Strong, localised country-rock contamination and partial homogenisation of a mafic magma: An example from west central Sweden

A dolerite sill cutting slightly older basalt in west-central Sweden shows a strong chemical variation (54% < SiO₂ < 73%) within a restricted area (< 100 × 100 m²). The linear correlation among almost all elements is extremely high; in addition, _NdT is strongly correlated with the SiO₂ content. Least-square hyperbolic-ratio and three-element ratio modelling (common denominator) suggests that most of the chemical variation is explained by mixing and/or micro-mingling. In all, we test 407 hyperbolas, of which 402 are fitted. The five ratio pairs, which could not be fitted to a hyperbola using a least-square fitting procedure, have the ratio Th / Eu in common. Testing the goodness of fit is problematic for hyperbolic distributions; for comparing purposes we sum the distances to chords approximating the hyperbola. Mobile and immobile elements behave similarly, suggesting that no elements are lost or added from outside the system. The data suggests that already the most mafic of the analysed rocks is a mixture of the ‘normal’ dolerite and a siliceous crustal rock. A mafic magma intruded into the base of the crust, where it fractionated resulting in a decreased Mg number. The magma was then contaminated with country rocks in an intermediate magma chamber due to country rock melting; during mixing/mingling almost no fractionation took place. The contaminated rock suggests the presence of a fluid phase. This was probably a prerequisite for country-rock melting. Enrichment in some incompatible elements suggests that besides major mixing/mingling a thermochemical separation process has affected the most felsic rock enriching it in light rare earths and Zr.     

Exploring the joint compositional variability of major components and trace elements in the Tellus soil geochemistry survey (Northern Ireland)

The complexity of modern geochemical data sets is increasing in several aspects (number of available samples, number of elements measured, number of matrices analysed, geological-environmental variability covered, etc), hence it is becoming increasingly necessary to apply statistical methods to elucidate their structure. This paper presents an exploratory analysis of one such complex data set, the Tellus geochemical soil survey of Northern Ireland (NI). This exploratory analysis is based on one of the most fundamental exploratory tools, principal component analysis (PCA) and its graphical representation as a biplot, albeit in several variations: the set of elements included (only major oxides vs. all observed elements), the prior transformation applied to the data (none, a standardization or a logratio transformation) and the way the covariance matrix between components is estimated (classical estimation vs. robust estimation). Results show that a log-ratio PCA (robust or classical) of all available elements is the most powerful exploratory setting, providing the following insights: the first two processes controlling the whole geochemical variation in NI soils are peat coverage and a contrast between “mafic” and “felsic” background lithologies; peat covered areas are detected as outliers by a robust analysis, and can be then filtered out if required for further modelling; and peat coverage intensity can be quantified with the %Br in the subcomposition (Br, Rb, Ni).     

Estimation of ground vibration from driven piling based on statistical analyses of recorded data

Summary Ground vibration data, originating from impact hammers and vibrodrivers and compiled by different research workers, have been plotted in scaled distance form and statistically analysed. A quadratic regression curve rather than a linear regression curve provides a better visual fit to the several data sets. In each case, superimposed on the graphical data points are also the one-half standard deviation and the one standard deviation curves. It is argued that the quadratic one-half standard deviation curves, generated from an analysis of all the reliable vibration information compiled by the authors from impact hammers and vibrodrivers, be used for design of piling operations in order to mitigate excessive environmental vibration.     

Assessment of widely used methods to derive depositional ages from detrital zircon populations

