大别山碰撞造山带逆冲推覆构造运动学和动力学研究

Since the discovery of coesite-bearing eclogites in Dabie and Sulu region over ten years ago, the Dabie collisional orogen has been the "hot-spot" across the world. While many great progresses have been made for the last decade in the researches on the Dabie and Sulu UHP metamorphic rocks in the following fields, such as, petrology, mineralogy, isotope chronology, and geochemistry, the study of the structural geology on the Dabie orogen is still in great need. Thrust and nappe tectonics commonly developed in any collisional orogenic belt during the syncollisional process of the orogen. It is the same as the Dabic collisional orogen is concerned. The paper put much stress on the thrust and nappe tectonics in the Dabic orogenic belt, which have been seldom systematically studied before. The geometric features including the division and the spatial distribution of various thrust and nappe tectonics in the Dabie orogen have been first studied, which is followed by the detailed studies on their kinematic characteristics in different scales varying from regional tectonics to microtectonics. In the thesis, new deformation ages have been obtained by the isotopic methods of ~(40)Ar-~(39)Ar, Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr minerals-whole rock isochrons on the mylonites formed in three ductile shear zones which bounded three different major nappes in the Dabie collisional orogenic belt. And the petrological, geochemical characteristics of some metamorphic rocks as well as the geotectonics of their protoliths, which have also deformed in the ductile shear zone, are analyzed and discussed. In the paper, twelve nappes in the Dabie orogen are first divided, which are bounded by various important NWW or NW-strike faults and three NNE-strike faults. They are Shangcheng Nappe, Huoshan Nappe, Yuexi Nappe, Yingshanjian-Hengzhong Nappe, Huangzhen Nappe, Xishui-Huangmei Nappe, Zhoudang Nappe, Suhe-Huwan Nappe, Xinxian Nappe, Hong'an Nappe, Mulan Nappe and Hhuangpi-Susong Nappe. In the Dabie orogen, three types of thrust and nappe tectonics belonging to two stages have been confirmed. They are: (1) early stage ductile thrust -nappe tectonics which movement direction was top-to-the-south; (2) late stage brittle to ductile-brittle thrust-nappe tectonics which are characterized by double-vergence movement, including top-to-the-north and top-to-the-south; (3) the third type also belongs to the late stage which also characterized by double-vergence movement, including top-to-the-east and top-to-the-west, and related to the strike-slip movement. The deformation ages of both Wuhe-Shuihou ductile shear zone and Taihu-Mamiao ductile shear zone have been dated by ~(40)Ar-~(39)Ar method. ~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar plateau ages of biotite and mica from the mylonites in these two shear zones are 219.57Ma and 229.12Ma. The plateau ages record the time of ductile deformation of the ductile shear zones, which made the concerned minerals of the mylonites exhume from amphibolite facies to the middle-upper crustal conditions by the early stage ductile thrust-nappe tectonics. The mineral isochons of Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr dating on the same mylonite sample of the metamafic rocks are 156.5Ma and 124.56Ma respectively. The two isochron ages suggest that the mylonitic rock strongly deformed in the amphilbolite facies at 156Ma and then exhumed to the upper crustal green schist condition at 124Ma with the activities of the Quiliping-Changlinggang ductile shear zone which bounded to the southen edge of Xinxian Nappe. Studies of the petrological and geochemical characteristics of some meta-mafic rocks and discussion on the geotectonics of their protoliths indicate that their protoliths were developped in an island arc or back-arc basin or active continental margin in which calc-alkline basalts formed. This means that arc-accretion orogeny had evolved in the margins of North china plate and/or Yangtze plate before these two plates directly collided with each other during the evolution process of Dabie orogen. Three-stage evolution of the thrust-nappe tectonics in Dabie collisional orogen has been induced based on the above-mentioned studies and previous work of others. And a possible 3-stage exhumation model (Thrust-Positive Flower Structure Model) has also been proposed.

