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This note presents for the first time material on Edward Long's views on Jamaican enslavement and British slave trade abolition in 1804. His letter of that year, deposited at the William Salt Library, Stafford, shows that in old age he adapted his position from being an ardent slave trade supporter to a stance where ending the slave trade could be accepted. Long emphasized that, in circumstances where slave revolt and Jamaica's security were concerned, the pro-slave trade argument would need to be shelved, the implementation of abolition would be acceptable and planters could then concentrate their efforts on amelioration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In several technical applications, it is necessary to conduct a heat sink. For example, a liquid or gas is passed through the reactor zone and removes the heat released from it as a result of the nuclear fission reaction. It also attracts an interest in removing overheating during the operation of power lasers. On the other hand, in some cases, it has attracted an interest in deliberate heating during the operation of devices. An example of such heating is heating of the reaction zone in reactors for gas phase epitaxy. In both cases, the heat sink is a passive heat exchanger. At the same time, in some applications, it is necessary to stabilize the temperature of a liquid or gaseous heat carrier. In this paper, we consider a cylindrical transportation system (as a pipeline) of liquid or gas with a circular section with a known dimension, which is contained within a porous metal. This section has a stable temperature. The main aim of this paper is to analyse the distribution of gas and liquid temperature in the considered pipeline under the influence of heating and cooling of local sections of the pipeline. The accompanying aims of this paper are a formulation of a model to describe heat transport in the pipeline with a section that has a stable temperature and the development of an analytical approach for analyzing the obtained model. The model is based on an analytical solution of partial differential equations with nonlinearity and variation of their coefficients in space and time. The model became more adequate in comparison with recently considered models with better coincidence of experimental results with calculated ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies an actual problem of the appearance of a deposit on walls of heat-exchange devices. An improved deposit formation number is presented that describes the heat and electrochemical nature of any deposit. A new criterion equation for the free convection of air when a salt deposit appears on a heated-up surface is successfully obtained and shown in the paper. New methods of the heat transfer calculation during the formation of deposits based upon the improved heat transfer similarity criterion of deposit formation are developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diapir is a process in which material with a lower specific weight rises from the upper layers, breaks them, and appears on the surface of the earth. In this process, the type of salt's response to the applied stresses creates specific geomorphological forms, which study of such forms can be important due to the presence of oil resources, the establishment of human settlements, and the passage of communication routes. In this research, which was conducted with the aim of investigating the geomorphology caused by salt diapirs, in the south of Semnan privance and with field, library and Remote Sensing methods, it was found that salt deposits cause the creation of specific geomorphological structures and shapes through the creation of tension. local cracks, surface dislocations and tensile fractures. Also, the fluidity of salt has been created on the surface structures and their dimensions are effective, and these structures, in turn, create local forces and control the geomorphic structural situation of the region. In addition, the dissolution process has played an important role in the formation of salt karsts in the region and has created significant shapes. Based on this, the geomorphological formsresulting from the Salt diapirismof the region were identified and in three groups of building forms including salt domes, salt anticlines and salt walls, salt karsts including dolines, ponors, karns and forms resulting from hydrological processes including valleys, springs, salt fluxes and salt glaciers were classified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under nonequilibrium conditions, inorganic systems can produce a wealth of life-like shapes and patterns which, compared to well-formed crystalline materials, remain widely unexplored. A seemingly simple example is the formation of salt deposits during the evaporation of sessile droplets. These evaporites show great variations in their specific patterns including single rings, creep, small crystals, fractals, and featureless disks. We have explored the patterns of 42 different salts at otherwise constant conditions. Based on 7,500 images, we show that distinct pattern families can be identified and that some salts (e.g., Na2SO4 and NH4NO3) are bifurcated creating two distinct motifs. Family affiliations cannot be predicted a priori from composition alone but rather emerge from the complex interplay of evaporation, crystallization, thermodynamics, capillarity, and fluid flow. Nonetheless, chemical composition can be predicted from the deposit pattern with surprisingly high accuracy even if the set of reference images is small. These findings suggest possible applications including smartphone-based analyses and lightweight tools for space missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The general subject of this article deals with the term salt. Salt deposits usually contain chlorides, sulphates/gypsum, borates, carbonates, etc., that are seemingly part of the same system. Even though this article mainly presents data and observations on chlorides, which are not easily explained by the present paradigm, it should also prove relevant for the formation of sulphates and other types of salts observed in major salt deposits. The paradigm explaining large salt deposits rests on two pillars governing salt formation and salt deformation. Salt formation is thought to occur vis solar evaporation of seawater in restricted basins. Salt deformation and forming of salt diapirs is thought to occur due to gravity-induced movements. Our review presents peer-reviewed and published data and observations from different authors within different disciplines that challenge the present evaporite paradigm. The current theory/paradigm rests on numerous observations and interpretations in support of it. Adding more observational interpretations in support of the paradigm will not nullify even one observation that contradicts or remains unexplained by the theory. The contradicting evidence must be explained within the present paradigm for it to survive. Significant observations of and within salt deposits are presented, as well as visual and geophysical observations of salinity in crusts and mantles in relevant tectonic settings. In our view, the omnipresent salinity observed in the subsurface needs to be understood and included in the description of a new salt formation mechanism in order to fully explain all features presented herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a method for engineers and water treatment chemists to predict mineral scale deposition and its inhibition in saline oil wells during water injection during different phases of well life. The predictive study was explained by the DownHOLE SAT program based on the analytical results of the formation water samples taken from the Hassi Messaoud oil field and the Albian water used in the injection operation which provide physical and chemical conditions for formation of salt deposits of all types due to the incompatibility between these waters at the molecular level, which requires treatment of injection water in the well by the deposit inhibitor AD32 to avoid this dilemma. The analysis of samples from selected wells (HGA8, MD411, MD525, MD226, MD625, and MDZ556) for the period of 2010 to 2018 showed that treatment effectiveness is influenced by several factors and operational conditions such as water mixing proportions and Temperature variations. The research provides for various types, Forms and cases of mineral deposits but the main emphasis is on the more dangerous deposition. (Barium Sulphate BaSO4), plus a few other deposits to showcase the results with, 2D and 3D graphs of Saturation Level and Momentary Excess in terms of mixing Injection water with Formation water and Temperature manipulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. We