The calculation of a maximum depositional age(MDA)from a detrital zircon sample can provide insight into a variety of geological problems.However,the impact of sample size and calculation method on the accuracy of a resulting MDA has not been evaluated.We use large populations of synthetic zircon dates(N≈25,000)to analyze the impact of varying sample size(n),measurement uncertainty,and the abundance of neardepositional-age zircons on the accuracy and uncertainty of 9 commonly used MDA calculation methods.Furthermore,a new method,the youngest statistical population is tested.For each method,500 samples of n synthetic dates were drawn from the parent population and MDAs were calculated.The mean and standard deviation of each method ove r the 500 trials at each n-value(50-1000,in increments of 50)were compa red to the known depositional age of the synthetic population and used to compare the methods quantitatively in two simulation scenarios.The first simulation scenario varied the proportion of near-depositional-age grains in the synthetic population.The second scenario varied the uncertainty of the dates used to calculate the MDAs.Increasing sample size initially decreased the mean residual error and standard deviation calculated by each method.At higher n-values(>~300 grains),calculated MDAs changed more slowly and the mean resid ual error increased or decreased depending on the method used.Increasing the p roportion of near-depositional-age grains and lowering measurement uncertainty decreased the number of measurements required for the calculated MDAs to stabilize and decreased the standard deviation in calculated MDAs of the 500 samples.Results of the two simulation scenarios show that the most successful way to increase the accuracy of a calculated M DA is by acquiring a large number of low-uncertainty measurements(300300)approach is used if the calculation of accurate MDAs are key to research goals.Other acquisition method s,such as high-to moderate-precision measurement methods(e.g.,1%-5%,2σ)acquiring low-to moderate-n datasets(50300).Additionally,they are most susceptible to producing erroneous MDAs due to contamination in the field or laboratory,or through disturbances of the youngest zircon’s U-Pb systematics(e.g.,lead loss).More conservative methods that still produce accurate MDAs and are less susceptible to contamination or lead loss include:youngest grain cluster at 1σunce rtainty(YGC 1σ),youngest grain clusterat 2σuncertainty(YGC 2σ),and youngest statistical population(YSP).The ages calculated by these methods may be more useful and appealing when fitting calculated MDAs in to pre-existing chronostratigraphic frameworks,as they are less likely to be younger than the true depositional age.From the results of our numerical models we illustrate what geologic processes(i.e.,tectonic or sedimentary)can be resolved using MDAs derived from strata of different ages.     

灰色误差理论在岩矿测试数据处理中的应用

介绍了灰色误差理论,并应用于岩矿测试数据基本处理。结果表明,在误差变化范围小的岩矿化学分析中,测量数据的累加曲线为线性关系,在元素不均匀性分布的岩矿化学分析(例如不均匀性金的测试)和岩石强度试验等分散性大的测试中,测量数据的累加曲线为曲线关系,但灰色标准偏差和传统统计学的标准偏差非常接近。该方法简单易行,具有相当的精度和较强的实用性,对测量数据少或难于寻求统计规律的测量过程尤为实用,是一种新的尝试。     

偏移距域/角度域共成像点道集与偏移速度的关系

为了得到波动方程偏移距域共成像点道集(ODCIGs) 和角度域共成像点道集(ADCIGs) 与偏移速度的关系, 在匀速单层水平反射情况下, 对ODCIGs和ADCIGs随偏移速度的变化进行了定量的推导, 得到偏移速度偏小时ODCIGs与半偏移距成双曲关系, 反之成椭圆关系; 结合深度聚焦分析, 得到偏移速度偏大时, ADCIGs中视入射角大于真入射角, 反之, 小于真入射角; 在速度偏小时, ADCIGs上剩余时差(RMO) 与视入射角的正切值成椭圆关系, 反之成双曲关系.在地震有效入射角度范围内, ADCIGs对于偏大的偏移速度更加敏感.在偏移速度分析(MVA) 中, 从稍大的速度开始分析会对速度分析更加有利.      

A Re - Assessment of the Criteria for Certifiability in CCRMP

The effect of the between- and within-laboratory standard deviation and of the number of laboratories on the magnitude of the certification factor, CF, introduced in 1975 by the Canadian Certified Reference Materials Project (CCRMP) has been discussed. The applicability of CF to reference materials has been assessed on the basis of the correlation between the between- and within-laboratory standard deviation. The validity of the critical value of 4 for CF for certifiability is examined.
An examination of all available data has led to the conclusion that the quality of an interlaboratory program is sufficient to warrant certifiability only if the ratio of the between-to the within-laboratory standard deviation is 3 or less for most elements and 2 or less for uranium. It has been shown that the number of laboratories rejected based on the upper limit of this ratio differs only slightly from that based on laboratory means differing by more than twice the standard deviation of the overall mean for the majority of elements that have been certified. A new measure for assessing the certifiability of an element has been introduced and is based on the requirement that the percentage of laboratories that are rejected to give a ratio of the between- to within-laboratory standard deviation less than or equal to the critical value of 3 or, for uranium, 2 should be no greater than 15% regardless of the number of laboratories in the certification program.     

