Water–rock interaction within the oligotrophic peat bog (part of the Vasyugan Swamp, Western Siberia)

Geochemical conditions of the formation of various minerals were studied within the oligotrophic pine-shrub and sphagnum peat bog. It was shown that at least two complex barriers function within the peat deposit. These barriers correspond to the changes in the advective and diffusion transfer of substances and promote the immobilization of Fe and a number of other chemical elements. The upper complex geochemical (redox, sulfide and sorption) barrier occurs approximately at the depths of 0.40 to 1.25 m. The lower complex geochemical (alkaline and sorption) and mechanical barriers are located at the bottom part of the peat deposit (the depth of 2.25–2.50 m)

The Formation of Authigenic Carbonates at a Methane Seep Site in the Northern Part of the Laptev Sea

Authigenic carbonates from cold seeps are unique archives for studying environmental conditions, including biogeochemical processes associated with methane-rich fluid migration through the sediment column. The aim of this research was to study major oxide, mineralogical, and stable isotopic compositions of cold-seep authigenic carbonates collected in the northern part of the Laptev Sea. These carbonates are represented by Mg-calcite with an Mg content of 2% to 8%. The ?13C values range from ?27.5‰ to ?28.2‰ Vienna Peedee belemnite (VPDB) and indicate that carbonates formed due to anaerobic oxidation of methane, most likely thermogenic in origin. The authigenic pyrite in Mg-calcite is evidence of sulfate reduction during carbonate precipitation. The ?18O values of carbonates vary from 3.5‰ to 3.8‰ VPDB. The calculated ?18Ofluid values show that pore water temperature for precipitated Mg-calcite was comparable to bottom seawater temperature. The presence of authigenic carbonate in the upper horizons of sediments suggests that the sulfate–methane transition zone is shallowly below the sediment–water interface

Minerals of Rare Earth Elements in High-Phosphorus Ooidal Ironstones of the Western Siberia and Turgai Depression

The aim of this research was to study the rare earth (REE) minerals in ooidal ironstone deposits of the West Siberian basin and the Turgai depression. Authigenic minerals (monazite and cerite) were described, and their main mineral form was identified as light rare earth element phosphate (LREE-phosphate) in this study. LREE-phosphate is included in ferruginous ooids, peloids, and oncoids and forms a consistent mineral association with Fe-hydroxides (goethite and its hydrated amorphous derivatives) and Fe-rich layered silicates (Fe-illite-smectite, chamosite, berthierine). The constancy of the mineral association in two deposits of different ages indicates a general mechanism behind the formation of these minerals. LREE-phosphates (authigenic monazite) are characterized by microscopic sizes (up to 24 ?m), diverse morphology (mainly spherical or xenomorphic), and occupy spaces between the micro-cortex in ferruginous spheroids. This mineral can be found in other deposits of ooidal ironstone. According to its mineralogical and chemical characteristics, LREE-phosphate mainly belongs to the authigenic (nodular or “gray”) monazite. However, the incomplete (not 100%) correspondence of Kikuchi bands with the reference monazite does not allow its reliable identification. Based on its small size, chemical leaching or bacterial interaction is recommended to extract REE from ooidal ironstone while predicting the associated removal of phosphorus from iron ore due to its dominant phosphate mineral form. Ooidal ironstone should be considered a complex deposit and an unconventional natural type of REE ores as an example of the largest Bakchar and Lisakovsk deposits

Authigenic and Detrital Minerals in Peat Environment of Vasyugan Swamp, Western Siberia†