investigated the effects of resveratrol (Res) and MCC950 on the pyroptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and the potential pathway. Methods and Results. Compared with the control (Con) group, the atherosclerosis (AS) group showed calcified nodules, which suggested that the calcification medium induced the calcification of VSMCs. VSMCs showed proliferative activity and significantly attenuated calcification under treatment with 10 μmol/L Res. The calcium salt was detected by alizarin red S staining. Res and MCC950 downregulated the calcification, inflammatory, pyroptosis, and transcription factor-related indicators all decreased by RT-qPCR with Western blot and immunofluorescence. The results showed that Res and MCC950 refrained the calcification of VSMCs and that Res has a better effect than MCC950. Plaques and calcium salt deposits were present in the carotid region in the control group. More calcium salt deposits were evident in the plaques of the Par group by HE staining and alizarin red S staining. The calcification indexes BMP2, Runx2, and related indexes declined by immunofluorescence, which showed parthenolide-inhibited AS. The related protein expressions were consistent with the expression of the cell experiments. Conclusion. Our data demonstrated that inflammatory response and pyroptosis exacerbate AS and unravel the link between VSMCs and the progression of AS lesions. Res and MCC950 inhibited the calcification of VSMCs by regulating NF-κB/NLRP3/IL-1β signaling axis. P53 can exacerbate the AS lesions by acting on NLRP3 inflammasome and pyroptosis. Our findings supported the clinical applications of Res and MCC950 in VSMCs individuals to counteract pyroptosis and AS, and P53 inhibitors also can be a potential treatment for AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mining method that is still often used in salt deposits is the room-and-pillar mining method, in which the dimensioning of the most requested element in the system is followed. The pillars are the elements subjected to the greatest loads. Knowing the size and distribution mode of the secondary state of stress—deformation—is a necessity that can lead to the design and realization of stable, reliable underground excavations. This paper proposes an analytical assessment model of the secondary stress state in the pillars between the operating rooms, as well as in the whole system room–pillar–floor, based on the results obtained from laboratory research through modeling and in situ research. For this purpose, the evaluation of the secondary stress state was carried out considering the following methods: (1) the dimensioning method based on the theory of limit equilibrium, taking into account the effective stress in the pillars; and (2) the mechanics of the continuous environment based on the design of some analytical models for evaluating the secondary stress-deformation state in the pillar and floor. The exploitation of one of the largest salt deposits in Romania is used as a case study, and the stability of the exploitation system with rooms and pillars is evaluated by analytical methods. The secondary state of tension was calculated at different points on the height of the pillar. Through the proposed algorithm, the value of the axial component of the secondary stress state at different points along the axis of a pillar located at a depth of 100 m varies between 1.498 and 1.657 MPa, compared to the value obtained by the finite element method and in situ measurements, which was 1.64 MPa. The comparison revealed a high degree of agreement between the results obtained for the depth of 100 m using both the FEM and laboratory and in situ measurements. This suggests that the proposed algorithm is a reliable method for predicting the secondary stress state. The presented algorithm can be extended in the field of mining deposits, where mining methods with rooms and pillars are used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halophilic and halotolerant microorganisms have a high biotechnological potential. They are producers of biologically active substances, stress-protective agents, hydrolytic enzymes, and are used for environmental bioremediation. At the same time, the characterization of novel halotolerant bacteria and determination of their salt tolerance strategies are important basic problems. The present work reports the isolation of a new strain, MX2, from the salt well brine of the Yakshinskoe potassium−magnesium salt deposit. The isolate was an aerobic, gram-positive, nonmotile bacterium that did not form spores. The cell morphology varied from cocci to short rods capable of producing V-shaped forms. The colonies on agar were circular, with an entire edge and raised center, glistening and orange. Bacteria of strain MX2 were halotolerant microorganisms capable of growing at NaCl concentrations up to 9%. The genome of strain MX2 was sequenced. Its estimated size was 3 747 717 bp, and the number of protein-coding genes was 3562. Strain MX2 was identified as belonging to the species Dietzia maris based on analysis of the 16S rRNA, gyrB, rpoB, recA, and ppk gene sequences and using time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). D. maris MX2 had complete metabolic pathways for the synthesis of ectoine, hydroxyectoine, and trehalose, as well as the transport systems for ectoine, hydroxyectoine, trehalose, glycerol, glycerol-3-phosphate, L-proline, and glycine-betaine. Thus, to ensure the osmotic balance, D. maris MX2 used the strategy of accumulating compatible organic solutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies an actual problem of a decrease in heat transfer because of the formation of a deposit on the walls of the heat transfer equipment. A new heat transfer similarity number of deposit formation that can describe its thermal and electric nature is presented here. New methods of experimental studies under free air convection with deposit on the heat transfer surface are presented and discussed. The deposit is a dense wet mass of NaCl salt. A new criterion equation for the natural air convection conditions is obtained and shown in the article. New methods for calculating the heat transfer during deposit formation based on the created heat transfer similarity number of deposit formation are developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continental rifted margins can be associated with widespread and thick salt deposits, which are often formed during the final stages of rifting, prior to breakup. These salt‐bearing margins are typically characterized by pronounced post‐rift salt tectonics with variable and complex structural styles and evolution. We use a lithosphere‐scale geodynamic numerical model to investigate the role of varying post‐rift sediment fluxes and progradation rates on rifted margin salt tectonics. We focus on a single, intermediate, rifted margin type and salt basin geometry to explore scenarios with different: (i) constant and (ii) time‐varying post‐salt sediment fluxes. We demonstrate that these promote significant contrasts in the style and magnitude of salt tectonics in the proximal, transitional and distal margin domains. The differences are primarily controlled by the relationship between the rates of sediment progradation (Vprog) and salt flow (Vs). When Vprog > Vs, the salt is rapidly buried and both vertical and lateral salt flow are suppressed across the entire margin. When Vprog < Vs, the salt flows vertically and seaward faster than sediments prograde producing major diapirism in the proximal domain and major distal nappe advance, but only moderate overburden extension and distal diapirism. When Vprog ~ Vs, there is moderate proximal diapirism and distal nappe advance, but major updip extension and downdip shortening, which produces major distal diapirism. Modelling results are comparable to various natural systems and help improve our understanding of the controls and dynamics of salt tectonics along salt‐bearing rifted margins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corrosion behaviours of Fe–25Cr, Fe–25Cr–2Mn–1Si, Fe–25Cr–20Ni, 310SS, Ni–25Cr, and Ni–25Cr–2Mn–1Si (all in wt%) with and without NaCl–KCl deposits in Ar–60%CO2–20%H2O gas at 750 °C were studied. Without salt deposits, Fe–25Cr performed protectively, while Fe–25Cr–20Ni and Ni–25Cr underwent breakaway oxidation with multilayered scales formed. Adding alloy elements Si + Mn increased the corrosion resistance of all alloys by forming additional Mn-rich oxides and silica. Surface deposits of NaCl–KCl accelerated corrosion, forming porous Fe-rich oxide nodules for Fe–25Cr and thick, porous scales and internal oxidation zones for all other alloys. The protective effect of Si + Mn alloying disappeared in the presence of chlorides. Limited intergranular carbides were