Geochemical features of REE and Y accumulation in the subcolloid fraction of sediments from the northern part of Amur Bay (Sea of Japan)

The average contents of REE, Y, Fe, Mn, and clay minerals were determined in the subcolloid fraction of bottom sediments from the northern part of Amur Bay. The positive correlation of REE and Y contents with Fe and Mn is related to their flocculation and sorption on Fe, Mn oxyhydroxides and clay minerals (hydromica, smectites). The sediments are subdivided into three groups (sediments from the influence zone of the Razdol’naya River, sediments located along the eastern and western shores of the bay, and sediments weakly subjected to the river influence) with different average contents of REE, Y, Fe, and Mn. It is shown that REE and Y are mainly incorporated (98–100%) in clay minerals.     

Geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of recent clastic sediments from lower Godavari river: Implications of source rock weathering

The major, trace and rare earth elements geochemistry and clay mineral compositions in the river bed sediments from lower reaches of Godavari river suggest that they are derived from weathering of felsic rocks. Trace and rare earth elemental compositions indicate evidence of sedimentary sorting during transportation and deposition. Lower concentrations of transition elements, such as V, Ni and Cr imply enrichment of felsic minerals in these bed sediments. The REE pattern in lower Godavari sediments is influenced by the degree of source rock weathering. The light rare earth elements (LREE) content are indicating greater fractionation compared to the heavy rare earth elements (HREE). A striking relationship is observed between TiO₂ and gZREE content suggesting a strong control by LREE-enriched titaniferous minerals on REE chemistry. Shale-normalized REE pattern demonstrate a positive Eu anomaly, suggesting weathering of feldspar and their secondary products, which are enriched in Eu. Chondrite-normalised REE pattern is characteristic of felsic volcanic, granites and gnessic source rocks. Trace elemental compositions in sediments located near urban areas suggest influence of anthropogenic activity. Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) is high (avg. 65.76), suggesting a moderate chemical weathering environment. X-ray diffraction analysis of clay fraction shows predominance of clay minerals that are formed because of the chemical weathering of felsic rocks.     

Minor elements in sediments of Great Bay estuary,New Hampshire

Concentrations of copper, zinc, chromium, lead, cadmium, and phosphorus were obtained from 81 samples of unconsolidated estuarine sediment from Great Bay, New Hampshire. Dispersal of aqueous chromium from localized industrial effluent is believed responsible for an increase in sediment chromium throughout the entire estuary. High phosphorus concentrations exist in sediment near the outfalls from several waste-water treatment plants. There is no evidence for any increase of copper, zinc, lead, or cadmium in this estuary, except for localized high concentrations close to industrial outfalls. Fine-grained sediments and organic carbon correlate highly with all the elements studied, except for chromium. This suggests that conventional agents of sedimentary adsorption are not adequate to explain the incorporation of chromium into sediment under the conditions of heavy industrial discharge which exist in this estuary. Sediment phosphorus correlates highly with minor elements, suggesting that it is an adsorption agent, similar to more typical sedimentary parameters such as organic matter and clay minerals. In such a capacity phosphorus may enhance the sedimentary uptake of other aqueous species, and account for higher chromium sediment concentrations. Comparative data from other sedimentary environments emphasize the environmental significance of these elements in Great Bay.     

Modeling the dissolution behavior of standard clays in seawater

The present investigation tests a model to explain the behavior of dissolved Si during early diagenesis in sediments. The model assumes that low-Fe clays and other minerals can be treated simply as Al hydroxides, having attached silica. When the minerals are placed in seawater solutions, Si is released, causing exposure of fresh Al-octahedra. which are reactive toward Si and other elements in solution. Standard clays (kaolinite, montmorillonite) and solid silicic acid were suspended in seawater solutions in various combinations and dissolved Al, Si, Ca, pH and alkalinity were determined as a function of time. The theoretical model correctly predicts the behavior of Si in mixtures of the different minerals, based upon the dissolution behavior of the minerals in suspension alone. Further, the decrease in the alkalinity of kaolinitecontaining seawater solutions, where carbonate dissolution, organic matter decomposition and reduced sulfur oxidation are apparently unimportant, can be predicted from a simple extrapolation of the silica model results. The alkalinity changes observed in this study, as well as the pH changes observed in standard clay suspensions by other researchers, can be explained simply by equilibration of the charge on exposed Al-octahedra with the pH of the surrounding waters. The results of this study indicate that theoretical models of Si diagenesis in sediments should have general usefulness for predicting the effects of clay dissolution on sediment properties.     

