Versatile combustion-amalgamation technique for the photometric determination of mercury in fish and environmental samples
Wayne A. Willford, Robert J. Hesselberg, Harold L. Bergman
1973, Journal of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (56) 1008-1014
Total mercury in a variety of substances is determined rapidly and precisely by direct sample combustion, collection of released mercury by amalgamation, and photometric measurement of mercury volatilized from the heated amalgam. Up to 0.2 g fish tissue is heated in a stream of O2 (1.2 L/min) for 3.5 min...
Vesicles, water, and sulfur in Reykjanes Ridge basalts
J. G. Moore, J.-G. Schilling
1973, Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology (41) 105-118
Dredge hauls of fresh submarine basalt collected from the axis of the Reykjanes Ridge (Mid-Atlantic Ridge) south of Iceland were taken aboard R/ V TRIDENT in 1967 and 1971. The samples show systematic changes as the water depth of collection (and eruption) decreases: radially elongate vesicles and concentric zones of vesicles appear...
Loss of volatiles during fountaining and flowage of basaltic lava at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
Donald A. Swanson, Brent P. Fabbi
1973, Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey (1) 649-658
The amount of water and sulfur in pumice erupted during periods of vigorous activity during the 1969-71 Mauna Ulu eruption varied inversely with fountain height because of degassing during the fountaining. The pumice lost about 0.05 wt percent water and 0.003 wt percent sulfur during fountaining to heights of 400-540 m. Analyses suggest that the...
Phase relations of basalts in their melting range at PH2O = 5 kb as a function of oxygen fugacity: Part I. Mafic phases
Rosalind Tuthill Helz
1973, Journal of Petrology (14) 249-302
The phase relations of three basalts, the Picture Gorge tholeiite, the 1921 Kilauea olivine tholeiite, and the 1801 Hualalai alkali basalt, were studied at 5 kb water pressure, 680–1000°C, at the oxygen fugacities of the quartz-fayalite-magnetite (QFM) and hematite-magnetite (HM) buffers.In the range 680–850 °C, the crystalline assemblage...
Availability of low-sulfur coal in Fayette County, West Virginia
Donald G. Hadley
1972, Open-File Report 72-148
Fayette County is in central West Virginia. Rocks exposed at the surface are about 3,200 feet thick and comprise the Pocahontas, New River, Kanawha, and Allegheny Formations of Pennsylvanian age. The stratigraphic relations and distribution of coal in these formations were studied by the U.S. Geological Survey in connection with a low-sulfur coal program...
Geological framework of the south polar region of Mars
B. C. Murray, L. A. Soderblom, J.A. Cutts, R.P. Sharp, D. J. Milton, R.B. Leighton
1972, Icarus (17) 328-345
The first 4 months of Mariner 9 photography of the south polar region are discussed. Three major geological units have been recognized, separated by erosional unconformities. From oldest to youngest they are: cratered terrain, pitted plains, and laminated terrain. The latter unit is unique in occurrence to the polar region,...
Mass spectrometric analysis of organic compounds, water and volatile constituents in the atmosphere and surface of Mars: The Viking Mars Lander
Duwayne M. Anderson, K. Biemann, Leslie E. Orgel, John Oro, Timothy W. Owen, Garson P. Shulman, Priestley Toulmin III, H. C. Urey
1972, Icarus (16) 111-138
An experiment centering around a mass spectrometer is described, which is aimed at the identification of organic substances present in the top 10 cm of the surface of Mars and an analysis of the atmosphere for major and minor constituents as well as isotopic abundances. In addition, an indication of...
The geochemist’s involvement with the pollution problem
Helen L. Cannon, Barbara M. Anderson
Helen L. Cannon, Howard C. Hopps, editor(s)
1971, Book chapter, Environmental geochemistry in health and disease
The geochemist can contribute much information of value toward assessing the effect of environment, including inorganic pollution, on health....
The earth's core: Speculations on its chemical equilibrium with the mantle
R. Brett
1971, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (35) 203-221
A review of the literature indicates that a reasonable estimate of the composition of the earth's core is iron with Ni0–5, Si10–25 (wt.%). Thermodynamic calculations and comparison of chondritic with terrestrial abundances indicate that 1 wt.% each of Mn, P, and Cr might also be present. A core of this composition...
Water content of basalt erupted on the ocean floor
J. G. Moore
1970, Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology (28) 272-279
Deep sea pillow basalts dredged from the ocean floor show that vesicularity changes with composition as well as with depth. Alkalic basalts are more vesicular than tholeiitic basalts erupted at the same depth. The vesicularity data, when related to experimentally determined solubility of water in basalt, indicate that K-poor oceanic...
Use of Ar36 to Evaluate the Incorporation of Air by Ash Flows
Richard F. Marvin, H. H. Mehnert, D. C. Noble
1970, Bulletin of the Geological Society of America (81) 3385-3391
The Ar36 content of densely welded glasses from ash-flow units provides a means by which the amount of air entrapped and subsequently resorbed by the glasses during compaction and welding may be calculated. The amount of air measured in glasses from nine upper Tertiary ash-flow sheets...
Chemical indicators of subsurface temperature applied to hot spring waters of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, U.S.A.
R.O. Fournier, A.H. Truesdell
1970, Geothermics (2) 529-535
Under favorable conditions the chemistry of hot springs may give reliable indications of subsurface temperatures and circulation patterns. These chemical indicators can be classified by the type of process involved:IndicatorDominant ProcessThe silica...