observed for all alloys in the gas-only condition. The extent of carburisation increased with the presence of chloride deposits for all Fe-based alloys, but remained unchanged for Ni-based alloys. Corrosion of these alloys at 750 °C is compared with that at 650 °C. The effect of chlorides in volatilising metals at 750 °C is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Deep subsurfaces such as caves and mines are extreme environments inhabited by specialized microorganisms that are able to cope with the adverse conditions caused by low moisture, and high pressure. Our research confirmed that one such site is the rocks surrounding the salt beds in the Wieliczka Salt Mine, where methane-oxidizing bacteria are present. We demonstrated methanotrophic activity in both natural and mineral-supplemented rock material. In the next stage of our research, we confirmed that the methanotrophic community can be cultured on a mineral substrate, using methane as the sole source of carbon and energy source. The issues addressed in this study contribute to our understanding of the biodiversity of microorganisms inhabiting the extreme subsurface biosphere but also provide insights into changes in biodiversity during the isolation of bacterial communities from this type of ecosystem. This information can be valuable for the acquisition of microorganisms with potential applications in biotechnology. The rocks surrounding Wieliczka salt deposits are an extreme, deep subsurface ecosystem that as we studied previously harbors many microorganisms, including methanotrophs. In the presented research bacterial community structure of the Wieliczka Salt Mine was determined as well as the methanotrophic activity of the natural microbiome. Finally, an enrichment culture of methane-consuming methanotrophs was obtained. The research material used in this study consisted of rocks surrounding salt deposits in the Wieliczka Salt Mine. DNA was extracted directly from the pristine rock material, as well as from rocks incubated in an atmosphere containing methane and mineral medium, and from a methanotrophic enrichment culture from this ecosystem. As a result, the study describes the composition of the microbiome in the rocks surrounding the salt deposits, while also explaining how biodiversity changes during the enrichment culture of the methanotrophic bacterial community. The contribution of methanotrophic bacteria ranged from 2.614% in the environmental sample to 64.696% in the bacterial culture. The methanotrophic enrichment culture was predominantly composed of methanotrophs from the genera Methylomonas (48.848%) and Methylomicrobium (15.636%) with methane oxidation rates from 3.353 ± 0.105 to 4.200 ± 0.505 µmol CH4 mL−1 day−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed an improved depth of extreme point (DEXP) method, characterized as an effective and rapid imaging method that can estimate the depth and distribution of a source quickly. Its main purpose is to solve various challenges. The automatic calculation aspect of the traditional method is often limited; namely, there is a problem with achieving automatic and reliable processing when the observed surface presents undulating topography, and this problem cannot be ignored. Therefore, we propose the addition of the constant method and the hypothetical observed surface method to achieve improvements in the traditional method. Firstly, we test the improved method on the synthetic models to demonstrate its notable advantage: the achievement of a fully automatic calculation without requiring any other additional information such as structural index (SI) values and threshold values. Meanwhile, we also demonstrate its ability and reliability to handle undulating topography with acceptable accuracy for imaging results. Furthermore, we verify the robustness of the improved method by applying it to real gravity data from the potash salt deposit in the Sakhon Nakhon basin, Laos. In this case, the improved DEXP method effectively identified the location of the potash deposit. Moreover, combined with the optimal edge detection method, gravity prospecting for potash salt deposits exhibited significant advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The editorial discusses the long-standing study of corrosion mechanisms in the presence of molten salts and deposits, highlighting their importance in various technological sectors. The papers presented aim to uncover the underlying mechanisms of corrosion and suggest future research directions for practical applications, including material protection. Topics covered include thermodynamic and kinetic considerations, experimental setups, material chemistry, protection methods, and the need for continued scientific investigation. The editorial is a contribution from the "Molten Salt and Deposit-Induced Corrosion" session of the 11th International Conference on High-Temperature Corrosion and Protection of Materials (HTCPM 2024). [Extracted from the article]

Railway system insulators are affected by pollution, altitude, and other environmental situations during operation, which causes reduced electrical performance or even flashover accidents. These factors threaten the safety of railway operations in high-altitude areas. However, the natural contamination characteristics of a railroad in a plateau area is still unclear. In this study, a natural pollution accumulation test for railway insulators in a high-altitude area was carried out, and the distribution rules of nonsoluble deposit density (NSDD), equivalent salt deposit density (ESDD), NSDD/ESDD ratio, and nonuniformity (T/B) of the pollution distribution of the tested insulators were calculated. Meanwhile, the chemical compositions of the pollution from different test sites were analyzed. The differences of pollution accumulation between railway insulators and suspended insulators of a power system and the influencing factors were compared and analyzed by combining with a numerical simulation. The results show that the pollution level of railroad insulators is mainly distributed in level b and above. A pollution sample is mainly composed of sodium chloride, while the NSDD/ESDD ratio of pollution is mostly distributed from 0 to 5, with T/B value ranges from 1/0.62 to 1/1.76. The amount of insulator contamination is influenced by the location inside and outside the tunnel. Additionally, the pollution amount is influenced by the structure and type of insulators. Finally, this paper studies the creepage distance and structural height required by railway insulators in a plateau area according to the natural pollution accumulation characteristics of railway insulators, which can provide a reference for a railway electrical external insulation configuration in a high-altitude area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Ni-25Cr (wt.%) alloy coated with the salts and mixtures of these salts with an industrial coal ash was exposed to Ar-60CO2-20 H2O at 650 °C for 300 h. The alloy without any deposit developed a uniform internal oxidation zone (IOZ) and an external metallic nickel layer surmounted by a thin NiO scale. Salt deposits changed the scale constituents and morphology. Predominantly, a duplex scale of NiO over a Cr2O3 layer grew with an underlying IOZ containing large Cr-rich oxide precipitates. Under a deposit of ash plus salts, the basic reaction morphology was the same as in the gas-only case, but the oxide layer was non-uniform. Local voids were formed within the alloy beneath chloride plus ash deposits. Under ash with sulphates, the alloy formed both partially protected areas and non-protective multi-layered scales. Spherical ash particles were enveloped by NiO in both salt-ash deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zhejiang Electric Power is the property of Zhejiang Electric Power Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Qaidam basin in W China is an immense hyperarid intramontane basin with flat vast playas and salt lakes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The central basin is about 2800–2900 m a.s.l. elevation and enclosed by mountain ranges reaching > 5800 m in the Qilian Mountains and > 6200 m in the eastern Kunlun Mountains. The extensive playas of the basin are covered by gypsum or halite with very subordinate additional solids. In this contribution we report on the chemical composition of salt lakes and inflows to the Qaidam basin (analysis of 30 water samples collected in the summer of 2008 and 2009) together with the composition of 22 salt samples. Salt lakes and small salt ponds formed at topographic depressions. Some of the lakes cover > 300 km2 surface but are very shallow (1–2 m deep). Most salt lakes and salt ponds are NaCl dominated and contain typically 250–300 g kg−1 total dissolved solids (TDS). Some lakes are