Seismic signals in geothermal areas of active volcanism: a case study from ‘La Fossa’, Vulcano (Italy)

Since the last eruption (1888–1890) volcanism at Vulcano, Aeolian Archipelago, southern Tyrrhenian Sea, has taken the form of persistent fumarolic activity. The gas-vapour phases of the geothermal systems are mainly discharged within two restricted areas about 1 km apart from each other, in the northern part of the island. These areas are La Fossa crater, and the beach fumaroles of the Baia di Levante. Fluids released at the two main fumarolic fields display quite different chemical and temperature characteristics, implying different origins. The local seismicity essentially takes the form of discrete shocks of shallow origin (depth1 km) at La Fossa, usually with energy < 10¹³ ergs. They are thought to be related to the uprise of pressurized hot gases and vapours discharged at the crater fumaroles. The present investigation points to the existence of two principal categories of seismic events (called M-shocks and N-shocks). These are short events (normally < 10 s). M-type shocks are thought to be due to resonance vibrations within the interior of the volcano, probably driven by the excitation of shock-waves within cavities deeply affected by deposition and alteration of self-sealant hydrothermal minerals. N-type events display features that resemble those of volcano-tectonic earthquakes, but have no recognizable S-phases. Here they are tentatively attributed to microfracturing of rocks which have been extensively hydrothermally altered. Results of the present study permit a preliminary conceptual model of the local shallow seismic processes in the framework of geochemical modelling of fumarolic activity and geological inferences from geothermal drilling.     

热液脉动与岩浆涌动控制机理浅论

热液脉动与岩浆涌动的控制机理,是基础地质理论所涉及的两个重要议题。本文首先对当今流行的构造控制机理提出了质疑,其后借助＂间歇喷泉＂原理和＂吹气球＂机制,分别对热浪的脉动和岩浆的涌动进行了必要的探讨。     

热液成矿作用的地质地球化学动力学——以胶东牟平-乳山金矿带为例

通过对胶东牟平—乳山热液脉状金,铅锌矿床成矿动力学控制规律的研究,说明了建立热液成矿反应体系的方法,并得出以下认识:（1）区域断裂构造活动,通过影响成矿反应体系的热力学性质和条件,控制元素的富集和分散。（2）热液成矿过程中容矿断裂活动可划分为两种作用方式:脆性破裂和韧—脆性张开,构成热液成矿的两种构造动力学环境。（3）热液成矿反应体系是一种开放的动态的热力学体系。断裂的脆性破裂阶段,使体系处于强烈的过饱和状态,矿质在远离平衡状态下快速结晶,加剧物质分异;在脆—韧性张开阶段,矿质在接近平衡态体系中缓慢晶出。（4）热液演化晚期,金在残余溶液中富集;当断裂再次发生构造脉动震颤时,早期形成的块状黄铁矿矿石碎裂,富金溶液充填其中,形成含裂隙金和晶隙金的富矿石。成矿体系热力学演化与构造动力学条件有利的匹配控制着富矿石的形成。     

钾霞石制备体系碱性滤液的利用技术

为处理钾长石水热制备钾霞石所产生的碱性滤液,本文采用水热法,考察了氢氧化铝溶解时间、晶化时间、晶化温度、水碱比对钾霞石产率和白度的影响,并对合成钾霞石物相进行了表征。结果表明,合成钾霞石的最佳条件为,氢氧化铝溶解时间为1.5 h,晶化时间为4 h,晶化温度280℃,水碱比为1.8。XRD结果表明,产物为钾霞石粉体。傅里叶变换红外光谱表明,Al(OH)₃中的Al在水热条件下进入到Si—O骨架中形成了Si—O—Al官能团,从而印证了钾霞石的合成。差热分析结果表明,合成钾霞石具有良好的热稳定性。氮气吸附结果表明,合成钾霞石比表面积为5.18 m²/g,平均孔径为32.98 nm。实现了钾长石水热制备钾霞石所剩碱性滤液的资源化利用,并为钾长石水热制备钾霞石提供了一种母液循环的思路,使水热制备钾霞石工业化成为一种可能。     

涠西南地区岩石特性及钻井液技术研究

北部湾盆地涠西南油田群是南海西部重要的原油产区，同时油田群紧邻众多国家级自然保护区，属于环境敏感区域。针对北部湾盆地涠西南地区环保要求，以及涠洲组和流沙港组钻井过程经常出现井壁失稳导致的憋卡、起下钻阻卡等问题，开展了涠西南地区地层泥页岩特性及环保钻井液技术研究。通过地层岩石黏土矿物分析、孔喉结构分析以及理化性能评价，明确了涠西南地区泥页岩井壁失稳的机理；提出以类油基的水溶性复合基基液为核心，构建了一套具有油基钻井液工程特性和水基钻井液环保特性的新型环保防塌钻井液技术，并进行了相关的现场应用。现场应用显示：应用井与邻井相比，12-1/4″井段阻卡划眼时间减少，井径扩大率大幅度降低，并且在128 h的长时间浸泡过程中没有复杂情况产生，有效地解决了涠洲组、流沙港组易失稳地层的井壁稳定问题；同时，钻井液环保性能达到一级海域环保要求，可以替代目前应用的油基钻井液体系，解决了海上使用油基钻井液存在配制成本高、含油钻屑需全回收及环境危害隐患大等技术难题。该研究对于涠西南油田环保、井壁失稳和钻井液技术发展具有较高的理论价值和借鉴意义。     