Effects of grain size distribution on mineralogical and chemical compositions: a case study from size‐fractional sediments of the Huanghe (Yellow River) and Changjiang (Yangtze River)

The influence of hydrodynamics on the chemical composition of sediments is based on the uneven distribution of element abundances in different size fractions. In this study, 72 size‐fractional sediments from the Huanghe (Yellow River) and Changjiang (Yangtze River) riverbeds were measured with XRD, SEM, ICP‐AES and ICP‐MS. The analysis results show that the mineral and chemical characteristics change with grain size in the Huanghe and Changjiang sediments. According to the principal components analysis, three independent geochemical factors were found. The first factor elements, Zr, Hf, Th, U, Y, La and TiO₂ are influenced by the existence of heavy minerals. The second factor elements, Al₂O₃, alkalis, alkaline earth (excluding Ca and Sr) and most of the transitional metals are dominated by clay minerals. The third factor group includes Ca and Sr, which were controlled by calcium‐bearing mineral contents and chemical weathering intensities. The various grain size distributions greatly affect the mineralogical and chemical compositions of bulk sediments. Compared to other size fractions, the 5–6PHI size fractions of the Huanghe and Changjiang sediments have special mineralogical and chemical compositions, and intermediate volume percentages. Weight or volume percentage of each size fraction may be more suitable than mean grain‐size of the bulk sediment to elucidate the grain size effects. Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) values increase steeply with decreasing grain size, while Weathering Index of Parker (WIP) values are relatively stable. Because of the big influence of the abundance of clay minerals on CIA values, it is questionable to use CIA as a proxy of weathering intensity. Considering the clay mineral effects, stability in values and heterogeneous material properties, WIP has the potential to indicate the chemical weathering intensity of sediments. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

黑龙江省太平岭地区下二叠统双桥子组岩石地球化学特征及其成矿意义

太平岭成矿带是黑龙江省重要的铜金多金属成矿带,矿床类型主要为中温热液脉型,也发育斑岩型、浅成低温热液型和岩浆熔离型.区内广泛发育的下二叠统双桥子组(P1s)由泥质岩、粉砂岩及砂岩夹多层中酸性火山岩等组成.地层中Au、P、Fe等元素含量较高,近年来,在东宁县及穆棱市境内相继发现了陆角岭、五道沟-二十三公里等小型金矿床,金...     

近2 ka闽浙沿岸泥质沉积物物源分析

对近2 ka以来闽浙沿岸泥质沉积物进行了粘土矿物和元素测试,粘土矿物对比分析表明,所研究的泥质沉积物来源为长江沉积物.金属元素聚类分析以及使用判别函数,均得到了与上述一致的结果.沉积物物源的定量计算表明,近2 ka以来闽浙沿岸泥质沉积物中长江的贡献基本稳定在83%～85%,可以排除有黄河沉积物输入的可能,且历史上黄河的改道与北徙并没有对本区的沉积环境和沉积物来源产生明显的影响.     

Trace element mobility during sub-seafloor alteration of basaltic glass from Ocean Drilling Program site 953 (off Gran Canaria)

Trace element concentrations of altered basaltic glass shards (layer silicates) and zeolites in volcaniclastic sediments drilled in the volcanic apron northeast of Gran Canaria during Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) leg 157 document variable element mobilities during low-temperature alteration processes in a marine environment. Clay minerals (saponite, montmorillonite, smectite) replacing volcanic glass particles are enriched in transition metals and rare earth elements (REE). The degree of retention of REE within the alteration products of the basaltic glass is correlated with the field strength of the cations. The high field-strength elements are preferentially retained or enriched in the alteration products by sorption through clay minerals. Most trace elements are enriched in a boundary layer close to the interface mineral-altered glass. This boundary layer has a key function for the physico-chemical conditions of the subsequent alteration process by providing a large reactive surface and by lowering the fluid permeability. The release of most elements is buffered by incorporation into secondary precipitates (sodium-rich zeolites, phillipsite, Fe- and Mn-oxides) as shown by calculated distribution coefficients between altered glasses and authigenic minerals. Chemical fluxes change from an open to a closed system behavior during prograde low-temperature alteration of volcaniclastic sediments with no significant trace metal flux from the sediment to the water column.     