industrially used and produce KCl fertilizer, LiCl, and boron or are strongly modified by deep water produced in oil fields. Lakes along the borders to the high mountains are typically not fully saturated with halite. However, also these lakes lost most Ca and are drastically enriched in Mg and some lakes also in B and Li. The chemical development of the most natural salt lakes follows a path producing Ca-deficient water that ultimately precipitate Mg-bearing carbonates and chlorites in addition to halite upon evaporation. The salt lakes form by continuous and drastic evaporation of the waters supplied by the inflows to the lakes in the basin. All inflows carry considerable amounts of Cl and are characterized by very high Cl/Br ratios. These chemical characteristics suggest that the salt load of the inflows originates mostly from re-dissolved windblown halite deposited together with sand up to high altitudes in the bordering mountain ranges. Also, thermal waters ascending along deep faults along the Qilian Mountains carry considerable amounts of chloride. Their low Cl/Br ratio however suggests that most of the dissolved Na is derived from minerals of the basement rocks by fluid-rock interaction at T > 130 °C. The thermal fluids also carry considerable amounts of boron, indicating that co-precipitated borax in the salt lakes ultimately also derives from minerals in the basement rocks (tourmaline). Consequently, the presented data improve the understanding how the brines and salt lake waters develop from a wide range of chemically distinct low-TDS inflows and how the sequences of minerals precipitated upon evaporation in the Qaidam basin formed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Railway Standard Design is the property of Railway Standard Design Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The effect of "buried stone" has been studied on the intensities of degradation processes present on the kersantite rock built into the monument Small Staircase. The investigations were conducted on sound rock from the quarry and damaged stone built-in the monument. While some staircase parts were underground for 90 years, most of the stone elements were exposed to different environmental conditions and anthropogenic influences. Detailed mapping of the current state of the monument was done to investigate the effect of the burial and monument's complex geometry on the type of decay and varying of physical properties such as bulk and real density, total and open porosity, and water absorption. The main weathering types that occurred on kersantite elements were loss of stone material in the form of back weathering and relief followed by granular disintegration, flaking, and crust detachment. Damage indices were calculated on the bases of mapping results, too. Microscopic investigations, SEM–EDS and PXRD analyses showed that weathering of hydrothermally altered kersantite produced new secondary phases: vermiculite, increase of chlorite content, formation of secondary Fe oxides/hydroxide and salt deposits of gypsum, thenardite, Na-Ca sulphate and halite. In relation to sound kersantite, the decline in the value of physical properties of damaged stone was observed. Calculated values of damage indices reflected differences between separate parts of the Monument and enabled assessment of weathering rates according to the geometric position of the stone exposure to environmental influences, respectively significance of burial for stone conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagenetic models help explain reservoir quality of siliciclastic strata, which are globally important exploration targets for groundwater, petroleum and carbon sequestration. Siliciclastics occur in salt provinces worldwide but remain poorly studied despite documented deviation from basic eodiagenetic models. A new variation is explained based on evidence from Cumberland Basin strata (Grande Anse Formation, Pennsylvanian, Canada). These strata were deposited in a fluvial setting under semi‐humid to humid climates and represent an unconformable cover sequence over a salt wall. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, both employing cathodoluminescence, reveal that widespread early diagenetic phases are mostly deleterious to reservoir quality. These pre‐compactional eodiagenetic phases are: (i) variable dissolution/alteration of feldspars, micas and carbonate/evaporite clasts; clay and grain staining iron oxides; and pore‐filling kaolinite; (ii) microcrystalline calcite; quartz overgrowths, prismatic quartz, quartzine chalcedony and blocky quartz, the latter two pseudomorphous after gypsum; and barite; (iii) framboidal pyrite and locally extensive Mg, Fe and Mn‐bearing blocky calcite. The first phase is attributed to a seasonally wetted vadose zone under relatively low pH and positive Eh conditions characteristic of humid climates. In contrast, the second phase is usually associated with evaporitic conditions and arid climates, where authigenesis occurs in the capillary fringe to just below the water table, and where porewaters are much more saline. The third phase is related to authigenesis from shallow burial, anoxic, phreatic porewaters. How is the aforementioned humid/arid dichotomy deciphered? Important may be the distinction between vadose and circum‐water‐table phases. Beneath vadose deposits of the humid climate, the proximity of evaporite rock in the salt wall allows for its localized dissolution, providing abundant Ca, CO3 and SO4 ions to produce anomalously saline, shallow groundwater. Barite and transient gypsum precipitated, the latter subsequently replaced by chalcedony and pseudomorphous silica during sporadic events where flushing of meteoric water temporarily lowered pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the features of migration and the concentration of chemical elements in the earth's crust during the formation of modern basins by evaporite sedimentation, on the example of "dry" salt Lake Baskunchak located in the Astrakhan region of the Russian Federation. The formation of the salt composition of the brines entering it is determined by the leaching activity of the ancient salt formations located in the immediate vicinity (salt rods, domes, etc.), followed by redeposition of salts in the basin in the course of evaporite sedimentation. In addition, the article, on the example of Lake Baskunchak, discusses the features of the evolutionary development of modern salt ponds from their inception to regression. In accordance with this, the main stages of the evolutionary development of saltwater reservoirs are pre-sedimentation, sedimentation including the phase of "brine" and "dry" salt lake, and post-sedimentation ones. It is emphasized that by the time of reaching the "dry" lake stage its hydrological period of development is completed, and the surface brine is transformed into an underground one, due to which a period comes when the further development of the basin begins to be determined by hydrogeological features. Among the main objectives of this study, it is also worth highlighting the features of the development and operation of modern solid salt deposits and their brines at Lake Baskunchak, and the possibility of regenerating its reserves based on thermodynamic and kinetic methods for calculating salt formation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method is proposed for the production of an inhibitor of salt deposition based on a polyelectrolyte complex, including an anionic natural polymer (sodium lignosulfonate) and a cationic synthetic polymer (polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride) as initial components. A stable polyelectrolyte complex was produced by selecting the molar ratios of the anionic and cationic components by impedance spectroscopy, which involves measurement of the dependence of an electrochemical cell on the frequency of the alternating current. The effectiveness of the polyelectrolytic complex as inhibitor of salt deposition in waters with various compositions under conditions of rising temperatures was demonstrated experimentally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of salt rocks deformation and fracture processes is an essential part of mining parameters justification for mineral salt deposits. The results of uniaxial compression tests on large salt rock specimens are presented as a loading curve and diagrams of the transverse-longitudinal displacements at various distances from the side faces. Based on an isotropic elastoplastic model, a multivariant numerical simulation was performed. Its purpose was to select fracture criteria that accurately describe the loading diagram of specimen and its transverse-longitudinal deformations. The following fracture criteria are considered: Tresca with the associated plastic flow