utilization as an energy resource. The build-up of sintered ash deposits on the surfaces of heat exchangers in coal-fired power plants, due to the alteration of minerals during combustion of the coal, can seriously affect the functioning of the boiler and enhance corrosion of combustion equipment. In particular, the presence of sodium in coals has been considered a key factor in the fouling of boilers; however, other elements (such as calcium or magnesium) and the amount of discrete minerals burned with coal can also play a significant role in the inefficiency of and damage to boilers. Previous studies of the quality of coals in the Cretaceous (Campanian) Blackhawk Formation of the Wasatch Plateau, Utah, revealed that the sodium content of the coals varied across the region. To better understand the origin and distribution of sodium in these coals, petrologic studies were undertaken within a sedimentological framework to evaluate the timing and geochemical constraints on the emplacement of sodium-bearing minerals, particularly analcime, which previously had been identified in coals in the Blackhawk Formation. Further, the study was broadened to include not just coals in the Blackhawk Formation from various localities across the Wasatch Plateau, but also sandstones interbedded with the coals as well as sandstones in the underlying Star Point Sandstone. The alteration history of the sandstones in both formations was considered a key component of this study because it records the nature and timing of fluids passing through them and the associated precipitation of sodium-bearing minerals; thus, the alteration history could place constraints on the distribution and timing of sodium mineralization in the interbedded or

Impacts of biological soil crust disturbance and composition on C and N loss from water erosion

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barger, N.N.; Herrick, J.E.; Van Zee, J.; Belnap, J.

2006-01-01

In this study, we conducted rainfall simulation experiments in a cool desert ecosystem to examine the role of biological soil crust disturbance and composition on dissolved and sediment C and N losses. We compared runoff and sediment C and N losses from intact late-successional dark cyanolichen crusts (intact) to both trampled dark crusts (trampled) and dark crusts where the top 1 cm of the soil surface was removed (scraped). In a second experiment, we compared C and N losses in runoff and sediments in early-successional light cyanobacterial crusts (light) to that of intact late-successional dark cyanolichen crusts (dark). A relatively high rainfall intensity of approximately 38 mm per 10-min period was used to ensure that at least some runoff was generated from all plots. Losses of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), and ammonium (NH 4+ ) were significantly higher from trampled plots as compared to scraped and intact plots. Sediment C and N losses, which made up more than 98% of total nutrient losses in all treatments, were more than 4-fold higher from trampled plots relative to intact plots (sediment C g/m2, intact = 0.74, trampled = 3.47; sediment N g/m2, intact = 0.06, trampled = 0.28). In light crusts, DOC loss was higher relative to dark crusts, but no differences were observed in dissolved N. Higher sediment loss in light crusts relative to dark crusts resulted in 5-fold higher loss of sediment-bound C and N. Total C flux (sediment + dissolved) was on the order of 0.9 and 7.9 g/m2 for dark and light crusts, respectively. Sediment N concentration in the first minutes after runoff from light crusts was 3-fold higher than the percent N of the top 1 cm of soil, suggesting that even short-term runoff events may have a high potential for N loss due to the movement of sediments highly enriched in N. Total N loss from dark crusts was an order of magnitude lower than light crusts (dark = 0.06 g N/m2, light = 0.63 g/m2). Overall, our

The spectral albedo of sea ice and salt crusts on the tropical ocean of Snowball Earth: 1. Laboratory measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Light, Bonnie; Carns, Regina C.; Warren, Stephen G.

2016-07-01

The ice-albedo feedback mechanism likely contributed to global glaciation during the Snowball Earth events of the Neoproterozoic era (1 Ga to 544 Ma). This feedback results from the albedo contrast between sea ice and open ocean. Little is known about the optical properties of some of the possible surface types that may have been present, including sea ice that is both snow-free and cold enough for salts to precipitate within brine inclusions. A proxy surface for such ice was grown in a freezer laboratory using the single salt NaCl and kept below the eutectic temperature (-21.2°C) of the NaCl-H2O binary system. The resulting ice cover was composed of ice and precipitated hydrohalite crystals (NaCl · 2H2O). As the cold ice sublimated, a thin lag-deposit of salt formed on the surface. To hasten its growth in the laboratory, the deposit was augmented by addition of a salt-enriched surface crust. Measurements of the spectral albedo of this surface were carried out over 90 days as the hydrohalite crust thickened due to sublimation of ice, and subsequently over several hours as the crust warmed and dissolved, finally resulting in a surface with puddled liquid brine. The all-wave solar albedo of the subeutectic crust is 0.93 (in contrast to 0.83 for fresh snow and 0.67 for melting bare sea ice). Incorporation of these processes into a climate model of Snowball Earth will result in a positive salt-albedo feedback operating between -21°C and -36°C.

Kaolinite, illite and quartz dissolution in the karstification of Paleozoic sandstones of the Furnas Formation, Paraná Basin, Southern Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melo, Mário Sérgio de; Guimarães, Gilson Burigo; Chinelatto, Adilson Luiz; Giannini, Paulo César Fonseca; Pontes, Henrique Simão; Chinelatto, Adriana Scoton Antonio; Atencio, Daniel

2015-11-01

Karstification processes in sandstones of the Furnas Formation, Silurian to Devonian of the Paraná Basin, have been described since the mid-twentieth century. However, some geologists still doubt the idea of true karst in sandstones. Studies carried out in the Campos Gerais region, Paraná State, Southern Brazil, aimed at investigating the nature of erosion processes in Furnas Formation and the role of the dissolution in the development of their notorious erosive features and underground cavities. These studies have led to the recognition of dissolution macro to micro features ('furnas', caves, ponds, sinks, ruiniform relief on cliffs and rocky surfaces, grain corrosion, speleothems, mineral reprecipitation and incrustation). The analysis (scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometry and x-ray diffractometry) of sandstones and their alterites has indicated significant dissolution of clay cement along with discrete quartz grain dissolution. This mesodiagenetic cement (kaolinite and illite) is dissolved and reprecipitated as clay minerals with poorly developed crystallinity along with other minerals, such as variscite and minerals of the alunite supergroup, suggesting organic participation in the processes of dissolution and incrustation. The mineral reprecipitation usually forms centimetric speleothems, found in cavities and sheltered rocky surfaces. The cement dissolution associated with other factors (fractures, wet weather, strong hydraulic gradient, antiquity of the landforms) leads to the rock arenisation, the underground erosion and the appearance of the karst features. Carbonate rocks in the basement may locally be increasing the karst forms in the overlying Furnas Formation. The recognition of the karst character of the Furnas Formation sandstones has important implications in the management of underground water resources (increasingly exploited in the region), in the use of the unique geological heritage and in the prevention of geo

Uptake of elements from seawater by ferromanganese crusts: Solid-phase associations and seawater speciation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Koschinsky, A.; Hein, J.R.

2003-01-01

Marine Fe-Mn oxyhydroxide crusts form by precipitation of dissolved components from seawater. Three hydrogenetic crust samples (one phosphatized) and two hydrothermal Mn-oxide samples were subjected to a sequential-leaching procedure in order to determine the host phases of 40 elements. Those host-phase associations are discussed with respect to element speciation in seawater. The partitioning of elements between the two major phases, Mn oxide and Fe oxyhydroxide, can in a first-order approximation be explained by a simple sorption model related to the inorganic speciation of the elements in seawater, as has been proposed in earlier models. Free and weakly complexed cations, such as alkali and alkaline earth metals, Mn, Co, Ni, Zn, T1(I), and partly Y, are sorbed preferentially on the negatively charged surface of the MnO2 in hydrogenetic crusts. The driving force is a strong coulombic interaction. All neutral or negatively charged chloro (Cd, Hg, T1), carbonate (Cu, Y, Pb, and U), and hydroxide (Be, Sc, Ti, Fe, Zr, Nb, In, Sn, Sb, Te, Hf, Ta, Bi, Th, and T1(III)) complexes and oxyanions (V, Cr, As, Se, Mo, and W) bind to the slightly positively charged surface of the amorphous FeOOH phase. While coulombic interaction can explain the sorption of the negatively charged species, the binding of neutral species is based on specific chemical interaction. Organic complexation of elements in deep-ocean water seems to be at most of minor importance. Surface oxidation can explain some strong metal associations, e.g. of Co and T1 with the MnO2 and Te with the FeOOH. Sorption reactions initially driven by coulombic forces are often followed by the formation of specific bonds between the adsorbate and the atoms of the oxide surface. Differences in the associations of some metals between the non-phosphatized and phosphatized hydrogenetic crusts and between the hydrogenetic and the hydrothermal samples reflect the different physico-chemical environments of formation and

Physics of Neutron Star Crusts.

PubMed

Chamel, Nicolas; Haensel, Pawel

2008-01-01

The physics of neutron star crusts is vast, involving many different research fields, from nuclear and condensed matter physics to general relativity. This review summarizes the progress, which has been achieved over the last few years, in modeling neutron star crusts, both at the microscopic and macroscopic levels. The confrontation of these theoretical models with observations is also briefly discussed.

Reservoir assessment of the Nubian sandstone reservoir in South Central Gulf of Suez, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Gendy, Nader; Barakat, Moataz; Abdallah, Hamed

2017-05-01

The Gulf of Suez is considered as one of the most important petroleum provinces in Egypt and contains the Saqqara and Edfu oil fields located in the South Central portion of the Gulf of Suez. The Nubian sandstone reservoir in the Gulf of Suez basin is well known for its great capability to store and produce large volumes of hydrocarbons. The Nubian sandstone overlies basement rocks throughout most of the Gulf of Suez region. It consists of a sequence of sandstones and shales of Paleozoic to Cretaceous age. The Nubian sandstone intersected in most wells has excellent reservoir characteristics. Its porosity is controlled by sedimentation style and diagenesis. The cementation materials are mainly kaolinite and quartz overgrowths. The permeability of the Nubian sandstone is mainly controlled by grain size, sorting, porosity and clay content especially kaolinite and decreases with increase of kaolinite. The permeability of the Nubian Sandstone is evaluated using the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR technology) and formation pressure data in addition to the conventional logs and the results were calibrated using core data. In this work, the Nubian sandstone was investigated and evaluated using complete suites of conventional and advanced logging techniques to understand its reservoir characteristics which have impact on economics of oil recovery. The Nubian reservoir has a complicated wettability nature which affects the petrophysical evaluation and reservoir productivity. So, understanding the reservoir wettability is very important for managing well performance, productivity and oil recovery.

Phosphatization Associated Features of Ferromanganese Crusts at Lemkein Seamount, Marshall Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, J.; Lee, I.; Park, B. K.; Kim, J.

2014-12-01

Old layers of ferromanganese crusts, especially in the Pacific Ocean, have been affected by phosphatization. Ferromanganese crusts on Lemkein seamount in Marshall Islands also are phosphatized (3.3 to 4.2 wt % of P concentration). Furthermore, they have characteristic features that are different from other ferromanganese crusts. These features occur near the phosphorite, which were thought to fill the pore spaces of ferromanganese crusts. Inside the features, ferromanganese crusts are botryoidally precipitated from the round-boundary. The features of the phosphatized lower crusts of Lemkein seamount are observed using microscope and SEM. Elemental compositions of the selected samples were analyzed by SEM-EDS. Based on the observation and analysis of samples, three characteristic structures are identified: (1) phosphate-filled circles, (2) tongue-shaped framboidal crust, and (3) massive framboidal crust. The phosphate-filled circles are mostly composed of phosphorite, and they include trace fossils such as foraminifera. Phosphatized ferromanganese crusts exist at the boundary of this structure. The tongue-shaped crust is connected with the lips downward, and ferromanganese crusts inside the tongue show distinct growth rim. The massive framboidal crust is located below the tongue. Ferromanganese crusts in the massive framboidal crust are enveloped by phosphate, and some of the crusts are phosphatized. Around the structures, Mn oxide phase is concentrated as a shape of corona on BSE image. All of the structures are in the phosphatized crusts that show columnar growth of ferromanganese crusts and have sub-parallel lamination. These observation and chemical analysis of the ferromanganese crusts can provide a clue of diagenetic processes during the formation of ferromanganese crusts.

Fractures and stresses in Bone Spring sandstones

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Warpinski, N.R.; Sattler, A.R.; Lorenz, J.C.

This project was a collaboration between Sandia National Laboratories and the Harvey E. Yates Company (Heyco), Roswell, NM, conducted under the auspices of Department of Energy's Oil Recovery Technology Partnership. The project applied Sandia perspectives on the effects of natural fractures, stress, and sedimentology for the stimulation and production of low permeability gas reservoirs to low permeability oil reservoirs, such as those typified by the Bone Spring sandstones of the Delaware Basin, southeast New Mexico. This report details the results and analyses obtained in 1990 from core, logs, stress, and other data taken from three additional development wells. An overallmore » summary gives results from all five wells studied in this project in 1989--1990. Most of the results presented are believed to be new information for the Bone Spring sandstones.« less

Development of Discrete Compaction Bands in Two Porous Sandstones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tembe, S.; Baud, P.; Wong, T.

2003-12-01

Compaction band formation has been documented by recent field and laboratory studies as a localized failure mode occurring in porous sandstones. The coupling of compaction and localization may significantly alter the stress field and strain partitioning, and act as barriers within reservoirs. Two end-members of this failure mode that develop subperpendicular to the maximum principal stress have been identified: numerous discrete compaction bands with a thickness of only several grains, or a few diffuse bands that are significantly thicker. Much of what is known about discrete compaction bands derives from laboratory experiments performed on the relatively homogeneous Bentheim sandstone with 23% porosity. In this study we observe similar compaction localization behavior in the Diemelstadt sandstone, that has an initial porosity of 24.4% and a modal composition of 68% quartz, 26% feldspar, 4% oxides, and 2% micas. CT scans of the Diemelstadt sandstone indicate bedding corresponding to low porosity laminae. Saturated samples cored perpendicular to bedding were deformed at room temperature under drained conditions at a constant pore pressure of 10 MPa and a confining pressure range of 20-175 MPa. Acoustic emission activity and pore volume change were recorded continuously. Samples were deformed to axial strains of 1-4% and recovered from the triaxial cell for microstructural analysis. The mechanical data map the transition in failure mode from brittle faulting to compactive cataclastic flow. The brittle regime occurred at effective pressures up to 40 MPa, associated with failure by conjugate shear bands. At an effective pressure range of 60-175 MPa strain hardening and shear-enhanced compaction were accompanied by the development of discrete compaction bands, that was manifested by episodic surges of acoustic emission. Preliminary microstructural observations of the failed samples suggest that bedding influenced the band orientations which varies between 75-90\\deg

Self-Consistent Generation of Primordial Continental Crust in Global Mantle Convection Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, C.; Rozel, A.; Tackley, P. J.

2017-12-01

We present the generation of primordial continental crust (TTG rocks) using self-consistent and evolutionary thermochemical mantle convection models (Tackley, PEPI 2008). Numerical modelling commonly shows that mantle convection and continents have strong feedbacks on each other. However in most studies, continents are inserted a priori while basaltic (oceanic) crust is generated self-consistently in some models (Lourenco et al., EPSL 2016). Formation of primordial continental crust happened by fractional melting and crystallisation in episodes of relatively rapid growth from late Archean to late Proterozoic eras (3-1 Ga) (Hawkesworth & Kemp, Nature 2006) and it has also been linked to the onset of plate tectonics around 3 Ga. It takes several stages of differentiation to generate Tonalite-Trondhjemite-Granodiorite (TTG) rocks or proto-continents. First, the basaltic magma is extracted from the pyrolitic mantle which is both erupted at the surface and intruded at the base of the crust. Second, it goes through eclogitic transformation and then partially melts to form TTGs (Rudnick, Nature 1995; Herzberg & Rudnick, Lithos 2012). TTGs account for the majority of the Archean continental crust. Based on the melting conditions proposed by Moyen (Lithos 2011), the feasibility of generating TTG rocks in numerical simulations has already been demonstrated by Rozel et al. (Nature, 2017). Here, we have developed the code further by parameterising TTG formation. We vary the ratio of intrusive (plutonic) and extrusive (volcanic) magmatism (Crisp, Volcanol. Geotherm. 1984) to study the relative volumes of three petrological TTG compositions as reported from field data (Moyen, Lithos 2011). Furthermore, we systematically vary parameters such as friction coefficient, initial core temperature and composition-dependent viscosity to investigate the global tectonic regime of early Earth. Continental crust can also be destroyed by subduction or delamination. We will investigate

Importance of Biological Loess Crusts for Loess Formation in Semi-Arid Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Svirčev, Z.; Marković, S. B.; Stevens, T.; Smalley, I. J.; Hambach, U.; Obreht, I.; Lukić, T.; Vasiljević, Dj. A.

2012-04-01

The essential components for loess deposition are: material, atmospheric circulation and appropriate surface conditions for the trapping of aeolian material as well as the subsequent development of typical loess sedimentary structures. In spite of the world-wide distribution of loess deposits, knowledge of the processes of transformation from accumulated dust to mature loess sediment is still inadequate. Some recent studies highlight the potential importance of biologically crusted surfaces (BCS) in loess formation. BCS are highly specialized extremophile communities and generally play an important role in atmospheric dust trapping and erosion prevention. Our initial results indicate that cyanobacterial strains isolated from loess exhibit some specific morphological and ecophysiological characteristics that play a key role in loess formation, warranting adoption of the new term biological loess crusts (BLC). We suggest that loessification is heavily influenced by the metabolic activity of BLC microorganisms mainly through polysaccharides. The sticky polysaccharide glue on the topographic surface, exuded mostly by cyanobacteria, can trap silty particles suspended in a dusty atmosphere. This collection of airborne loess forming particles is part of the life strategy of crust organisms in so far as they provide the necessary minerals for further growth of the BLC, which in turn provides protection from desiccation during dry periods. Simultaneously, polysaccharides secreted by crust organisms bind particles inside the BLC zone, forming a cohesive crust that resists both wind and water erosion during dry periods. Metabolized particles, exuded metabolites and unused airborne particles become the uppermost loess sediment covered with BLC. During moist periods, accumulation of dust and loess forming particles is very active. During the dry phases, the BLC becomes very stable and develops a resistant surface preventing wind and water erosion. The drying period induces

Composition of the crust beneath the Kenya rift

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mooney, W.D.; Christensen, N.I.

1994-01-01

We infer the composition of the crust beneath and on the flanks of the Kenya rift based on a comparison of the KRISP-90 crustal velocity structure with laboratory measurements of compressional-wave velocities of rock samples from Kenya. The rock samples studied, which are representative of the major lithologies exposed in Kenya, include volcanic tuffs and flows (primarily basalts and phonolites), and felsic to intermediate composition gneisses. This comparison indicates that the upper crust (5-12 km depth) consists primarily of quartzo-feldspathic gneisses and schists similar to rocks exposed on the flanks of the rift, whereas the middle crust (12-22 km depth) consists of more mafic, hornblende-rich metamorphic rocks, probably intruded by mafic rocks beneath the rift axis. The lower crust on the flanks of the rift may consist of mafic granulite facies rocks. Along the rift axis, the lower crust varies in thickness from 9 km in the southern rift to only 2-3 km in the north, and has a seismic velocity substantially higher than the samples investigated in this study. The lower crust of the rift probably consists of a crust/mantle mix of high-grade metamorphic rocks, mafic intrusives, and an igneous mafic residuum accreted to the base of the crust during differentiation of a melt derived from the upper mantle. ?? 1994.

Nuclear Reactions in the Crusts of Accreting Neutron Stars

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lau, Rita; Beard, Mary; Gupta, Sanjib S.

X-ray observations of transiently accreting neutron stars during quiescence provide information about the structure of neutron star crusts and the properties of dense matter. Interpretation of the observational data requires an understanding of the nuclear reactions that heat and cool the crust during accretion and define its nonequilibrium composition. We identify here in detail the typical nuclear reaction sequences down to a depth in the inner crust where the mass density ismore » $$\\rho =2\\times {10}^{12}\\,{\\rm{g}}\\,{\\mathrm{cm}}^{-3}$$ using a full nuclear reaction network for a range of initial compositions. The reaction sequences differ substantially from previous work. We find a robust reduction of crust impurity at the transition to the inner crust regardless of initial composition, though shell effects can delay the formation of a pure crust somewhat to densities beyond $$\\rho =2\\times {10}^{12}\\,{\\rm{g}}\\,{\\mathrm{cm}}^{-3}$$. This naturally explains the small inner crust impurity inferred from observations of a broad range of systems. The exception are initial compositions with A ≥ 102 nuclei, where the inner crust remains impure with an impurity parameter of Q imp ≈ 20 owing to the N = 82 shell closure. In agreement with previous work, we find that nuclear heating is relatively robust and independent of initial composition, while cooling via nuclear Urca cycles in the outer crust depends strongly on initial composition. As a result, this work forms a basis for future studies of the sensitivity of crust models to nuclear physics and provides profiles of composition for realistic crust models.« less

Nuclear Reactions in the Crusts of Accreting Neutron Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lau, R.; Beard, M.; Gupta, S. S.; Schatz, H.; Afanasjev, A. V.; Brown, E. F.; Deibel, A.; Gasques, L. R.; Hitt, G. W.; Hix, W. R.; Keek, L.; Möller, P.; Shternin, P. S.; Steiner, A. W.; Wiescher, M.; Xu, Y.

2018-05-01

X-ray observations of transiently accreting neutron stars during quiescence provide information about the structure of neutron star crusts and the properties of dense matter. Interpretation of the observational data requires an understanding of the nuclear reactions that heat and cool the crust during accretion and define its nonequilibrium composition. We identify here in detail the typical nuclear reaction sequences down to a depth in the inner crust where the mass density is ρ =2× {10}12 {{g}} {cm}}-3 using a full nuclear reaction network for a range of initial compositions. The reaction sequences differ substantially from previous work. We find a robust reduction of crust impurity at the transition to the inner crust regardless of initial composition, though shell effects can delay the formation of a pure crust somewhat to densities beyond ρ =2× {10}12 {{g}} {cm}}-3. This naturally explains the small inner crust impurity inferred from observations of a broad range of systems. The exception are initial compositions with A ≥ 102 nuclei, where the inner crust remains impure with an impurity parameter of Q imp ≈ 20 owing to the N = 82 shell closure. In agreement with previous work, we find that nuclear heating is relatively robust and independent of initial composition, while cooling via nuclear Urca cycles in the outer crust depends strongly on initial composition. This work forms a basis for future studies of the sensitivity of crust models to nuclear physics and provides profiles of composition for realistic crust models.

Nuclear Reactions in the Crusts of Accreting Neutron Stars

DOE PAGES

Lau, Rita; Beard, Mary; Gupta, Sanjib S.; ...

2018-05-24

X-ray observations of transiently accreting neutron stars during quiescence provide information about the structure of neutron star crusts and the properties of dense matter. Interpretation of the observational data requires an understanding of the nuclear reactions that heat and cool the crust during accretion and define its nonequilibrium composition. We identify here in detail the typical nuclear reaction sequences down to a depth in the inner crust where the mass density ismore » $$\\rho =2\\times {10}^{12}\\,{\\rm{g}}\\,{\\mathrm{cm}}^{-3}$$ using a full nuclear reaction network for a range of initial compositions. The reaction sequences differ substantially from previous work. We find a robust reduction of crust impurity at the transition to the inner crust regardless of initial composition, though shell effects can delay the formation of a pure crust somewhat to densities beyond $$\\rho =2\\times {10}^{12}\\,{\\rm{g}}\\,{\\mathrm{cm}}^{-3}$$. This naturally explains the small inner crust impurity inferred from observations of a broad range of systems. The exception are initial compositions with A ≥ 102 nuclei, where the inner crust remains impure with an impurity parameter of Q imp ≈ 20 owing to the N = 82 shell closure. In agreement with previous work, we find that nuclear heating is relatively robust and independent of initial composition, while cooling via nuclear Urca cycles in the outer crust depends strongly on initial composition. As a result, this work forms a basis for future studies of the sensitivity of crust models to nuclear physics and provides profiles of composition for realistic crust models.« less

Soil stabilization by a prokaryotic desert crust: implications for Precambrian land biota.

