This paper develops a network economy model to study the propagation of the COVID lockdown shock. Firms are related to each other through buyer–seller relations in the market for intermediate inputs. Firms choose production levels and input combinations using prices that emerge from local interactions. Nothing forbids trade at out-of-equilibrium prices. In such a setting, disequilibrium spills over from one market to another due to the interconnections between markets. These disequilibrium dynamics are capable of generating unemployment when workers released by contracting firms are not frictionlessly absorbed by expanding firms. We calibrate the model to the US economy using a data set with more than 200,000 buyer–seller relations between about 70,000 firms. Computational experiments on the calibrated economy suggest that the COVID lockdown generates a sizeable decline in GDP. The endogenously generated unemployment dynamics is a primary determinant of the cost of the lockdown.

Finely laminated (cm–μm scale) metalliferous precipitates are widespread in the surficial environment, especially around mineral deposits and reflect biogeochemical processes that can pervade near-surface environments on a larger scale. Examples in this paper involve precipitates of the transition metals Fe, Cu and Mn with minor Co, Ni, V and Zn; the metalloids As and Sb; and authigenic Au. Mobility and re-precipitation are driven primarily by geochemical disequilibrium, especially with respect to pH and redox states, that arises from complex interactions between biological processes, geological processes, and variations in the surrounding environment. Different degrees of chemical disequilibrium arise on small spatial scales on time scales of days to millennia. Interactions between biota, waters and rocks in these small near-surface settings affect the biogeochemical environments. Sulfur- and iron-oxidising bacteria are common biogeochemical agents associated with sulfide-bearing lithologies, but localised reductive environments can also develop, leading to gradients in pH and redox state and differential metal mobility. In general, there is commonly a spatial separation of Fe-rich precipitates from those with Cu and Mn, and other transition metals also follow Cu and Mn rather than Fe. Metalloids As and Sb have a strong affinity for Fe under oxidising conditions, but not under more reducing conditions. However, complex biogeochemical parageneses of laminated metalliferous deposits preclude prediction of finer formation details. The textures, mineral species, and metal associations within these deposits are likely to be encountered in all facets of mineral deposit development: initial exploration activity of near-surface locations, mining of shallow portions of orebodies, especially supergene zones, and downstream environmental management with respect to discharging metalliferous waters.

The LGC (Leinster Granite Complex) in SE Ireland consists of five plutons or Units. Units 1 and 3 display complex magmatic disequilibrium textures described here for the first time. The textures indicative of disequilibrium include boxy cellular plagioclase, oscillatory zoning, calcic spike zones and combinations of these within individual plagioclase feldspar crystals. The textures are interpreted as having formed in a dynamic magmatic environment which facilitated acid-acid mixing on a variety of scales and at a variety of stages between source to emplacement. It is proposed that the restricted distribution of disequilibrium textures was a result of the complex strain regime operating within the crust during assembly of Units 1 and 3.

Studies of the U decay series (238U-234U-230Th) have been carried out on samples from unaltered bedrock and highly altered fracture/crush zones from drillcore Km3 (Kamlunge test-site). The fracture zones are characterized by abundant iron oxide coatings (hematite and hydroxy iron oxides) resulting from the passage of hydrothermal solutions coeval with the Lina granite intrusion. Enrichments of U and Th, thought to be due to co-precipitation (or preferential sorption) processes together with the iron-oxides, are also present.

The isotopic results show that out of a total of twelve rock samples measured, six indicate isotopic disequilibrium mostly due to unequal depletions of 234U and 238U; one near-surface sample indicated some minor assimilation of U. The major fracture zones generally indicate removal of total U. This has resulted from interaction with groundwaters which are still marginally oxidizing, even at depths of 375 m.

Isotopic disequilibrium has occurred within recent geological times, i.e. during the last 0.5 Ma as imposed by the half-lives of 234U and 230Th. In terms of radioactive disposal considerations, the results are important in that: (1) the investigated bedrock environment (100–500 m) is generally reducing; however (2) there is some evidence to indicate that rock/water interactions, leading to the removal of total U, have resulted from the presence of less reducing groundwaters within those large-scale fracture/crush zones which intersect the bedrock surface.

Problems of instability and disequilibrium in U.S. agriculture are synthesized within a single conceptual framework. Agricultural and non-agricultural sector offer curves are used to illustrate why it may not be feasible to achieve and maintain equilibrium and price stability in U.S. agriculture. Empirical evidence on resource disequilibrium and instability in the ratio of prices paid and received by farmers is presented.

Melting of Torridonian arkoses, due to intrusion of shallow bodies of mafic melts on the Isle of Rum, was locally extensive, reaching up to 95 vol.%. Crystallization (to form granophyre) of these highly melted rocks was generally static in the vicinity of minor intrusions, although disruption of bedding is apparent in the aureole of the main mafic pluton. A distinctive millimetre- to centimetre-scale spherulitic texture developed during solidification of the partially melted arkose, in both the aureole of the main intrusion, and also in those of associated minor gabbro plugs. The spherulites are formed of radiating, fan-shaped intergrowths of plagioclase and quartz set in a matrix of quartz, plagioclase and K-feldspar. The importance of nucleation rates in determining texture development is demonstrated by a dominance of Na-rich compositions in the first feldspar to form, even in non-spherulitic rocks. It is suggested that the spherulites formed by the early growth of metastable plagioclase due to difficulties in nucleating feldspar.

Charnockite and homophanous leptynite are two quartz–feldspar neosomes in the late Archaean granulite-migmatite Eastern Ghats terrane of Orissa, India. Three phases of deformation and metamorphism are recognised to have preceded a late phase, or phases in which deformation was not intense. An early granulite facies event (D1–M1) produced basic granulites and khondalite (sillimanite-garnet aluminous paragneiss). A second event (D2–M2) involved some retrogression but temperatures and pressures remained high (possibly c. 750°C—>5 kb). D3–M3 was associated with the development of open folds (F3) with axial planar shear zones in pinched antiforms; temperatures and pressures were also falling (c. 650°C— 4kb), but the shear zones acted as a control on the development of firstly homophanous leptynite, and secondly charnockite. In both cases, neosomes of quartz and potassium feldspar have myrmekitic textures and intergranular occurrence. The palaeosome became strained and garnet–biotite and garnet–biotite–clinopyroxene ± orthopyroxene mineral assemblages were formed in association with the development, respectively, of homophanous leptynite and charnockite. The persistence of straining in the palaeosome and the presence of poikilitic textures indicate that this typical assemblage does not represent one in thermodynamic equilibrium. This has important consequences for geothermobarometry.

The structural control on neosome development reflects a regional characteristic where shear zones are the site of peralkaline plutons, fenitisation, carbonatites and epigenetic graphite development. The peculiar features of charnockite are seen as just one of several aspects related to the fluxing of hot CO2-dominated fluids from either the deep crust or mantle during the late Archaean development of the Indian craton.