流体在岩浆型铬铁矿和铂族元素成矿过程中的作用及意义

镁铁- 超镁铁岩是揭示地幔物质组成和壳幔相互作用的重要窗口，也是Ni- Cu- PGE- Cr等金属矿产资源的重要载体。不同的镁铁- 超镁铁岩体赋矿特征明显不同：蛇绿岩以产出铬铁矿床为特征，阿拉斯加型岩体主要赋含铂族元素(PGE)矿床，大型层状岩体则可同时产出铬铁矿床、PGE矿床和Cu- Ni硫化物矿床。这种成矿差异显然与赋矿岩体形成的构造背景、母岩浆经历的岩浆演化过程有关，但缺少关键控制因素的研究。前人对上述不同种类矿床的研究工作主要集中于地幔源区的部分熔融、上升过程中或岩浆房内的围岩混染和结晶分异等岩浆过程，而极少关注流体作用。近年来，实验岩石学和岩石地球化学的研究均表明幔源岩浆演化过程中的流体活动可能对成矿元素的富集迁移起到至关重要的作用，同时这些成矿元素的赋存状态和分配系数也在不断更新。厘清Cr和PGE在熔体演化——尤其是流体出溶过程中的地球化学行为，刻画并揭示其迁移富集、分离和再富集的成矿过程及控制因素，已成为当前岩浆矿床研究的热点。本文围绕富水流体与铬铁矿和PGE成矿关系的科学问题，总结了不同镁铁- 超镁铁岩体的成矿差异以及铬铁矿和PGE矿床成矿过程中的流体活动记录，提出流体性质和组分对铬铁矿和PGE迁移富集的控制作用，强调有必要开展蛇绿岩、大型层状镁铁- 超镁铁岩体和阿拉斯加型岩体的对比研究。     

Large eddy simulation of hydrocyclone—prediction of air-core diameter and shape

Hydrocyclones are widely used in the mining and chemical industries. An attempt has been made in this study, to develop a CFD (computational fluid dynamics) model, which is capable of predicting the flow patterns inside the hydrocyclone, including accurate prediction of flow split as well as the size of the air-core. The flow velocities and air-core diameters are predicted by DRSM (differential Reynolds stress model) and LES (large eddy simulations) models were compared to experimental results. The predicted water splits and air-core diameter with LES and RSM turbulence models along with VOF (volume of fluid) model for the air phase, through the outlets for various inlet pressures were also analyzed. The LES turbulence model led to an improved turbulence field prediction and thereby to more accurate prediction of pressure and velocity fields. This improvement was distinctive for the axial profile of pressure, indicating that air-core development is principally a transport effect rather than a pressure effect.     

Fracture analysis in the south-western Corinth rift (Greece) and implications on fault hydraulic behavior

This paper reviews the data concerning the fracture network and the hydraulic characteristics of faults in an active zone of the Gulf of Corinth. Pressure gap measured through fault planes shows that in this area the active normal faults (Aigion, Helike) act, at least temporarily and locally, as transversal seal. The analysis of the carbonate cements in the fractures on both the hangingwall and the footwall of the faults also suggests that they have acted as local seals during the whole fault zone evolution. However, the pressure and the characteristics of the water samples measured in the wells indicate that meteoric water circulates from the highest part of the relief to the coast, which means it goes through the fault zones. Field quantitative analysis and core studies from the AIG-10 well have been performed to define both regional and fault-related fracture networks. Then laboratory thin section observations have been done to recognize the different fault rocks characterizing the fault zone components. These two kinds of approach give information on the permeability characteristics of the fault zone. To synthesize the data, a schematic conceptual 3D fluid flow modeling has been performed taking into account fault zone permeability architecture, sedimentation, fluid flow, fault vertical offset and meteoric water influx, as well as compaction water flow. This modeling allows us to fit all the data with a model where the fault segments act as a seal whereas the relays between these segments allow for the regional flow from the Peloponnese topographic highs to the coast.     

Cross-formational hydrocarbon fluid flows in the Tertiary deltaic system of the Beaufort–Mackenzie Basin

Molecular and isotopic compositions of crude oils in the Beaufort–Mackenzie Basin confirm three genetic end-member oil groups and suggest extensive cross-formational hydrocarbon fluid flows in the Tertiary deltaic system. Inter- and intra-fractional variations in the geochemistry of the Tertiary-reservoired oils indicate that the oil source/maturity signatures were substantially masked by biomarkers that were picked up along migration pathways. Thus, many of the previously recognized “immature non-marine oils” are in fact thermally mature, probably derived from unpenetrated deeper marine source rocks. Although the effective source rock volumes have not been evaluated and their exact stratigraphic levels remain unknown, the relative timing of oil generation versus trap formation, rather than poor source quality, may be the cause of under-filled traps in the offshore area.     

Geochemistry and Origin of Ananai Stratiform Manganese Deposit in the Northern Chichibu Belt, Central Shikoku, Japan

Abstract. Major and trace element contents are reported for Permian manganese ore and associated greenstone from the Ananai manganese deposit in the Northern Chichibu Belt, central Shikoku, Japan. The manganese deposit occurs between greenstone and red chert, or among red chert beds. Chemical compositions of manganese ore are characterized by enrichments in Mn, Ca, P, Co, Ni, Zn, Sr and Ba, and negative Ce and positive Eu anomalies relative to post-Archean average Australian Shale (PAAS). Geochemical features of the manganese ore are similar to those of modern submarine hydrother-mal manganese deposits from volcanic arc or hotspot setting. In addition, geochemical characteristics of the greenstone closely associated with the Ananai manganese deposit are analogous to those of with-in plate alkaline basalt (WPA). Consequently, the Ananai manganese deposit was most likely formed by hydrothermal activity related to hotspot volcanism in the Panthalassa Ocean during the Middle Permian. This is the first report documenting the terrestrially-exposed manganese deposit that was a submarine precipitate at hotspot.