PubMed

Campbell, S E

1979-09-01

A cyanophyte dominated mat, desert crust, forms the ground cover in areas measuring hundreds of square meters in Utah and smaller patches in Colorado. The algal mat shows stromatolitic features such as sediment trapping and accretion, a convoluted surface, and polygonal cracking. Sand and clay particles are immobilized by a dense network of filaments of the two dominating cyanophyte species, Microcoleus vaginatus and M. chthonoplastes, which secrete sheaths to which particles adhere. These microorganisms can tolerate long periods of desiccation and are capable of instant reactivation and migration following wetting. Migration occurs in two events: 1. immediately following wetting of dry mat, trichomes are mechanically expelled from the sheath as it swells during rehydration, and 2. subsequently, trichomes begin a self-propelled gliding motility which is accompanied by further production of sheath. The maximum distance traveled on solid agar by trichomes of Microcoleus vaginatus during a 12 hour period of light was 4.8 cm. This corresponds to approximately 500 times the length of the fastest trichome, and provides a measure of the potential for spreading of the mat in nature via the motility of the trichomes. Dehydration resistence of the sheath modifies the extracellular environment of the trichomes and enables their transition to dormancy. Following prolonged wetting and evaporative drying of the mat in the laboratory, a smooth wafer-like crust is formed by the sheaths of Microcleus trichomes that have migrated to the surface. Calcium carbonate precipitates among the algal filaments under experimental conditions, indicating a potential for mat lithification and fossilization in the form of a caliche crust. It is suggested that limestones containing tubular microfossils may, in part, be of such an origin. The formation of mature Precambrian soils may be attributable to soil accretion, stabilization, and biogenic modification by blue-green algal land mats similar to

The sandstone's chromatic alteration of the florentine cultural heritage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vettori, S.; Pecchioni, E.; Cantisani, E.; Ricci, M.; Fratini, F.; Garzonio, C. A.

2012-04-01

Pietra Serena is one of the materials more used in Florentine architecture. It is a sandstone that outcrops in the hills north of the city in the municipality of Fiesole and it has been employed mainly for ornamental purposes. This litotype belongs to the the Macigno Formation (Oligocene Upper- Miocene Lower) which consists of beds of turbiditic sandstones separated by pelitic levels which are the finest components of each single turbidity layer. Petrographically, Pietra Serena can be defined as a medium-coarse-grained greywacke made of quartz, feldspars, micas, fragments of metamorphic and magmatic rocks. The clayey matrix is quite abundant, mainly composed by illite, kaolinite and chlorite-vermiculite (present only in some quarries). It is well known that the processes of decay of the sandstones are related to the type of matrix, the amount of cement, the kind of clay minerals and to the pore size distribution, which lead to water infiltrations, swelling of the clay minerals, separation of the clayey matrix, with resulting exfoliation and peeling of the stone artefacts. Pietra Serena has a bluish-grey colour in fresh cut, but many times it is easily oxidized acquiring an ochraceous-reddish brown colour on buildings. Such changes in colour, appear to be due in part to the oxidation of iron, proceeding very quickly from the surface to the inside, though the cohesion is not affected. It is possible to hypothesize that the chromatic changes not necessarily involve a progressive state of alteration of the artefact, but they may often to represents a natural patina acquired with the time. Nevertheless it is necessary to remember that the oxidized layer and its hardness could also be the result of treatments performed in the past. In Florence, several monuments and buildings are affected by such phenomenon, in particular it is possible to note an intense and diffuse reddish colouring on the Pietra Serena utilized for columns and for façade's decorations. In this work

Degradation of Glaukonite Sandstone as a Result of Alkali-Silica Reactions in Cement Mortar.

PubMed

Czapik, Przemysław

2018-05-30

The mechanism of concrete degradation as a result of an alkali-silica reaction (ASR) largely depends on the mineral composition and microstructure of the reactive aggregate. This paper shows the reactivity results of quartz-glaukonitic sandstone, which is mainly responsible for the reactivity of some post-glacial gravels, available in Poland. After initial petrographic observations under a light microscope, the mode of sandstone degradation triggered by the reaction with sodium and potassium hydroxides was identified using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It has been found that chalcedony agglomerates present in sandstone are separated from the rock matrix and subsequently cause the cracks formation in this matrix. Additionally, microcrystalline and potentially reactive silica is also dispersed in sandstone cement.

Sequestration of Tellurium From Seawater by Ferromanganese Crusts: A XANES/EXAFS Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hein, J. R.; Bargar, J.; Koschinsky, A.; Dunham, R.; Halliday, A. N.

2007-12-01

Marine iron-oxyhydroxide/manganese-oxide crusts (Fe-Mn crusts) provide the richest known source of tellurium (Te). Te averages about 50 ppm in Fe-Mn crusts distributed globally, with concentrations locally up to 210 ppm. The sorption of Te onto Fe-Mn crusts likely controls the dominant redox species and concentration of Te in the global ocean (Hein et al., 2003). However, little is known about the mechanisms by which Te is sequestered by Fe-Mn crusts and Fe-Mn colloids in the water column, and then stabilized in the Fe/Mn oxyhydroxide/oxide framework. Two primary hypotheses are being tested: (a) Te(IV) is initially the predominant adsorbed species, which is subsequently oxidized on the Fe-oxyhydroxide and/or Mn oxide phases in natural systems and in sorption experiments. (b) Once oxidized, Te(VI) remains tightly bound to the Fe phase in Fe-Mn crusts as adsorbed surface complexes. These hypotheses are being examined by using the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory's (SSRL) synchrotron-based XANES (x-ray absorption near-edge structure) spectroscopy to assess Te oxidation state in natural samples and samples in which Te(IV) and Te(VI) were sorbed onto synthetic and natural FeOOH and Mn oxides. EXAFS (extended x-ray absorption fine structure) spectroscopy is being used to resolve the local molecular-scale structure around Te in these same samples. Data have thus far been obtained for six Fe-Mn crusts from a variety of geographic locations and water depths of occurrence, with differing chemical compositions; and two model compounds, Te(IV) sorbed on FeOOH and Te(IV) sorbed on MnO2. XANES data show that for all six Fe-Mn crust samples, 85 to 100 percent of the Te occurs as Te(VI). For the model compounds, about 65 percent of the Te(IV) sorbed onto the MnO2 had oxidized to Te(VI) by the time (one week) the sample was analyzed, whereas Te sorbed onto FeOOH remained at about 100 percent Te(IV). The most striking result from the EXAFS data is that all spectra for the

Steady State Growth of Continental Crust?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowring, S. A.; Bauer, A.; Dudas, F. O.; Schoene, B.; McLean, N. M.

2012-12-01

More than twenty years since the publication of Armstrong's seminal paper, debate still rages about most aspects of the Earth's first billion years. Although orders of magnitude more data have been generated since then, the arguments remain the same. The debate is largely centered on the isotopic systematics of minerals and whole rocks, the major and trace element geochemistry of continental crust, and various geodynamic models for differentiation of the planet. Most agree that earth, like all the terrestrial planets, differentiated into a crust, mantle and core very early in its history. After that, models of crustal evolution diverge significantly, including the suggestions that modern style plate tectonics did not originate until ca. 2.7 Ga or younger and that plumes have played a major role in the generation of continental crust. Many believe that the preserved rock record and the detrital zircon record are consistent with episodic crustal growth, which in turn has led to geodynamic models of episodic mantle convection driving major crust forming events. High-precision and high-throughput geochronology have led to claims of episodicity even more pronounced than that presented in Gastil's 1960 paper. We believe that Earth history has been dominated by plate tectonics and that continental crust is formed largely by amalgamation of island arcs, seamounts, micro continents, and oceanic plateaus. While there are geochemical differences in the average composition of Archean igneous rocks when compared to younger rocks, the processes responsible for their formation may not have changed a great deal. In this view, the so-called crustal growth curves originated by Hurley are in fact crude approximations of crustal preservation. The most highly cited rationales for the view that little silicic crust formed during Earth's first billion years are the lack of known exposed crust older than 3.5 Ga and the paucity of detrital zircons older than 4.0 Ga in sedimentary rocks of

CRUST 5.1: A global crustal model at 5° x 5°

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mooney, Walter D.; Laske, Gabi; Masters, T. Guy

1998-01-01

We present a new global model for the Earth's crust based on seismic refraction data published in the period 1948–1995 and a detailed compilation of ice and sediment thickness. An extensive compilation of seismic refraction measurements has been used to determine the crustal structure on continents and their margins. Oceanic crust is modeled with both a standard model for normal oceanic crust, and variants for nonstandard regions, such as oceanic plateaus. Our model (CRUST 5.1) consists of 2592 5° × 5° tiles in which the crust and uppermost mantle are described by eight layers: (1) ice, (2) water, (3) soft sediments, (4) hard sediments, (5) crystalline upper, (6) middle, (7) lower crust, and (8) uppermost mantle. Topography and bathymetry are adopted from a standard database (ETOPO-5). Compressional wave velocity in each layer is based on field measurements, and shear wave velocity and density are estimated using recently published empirical Vp- Vs and Vp-density relationships. The crustal model differs from previous models in that (1) the thickness and seismic/density structure of sedimentary basins is accounted for more completely, (2) the velocity structure of unmeasured regions is estimated using statistical averages that are based on a significantly larger database of crustal structure, (3) the compressional wave, shear wave, and density structure have been explicitly specified using newly available constraints from field and laboratory studies. Thus this global crustal model is based on substantially more data than previous models and differs from them in many important respects. A new map of the thickness of the Earth's crust is presented, and we illustrate the application of this model by using it to provide the crustal correction for surface wave phase velocity maps. Love waves at 40 s are dominantly sensitive to crustal structure, and there is a very close correspondence between observed phase velocities at this period and those predicted by CRUST 5

Elastic Dispersion and Attenuation in Fully Saturated Sandstones: Role of Mineral Content, Porosity, and Pressures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pimienta, Lucas; Borgomano, Jan V. M.; Fortin, Jérôme; Guéguen, Yves

2017-12-01

Because measuring the frequency dependence of elastic properties in the laboratory is a technical challenge, not enough experimental data exist to test the existing theories. We report measurements of three fluid-saturated sandstones over a broad frequency band: Wilkenson, Berea, and Bentheim sandstones. Those sandstones samples, chosen for their variable porosities and mineral content, are saturated by fluids of varying viscosities. The samples elastic response (Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio) and hydraulic response (fluid flow out of the sample) are measured as a function of frequency. Large dispersion and attenuation phenomena are observed over the investigated frequency range. For all samples, the variation at lowest frequency relates to a large fluid flow directly measured out of the rock samples. These are the cause (i.e., fluid flow) and consequence (i.e., dispersion/attenuation) of the transition between drained and undrained regimes. Consistently, the characteristic frequency correlates with permeability for each sandstone. Beyond this frequency, a second variation is observed for all samples, but the rocks behave differently. For Berea sandstone, an onset of dispersion/attenuation is expected from both Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio at highest frequency. For Bentheim and Wilkenson sandstones, however, only Young's modulus shows dispersion/attenuation phenomena. For Wilkenson sandstone, the viscoelastic-like dispersion/attenuation response is interpreted as squirt flow. For Bentheim sandstone, the second effect does not fully follow such response, which could be due to a lower accuracy in the measured attenuation or to the occurence of another physical effect in this rock sample.

Micro-mechanics of hydro-mechanical coupled processes during hydraulic fracturing in sandstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caulk, R.; Tomac, I.

2017-12-01

This contribution presents micro-mechanical study of hydraulic fracture initiation and propagation in sandstone. The Discrete Element Method (DEM) Yade software is used as a tool to model fully coupled hydro-mechanical behavior of the saturated sandstone under pressures typical for deep geo-reservoirs. Heterogeneity of sandstone strength tensile and shear parameters are introduced using statistical representation of cathodoluminiscence (CL) sandstone rock images. Weibull distribution of statistical parameter values was determined as a best match of the CL scans of sandstone grains and cement between grains. Results of hydraulic fracturing stimulation from the well bore indicate significant difference between models with the bond strengths informed from CL scans and uniform homogeneous representation of sandstone parameters. Micro-mechanical insight reveals formed hydraulic fracture typical for mode I or tensile cracking in both cases. However, the shear micro-cracks are abundant in the CL informed model while they are absent in the standard model with uniform strength distribution. Most of the mode II cracks, or shear micro-cracks, are not part of the main hydraulic fracture and occur in the near-tip and near-fracture areas. The position and occurrence of the shear micro-cracks is characterized as secondary effect which dissipates the hydraulic fracturing energy. Additionally, the shear micro-crack locations qualitatively resemble acoustic emission cloud of shear cracks frequently observed in hydraulic fracturing, and sometimes interpreted as re-activation of existing fractures. Clearly, our model does not contain pre-existing cracks and has continuous nature prior to fracturing. This observation is novel and interesting and is quantified in the paper. The shear particle contact forces field reveals significant relaxation compared to the model with uniform strength distribution.

Natural Erosion of Sandstone as Shape Optimisation.

PubMed

Ostanin, Igor; Safonov, Alexander; Oseledets, Ivan

2017-12-11

Natural arches, pillars and other exotic sandstone formations have always been attracting attention for their unusual shapes and amazing mechanical balance that leave a strong impression of intelligent design rather than the result of a stochastic process. It has been recently demonstrated that these shapes could have been the result of the negative feedback between stress and erosion that originates in fundamental laws of friction between the rock's constituent particles. Here we present a deeper analysis of this idea and bridge it with the approaches utilized in shape and topology optimisation. It appears that the processes of natural erosion, driven by stochastic surface forces and Mohr-Coulomb law of dry friction, can be viewed within the framework of local optimisation for minimum elastic strain energy. Our hypothesis is confirmed by numerical simulations of the erosion using the topological-shape optimisation model. Our work contributes to a better understanding of stochastic erosion and feasible landscape formations that could be found on Earth and beyond.

Diagenetic contrast of sandstones in hydrocarbon prospective Mesozoic rift basins (Ethiopia, UK, USA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolela, A.

2014-11-01

Diagenetic studied in hydrocarbon-prospective Mesozoic rift basins were carried out in the Blue Nile Basin (Ethiopia), Ulster Basin (United Kingdom) and Hartford Basin (United States of America). Alluvial fan, single and amalgamated multistorey meandering and braided river, deep and shallow perennial lake, shallow ephemeral lake, aeolian and playa mud-flat are the prominent depositional environments. The studied sandstones exhibit red bed diagenesis. Source area geology, depositional environments, pore-water chemistry and circulation, tectonic setting and burial history controlled the diagenetic evolution. The diagenetic minerals include: facies-related minerals (calcrete and dolocrete), grain-coating clay minerals and/or hematite, quartz and feldspar overgrowths, carbonate cements, hematite, kaolinite, illite-smectite, smectite, illite, chlorite, actinolite, laumontite, pyrite and apatite. Diversity of diagenetic minerals and sequence of diagenetic alteration can be directly related to depositional environment and burial history of the basins. Variation in infiltrated clays, carbonate cements and clay minerals observed in the studied sandstones. The alluvial fan and fluviatile sandstones are dominated by kaolinite, illite calcite and ferroan calcite, whereas the playa and lacustrine sandstones are dominated by illite-smectite, smectite-chlorite, smectite, chlorite, dolomite ferroan dolomite and ankerite. Albite, pyrite and apatite are predominantly precipitated in lacustrine sandstones. Basaltic eruption in the basins modified mechanically infiltrated clays to authigenic clays. In all the studied sandstones, secondary porosity predominates over primary porosity. The oil emplacement inhabited clay authigenesis and generation of secondary porosity, whereas authigenesis of quartz, pyrite and apatite continued after oil emplacement.

Deep Crustal Melting and the Survival of Continental Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitney, D.; Teyssier, C. P.; Rey, P. F.; Korchinski, M.

2017-12-01

Plate convergence involving continental lithosphere leads to crustal melting, which ultimately stabilizes the crust because it drives rapid upward flow of hot deep crust, followed by rapid cooling at shallow levels. Collision drives partial melting during crustal thickening (at 40-75 km) and/or continental subduction (at 75-100 km). These depths are not typically exceeded by crustal rocks that are exhumed in each setting because partial melting significantly decreases viscosity, facilitating upward flow of deep crust. Results from numerical models and nature indicate that deep crust moves laterally and then vertically, crystallizing at depths as shallow as 2 km. Deep crust flows en masse, without significant segregation of melt into magmatic bodies, over 10s of kms of vertical transport. This is a major mechanism by which deep crust is exhumed and is therefore a significant process of heat and mass transfer in continental evolution. The result of vertical flow of deep, partially molten crust is a migmatite dome. When lithosphere is under extension or transtension, the deep crust is solicited by faulting of the brittle upper crust, and the flow of deep crust in migmatite domes traverses nearly the entire thickness of orogenic crust in <10 million years. This cycle of burial, partial melting, rapid ascent, and crystallization/cooling preserves the continents from being recycled into the mantle by convergent tectonic processes over geologic time. Migmatite domes commonly preserve a record of high-T - low-P metamorphism. Domes may also contain rocks or minerals that record high-T - high-P conditions, including high-P metamorphism broadly coeval with host migmatite, evidence for the deep crustal origin of migmatite. There exists a spectrum of domes, from entirely deep-sourced to mixtures of deep and shallow sources. Controlling factors in deep vs. shallow sources are relative densities of crustal layers and rate of extension: fast extension (cm/yr) promotes efficient

Analysis of some seismic expressions of Big Injun sandstone and its adjacent interval

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xiangdong, Zou; Wilson, T.A.; Donaldson, A.C.

1991-08-01

The Big Injun sandstone is an important oil and gas reservoir in western West Virginia. The pre-Greenbrier unconformity has complicated correlations, and hydrocarbon explorationists commonly have misidentified the Big Injun in the absence of a regional stratigraphic study. Paleogeologic maps on this unconformity show the West Virginia dome, with the Price/Pocono units truncated resulting in pinch-outs of different sandstones against the overlying Big Lime (Greenbrier Limestone). Drillers have named the first sandstone below the Big Lime as Big Injun, and miscorrelated the real Big Injun with Squaw, upper Weir, and even the Berea sandstone. In this report, an 8-mi (13-km)more » seismic section extending from Kanawha to Clay counties was interpreted. The study area is near the pinch-out of the Big Injun sandstone. A stratigraphic cross section was constructed from gamma-ray logs for comparison with the seismic interpretation. The modeling and interpretation of the seismic section recognized the relief on the unconformity and the ability to determine facies changes, too. Both geophysical wireline and seismic data can be used for detailed stratigraphic analysis within the Granny Creek oil field of Clay and Roane countries.« less

Soil crusts to warm the planet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Pichel, Ferran; Couradeau, Estelle; Karaoz, Ulas; da Rocha Ulisses, Nunes; Lim Hsiao, Chiem; Northen, Trent; Brodie, Eoin

2016-04-01

Soil surface temperature, an important driver of terrestrial biogeochemical processes, depends strongly on soil albedo, which can be significantly modified by factors such as plant cover. In sparsely vegetated lands, the soil surface can also be colonized by photosynthetic microbes that build biocrust communities. We used concurrent physical, biochemical and microbiological analyses to show that mature biocrusts can increase surface soil temperature by as much as 10 °C through the accumulation of large quantities of a secondary metabolite, the microbial sunscreen scytonemin, produced by a group of late-successional cyanobacteria. Scytonemin accumulation decreases soil albedo significantly. Such localized warming had apparent and immediate consequences for the crust soil microbiome, inducing the replacement of thermosensitive bacterial species with more thermotolerant forms. These results reveal that not only vegetation but also microorganisms are a factor in modifying terrestrial albedo, potentially impacting biosphere feedbacks on past and future climate, and call for a direct assessment of such effects at larger scales. Based on estimates of the global biomass of cyanobacteria in soil biocrusts, one can easily calculate that there must currently exist about 15 million metric tons of scytonemin at work, warming soil surfaces worldwide

Phantom Archean crust in Mangaia hotspot lavas and the meaning of heterogeneous mantle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herzberg, C.; Cabral, R. A.; Jackson, M. G.; Vidito, C.; Day, J. M. D.; Hauri, E. H.

2014-06-01

Lavas from Mangaia in the Cook-Austral island chain, Polynesia, define an HIMU (or high μ, where μ=U238/Pb204) global isotopic end-member among ocean island basalts (OIB) with the highest 206,207,208Pb/204Pb. This geochemical signature is interpreted to reflect a recycled oceanic crust component in the mantle source. Mass independently fractionated (MIF) sulfur isotopes indicate that Mangaia lavas sampled recycled Archean material that was once at the Earth's surface, likely hydrothermally-modified oceanic crust. Recent models have proposed that crust that is subducted and then returned to the surface in a mantle plume is expected to transform to pyroxenite/eclogite during transit through the mantle. Here we examine this hypothesis for Mangaia using high-precision electron microprobe analysis on olivine phenocrysts. Contrary to expectations of a crustal component and, hence pyroxenite, results show a mixed peridotite and pyroxenite source, with peridotite dominating. If the isotopic compositions were inherited from subduction of recycled oceanic crust, our work shows that this source has phantom-like properties in that it can have its lithological identity destroyed while its isotope ratios are preserved. This may occur by partial melting of the pyroxenite and injection of its silicic melts into the surrounding mantle peridotite, yielding a refertilized peridotite. Evidence from one sample reveals that not all pyroxenite in the melting region was destroyed. Identification of source lithology using olivine phenocryst chemistry can be further compromised by magma chamber fractional crystallization, recharge, and mixing. We conclude that the commonly used terms mantle “heterogeneities” and “streaks” are ambiguous, and distinction should be made of its lithological and isotopic properties.

Living in Salt: The formation and development of extremophile habitats and biosignatures within salt crusts of the hyperarid Atacama Desert

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finstad, K. M.; Amundson, R.

2013-12-01

It has become increasing apparent that salt-rich deposits are present on the Martian surface and that aqueous alteration has occurred sometime during the planet's past. In the hyperarid Atacama Desert in Chile, an important Earth-based analogue to Mars, microbial life has been discovered inhabiting halite (NaCl) surface crust deposits. Is it possible that similar salt deposits on Mars once harbored microbial life? If so, what adaptations were likely necessary for survival in such an environment and what biosignatures are expected to remain? Although this fascinating ecosystem in the Atacama Desert has been recognized, neither the physical processes of halite crust formation, nor the microorganisms residing within the salts have been extensively studied. To better understand the formation and geochemical dynamics of this unique habitat, we chose two sites within the Atacama Desert which exhibit both active crust formation as well as the presence of microbial communities: one site is on a dry Holocene age lake bed, while the other is of Pleistocene age. At each site soil profiles were excavated and total geochemical analyses were performed. Field observations clearly showed that the soils exhibited transitions of carbonate to sulfate to chloride salt deposition with decreasing depth, and that the thickness and mass of halite in the surficial crust was related to the age of the soil. Isotope profiles of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur from these soils were also analyzed. Once exposed to the atmosphere, the halite crusts reside in a dynamic state of dissolution and erosion by wind and fog, and reformation due to fog and dew. In the crust nodules, microbial communities were sampled, in centimeter increments from the surface, for carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotope/concentration profiles. Our analyses help elucidate the physical and geochemical processes linked to the formation and evolution of these dynamic salt crusts, and the imprint of microbial life within them. A

A new bee species that excavates sandstone nests.