Submarine basalt from the Revillagigedo Islands region, Mexico
J. G. Moore
1970, Marine Geology (9) 331-345
Ocean-floor dredging and submarine photography in the Revillagigedo region off the west coast of Mexico reveal that the dominant exposed rock of the submarine part of the large island-forming volcanoes (Roca Partida and San Benedicto) is a uniform alkali pillow basalt; more siliceous rocks are exposed on the upper, subaerial...
Experimental studies of pegmatite genesis: I. A model for the derivation and crystallization of granitic pegmatites
R. H. Jahns, C.W. Burnham
1969, Economic Geology (64) 843-864
The genesis of granitic igneous pegmatites is here considered in terms of a model conceived from results of field and laboratory studies and subsequently tested by means of experimental investigations. This model emphasizes the roles of water (and/or other relatively volatile substances), both as a dissolved constituent in granitic magmas...
The Cloudy Pass epizonal batholith and associated subvolcanic rocks
Fred W. Cater
1969, Book chapter, The Cloudy Pass epizonal batholith and associated subvolcanic rocks
The Cloudy Pass batholith, one of several small epizonal Tertiary batholiths in the Northern Cascade Mountains, discordantly intrudes metamorphic rocks of pre-Late Cretaceous age. The batholith is remarkable for its chilled borders, associated porphyry plugs, and intrusive breccias. The main body of the batholith consists largely of labradorite granodiorite.Part of...
The geologic classification of the meteorites
Donald Parker Elston
1968, Open-File Report 68-97
The meteorite classes of Prior and Mason are assigned to three proposed genetic groups on the basis of a combination of compositional, mineralogical, and elemental characteristics: l) the calcium-poor, volatile-rich carbonaceous chondrites and achondrites; 2) the calcium-poor, volatile-poor chondrites (enstatite, bronzite, hypersthene, and pigeonite), achondrites (enstatite, hypersthene, and pigeonite), stonyirons...
Mineralogy as a function of depth in the prehistoric Makaopuhi tholeiitic lava lake, Hawaii
B.W. Evans, J. G. Moore
1968, Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology (17) 85-115
The electron probe X-ray microanalyzer has been used to determine the compositional variability of the groundmass minerals and glass in 10 specimens from a complete 225-foot section of the prehistoric tholeiitic lava lake of Makaopuhi Crater, Hawaii. The order of beginning of crystallization was: (1) chromite, (2) olivine, (3) augite,...
Organic acids in naturally colored surface waters
William L. Lamar, D.F. Goerlitz
1966, Water Supply Paper 1817-A
Most of the organic matter in naturally colored surface waters consists of a mixture of carboxylic acids or salts of these acids. Many of the acids color the water yellow to brown; however, not all of the acids are colored. These acids range from simple to complex, but predominantly they...
Solution of rocks and refractory minerals by acids at high temperatures and pressures. Determination of silica after decomposition with hydrofluoric acid
I. May, J.J. Rowe
1965, Analytica Chimica Acta (33) 648-654
A modified Morey bomb was designed which contains a removable nichromecased 3.5-ml platinium crucible. This bomb is particularly useful for decompositions of refractory samples for micro- and semimicro-analysis. Temperatures of 400–450° and pressures estimated as great as 6000 p.s.i. were maintained in the bomb for...
Deep geothermal brine near Salton Sea, California
Donald E. White
1964, Bulletin Volcanologique (27) 369-370
A well drilled for geothermal power near Salton Sea in Imperial Valley, Calif., is 5,232 feet deep; it is the deepest well in the world (1962) in a high-temperature hot spring area. In the lower half of the hole temperatures are too high to measure with available equipment, but are...
Vapor pressure and vapor fractionation of silicate melts of tektite composition
Louis S. Walter, M. K. Carron
1964, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (28) 937-951
The total vapor pressure of Philippine tektite melts of approximately 70 per cent silica has been determined at temperatures ranging from 1500 to 2100°C. This pressure is 190 ± 40 mm Hg at 1500°C, 450 ± 50 mm at 1800°C and 850 ± 70 mm at 2100° C. Determinations were...
Co-oxidation of the sulfur-containing amino acids in an autoxidizing lipid system
Gary Wedemeyer, A.M. Dollar
1963, Journal of Food Science (28) 537-540
Oxidation of the sulfur amino acids by autoxidizing lipids was studied in a model system consisting of an amino acid dispersed in cold-pressed, molecularly distilled menhaden oil (20–80% w/w). Under all conditions investigated, cysteine was oxidized completely to cystine. Preliminary results suggest that at 110°C the oxidation follows first-order kinetics...
Sulfide ores formed from sulfide-deficient solutions 1
T. S. Lovering
1961, Economic Geology (56) 68-99
Assuming that many hydrothermal ore deposits are formed from emanations given off from a magma at depth while it cools through the interval in which latent heat of crystallization is generated, it is shown that this cooling interval for magmatic bodies of moderate size must be measured in tens or hundreds of...
Sulfide ores formed from sulfide-deficient solutions 1
T. S. Lovering
1961, Economic Geology (56) 68-99
Assuming that many hydrothermal ore deposits are formed from emanations given off from a magma at depth while it cools through the interval in which latent heat of crystallization is generated, it is shown that this cooling interval for magmatic bodies of moderate size must be measured in tens or hundreds of...
Beryl-bearing pegmatites in the Ruby Mountains and other areas in Nevada and northwestern Arizona
Jerry C. Olson, E. Neal Hinrichs
1960, Bulletin 1082-D
Pegmatite occurs widely in Nevada and northwestern Arizona, but little mining has been done for such pegmatite minerals as mica, feldspar, beryl, and lepidolite. Reconnaissance for beryl-bearing pegmatite in Nevada and in part of Mohave County, Ariz., and detailed studies in the Dawley Canyon area, Elko County, Nev., have shown...