内蒙古东部喀喇沁地区早中生代底侵作用

Mafic granulite xenoliths have been extensively concerned over the recent years because they are critical not only to studies of composition and evolution of the deep parts of continental crust but to understanding of the crust-mantle interaction. Detailed petrology, geochemistry and isotope geochronology of the Early Mesozoic mafic-ultramafic cumulate xenoliths and mafic granulite xenoliths and their host diorites from Harqin area, eastern Inner-Mongolia have been studied here. Systematic Rb-Sr isochron, ~(40)Ar-~(39)Ar and K-Ar datings for mafic-ultramafic cumulate xenoliths give ages ranging from 237Ma to 221Ma. Geochemical research and forming temperature and pressure estimates suggest that cumulates are products of the Early Mesozoic mantle-derived magmatic underplating and they formed in the magmatic ponds at the lowermost of the continental crust and are later enclaved by the dioritic magma. Detailed study on the first-discovered mafic granulite xenoliths reveals that their modal composition, mineral chemistry and metamorphic P-T conditions are all different from those of the Precambrian granulite exposed on the earth surface of the North China craton. High-resolution zircon U-Pb dating suggests that the granulite facies metamorphism may take place in 253 ～ 236Ma. Hypersthene single mineral K-Ar dating gives an age of 229Ma, which is believed to represent a cooling age of the granulite. As the host rock of the cumulate and granulite xenoliths, diorites intruded into Archean metamorphic rocks and Permian granite. They are mainly composed of grandodiorite, tonalite and monzogranite and show metaluminous and calc-alkaline features. Whole rock and single mineral K-Ar dating yields age of 221 ～ 223Ma, suggesting a rapid uplift in the forming process of the diorites. Detailed field investigation and geochemical characteristics indicate that these diorites with different rock types are comagmatic rocks, and they have no genetic correlation with cumulate and granulite xenoliths. Geochemical model simulating demonstrates that these diorites in different lithologies are products of highly partial melting of Archean amphibolite. It is considered that the Early Mesozoic underplating induced the intrusion of diorites, and it reflects an extensional geotectonic setting. Compression wave velocity V_P have been measured on 10 representative rock samples from the Early Mesozoic granulite and mafic-ultramafic cumulate xenoliths population as an aid to interpret in-situ seismic velocity data and investigating velocity variation with depth in a mafic lower crust. The experiments have been carried out at constant confining pressures up to 1000MPa and temperatures ranging from 20 ℃ to around 1300 ℃, using the ultrasonic transmission technique. After corrections for estimated in situ crustal pressures and temperatures, elastic wave velocities range from 6.5 ～ 7.4 km s~(-1). On the basis of these experimental data, the Early-Mesozoic continental compression velocity profile has also been reestablished and compared with those of the present and of the different tectonic environments in the world. The result shows that it is similar to the velocity structure of the extensional tectonic area, providing new constraints on the Early Mesozoic continental structure and tectonic evolution of the North-China craton. Combining with some newly advancements about the regional geology, the thesis further proposes some constraints on the Mesozoic geotectonic evolution history, especially the features of deep geology of the North China craton.

华南地壳岩石弹性和变形性质的高温高压实验研究

The South continent of China lies to southeast of Eurasia block. It is an active area from the view of crust growth and continent spread and is a transition zone between continental crust and oceanic crust. The compressional wave velocities and anisotropies of typical crustal metamorphic rocks were determined at high temperature (up to 1000 ℃) and high pressure(up to 800MPa). The experimental results show that the velocities generally increase with pressure, and is unaffected by temperature up to around 550 ℃. But the velocities of all experimental samples start to drop above a temperature point. For an example, this greatly reduce the speed of wave propagation in amphibolite and serpentinite above 760 ℃ and above 550 ℃ respectively, which may be due to dehydrate of amphibole and serpentine. P-wave anisotropy coefficients of those rocks range from 2% to 10% at 800MPa and 500 ℃. The anisotropies decrease with increasing pressure at room temperature, but hardly change as function of temperature at constant 800MPa or 600MPa pressure. The average velocity of the six crustal rocks is 6.28km/s under the condition of 800MPa and 550 ℃, which is consistent with the result of deep seismic sounding data. Based on this experimental result, we deduce there may exist a lot of felsic granulites and amphibolites at the depth of 15-25km underground. With increasing temperature and pressure, the deformation behavior of the rocks undergoes from localized brittle fracture, semi-brittle deformation (cataclastic flow or semi-brittle faulting, semi-brittle flow) to homogeneous crystal-plastic flow. This transition is associated with mechanical behavior and micro-mechanism. It is very important to understanding earthquake source mechanics, the strength of the lithosphere and the style of deformation. The experiments were conducted at temperature of 600-1000 ℃, confining pressure of 500MPa, and stain rates of 10~(-4)-10~(-6) S~(-1). For fine-grained natural amphibolite, the results of experiments show that brittle faulting is major failure mode at temperature <600 ℃, but crystal-plastic deformation is dominate at temperature >800 ℃, and there is a transition with increasing temperature from sembrittle faulting to cataclastic flow and sembrittle flow at temperature of 670-750 ℃. For medium-grained natural Felsic granulite, the results of experiments show that brittle faulting is major failure mode at temperature <500 ℃, but crystal-plastic deformation is dominate at temperature >700 ℃, and there is a transition with increasing temperature from semibrittle faulting to cataclastic flow and sembrittle flow at temperature of 500-600 ℃.