PubMed

Orr, Michael C; Griswold, Terry; Pitts, James P; Parker, Frank D

2016-09-12

Humanity has long been fascinated by animals with apparently unfavorable lifestyles [1]. Nesting habits are especially important because they can limit where organisms live, thereby driving population, community, and even ecosystem dynamics [2]. The question arises, then, why bees nest in active termite mounds [3] or on the rim of degassing volcanoes, seemingly preferring such hardship [4]. Here, we present a new bee species that excavates sandstone nests, Anthophora (Anthophoroides) pueblo Orr (described in Supplemental Information, published with this article online), despite the challenges already inherent to desert life. Ultimately, the benefits of nesting in sandstone appear to outweigh the associated costs in this system. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fractal Scaling of Particle Size Distribution and Relationships with Topsoil Properties Affected by Biological Soil Crusts

PubMed Central

Gao, Guang-Lei; Ding, Guo-Dong; Wu, Bin; Zhang, Yu-Qing; Qin, Shu-Gao; Zhao, Yuan-Yuan; Bao, Yan-Feng; Liu, Yun-Dong; Wan, Li; Deng, Ji-Feng

2014-01-01

Background Biological soil crusts are common components of desert ecosystem; they cover ground surface and interact with topsoil that contribute to desertification control and degraded land restoration in arid and semiarid regions. Methodology/Principal Findings To distinguish the changes in topsoil affected by biological soil crusts, we compared topsoil properties across three types of successional biological soil crusts (algae, lichens, and mosses crust), as well as the referenced sandland in the Mu Us Desert, Northern China. Relationships between fractal dimensions of soil particle size distribution and selected soil properties were discussed as well. The results indicated that biological soil crusts had significant positive effects on soil physical structure (P<0.05); and soil organic carbon and nutrients showed an upward trend across the successional stages of biological soil crusts. Fractal dimensions ranged from 2.1477 to 2.3032, and significantly linear correlated with selected soil properties (R2 = 0.494∼0.955, P<0.01). Conclusions/Significance Biological soil crusts cause an important increase in soil fertility, and are beneficial to sand fixation, although the process is rather slow. Fractal dimension proves to be a sensitive and useful index for quantifying changes in soil properties that additionally implies desertification. This study will be essential to provide a firm basis for future policy-making on optimal solutions regarding desertification control and assessment, as well as degraded ecosystem restoration in arid and semiarid regions. PMID:24516668

Potentially exploitable supercritical geothermal resources in the ductile crust

USGS Publications Warehouse

Watanabe, Noriaki; Numakura, Tatsuya; Sakaguchi, Kiyotoshi; Saishu, Hanae; Okamoto, Atsushi; Ingebritsen, Steven E.; Tsuchiya, Noriyoshi

2017-01-01

The hypothesis that the brittle–ductile transition (BDT) drastically reduces permeability implies that potentially exploitable geothermal resources (permeability >10−16 m2) consisting of supercritical water could occur only in rocks with unusually high transition temperatures such as basalt. However, tensile fracturing is possible even in ductile rocks, and some permeability–depth relations proposed for the continental crust show no drastic permeability reduction at the BDT. Here we present experimental results suggesting that the BDT is not the first-order control on rock permeability, and that potentially exploitable resources may occur in rocks with much lower BDT temperatures, such as the granitic rocks that comprise the bulk of the continental crust. We find that permeability behaviour for fractured granite samples at 350–500 °C under effective confining stress is characterized by a transition from a weakly stress-dependent and reversible behaviour to a strongly stress-dependent and irreversible behaviour at a specific, temperature-dependent effective confining stress level. This transition is induced by onset of plastic normal deformation of the fracture surface (elastic–plastic transition) and, importantly, causes no ‘jump’ in the permeability. Empirical equations for this permeability behaviour suggest that potentially exploitable resources exceeding 450 °C may form at depths of 2–6 km even in the nominally ductile crust.

Microbial community structure in three deep-sea carbonate crusts.

PubMed

Heijs, S K; Aloisi, G; Bouloubassi, I; Pancost, R D; Pierre, C; Sinninghe Damsté, J S; Gottschal, J C; van Elsas, J D; Forney, L J

2006-10-01

Carbonate crusts in marine environments can act as sinks for carbon dioxide. Therefore, understanding carbonate crust formation could be important for understanding global warming. In the present study, the microbial communities of three carbonate crust samples from deep-sea mud volcanoes in the eastern Mediterranean were characterized by sequencing 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes amplified from DNA directly retrieved from the samples. In combination with the mineralogical composition of the crusts and lipid analyses, sequence data were used to assess the possible role of prokaryotes in crust formation. Collectively, the obtained data showed the presence of highly diverse communities, which were distinct in each of the carbonate crusts studied. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences were found in all crusts and the majority was classified as alpha-, gamma-, and delta- Proteobacteria. Interestingly, sequences of Proteobacteria related to Halomonas and Halovibrio sp., which can play an active role in carbonate mineral formation, were present in all crusts. Archaeal 16S rRNA gene sequences were retrieved from two of the crusts studied. Several of those were closely related to archaeal sequences of organisms that have previously been linked to the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). However, the majority of archaeal sequences were not related to sequences of organisms known to be involved in AOM. In combination with the strongly negative delta 13C values of archaeal lipids, these results open the possibility that organisms with a role in AOM may be more diverse within the Archaea than previously suggested. Different communities found in the crusts could carry out similar processes that might play a role in carbonate crust formation.

Diazotrophic Community Structure and Function in Two Successional Stages of Biological Soil Crusts from the Colorado Plateau and Chihuahuan Desert

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yeager, C.M.; Kornosky, J.L.; Housman, D.C.; Grote, E.E.; Belnap, J.; Kuske, C.R.

2004-01-01

The objective of this study was to characterize the community structure and activity of N2-fixing microorganisms in mature and poorly developed biological soil crusts from both the Colorado Plateau and Chihuahuan Desert. Nitrogenase activity was approximately 10 and 2.5 times higher in mature crusts than in poorly developed crusts at the Colorado Plateau site and Chihuahuan Desert site, respectively. Analysis of nifH sequences by clone sequencing and the terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism technique indicated that the crust diazotrophic community was 80 to 90% heterocystous cyanobacteria most closely related to Nostoc spp. and that the composition of N2-fixing species did not vary significantly between the poorly developed and mature crusts at either site. In contrast, the abundance of nifH sequences was approximately 7.5 times greater (per microgram of total DNA) in mature crusts than in poorly developed crusts at a given site as measured by quantitative PCR. 16S rRNA gene clone sequencing and microscopic analysis of the cyanobacterial community within both crust types demonstrated a transition from a Microcoleus vaginatus-dominated, poorly developed crust to mature crusts harboring a greater percentage of Nostoc and Scytonema spp. We hypothesize that ecological factors, such as soil instability and water stress, may constrain the growth of N2-fixing microorganisms at our study sites and that the transition to a mature, nitrogen-producing crust initially requires bioengineering of the surface microenvironment by Microcoleus vaginatus.

Influence of depositional environment on diagenesis in St. Peter sandstone, Michigan basin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lundgren, C.E. Jr.; Barnes, D.A.

1989-03-01

The Middle Ordovician St. Peter Sandstone in the Michigan basin was deposited in marine peritidal to storm-dominated, outer shelf depositional environments that evolved in a regionally significant transgressive pattern. The formation is bounded by carbonate and shaly clastic strata of the Prairie du Chien Group below and is transitional to condensed sequence clastics and carbonates of the Glenwood Formation above. Sedimentologic and petrographic analysis of conventional core from 25 wells suggests that reservoir quality in the formation is strongly dependent on a complex diagenetic history, especially the nature and subsequent dissolution of intergranular carbonate in the sandstone. Petrographic evidence indicatesmore » that porosity in the formation formed by dissolution of precursor dolomite of various origins and, locally, the formation of pore-filling authigenic clay (chlorite-illite). Authigenic clay is the incongruent dissolution product of dolomite, detrital K-feldspar, and, possibly, muscovite and results in diminished reservoir quality where abundant in the St. Peter Sandstone. Authigenic clay is volumetrically more significant in the upper portions of the formation and is associated with higher concentrations of detrital K-feldspar. Depositional facies controlled the distribution and types of intergranular carbonate (now dolomite) and detrital K-feldspar in the St. Peter Sandstone and hence reservoir quality; both components were more significant in storm-shelf sandstone facies.« less

Giant calcite concretions in aeolian dune sandstones; sedimentological and architectural controls on diagenetic heterogeneity, mid-Cretaceous Iberian Desert System, Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arribas, Maria Eugenia; Rodríguez-López, Juan Pedro; Meléndez, Nieves; Soria, Ana Rosa; de Boer, Poppe L.

2012-01-01

Aeolian dune sandstones of the Iberian erg system (Cretaceous, Spain) host giant calcite concretions that constitute heterogeneities of diagenetic origin within a potential aeolian reservoir. The giant calcite concretions developed in large-scale aeolian dune foresets, at the transition between aeolian dune toeset and damp interdune elements, and in medium-scale superimposed aeolian dune sets. The chemical composition of the giant concretions is very homogeneous. They formed during early burial by low Mg-calcite precipitation from meteoric pore waters. Carbonate components with yellow/orange luminescence form the nuclei of the poikilotopic calcite cement. These cements postdate earlier diagenetic features, characterized by early mechanical compaction, Fe-oxide cements and clay rims around windblown quartz grains resulting from the redistribution of aeolian dust over the grain surfaces. The intergranular volume (IGV) in friable aeolian sandstone ranges from 7.3 to 15.3%, whereas in cemented aeolian sandstone it is 18.6 to 25.3%. The giant-calcite concretions developed during early diagenesis under the influence of meteoric waters associated with the groundwater flow of the desert basin, although local (e.g. activity of fluid flow through extensional faults) and/or other regional controls (e.g. variations of the phreatic level associated with a variable water influx to the erg system and varying sea level) could have favoured the local development of giant-calcite concretions. The spatial distribution pattern of carbonate grains and the main bounding surfaces determined the spatial distribution of the concretions. In particular, the geometry of the giant calcite concretions is closely associated with main bounding aeolian surfaces. Thus, interdune, superimposition and reactivation surfaces exerted a control on the concretion geometries ranging from flat and tabular ones (e.g. bounded by interdunes) to wedge-shaped concretions at the dune foresets (e.g. bounded by

Inelastic compaction, dilation and hysteresis of sandstones under hydrostatic conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shalev, Eyal; Lyakhovsky, Vladimir; Ougier-Simonin, Audrey; Hamiel, Yariv; Zhu, Wenlu

2014-05-01

Sandstones display non-linear and inelastic behaviour such as hysteresis when subjected to cyclic loading. We present three hydrostatic compaction experiments with multiple loading-unloading cycles on Berea and Darley Dale sandstones and explain their hysteretic behaviour using non-linear inelastic compaction and dilation. Each experiment included eight to nine loading-unloading cycles with increasing maximum pressure in each subsequent cycle. Different pressure-volumetric strain relations during loading and unloading were observed. During the first cycles, under relatively low pressures, not all of the volumetric strain is recovered at the end of each cycle whereas at the last cycles, under relatively high pressures, the strain is recovered and the pressure-volumetric strain hysteresis loops are closed. The observed pressure-volumetric strain relations are non-linear and the effective bulk modulus of the sandstones changes between cycles. Observations are modelled with two inelastic deformation processes: irreversible compaction caused by changes in grain packing and recoverable compaction associated with grain contact adhesion, frictional sliding on grains or frictional sliding on cracks. The irreversible compaction is suggested to reflect rearrangement of grains into a more compact mode as the maximum pressure increases. Our model describes the `inelastic compaction envelope' in which sandstone sample will follow during hydrostatic loading. Irreversible compaction occurs when pressure is greater than a threshold value defined by the `inelastic compaction envelope'.

Diverse Grains in Mars Sandstone Target Big Arm

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-07-01

This view of a sandstone target called "Big Arm" covers an area about 1.3 inches (33 millimeters) wide in detail that shows differing shapes and colors of sand grains in the stone. Three separate images taken by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover, at different focus settings, were combined into this focus-merge view. The Big Arm target on lower Mount Sharp is at a location near "Marias Pass" where a mudstone bedrock is in contact with overlying sandstone bedrock. MAHLI recorded the component images on May 29, 2015, during the 999th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's work on Mars. The rounded shape of some grains visible here suggests they traveled long distances before becoming part of the sediment that later hardened into sandstone. Other grains are more angular and may have originated closer to the rock's current location. Lighter and darker grains may have different compositions. MAHLI was built by Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19677

Cyclic injection, storage, and withdrawal of heated water in a sandstone aquifer at St. Paul, Minnesota: Field observations, preliminary model analysis, and aquifer thermal efficiency

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Robert T.

1989-01-01

The Franconia-Ironton-Galesville aquifer is a consolidated sandstone, approximately 60 m thick, the top of which is approximately 180 m below the land surface. It is confined above by the St. Lawrence Formation--a dolomitic sandstone 8-m thick--and below by the Eau Claire Formation--a shale 30-m thick. Initial hydraulic testing with inflatable packers indicated that the aquifer has four hydraulic zones with distinctly different values of relative horizontal hydraulic conductivity. The thickness of each zone was determined by correlating data from geophysical logs, core samples, and the inflatablepacker tests.

Experimental investigation of the early interaction between cyanobacterial soil crusts and vascular plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klemens Zaplata, Markus; Veste, Maik; Pohle, Ina; Schümberg, Sabine; Abreu Schonert, Iballa; Hinz, Christoph

2016-04-01

While there are hints that biological soil crusts (BSCs) can constitute physical barriers for the emergence of vascular plants, a conceptual approach for the quantitative evaluation of these effects is still missing. Here we present an experimental design to test the emergence of seedlings in situ with (i) capping natural intact, (ii) destroyed and (iii) removed BSC. The selected field site is directly adjacent to the constructed Hühnerwasser catchment (Lusatia, Germany). This site exists since the end of 2008 and consists of loamy sand. Serving as proxy for seedling thrust, we inserted pre-germinated seeds of three confamiliar plant species with different seed masses (members of the Fabaceae family: Lotus corniculatus L., Ornithopus sativus Brot., and Glycine max (L.) Merr.). In each treatment as well as in the control group planting depths were 10 mm. We took care that experimental plots had identical crust thickness, slightly less than 4 mm, serving as proxy for mechanical resistance. A plot became established as follows: Firstly, the pristine crusted surface was vertically cut. To the windward side the BSC remained intact (i: "with BSC" stripe). To the downwind side soil material was temporarily excavated for laterally inserting the seeds beneath the surface of the first stripe. Then at the thereby disturbed second stripe pulverised BSC material became filled as a top layer (ii: "BSC mix" stripe). From the next stripe the BSC was removed (iii: "no BSC" stripe). Thus each plot had each experimental group in spatial contiguity (within 50 cm × 50 cm). The overall 50 plots were distributed across an area of 40 m × 12 m. When individuals of a species either emerged at all stripes, "× × ×", or at no stripe of a plot, "- - -", there was no reason to suppose any effect of a crust. The "- × ×" emergence pattern (depicting the appearance of seedlings in both stripes possessing manipulated surfaces) points towards hindrance more clearly than "- × -" or "- - �

Fluvial-deltaic sedimentation and stratigraphy of the ferron sandstone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, P.B.; Chidsey, T.C.; Ryer, T.A.

1997-01-01

East-central Utah has world-class outcrops of dominantly fluvial-deltaic Turonian to Coniacian aged strata deposited in the Cretaceous foreland basin. The Ferron Sandstone Member of the Mancos Shale records the influences of both tidal and wave energy on fluvial-dominated deltas on the western margin of the Cretaceous western interior seaway. Revisions of the stratigraphy are proposed for the Ferron Sandstone. Facies representing a variety of environments of deposition are well exposed, including delta-front, strandline, marginal marine, and coastal-plain. Some of these facies are described in detail for use in petroleum reservoir characterization and include permeability structure.

Research progress and harnessing method of soil and water loss in Pisha Sandstone region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, P. Q.; Yang, C. X.; Jing, C. R.

2018-05-01

Pisha Sandstone region is the most vulnerable and the most dramatic area of soil erosion, severe soil erosion on the ecological bases of China’s energy security constitutes a serious challenge. Research progress of soil erosion in pisha Sandstone region was reviewed based on the need of soil and water ecological construction in Pisha Sandstone region and harnessing the yellow river including soil erosion mechanism, soil erosion dynamic monitoring and soil erosion simulation assessments. Meanwhile, the latest progress of soil and water conservation measures was analyzed, and the existing problems and future harnessing measures of soil and water loss were discussed. This study is to explore the comprehensive management method and provide scientific theory for constructing soil and water conservation project in Pisha Sandstone region.

Novel microclimate monitoring and microbial colonisation in sandstones of historic buildings, Glasgow, Scotland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duthie, L.; Hyslop, E.; Lee, M.; Phoenix, V.; Kennedy, C.

2009-04-01

The impact of our changing climate on the historic built environment of Scotland has received surprisingly little attention. Current projections indicate that Scotland will become notably wetter and warmer over the coming decades. Winter temperatures are predicted to increase by 30C with 15% more precipitation, one result should be more aggressive microbial weathering of the sandstone buildings. In order to understand better and to quantify the damage potentially caused, it is necessary to analyse existing microbial populations but also to characterize conditions within building stones, how they change over diurnal and seasonal cycles, and how they differ from external conditions. In this study, temperature, humidity and moisture sensors were inserted at different depths into representative Scottish sandstones to record parameters key to microbial colonisation and organic weathering. Penetration of photosynthetically active radiation has also been measured. The within-stone data were compared to meteorological conditions recorded by an adjacent weather station. These data have then been compared with analysis of the microbial populations at different depths within the stone, using osmium stained polished blocks. Notably, microbes occur up to 7 mm beneath the outer sandstone surface, with community structure differing with depth. Clearly, different communities experience very different conditions within the stone, reflecting trophic structure, light penetration and microclimate. The sensor data confirm that temperature and water availability all vary within the stone and differ considerably with the external environment. We conclude that the warm and humid microclimate within Scottish building stones promotes microbial colonisation and stone decay and both will increase significantly with the changing climate of Scotland and north-west Europe.

Valley-fill sequences and onlap geometries, Lower Cretaceous Muddy Sandstone, Kitty Field, Powder River basin, Wyoming

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gardner, M.H.; Gustason, E.R.

1987-05-01

The Muddy Sandstone at Kitty field is a valley-fill sequence that records a late Albian sea level rise and accompanying transgression. The valley was cut during a preceding sea level lowstand. Stratal geometries and facies successions within the valley fill demonstrate the history of transgression was not gradual and progressive. Rather, the valley fill comprises a series of discrete, time-bounded, depositional units which onlap the erosional surface. Five time-bounded depositional units were defined by facies successions and were used to define onlap geometries. Facies successions within individual units record progressive shoaling. Capping each succession, there may be a planar disconformity,more » a thin bioturbated interval, or the deepest water facies of the next depositional event. Thus, the termination of each depositional event is marked by an episode of rapid deepening. At a single geographic location, stratal successions within older depositional units represent more landward facies than those within younger units. Therefore, the onlap geometry of the valley-fill sequence consists of a landward-stepping arrangement of depositional units. The primary reservoirs within the valley-fill sequence, at Kitty field, are laterally coalesced, channel-belt sandstones at the base and barrier island sandstones at the top. Reservoir sandstones of lesser quality occur within the intermediate estuarine facies. The stacking pattern, developed by onlap of the units, results in multiple pay zones within mid-valley reaches. The boundaries of each depositional unit define a high-resolution, chronostratigraphic correlation of valley-fill strata, a correlation corroborated by bentonites. This correlation method gives an accurate description of the internal geometry of valley-fill strata and, therefore, provides a basis for understanding the process of transgressive onlap.« less

A relatively reduced Hadean continental crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xiaozhi; Gaillard, Fabrice; Scaillet, Bruno

2014-05-01

Among the physical and chemical parameters used to characterize the Earth, oxidation state, as reflected by its prevailing oxygen fugacity (fO2), is a particularly important one. It controls many physicochemical properties and geological processes of the Earth's different reservoirs, and affects the partitioning of elements between coexisting phases and the speciation of degassed volatiles in melts. In the past decades, numerous studies have been conducted to document the evolution of mantle and atmospheric oxidation state with time and in particular the possible transition from an early reduced state to the present oxidized conditions. So far, it has been established that the oxidation state of the uppermost mantle is within ±2 log units of the quartz-fayalite-magnetite (QFM) buffer, probably back to ~4.4 billion years ago (Ga) based on trace-elements studies of mantle-derived komatiites, kimberlites, basalts, volcanics and zircons, and that the O2 levels of atmosphere were initially low and rose markedly ~2.3 Ga known as the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), progressively reaching its present oxidation state of ~10 log units above QFM. In contrast, the secular evolution of oxidation state of the continental crust, an important boundary separating the underlying upper mantle from the surrounding atmosphere and buffering the exchanges and interactions between the Earth's interior and exterior, has rarely been addressed, although the presence of evolved crustal materials on the Earth can be traced back to ~4.4 Ga, e.g. by detrital zircons. Zircon is a common accessory mineral in nature, occurring in a wide variety of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, and is almost ubiquitous in crustal rocks. The physical and chemical durability of zircons makes them widely used in geochemical studies in terms of trace-elements, isotopes, ages and melt/mineral inclusions; in particular, zircons are persistent under most crustal conditions and can survive many secondary

Reservoir uncertainty, Precambrian topography, and carbon sequestration in the Mt. Simon Sandstone, Illinois Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leetaru, H.E.; McBride, J.H.

2009-01-01

Sequestration sites are evaluated by studying the local geological structure and confirming the presence of both a reservoir facies and an impermeable seal not breached by significant faulting. The Cambrian Mt. Simon Sandstone is a blanket sandstone that underlies large parts of Midwest United States and is this region's most significant carbon sequestration reservoir. An assessment of the geological structure of any Mt. Simon sequestration site must also include knowledge of the paleotopography prior to deposition. Understanding Precambrian paleotopography is critical in estimating reservoir thickness and quality. Regional outcrop and borehole mapping of the Mt. Simon in conjunction with mapping seismic reflection data can facilitate the prediction of basement highs. Any potential site must, at the minimum, have seismic reflection data, calibrated with drill-hole information, to evaluate the presence of Precambrian topography and alleviate some of the uncertainty surrounding the thickness or possible absence of the Mt. Simon at a particular sequestration site. The Mt. Simon is thought to commonly overlie Precambrian basement granitic or rhyolitic rocks. In places, at least about 549 m (1800 ft) of topographic relief on the top of the basement surface prior to Mt. Simon deposition was observed. The Mt. Simon reservoir sandstone is thin or not present where basement is topographically high, whereas the low areas can have thick Mt. Simon. The paleotopography on the basement and its correlation to Mt. Simon thickness have been observed at both outcrops and in the subsurface from the states of Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Missouri. ?? 2009. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists/Division of Environmental Geosciences. All rights reserved.

Three-dimensional digital-computer model of the Ferron sandstone aquifer near Emery, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morrissey, Daniel J.; Lines, Gregory C.; Bartholoma, Scott D.

1980-01-01

A three-dimensional finite-difference computer model of the Ferron sandstone aquifer was used to simulate groundwater flow in the Emery coal field in east-central Utah. The model also was used to predict the effects of proposed surface mining and the resulting mine dewatering on potentiometric surfaces of the aquifer. The model was calibrated in a steady-state simulation using water levels and manmade discharges from the aquifer that were observed during 1979. Too few data were available to verify the calibrated model in a transient-state simulation with historical aquifer response to manmade discharges. Predictions made with the model are considered to be semiquantitative. Discharge from the proposed surface mine was predicted to average 0.3 cubic foot per second through 15 years of operation. Drawdowns of 5 feet in the potentiometric surface of the aquifer were predicted to extend as much as 3 miles from the proposed mine after 15 years of operation. (USGS)

Lunar and terrestrial crust formation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Walker, D.

1983-11-15

Planetary crusts may be accreted, produced in primordial differentiation, or built up piecemeal by serial magmatism. The existence of old, polygenetic, laterally heterogeneous, partial melt rocks in the lunar highlands suggests that the moon produced its early crust by serial magmatism. This view can be reconciled with lunar Eu anomalies, previously thought to support the magma ocean model of crust formation, if complications in the fractionation of mare basalts are reconized. Phase equilibrium and magmatic density information for mare basalts suggest a model in which plagioclase fractionation can occur even though plagioclase is not a near-liquidus phase. The crytic fractionationmore » of clinopryoxene in MORB provides a precedent for this model. The necessity for a lunar magma ocean is questioned, but a role for a terrestrial magma ocean of sorts at depth is suggested.« less

Marine Magnetic Anomalies, Oceanic Crust Magnetization, and Geomagnetic Time Variations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dyment, J.; Arkani-Hamed, J.