Studies of mineral-forming processes in modern peat bogs can shed light on metal concentrations and their cycling in similar environments, especially in geological paleoanalogs. In terms of the mineralogical and geochemical evolution of peat bog environments, the Vasyugan Swamp in Western Siberia is a unique scientific object. Twelve peat samples were collected from the Vasyugan Swamp up to the depth of 275 cm at 25 cm intervals. The studied peat deposit section is represented by oligotrophic (0-100 cm), mesotrophic (100-175 cm), and eutrophic (175-275 cm) peat, and this is underlain by basal sediments (from 275 cm). About 30 minerals were detected using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy. The observed minerals are divided into detrital, clay, and authigenic phases. The detrital minerals found included quartz, feldspar, ilmenite, rutile, magnetite, zircon, and monazite. When passing from basal to oligotrophic bog sediments, the clay minerals changed from illite-smectite to kaolinite. Authigenic minerals are represented by carbonates (calcite and dolomite), iron (hydro-)oxides, galena, sphalerite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, Zn-Pb-S mineral, barite, baritocelestine, celestine, tetrahedrite, cassiterite, REE phosphate, etc. The regular distribution of mineral inclusions in peat is associated with the (bio)geochemical evolution of the environment. The formation of authigenic Zn, Pb and Sb sulfides is mainly confined to anaerobic conditions that exist in the eutrophic peat and basal sediments. The maximum amount of pyrite is associated with the interval of 225-250 cm, which is the zone of transition from basal sediments to eutrophic peat. The formation of carbonate minerals and the decreasing concentration of clay in the association with local sulfide formation (galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, stibnite) begins above this interval. The peak of specific carbonation appears in the 125-150 cm interval of the mesotrophic peat, which is characterized by pH 4.9-4.5 of pore water. Kaolinite is the dominant clay mineral in the oligotrophic peat. Gypsum, galena, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and relicts of carbonate are noted in association with kaolinite. Changes in oxygen concentrations are reflected in newly formed mineral associations in corresponding intervals of the peat. This can be explained by the activity of microbiological processes such as the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) and bacterial sulfate reduction (BSR), expressed in specific carbonatization (100-225 cm) and sulfidization (175-250 cm), respectively

Changes of chemical composition of waters in east part of the Vasyugan mire (Western Siberia)

Relevance. Studies of changes in chemical composition of mire waters is the important part of research of environment and climate changes at ecological monitoring at oil and gas exploration, limitation of anthropogenous influences on water objects and efficiency of estimation of contaminated lands reclamation. The aim of the research is to reveal the long-term and intraannual changes of chemical composition of mire waters in east part of the Vasyugan mire. Methods: landscape-geochemical and statistical methods, methods of definition of chemical composition of mire waters, thermodynamic calculations. Results and conclusions. The authors have analyzed the time changes in chemical composition of waters of east part of the Vasyugan mire (the Western Siberia, the Ob river basin, the Tomsk region) within the limits of three intramire ecosystems (mesotrophic border of ryam; ryam (Russian) - oligotrophic pine-dwarf-shrub-sphagnum raised bog; hollow-ridge complex - mire type which combines ridges and hollows). It is shown that for 2003-2017 there were no statistically significant changes of chemical composition of mire waters in active horizon of a peat deposit. Observable fluctuations of hydrochemical parameters are caused by variability of atmospheric humidifying which remains statistically constant in an annual section of the period of 1965-2016. Hydrochemical regime of mesotrophic border differs in the highest variability of total dissolved solids of mire waters and dependence on atmospheric precipitation value, and hydrochemical regime of ryam is characterized by the least influence of atmospheric precipitation. The common features of hydrochemical regime of all of three ecosystems is the certain reduction of mineralization during spring flood and increase in N-, P-, Si-substances and microelements in winter low water

Assessment of the impact of risks of energy companies in a pandemic

The life-supporting role of the electric power industry during the spread of the coronavirus was especially pronounced. Electricity has become necessary for remote education of children, video calls, hospitals, etc. The main trends in electricity demand include changes in the ratio of electricity consumption in industry, transport and commercial sectors, as well as households due to the quarantine of some consumers. The paper identifies key risk-forming factors for the energy industry at the macro level and, based on an expert assessment, identifies the most probable and most powerful risks. By analogy with external risk-forming factors, the internal risk-forming factors of energy companies were analyzed, and their range of internal risks was determined