rule, the associated and non-associated Mohr-Coulomb, the parabolic analogue of Mohr-Coulomb criterion and the volumetric fracture criterion. Numerical simulation was carried out by the displacement-based finite element method. Three-dimensional hexahedral eight-node isoparametric elements were used for discretization of the solution domain. It has been established that within the elastoplastic model of media the process of uniaxial compression of a large cubic salt rock specimen is adequately described by the linear Mohr-Coulomb fracture criterion with the non-associated plastic flow, as well as by the associated volumetric parabolic yield criterion with the linear isotropic hardening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncontrolled inflow of formation fluid (brine) into a well adversely affects the cation–anion bonds in solutions and leads to their dissociation and loss of aggregative stability. Blow-out significantly complicates the drilling process and leads to an increase in non-productive time and in financial costs for problem solving. It is necessary to create a blocking screen that allows separation of the layer from the well and prevents brine flow. This article is devoted to the development of polymeric-blocking compositions that work due to the crystallization reaction of divalent salts of calcium and magnesium chlorides. More than 14 components were detected in the formation fluid on the atomic emission spectrometer. Based on the study of the compatibility of components with brine and the study of rheology and filtration processes through a real core under HPHT conditions, the optimal component polymer composition was selected. The reason for the increase in the rheology of composition during its thickening was established. With the help of tomographic studies, the depth of penetration of the filtrate into the core of layers was determined. For further studies, an experimental stand was designed for physical simulation of the isolation process under HPHT conditions and backpressure from the formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the marine environment, the working environment of the doubly fed wind generator carbon brush and slip‐ring system is complicated, salt spray deposits and seawater erosion affect the temperature field and contact surface friction factor leading to carbon brush wear increase and shortened replacement cycle. The three‐dimensional temperature field simulation model of the carbon brush and slip‐ring system is established. The main factors affecting the carbon brush and slip‐ring system temperature field are sliding velocity, load current, ambient temperature, contact surface condition and contact pressure applied to the brush. Wear capacity of carbon brushes is affected by contact surface temperature. An experimental platform combined with the salt spray test machine was built to carry out the contact current, contact pressure, salt spray concentration and experimental temperature experiment. The improved Coulomb‐viscous friction force model was used for the wear prediction model. The sliding velocity, contact pressure, contact current, experimental temperature and salt spray concentration were introduced into the model. The experimental verification has shown that the prediction model can effectively predict the carbon brush wearing capacity under different conditions. This model can be applied to formulating the carbon brush wear amount and replacement cycle in the marine environment reducing operation and maintenance costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces a complementary criterion for flashover (FOV) of polluted insulators based on the concept of equivalent impedance variation with discharge length and leakage current. An analytical electrothermal model enabling the calculation of critical FOV voltage and critical current of polluted insulators is developed using this complementary criterion and the equivalent impedance criterion. It is shown that the critical parameters depend on the thermal characteristic of the discharge and the components of the equivalent electrical circuit. The comparison of the computed FOV voltage and critical current is in good accordance with the experimental ones for a laboratory insulation flat sample model with different applied voltage waveforms. The application of the developed model to actual insulators destined for 11-kV systems, by including equivalent salt density deposit (ESDD) and the form factor, shows that FOV voltage values match very well with the experimental data in clean fog test conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of the new mining technology on the Third potash bed at the Starobinsk potash salt deposit is accompanied by the displacement of the undermined rocks. The displacement is accompanied by the foliation. The gas accumulates in the resulting foliation. The gas accumulations in the roof or the floor rocks can be the cause of a rockburst. A rockburst poses a threat to the miners' lives, breaks driving and wide equipment and stops the working activity of the mines. Therefore, the study of the underworking effect on the gas content and the gas-dynamic characteristics are relevant problems in mining science. Thus, the purpose of this work is the study of the underworking effect on the gas content and the gas-dynamic characteristics. The τ criterion was used for testing the data samples. At the second stage of the comparative statistical analysis, two hypotheses H0 and H1 were accepted which were later subjected to verification using Student's t-test. The gas parameters are changed by the camera floor and are not changed by other places. Therefore, the effect of the rock underworking leads to the formation of the additional foliation of the floor and, accordingly, to the free gases' redistribution along the stratigraphic section and, ultimately, to the significant changes of the free gas content, the starting gas release and the gas pressure. The validity of the effect of the undermining can be the intensive gas releases repeatedly recorded in the process of drilling research holes into the soil with the ejection of a piece of the rock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to ensure safe working conditions for miners underground, many works are carried out in mines to strengthen and seal mining excavations. This article presents the successfully applied technology for removing water inflow from the unique Salt Mine. Failure to take such action may ultimately lead to the flooding of the "Wieliczka" Salt Mine (KSW). On the basis of the authors' research studies, some of the implemented works at the "Wieliczka" Salt Mine are presented, the purpose of which is to better protect the mine against the risk of flooding with water. Thanks to this, the mine can safely survive for many more years. This article presents two innovative technologies in salt mines: (1) sealing of the rock mass surrounding the Kościuszko shaft casing in the "Wieliczka" Salt Mine, where jet injection was used as the basic method of making an anti-filter screen outside the shaft casing and classic injection as a supplementary method for sealing the anthropogenic embankment; (2) reconstruction of the internal pillar of safety by implementing a patented technology called "pipeline injection" on the example of the Mina cross-section, in which a catastrophic water inflow was previously created that threatened the existence of the "Wieliczka" Salt Mine. The first method consists of making an anti-filter screen, which is located outside the shaft housing. Unfortunately, it is not possible to perform injection works from inside the shaft housing, because the Kosciuszko shaft, as a ventilation shaft, must be open constantly. To solve this problem, it is designed as the main technology known as jet grouting, which is supplemented by pressure injection at a depth of up to several meters with continuous monitoring of the condition of the casing during injection works. The second example concerns the reconstruction of the internal pillar of mine safety in the area of the northern border of the salt deposit. In this case, the catastrophic hazard is documented, as evidenced by the inflow to the Mina transverse, which is located on the fourth level of the mine. This task was successfully completed by the implementation of a patented technological solution called pipeline injection, the details of which are discussed in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In places where petroleum and natural gas accumulate, a large number of salt layer deposits are likely to form under the surface of the earth. Locations of petroleum and natural gas can be found through precise positioning. Salt rock areas are traditionally located by experts through annotations on seismic images from professional equipment. However, manual labeling is a tedious and lengthy process, and is not objective. The inaccurate judgment of the location of a salt body will create hidden safety hazards. For a more accurate and automatic process, a salt rock segmentation method based on a U-Net model and deep supervision is proposed, using Kaggle platform data provided by the TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company (TGS). Based on the data, single model precision of 87.32% mAP is obtained by training the model directly. Using transfer learning, ResNeSt loaded with a pretrained model is used as the backbone network of the encoder. To further improve the accuracy, some modules are added to the decoder. A series of experiments are conducted using a standardized method, whose results show that the proposed model delivers higher accuracy than some state-of-the-art models do. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study focuses on the corrosion behavior of 304L stainless steel in crevice corrosion environments. The specimen with a salt deposit of 0.1 g/m2 was assembled with a crevice former made of Poly-tetra fluoroethylene (PTFE) to make a test device. The assembled test devices were kept at the ambient temperature of 45 °C in combination with a relative humidity of 45%, 55%, and 70%. After testing for 5000 h, the corroded area of the specimen exposed to 70% humidity was three times larger than that subjected to 45% humidity. For the specimen sustaining a tensile force, the crack growth rate was approximately 1.4 mm/year at the stress level of 300 MPa in a crevice corrosion environment with 0.1 g/m2 of sea salt deposited on the surface. The small portion of intergranular cracking occurred at the surface due to the existed strain on the surface. As cracks propagate in a grain, the grain undergoes a greater localized deformation, and some secondary cracks would develop inside the grain; transgranular cracking was vigorous due to the path corrosion that nucleated at the slip steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide new kinematic data from the Potwar Plateau (Pakistan) to evaluate the tectonic evolution of the region during the Neogene. The plateau is bound by two major strike-slip faults in the west and the east, accommodating its southwards translation. We have recognized two Neogene deformation phases in the plateau, based on paleostress inversion and Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility (AMS) tensors. The first phase lasted until the early Pliocene and was characterized by vertical minor stress and N-S compression, implying thrust tectonics. The second deformation phase is characterized by a near-vertical intermediate principal stress and near-horizontal major and minor stresses, interpreted to be associated with strike-slip tectonics since the late Pliocene. Kint vectors from 21 sites are relatively compatible with the major principal stress orientations (σ1) and indicate two distinct domains. This is possibly because Kmin orientations are related to compaction, whereas Kint orientations were always parallel to tectonic shortening and hence compression direction during both strike-slip (post-late Pliocene) and thrusting (pre-late Pliocene) phases. These phases are characterized by swapping of (σ2) and (σ3) orientations while (σ1) maintained its orientation. The most prominent change occurs at the western part of the Potwar Plateau, where major principal stress directions (σ1) and Kint axes fan out south-westwards. The eastern domain is dominated by NE-SW trending folds and thrust faults, which are absent in the western domain. These structural features are interpreted to be the result of the distribution of deposits of the Neoproterozoic Salt Range Formation as a substratum below the Potwar Plateau. The Salt Range Formation is very thick and widespread in the west area and almost absent in the east. This factor led to unconstrained southwards gliding of the Potwar Plateau over the salt deposits in the west as opposed to frictional sliding and substantial internal deformation in the east. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicone rubber (SR) insulators have been coated with different concentrations of NaCl to study the contamination level adopting laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) analysis. An elemental study of LIBS spectral data has identified the sodium peaks, thereby indicating the presence of salt deposits. A regression coefficient is used for a better understanding of the direct correlation between the salt deposit density (SDD) and the normalized intensity ratio, at various standoff distances. A marginal decrement in the normalized intensity ratio of the sodium peaks has been noticed in the case of readings taken at morning and midday, compared to those taken at night at different SDD values and different energies of the laser pulse. With increase in SDD, the intensity distribution characteristics have a right shift on the intensity scale. The polluted SR specimens are successfully classified by employing artificial neural network technique. Overall, the LIBS method is successful in identifying the variations in the salt deposition on the surface of the insulator, even at far distances of 15 m and at any time of the day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe pollution environment over the Israel Electric (IECo) Power Grid is created by synergy between Saharan dust and sea-salt aerosols (SSA) originated from the Mediterranean Sea. In the presence of high air humidity, the resultant pollution stress remains one of the major factors affecting operational reliability of ceramic insulators in the IECo Network. In respect with the severe polluted conditions, the outdoor insulation coordination requires detailed statistical studies and refined geographic mapping of the natural pollution deposit. This paper presents numeric maps of Sea-Salt Sedimentation Rate (SSSR) that was developed for the Eastern Mediterranean region including Israel. The paper demonstrates an adopted meteorological model, calculating algorithm and spatial–temporal characteristics of sea-salt aerosols within the considered domain. The acquired SSSR-Maps have been verified against the Equivalent Salt Deposit Density (ESDD) field-data and available ground-level measurements of SSA-concentrations. Good agreement was obtained between SSA model predictions and ground-based measurements on a daily and monthly basis. A case-study of a joint analysis of desertdust and sea-salt deposition along the selected overhead line was presented. The effect of the sea-salt deposit on the pollution flashover risk of ceramic insulators has been demonstrated. It is showed that the predicted ESDD-values might quite commensurate those ESDD-portions absorbed by desert dust. Hence, the contribution of sea-salt deposit cannot be neglected when evaluating pollution flashover risk for local outdoor insulators, especially in coastal areas. The study outcomes have demonstrated that the proposed SSA-modeling approach has sufficient meaningfulness to be implemented in practical tasks of outdoor insulation coordination and insulators dimensioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The centimeter-scale halite rhythmites in the first member of the Shahejie Formation in the Shulu Sag of the Bohai Bay Basin are investigated, and the Eocene to early Oligocene paleoenvironmental characteristics of a typical saline lake basin are restored by reconstructing the temperature and compositional information of ancient brines. The obtained homogenization temperatures (Th) of fluid inclusions range from 6.5 to 49.2 °C, with a relative lower Th from transparent halite samples than from gray halite samples. This suggests different temperature conditions and a probable association with seasonal changes. The ion contents of halite fluid inclusions reveal the lake brine is a Na-Mg-K-Ca-Cl type and reached the initial stage of halite deposition. The transparent halite samples plotted within different phase regions than the gray halite samples on plots of ion contents and showed significant change within phase regions. Combined with the observed cm-scale rhythm in the evaporite sequences of the Shulu Sag, these results suggest a shallow water environment and frequent dilution by inflows of fresher water caused by seasonal climate change. The gray halite formed under higher temperatures and increased inflow conditions, and the transparent halite formed under lower temperatures and decreased inflow conditions. Compared with the Jiangling Sag in Hubei Province in southern China, the Shulu Sag may have been less affected by igneous rocks in the Es1 Formation due to the material source, and the concentration of trace elements such as lithium, strontium and boron in the ancient salt lake brine was lower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Central Andes of South America host the largest known lithium resources in a confined area, but the primary lithium sources of the salar deposits and the mobilisation process of lithium are still a matter of speculation. Chemical weathering at or near the surface and leaching in hydrothermal systems of the active magmatic arc are considered the two main mechanisms of Li extraction from the source rock. The lithium and strontium isotope composition of typical salar deposits offer insights into the processes on how Li brine deposits in Andean evaporites are formed. Data from the Salar de Pozuelos indicate near-surface chemical weathering in a cold and dry climate as the dominant mobilisation process of Li, with evaporation being responsible for the enrichment. The Cenozoic ignimbrites are the favoured source rock for the Li, with subordinate additions from the Palaeozoic basement. The identification of the source rocks is supported by radiogenic Nd and Pb and stable B isotope data from salar deposits. A comparison with other Li brine and salt deposits in the Altiplano-Puna Plateau and its western foothills places the Salar de Pozuelos as an endmember of Li solubilisation by chemical weathering with only minor hydrothermal mobilisation of Li. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt deposits are a key challenge of solar driven desalination technology due to the fact that the evaporation rate of the system sharply deteriorates when salt accumulates. In this paper, a self‐blacking aerogel (SBA) is first demonstrated with excellent deposited salt self‐cleaning performance, and the self‐cleaning mechanism is illustrated by the theory of chemical potential. The color of the SBA can be changed from light brown to black under the inducement of water and light, and its light absorption ability clearly increases from 34.5% to 77.0% in the whole spectral range (200–2500 nm). SBA is fabricated by quinoa bran cellulose (QBC) and graphene oxide (GO) with an evaporation rate of 3.6 kg m−2 h−1 under one sun. Importantly, for natural solar irradiation, the average evaporation rate reaches up to 12.6 and 12 kg m−2 day−1 in the period of 15 days of outdoor experiments for pure water and stimulated seawater respectively, which can meet the drinking water demand for 5–6 people. This work provides a convenient strategy to improve the salt deposit problem with high evaporation rate, and low cost for practical desalination, with water purification applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with conventional porcelain bushings, polymeric ones are light and therefore possess improved seismic performance. They are also explosion proof with no scattering when broken and are highly stain resistant. In particular, the polymeric bushings coated with silicone rubber show good voltage resistance performance, even when covered with salt deposits. That is, by covering the surface with silicone rubber, the hydrophobic nature of the polymer bushing becomes excellent. This reduces the risk of the occurrence of surface arc discharges and flashovers. Therefore, as shown in Figure 1, the length of a typical polymer bushing insulated with pressurized SF6 can be reduced significantly compared with a conventional porcelain bushing insulated with oil-impregnated paper (OIP) of the same voltage class. The weight can be reduced drastically as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inland salt marshes are rare habitats in the Great Lakes region of North America, formed on salt deposits from the Silurian period. These patchy habitats are abiotically stressful for the freshwater invertebrates that live there, and provide an opportunity to study the relationship between stress and diversity. We used morphological and COI metabarcoding data to assess changes in diversity and composition across both space (a transect from the salt seep to an adjacent freshwater area) and time (three sampling seasons). Richness was significantly lower at the seep site with both datatypes, while metabarcoding data additionally showed reduced richness at the freshwater transect end, consistent with a pattern where intermediate levels of stress show higher diversity. We found complementary, rather than redundant, patterns of community composition using the two datatypes: not all taxa were equally sequenced with the metabarcoding protocol. We identified taxa that are abundant at the salt seep of the marsh, including biting midges (Culicoides) and ostracods (Heterocypris). We conclude that (as found in other studies) molecular and morphological work should be used in tandem to identify the biodiversity in this rare habitat. Additionally, salinity may be a driver of community membership in this system, though further ecological research is needed to rule out alternate hypotheses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halophytic vegetation on fossil salt deposits and salt springs is an extreme habitat occurring in isolated continental areas of temperate Europe. It has a relatively rich representation in the Transylvanian Basin of Romania; however, comprehensive research into this highly specialized vegetation is lacking. We provide the first phytosociological survey of recent data of inland salt habitats in Cluj County, where they are widely distributed. Cluster analysis distinguished eight euhalophytic plant communities occupying several zones depending on the micro-topography of the salt-affected area: Scorzonero parviflorae-Juncetum gerardii (including Astero tripolio-Triglochinetum maritime), Plantagineto cornuti-Agrostetum stoloniferae, Artemisio-Festucetum pseudovinae, Artemisio-Petrosimonietum triandrae, Limonio gmelinii-Artemisietum monogynae, Puccinellietum limosae (each allocated to the class Festuco-Puccinellietea), then Suaedetum maritimae and Salicornietum prostratae, belonging to the class Therosalicornietea. We revised the nomenclature of these associations, characterized their species composition and ecological preferences based on indicator values for salinity, pH, moisture and nutrients in the soil. We broadly discussed our findings in light of the historical data and documented the current habitat conditions of the sites. Most of them were found to be degraded due to increasing tourism exploiting the curative effects of salt springs. Beyond recognizing the high conservation value of the Transylvanian salt habitats, it is also important to highlight their biogeographical significance, as they fill the gap between the inland salt marshes of Central Europe and the continental salt habitats of Eurasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bonneville Salt Flats form a saline pan in western Utah, USA. This modern saline pan has a unique history of land‐speed racing and potash mining. Multi‐decadal measurements record decreasing evaporite volume and extent, spurring multiple environmental studies. The goal of this work is to describe saline pan evaporite morphologies within the context of environmental measurements. Environmental data include field observations, groundwater and dust trap samples, precipitation, albedo, time‐lapse photography, groundwater level, and temperature measurements of air, groundwater and the shallow evaporite crust. Petrographic data include thick sections, evaporite slabs and sediments, and X‐ray computed tomography of evaporites. Diverse halite morphologies are formed at the surface, vadose and phreatic zones. The presence and preservation of these morphologies are influenced by spatially heterogenous natural and anthropogenic processes, including daily to seasonal changes in brine salinity, mineral saturation states, and water level within and across saline pan stages. In addition to hydrological balances delineated by the saline pan stages of flooding, evapoconcentration and desiccation, changes in vertical brine movement, temperature and surficial sedimentary structures influence evaporite morphologies. These results are transferable to the interpretation of altered evaporites and enhancing saline pan depositional models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mineral licks are faunal attractors, whose distribution determines the structure and composition of Amazonian landscapes and the way they are used by wildlife and traditional communities. Research on the distribution of mineral licks is scarce, limiting the possibility of using them in conservation beyond local scales. Using the species distribution modeling framework, we predicted the distribution of suitable conditions for mineral licks in the Northwest Amazon, compiling localities from academic and traditional sources and using environmental variables associated with geology, geomorphology, edaphology, topography, and hydrology. Best models, selected according to