2005-12-01

Since the classic paper of Vine and Matthews (Nature, 1963), marine magnetic anomalies are commonly used to date the ocean floor through comparison with the geomagnetic polarity time scale and proper identification of reversal sequences. As a consequence, the classical model of rectangular prisms bearing a normal / reversed magnetization has been dominant in the literature for more than 40 years. Although the model explains major characteristics of the sea-surface magnetic anomalies, it is contradicted by (1) recent advances on the geophysical and petrologic structure of the slow-spreading oceanic crust, and (2) the observation of short-term geomagnetic time variations, both of which are more complex than assumed in the classical model. Marine magnetic anomalies may also provide information on the magnetization of the oceanic crust as well as short-term temporal fluctuations of the geomagnetic field. The "anomalous skewness", a residual phase once the anomalies have been reduced to the pole, has been interpreted either in terms of geomagnetic field variations or crustal structure. The spreading-rate dependence of anomalous skewness rules out the geomagnetic hypothesis and supports a spreading-rate dependent magnetic structure of the oceanic crust, with a basaltic layer accounting for most of the anomalies at fast spreading rates and an increasing contribution of the deeper layers with decreasing spreading rate. The slow cooling of the lower crust and uppermost mantle and serpentinization, a low temperature alteration process which produces magnetite, are the likely cause of this contribution, also required to account for satellite magnetic anomalies over oceanic areas. Moreover, the "hook shape" of some sea-surface anomalies favors a time lag in the magnetization acquisition processes between upper and lower magnetic layers: extrusive basalt acquires a thermoremanent magnetization as soon as emplaced, whereas the underlying peridotite and olivine gabbro cool slowly

Temperature dependent elasticity and damping in dehydrated sandstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darling, T. W.; Struble, W.

2013-12-01

Work reported previously at this conference, outlining our observation of anomalously large elastic softening and damping in dehydrated Berea sandstone at elevated temperatures, has been analysed to study shear and compressional effects separately. Modeling of the sample using COMSOL software was necessary to identify modes, as the vibration spectrum of the sample is poorly approximated by a uniform isotropic solid. The first torsional mode of our evacuated, dry, core softens at nearly twice the rate of Young's modulus modes (bending and compressional) and is also damped nearly twice as strongly as temperature increases. We consider two possible models for explaining this behavior, based on the assumption that the mechanical properties of the sandstone are dominated by the framework of quartz grains and polycrystalline cementation, neglecting initially the effects of clay and feldspar inclusions. The 20cm x 2.54cm diameter core is dry such that the pressure of water vapor in the experiment chamber is below 1e-6 Torr at 70C, suggesting that surface water beyond a small number of monolayers is negligible. Our models consider (1) enhanced sliding of grain boundaries in the cementation at elevated temperature and reduced internal water content, and (2) strain microcracking of the cementatioin at low water content due to anisotropic expansion in the quartz grains. In model (1) interfaces parallel to polyhedral grain surfaces were placed in the cement bonds and assigned frictional properties. Model (2) has not yet been implemented. The overall elasticity of a 3-D several-grain model network was determined by modeling quasistatic loading and measuring displacements. Initial results with a small number of grains/bonds suggests that only the first model provides softening and damping for all the modes, however the details of the effects of defect motioin at individual interfaces as the source for the frictional properties is still being evaluated. Nonlinear effects are

238U-234U-230Th disequilibrium in hydrogenous oceanic Fe-Mn crusts: Palaeoceanographic record or diagenetic alteration?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chabaux, F.; O'Nions, R. K.; Cohen, A.S.; Hein, J.R.

1997-01-01

A detailed TIMS study of (234Uexc/238U), (230Th/232Th), and Th/U ratios have been performed on the outermost margin of ten hydrogenous Fe-Mn crusts from the equatorial Pacific Ocean and west-central Indian Ocean. Th/U concentration ratios generally decrease from the crust's surface down to 0.5-1 mm depth and growth rates estimated by uranium and thorium isotope ratios are significantly different in Fe-Mn crusts from the Peru Basin and the west-central Indian Ocean. Fe-Mn crusts from the same geographical area define a single trend in plots of Ln (234Uexc/238U) vs. Ln(230Th/232Th) and Th/U ratios vs. age of the analysed fractions. Results suggest that (1) hydrogenous Fe-Mn crusts remain closed-systems after formation, and consequently (2) the discrepancy observed between the 230Th and 234U chronometers in Fe-Mn crusts, and the variations of the Th/U ratios through the margin of Fe-Mn crusts, are not due to redistribution of uranium and thorium isotopes after oxyhydroxide precipitation, but rather to temporal variations of both Th/U and initial thorium activity ratios recorded by the Fe-Mn layers. Implications of these observations for determination of Fe-Mn crust growth-rates are discussed. Variations of both Th/U and initial Th activity ratios in Fe-Mn crusts might be related to changes in particle input to seawater and/or changes in ocean circulation during the last 150 ka. Copyright ?? 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Origin and diagenesis of clay minerals in relation to sandstone paragenesis: An example in eolian dune reservoirs and associated rocks, Permian upper part of the Minnelusa Formation, Powder River basin, Wyoming

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pollastro, R.M.; Schenk, C.J.

Eolian dune sandstones are the principal reservoir rocks in the Permian upper part of the Minnelusa Formation, Powder River basin, Wyoming. These sandstones formed as shorelines retreated and dunes migrated across siliciclastic sabkhas. Sandstones are mainly quartzarenites; on average, clay minerals constitute about 5 wt.% the whole rock. Although present in minor amounts, clay minerals play an important role in the diagenetic evolution of these sandstones. Allogenic clay minerals are present in shaly rock fragments and laminae. Early infiltration of clays into porous sabkha sands commonly form characteristic menisei or bridges between framework grains or, when more extensive, form coatingsmore » or rims on grain surfaces. Authigenic clays include nearly pure smectite, mixed-layer illite/smectite (I/S), and late diagenetic illite and corrensite; these clay minerals are present as pore-lining cements. In addition to the deposition and neoformation of clay minerals throughout sandstone paragenesis, the conversion of smectite to illite occurred as temperatures increased with progressive burial. A temperature of 103C is calculated at a present depth of 3,200 m using a geothermal gradient of 30C/km and a mean annual surface temperature of 7C. After correction for uplift and erosion (250 m), the maximum calculated temperature for the conversion of all random I/S to ordered I/S is 100C. This calculated temperature is in excellent agreement with temperatures of 100-110C implied from I/S geothermometry.« less

Detailed seamount-scale studies of ferromanganese crusts reveal new insights into their formation and resource assessment.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murton, B. J.; Lusty, P.; Yeo, I. A.; Howarth, S.

2017-12-01

The seafloor hosts abundant mineral deposits critical for low-carbon economies and emerging technologies. These include ferromanganese crusts (FeMnC) that grow on seamounts. While the broad distribution of FeMnC is known, local controls on growth, composition and formation are not. Here, we describe a detailed study of a gyot in the NE Atlantic (Tropic Seamount) that explores the controls, from the surface to the seafloor, exerted on FeMnC growth from current energy, surface productivity, sediment distribution, seafloor morphology, substrate lithology, sediments mobility and thickness, and seamount subsidence. During cruise JC142 (2016), we mapped the seamount with EM120 multibeam, mapped the 400km2 summit with AUV multibeam, sidescan sonar, sub-bottom profiler and 361,644 photographs. During 28 ROV dives we drilled 58 core and collected 344 individual rock samples. We found FeMnC at all depths, with the thickest (<20cm) located at the greatest depths (3000-4000m). The thinnest are on the summit plateau, with the centre and southern edge having the thickest sediment. FeMnC pavements form many different terraces on the summit. Frequent undercuts expose a calcareous substrate. Elsewhere, cobbles and pebbles form the nucleolus for crusts up to 10cm thick, with growth into the sediment. Many substrates are found to comprise semi-consolidated sediment. The presence of thick crusts at the base of the seamount contradicts accepted understanding of FeMnC deposition just below the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). In areas on the eastern and western spurs, between 2500m and 1000m, where current energy is greatest, sessile fauna are most abundant. Dense coral debris at these locations appears to inhibit crust formation and coral and sponge `gardens' are frequent on near vertical cliffs. The observation that crusts have grown downwards into and over soft sediment is enigmatic since present understanding requires hard substrates to be exposed to seawater for crusts to grow, and any

Control of Lunar and Martian dust--experimental insights from artificial and natural cyanobacterial and algal crusts in the desert of Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Liu, Yongding; Cockell, Charles S; Wang, Gaohong; Hu, Chunxiang; Chen, Lanzhou; De Philippis, Roberto

2008-02-01

Studies on the colonization of environmentally extreme ground surfaces were conducted in a Mars-like desert area of Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China, with microalgae and cyanobacteria. We collected and mass-cultured cyanobacterial strains from these regions and investigated their ability to form desert crusts artificially. These crusts had the capacity to resist sand wind erosion after just 15 days of growth. Similar to the surface of some Chinese deserts, the surface of Mars is characterized by a layer of fine dust, which will challenge future human exploration activities, particularly in confined spaces that will include greenhouses and habitats. We discuss the use of such crusts for the local control of desert sands in enclosed spaces on Mars. These experiments suggest innovative new directions in the applied use of microbe-mineral interactions to advance the human exploration and settlement of space.

Constitutive Modelling and Deformation Band Angle Predictions for High Porosity Sandstones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richards, M. C.; Issen, K. A.; Ingraham, M. D.

2017-12-01

The development of a field-scale deformation model requires a constitutive framework that is capable of representing known material behavior and able to be calibrated using available mechanical response data. This work employs the principle of hyperplasticity (e.g., Houlsby and Puzrin, 2006) to develop such a constitutive framework for high porosity sandstone. Adapting the works of Zimmerman et al. (1986) and Collins and Houlsby (1997), the mechanical data set of Ingraham et al. (2013 a, b) was used to develop a specific constitutive framework for Castlegate sandstone, a high porosity fluvial-deposited reservoir analog rock. Using the mechanical data set of Ingraham et al. (2013 a, b), explicit expressions and material parameters of the elastic moduli and strain tensors were obtained. With these expressions, analytical and numerical techniques were then employed to partition the total mechanical strain into elastic, coupled, and plastic strain components. With the partitioned strain data, yield surfaces in true-stress space, coefficients of internal friction, dilatancy factors, along with the theorectical predictions of the deformation band angles were obtained. These results were also evaluated against band angle values obtained from a) measurements on specimen jackets (Ingraham et al., 2013a), b) plane fits through located acoustic emissions (AE) events (Ingraham et al. 2013b), and c) X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) calculations.

A Discussion of SY-101 Crust Gas Retention and Release Mechanisms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

SD Rassat; PA Gauglitz; SM Caley

1999-02-23

The flammable gas hazard in Hanford waste tanks was made an issue by the behavior of double-shell Tank (DST) 241-SY-101 (SY-101). Shortly after SY-101 was filled in 1980, the waste level began rising periodically, due to the generation and retention of gases within the slurry, and then suddenly dropping as the gases were released. An intensive study of the tank's behavior revealed that these episodic releases posed a safety hazard because the released gas was flammable, and, in some cases, the volume of gas released was sufficient to exceed the lower flammability limit (LFL) in the tank headspace (Allemann etmore » al. 1993). A mixer pump was installed in SY-101 in late 1993 to prevent gases from building up in the settled solids layer, and the large episodic gas releases have since ceased (Allemann et al. 1994; Stewart et al. 1994; Brewster et al. 1995). However, the surface level of SY-101 has been increasing since at least 1995, and in recent months the level growth has shown significant and unexpected acceleration. Based on a number of observations and measurements, including data from the void fraction instrument (VFI), we have concluded that the level growth is caused largely by increased gas retention in the floating crust. In September 1998, the crust contained between about 21 and 43% void based on VFI measurements (Stewart et al. 1998). Accordingly, it is important to understand the dominant mechanisms of gas retention, why the gas retention is increasing, and whether the accelerating level increase will continue, diminish or even reverse. It is expected that the retained gas in the crust is flammable, with hydrogen as a major constituent. This gas inventory would pose a flammable gas hazard if it were to release suddenly. In May 1997, the mechanisms of bubble retention and release from crust material were the subject of a workshop. The evaluation of the crust and potential hazards assumed a more typical void of roughly 15% gas. It could be similar to

The provenance and chemical variation of sandstones associated with the Mid-continent Rift System, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cullers, R.L.; Berendsen, P.

1998-01-01

Sandstones along the northern portion of the Precambrian Mid-continent Rift System (MRS) have been petrographically and chemically analyzed for major elements and a variety of trace elements, including the REE. After the initial extrusion of the abundant basalts along the MRS, dominantly volcaniclastic sandstones of the Oronto Group were deposited. These volcaniclastic sandstones are covered by quartzose and subarkosic sandstones of the Bayfield Group. Thus the sandstones of the Oronto Group were derived from previously extruded basalts, whereas, the sandstones of the Bayfield Group were derived from Precambrian granitic gneisses located on the rift flanks. The chemical variation of these sandstones closely reflects the changing detrital modes with time. The elemental composition of the sandstones confirms the source lithologies suggested by the mineralogy and clasts. The Oronto Group sandstones contain lower ratios of elements concentrated in silicic source rocks (La or Th) relative to elements concentrated in basic source rocks (Co, Cr, or Sc) than the Bayfield Group. Also, the average size of the negative Eu anomaly of the sandstones of the Oronto Group is significantly less (Eu/Eu* mean ?? standard deviation = 0.79 ?? 0.13) than that of the Bayfield Group (mean + standard deviation = 0.57 ?? 0.09), also suggesting a more basic source for the former than the latter. Mixing models of elemental ratios give added insight as to the evolution of the rift. These models suggest that the volcanistic sandstones of the lower portion of the Oronto Group are derived from about 80 to 90 percent basalt and 10 to 20 percent granitoids. The rest of the Oronto Group and the lower to middle portion of the Bayfield Group could have formed by mixing of about 30 to 60 percent basalt and 40 to 70 percent granitoids. The upper portion of the Bayfield Group is likely derived from 80 to 100 percent granitoids and zero to 20 percent basalt.

Growth response of a deep-water ferromanganese crust to evolution of the Neogene Indian Ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Banakar, V.K.; Hein, J.R.

2000-01-01

A deep-water ferromanganese crust from a Central Indian Ocean seamount dated previously by 10Be and 230Th(excess) was studied for compositional and textural variations that occurred throughout its growth history. The 10Be/9Be dated interval (upper 32 mm) yields an uniform growth rate of 2.8 ?? 0.1 mm/Ma [Frank, M., O'Nions, R.K., 1998. Sources of Pb for Indian Ocean ferromanganese crusts: a record of Himalayan erosion. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 158, pp. 121-130.] which gives an extrapolated age of ~ 26 Ma for the base of the crust at 72 mm and is comparable to the maximum age derived from the Co-model based growth rate estimates. This study shows that Fe-Mn oxyhydroxide precipitation did not occur from the time of emplacement of the seamount during the Eocene (~ 53 Ma) until the late Oligocene (~ 26 Ma). This paucity probably was the result of a nearly overlapping palaeo-CCD and palaeo-depth of crust formation, increased early Eocene productivity, instability and reworking of the surface rocks on the flanks of the seamount, and lack of oxic deep-water in the nascent Indian Ocean. Crust accretion began (older zone) with the formation of isolated cusps of Fe-Mn oxide during a time of high detritus influx, probably due to the early-Miocene intense erosion associated with maximum exhumation of the Himalayas (op. cit.). This cuspate textured zone extends from 72 mm to 42 mm representing the early-Miocene period. Intense polar cooling and increased mixing of deep and intermediate waters at the close of the Oligocene might have led to the increased oxygenation of the bottom-water in the basin. A considerable expansion in the vertical distance between the seafloor depth and the CCD during the early Miocene in addition to the influx of oxygenated bottom-water likely initiated Fe-Mn crust formation. Pillar structure characterises the younger zone, which extends from 40 mm to the surface of the crust, i.e., ~ 15 Ma to Present. This zone is characterised by > 25% higher

Sedimentary and petrofacies analyses of the Amasiri Sandstone, southern Benue Trough, Nigeria: Implications for depositional environment and tectonic provenance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okoro, A. U.; Igwe, E. O.; Nwajide, C. S.

2016-11-01

This study was undertaken to determine the depositional environment, provenance and tectonic setting for the Turonian Amasiri Sandstone, southern Benue Trough, Nigeria, using lithofacies analysis and re-appraisal of petrography of the sandstones. Local stratigraphy and field relationships show a thick succession of shales alternating with elongate/parallel sandstone ridges extending eastwards from Akpoha to Amasiri through Itigidi and Ugep to Apiapum areas. Lithofacies analysis reveals 9 lithofacies suggestive of storm (mass flow) and tidal shelf processes. These include dark grey to black laminated shale/silty mudstones, bioturbated mudstones, coquinoid limestones, very fine-grained bioturbated sandstones with shell hash/debris in places and limestone rip-up clasts, massive and chaotic sandy conglomerate with rip - up clasts, fine to medium-grained, parallel laminated sandstone, hummocky cross-stratified, massive, medium to coarse-grained sandstones, medium to very coarse-grained, planar cross-bedded sandstone, with clay-draped foresets and Ophiomorpha burrows, and coarse-grained trough cross-bedded sandstone. Petrofacies analysis identifies the sandstones as feldspathic and arkosic arenites. Ternary plot of framework mineralogy indicates derivation from an uplifted continental block related to the nearby Oban Massif and Cameroon Basement Complex.

Heat flow and near-surface radioactivity in the Australian continental crust

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sass, J.H.; Jaeger, J.C.; Munroe, Robert J.

1976-01-01

Heat-flow data have been obtained at 44 sites in various parts of Australia. These include seven sites from the old (~ 2500 m.y.) Precambrian shield of Western Australia, seventeen from the younger (~ 600- 2000 m.y.) Precambrian rocks of South Australia, the Northern Territory, and Queensland, and twenty within the eastern Paleozoic and younger rocks. Thirty of the sites are located where no previous heat-flow data existed, and the remainder provide significant extensions or refinements of areas previously studied. Where the holes studied penetrated the crystalline basement rocks, or where the latter rocks were exposed within a few kilometers of the holes, the upper crustal radiogenic heat production has been estimated based on gamma-ray spectrometric determinations of U, Th, and K abundances. Three heat-flow provinces are recognized in Australia based on the linear relation (q = q* + DA0 ) between heat flow q and surface radioactivity A0. New data from the Western Australian shield support earlier studies showing that heat flow is low to normal with values ranging from 0.7 to 1.2 hfu and with the majority of values less than 1.0 hfu, and the parameters q* = 0.63 hfu and 0 = 4.5 km determined previously were confirmed. Heat flow in the Proterozoic shield of central Australia is quite variable, with values ranging between about l and 3 hfu. This variability is attributed mainly to variations in near-surface crustal radioactivity. The parameters of the heat-flow line are q* = 0.64 hfu and 0 = 11.1 km and moderately high temperatures are predicted for the lower crust and upper mantle. Previous suggestions of a band of l ow- to - normal heat flow near the coast in eastern Australia were confirmed in some areas, but the zone is interrupted in at least one region (the Sydney Basin), where heat flow is about 2.0 hfu over a large area. The reduced heat flow, q*, in the Paleozoic intrusive rocks of eastern Australia varies from about 0.8 to 2.0 hfu . This variability might

Capillary trapping quantification in sandstones using NMR relaxometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connolly, Paul R. J.; Vogt, Sarah J.; Iglauer, Stefan; May, Eric F.; Johns, Michael L.

2017-09-01

Capillary trapping of a non-wetting phase arising from two-phase immiscible flow in sedimentary rocks is critical to many geoscience scenarios, including oil and gas recovery, aquifer recharge and, with increasing interest, carbon sequestration. Here we demonstrate the successful use of low field 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance [NMR] to quantify capillary trapping; specifically we use transverse relaxation time [T2] time measurements to measure both residual water [wetting phase] content and the surface-to-volume ratio distribution (which is proportional to pore size] of the void space occupied by this residual water. Critically we systematically confirm this relationship between T2 and pore size by quantifying inter-pore magnetic field gradients due to magnetic susceptibility contrast, and demonstrate that our measurements at all water saturations are unaffected. Diffusion in such field gradients can potentially severely distort the T2-pore size relationship, rendering it unusable. Measurements are performed for nitrogen injection into a range of water-saturated sandstone plugs at reservoir conditions. Consistent with a water-wet system, water was preferentially displaced from larger pores while relatively little change was observed in the water occupying smaller pore spaces. The impact of cyclic wetting/non-wetting fluid injection was explored and indicated that such a regime increased non-wetting trapping efficiency by the sequential occupation of the most available larger pores by nitrogen. Finally the replacement of nitrogen by CO2 was considered; this revealed that dissolution of paramagnetic minerals from the sandstone caused by its exposure to carbonic acid reduced the in situ bulk fluid T2 relaxation time on a timescale comparable to our core flooding experiments. The implications of this for the T2-pore size relationship are discussed.

Crusted scabies-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Despite the widely accepted association between crusted scabies and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infection, crusted scabies has not been included in the spectrum of infections associated with immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in HIV-infected patients initiating antiretroviral therapy. Case presentation We report a case of a 28-year-old Mexican individual with late HIV-infection, who had no apparent skin lesions but soon after initiation of antiretroviral therapy, he developed an aggressive form of crusted scabies with rapid progression of lesions. Severe infestation by Sarcoptes scabiei was confirmed by microscopic examination of the scale and skin biopsy. Due to the atypical presentation of scabies in a patient responding to antiretroviral therapy, preceded by no apparent skin lesions at initiation of antiretroviral therapy, the episode was interpreted for the first time as “unmasking crusted scabies-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome”. Conclusion This case illustrates that when crusted scabies is observed in HIV-infected patients responding to antiretroviral therapy, it might as well be considered as a possible manifestation of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. Patient context should be considered for adequate diagnosis and treatment of conditions exacerbated by antiretroviral therapy-induced immune reconstitution. PMID:23181485

Scaly scalp associated with crusted scabies: case series.

PubMed

Anbar, T S; El-Domyati, M B; Mansour, H A; Ahmad, H M

2007-07-13

The diagnosis of crusted scabies is becoming more relevant due to the increase in number of immunocompromised patients. To date, more than 200 cases have been reported in the literature. However, crusted scabies seems to be under-diagnosed because of its unusual presentations. In this case series we present history, clinical manifestations, KOH smear, and histopathological findings of a series of four patients with crusted scabies. Scaly scalp was a prominent feature of the disease in all cases. Examination of and treatment of the scalp of patients with suspected crusted scabies should not be neglected. A KOH smear from the scalp offers a simple and reliable technique for diagnosis.

Red Fork and lower Skinner sandstones in northwest Tecumseh field, Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dale, T.B.

1987-08-01

The Northwest Tecumseh field, discovered in 1978, produces from the Pennsylvanian Skinner and Red Fork sandstones at 4800 ft. The 50 wells had produced 6.4 million bbl of oil and 20.8 bcf of gas through 1986. The field is 4.5 mi long, 3/4 mi wide, and the vertical section contains up to 132 ft of sandstone with greater than 10% porosity. These stacked, interconnected north-northeast-trending, channel-fill sandstones are part of a much larger fluvial/distributary system. These channels flowed to the north and cut down into underlying, fossiliferous, carbonate-bearing marine shale. A pre-Pennsylvanian structural low, trending north-northeast, existed in the southernmore » half of the field and created a predisposition for the channel trend which continued through Red Fork and Skinner deposition. The north-northeast-trending sandstone complex, parallel with present-day regional structural strike, provides the excellent configuration for this efficient stratigraphic trap. The northern end of the field is marked by bifurcation of the channel complex and by the crosscutting of a younger clay-filled channel. Despite the lenticularity of the sandstone sequence, there appears to be a uniform gas-oil contact and minor southwestward tilt of the oil-water contact in the south part of the pool. The primary reservoir energy is provided by a dissolved gas drive, with some assistance from the 60-ft gas cap. The vertical oil column is 80 ft. These reservoir sandstones are fine-grained quartzarenites, and the dissolution of ferrodolomite has increased porosities up to 21%. Kaolinite is the predominant clay mineral and has a tendency to migrate and reduce permeability during production.« less

Stress loading from viscous flow in the lower crust and triggering of aftershocks following the 1994 Northridge, California, earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Deng, J.; Hudnut, K.; Gurnis, M.; Hauksson, E.