Vices and criminality: a social and legal assessment

The article presents a philosophical and legal study of relationship between the concepts of vice, sin and crime. On the basis of modern criminological analysis, the authors conclude that the main cause of crime lies in the objective existence of human vices associated with the weakness of human nature. As a part of the study of criminal cases, the authors formulated a generalized criminological portrait of a personality of a police officer who commits corruption crimes. The authors argue that criminalization of a personality goes through several successive stages: vice, passion, sin (immoral behavior, administratively punishable act, and the highest degree is a crime). The authors propose to consider corruption from two sides: 1) as an independent personal vice and 2) as a reflection (result) of the vices of society. The corruption crime is examined by using the triangle of Donald Craessy. On the basis of this approach, the authors argue that social causes alone do not trigger corruption behavior. Only vices push an offender to corrupt behavior. As a mean of preventing of official misconduct, the authors propose moral and ethical standards of official conduct

Freedom of will and its limitations: comparative study of legal norms in Russia and the USA

The relevance of the study is determined by the dynamics of development of inheritance law, both in general and its individual institutions, in particular, the institution of inheritance by will. Due to changes in Russian legislation, it is advisable to conduct a comparative legal analysis of the provisions on free will and the limits of its restriction to Russia and the United States. This will make it possible to determine the potential of the institution under study, used by various legal systems, to indicate direction of its further development in Russia. The leading research approach includes such scientific methods as dialectics, analysis, synthesis, deduction, comparative legal and formal legal method. Conclusions: The scientific approaches to understanding and restraining free will provided by US law differ significantly from their understanding by Russian law, which belongs to the Romano-German legal family. The right to choose the option of accepting the inheritance and the rules on the mandatory share, enshrined in Russian law, testify to the development of inheritance law towards a balance of interests of participants in inheritance relations by establishing new limits for implementation of the testator’s will

The fate of groundwater: a lawyer’s point of view

The study of the provisions of various branches of Russian law and practice of law enforcement (judicial), which in different ways express the complex legal status of subterranean water bodies. During the study process of the considered question the following general and private methods of scientific cognition of the real and objective reality were applied: dialectical, logical and legal, statistical, system analysis, specific sociological, and professional methods of research. The peculiarity of the authors’ methodology is the use of data of natural science, as well as data of economic or technical properties, based on which legal ideas are developed. The comparative legal method of research is applied. The authors have analyzed, summarized, and synthesized the main approaches to the legal regulation of relations concerning groundwaters. The main provisions and proposals are compared with the domestic legislation and European Union law, its individual members (for example, Croatia). The example of the law of the state of Texas USA is given. Step by step, the legal status for the use and protection of subterranean water bodies has evolved into a qualitatively new phenomenon that absorbs all previous legal approaches and principles

Settings of current sedimentation on the underwater slope of Buor-Khaya bay (Laptev sea)

Nowadays, the Arctic shelf is of increasing interest due to its large reserves of hydrocarbons and other mineral resources. Meanwhile, current knowledge about the processes occurring in the Arctic is still extremely inadequate. There is still not enough data on natural processes within permafrost, which raises many problems and discussions around regional issues. Therefore, new scientific information can further promote the study of the Arctic nature. This study was aimed to identify the specific features of sedimentation and organic matter transformation in the coastal zone of the Arctic seas based on long-term observations. The objects of the study are suspended matter and bottom sediments, including organic carbon content (Corg) and its isotope composition as markers of lithodynamics of the modern depositional environment. Bottom sediments samples were investigated for grain-size composition, organic carbon content and isotopic composition. Furthermore, spatio-temporal variability of the suspended matter distribution in the water column was estimated. Conclusions: for the ice-free period, there are two typical stable turbidity maxima with a suspended matter content ranging from 6,5 to 594 mg/l. Towards the continental slope, the replacement of sandy-aleuritic sediments with clays of continental slope, avandelt bottom, and thermoabrasive-accumulative terrace is accompanied by an increase in organic carbon values from 0,4 to 5,4 % with winter values ranging from 0,6 to 9,3 %. Isotopic composition of organic carbon in the bottom sediments varied from -27,9 to -22,7