Secondary phosphate mineralization in a karstic environment in Central Sri Lanka

At Eppawala in central Sri Lanka secondary phosphate mineralization is intimately associated with laminated fabrics within depressions (sinkholes and smaller cavities) formed in the thick weathering profiles of a hilly terrain underlain by a Precambrian apatite-bearing formation. The lowermost levels of the profile show extensive zones of leaching where derived apatite crystals occur within fine-grained, laminated stromatolite sequences. The stromatolitic groundmass, which diagenetically formed by percolating oxygenated phosphate and carbonate-rich groundwaters, is impregnated by the phosphate minerals francolite and collophane. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveals that fine filaments, characteristic of microorganisms, are associated with the secondary phosphate mineralization. Continuous degradation and fragmentation of the stromatolitic mat has produced pellets, peloids, and intraclasts all enriched in secondary apatite. Degrading recrystallization around the edges of the primary apatite crystals has developed coated grains. The widespread occurrence of phosphate-enriched allochems in stromatolitic groundmasses is a unique development of a modern phosphorite in a karstic environment.     

Ultrastructure of a microbial mat-generated phosphorite

Optical and SEM observations of phosphorites reveal that mineralization is concentrated on ooids and micro-oncoids. The coated grains occur within microbial mats. Microbial mats represent the formational environment of the ooids and oncoids. Both coated grains and mats exhibit similar filamentous micro-organisms. The mat filaments show no fixed orientation and they merge with the concentrically oriented filaments of the coated grains. The branching nature and chlamydospore-like structures of filaments suggest that both mat and coated grains have been formed by fungi. Some coated grains appear to have been slightly disturbed and sometimes mobilized from their sites of formation due to separation from the parent mat resulting perhaps from contraction/fragmentation. The voids so created within the mat had been later filled with either micrite or sparite.     

General geology and petrology of some Precambrian crystalline rocks from the Vijayan Complex of Sri Lanka

Detailed field studies of the Precambrian Vijayan Complex terrain, Sri Lanka, reveal the occurrence of granites, gneisses and migmatites in association with calc-silicate gneisses, quartzites and dolerites. Microcline-rich granites and gneisses show both sharp and gradational contacts with the adjacent migmatites. Petrological observations favor a magmatic origin for the granites and gneisses. These bodies seem to have intruded into pre-existing metasedimentary rocks which were subsequently subjected to retrograde metamorphism under amphibolite facies conditions.     

Source rocks of gem minerals

Field and laboratory studies on the geology and mineralogy of gem sediments and associated rocks reveal that gem minerals occur both in garnetiferous gneisses and granulites. It has been observed that PT conditions characteristic of granulite facies had favoured the formation of gem minerals such as topaz, corundum, beryl, spinel, tourmaline and zircon.

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Resume Les travaux sur le terrain ainsi qu'au laboratoire portant sur les sédiments et les roches associes aux pierres precieuses montrent que les minéraux précieux se trouvent dans les gneiss à grenat et les granulites. Il a été observé que les conditions de pression et de température qui caractérisent le faciès des granulites ont favorise la formation des minéraux precieux tels que des topazes, corindons, béryls, spinelles, tourmalines et zircons.

     

Geochemical and petrological characteristics of Eppawala phosphate deposits,Sri Lanka

The apatite-bearing carbonate rocks at Eppawala, Sri Lanka occur as massive, discontinuous bodies in a Precambrian, high-grade metamorphic terrain, which weather to form economically important phosphate deposits. The ore bodies at Eppawala contain =42% P ₂O ₅, and citric acid solubility of different components varies from 4 to 6%. The parent rocks are mainly made up of calcite, dolomite and apatite, with lesser amounts of ilmenite, magnetite, pyrite, forsterite, phlogopite, enstatite, magnesite, diopside, tremolite and spinel. Most of minerals show an euhedral habit, with a wide range of crystal sizes (from a few millimetres to several decimetres). The Eppawala rocks are characterised by low silica (=0.41%), high phosphorous (=10.58%) and high strontium content (2,960–6,819 ppm). Concentrations of light rare-earth elements in these rocks are comparably higher than those of marbles. The REE fractionation of these rocks is pronounced, and La/Yb ratios vary between 14 and 43. Both apatite and calcite show markedly elevated strontium levels (=0.6%). The d ¹³C _PDB and d ¹⁸O _SMOW values of the carbonates are in the range of –3.4 to –2.2 and 7.7 to 16.4‰ respectively. The euhedral habit, as well as the presence of major quantities of apatite and considerable amounts of iron-bearing minerals suggest that the ore host rock has genetic links to an igneous source rather than to an intensely metamorphosed limestone. The higher light REE contents of the rocks, compared to marbles, also argue against a metamorphic or sedimentary origin. The Sr/Mn and Ce/La ratios in the apatite are ~40 and ~2 respectively, suggesting that they were formed in a carbonatite magma. The markedly increased REE concentrations in the bulk chemistry of the rocks have been shown to be mainly controlled by the content of phosphate minerals. Compared to most carbonatites, the Eppawala rocks are generally depleted in selected trace elements, particularly Ba, Nb, Th, V, U and Zr. This depletion may be due to either a primary infertility of the parent magma with regard to such trace elements, or it is a result of fractional crystallisation during the rock formation. The stable isotope ratios do not plot within the defined "mantle carbonatite box", but still lie within the broader range of carbonatitic rocks. With these data at hand, it can be readily argued that the mode of occurrence, petrography and geochemistry of the Eppawala apatite-bearing carbonates provide conclusive evidence of their carbonatitic origin.     