1999-01-01

Following the M(w) 6.7 Northridge earthquake, significant postseismic displacements were resolved with GPS. Using a three-dimensional viscoelastic model, we suggest that this deformation is mainly driven by viscous flow in the lower crust. Such flow can transfer stress to the upper crust and load the rupture zone of the main shock at a decaying rate. Most aftershocks within the rupture zone, especially those that occurred after the first several weeks of the main shock, may have been triggered by continuous stress loading from viscous flow. The long-term decay time of aftershocks (about 2 years) approximately matches the decay of viscoelastic loading, and thus is controlled by the viscosity of the lower crust. Our model provides a physical interpretation of the observed correlation between aftershock decay rate and surface heat flow.Following the Mw 6.7 Northridge earthquake, significant postseismic displacements were resolved with GPS. Using a three-dimensional viscoelastic model, we suggest that this deformation is mainly driven by viscous flow in the lower crust. Such flow can transfer stress to the upper crust and load the rupture zone of the main shock at a decaying rate. Most aftershocks within the rupture zone, especially those that occurred after the first several weeks of the main shock, may have been triggered by continuous stress loading from viscous flow. The long-term decay time of aftershocks (about 2 years) approximately matches the decay of viscoelastic loading, and thus is controlled by the viscosity of the lower crust. Our model provides a physical interpretation of the observed correlation between aftershock decay rate and surface heat flow.

Depositional systems and diagenesis of Travis Peak tight gas sandstone reservoirs, Sabine Uplift Area, Texas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fracasso, M.A.; Dutton, S.P.; Finley, R.J.

The Travis Peak formation (lower Cretaceous) in the eastern East Texas basin is a fluvio-deltaic depositional system divided into large-scale facies packages: a middle sandstone-rich fluvial and delta-plain sequence that is gradationally overlain and underlain by a marine-influenced delta-fringe zone with a higher mudstone content. Domes and structural terraces on the west flank of the Sabine Uplift influenced deposition of Travis Peak sediments, and most Travis Peak gas production in this area is from thin sandstones (<25 ft(<7.6 m) thick) in the upper delta-fringe facies. The trapping mechanism is stratigraphic pinch-out of sandstones or porosity zones within sandstone, or both,more » on the flanks of structures. Detailed mapping of producing sandstone sequences in the uppermost upper delta-fringe on the western flank of the Bethany structure has delineated fluvial channelways, distributary or tidal channels, and barrier of distributary-mouth bars. Most Travis Peak gas production in the Bethany West area is from the bases of channel sandstones in a marine-influenced facies belt. Travis Peak sandstones in the eastern East Texas basin have undergone a complex series of diagenetic modifications. Precipitation of authigenic quartz, ankerite, dolomite, illite, and chlorite and the introduction of reservoir bitumen were the most important causes of occlusion of primary porosity and reduction of permeability. Permeability decreases with depth in the Travis Peak, which suggests that the diagenetic processes that caused extensive cementation and resultant low permeability throughout most of the formation operated less completely on sediments deposited near the top of the succession.« less

Factors controlling reservoir quality in tertiary sandstones and their significance to geopressured geothermal production. Annual report, May 1, 1979-May 31, 1980

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Loucks, R.G.; Richmann, D.L.; Milliken, K.L.

1980-07-01

Differing extents of diagenetic modification is the factor primarily responsible for contrasting regional reservoir quality of Tertiary sandstones from the Upper and Lower Texas Gulf Coast. Detailed comparison of Frio sandstones from the Chocolate Bayou/Danbury Dome area, Brazoria County, and Vicksburg sandstones from the McAllen Ranch Field area, Hidalgo County, reveals that extent of diagenetic modification is most strongly influenced by (1) detrital mineralogy and (2) regional geothermal gradients. Vicksburg sandstones from the McAllen Ranch Field area are less stable, chemically and mechanically, than Frio sandstones from the Chocolate Bayou/Danbury dome area. Vicksburg sandstones are mineralogically immature and contain greatermore » proportions of feldspars and rock fragments than do Frio sandstones. Thr reactive detrital assemblage of Vicksubrg sandstones is highly susceptible to diagenetic modification. Susceptibility is enhanced by higher than normal geothermal gradients in the McAllen Ranch Field area. Thus, consolidation of Vicksburg sandstones began at shallower depth of burial and precipitation of authigenic phases (especially calcite) was more pervasive than in Frio sandstones. Moreover, the late-stage episode of ferroan calcite precipitation that occluded most secondary porosity in Vicksburg sandstones did not occur significantly in Frio sandstones. Therefore, regional reservoir quality of Frio sandstones from Brazoria County is far better than that characterizing Vicksburg sandstones from Hidalgo County, especially at depths suitable for geopressured geothermal energy production.« less

Architectural evidence of dune collapse in the Navajo Sandstone, Zion National Park, Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, Colby; Bryant, Gerald; Nick, Kevin E.

2016-10-01

The Canyon Overlook Trail of Zion National Park follows an outcrop of Navajo Sandstone, which displays a uniquely well-exposed assemblage of features associated with failure of the lee face of a large eolian dune, and run-out over an expanse of interdune sediments downwind of that bedform. Exposed features include dramatic folds in the interdune succession and a stacked series of thrust sheets incorporating both interdune and overlying dune deposits. Thrust surfaces display consistent strikes, parallel to those of undeformed foresets, and incorporate zones of brittle failure and fluid deformation, including folds overturned in the direction of foreset dip. These features correspond to predictions made by a previous researcher's model of dune collapse, formulated from less fortuitously exposed architectures in the Navajo Sandstone. Unlike the previous model, however, this site preserves distinct indications that the bulk of deformed material accumulated above the level of the contemporary interdune surface, in an aggradational succession. Paleotopographic reconstruction, based on preserved facies relationships at this site, indicates the presence of a large dune, partially encroached upon a well-developed wet interdune succession, made up of two half-meter carbonate mud layers, separated by a meter of medium-grained sand. Trapping of pore water pressure between these mud layers during liquefaction reduced shear strength in this interval, facilitating the collapse of the lee face of the upwind dune into the interdune area, and transmitted resultant shear forces to distal portions of the interdune expanse, in the shallow subsurface. Shear failure developed along bedding planes in the horizontally laminated carbonate muds, which provided both lubrication of the shear surfaces and structural support for the preservation of coherent thrust sheets during production of an imbricated succession of shear zones in the toe portion of the slump. Individual shear surfaces

Magnetic field effects on the crust structure of neutron stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franzon, B.; Negreiros, R.; Schramm, S.

2017-12-01

We study the effects of high magnetic fields on the structure and on the geometry of the crust in neutron stars. We find that the crust geometry is substantially modified by the magnetic field inside the star. We build stationary and axis-symmetric magnetized stellar models by using well-known equations of state to describe the neutron star crust, namely, the Skyrme model for the inner crust and the Baym-Pethick-Sutherland equation of state for the outer crust. We show that the magnetic field has a dual role, contributing to the crust deformation via the electromagnetic interaction (manifested in this case as the Lorentz force) and by contributing to curvature due to the energy stored in it. We also study a direct consequence of the crust deformation due to the magnetic field: the thermal relaxation time. This quantity, which is of great importance to the thermal evolution of neutron stars, is sensitive to the crust properties, and, as such, we show that it may be strongly affected by the magnetic field.

Research on chemical characteristics of soil salt crusts with saline groundwater drip-irrigation in the Tarim Desert Highway Shelterbelt.

PubMed

Zhang, Jianguo; Xu, Xinwen; Lei, Jiaqiang; Li, Shengyu

2013-01-01

Soil salt crusts are special layers at soil surface which are widely distributed in the Trim Desert Highway Shelterbelt under drip-irrigation with high salinity groundwater. In order to reveal annual variation of their chemical characteristics, soil salt crusts in shelterbelt of different ages in hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert were sampled. SOM, total salt, inions and pH were analyzed. Following results were obtained. SOM of salt crusts increased with the shelterbelt ages, but increasing trend became lower gradually. Total salt, ions, and pH of salt crusts reduced gradually with the shelterbelt ages. Total salt of salt crusts in shelterbelt of different ages was much higher than shifting sandy land. Ions were higher than shifting sandy land, Cl(-), Na(+), and SO4 (2-) increased more obvious, then Mg(2+), K(+), Ca(2+) and HCO3 (-), CO3 (2-) was little and nearly had no change. pH was all alkaline, pH of salt crusts in shelterbelt of 11 years was even lower than shifting sandy land. We can include that the quality of shallow soil (0~30 cm) in the Trim Desert Highway Shelterbelt becomes better gradually.

Experimental deformation in sandstone, carbonates and quartz aggregate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cheung, Cecilia See Nga

2015-05-01

The first part of my thesis is mainly focused on the effect of grain size distribution on compaction localization in porous sandstone. To identify the microstructural parameters that influence compaction band formation, I conducted a systematic study of mechanical deformation, failure mode and microstructural evolution in Bleurswiller and Boise sandstones, of similar porosity (~25%) and mineralogy but different sorting. Discrete compaction bands were observed to develop over a wide range of pressure in the Bleurswiller sandstone that has a relatively uniform grain size distribution. In contrast, compaction localization was not observed in the poorly sorted Boise sandstone. My results demonstratemore » that grain size distribution exerts important influence on compaction band development, in agreement with recently published data from Valley of Fire and Buckskin Gulch, as well as numerical studies. The second part aimed to improve current knowledge on inelastic behavior, failure mode and brittle-ductile transition in another sedimentary rock, porous carbonates. A micritic Tavel (porosity of ~13%) and an allochemical Indiana (~18%) limestones were deformed under compaction in wet and dry conditions. At lower confining pressures, shear localization occurred in brittle faulting regime. Through transitional regime, the deformation switched to cataclastic flow regime at higher confining pressure. Specifically in the cataclastic regime, the (dry and wet) Tavel and dry Indiana failed by distributed cataclastic flow, while in contrast, wet Indiana failed as compaction localization. My results demonstrate that different failure modes and mechanical behaviors under different deformation regimes and water saturation are fundamental prior to any geophysical application in porous carbonates. The third part aimed to focus on investigating compaction on quartz aggregate starting at low (MPa) using X-ray diffraction. We report the diffraction peak evolution of quartz with

Quantifying glassy and crystalline basalt partitioning in the oceanic crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, Rachael; Ménez, Bénédicte

2016-04-01

The upper layers of the oceanic crust are predominately basaltic rock, some of which hosts microbial life. Current studies of microbial life within the ocean crust mainly focus on the sedimentary rock fraction, or those organisms found within glassy basalts while the potential habitability of crystalline basalts are poorly explored. Recently, there has been recognition that microbial life develops within fractures and grain boundaries of crystalline basalts, therefore estimations of total biomass within the oceanic crust may be largely under evaluated. A deeper understanding of the bulk composition and fractionation of rocks within the oceanic crust is required before more accurate estimations of biomass can be made. To augment our understanding of glassy and crystalline basalts within the oceanic crust we created two end-member models describing basalt fractionation: a pillow basalt with massive, or sheet, flows crust and a pillow basalt with sheeted dike crust. Using known measurements of massive flow thickness, dike thickness, chilled margin thickness, pillow lava size, and pillow lava glass thickness, we have calculated the percentage of glassy versus crystalline basalts within the oceanic crust for each model. These models aid our understanding of textural fractionation within the oceanic crust, and can be applied with bioenergetics models to better constrain deep biomass estimates.

Hydropressure tongues within regionally geopressured lower Tuscaloosa sandstone, Tuscaloosa trend, Louisiana

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McCulloh, R.P.; Purcell, M.D.

1983-01-01

A regional study of the Tuscaloosa Formation in Louisiana, undertaken to assess geopressured-geothermal potential, revealed lobate, downdip extensions of the hydropressured zone in lower Tuscaloosa massive sandstone facies below the regional top of geopressure. Normal pressure zones within geopressured section were identified by drilling mud weights less than 13 pounds per gallon on electric logs of massive lower Tuscaloosa sandstone, and cross sections demonstrated updip continuity of these zones with the regional hydropressured zone. These hydropressure tongues are permitted by the anomalously high permeabilities reportd from the deep Tuscaloosa trend which have been attributed to both primary and secondary porosity.more » The hydropressure tongues correspond with lobes of thick net sandstone, principally in Pointe Coupee, East Feliciana, East Baton Rouge, and Livingston Parishes in the central Tuscaloosa trend. Limited control suggests at least one hydropressure tongue in the Chandeleur Sound area to the east.« less

FERROMANGANESE CRUST RESOURCES IN THE PACIFIC AND ATLANTIC OCEANS.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Commeau, R.F.; Clark, A.; Johnson, Chad; Manheim, F.T.; Aruscavage, P. J.; Lane, C.M.

1984-01-01

Ferromanganese crusts on raised areas of the ocean floor have joined abyssal manganese nodules and hydrothermal sulfides as potential marine resources. Significant volumes of cobalt-rich (about 1% Co) crusts have been identified to date within the US Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Central Pacific: in the NW Hawaiian Ridge and Seamount region and in the seamounts in the Johnston Island and Palmyra Island regions. Large volumes of lower grade crusts, slabs, and nodules are also present in shallow ( greater than 1000 m) waters on the Blake plateau, off Florida-South Carolina in the Atlantic Ocean. Data on ferromanganese crusts have been increased by recent German and USGS cruises, but are still sparse, and other regions having crust potential are under current investigation. The authors discuss economic potentials for cobalt-rich crusts in the Central Pacific and Western North Atlantic oceans, with special reference to US EEZ areas. Additional research is needed before more quantitative resource estimates can be made.

Cenozoic marine geochemistry of thallium deduced from isotopic studies of ferromanganese crusts and pelagic sediments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rehkamper, M.; Frank, M.; Hein, J.R.; Halliday, A.

2004-01-01

Cenozoic records of Tl isotope compositions recorded by ferromanganese (Fe-Mn) crusts have been obtained. Such records are of interest because recent growth surfaces of Fe-Mn crusts display a nearly constant Tl isotope fractionation relative to seawater. The time-series data are complemented by results for bulk samples and leachates of various marine sediments. Oxic pelagic sediments and anoxic marine deposits can be distinguished by their Tl isotope compositions. Both pelagic clays and biogenic oozes are typically characterized by ??205Tl greater than +2.5, whereas anoxic sediments have ??205Tl of less than -1.5 (??205Tl is the deviation of the 205Tl/203Tl isotope ratio of a sample from NIST SRM 997 Tl in parts per 104). Leaching experiments indicate that the high ??205Tl values of oxic sediments probably reflect authigenic Fe-Mn oxyhydroxides. Time-resolved Tl isotope compositions were obtained from six Fe-Mn crusts from the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans and a number of observations indicate that these records were not biased by diagenetic alteration. Over the last 25 Myr, the data do not show isotopic variations that significantly exceed the range of Tl isotope compositions observed for surface layers of Fe-Mn crusts distributed globally (??205 Tl=+12.8??1.2). This indicates that variations in deep-ocean temperature were not recorded by Tl isotopes. The results most likely reflect a constant Tl isotope composition for seawater. The growth layers of three Fe-Mn crusts that are older than 25 Ma show a systematic increase of ??205Tl with decreasing age, from about +6 at 60-50 Ma to about +12 at 25 Ma. These trends are thought to be due to variations in the Tl isotope composition of seawater, which requires that the oceans of the early Cenozoic either had smaller output fluxes or received larger input fluxes of Tl with low ??205Tl. Larger inputs of isotopically light Tl may have been supplied by benthic fluxes from reducing sediments, rivers, and/or volcanic

Biological soil crust formation under artificial vegetation effect and its properties in the Mugetan sandy land, northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Y. F.; Li, Z. W.; Jia, Y. H.; Zhang, K.

2016-08-01

Mugetan sandy land is an inland desertification area of about 2,065 km2 in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. In the ecological restoration region of the Mugetan sandy land, different crusts have formed under the action of vegetation in three types of sandy soil (i.e. semi-fixed sand dune, fixed sand dune and ancient fixed aeolian sandy soil). The surface sand particle distribution, mineral component and vegetation composition of moving sand dunes and three types of sandy soil were studied in 2010-2014 to analyze the biological crust formation properties in the Mugetan sandy land and the effects of artificial vegetation. Results from this study revealed that artificial vegetation increases the clay content and encourages the development of biological curst. The fine particles (i.e. clay and humus) of the surface layer of the sand dunes increased more than 15% ten years after the artificial vegetation planting, and further increased up to 20% after one hundred years. The interaction of clay, humus, and other fine particles formed the soil aggregate structure. Meanwhile, under the vegetation effect from the microbes, algae, and moss, the sand particles stuck together and a biological crust formed. The interconnection of the partial crusts caused the sand dunes to gradually be fixed as a whole. Maintaining the integrity of the biological crust plays a vital role in fixing the sand under the crust. The precipitation and temperature conditions in the Mugetan sandy land could satisfy the demand of biological crust formation and development. If rational vegetation measures are adopted in the region with moving sand dunes, the lichen-moss-algae biological curst will form after ten years, but it still takes more time for the sand dunes to reach the nutrient enrichment state. If the biological curst is partly broken due to human activities, reasonable closure and restoration measures can shorten the restoration time of the biological crust.

Nodules of Cemented Sand Grains Within Martian Sandstone

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-03-11

This view from NASA Curiosity shows nodules exposed in sandstone that is part of the Stimson geological unit on Mount Sharp, Mars. The nodules can be seen to consist of grains of sand cemented together.

Seismic imaging of deep crustal melt sills beneath Costa Rica suggests a method for the formation of the Archean continental crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harmon, Nicholas; Rychert, Catherine A.

2015-11-01

Continental crust formed billions of years ago but cannot be explained by a simple evolution of primary mantle magmas. A multi-step process is required that likely includes re-melting of wet metamorphosed basalt at high pressures. Such a process could occur at depth in oceanic crust that has been thickened by a large magmatic event. In Central America, variations in geologically inferred, pre-existing oceanic crustal thickness beneath the arc provides an excellent opportunity to study its effect on magma storage, re-melting of meta-basalts, and the potential for creating continental crust. We use surface waves derived from ambient noise tomography to image 6% radially anisotropic structures in the thickened oceanic plateau crust of Costa Rica that likely represent deep crustal melt sills. In Nicaragua, where the arc is forming on thinner oceanic crust, we do not image these deep crustal melt sills. The presence of these deep sills correlates with more felsic arc outputs from the Costa Rican Arc suggesting pre-existing thickened crust accelerates processing of primary basalts to continental compositions. In the Archean, reprocessing thickened oceanic crust by subsequent hydrated hotspot volcanism or subduction zone volcanism may have similarly enhanced formation of early continental crust. This mechanism may have been particularly important if subduction did not initiate until 3 Ga.

Investigation of Biological Soil Crusts Metabolic Webs Using Exometabolomic Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Northen, T.; Karaoz, U.; Jenkins, S.; Lau, R.; Bowen, B.; Cadillo-Quiroz, H.; Garcia-Pichel, F.; Brodie, E.; Richard, B.

2014-12-01

Desert biological soil crusts are simple cyanobacteria-dominated surface soil microbial communities found in areas with infrequent wetting, often extreme temperatures, low coverage of vascular plants and constitute the world's largest biofilm. They exist for extended periods in a desiccated dormant state, yet rapidly re-boot metabolism within minutes of wetting. These soil microbial communities are highly dependent on filamentous cyanobacteria such as Microcoleus vaginatusto stabilize the soil and to act as primary producers for the community through the release carbon sources to feed a diversity of heterotrophs. Exometabolomic analysis was performed using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry on biological soil crust pore water and spent media of key soil bacterial isolates. Comparison of spent vs. fresh media was used to determine uptake or release of metabolites by specific microbes. To link pore water experiments with isolate studies, metabolite extracts of authentic soil were used as supplements for isolate exometabolomic profiling. Our soil metabolomics methods detected hundreds of metabolites from soils including may novel compounds. Only a small set of which being targeted by all isolates. Beyond these few metabolites, the individual bacteria examined showed specialization towards specific metabolites. Surprisingly, many of the most abundant oligosaccharides and other metabolites were ignored by these isolates. The observed specialization of biological soil crust bacteria may play a significant role in determining community structure.

The fauna of the Batesville sandstone of northern Arkansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Girty, George H.

1915-01-01

The beds in northern Arkansas that lie between the Boone limestone (commonly regarded as representing the Burlington and Keokuk epochs) and the Pennsylvanian have been divided into several formations, named, in ascending order, Moorefield shale, Batesville sandstone, Fayetteville shale, and Pitkin limestone. These formations presumably are equivalent to those that hold a corresponding position in the typical Mississippian section of Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois, but the faunas which they have furnished show noteworthy differences from the typical faunas. It has therefore seemed desirable to investigate these faunas, especially as the facies which they present is found also in the faunas of several of the Southern States, such as Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Alabama. With this object in view, I published in 1911 a report on the fossils of the Moorefield shale. The fauna next to be considered in a systematic pursuance of such a plan as I have mentioned is that of the Batesville sandstone, but the fauna of the Batesville sandstone, as is well known, has already been described in a treatise by Prof. Stuart Weller. At first I considered the possibility of pretermitting the Batesville fauna and of substituting Prof. Weller's report for my own in a series of little monographs that are under contemplation. It soon became evident, however, that this would not be satisfactory because, whether by reason of having collections from a number of new localities or by reason of having more extensive collections from old ones, I found that the material at my command considerably increased the number of types known from the Batesville sandstone, among them being a few which were undescribed. In fact, while Prof. Weller's paper discusses only 30 species (aside from a few Bryozoan types not even generically distinguished) the present paper discusses 128 species. On this account it seemed to me essential to redescribe the fauna.

Sandstone: secular trends in lithology in southwestern montana.

PubMed

McLane, M

1972-11-03

Long-term secular trends in the composition and texture of sandstones in southwestern Montana reflect changing provenance and depositional environment, which in turn reflect changing tectonic patterns in the Cordilleran mobile belt just to the west.

Geohydrology of the Navajo sandstone in western Kane, southwestern Garfield, and southeastern Iron counties, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Freethey, G.W.

1988-01-01

The upper Navajo and Lamb Point aquifers in the Navajo Sandstone are the principal source of water for the city of Kanab, irrigation, stock, and for rural homes in the study area. Well logs and outcrop descriptions indicate the Navajo Sandstone consists of the Lamb Point Tongue and an unnamed upper member that are separated by the Tenney Canyon Tongue of the Kayenta Formation. The main Kayenta Formation underlies the Lamb Point Tongue. The Lamb Point Tongue and the upper member of the Navajo Sandstone are saturated and hydraulically connected through the Tenney Canyon Tongue. Available data indicate that precipitation percolates to the groundwater reservoir where the Navajo Sandstone crops out. Estimates of the rate of recharge at the outcrop range from 0.1 to as much as 2.8 in/yr. Water level data indicate that water moves from the upper member of the Navajo Sandstone, through the Tenney Canyon Tongue, and into the Lamb Point Tongue. Lateral flow is generally from the outcrop areas toward the incised canyons formed by tributaries of Kanab Creek and Johnson Wash. Direction and rate of groundwater movement and the location and character of the natural hydrologic boundaries in the northern part of the area where the Navajo Sandstone is buried cannot be determined conclusively without additional water level data. (Author 's abstract)

Petrology and reservoir quality of the Gaikema Sandstone: Initial impressions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Helmold, Kenneth P.; Stanley, Richard G.

2015-01-01

The Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys (DGGS) and Division of Oil & Gas (DOG) are currently conducting a study of the hydrocarbon potential of Cook Inlet basin (LePain and others, 2011). The Tertiary stratigraphic section of the basin includes coal-bearing units that are prolific gas reservoirs, particularly the Neogene sandstones. The Paleogene sandstones are locally prolific oil reservoirs that are sourced largely from the underlying Middle Jurassic Tuxedni Group. Several large structures act as hydrocarbon traps and the possibility exists for stratigraphic traps although this potential has not been fully exploited. As part of this study a significant number of Tertiary sandstones from the basin have been already collected and analyzed (Helmold and others, 2013). Recent field programs have shifted attention to the Mesozoic stratigraphic section to ascertain whether it contains potential hydrocarbon reservoirs. During the 2013 Cook Inlet field season, two days were spent on the Iniskin Peninsula examining outcrops of the Middle Jurassic Gaikema Sandstone along the south shore of Chinitna Bay (fig. 7-1). A stratigraphic section approximately 34 m in thickness was measured and a detailed description was initiated (Stanley and others, 2015), but due to deteriorating weather it was not possible to complete the description. During the 2014 field season two additional days were spent completing work on the Gaikema section. Analyses of thin sections from six of the samples collected in 2013 are available for incorporation in this report (table 7-1). Data from samples collected during the 2014 field season will be included in future reports.