Glacial deposits at Wylfa Head,Anglesey, North Wales: Evidence for Late Devensian deposition in a non-marine environment

The nature and origin of glacial sediments at Wylfa Head are described, and their significance with regard to sedimentary environments during Late Devensian deglaciation of the Irish Sea Basin is discussed. Recent models of deglaciation under glaciomarine conditions are challenged. The Quaternary sequence at Wylfa consists of eroded and glaciotectonically deformed bedrock, locally derived lodgement till, calcareous silt-rich lodgement till containing northern erratics, discontinuous units of orange-brown silty sand of possible aeolian origin, and grey laminated freshwater silts filling a small kettle hole. The till units thicken to the south where the surface is drumlinised. It is concluded that the landforms and deposits result from a warm-based Irish Sea glacier, which moved towards the southwest. Spatial variation in basal water pressure resulted from localised drainage through zones of more heavily jointed bedrock. Rapid glacial erosion occurred in areas where subglacial water pressure was relatively high, while deposition of the resulting basal sediment took place where water pressures were reduced. The glacier also carried basal calcareous silty till onshore, which was deposited by lodgement processes. None of the deposits at Wylfa are interpreted as glaciomarine in origin, and there is no evidence at this site for an isostatically induced marine transgression prior to deglaciation.     

滇西昌宁—孟连带的地层格架

显生宙地层在昌宁—孟连带呈南北向条带状分布,根据不同岩性的横向分布和纵向变化情况,可将带中的地层序列大致划分成4种类型:(1)碎屑岩向上夹灰岩透镜体,并变成细粒碎屑岩和硅质岩交互出现;(2)碎屑岩向上夹灰岩透镜体、少量硅质岩,顶部为二叠纪基性火山岩;(3)碎屑岩—基性火山岩/火山碎屑岩—碳酸盐岩—碎屑岩;(4)灰岩、白云质灰岩—灰黑色薄层灰岩、泥质灰岩、泥岩夹硅质泥岩。理清不同岩石地层单位间的关系是客观解释昌宁—孟连带发展演化的前提。     

Using Bayesian Statistics to Capture the Effects of Modelling Errors in Inverse Problems

When the parameters of a numerical model are adjusted, so that the predictions of the model match measurements from the real system, we need to take account of two sources of errors. These being measurement errors and modelling errors. Measurement errors are commonly considered, and a number of different approaches are in general usage, the most common being the weighted sum of squares method. In this paper the standard Bayesian equation, used for inverse problems, is reformulated so as to make it more intuitive to use. This allows the inclusion of both a modelling error and correlations between measurements to be carried out easily. The results are tested on a simple one-parameter numerical model and a cross-sectional model of a petroleum reservoir. In the first case the proposed error model appears to work well. In the second case it appears that the objective function is multimodal, leading to multiple acceptable solutions. The results of this paper are important to those whose numerical models are thought to contain significant modelling error. This encompasses many areas of modelling related to earth science and engineering.     

Microstructural analyses of a Middle Pliocene till from the James Bay Lowlands,Canada—evidence of “potential” fast ice streaming

Sediment from the Attawapiskat area near James Bay, Northern Ontario was sampled for micromorphological analyses. The sediment is a glacial diamicton (till) of subglacial origin. The till contains entrained and scavenged sediments of proglacial and/or subglacial glaciofluvial/glaciolacustrine origin from a subglacial deforming layer that was emplaced due to both stress reduction and/or porewater dissipation. Evidence of porewater escape, clay translocation and other microstructures all point to emplacement under active subglacial bed deformation. The limited number of edge to edge (ee) grain crushing events, however, point to lower stress levels than might anticipated under a thin fast ice lobe of the James Bay during the Middle Pliocene. Microstructures of Pleistocene tills were quantitatively compared with the Attawapiskat till and the limited number of ee events at Attawapiskat further highlighted that grain to grain contact was curtailed possibly due to high till porosity, high porewater pressures and low strain rates or alternatively due to a high clay matrix component reducing grain crushing contact events. It is suggested that this Middle Pliocene till may be indicative of sediments emplaced under ice lobe surging conditions or fast ice stream subglacial environments. This proposal has significant implications for the glaciodynamics of this part of the Middle Pliocene James Bay lobe. This research highlights a crucial link between subglacial conditions, till microstructural analyses and glaciodynamics.     