火成岩储层裂缝识别、预测理论与方法研究－以济阳坳陷火成岩油藏为例

Since 1970s, igneous reservoirs such as Shang741, Bin674 and Luol51 have been found in Jiyang depression, which are enrichment and heavy-producing. Showing good prospect of exploration and development, igneous reservoirs have been the main part of increasing reserves and production in Shengli oilfield. As fracture igneous reservoir being an extraordinary complex concealed reservoir and showing heavy heterogeneity in spatial distribution, the study of recognition, prediction, formation mechanism and the law of distribution of fracture is essential to develop the reservoir. Guided by multiple discipline theory such as sedimentology, geophysics, mineralogy, petroleum geology, structural geology and reservoir engineering, a set of theories and methods of recognition and prediction of fractured igneous rock reservoir are formed in this paper. Rock data, three-dimensional seismic data, log data, borehole log data, testing data and production data are combined in these methods by the means of computer. Based on the research of igneous rock petrography and reservoir formation mechanism, emphasized on the assessment and forecast of igneous rock reservoir, aimed at establishing a nonhomogeneity quantification model of fractured igneous rock reservoir, the creativity on the fracture recognition, prediction and formation mechanism are achieved. The research result is applied to Jiyang depression, suggestion of exploration and development for fractured igneous rock reservoir is supplied and some great achievement and favourable economic effect are achieved. The main achievements are gained as follows: 1. The main facies models of igneous rock reservoir in JiYang depression are summarized. Based on data and techniques of seism, well log and logging,started from the research of single well rock facies, proceeded by seismic and log facies research, from point to line and line to face, the regional igneous facies models are established. And hypabyssal intrusion allgovite facies model, explosion volcaniclastic rock facies model and overfall basaltic rocks facies model are the main facies models of igneous rock reservoir in JiYang depression. 2. Four nonhomogenous reservoir models of igneous reservoirs are established, which is the base of fracture prediction and recognition. According to characteristics of igneous petrology and spatial types of reservoir, igneous reservoirs of Jiyang depression are divided into four categories: fractured irruptive rock reservoir, fracture-pore thermocontact metamorphic rock and irruptive rock compound reservoir, pore volcanic debris cone reservoir and fracture-pore overfall basaltic rock reservoir. The spatial distribution of each model's reservoir has its features. And reservoirs can be divided into primary ones and secondary ones, whose mechanism of formation and laws of distribution are studied in this paper. 3. Eight geologic factors which dominate igneous reservoirs are presented. The eight geologic factors which dominates igneous reservoirs are igneous facies, epigenetic tectonics deformation, fracture motion, intensity of intrusive effect and adjoining-rock characters, thermo-contact metamorphic rock facies, specific volcano-tectonic position, magmatic cyclicity and epigenetic diagenetic evolution. The interaction of the eight factors forms the four types nonhomogenous reservoir models of igneous reservoirs in Jiyang depression. And igneous facies and fracture motion are the most important and primary factors. 4. Identification patterns of seismic, well log and logging facies of igneous rocks are established. Igneous rocks of Jiyang depression show typical reflecting features on seismic profile. Tabular reflection seismic facies, arc reflection seismic facies and hummocky or mushroom reflection seismic facies are the three main facies. Logging response features of basic basalt and diabase are shown as typical "three low and two high", which means low natural gamma value, low interval transit-time, low neutron porosity, high resistivity and high density. Volcaniclastic rocks show "two high and three low"-high neutron porosity, high interval transit-time, low density, low-resistance and low natural gamma value. Thermo-contact metamorphic rocks surrounding to diabase show "four high and two low" on log data, which is high natural gamma value, high self-potential anomaly, high neutron porosity, high interval transit-time and low density and low-resistance. Based on seismic, well log and logging data, spatial shape of Shang 741 igneous rock is described. 5. The methods of fracture prediction and recognition for fractured igneous reservoir are summarized. Adopting FMI image log and nuclear magnetic resonance log to quantitative analysis of fractured igneous reservoir and according to formation mechanism and shape of fracture, various fractures are recognized, such as high-angle fracture, low-angle fracture, vertical fracture, reticulated fracture, induced fracture, infilling fracture and corrosion vug. Shang 741 intrusive rock reservoir can be divided into pore-vug compound type, pore fracture type, micro-pore and micro-fracture type. Physical properties parameters of the reservoir are computed and single-well fracture model and reservoir parameters model are established. 6. Various comprehensive methods of fracture prediction and recognition for fractured igneous reservoir are put forward. Adopting three-element (igneous facies, fracture motion and rock bending) geologic comprehensive reservoir evaluation technique and deep-shallow unconventional laterolog constrained inversion technique, lateral prediction of fractured reservoir such as Shang 741 is taken and nonhomogeneity quantification models of reservoirs are established.

