Biogeochemical mapping of the Cobar Basin using the needles of cypress pine ( Callitris glaucophylla )

In regional or local scale geochemical mapping, the choice of sampling media and analytical methods will be influenced by the source, form, mobility and spatial distribution of elements being mapped. For environmental monitoring and mineral exploration there are potential advantages in using plant organs rather than regolith materials as the sampling media, including the capacity of plants to sample large volumes of underlying regolith and the averaging of their biogeochemical composition over timeframes extending from months to years. The limited use of plant organs in geochemical mapping relates partly to perceived complicating factors such as variability between plant species, seasonal variability in some plant organs and analytical costs. Needle samples from over 4,000 cypress pines (C. glaucophylla) in the highly mineralised Cobar Basin in central New South Wales have been analysed by both ICPMS and pXRF. The study spanned regional mapping using samples collected adjacent to roads and tracks, and detailed grids and traverses across 36 mineral prospects and deposits. For various major and trace elements, there is strong correlation between results obtained by total digestion ICPMS and by portable XRF, including direct pXRF analysis of unprocessed samples in the field.There are distinct lithological influences on variation in the background values for various elements, including Au and Pb, noting that the majority of mineral deposits are structurally hosted within the Devonian sandstone and siltstones regionally intruded by felsic intrusives. There is an extensive zone of elevated base and precious metal values in the needles between the Peak Au mine site and the city of Cobar which was the focus of mineral processing for many decades. Highly elevated values for Ag, Au, Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, W and/or REE occur above known mineral deposits, depending on deposit style, and commonly display more consistent geochemical spatial patterns than in regolith samples. Pines in general typically restrict uptake of Cu in the needles to within the range of 3–12 ppm due to its function as an important trace nutrient.

Water from four north-flowing rivers (Oswegatchie, Grasse, Raquette, and West Branch of the St. Regis) traversing three distinct geologic terranes (Adirondack Highlands, Adirondack Lowlands, St. Lawrence Valley), originating in the acidified northern Adirondack region, display rapid spatial changes in downriver multi-element chemistry and physical parameters. Downriver, most soluble elements increase (Ba, Ca, Cu, K, Mg, Na, Rb, S, and Sr) while statistically significant decreases in insoluble elements (Al, Ce, Dy, Er, Fe, Gd, La, Mn, Nd, Pr, and Y) also occur. Lithium, Si, and Zr did not show a consistent increasing or decreasing trend. Concentrations of most elements measured on June 5, 2008 were greater than 7 weeks later; however, greater discharge and lower pH enhanced Al concentrations occurred during the later sampling date. Elemental ratios track changes in lithology, anthropogenic influence, and pH. The Raquette River shows the least variation in elemental concentrations because of storage in numerous hydropower reservoirs and has non-detectable concentrations of some redox sensitive elements such as Co, Ni, and V. Oswegatchie tributaries display similar geochemical trends dependent upon their location and local bedrock and show geochemical trends along the trunks of major rivers that are also evident in smaller drainage basins. Comparison with analytical results from the Western Adirondack Stream Survey also indicates acidification is prevalent in the Adirondack Highlands, particularly in the Oswegatchie headwaters during periods of high flow, but acidity is rapidly buffered downriver due to interaction with marble in the Adirondack Lowlands.

The Cobar Supergroup is a package of Siluro-Devonian sedimentary, volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks in central New South Wales that underwent significant deformation during the Middle Devonian Tabberabberan Orogeny. The Cobar Supergroup, particularly within the Cobar Basin, constitutes one of the most mineral-rich rock packages in New South Wales, being endowed with Au, Cu, Pb, Zn and Ag, mainly in what are commonly referred to as Cobar-type deposits. Inconsistencies in the traditional stratigraphic interpretation of the area have led to a re-evaluation of its structural history, in particular the role of the Rookery Fault, which bounds the eastern side of the basin. Evidence suggests that that structure may dip to the east, rather than the west, as is traditionally assumed, leading to the possibility that Tabberabberan deformation in the area took the form of a west-verging fold-thrust belt. Analogue modelling is employed to examine the consequences of that scenario. Such a mechanism explains the known distribution of stratigraphic units of the Cobar Supergroup and its basement, as well as observed structures, in particular a high strain zone immediately west of the Rookery Fault. The modelling indicates that deeper parts of the crust were thrust up along the Rookery Fault, which, along with substantial burial, led to perturbation of the geotherm and heating of the footwall. This accounts for the higher metamorphic grade immediately west of the Rookery Fault. Furthermore, heating and overpressuring of basement rocks in the footwall led to mobilisation of metal-bearing fluids and transport of them along the high strain zone and subsequent deposition of those metals within favourable structural traps, with variable interaction with basinal fluids, to form Cobar-type deposits. A fold-thrust mechanism with ongoing erosion of the thrust wedge can also explain the distribution of Middle to Upper Devonian rock sequences in the region. KEY POINTS A west-verging fold-thrust model is proposed to explain Tabberabberan deformation of the Cobar Supergroup and its basement. Analogue modelling is employed to demonstrate the fold-thrust model. A fold-thrust model explains the distribution of Ordovician to Upper Devonian stratigraphic units in the Cobar region, as well as associated structures, metamorphic grade distribution and the origin of syn-deformational Au, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ag mineral deposits.