evaluation metrics incorporated in the ENMeval "R" package, showed to be robust and predict sectors with different areas, but similar distributions. Suitable areas covered up to 14.6% of the study area and confirmed the association of mineral licks with the drainage system. The erosive capacities of the rivers and their roles in terms of sediment deposition allowed the generation of ideal conditions for the expression of mineral licks in past and present riparian zones. Closeness to salt deposits and the seacoast was also important, giving information about the underground and aboveground mineral availability, crucial aspects for mineral lick formation. Considering the extension and distribution of our predictions, we proposed its use as input for other spatial modeling exercises, for example, as part of a complex resistance matrix to evaluate ecological connectivity or as criteria to prioritize sectors for restoration in the Colombian Amazon, where it is imperative to consolidate functional networks to prevent isolation between the Amazon and Andes regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to assess the effect of dry band location of contaminated porcelain insulators under various flashover voltages due to humidity. Four locations of dry bands are proposed to be tested under different severity of contamination artificially produce using salt deposit density (SDD) sprayed on an insulator. Laboratory tests of polluted insulators under proposed scenarios have been conducted. The flashover voltage of clean insulators has been identified as a reference value to analyze the effect of contamination distribution and its severity. The dry band dimension has been taken into consideration in experimental tests. The flashover voltage has been predicted using an artificial neural network (ANN) technique based on the laboratory test data. The ANN approach is constructed with five input data (geometry the insulator and parameters of contamination) and flashover voltage as the output of the model. Results indicated that the pollution distribution based on the proposed scenario has a significant influence on the flashover voltage performances. Validation of the ANN model reveals that the relative error values between the experimental results and the prediction appeared to be within 5%. This indicates the significant efficiency of the ANN technique in predicting the flashover voltage insulator under test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different geophysical methods use different model parameterizations and inversion algorithms. Thus, combining these different inversion systems and yet adding the nonlinear cross‐gradient constraint in a joint inversion framework might be a big challenge, for instance, as explained further by Moorkamp et al. in 2011, there is a complex interaction between the data misfit terms, regularization and cross‐gradient terms and an imperfect fit to the data is expected. In this paper, we use a sequential algorithm for a two‐dimensional joint inversion of gravity and magnetic data, which tries to avoid these issues by decoupling the gravity inversion, the magnetic inversion and the cross‐gradient minimization processes. The efficiency of the algorithm and developed code is demonstrated by the joint inversion of noisy synthetic data. The results show a significant improvement in the respective models obtained by introducing the cross‐gradient joint inversion over the models obtained by separate inversions for synthetic data and then for field data targeting potash ore source in the AjiChai salt deposit in north‐western Iran. In this application case, the lower density of salt minerals such as potash, compared to its surrounding sedimentary sequences, motivates a gravity study. Furthermore, the relative lower susceptibility of these salt minerals, alongside their diamagnetic effect, makes them a suitable target for magnetic surveys. Separate gravity and magnetic studies had been performed over the deposit; however, a constitutive relationship between density and magnetization within the area of interest supporting a joint inversion had not been established. In this paper, we apply the sequential cross‐gradient approach to perform the first full joint inversion for the AjiChai salt deposit. The magnetic inversion here is performed to recover the magnetization amplitudes rather than the magnetization vector. In fact, we assume there is no remanent magnetization and, therefore, that the magnetization vector is constant and parallel to the geomagnetic field direction. The constructed density and magnetization models are of high concordance with available geological information and previous studies including drilling results. In addition, unlike previous separate inversion models, the models are structurally and geometrically similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reverse osmosis (RO) is a widely used technology for providing brewing and process water in the beverage industry. In order to design the membrane process in a resource-saving and cost-effective way, the prediction of salt deposits in the membrane modules is of great importance. Since calcium and carbonate containing waters are very common, the solubility of CaCO3 is often the limiting factor of the raw water yield. The prediction and thus the plant design is largely based on chemical saturation indices as the LSI and S&DSI. However, the calculation of these parameters is done on the basis of simplifications of the water chemistry, which are no longer necessary due to computer-aided calculation methods. Furthermore, there is no valid theory on CaCO3 crystallisation based on fundamental energetic considerations. The classical crystallisation theory, which had been considered valid for decades, has proven to be insufficient. Improved theories are currently under discussion and a validation for CaCO3 crystallisation is not available today. Nevertheless, the polymorphism of CaCO3 seems to be of great value for the description of different saturation and crystallisation zones. Besides the most stable CaCO3 form, calcite, the monohydrate calcium carbonate (MCC) has been characterised as crucial for the description of metastable solutions. Thus, the solubility product of calcite does not provide a suitable basis for predicting CaCO3 precipitation as applied in the LSI and S&DSI. With this work, we introduce a hydrochemical simulation model of the RO process that can be linked to the chemical equilibria of other crystal forms of CaCO3 such as the MCC. The calculations can be executed in the freely available water chemistry software PHREEQC. Besides the prediction of salt deposits, the literature shows a great need for reliable technical monitoring of fouling and especially inorganic fouling (scaling). In this context, we present a new fibre-optic based fouling detection system. Our proposed minimally invasive measurement technique allows spatially resolved measurements in membrane systems. The detection is based on the interaction of light and deposits such as salt on an optical fibre. The fibre optic sensor has the potential to provide the necessary database for validation and further improvement of the simulative prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Large regions of Earth's surface are underlain by salt deposits that evaporated from ancient oceans and are populated by extreme halophilic microbes. Some of these halophiles may have been preserved over geological timescales within hypersaline fluid inclusions, but ingresses of water and/or anthropogenic activities can lead to the formation of alternative habitats, including NaCl stalactites or other speleothems. While the microbiology of ancient evaporites has been well studied, the ecology of these recently formed structures is less‐well understood. Here, the microbiology of a NaCl stalactite ('salticle') in a Triassic halite mine is characterized. The specific aims were to determine the presence of fluid inclusions, determine the microbial structure of the salticle compared with a nearby brine‐pool and surficial soil, and characterize the ecophysiological capabilities of this unique ecosystem. The salticle contained fluid inclusions, and their microbiome was composed of Euryarchaetota, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria, with Haloarchaea in greater abundance than brine‐pool or soil microbiomes. The salticle metagenome exhibited a greater abundance of genes involved in osmoregulation, anaerobic respiration, UV resistance, oxidative stress, and stress‐protein synthesis relative to the soil microbiome. We discuss the potential astrobiological implications of salticles as enclosed salt‐saturated habitats that are protected from ionizing radiation and have a stable water activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]