A spectroscopic analysis of Martian crater central peaks: Formation of the ancient crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skok, J. R.; Mustard, J. F.; Tornabene, L. L.; Pan, C.; Rogers, D.; Murchie, S. L.

2012-11-01

The earliest formed crust on a single plate planet such as Mars should be preserved, deeply buried under subsequent surface materials. Mars' extensive cratering history would have fractured and disrupted the upper layers of this ancient crust. Large impacts occurring late in Martian geologic history would have excavated and exposed this deeply buried material. We report the compositional analysis of unaltered mafic Martian crater central peaks with high-resolution spectral data that was used to characterize the presence, distribution and composition of mafic mineralogy. Reflectance spectra of mafic outcrops are modeled with the Modified Gaussian Model (MGM) to determine cation composition of olivine and pyroxene mineral deposits. Observations show that central peaks with unaltered mafic units are only observed in four general regions of Mars. Each mafic unit exhibits spectrally unmixed outcrops of olivine or pyroxene, indicating dunite and pyroxenite dominated compositions instead of basaltic composition common throughout much of the planet. Compositional analysis shows a wide range of olivine Fo# ranging from Fo60 to Fo5. This variation is best explained by a high degree of fractionation in a slowly cooling, differentiating magma body. Pyroxene analysis shows that all the sites in the Southern Highlands are consistent with moderately Fe-rich, low-Ca pyroxene. Mineral segregation in the ancient crust could be caused by cumulate crystallization and settling in a large, potentially global, lava lake or near surface plutons driven by a hypothesized early Martian mantle overturn.

Use of micro-resistivity imaging tools in developing lower Pennsylvanian Morrow channel sandstone reservoirs, Cheyenne, Kiowa and Lincoln Counties, Colorado

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Germinario, M.P.

1996-01-01

In southeastern Colorado, Lower Pennsylvanian Morrow channel sandstones are part of complex valley-fill sequences incised into Morrow marine deposits. Morrow valleys are approximately [1/2] to 1 mile wide. Valley-fill consists of floodplain and channel filling shales, very fine-grained estuarine sandstones and fine- to coarse-grained channel sandstones that are up to 50' thick. Channel sandstones represent a sequence of stacked fluvial bars deposited in braided, anastomosing and meandering fluvial environments. Cross-stratification in channel sandstones can be imaged by micro-resistivity wireline logging tools and interpreted interactively on various workstation software packages. Recognition, interpretation and measurement of current, stoss face, and lateral accretionmore » beds in these sandstones can result in an estimated direction of paleocurrent flow of the channel. Determination of the channel's local paleoflow direction can provide significant sand risk reduction in developmental drilling, especially in 80 acre or less spacing patterns. As the distance between offset drilling locations increases, the reliability of paleoflow prediction decreases, and the corresponding sand risk rises. Lateral accretion bedding in Morrow channel sandstones has proven to be a poor indicator of sand thickening direction, due to the complex stacking of multiple channel sandstones within any given valley-fill sequence. Micro-resistivity imaging reduces risk in Morrow channel sandstone development drilling programs. Furthermore, these interpretation techniques could be applicable in other fluvial channel sandstone plays.« less

Use of micro-resistivity imaging tools in developing lower Pennsylvanian Morrow channel sandstone reservoirs, Cheyenne, Kiowa and Lincoln Counties, Colorado

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Germinario, M.P.

1996-12-31

In southeastern Colorado, Lower Pennsylvanian Morrow channel sandstones are part of complex valley-fill sequences incised into Morrow marine deposits. Morrow valleys are approximately {1/2} to 1 mile wide. Valley-fill consists of floodplain and channel filling shales, very fine-grained estuarine sandstones and fine- to coarse-grained channel sandstones that are up to 50` thick. Channel sandstones represent a sequence of stacked fluvial bars deposited in braided, anastomosing and meandering fluvial environments. Cross-stratification in channel sandstones can be imaged by micro-resistivity wireline logging tools and interpreted interactively on various workstation software packages. Recognition, interpretation and measurement of current, stoss face, and lateral accretionmore » beds in these sandstones can result in an estimated direction of paleocurrent flow of the channel. Determination of the channel`s local paleoflow direction can provide significant sand risk reduction in developmental drilling, especially in 80 acre or less spacing patterns. As the distance between offset drilling locations increases, the reliability of paleoflow prediction decreases, and the corresponding sand risk rises. Lateral accretion bedding in Morrow channel sandstones has proven to be a poor indicator of sand thickening direction, due to the complex stacking of multiple channel sandstones within any given valley-fill sequence. Micro-resistivity imaging reduces risk in Morrow channel sandstone development drilling programs. Furthermore, these interpretation techniques could be applicable in other fluvial channel sandstone plays.« less

Hydrodynamic behaviour of crusted soils in the Sahel: a possible cause for runoff increase?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malam Abdou, M.; Vandervaere, J.-P.; Bouzou Moussa, I.; Descroix, L.

2012-04-01

Crusted soils are in extension in the Sahel. As rainfall has decreased over the past decades (it is now increasing again in the central Sahel) and no significant change was observed in rainfall intensity and in its time and space distribution, it is supposed that land use management is the main cause for crusts cover increase. Fallow shortening, lack of manure, and land overexploitation (wood harvesting, overgrazing) are frequently cited as main factors of soil degradation. Based on field measurements in some small catchments of Western Niger, the hydrodynamics behaviour of the newly crusted soils of this area is described, mostly constituted by erosion crusts. A strong fall in soil saturated conductivity and in the active porosity as well as a rise in bulk density all lead to a quick onset of runoff production. Results are shown from field experiments in sedimentary and basement areas leading to similar conclusions. In both contexts, runoff plot production was measured at the rain event scale from 10-m2 parcels as well as at the catchment outlet. Soil saturated conductivity was reduced by one order of magnitude when crusting occurs, leading to a sharp runoff coefficient increase, from 4% in a weeded millet field and 10% in an old fallow to more than 60% in a erosion-crusted topsoil at the plot scale. At the experimental catchment scale, runoff coefficient has doubled in less than 20 years. In pure Sahelian basins, this resulted in endorheism breaching, and in a widespread river discharge increase. For some right bank tributaries of the Niger River, discharge is three times higher now than before the drought years, in spite of the remaining rainfall deficit. On the other hand, a general increase in flooding hazard frequency is observed in the whole Sahelian stripe. The role of surface crusts in the Sahel is discussed leading to the implementation of new experiments in the future.

Formation of Fe-Mn crusts within a continental margin environment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Conrad, Tracey A.; Hein, James R.; Paytan, Adina; Clague, David A.

2017-01-01

This study examines Fe-Mn crusts that form on seamounts along the California continental-margin (CCM), within the United States 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone. The study area extends from approximately 30° to 38° North latitudes and from 117° to 126° West longitudes. The area of study is a tectonically active northeast Pacific plate boundary region and is also part of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre with currents dominated by the California Current System. Upwelling of nutrient-rich water results in high primary productivity that produces a pronounced oxygen minimum zone. Hydrogenetic Fe-Mn crusts forming along the CCM show distinct chemical and mineral compositions compared to open-ocean crusts. On average, CCM crusts contain more Fe relative to Mn than open-ocean Pacific crusts. The continental shelf and slope release both Fe and Mn under low-oxygen conditions. Silica is also enriched relative to Al compared to open-ocean crusts. This is due to the North Pacific silica plume and enrichment of Si along the path of deep-water circulation, resulting in Si enrichment in bottom and intermediate waters of the eastern Pacific.The CCM Fe-Mn crusts have a higher percentage of birnessite than open-ocean crusts, reflecting lower dissolved seawater oxygen that results from the intense coastal upwelling and proximity to zones of continental slope pore-water anoxia. Carbonate fluorapatite (CFA) is not present and CCM crusts do not show evidence of phosphatization, even in the older sections. The mineralogy indicates a suboxic environment under which birnessite forms, but in which pH is not high enough to facilitate CFA deposition. Growth rates of CCM crusts generally increase with increasing water depth, likely due to deep-water Fe sources mobilized from reduced shelf and slope sediments.Many elements of economic interest including Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, W, and Te have slightly or significantly lower concentrations in CCM crusts relative to crusts from the Pacific

Comparison of the partitioning behaviours of yttrium, rare earth elements, and titanium between hydrogenetic marine ferromanganese crusts and seawater

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bau, M.; Koschinsky, A.; Dulski, P.; Hein, J.R.

1996-01-01

In order to evaluate details of the partitioning behaviours of Y, rare earth elements (REEs), and Ti between inorganic metal oxide surfaces and seawater, we studied the distribution of these elements in hydrogenetic marine ferromanganese (Fe-Mn) crusts from the Central Pacific Ocean. Nonphosphatized Fe-Mn crusts display shale-normalized rare earths and yttrium (REYSN) patterns (Y inserted between Dy and Ho) that are depleted in light REEs (LREEs) and which show negative anomalies for YSN, and positive anomalies for LaSN, EuSN, GdSN, and in most cases, CeSN. They show considerably smaller Y/ Ho ratios than seawater or common igneous and clastic rocks, indicating that Y and Ho are fractionated in the marine environment. Compared to P-poor crusts, REYSN patterns of phosphatized Fe-Mn crusts are similar, but yield pronounced positive YSN anomalies, stronger positive LaSN anomalies, and enrichment of the HREEs relative to the MREEs. The data suggest modification of REY during phosphatization and indicate that studies requiring primary REY distributions or isotopic ratios should be restricted to nonphosphatized (layers of) Fe-Mn crusts. Apparent bulk coefficients, KMD, describing trace metal partitioning between nonphosphatized hydrogenetic Fe-Mn crusts and seawater, are similar for Pr to Eu and decrease for Eu to Yb. Exceptionally high values of KCeD, which are similar to those of Ti, result from oxidative scavenging of Ce and support previous suggestions that Ce(IV) is a hydroxide-dominated element in seawater. Yttrium and Gd show lower KD values than their respective neighbours in the REY series. Results of modelling the exchange equilibrium between REY dissolved in seawater and REY sorbed on hydrous Fe-Mn oxides corroborate previous studies that suggested the surface complexation of REY can be approximated by their first hydroxide binding constant. Negative "anomalies" occur for stabilities of bulk surface complexes of Gd, La, and particularly Y. The differences in

Deep mantle cycling of oceanic crust: evidence from diamonds and their mineral inclusions.

PubMed

Walter, M J; Kohn, S C; Araujo, D; Bulanova, G P; Smith, C B; Gaillou, E; Wang, J; Steele, A; Shirey, S B

2011-10-07

A primary consequence of plate tectonics is that basaltic oceanic crust subducts with lithospheric slabs into the mantle. Seismological studies extend this process to the lower mantle, and geochemical observations indicate return of oceanic crust to the upper mantle in plumes. There has been no direct petrologic evidence, however, of the return of subducted oceanic crustal components from the lower mantle. We analyzed superdeep diamonds from Juina-5 kimberlite, Brazil, which host inclusions with compositions comprising the entire phase assemblage expected to crystallize from basalt under lower-mantle conditions. The inclusion mineralogies require exhumation from the lower to upper mantle. Because the diamond hosts have carbon isotope signatures consistent with surface-derived carbon, we conclude that the deep carbon cycle extends into the lower mantle.

A statistical assessment of seismic models of the U.S. continental crust using Bayesian inversion of ambient noise surface wave dispersion data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olugboji, T. M.; Lekic, V.; McDonough, W.

2017-07-01

We present a new approach for evaluating existing crustal models using ambient noise data sets and its associated uncertainties. We use a transdimensional hierarchical Bayesian inversion approach to invert ambient noise surface wave phase dispersion maps for Love and Rayleigh waves using measurements obtained from Ekström (2014). Spatiospectral analysis shows that our results are comparable to a linear least squares inverse approach (except at higher harmonic degrees), but the procedure has additional advantages: (1) it yields an autoadaptive parameterization that follows Earth structure without making restricting assumptions on model resolution (regularization or damping) and data errors; (2) it can recover non-Gaussian phase velocity probability distributions while quantifying the sources of uncertainties in the data measurements and modeling procedure; and (3) it enables statistical assessments of different crustal models (e.g., CRUST1.0, LITHO1.0, and NACr14) using variable resolution residual and standard deviation maps estimated from the ensemble. These assessments show that in the stable old crust of the Archean, the misfits are statistically negligible, requiring no significant update to crustal models from the ambient noise data set. In other regions of the U.S., significant updates to regionalization and crustal structure are expected especially in the shallow sedimentary basins and the tectonically active regions, where the differences between model predictions and data are statistically significant.

Diagenetic controls on reservoir heterogeneity in St. Peter Sandstone, deep Michigan basin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barnes, D.A.; Turmelle, T.M.; Adam, R.

1989-03-01

The St. Peter Sandstone is a highly productive gas and condensate reservoir throughout the central part of the Michigan basin. Production occurs in several intervals: a laterally continuous zone at the top of the formation typified in the Woodville, Falmouth, and Rose City fields and less continuous intervals lower in the formation typified in the Ruwe Gulf zone of the Reed City field. Porosity is not limited to hydrocarbon productive zones, however. Diagenesis has dramatically modified primary mineralogy and textures in the formation. Dominant diagenetic components are quartz, dolomite, and clay authigenic cements, extensive chemical compaction, and pervasive mineral leaching.more » Their model for sandstone diagenesis is consistent throughout the basin. Variation in the significance of these diagenetic components is strongly templated by stratigraphically predictable facies variations within the St. Peter Sandstone.« less

Experimental and Numerical Investigations on Strength and Deformation Behavior of Cataclastic Sandstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y.; Shao, J. F.; Xu, W. Y.; Zhao, H. B.; Wang, W.

2015-05-01

This work is devoted to characterization of the deformation and strength properties of cataclastic sandstones. Before conducting mechanical tests, the physical properties were first examined. These sandstones are characterized by a loose damaged microstructure and poorly cemented contacts. Then, a series of mechanical tests including hydrostatic, uniaxial, and triaxial compression tests were performed to study the mechanical strength and deformation of the sandstones. The results obtained show nonlinear stress-strain responses. The initial microcracks are closed at hydrostatic stress of 2.6 MPa, and the uniaxial compressive strength is about 0.98 MPa. Under triaxial compression, there is a clear transition from volumetric compressibility to dilatancy and a strong dependency on confining pressure. Based on the experimental evidence, an elastoplastic model is proposed using a linear yield function and a nonassociated plastic potential. There is good agreement between numerical results and experimental data.

Applying tracer techniques to determine recharge rate, groundwater age and travel times in Permo-Triassic sandstones.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butcher, Andrew; Gallagher, Alexander; Darling, W. George; Gooddy, Daren; Burke, Sean

2010-05-01

The Eden Valley in East Cumbria is underlain by Permo-Triassic sandstone, the major aquifer in Northwest England. Rising nitrate trends in some boreholes has prompted collaborative research into flow systems and timescales in the area. The use of slurry and artificial fertilisers following agricultural intensification during the 1980s is believed to be responsible for the rise in nitrate concentrations. The broad aim of this research is to enable prediction of future nitrate concentrations at abstraction boreholes and in groundwater discharge to surface water. The approach taken has been to study groundwater processes along a 4km transect (approximating a groundwater flowline) in order to estimate groundwater travel timescales through the sandstone and thin superficial Till . A combination of porewater sampling during borehole coring, discrete interval sampling using a borehole packer system, geophysical logging and imaging were employed to develop physical and hydrochemical profiles. Separate tracer techniques were used to estimate recharge rates at different parts of the transect. Tracers used were: deuterium and bromide through Till, nitrate, chloride and tritium through the unsaturated zone and CFCs and SF6 within the saturated zone. Tracer profiles in Till demonstrated a correspondence between Till thickness, type of cultivation and recharge rate. In the thick unsaturated zone of the sandstone they suggested relatively rapid groundwater recharge rates. Key fractures or fracture zones in the saturated sandstone were identified and sampled. The hydrochemistry (particularly nitrate) of samples from discrete intervals in the profiles exhibited a remarkably good relationship with the proportion of modern water (and year of recharge) for example, the age of groundwater increasing to c. 1950 towards the bottom of a 90m borehole. This work demonstrates that the combination of discrete sampling and dating of groundwater is a powerful tool in characterising groundwater

Effects of sand burial on dew deposition on moss soil crust in a revegetated area of the Tennger Desert, Northern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Rong-liang; Li, Xin-rong; Liu, Li-chao; Pan, Yan-xia; Gao, Yan-hong; Wei, Yong-ping

2014-11-01

Sand burial and dew deposition are two fundamental phenomena profoundly influencing biological soil crusts in desert areas. However, little information is available regarding the effects of sand burial on dew deposition on biological soil crusts in desert ecosystems. In this study, we evaluated the effects of sand burial at depths of 0 (control), 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 mm on dew formation and evaporation of three dominant moss crusts in a revegetated area of the Tengger Desert (Northern China) in 2010. The results revealed that sand burial significantly decreased the amount of dew deposited on the three moss crust types by acting as a semi-insulator retarding the dew formation and evaporation rates. The changes in surface temperature cannot fully explain the variations of the formation and evaporation rates of dew by moss crusts buried by sand. The extension of dew retention time was reflected by the higher dew ratios (the ratio of dew amount at a certain time to the maximum value in a daily course) in the daytime, and may to some extent have acted as compensatory mechanisms that diminished the negative effects of the reduction of dew amount induced by sand burial of moss crusts. The resistances to reduction of dewfall caused by sand burial among the three moss crusts were also compared and it was found that Bryum argenteum crust showed the highest tolerance, followed by crusts dominated by Didymodon vinealis and Syntrichia caninervis. This sequence corresponds well with the successional order of the three moss crusts in the revegetated area, thereby suggesting that resistance to reduction of dewfall may act as one mechanism by which sand burial drives the succession of moss crusts in desert ecosystems. This side effect of dew reduction induced by sand burial on biological soil crusts should be considered in future ecosystem construction and management of desert area.

Nugget-Navaho-Aztec sandstone: interaction of eolian sand sea with Andean-type volcanic arc

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Marzolf, J.E.

1986-05-01

The Nugget-Navaho-Aztec sand sea was deposited east of an Andean-type volcanic arc. During the early stage of eolian deposition, fluvially transported sand was concentrated in the marine littoral zone and returned inland by onshore winds from the northwest. With progressive development of the arc, the sea withdrew. Wind direction changed from northwest to northeast. Previously deposited eolian sand was transported southwestward into the volcanic arc. Proximity of the arc can be detected with great difficulty by examining eolian and underlying red-bed facies. In southern Nevada, the volcanic arc is undetectable in eolian facies, but thin sandstone beds containing volcanic clastsmore » or weathered feldspar in the finer grained red-bed facies indicate arc volcanism; volcanic clasts are distinct in a basal conglomerate. Westward into California, the sub-Aztec Sandstone contains volcanic pebbles. The upper part of the Aztec Sandstone contains a 1 to 2-m thick volcaniclastic siltstone. Farther west, the Aztec Sandstone is interbedded with volcanic flows, ash flows, and flow breccias. These rocks might easily be mistaken for red beds in well cores or cuttings. Sand in sets of large-scale cross-beds remain virtually identical in composition and texture to sand in eolian facies of the Colorado Plateau. Where sets of eolian cross-beds lie on volcanics, the quartzose sandstone contains pebble to cobble-size volcanic clasts. Locally, cross-bed sets of yellowish-white, quartzose sandstone alternate with purplish-gray cross-bed sets containing numerous pebble to cobble-size volcanic clasts. The ability to recognize volcanic indicators within Nugget-Navaho-Aztec eolian facies is important in delineating the western margin of the back-arc eolian basin.« less

Psoriasis or crusted scabies.

PubMed

Goyal, N N; Wong, G A

2008-03-01

We describe a case of a 67-year-old woman with a 1-year history of nail thickening and a non-itchy erythematous scaly eruption on the fingertips. She was diagnosed with psoriasis and started on methotrexate after having had no response to topical calcipotriol. The diagnosis was reviewed after it was revealed by another consultant that the patient's husband had been attending dermatology clinics for several years with chronic pruritus, which had been repeatedly thought to be due to scabies. Our patient was found to have crusted scabies after a positive skin scraping showed numerous mites. She was treated with topical permethrin, keratolytics and oral ivermectin. We also review the literature on crusted scabies and its management, with recommendations.

Imaging crust and mantle discontinuities across tectonic boundaries in North America with Sp receiver functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, Karen M.; Hopper, Emily

2015-04-01

When broadband stations are spaced at ~70 km or less, as with the EarthScope Transportable Array in North America, common conversion point stacking of Sp receiver functions is capable of continuous three-dimensional imaging of velocity gradients at shallow mantle depths, provided that the gradients are localized over ~30 km or less. In the tectonically active western United States, Sp common conversion points stacks reveal a strong and coherent negative velocity gradient (velocity drop with increasing depth) that falls within the transition from high velocity lithosphere to low velocity asthenosphere seen in surface wave tomography. This negative velocity gradient is interpretable as the seismological lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary. Its depth varies significantly across certain tectonic boundaries at horizontal length scales of less than ~75 km, consistent with a rheologically strong mantle lithosphere in which strain can localize. When station spacing is sufficiently dense (~5 km) coherent imaging of discontinuities in the upper and lower crust is possible, even for Sp phases with dominant periods close to 10 s. With data from the 85 broadband stations of the SESAME array in the southeastern United States (an EarthScope Flexible Array experiment) and adjacent Transportable Array and permanent stations, common conversion point stacking of Sp phases resolves strong velocity gradients in the upper and lower crust that are continuous over hundreds of horizontal kilometers. Across the Suwannee suture (the northern edge of the Gondwanan or peri-Gondwanan Suwannee lithosphere that accreted to Laurentia in the last stages of the Appalachian orogeny) a strong positive velocity discontinuity dips southward from the surface expression of the suture to depths of 25-30 km. Modeling with common conversion point stacks of synthetic Sp phases demonstrates that Sp data can resolve the dipping discontinuity, despite the presence of sediment-filled Mesozoic rift basins and

Multielement statistical evidence for uraniferous hydrothermal activity in sandstones overlying the Phoenix uranium deposit, Athabasca Basin, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Shishi; Hattori, Keiko; Grunsky, Eric C.

2018-04-01

The Phoenix U deposit, with indicated resources of 70.2 M lb U3O8, occurs along the unconformity between the Proterozoic Athabasca Group sandstones and the crystalline basement rocks. Principal component analysis (PCA) is applied to the compositions of sandstones overlying the deposit. Among PCs, PC1 accounts for the largest variability of U and shows a positive association of U with rare earth elements (REEs) + Y + Cu + B + Na + Mg + Ni + Be. The evidence suggests that U was dispersed into sandstones together with these elements during the uraniferous hydrothermal activity. Uranium shows an inverse association with Zr, Hf, Th, Fe, and Ti. Since they are common in detrital heavy minerals, such heavy minerals are not the major host of U. The elements positively associated with U are high in concentrations above the deposit, forming a "chimney-like" or "hump-like" distribution in a vertical section. Their enrichment patterns are explained by the ascent of basement fluids through faults to sandstones and the circulation of basinal fluids around the deposit. The Pb isotope compositions of whole rocks are similar to expected values calculated from the concentrations of U, Th, and Pb except for sandstones close to the deposit. The data suggest that in situ decay of U and Th is responsible for the Pb isotope compositions of most sandstones and that highly radiogenic Pb dispersed from the deposit to the proximal sandstones long after the mineralization. This secondary dispersion is captured in PC8, which has low eigenvalue. The data suggests that the secondary dispersion has minor effect on the overall lithogeochemistry of sandstones.

Controls on the variability of net infiltration to desert sandstone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heilweil, Victor M.; McKinney, Tim S.; Zhdanov, Michael S.; Watt, Dennis E.