东大别山晚中生代主剪切带及伸展构造研究

Dabie shan lies between Northchina crust and Yangzi crust, which is the result of the collisional orogenen in Triassic period. The biggest area of UHP metamorphic zone have been found in Dabie Shan, which have been verified formed during the course of collision and extrusion after orogenic activity. The Dabie shan is divisioned into four parts, which are North Huaiyang metamorphic zone, North Dabie complex zone, South Dabie ultra-high pressure metamorphic zone and Susong metamorphic zone. Extension structure of late Mesozoic is the key to explain the intrusion and outcrop of UHP metamorphic rocks in Dabie Shan. During the course of structure evolution of the Dabie shan in late Mesozoic period, Luotian dome was formed with the old gneiss lifting from the core of the Dabie shan. There are four enormous ductile zone circled Luotian dorm. Xiaotian-mozitan shear zone is the limit of North Huaiyang metamorphic zone and North Dabie complex zone; Shuihou-wuhe shear zone is the limit of North Dabie complex zone and South Dabie ultra-high pressure metamorphic zone; Taihu-mamiao shears zone is the limit of South Dabie ultra-high pressure metamorphic zone and Susong metamorphic zone and Susong-Qingshuihe shear zone is the south limit of Susong metamorphic zone; the old stress at Dabie shan in late Mesozoic was about 90MPa through the experiment of transmission electricity microscope. The main four ductile shear zone of Dabie shan all have the characteristic of detachment, Xiaotian-mozitan shear zone detached to NNE, the detachment direction of Shuihou-wuhe shear zone and Taihu-mamiao shears zone is SSE, and Susong-Qingshuihe shear zone is SW. The finite strain measurement show that Xiaotian-mozitan shear zone have experienced detachment which was more than 50km, and the detachment of Susong-Qingshuihe shear zone was more than 12km in late Mesozoic; the Flin parameter of Shuihou-wuhe shear zone is much smaller than 1(0.01-0.1), which show that this shear zone was squeezed when it was formed and the initiative function of Luotian granite intrusion during the course of detachment. The Flin parameter of Taihu-mamiao shears zone is above 1(1.1) and Susong-Qingshuihe shear zone is much more than 1(7.6), which show that they are formed in the state of extension at the beginning. These all Flin parameter imply a transition from pure shear to simple shear of the south three shear zone circling Luotian dome from north to south. The rock group analysis show that the rocks inside shear zone encountered middle or high temperature metamorphic activity. The single mineral ~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar age of the main shear zone at Dabie shan show that the three shear zone north to Luotian dome were formed about 190Ma.Taihu-mamiao shear zone was the earliest, Susong shear zone was later than former, and Shuihou-wuhe sheanaone was the latest. They were all the chanel of returning of UHP metamorphic rocks, so they all representative the returning age of UHP metamorphic rocks. The final outcrop of these UHP metamorphic rocks was due to the detachment aroused by the enormous magma intrusion. The biotite age of deformed rocks in Susong-Qingshuihe shear zone is in average 126Ma, and the age of Xiaotian-mozitan is about 125Ma, which is in the same time or a little later than magma intrusion of Luotian dome, and imply that granite intrusion of late Mesozoic in Dabie orogenen is the reason of the detachment.