Optimal design of a groundwater monitoring network in Daqing,China

In the Daqing region of China there are 34 groundwater well fields with a groundwater withdrawal of 81.9×10⁴ m³/d. Due to over-abstraction of the groundwater resources from the 1960s to present, a cone of depression up to 4,000 km² has formed in the area. To monitor the change in the groundwater environment, it is necessary to design an effective groundwater-monitoring network. The sites for monitoring groundwater level were selected by applying the finite-element method coupled with Kalman filtering to the area in which the groundwater resources have been extensively exploited. The criterion is a threshold value of the standard deviation of estimation error. This threshold value is determined by the tradeoff between maximum information and minimum cost, in which the maximum information is characterized by the standard deviation and the minimum cost is equivalent to the number of observation wells. The groundwater flow model was calibrated by an optimal algorithm coupled the finite-element method with Kalman filtering by using the data from 16 observation wells from 1986 to 1993. A simulation algorithm coupled with the finite-element method with Kalman filtering analyzed the location data obtained from the existing 38 observation wells in the same region. The spatial distribution of standard deviation of estimation error is computed and the locations that have the maximum standard deviation are selected as additional sites for augmenting the existing observational well network at a given threshold value of the standard deviation surface. Based on the proposed method for selecting a groundwater level monitoring network, an optimal monitoring network with 88 observation wells with the measurement frequency of 12 times per year is selected in the Daqing region of China.     

Comparisons between macro‐ and microfabrics in a pebble‐rich,sandy till deposited by the Cordilleran Ice Sheet

It is standard practice to measure particle fabrics in glacial studies to infer palaeo‐ice flow directions and processes of till formation but few studies examine the relationships between particle fabrics at different (i.e. the macro‐ and micro‐) scales. This knowledge is critical to inform the utility of the methods and limitations of the associated interpretations. Micro‐ (sand grain) and macro‐ (pebble) fabrics of pebble‐rich, sandy subglacial till (Kamloops Lake till) deposited by the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, south‐central British Columbia, were compared to assess their similarities and differences, and therefore their utility for understanding subglacial processes. Before comparisons were made, the data were tested for robustness by assessing various controls (e.g. sampling face orientation, number of particles measured, statistical variation resulting from sampling effects, particle shape, size and concentration) on particle fabrics. A new method of microfabric analysis was applied that involves the identification and delineation of distinct clusters of similarly orientated sand grains in order to compare them with macrofabrics and inferred ice‐flow directions. The results show that microfabrics, on their own, are an unreliable indicator of ice‐flow direction in Kamloops Lake till in the study area and should not be used as a substitute for macrofabric data, as they probably record late‐stage microscale strain patterns and pore‐water flow in addition to till deposition and deformation by overriding ice. We suspect that this would also be the case for coarse‐grained till elsewhere. Our findings suggest that till microfabric interpretations should always be made after assessing corresponding macrofabric data alongside sedimentological and structural observations.     

东太平洋克拉里昂-克里帕顿断裂带WPC1101沉积柱样磁性地层及沉积环境

对采自东太平洋CC区西部的WPC1101重力活塞柱样进行了岩石磁学、古地磁极性地层及古生物地层年代学研究工作。等温剩余磁化强度（IRM）、磁滞回线和反向场退磁曲线测试结果表明,沉积物中的磁性矿物主要为磁铁矿,仅在柱状样底部存在少量赤铁矿/针铁矿。340~350 cm发育的埋藏结核层,标志着一处沉积间断的存在;60~336 cm发育上新世晚期的硅藻化石Cosinodiscus nodulifer,但古地磁极性地层缺失上新世-第四纪的2r反极性时;0~60 cm见第四纪标准化石Pseudoenuotia doliolus、Spongaster tetras,且顶部缺失1正极性时。综合对比古生物地层学、磁性地层学以及邻近区域地层学特征,认为该柱状样记录了从晚渐新世至第四纪的沉积历史,期间存在晚渐新世至早上新世、上新世晚期至第四纪早期及第四纪晚期3个时期的沉积间断,上述沉积间断的形成可能是南极底流的形成与增强、CCD界面抬升及海底侵蚀作用增强共同控制的结果。     

Reconstructing flow paths of the Middle Pleistocene British Ice Sheet in central-eastern England: the application of regional soil geochemical data

High-density regional geochemical data for surface soils in central England and East Anglia reveal that much of their geochemical character is inherited from the tills that they are developed upon. Multivariate statistical analysis highlighted three significant element associations of Al–Fe–Ga–K–La–Mg–Rb, Ca–Sr and K–Fe accounting for almost 93% of the geochemical variability of soils derived from tills. Provenancing the geochemical signatures of the latter elements enabled the construction of ice flow paths associated with two different Middle Pleistocene ‘chalky’ till sheets. A lower till sheet relating to ‘Pennine’ ice flowing from west to east across the region, and an upper till sheet deposited by North Sea ice moving into northern East Anglia, and to the west of the Fen Basin, before fanning-out across central England. Overall, geochemical signatures of different till units are largely derived from local bedrock sources, with dilution and a new geochemical signature acquired as the ice flows over and incorporates new bedrock lithologies. The results show that high resolution soil geochemical data provides a further proxy with which the flow paths of former ice sheets can be delineated.     