2007-01-01

As populations grow in arid climates and desert bedrock aquifers are increasingly targeted for future development, understanding and quantifying the spatial variability of net infiltration becomes critically important for accurately inventorying water resources and mapping contamination vulnerability. This paper presents a conceptual model of net infiltration to desert sandstone and then develops an empirical equation for its spatial quantification at the watershed scale using linear least squares inversion methods for evaluating controlling parameters (independent variables) based on estimated net infiltration rates (dependent variables). Net infiltration rates used for this regression analysis were calculated from environmental tracers in boreholes and more than 3000 linear meters of vadose zone excavations in an upland basin in southwestern Utah underlain by Navajo sandstone. Soil coarseness, distance to upgradient outcrop, and topographic slope were shown to be the primary physical parameters controlling the spatial variability of net infiltration. Although the method should be transferable to other desert sandstone settings for determining the relative spatial distribution of net infiltration, further study is needed to evaluate the effects of other potential parameters such as slope aspect, outcrop parameters, and climate on absolute net infiltration rates.

Sandstone type uranium deposits in the Ordos Basin, Northwest China: A case study and an overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akhtar, Shamim; Yang, Xiaoyong; Pirajno, Franco

2017-09-01

This paper provides a comprehensive review on studies of sandstone type uranium deposits in the Ordos Basin, Northwest China. As the second largest sedimentary basin, the Ordos Basin has great potential for targeting sandstone type U mineralization. The newly found and explored Dongsheng and Diantou sandstone type uranium deposits are hosted in the Middle Jurassic Zhilou Formation. A large number of investigations have been conducted to trace the source rock compositions and relationship between lithic subarkose sandstone host rock and uranium mineralization. An optical microscopy study reveals two types of alteration associated with the U mineralization: chloritization and sericitization. Some unusual mineral structures, with compositional similarity to coffinite, have been identified in a secondary pyrite by SEM These mineral phases are proposed to be of bacterial origin, following high resolution mapping of uranium minerals and trace element determinations in situ. Moreover, geochemical studies of REE and trace elements constrained the mechanism of uranium enrichment, displaying LREE enrichment relative to HREE. Trace elements such as Pb, Mo and Ba have a direct relationship with uranium enrichment and can be used as index for mineralization. The source of uranium ore forming fluids and related geological processes have been studied using H, O and C isotope systematics of fluid inclusions in quartz veins and the calcite cement of sandstone rocks hosting U mineralization. Both H and O isotopic compositions of fluid inclusions reveal that ore forming fluids are a mixture of meteoric water and magmatic water. The C and S isotopes of the cementing material of sandstone suggest organic origin and bacterial sulfate reduction (BSR), providing an important clue for U mineralization. Discussion of the ore genesis shows that the greenish gray sandstone plays a crucial role during processes leading to uranium mineralization. Consequently, an oxidation-reduction model for

Petrology and geochronology of crustal xenoliths from the Bering Strait region: Linking deep and shallow processes in extending continental crust

USGS Publications Warehouse

Akinin, V.V.; Miller, E.L.; Wooden, J.L.

2009-01-01

Petrologic, geochemical, and metamorphic data on gneissic xenoliths derived from the middle and lower crust in the Neogene Bering Sea basalt province, coupled with U-Pb geochronology of their zircons using sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe-reverse geometry (SHRIMP-RG), yield a detailed comparison between the P-T-t and magmatic history of the lower crust and magmatic, metamorphic, and deformational history of the upper crust. Our results provide unique insights into the nature of lithospheric processes that accompany the extension of continental crust. The gneissic, mostly maficxenoliths (constituting less than two percent of the total xenolith population) from lavas in the Enmelen, RU, St. Lawrence, Nunivak, and Seward Peninsula fields most likely originated through magmatic fractionation processes with continued residence at granulite-facies conditions. Zircon single-grain ages (n ??? 125) are interpreted as both magmatic and metamorphic and are entirely Cretaceous to Paleocene in age (ca. 138-60 Ma). Their age distributions correspond to the main ages of magmatism in two belts of supracrustal volcanic and plutonic rocks in the Bering Sea region. Oscillatory-zoned igneous zircons, Late Cretaceous to Paleocene metamorphic zircons and overgrowths, and lack of any older inheritance in zircons from the xenoliths provide strong evidence for juvenile addition of material to the crust at this time. Surface exposures of Precambrian and Paleozoic rocks locally reached upper amphibolite-facies (sillimanite grade) to granulite-facies conditions within a series of extension-related metamorphic culminations or gneiss domes, which developed within the Cretaceous magmatic belt. Metamorphic gradients and inferred geotherms (??30-50 ??C/km) from both the gneiss domes and xenoliths aretoo high to be explained by crustal thickening alone. Magmatic heat input from the mantle is necessary to explain both the petrology of the magmas and elevated metamorphic temperatures. Deep

Determination of the Basic Friction Angle of Rock Surfaces by Tilt Tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Hyun-Sic; Zhang, Qing-Zhao; Kang, Seong-Seung; Jang, Bo-An

2018-04-01

Samples of Hwangdeung granite from Korea and Berea sandstone from USA, both containing sliding planes, were prepared by saw-cutting or polishing using either #100 or #600 grinding powders. Their basic friction angles were measured by direct shear testing, triaxial compression testing, and tilt testing. The direct shear tests and triaxial compression tests on the saw-cut, #100, and #600 surfaces indicated that the most reliable results were obtained from the #100 surface: basic friction angle of 29.4° for granite and 34.1° for sandstone. To examine the effect of surface conditions on the friction angle in tilt tests, the sliding angles were measured 50 times with two surface conditions (surfaces cleaned and not cleaned after each measurement). The initial sliding angles were high regardless of rock type and surface conditions and decreased exponentially as measurements continued. The characteristics of the sliding angles, differences between tilt tests, and dispersion between measurements in each test indicated that #100 surface produced the most reliable basic friction angle measurement. Without cleaning the surfaces, the average angles for granite (32 measurements) and sandstone (23 measurements) were similar to the basic friction angle. When 20-50 measurements without cleaning were averaged, the basic friction angle was within ± 2° for granite and ± 3° for sandstone. Sliding angles using five different tilting speeds were measured but the average was similar, indicating that tilting speed (between 0.2° and 1.6°/s) has little effect on the sliding angle. Sliding angles using four different sample sizes were measured with the best results obtained for samples larger than 8 × 8 cm.

A new bee species that excavates sandstone nests

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Many wonder why animals act in seemingly injurious ways. Understanding the behavior of pollinators such as bees is especially important because of the necessary ecosystem service they provide. The new species Anthophora pueblo, discovered excavating sandstone nests, provides a model system for addre...

Nonradial oscillation modes of compact stars with a crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores, Cesar Vásquez; Hall, Zack B.; Jaikumar, Prashanth

2017-12-01

Oscillation modes of isolated compact stars can, in principle, be a fingerprint of the equation of state (EoS) of dense matter. We study the non-radial high-frequency l =2 spheroidal modes of neutron stars and strange quark stars, adopting a two-component model (core and crust) for these two types of stars. Using perturbed fluid equations in the relativistic Cowling approximation, we explore the effect of a strangelet or hadronic crust on the oscillation modes of strange stars. The results differ from the case of neutron stars with a crust. In comparison to fluid-only configurations, we find that a solid crust on top of a neutron star increases the p -mode frequency slightly with little effect on the f -mode frequency, whereas for strange stars, a strangelet crust on top of a quark core significantly increases the f -mode frequency with little effect on the p -mode frequency.

The Contribution of Recycled Crust to Mantle Inventories of Trace elements, Hydrogen, and Carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirschmann, M. M.

2008-12-01

It is clear that crustal recycling has had a profound impact on the non-volatile trace element budget of the mantle, but its impact on mantle carbon and hydrogen are less well-understood. If an active crust recycling mechanism such as plate tectonics has operated since early in Earth history, and if magmatic production has diminished through time according to the decay in heat production, then the mass of recycled crust may dominate the mantle inventory of many trace elements. For example, Earth evolution models suggest time- integrated crust production equal to 7-15% of the mantle, and this accounts for ~25 to >100% of the mantle inventory of LREE and HFSE elements, depending on the mean concentration of these elements in the average crust produced. A key question is the role of recycling in the budgets of H and C. Consideration of the near-surface reservoirs and fluxes of C and H indicates that these principal volatiles have residence times of billions of years, and so they may be grouped with continental crust as a single long-lived near-surface geochemical reservoir (NSGR) that results from extraction from the mantle by melting combined with selective return to the mantle by subduction. The primitive mantle-normalized mass concentrations of H and C and the NSGR are equal to 90-200 and 1.5-18, respectively, with the primitive mantle inventories of H and C as the chief uncertainty. When the NSGR is plotted on a compatibility diagram, H and C form extreme positive and negative anomalies relative to their mineral/melt partition coefficients, meaning that there is much more H and much less C in the NSGR than would be predicted based solely on their magmatic flux from the mantle. The most straightforward interpretation is that H subduction is highly inefficient, but that recycled C amounts to at least half and possibly dominates the mantle C budget. This interpretation is supported by H/C mass ratios of the mantle sources inferred from undegassed oceanic basalts (H

A model for attenuation and scattering in the Earth's crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toksöz, M. Nafi; Dainty, Anton M.; Reiter, Edmund; Wu, Ru-Shan

1988-03-01

The mechanisms contributing to the attenuation of earthquake ground motion in the distance range of 10 to 200 km are studied with the aid of laboratory data, coda waves Rg attenuation, strong motion attenuation measurements in the northeast United States and Canada, and theoretical models. The frequency range 1 10 Hz has been studied. The relative contributions to attenuation of anelasticity of crustal rocks (constant Q), fluid flow and scattering are evaluated. Scattering is found to be strong with an albedo B 0=0.8 0.9 and a scattering extinction length of 17 32 km. The albedo is defined as the ratio of the total extinction length to the scattering extinction length. The Rg results indicate that Q increases with depth in the upper kilometer or two of the crust, at least in New England. Coda Q appears to be equivalent to intrinsic (anelastic) Q and indicates that this Q increases with frequency as Q=Q o f n , where n is in the range of 0.2 0.9. The intrinsic attenuation in the crust can be explained by a high constant Q (500≤ Q o≤2000) and a frequency dependent mechanism most likely due to fluid effects in rocks and cracks. A fluid-flow attenuation model gives a frequency dependence ( Q≃ Q o f 0.5) similar to those determined from the analysis of coda waves of regional seismograms. Q is low near the surface and high in the body of the crust.

Discordant K-Ar and Young Exposure Dates for the Windjana Sandstone, Kimberley, Gale Crater, Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vasconcelos, P. M.; Farley, K. A.; Malespin, C. A.; Mahaffy, P.; Ming, D.; McLennan, S. M.; Hurowitz, J. A.; Rice, Melissa S.

2016-01-01

K-Ar and noble gas surface exposure age measurements were carried out on the Windjana sandstone, Kimberley region, Gale Crater, Mars, by using the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument on the Curiosity rover. The sandstone is unusually rich in sanidine, as determined by CheMin X-ray diffraction, contributing to the high K2O concentration of 3.09 +/- 0.20 wt % measured by Alpha-Particle X-ray Spectrometer analysis. A sandstone aliquot heated to approximately 915 C yielded a K-Ar age of 627 +/- 50 Ma. Reheating this aliquot yielded no additional Ar. A second aliquot heated in the same way yielded a much higher K-Ar age of 1710 +/- 110 Ma. These data suggest incomplete Ar extraction from a rock with a K-Ar age older than 1710 Ma. Incomplete extraction at approximately 900 C is not surprising for a rock with a large fraction of K carried by Ar-retentive K-feldspar. Likely, variability in the exact temperature achieved by the sample from run to run, uncertainties in sample mass estimation, and possible mineral fractionation during transport and storage prior to analysis may contribute to these discrepant data. Cosmic ray exposure ages from He-3 and Ne-21 in the two aliquots are minimum values given the possibility of incomplete extraction. However, the general similarity between the He-3 (57 +/- 49 and 18 +/- 32 Ma, mean 30 Ma) and Ne-21 (2 +/- 32 and 83 +/- 24 Ma, mean 54 Ma) exposure ages provides no evidence for underextraction. The implied erosion rate at the Kimberley location is similar to that reported at the nearby Yellowknife Bay outcrop.

The velocity structure of the lunar crust.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kovach, R. L.; Watkins, J. S.

1973-01-01

Seismic refraction data, obtained at the Apollo 14 and 16 sites, when combined with other lunar seismic data, allow a compressional wave velocity profile of the lunar near-surface and crust to be derived. The regolith, although variable in thickness over the lunar surface, possesses surprisingly similar seismic properties. Underlying the regolith at both the Apollo 14 Fra Mauro site and the Apollo 16 Descartes site is low-velocity brecciated material or impact derived debris. Key features of the lunar seismic velocity profile are: (1) velocity increases from 100 to 300 m/sec in the upper 100 m to about 4 km/sec at 5 km depth, (2) a more gradual increase from about 4 km/sec to about 6 km/sec at 25 km depth,(3) a discontinuity at a depth of 25 km, and (4) a constant value of about 7 km/sec at depths from 25 km to about 60 km.

Effect of biocrust: study of mechanical and hydraulic properties and erodibility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slavík, Martin; Bruthans, Jiří; Schweigstillová, Jana

2016-04-01

It is well-known that lichens and other organisms forming crust on soil or rock surface play important role in weathering but may also protect underlying material from fast erosion. So far, there have been only few measurements comparing mechanical or hydraulic properties of biocrust with its subsurface on locked sand and friable sandstones, so the overall effect of the biocrust is not well-understood. Objective of our study is to quantify the effect of the biocrust on mechanical and hydraulic properties of friable sandstone and locked sand of Cretaceous age in six different localities with varying aspect and inclination and age of exposure in sandpit Strelec (Czech Rep.). On the artificial exposures, biocrust developed within last 10-30 years. Beside measurements of mechanical and hydraulic properties, SEM and mercury intrusion porosimetry in crust and subsurface was performed. Drilling resistance technique was found an excellent method to distinguish the biocrust from its subsurface (~3 mm thick biocrust has up to 12 times higher drilling resistance than underlying material). Surface zone with the biocrust has 3 - 25 times higher tensile strength than the subsurface material (1 - 25 kPa). In comparison with the subsurface, the biocrust is considerably less erodible (based on water jet testing). Biocrust saturated hydraulic conductivity is 15 - 240 times lower than the subsurface (6*10 -5 - 1*10 -4 m/s) and its permeability for water vapor is 4 - 9 times lower than subsurface. Presence of the biocrust slows down capillary absorption of water 4 - 25 times. The biocrust is thus forming firm surface which protects underlying material from rain and flowing water erosion and which considerably modifies its hydraulic properties. Material with crust exposed to calcination, leaching by concentrated peroxide and experiments with zymoliase enzyme strongly indicate that major contribution to crust hardening is provided by organic matter. Based on DNA sequencing the crust is

The crust structure of the Morasko meteorite - a preliminary hypothesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stankowski, Wojciech T. J.

2017-03-01

A small piece of the Morasko meteorite, weighing 970 g, yields traces of its journey through the Earth's atmosphere and of its impact into a mineral substrate, such as reflected in the meteorite's crust. This is seen in the crust structure in the form of sintered as well as fusion and semi-fusion layers for which ablative niches are optimum sites. Subsequent weathering processes have resulted in significant mineralogical changes in the crusts. The meteorite crusts originated during polygenetic processes.

Coastal dune facies, Permian Cutler Formation (White Rim Sandstone), Capitol Reef National Park area, southern Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamola, Diane L.; Chan, Marjorie A.

1988-04-01

The Permian Cutler Formation (White Rim Sandstone) in the Capitol Reef National Park area in southern Utah is an excellent example of a coastal dune complex subjected to periodic flooding by marine waters. Wind-ripple, grainfall and grainflow laminae compose the cross-sets deposited by eolian dunes. However, wave-reworked structures such as oscillation ripples, the occurrence of the characteristically marine trace fossils Thalassinoides and Chondrites, and interfingering marine carbonate beds of the Kaibab Formation collectively indicate marine interaction with the eolian environment. Four facies are distinguished: cross-stratified sandstone, burrowed to bioturbated sandstone, brecciated and deformed sandstone, and ripple-laminated sandstone and thin carbonate beds. One unusual aspect of the cross-stratified sandstone facies is the abundance of coarse-grained sand. Coarse-grained sand is atypical in many ancient eolian slipface deposits, but occurs here in large slipface foresets as both grainflow and wind-ripple deposits. No water-laid structures are found in these slipface deposits. Coarse-grained sand was probably transported to the Cutler shoreline by fluvial systems draining the Uncompahgre Uplift to the east, and then concentrated as coarse-grained ripples in interdune areas. Some of these coarse-grained ripples migrated up the stoss side of the dunes and accumulations of coarse-grained sand avalanched down the crest to form grainflow deposits. An extensive amount of soft-sediment deformation is indicated by the presence of convolute bedding and brecciation. These features occur near the zone of interfingering with marine carbonate beds of the Kaibab Formation. The water-saturated and moist conditions required for extensive deformation may have been controlled by the proximity of these sandstones to the shoreline, and fluctuations in the associated groundwater table.

Structural and erosive Effects of Lightning on Sandstone: An Experimental Investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haddad, Houssam; Ebert, Matthias; Kenkmann, Thomas; Thoma, Klaus; Nau, Siegfried; Schäfer, Frank

2016-04-01

Recent prognoses predict an average temperature increase of the world's climate of about 1.5 to 2 °C until the end of 21st century. This change leads not only to a rise of the sea level but also to an increase of thunderstorms and therefore to a ~25 percent increase of cloud-to-ground lightning events (Romps et al., 2014). It is known that (i) lightning strikes are able to fragment surface rocks, which probably influences the erosion rates at exposed mountain areas (Knight and Grab, 2014), and (ii) the efficiency of the process increases due to the predicted climate change. However, our knowledge about the electro-mechanical destruction of rocks caused by high energetic lightning is incomplete. In this study, laboratory experiments of lightning strikes were performed in order to understand the fragmentation of rocks and changes to landforms by lightning. The artificial lightning with known electric current was simulated by a high-current generator in the laboratories of the Fraunhofer Ernst-Mach Institute for High-Speed Dynamics (Freiburg, Germany). Different currents were transferred over a distance of ~2mm onto water-saturated sandstones by using a copper cathode (3 experiments; U, I, E, Δt: 6 kV, 200 kA, 0.1 MJ, 0.7 ms; 9 kV, 300 kA, 0.19 MJ, 0.9 ms; 12 kV, 400 kA, 0.35 MJ, 0.5 ms). The damaged sandstones were investigated by means of optical and electron-optical methods as well as by X-ray computed tomography to determine the modes and dimensions of melting and fragmentation. Digital elevation models of craters formed by ejection were obtained by white-light interferometry. The lightning experiments produced small craters (~1 cm in diameter, ~0.5 cm depth) which surfaces and sub-surfaces consist of silicate melts (molten quartz and phyllosilicates). The silicate melts reach several hundred micrometers into the sub-surface and resemble the appearance of natural fulgurites. Melting of quartz indicate temperatures of at least 1650 °C. In addition, the

The Schistes à Blocs Fm: the ultimate member of the Annot Sandstones in the Southern Alps (France); slope gullies or canyon system?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubino, Jean-Loup; Mercier, Louison; Daghdevirenian, Laurent; Migeon, Sébastien; Bousquet, Romain; Broucke, Olivier; Raisson, Francois; Joseph, Philippe; Deschamp, Remi; Imbert, Patrice

2017-04-01

Described since a long time, the Schistes à Blocs Fm is the ultimate member of the famous tertiary Grès d'Annot Sandstones in southern alpine foredeep basin in SE France. It mainly consists of shales, silty shales, debris flows, olistoliths and a subordinate amount of sandstones. Since their introduction, and because of their location down to major thrust sheet, they have been considered as a tectono-sedimentary unit linked to the nappe's emplacement and refer as an olistostrome, (Kerckove 1964-1969). However they are separated from the underlying Annot Sandstones by a major erosional surface which deeply cuts, up to 500m, into the sandy turbidites; this surface definitively predates the infill and the nappe emplacement. This is supported by the fact that imbricates affect the upper part of the Schistes and also because of the age; the Schistes à Blocs being Upper Eocene to Lower Oligocene whilst the nappe is latest Oligocene to Lower Miocene. A detailed analysis of the erosional surface in la Bonette area reveals a complex geometry which shows obvious similarities with these observed either on submarine canyons or in slope dissected by gullies as shown by numerous seabeams or 3D seismic images. The infill is quite complex, no basal lag have been observed, however bioturbations suggest occurrence of by pass. Most commonly the lower part of the infill is made of muddy or silty sediments. In some areas, decametric to pluri hectometric olistoliths are interbedded within these deposits. Debris flows are also common with a muddy matrix and finally isolated turbidite channels including the same material than in the Annot Sandstones occur. The reworked material into the debris flows and in the olistoliths suggests that it doesn't only derived from canyon flanks (sandstones) but includes elements belonging to older tethyan series such as Triassic and Liassic carbonates which must be exposed on the sea floor on local highs in the more internal part of the Alps but much

Bioremediation of weathered-building stone surfaces.

PubMed

Webster, Alison; May, Eric

2006-06-01

Atmospheric pollution and weathering of stone surfaces in urban historic buildings frequently results in disfigurement or damage by salt crust formation (often gypsum), presenting opportunities for bioremediation using microorganisms. Conventional techniques for the removal of these salt crusts from stone have several disadvantages: they can cause colour changes; adversely affect the movement of salts within the stone structure; or remove excessive amounts of the original surface. Although microorganisms are commonly associated with detrimental effects to the integrity of stone structures, there is growing evidence that they can be used to treat this type of stone deterioration in objects of historical and cultural significance. In particular, the ability and potential of different microorganisms to either remove sulfate crusts or form sacrificial layers of calcite that consolidate mineral surfaces have been demonstrated. Current research suggests that bioremediation has the potential to offer an additional technology to conservators working to restore stone surfaces in heritage buildings.

Correlates of biological soil crust abundance across a continuum of spatial scales: Support for a hierarchical conceptual model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bowker, M.A.; Belnap, J.; Davidson, D.W.; Goldstein, H.

2006-01-01

1. Desertification negatively impacts a large proportion of the global human population and > 30% of the terrestrial land surface. Better methods are needed to detect areas that are at risk of desertification and to ameliorate desertified areas. Biological soil crusts are an important soil lichen-moss-microbial community that can be used toward these goals, as (i) bioindicators of desertification damage and (ii) promoters of soil stability and fertility. 2. We identified environmental factors that correlate with soil crust occurrence on the landscape and might be manipulated to assist recovery of soil crusts in degraded areas. We conducted three studies on the Colorado Plateau, USA, to investigate the hypotheses that soil fertility [particularly phosphorus (P), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn)] and/or moisture limit soil crust lichens and mosses at four spatial scales. 3. In support of the soil fertility hypothesis, we found that lichen-moss crusts were positively correlated with several nutrients [Mn, Zn, potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg) were most consistent] at three of four spatial scales ranging from 3.5 cm2 in area to c. 800 km2. In contrast, P was negatively correlated with lichen-moss crusts at three scales. 4. Community composition varied with micro-aspect on ridges in the soil crust. Three micro-aspects [north-north-west (NNW), east-north-east (ENE) and TOP] supported greater lichen and moss cover than the warmer, windward and more xeric micro-aspects [west-south-west (WSW) and south-south-east (SSE)]. This pattern was poorly related to soil fertility; rather, it was consistent with the moisture limitation hypothesis. 5. Synthesis and application. Use of crusts as desertification bioindicators requires knowledge of a site's potential for crust cover in the absence of desertification. We present a multi-scale model of crust potential as a function of site properties. Future quantitative studies can use this model to guide sampling efforts. Also, our results

Mantle flow tectonics - The influence of a ductile lower crust and implications for the formation of topographic uplands on Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bindschadler, Duane L.; Parmentier, E. Marc

1990-01-01

The crust and mantle of Venus can be represented by a model of a layered structure stratified in both density and viscosity. This structure consists of a brittle-elastic upper crustal layer; a ductile weaker crustal layer; a strong upper mantle layer, about 10 percent denser than the crust; and a weaker substrate, representing the portion of the mantle in which convective flow occurs which is a primary source of large-scale topographic and tectonic features. This paper examines the interactions between these four layers and the mantle flow driven by thermal or compositional variations. Solutions are found for a flow driven by a buoyancy-force distribution within the mantle and by relief at the surface and crust-mantle boundary. It is shown that changes in crustal thickness are driven by vertical normal stresses due to mantle flow and by shear coupling of horizontal mantle flow into the crust.