The typology of Irish hard rock aquifers based on an integrated hydrogeological and geophysical approach

Groundwater flow in hard-rock aquifers is strongly controlled by the characteristics and distribution of structural heterogeneity. A methodology for catchment-scale characterisation is presented, based on the integration of complementary, multi-scale hydrogeological, geophysical and geological approaches. This was applied to three contrasting catchments underlain by metamorphic rocks in the northern parts of Ireland (Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, UK). Cross-validated surface and borehole geophysical investigations confirm the discontinuous overburden, lithological compartmentalisation of the bedrock and important spatial variations of the weathered bedrock profiles at macro-scale. Fracture analysis suggests that the recent (Alpine) tectonic fabric exerts strong control on the internal aquifer structure at meso-scale, which is likely to impact on the anisotropy of aquifer properties. The combination of the interpretation of depth-specific hydraulic-test data with the structural information provided by geophysical tests allows characterisation of the hydrodynamic properties of the identified aquifer units. Regionally, the distribution of hydraulic conductivities can be described by inverse power laws specific to the aquifer litho-type. Observed groundwater flow directions reflect this multi-scale structure. The proposed integrated approach applies widely available investigative tools to identify key dominant structures controlling groundwater flow, characterising the aquifer type for each catchment and resolving the spatial distribution of relevant aquifer units and associated hydrodynamic parameters.

Clinopyroxene based glasses and glass-ceramics for functional applications

As piroxenas são um vasto grupo de silicatos minerais encontrados em muitas rochas ígneas e metamórficas. Na sua forma mais simples, estes silicatos são constituídas por cadeias de SiO3 ligando grupos tetrahédricos de SiO4. A fórmula química geral das piroxenas é M2M1T2O6, onde M2 se refere a catiões geralmente em uma coordenação octaédrica distorcida (Mg2+, Fe2+, Mn2+, Li+, Ca2+, Na+), M1 refere-se a catiões numa coordenação octaédrica regular (Al3+, Fe3+, Ti4+, Cr3+, V3+, Ti3+, Zr4+, Sc3+, Zn2+, Mg2+, Fe2+, Mn2+), e T a catiões em coordenação tetrahédrica (Si4+, Al3+, Fe3+). As piroxenas com estrutura monoclínica são designadas de clinopiroxenes. A estabilidade das clinopyroxenes num espectro de composições químicas amplo, em conjugação com a possibilidade de ajustar as suas propriedades físicas e químicas e a durabilidade química, têm gerado um interesse mundial devido a suas aplicações em ciência e tecnologia de materiais. Este trabalho trata do desenvolvimento de vidros e de vitro-cerâmicos baseadas de clinopiroxenas para aplicações funcionais. O estudo teve objectivos científicos e tecnológicos; nomeadamente, adquirir conhecimentos fundamentais sobre a formação de fases cristalinas e soluções sólidas em determinados sistemas vitro-cerâmicos, e avaliar a viabilidade de aplicação dos novos materiais em diferentes áreas tecnológicas, com especial ênfase sobre a selagem em células de combustível de óxido sólido (SOFC). Com este intuito, prepararam-se vários vidros e materiais vitro-cerâmicos ao longo das juntas Enstatite (MgSiO3) - diopsídio (CaMgSi2O6) e diopsídio (CaMgSi2O6) - Ca - Tschermak (CaAlSi2O6), os quais foram caracterizados através de um vasto leque de técnicas. Todos os vidros foram preparados por fusão-arrefecimento enquanto os vitro-cerâmicos foram obtidos quer por sinterização e cristalização de fritas, quer por nucleação e cristalização de vidros monolíticos. Estudaram-se ainda os efeitos de várias substituições iónicas em composições de diopsídio contendo Al na estrutura, sinterização e no comportamento durante a cristalização de vidros e nas propriedades dos materiais vitro-cerâmicos, com relevância para a sua aplicação como selantes em SOFC. Verificou-se que Foi observado que os vidros/vitro-cerâmicos à base de enstatite não apresentavam as características necessárias para serem usados como materiais selantes em SOFC, enquanto as melhores propriedades apresentadas pelos vitro-cerâmicos à base de diopsídio qualificaram-nos para futuros estudos neste tipo de aplicações. Para além de investigar a adequação dos vitro-cerâmicos à base de clinopyroxene como selantes, esta tese tem também como objetivo estudar a influência dos agentes de nucleação na nucleação em volume dos vitro-cerâmicos resultantes á base de diopsídio, de modo a qualificá-los como potenciais materiais hopedeiros de resíduos nucleares radioactivos.