Spatial Geochemistry: A Characterisation of Heterogeneity in Reference Materials

Geochemical reference materials (RMs) for microbeam techniques are typically characterised by averages and dispersion statistics (e.g., standard deviation, variance) that are calculated for a number of measurements (beam shots). It is proposed that the mapping of RMs will add spatial information that better characterises the grouping and magnitudes of the heterogeneities and provides the information necessary to define a minimum analytical mass. A simple mathematical solution is proposed, which can be easily computed and understood. The analogous notions to sill and range from geostatistics are applied to the minimum analytical mass versus the relative standard deviation. To assess grouping and magnitudes of the heterogeneities, a ‘proximity number’ is computed for each average value ± ‘n’ standard deviations (magnitude). Different chemical anomalies have been simulated to demonstrate the behaviour of the proximity number. To further test the proposed spatial geochemistry concept, sulfide‐ and oxide‐bearing RMs have been selected because many are crippled with nugget effect. They have been mapped with a micro‐XRF apparatus, and results are presented for CHR‐Bkg, CHR‐Pt+, MASS‐1, MASS‐3, WMS‐1 and WMS‐1a. MASS‐1 and MASS‐3 are the most suitable RMs for microbeam techniques. Spatial geochemistry offers a new approach to better characterise reference materials.     

Evaluation and comparison of spatial interpolators

This study evaluates 15 different estimators to determine their relative merits in estimating block concentrations at contaminant waste sites. The evaluation was based on 54 subsets of data drawn from an exhaustive set of 19,800 data. For each subset, 198 block estimates were made with each estimator. The measurements of estimation quality were a linear loss function and a more standard statistic, the mean square error. The linear loss function showed that seven of the estimators produced scores close enough to be within the same statistical population. Results based on the mean square error were similar. The surprising results of this study were that inverse distance and inverse distance squared both produced better scores than kriging.     

Heavy metals in stream sediments: Error versus concentration

A regional geochemical mapping program in southern Norway carried out by the Geological Survey of Norway is based on sampling of stream sediments at road/stream intersections. At each site two individual subsamples have been taken. The subsamples were treated independently during the chemical analysis. This procedure enables an estimation of the reproducibility of the element concentration at each sample site. The paper gives results for the average relative total, sampling and laboratory errors at various levels of metal concentration using data for HNO₃ -soluble Mn, Pb and Cu as examples. For Mn and Pb the relative total error reaches a minimum near the median concentration and increases toward both the high and low concentrations. For Cu the relative total and laboratory errors decrease with increasing concentration throughout the whole concentration range, while the sampling error is fairly constant. The results suggest that the models which are commonly used for error determination in geochemical data, are too simple as far as relationships between error and concentration are concerned.     

Rietveld定量方法在蒸发岩矿物组分分析中的精确度评价和误差来源

Rietveld物相定量分析(RQPA)方法在地质学中已有大量应用,在蒸发岩定量分析中,对精确度的评价和误差控制是提高分析质量的重要因素。本文对人工配制和野外采集的样品(石膏和钾盐)进行RQPA分析,并与化学分析结果对比,评价其精确度并分析其主要的误差来源。结果表明:人工配制的氯化钠-氯化钾二元物相的绝对误差为0.4%~0.9%;氯化钠-氯化钾-碳酸钙三元物相的绝对误差为0.1%~1.2%;二元物相样品10次分析的标准偏差为0.702%,相对标准偏差为1.74%(氯化钾)和1.17%(氯化钠);野外采集的石膏和钾盐样品的RQPA分析结果与化学分析结果具有很好的一致性。表明RQPA方法在蒸发岩矿物组分定量分析中具有较高的精确度,其误差主要来源于样品性质、样品制备、测试条件和精修过程等。RQPA方法具有减弱择优取向效应、无需纯样以及提高数据利用率等优点,与化学分析技术联用在蒸发岩矿产勘探、储量评价以及工业应用中具有广泛的前景。