Sedimentological and 14C dating studies of past tsunami events in Southern Sri Lanka

After the 2004 Sumatra?CAndaman tsunamigenic earthquake, waters from the ocean moved upstream along rivers, bays, harbors, and lagoons and inundated many coastal and inland locations in the southern, eastern, and northern parts of Sri Lanka. The tsunami waters were observed to move upwards inland and then recede downwards to the ocean after varying inundation periods in different coastal areas. Subsequent massive tsunami waves came with the wave height varying from 3 to 8?m inland with speed of about 30?C40?kmph. The oceanic waves carrying heterogeneous sediments with water deposited them in coastal as well as inland locations about 1?km from the present coastline. Given the chaotic nature of tsunami oceanic waves, pre-tsunami deposits, such as beach sands, debris from coral reefs and buildings, parts of vehicles and ships, and tree trunks are found incorporated in authentic tsunami sediments. Thus, the texture, structure, and composition of sediments deposited by tsunami waters differed from one location to another. Therefore, in identifying paleo-tsunami sediments, care was taken to compare them with diagnostic unmixed uncontaminated recent tsunami sediments having characteristic textures and marine microfossil assemblages, such as foraminifera, radiolarians, and diatoms where preserved in coastal depressions. The radiocarbon ages of the carbonate and the organic fractions of these sediments are stratigraphically inconsistent, indicating mixing of sediments by the tsunami waves. The concentrations of organic carbon and nitrogen and their isotopic signatures confirm marine origin of these sediments.     

Cosmic rays and cosmic strings

It has been suggested that the highest-energy cosmic rays might be protons resulting from collapsing cosmic strings in the Universe. We point out that this mechanism, although attractive, has important shortcomings, notably the fact that gamma rays produced along with the protons and those produced by the protons in their interactions with the cosmic background radiation generate cascades in the Universe and result in unacceptably high fluxes of cosmic gamma rays in the region of hundreds of MeV.     

Classification of oncoids from the upper Jurassic carbonates of the French Jura

Oncoids occur abundantly in Kimmeridgian limestones and dolomitic limestones of the French Jura Mountains. Microscopic study of these oncoids confirms their algal origin. The variable role played by the alga Bacinella irregularis Radioicic in the construction of oncoids leads to the recognition of three main types of laminations: (1) micritic laminations, (2) grumose laminations, (3) organism-bearing laminations. Depending on the relative proportion of each type of lamination in their constructions, three types of oncoids are recognized. A fourth type, devoid of any laminations is formed of an algal mesh.It has been established that the occurrence of Bacinella irregularis Radioicic in the laminations of the three oncoid types I, II and III increases in abundance in that order and ultimately this alga develops a mesh in type IV. The series of oncoids so formed is interpreted as being an expression of increasingly prolonged calm periods in an environment otherwise subjected to intermittent agitation.     

Microbial structures in oolitic iron formations

Ferriferous ooids and microoncoids occur in many sedimentary iron formations. These ferriferous-coated grains are found in fine-grained carbonate-rich groundmasses. Iron mineral-encrusted microbiota are observed in both the coated grains and the groundmass. The branching nature and other morphological features of the microorganisms suggest fungal origins for the oolitic iron ores particularly of the Lower Jurassic (Lorraine Minette). The similarity of the microbial structures in coated grains and their groundmasses suggests that both had developed within microbial mats growing under calm environmental conditions. The contribution of stromatolitic marine fungal mats to the fast extraction and immobilization of iron and thus to the genesis of iron ores is demonstrated. Observations on well-preserved freshwater-derived fungal stromatolites of the Tertiary and laboratory experiments with organotrophic fungal mats confirm the findings on the Jurassic and imply a general role of microorganisms in the formation of such deposits.