Structural, stratigraphic and geochemical studies of the Horwood Peninsula - Gander Bay Area, Northeast Newfoundland /

The Horwood Peninsula - Gander Bay area is located at NE Newfoundland in the Botwood Zone (Williams et a1., 1974) or in the Dunnage Zone (Williams, 1979) of the Central Mobile Belt of the Newfoundland Appalachians. The area is underlain by Middle Ordovician to possible Lower Silurian rocks of the Davidsville and Indian Islands Groups, respectively. Three conformable formations named informally : the Mafic Volcanic Formation, the Greywacke and Siltstone Formation and the Black Slate Formation, have been recognized in the Davidsville Group. The Greywacke and the Black Slate Formations pass locally into a Melange Formation. From consideration of regional structure and abundant locally-derived mafic volcanic olisto- 1iths in the melange, it is considered to have originated by gravity sliding rather than thrusting. Four formations have been recognized in the Indian Islands Group. They mainly contain silty slate and phyllite, grey cherty siltstone, green to red micaceous siltstone and limestone horizons. Repetition of lithological units by F1 folding are well-demonstrated in one of formations in this Group. The major structure in this Group on the Horwood Peninsula is interpreted to be a synclinal complex. The lithology of this Group is different from the Botwood Group to the west and is probably Late Ordovician and/or Early Silurian in age. The effects of soft-sediment deformation can be seen from the lower part of the Davidsville Group to the middle part of the Indian Islands Group indicating continuous and/or episodic slumping and sliding activities throughout the whole area. However, no siginificant depOSitional and tectonic break that could be assigned to the Taconian Orogeny has been recognized in this study. Three periods of tectonic deformation were produced by the Acadian Orogeny. Double boudinage in thin dikes indicates a southeast-northwest sub-horizontal compression and main northeast-southwest sub-horizontal extension during the D1 deformation. A penetrative, axial planar slaty cleavage (Sl) and tight to isocJ.ina1 F1 folds are products of this deformation. The D2 and D3 deformations formed S2 and S3 fabrics associated with crenulations and kink bands which are well-shown in the slates and phyllites of the Indian Islands Group. The D2 and D3 deformations are the products of vertical and northeast-southwest horizontal shortening respectively. The inferred fault between the Ordovician slates (Davidsville Group) and the siltstones (Indian Islands Group) suggested by Williams (1963, 1964b, 1972, 1978) is absent. Formations can be followed without displacement across this inferred fault. Chemically, the pillow lavas, mafic agglomerates, tuff beds and diabase dikes are subdivided into three rock suites : (a) basaltic komatiite (Beaver Cove Assemblage), (b) tholeiitic basalt (diabase dikes), (c) alkaline basalt (Shoal Bay Assemblage). The high Ti02 , MgO, Ni contents and bimodal characteristic of the basaltic komatiite in the area are comparable to the Svartenhuk Peninsula at Baffin Bay and are interpreted to be the result of an abortive volcano-tectonic rift-zone in a rear-arc basin. Modal and chemical analyses of greywackes and siltstones show the trend of maturity of these rocks increasing from poorly sorted Ordovician greywackes to fairly well-sorted Silurian siltstones. Rock fragments in greywackes indicate source areas consisting of plagiogranite, low grade metamorphic rocks and ultramafic rocks. Rare sedimentary structures in both Groups indicate a southeasterly provenance. Trace element analyses of greywackes also reveal a possible island-arc affinity.

Hydrogeological, Geophysical And Geochemical Studies In Parts Of Coastal And Midland Areas, Central Kerala - A Gis Approach

The present study deals with the different hydrogeological characteristics of the coastal region of central Kerala and a comparative analysis with corresponding hard rock terrain. The coastal regions lie in areas where the aquifer systems discharge groundwater ultimately into the sea. Groundwater development in such regions will require a precise understanding of the complex mechanism of the saline and fresh water relationship, so that the withdrawals are so regulated as to avoid situations leading to upcoming of the saline groundwater bodies as also to prevent migration of sea water ingress further inland. Coastal tracts of Kerala are formed by several drainage systems. Thick pile of semi-consolidated and consolidated sediments from Tertiary to Recent age underlies it. These sediments comprise phreatic and confined aquifer systems. The corresponding hard rock terrain is encountered with laterites and underlined by the Precambrian metamorphic rocks. Supply of water from hard rock terrain is rather limited. This may be due to the small pore size, low degree of interconnectivity and low extent of weathering of the country rocks. The groundwater storage is mostly controlled by the thickness and hydrological properties of the weathered zone and the aquifer geometry. The over exploitation of groundwater, beyond the ‘safe yield’ limit, cause undesirable effects like continuous reduction in groundwater levels, reduction in river flows, reduction in wetland surface, degradation of groundwater quality and many other environmental problems like drought, famine etc.