Formation and inversion of transtensional basins in the western part of the Lachlan Fold Belt, Australia, with emphasis on the Cobar Basin

The dry-grind corn process is one of two technologies used to convert corn into ethanol. In this process, all kernel components are processed through several sequential steps, including fermentation. Only one coproduct (distillers' dried grains with solubles [DDGS]) is available for marketing. DDGS provide income to offset costs of processing; issues that affect marketing have implications in the economic viability of dry-grind plants. Two issues relate to elements in DDGS: high concentrations and excessive variation. Data on element concentrations in dry-grind processing streams could be helpful in addressing these concerns. The objective of this study was to determine element concentrations in primary process streams from dry-grind plants. Samples of corn, ground corn, beer, wet grains, syrup, and DDGS were obtained from nine dry-grind plants, and element concentrations were determined. The concentrations of most elements in corn were not different among processing plants and were similar to published data. However, for the processing streams, there were differences in several element concentrations among processing plants. The concentrations of most elements in beer were about three times those of corn, due to the disappearance of starch during fermentation. Syrup had the highest element concentrations. Variations in element contents of DDGS and parent streams were due to processing conditions and not corn. Appropriate processing of thin stillage (the parent stream of syrup) could reduce the element content of DDGS.

A key task in the analysis of exploration geochemical data is the selection and application of efficient classification models to discriminate mineralization-related signals from other processes affecting variation in element concentrations. Similarly in environmental or urban geochemistry one objective is to separate geochemical patterns associated with anthropogenic contamination from geogenic processes. To classify geochemical maps into background or anomalous samples or regions, a variety of mathematical and statistical models have been developed. In this study various fractal modelling has been applied to centered logratio transformed Cu, Ba, Mn, Pb, Zn, In, As, Au, and Ag contents of soil samples from the Geochemical Atlas of Cyprus. Areas with contamination have previously been shown not to display normal fractal behavior for values exceeding lithology-dependent background populations. Therefore, two new fractal methods – concentration-concentration (C-C) and concentration-distance from centroid-points (C-DC) – were applied to discriminate anthropogenic from geogenic anomalies. One of the strongest indicators of proximity to major Cu mineralization is In. The C-C model displays broad similarity between the Cu-In pairing and the raw Cu, and between its reverse in the In-Cu pairing and raw In. Of the five populations that emerge from the Cu-In fractal model, the first two (regional background and weakly anomalous) are largely restricted to the Circum-Troodos Sedimentary Succession units. The moderately anomalous population extends across all the basalts and north from the Troodos Ophiolite (TO) across the fanglomerates and more recent alluvium-colluvium that contains material shedding north off the TO. It is noted that the strongest anomalies are at the boundary between the sheeted dyke complex and basalts and on one of the major NE-trending structures that cut across the TO, but where there are only a small number of minor Cu mineralization occurrences. In the C-DC model, the centroids used to model the spatial variation of the soil geochemistry were the known mineral deposits. The Cu C-DC model delivers just two populations that are lithologically-controlled. The first spans the ultramafic TO core and the Pakhna Formation carbonates (the two extremes in the raw data geochemical compositions), and all other units, including the TO mafics, Mamonia Terrain, and the fanglomerates and alluvium-colluvium areas in the second population. The In C-DC model is somewhat similar to the In-Cu C-C model, but the second major population is more restricted to the sections of the basalts containing known Cu mineralization as well as a restricted zone in the sheeted dykes in western TO. Applying the C-DC model to the transformed scores, there are three main populations evident. The highest one contains all the known Cu mines and mineral deposits, as well as a number of NE-trending zones that cut across the sheeted dykes on the western and the eastern sides of the TO, and which also appear to follow the major sinistral faults that transect the TO.

Roads, fire and aggressive competitors: Determinants of bird distribution in subtropical production forests

Variation in elemental concentrations of veterinary college incinerator ashes with time of sampling

Five sediment cores from the tidal flat of artificial Lake Shihwa are analyzed in terms of sedimentology and geochemistry to evaluate the heavy metal contamination and redox condition of surficial sediment following the Shihwa seawall construction. The variability of concentrations of various elements depends on the depositional environment, and reflects the various redox conditions and sediment provenances. The amounts of Ti and Al and their ratio of Ti/ Al with respect to Li clearly indicate that there is an anthropogenic contribution to the surficial sediment. The high concentrations of heavy metals suggest an anthropogenic contribution at ST. 34 and ST. 22. Concentrations of most elements (Cr, Cu, Zn and Pb) are higher near the Shihwa-Banwol industrial complex than in the central part of Lake Shihwa. Concentrations of heavy metal in surficial sediment near the Shihwa-Banwol industrial complex are two to eight times higher than in the center of Lake Shihwa. Enrichment factors (EF), which are normalized by the unpolluted shale, suggests a significant metallic contamination near the Shihwa-Banwol industrial complex (SBIC). The redox condition is divided into two anoxic and mixed oxi <TEX>$c_</TEX>oxic zones based on the carbon:sulfur (C/S) ratios of organic matter and elemental relationships. Correlations among geochemical elements Mn, U and Mo are significantly different from site to site, and may therefore be an indicator of the spatial redox condition. Controlling factors for switching anoxic/oxic conditions are thought to be water depth and the differences in industrial effluent supply. The variations of the Cu/Mn ratio in the sediments confirms above mentioned spatial differences of a redox condition in part, and therefore shows a location-dependence redox condition in sediments at four other sites. The redox condition of the surficial sediment characteristics of the Shihwa Lake are controlled by its geographic location and water depth.th.