CHIC - Coupling Habitability, Interior and Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noack, Lena; Labbe, Francois; Boiveau, Thomas; Rivoldini, Attilio; Van Hoolst, Tim

2014-05-01

We present a new code developed for simulating convection in terrestrial planets and icy moons. The code CHIC is written in Fortran and employs the finite volume method and finite difference method for solving energy, mass and momentum equations in either silicate or icy mantles. The code uses either Cartesian (2D and 3D box) or spherical coordinates (2D cylinder or annulus). It furthermore contains a 1D parametrised model to obtain temperature profiles in specific regions, for example in the iron core or in the silicate mantle (solving only the energy equation). The 2D/3D convection model uses the same input parameters as the 1D model, which allows for comparison of the different models and adaptation of the 1D model, if needed. The code has already been benchmarked for the following aspects: - viscosity-dependent rheology (Blankenbach et al., 1989) - pseudo-plastic deformation (Tosi et al., in preparation phase) - subduction mechanism and plastic deformation (Quinquis et al., in preparation phase) New features that are currently developed and benchmarked include: - compressibility (following King et al., 2009 and Leng and Zhong, 2008) - different melt modules (Plesa et al., in preparation phase) - freezing of an inner core (comparison with GAIA code, Huettig and Stemmer, 2008) - build-up of oceanic and continental crust (Noack et al., in preparation phase) The code represents a useful tool to couple the interior with the surface of a planet (e.g. via build-up and erosion of crust) and it's atmosphere (via outgassing on the one hand and subduction of hydrated crust and carbonates back into the mantle). It will be applied to investigate several factors that might influence the habitability of a terrestrial planet, and will also be used to simulate icy bodies with high-pressure ice phases. References: Blankenbach et al. (1989). A benchmark comparison for mantle convection codes. GJI 98, 23-38. Huettig and Stemmer (2008). Finite volume discretization for dynamic

Effects of pore pressure and mud filtration on drilling rates in a permeable sandstone

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Black, A.D.; DiBona, B.; Sandstrom, J.

1983-10-01

During laboratory drilling tests in a permeable sandstone, the effects of pore pressure and mud filtration on penetration rates were measured. Four water-base muds were used to drill four saturated sandstone samples. The drilling tests were conducted at constant borehole pressure with different back pressures maintained on the filtrate flowing from the bottom of the sandstone samples. Bit weight was also varied. Filtration rates were measured while drilling and with the bit off bottom and mud circulating. Penetration rates were found to be related to the difference between the filtration rates measured while drilling and circulating. There was no observedmore » correlation between standard API filtration measurements and penetration rate.« less

Effects of pore pressure and mud filtration on drilling rates in a permeable sandstone

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Black, A.D.; Dearing, H.L.; DiBona, B.G.

1985-09-01

During laboratory drilling tests in a permeable sandstone, the effects of pore pressure and mud filtration on penetration rates were measured. Four water-based muds were used to drill four saturated sandstone samples. The drilling tests were conducted at constant borehole pressure while different backpressures were maintained on the filtrate flowing from the bottom of the sandstone samples. Bit weight was varied also. Filtration rates were measured while circulating mud during drilling and with the bit off bottom. Penetration rates were found to be related qualitatively to the difference between the filtration rates measured while drilling and circulating. There was nomore » observed correlation between standard API filtration measurements and penetration rate.« less

Carbon exchange in biological soil crust communities under differential temperatures and soil water contents: implications for global change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grote, Edmund E.; Belnap, Jayne; Housman, David C.; Sparks, Jed P.

2010-01-01

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are an integral part of the soil system in arid regions worldwide, stabilizing soil surfaces, aiding vascular plant establishment, and are significant sources of ecosystem nitrogen and carbon. Hydration and temperature primarily control ecosystem CO2 flux in these systems. Using constructed mesocosms for incubations under controlled laboratory conditions, we examined the effect of temperature (5-35 1C) and water content (WC, 20-100%) on CO2 exchange in light cyanobacterially dominated) and dark cyanobacteria/lichen and moss dominated) biocrusts of the cool Colorado Plateau Desert in Utah and the hot Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico. In light crusts from both Utah and New Mexico, net photosynthesis was highest at temperatures 430 1C. Net photosynthesis in light crusts from Utah was relatively insensitive to changes in soil moisture. In contrast, light crusts from New Mexico tended to exhibit higher rates of net photosynthesis at higher soil moisture. Dark crusts originating from both sites exhibited the greatest net photosynthesis at intermediate soil water content (40-60%). Declines in net photosynthesis were observed in dark crusts with crusts from Utah showing declines at temperatures 425 1C and those originating from New Mexico showing declines at temperatures 435 1C. Maximum net photosynthesis in all crust types from all locations were strongly influenced by offsets in the optimal temperature and water content for gross photosynthesis compared with dark respiration. Gross photosynthesis tended to be maximized at some intermediate value of temperature and water content and dark respiration tended to increase linearly. The results of this study suggest biocrusts are capable of CO2 exchange under a wide range of conditions. However, significant changes in the magnitude of this exchange should be expected for the temperature and precipitation changes suggested by current climate models.

The influence of badland surfaces and erosion processes on vegetation cover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardenbicker, Ulrike; Matheis, Sarah

2014-05-01

To assess the links between badland geomorphology and vegetation cover, we used detailed mapping in the Avonlea badlands, 60 km southwest of Regina, Saskatchewan Canada. Three badlands surfaces are typical in the study area: a basal pediment surface, a mid-slope of bentonitic mudstone with typical popcorn surface, and an upper slope with mud-cemented sandstone. Badland development was triggered by rapid post Pleistocene incision of a meltwater channel in Upper Cretaceous marine and lagoonal sediments. After surveying and mapping of a test area, sediment samples were taken to analyze geophysical parameters. A detailed geomorphic map and vegetation map (1:1000) were compared and analyzed in order to determine the geomorphic environment for plant colonization. The shrink-swell capacity of the bentonitic bedrock, slaking potential and dispersivity are controlled by soil texture, clay mineralogy and chemistry, strongly influencing the timing and location of runoff and the relative significance of surface and subsurface erosional processes. The absence of shrink-swell cracking of the alluvial surfaces of the pediments indicates a low infiltration capacity and sheetflow. The compact lithology of the sandstone is responsible for its low permeability and high runoff coefficient. Slope drainage of steep sandstone slopes is routed through a deep corrasional pipe network. Silver sagebrush (Artemisia cana) is the only species growing on the popcorn surface of the mudrock, which is in large parts vegetation free. The basal pediment shows a distinct 2 m band surrounding the mudrock outcrop without vegetation as a result of high sedimentation rate due to slope wash. Otherwise the typical pioneer vegetation of this basal pediment are grasses. In the transition zone below the steep sandstone cliffs and above the gentle bentonitic mudrock surfaces patches of short-grass vegetation are found, marking slumped blocks with intact vegetation and soil cover. These patches are surrounded by

Electromagnetic studies in the Fennoscandian Shield—electrical conductivity of Precambrian crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korja, T.; Hjelt, S.-E.

1993-12-01

Electromagnetic (EM) investigations of the 1980s in the Fennoscandian (Baltic) Shield produced an unique and unified EM data set. Studies include regional investigations by the magnetovariational (MV) method with large lateral sampling distance, investigations of anomalous conductivity structures by magnetotelluric (MT) soundings and other (EM) and electrical methods (audio MT soundings, d.c. dipole-dipole and VLF resistivity profilings) with shorter sampling distance, and studies of the near-surface conductivity by airborne EM surveys. The variety of methods provide an ability to map efficiently crustal conductivity structures from a regional scale of hundreds of kilometres down to local details of some metres in the anomalous structures. The Precambrian of the Fennoscandian Shield is characterized by roughly NW-SE-directed elongated belts of conductors which separate more resistive crustal blocks. The latter serve as transparent windows through which to probe deep electrical structure and belts of conductors as tectonic markers of ancient orogenic zones including (1) the Kittilä-Vetrenny Poyas conductor, (2) the Lapland Granulite Belt and Inari-Pechenga-Imandra-Varzuga conductors, (3) the Archaean-Proterozoic boundary conductor and (4) the Southern Finland Conductor. The conductive belts—orogenic conductors—indicate places where crustal masses collided and were finally sealed together. Enhanced conductivity in the orogenic conductors is caused primarily by an electronic conducting mechanism in graphite- and sulphide-bearing metasedimentary rocks. Estimations of the lower-crustal conductivity indicate a laterally heterogeneous lower crust in the Fennoscandian Shield. Archaean lower crust seems to be in general more resistive than the Early Proterozoic lower crust of the Karelian and Svecofennian Domains. The lower crust in the southwestern part of the Svecofennian Domain and in the Sveconorwegian Domain seems to be more resistive than in the central part of

A Low Viscosity Lunar Magma Ocean Forms a Stratified Anorthitic Flotation Crust With Mafic Poor and Rich Units

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dygert, Nick; Lin, Jung-Fu; Marshall, Edward W.; Kono, Yoshio; Gardner, James E.

2017-11-01

Much of the lunar crust is monomineralic, comprising >98% plagioclase. The prevailing model argues the crust accumulated as plagioclase floated to the surface of a solidifying lunar magma ocean (LMO). Whether >98% pure anorthosites can form in a flotation scenario is debated. An important determinant of the efficiency of plagioclase fractionation is the viscosity of the LMO liquid, which was unconstrained. Here we present results from new experiments conducted on a late LMO-relevant ferrobasaltic melt. The liquid has an exceptionally low viscosity of 0.22-0.19+0.11 to 1.45-0.82+0.46 Pa s at experimental conditions (1,300-1,600°C; 0.1-4.4 GPa) and can be modeled by an Arrhenius relation. Extrapolating to LMO-relevant temperatures, our analysis suggests a low viscosity LMO would form a stratified flotation crust, with the oldest units containing a mafic component and with very pure younger units. Old, impure crust may have been buried by lower crustal diapirs of pure anorthosite in a serial magmatism scenario.

Temporal variation in community composition, pigmentation, and Fv/Fm of desert cyanobacterial soil crusts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bowker, M.A.; Reed, S.C.; Belnap, J.; Phillips, S.L.

2002-01-01

Summers on the Colorado Plateau (USA) are typified by harsh conditions such as high temperatures, brief soil hydration periods, and high UV and visible radiation. We investigated whether community composition, physiological status, and pigmentation might vary in biological soil crusts as a result of such conditions. Representative surface cores were sampled at the ENE, WSW, and top microaspects of 20 individual soil crust pedicels at a single site in Canyonlands National Park, Utah, in spring and fall of 1999. Frequency of cyanobacterial taxa, pigment concentrations, and dark adapted quantum yield (Fv/Fm) were measured for each core. The frequency of major cyanobacterial taxa was lower in the fall compared to spring. The less-pigmented cyanobacterium Microcoleus vaginatus showed significant mortality when not in the presence of Nostoc spp. and Scytonema myochrous (Dillw.) Agardh. (both synthesizers of UV radiation-linked pigments) but had little or no mortality when these species were abundant. We hypothesize that the sunscreen pigments produced by Nostoc and Scytonema in the surface of crusts protect other, less-pigmented taxa. When fall and spring samples were compared, overall cyanobacterial frequency was lower in fall, while sunscreen pigment concentrations, chlorophyll a concentration, and Fv/Fm were higher in fall. The ratio of cyanobacterial frequency/chlorophyll a concentrations was 2-3 times lower in fall than spring. Because chlorophyll a is commonly used as a surrogate measure of soil cyanobacterial biomass, these results indicate that seasonality needs to be taken into consideration. In the fall sample, most pigments associated with UV radiation protection or repair were at their highest concentrations on pedicel tops and WSW microaspects, and at their lowest concentrations on ENE microaspects. We suggest that differential pigment concentrations between microaspects are induced by varying UV radiation dosage at the soil surface on these different

Mid-to-Lower-level Plutonic Rocks From Crust of the Southern Mariana Forearc: Implications for Growth of Continental Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fryer, P.; Reagan, M.

2006-12-01

Tonalitic plutonic rocks dredged from the southern Mariana forearc are similar in terms of major element composition to tonalitic plutonic rocks of the Tanzawa Mountains on the Izu Peninsula of Japan. The tonalites of the Tanzawa Mountains have been interpreted to represent mid-lower crustal plutonic rocks that make up the 6.0 to 6.3 km/s layer identified in seismic velocity profiles of the Izu arc at 32°N. The tonalities of the southern Mariana forearc may be analogous to the Tanzawa tonalities in terms of lithology and presumably seismic velocities, but have distinctive trace element and isotopic compositions. The exposure of these rocks on the southern Mariana forearc in a location where it is narrower by up to 80 km than elsewhere along its strike indicates a truncation of the arc lithosphere by tectonic erosion in the southern Mariana forearc. If tectonic processes in the forearc have exposed silicic plutonic rock of the arc lithosphere within 150 km of the volcanic front, then the structure of the Mariana arc and forearc is likely similar to that of the Izu arc, where seismic velocity structure suggests 25% of the arc/forearc lithosphere is comprised of a mid-crustal level tonalitic plutonic complex. The trace element and Sr isotopic compositions of the tonalities dredged from the Mariana forearc links them to a suprasubduction-zone environment. The Pb isotopic compositions, however, are consistent with crystallization ages that may be as old as Cretaceous. The compositions of these tonalites differ markedly from those of silicic volcanic rocks that have erupted throughout the history of the IBM arc and suggest that they represent a minor component of the arc. Nevertheless, the presence of Cretaceous tonalites in the Mariana forearc suggests that a portion of its crust may predate subduction initiation. The presence of silicic mid-to-lower crustal level plutonics beneath the Mariana arc as well as Eocene rhyolites on Saipan indicate that average major

Permeability structure of a highly heterogeneous transgressive-marine complex: Tocito Sandstone, New Mexico

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lambert, M.L.; Cole, R.D.

1996-01-01

The Tocito Sandstone Member of the Mancos Shale is an Upper Cretaceous shallow-marine sandstone and mudrock complex deposited along the western margin of the Western Interior seaway. The Tocito is a major hydrocarbon producer in the San Juan Basin (approximately 117 million barrels of oil and 79 billion cubic feet of gas). Because of reservoir heterogeneity, ultimate Tocito oil recovery factors are low, generally between 10 and 20 percent. To enhance understanding of permeability heterogeneity in the Tocito, we have undertaken a detailed surface and subsurface investigation. A total of 2,697 permeability measurements have been made using minipermeameters. Permeability variationmore » within the Tocito is controlled by two principal factors: lithofacies and burial/diagenetic history. Coarser grained and better sorted lithofacies have the highest permeability. The permeability values from outcrop and shallow subsurface cores are dramatically higher than those from deep subsurface cores. This is due to dissolution of grains and calcite cement, and decompaction that preferentially affected the outcrop and shallow subsurface. Correlation lengths for permeability values along horizontal transacts are typically less than 3 m, whereas those for vertical transacts are usually less than 0.6 m. These data suggest that small grid block sizes should be used during reservoir simulations if the investigator wishes to accurately capture the reservoir heterogeneity.« less

Permeability structure of a highly heterogeneous transgressive-marine complex: Tocito Sandstone, New Mexico

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lambert, M.L.; Cole, R.D.

1996-12-31

The Tocito Sandstone Member of the Mancos Shale is an Upper Cretaceous shallow-marine sandstone and mudrock complex deposited along the western margin of the Western Interior seaway. The Tocito is a major hydrocarbon producer in the San Juan Basin (approximately 117 million barrels of oil and 79 billion cubic feet of gas). Because of reservoir heterogeneity, ultimate Tocito oil recovery factors are low, generally between 10 and 20 percent. To enhance understanding of permeability heterogeneity in the Tocito, we have undertaken a detailed surface and subsurface investigation. A total of 2,697 permeability measurements have been made using minipermeameters. Permeability variationmore » within the Tocito is controlled by two principal factors: lithofacies and burial/diagenetic history. Coarser grained and better sorted lithofacies have the highest permeability. The permeability values from outcrop and shallow subsurface cores are dramatically higher than those from deep subsurface cores. This is due to dissolution of grains and calcite cement, and decompaction that preferentially affected the outcrop and shallow subsurface. Correlation lengths for permeability values along horizontal transacts are typically less than 3 m, whereas those for vertical transacts are usually less than 0.6 m. These data suggest that small grid block sizes should be used during reservoir simulations if the investigator wishes to accurately capture the reservoir heterogeneity.« less

Petrophysics of Lower Silurian sandstones and integration with the tectonic-stratigraphic framework, Appalachian basin, United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Castle, J.W.; Byrnes, A.P.

2005-01-01

Petrophysical properties were determined for six facies in Lower Silurian sandstones of the Appalachian basin: fluvial, estuarine, upper shoreface, lower shoreface, tidal channel, and tidal flat. Fluvial sandstones have the highest permeability for a given porosity and exhibit a wide range of porosity (2-18%) and permeability (0.002-450 md). With a transition-zone thickness of only 1-6 m (3-20 ft), fluvial sandstones with permeability greater than 5 md have irreducible water saturation (Siw) less than 20%, typical of many gas reservoirs. Upper shoreface sandstones exhibit good reservoir properties with high porosity (10-21%), high permeability (3-250 md), and low S iw (<20%). Lower shoreface sandstones, which are finer grained, have lower porosity (4-12%), lower permeability (0.0007-4 md), thicker transition zones (6-180 m [20-600 ft]), and higher S iw. In the tidal-channel, tidal-flat, and estuarine facies, low porosity (average < 6%), low permeability (average < 0.02 md), and small pore throats result in large transition zones (30-200 m; 100-650 ft) and high water saturations. The most favorable reservoir petrophysical properties and the best estimated production from the Lower Silurian sandstones are associated with fluvial and upper shoreface facies of incised-valley fills, which we interpret to have formed predominantly in areas of structural recesses that evolved from promontories along a collisional margin during the Taconic orogeny. Although the total thickness of the sandstone may not be as great in these areas, reservoir quality is better than in adjacent structural salients, which is attributed to higher energy depositional processes and shallower maximum burial depth in the recesses than in the salients. Copyright ??2005. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists. All rights reserved.

A two scale analysis of tight sandstones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adler, P. M.; Davy, C. A.; Song, Y.; Troadec, D.; Hauss, G.; Skoczylas, F.

2015-12-01

Tight sandstones have a low porosity and a very small permeability K. Available models for K do not compare well with measurements. These sandstones are made of SiO_2 grains, with a typical size of several hundreds of micron. These grains are separated by a network of micro-cracks, with sizes ranging between microns down to tens of nm. Therefore, the structure can be schematized by Voronoi polyhedra separated by plane and permeable polygonal micro-cracks. Our goal is to estimate K based on a two scale analysis and to compare the results to measurements. For a particular sample [2], local measurements on several scales include FIB/SEM [3], CMT and 2D SEM. FIB/SEM is selected because the peak pore size given by Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry is of 350nm. FIB/SEM imaging (with 50 nm voxel size) identifies an individual crack of 180nm average opening, whereas CMT provides a connected porosity (individual crack) for 60 nm voxel size, of 4 micron average opening. Numerical modelling is performed by combining the micro-crack network scale (given by 2D SEM) and the 3D micro-crack scale (given by either FIB/SEM or CMT). Estimates of the micro-crack density are derived from 2D SEM trace maps by counting the intersections with scanlines, the surface density of traces, and the number of fracture intersections. K is deduced by using a semi empirical formula valid for identical, isotropic and uniformly distributed fractures [1]. This value is proportional to the micro-crack transmissivity sigma. Sigma is determined by solving the Stokes equation in the micro-cracks measured by FIB/SEM or CMT. K is obtained by combining the two previous results. Good correlation with measured values on centimetric plugs is found when using sigma from CMT data. The results are discussed and further research is proposed. [1] Adler et al, Fractured porous media, Oxford Univ. Press, 2012. [2] Duan et al, Int. J. Rock Mech. Mining Sci., 65, p75, 2014. [3] Song et al, Marine and Petroleum Eng., 65, p63

Microbial exopolysaccharides as determinants of geomorphological, hydrological and optical properties of soil crusts from the Precambrian till today

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Pichel, F.

2012-04-01

The presence of microbial extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) in the soil solution and/or in association with particular microbial types can impart novel properties to biological soil crust (BSC), and hence to soil surfaces. For the most part these properties are of a geobiological relevance that exceeds what one could surmise from its relatively low specific mass content. I will review some examples that range from the mundane to the unexpected. EPS associated with filamentous cyanobacteria can effectively and in the long term stabilize the soil surface against erosive forces, even after the microbes are long gone. Electrostatic interactions between EPS and blowing dust may help retain dust particles, enriching the soil with new nutrient sources. In a telltale sign of BSC presence, EPS is the agent that allows sandy soils to fold and curl-up, to form pee-tee's and elephant-skin surfaces, and to crack into polygons like clays would. EPS in large quantities in flat crusts can retain fluids (both liquid and gaseous) resulting in the alteration of hydrological flow and in the formation of internal vesicular horizons, gas bubbles, pock-marked surfaces and other characteristic structures. Yet, in some settings, EPS plays an architectural role in creating a "spongy" texture that increases hydraulic conductivity. This architectural role can indirectly result in significant increases of a crust's albedo. While the diversity of consequences of EPS presence is far from understood, evidence for its sustained role through Earth's history can be found in the form of sedimentary bio-signatures as far back as the Proterozoic.

Under the sea: microbial life in volcanic oceanic crust.

PubMed

Edwards, Katrina J; Wheat, C Geoffrey; Sylvan, Jason B

2011-09-06

Exploration of the microbiology in igneous, 'hard rock' oceanic crust represents a major scientific frontier. The igneous crust harbours the largest aquifer system on Earth, most of which is hydrologically active, resulting in a substantial exchange of fluids, chemicals and microorganisms between oceanic basins and crustal reservoirs. Study of the deep-subsurface biosphere in the igneous crust is technically challenging. However, technologies have improved over the past decade, providing exciting new opportunities for the study of deep-seated marine life, including in situ and cross-disciplinary experimentation in microbiology, geochemistry and hydrogeology. In this Progress article, we describe the recent advances, available technology and remaining challenges in the study of the marine intraterrestrial microbial life that is harboured in igneous oceanic crust.

Cyanobacterial crust induction using two non-previously tested cyanobacterial inoculants: crusting capability and role of EPSs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mugnai, Gianmarco; Rossi, Federico; De Philippis, Roberto

2017-04-01

The use of cyanobacteria as soil improvers and bio-conditioners (a technique often referred to as algalization) has been studied for decades. Several studies proved that cyanobacteria are feasible eco-friendly candidates to trigger soil fertilization and enrichment from agricultural to arid and hyper-arid systems. This approach can be successful to achieve stabilization and rehabilitation of degraded environments. Much of the effectiveness of algalization is due to the productivity and the characteristics of extracellular polysaccharides (EPSs) which, among their features, embed soil particles and promote the development of a first stable organo-mineral layer (cyanobacterial crusts). In natural settings, cyanobacterial crust induction represents a first step of a succession that may lead to the formation of mature biological soil crusts (Lan et al., 2014). The aim of this research was to investigate the crusting capabilities, and the characteristics of excreted EPSs by two newly tested non-heterocystous cyanobacterial inoculants, in microcosm experiments carried out using oligothrophic sand collected from sand dunes in Negev Desert, Israel. The cyanobacteria tested were Schizothrix AMPL1601, originally isolated from biocrusts collected in Hobq Desert, Inner Mongolia (China) and Leptolyngbia ohadii, originally isolated from biocrusts collected in Negev Desert, Israel. Inoculated microcosms were maintained at 30 °C in a growth chamber under continuous illumination and minimal water availability. Under such stressing conditions, and for a three-months incubation time, the growth and the colonization of the strains in the microcosms were monitored. At the same time, EPSs production and their chemical and macromolecular characteristics were determined by applying a methodology optimized for the purpose. Notably, EPSs were analyzed in two operationally-defined fractions, one more dispersed in the crust matrix (loosely bound EPSs, LB-EPSs) and one more condensed and

Aquifer prospect and vulnerability of Upper Maastrichtian sandstones: Case of Ajali and Nsukka formations in the Northern Enugu Province, southeastern Nigeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ukpai, Stephen N.; Ezeh, Hilary N.; Igwe, James O.

2017-11-01