Development and calibration of a portable radon sampling system for groundwater (222)Rn activity concentration measurements

The assembling of a system for field sampling and activity concentration measurement of radon dissolved in groundwater is described. Special attention is given in presenting the calibration procedure to obtain the radon activity concentration in groundwater from the raw counting rate registered in a portable scintillation detector and in establishing the precision of the activity concentration measurements. A field procedure was established and the system tested during one year of monthly observations of (222)Rn activity concentration in groundwater drawn from two wells drilled on metamorphic rocks exposed at Eastern Sao Paulo State, Brazil. The observed mean (222)Rn activity concentrations are 374 Bq/dm(3) in one well and about 1275 Bq/dm(3) in the other one. In both wells the (222)Rn activity concentrations showed a seasonal variation similar to variations previously reported in the literature for the same region. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

THE RIO APA CRATON IN MATO GROSSO DO SUL (BRAZIL) AND NORTHERN PARAGUAY: GEOCHRONOLOGICAL EVOLUTION, CORRELATIONS AND TECTONIC IMPLICATIONS FOR RODINIA AND GONDWANA

The Rio Apa cratonic fragment crops out in Mato Grosso do Sul State of Brazil and in northeastern Paraguay. It comprises Paleo-Mesoproterozoic medium grade metamorphic rocks, intruded by granitic rocks, and is covered by the Neoproterozoic deposits of the Corumbi and Itapocurni Groups. Eastward it is bound by the southern portion of the Paraguay belt. In this work, more than 100 isotopic determinations, including U-Pb SHRIMP zircon ages, Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd whole-rock determinations, as well as K-Ar and Ar-Ar mineral ages, were reassessed in order to obtain a complete picture of its regional geological history. The tectonic evolution of the Rio Apa Craton starts with the formation of a series of magmatic arc complexes. The oldest U-Pb SHRIMP zircon age comes from a banded gneiss collected in the northern part of the region, with an age of 1950 +/- 23 Ma. The large granitic intrusion of the Alumiador Batholith yielded a U-Pb zircon age of 1839 +/- 33 Ma, and from the southeastern part of the area two orthogneisses gave zircon U-Pb ages of 1774 +/- 26 Ma and 1721 +/- 25 Ma. These may be coeval with the Alto Terere metamorphic rocks of the northeastern corner, intruded in their turn by the Baia das Garcas granitic rocks, one of them yielding a zircon U-Pb age of 1754 +/- 49 Ma. The original magmatic protoliths of these rocks involved some crustal component, as indicated by the Sm-Nd TDm model ages, between 1.9 and 2.5 Ga. Regional Sr isotopic homogenization, associated with tectonic deformation and medium-grade metamorphism occurred at approximately 1670 Ma, as suggested by Rb-Sr whole rock reference isochrons. Finally, at 1300 Ma ago, the Ar work indicates that the Rio Apa Craton was affected by widespread regional heating, when the temperature probably exceeded 350 degrees C. Geographic distribution, age and isotopic signature of the fithotectonic units suggest the existence of a major suture separating two different tectonic domains, juxtaposed at about 1670 Ma. From that time on, the unified Rio Apa continental block behaved as one coherent and stable tectonic unit. It correlates well with the SW corner of the Amazonian Craton, where the medium-grade rocks of the Juruena-Rio Negro tectonic province, with ages between 1600 and 1780 Ma, were reworked at about 1300 Ma. Looking at the largest scale, the Rio Apa Craton is probably attached to the larger Amazonian Craton, and the actual configuration of southwestern South America is possibly due to a complex arrangement of allochthonous blocks such as the Arequipa, Antofalla and Pampia, with different sizes, that may have originated as disrupted parts of either Laurentia or Amazonia, and were trapped during later collisions of these continental masses.