Variation in the Element Content of Parmelia chlorochroa from the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana

The Cobar region (the region) is located approximately 700 km west of Sydney in central western New South Wales (NSW). The region has a semi-arid climate with low humidity, low rainfall and high evaporation. Annual rainfall is approximately 400 mm while evaporation averages 2,000 mm annually. The Cobar basin is one of the most significant metalliferous regions in Australia, containing extensive base and precious metal deposits. The typical large, high-grade deposits of the region are hosted by marine sediments and consist of multiple lenses in steeply plunging, pipe-like clusters. There are currently five operational mines in the region that mine a range of metals including copper, lead, zinc, silver and gold. During ore processing, potentially acid forming (PAF) tailings are generated and discharged underground or to tailings storage facilities (TSF). PAF tailings require careful rehabilitation to minimise the risk of harm to the receiving environment. Typically, the rehabilitation of a TSF involves two controls. First, controlling the potential for PAF tailings to form acid mine drainage (AMD) by limiting interaction with oxygen that promotes oxidation of sulphides to form AMD. Second, once the tailings are unsaturated, limiting interaction with water to reduce the potential for AMD to be transported to the receiving environment. These two forms of control are often employed in the form of a cover. In semi-arid environments, there are many Australian examples of covers that have been built to limit interactions of tailings with oxygen and water. Typically, the covers contain two or more layers and are built from soil and rock that may include run-of-mine waste rock. The purpose of this paper is three-fold and describes the cover design process employed by two mines (Mine A and Mine B) in the region (the mines). That is, the paper describes the desktop cover design process that the mines used to develop cover options for the TSFs. Secondly, the paper describes the method and results of large column trials that were used as a cost-effective way to trial multiple cover options for the TSFs. Finally, the paper describes the cover design models that were built from the column trial results and how the models were used to scale up and assess the potential future performance of the covers if they were built on the TSFs. From this data, suitable cover designs for TSFs in the region will be identified.

Concentrations of major elements, trace elements, starch, total sugars and phenols were measured in leaves of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) trees located at 89 sites in the province of Scania, southern Sweden. Concentrations of elements had only a weak relationship to soil variables, but leaf N increased with distance from sources of industrial air pollution. Within-site variation in concentrations of most elements was smaller than variation among sites and was lowest for N, P, K and Cu and highest for Mn. Most trees had optimal or superoptimal concentrations of leaf N, whereas leaf concentrations of K, Mg and P were near or below the concentrations needed for normal growth. Several nutrients were negatively correlated with leaf color, total sugars and phenols, whereas insect damage was not related to any of the measured parameters.

Concentrations of calcium and phosphorus were measured in the neonatal dentine of 11 crabeater and 11 Weddell seal postcanine teeth with an energy-dispersive x-ray analyser. The extent of variation in elemental concentrations in different parts of the tooth, differences between species and individuals, and whether variation in elemental concentrations can provide information about dentine deposition mechanisms were assessed. No consistent patterns in elemental deposition in different parts of the tooth were found, but there were differences in concentrations between and within species. Post-natal dentine is composed of layers that appear alternately bright and dark in backscattered electron images. The elemental composition of neonatal dentine was closer to the dark bands than to those that appeared bright. It is suggested that the composition of neonatal dentine is more similar to the dark than the bright layers of dentine because of nutritional stresses that were occurring during mineral deposition.

MSWI bottom ash used as basement at two pilot-scale roads: Comparison of leachate chemistry and reactive transport modeling

Fruits and shoots of “Catherine” peach trees were analyzed to study the effects of the application of increasing rates of paclobutrazol (PP333) on the distribution of carbon and mineral elements among these organs, and mineral element concentration in leaves were determined to explain the changes observed. PP333 application did not result in differences in dry matter allocation to fruits, while it dramatically decreased the allocation to shoots. PP333 did not affect mineral element concentration in the different parts of the fruits, while increased concentrations of most elements were observed in terminal shoots, although the total amount was less in treated trees due to the reduction in shoot weight. Both in fruits and in shoots, an increase in the water content was observed. In leaves, the patterns of variation of mineral element concentration changed following the application of PP333, indicating greater exports of nitrogen (N), potassium (K), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn), and greater accumulation of phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and manganese (Mn).The results are discussed in terms of fruit–shoot competition relationships among these organs in peach trees.