The definition of potential infiltration areas in Guaratingueta watershed, Paraiba do Sul Basin, Southeastern Brazil: an integrated approach using physical and land-use elements

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Caracterização de minerais pesados ao longo do Rio Piranhas-Açu/RN distribuição e proveniência

This dissertation deals with the characterization, distribution and provenience of heavy minerals along the Piranhas-Açu River, from the City of Parelhas (Seridó River) to your mouth at the City of Macau-RN. Many heavy minerals species were recorded in this study: clinoamphibole, epidote (including zoisite), garnet, sillimanite, tourmaline, staurolite, andalusite, zircon, rutile, augite, ilmenite, hematite and magnetite. Major transparent minerals, those forming more than 5% of some assemblages, are hornblende, epidote, tourmaline, staurolite and zircon. Predominant opaque mineral is ilmenite. Six assemblages were identified along the river: (i) Garnet-hornblende-tourmaline with sillimanite, when cutting rocks of the Seridó Formation; (ii) Hornblende-garnet-zircon, when crossing rocks of the Caicó gnaisse-migmatitic Complex; (iii) Hornblende-zircon-epidote-staurolite, when draining rocks of the Jucurutu Formation; (iv) Hornblende-zircon-epidote, when cutting rocks of the Açu Formation; (v) Hornblende-zircon-staurolite, on the lowermost Açu River, when crossing limestones of the Jandaíra Formation and (vi) Zircon-tourmaline-staurolite in the Açu River mouth (Cenozoic rocks) where coastal process dominate. Mineral ratios that reflect differences in grain shape, density, and selective chemical decomposition were used in an attempt to isolate the effects of source and process as controls of mineral variability. Reworking of the sediments was regionally effective in selective sorting; the more equant minerals (e.g. epidote) and heavier minerals (e.g. opaques) had a higher probability of being selected for permanent deposition during reworking. The processes of selective decomposition stand out at the river mouth. A priori knowledge of provenance, associated with the assemblage distribution and effects of process were utilized to the interpretations, that points to the follow provenances: hornblende comes from micashists of the Seridó Formation, orthognaisses and amphibolites of the Caico Complex, paragnaisses and paranphibolites of the Jucurutu Formation and granites intrusions; epidote comes from paragnaisses and calciosilicatics of the Jucurutu Formation, granites intrusions (-Npy3al/ca and -Npy3mz, gravels deposits and Açu Formation; Andalusite and staurolite come from the Seridó Formation; Sillimanite, tourmaline and garnet come from micashists of the Seridó Formation, as well as from quartzites of the Equador Formation; Zircon comes from Precambrian rocks (pink and prismatic zircon) and from sediments of several cycles (round zircon); Opaques come from all rocks cutted for the Piranhas-Açu River; Rutile comes from metamorphic rocks, in general; Augite comes from the Ceará-Mirim, Serra do Cuó and Macau volcanisms. The texture of gravels deposits reveals a sediment transport mechanisms by traction-current processes, together with a diagenetic clay matrix suggests a hot-humid environments for deposition. The presence of unstable heavy minerals assemblages, as well as pebbles of different composition and degrees of rounding and esfericity, indicate more than one source. The occurrence of calcio/alkaline granites suites, in areas closed to the gravel deposits, suggests that these intrusions are the main source of sediments. This could explain for instance, the significant amounts of epidote and presence of unstable heavy minerals (e.g. hornblende). The analyses of heavy minerals also show significante variability between the modern (Piranhas-Açu) and ancestral (Açu Formation) river sediments. In general, these variations reflect relatively higher unstable and lower stable heavy minerals contents of the modern Piranhas-Açu sediments. The absence of significant compositional differences probably reflects uniform weathering conditions

Uranium distribution and radon exhalation from Brazilian dimension stones

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Aplicação do método de Polarização Induzida em área de disposição de resíduos sólidos no município de Caçapava do Sul - RS

A geofísica é um método eficaz para investigação de áreas impactadas pelos mais diversos tipos de contaminantes, principalmente em locais de disposição de resíduos sólidos domiciliares e também utilizada na caracterização de contrastes de propriedades físicas em presença de substâncias poluentes. Este trabalho utilizou o método de Polarização Induzida numa área de disposição de resíduos sólidos desativada, localizada no município de Caçapava do Sul - RS. O aterro está assentado sobre rochas metamórficas fraturadas, pertencentes ao Complexo Metamórfico Vacacaí (Neoproterozóico). Foram realizadas 8 linhas de caminhamento elétrico, com espaçamento de 5 m entre eletrodos e 10 níveis de investigação, além de 83 medidas de direção e sentido de fraturas. O resultado geofísico permite caracterizar a camada de resíduos por baixos valores de cargabilidade. Anomalias verticais abaixo da camada de resíduos são interpretadas como zonas de fratura com possível acúmulo de chorume, caracterizadas por baixos valores de cargabilidade.