Diagenesis of the Aphebian Mistassini regolith,Quebec, Canada

A well-developed regolith is preserved beneath early Proterozoic (Aphebian) rocks of the Otish and Mistassini Groups in Central Quebec, Canada. The regolith is covered by fluviatile clastic rocks (Otish Group) in the north, and by a thick sequence of stromatolitic and sandy dolomite (Mistassini Group) in the south.Where preserved beneath clastic rocks, the regolith exhibits the structures and textures of its crystalline parent rocks (tonalite, gneiss and amphibolite), despite the alteration of feldspars to clay minerals and the partial oxidation of biotite. A later event recrystallized the clay minerals to muscovite, while conserving the original outline of the feldspars. Beneath the dolomite, the regolith was largely replaced by dolomite, but retains many original textures. Dolomite replaced first the clay minerals, then quartz and unaltered feldspars and finally biotite. Repeated crustifications of dolomite with intervals of chert and minor anthraxolite surround unaltered blocks of crystalline rock within the regolith profile and similar complex veins fill many master joints. These veins are identical in composition to vug fillings throughout the overlying carbonate formations. Clasts of partly dolomitized regolith included in non-dolomitic sands filling channels and scours dug deep into the profile, suggest that dolomitization commenced very early, possibly related to a sabkha environment developed during the transgression.     

中国大陆架海底沉积物中的稀土元素

选择渤海、黄海、东海和南海有代表性的大陆架沉积物样品,利用X射张荧光光谱法测定了15个稀土元素。中国大陆架沉积物稀土元素的丰度为156ppm,相对接近于中国黄土和花岗岩的丰度,而与太平洋沉积物的丰度相差较远,具有明显的“亲陆性”。稀土的配分模式旦显著的负斜率,属陆壳稀土的典型特征。稀土含量受沉积物粒度控制。实验表明稀土主要以类质同像存在于粘土矿物之晶体构造中。根据数理统计,稀土与亲陆源粘土矿物的元素为一类,彼此呈正相关;与亲海洋生物的元素为负相关。事实说明中国大陆岩石的风化和搬运,是中国海大陆架沉积物中稀土的主要物质来源。     

Microelements in fractions of bottom sediments of the Amur River

The grain size distribution and fraction composition of bottom sediments (BS) in the Amur River are studied. The total composition of sediments, their clay subfractions—water-peptizable (WPC) and aggregated (AC) clays—and residue after clay elutriation were analyzed. It has been established that contents of Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu in the clay subfractions are 2–4 times higher than in common bottom sediments and their residue left after the extraction of clay subfractions, confirming a significant role of clay minerals in the accumulation of elements mentioned above. It is shown that diatom algae participate in the accumulation and transport of Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu in the river water-suspended matter-bottom sediments (clay minerals) system. It has been established that high Zr concentrations in bottom sediments are related to the presence of zircon therein.     

The influence of particles recycling on the geochemistry of sediments in a large tropical dam lake in the Amazonian region,Brazil

As a result of over-erosion of soils, the fine particles, which contain the majority of nutrients, are easily washed away from soils, which become deficient in a host of components, accumulating in lakes. On one hand, the accumulation of nutrients-rich sediments are a problem, as they affect the quality of the overlying water and decrease the water storage capacity of the system; on the other hand, sediments may constitute an important resource, as they are often extremely rich in organic and inorganic nutrients in readily available forms. In the framework of an extensive work on the use of rock related materials to enhance the fertility of impoverish soils, this study aimed to evaluate the role on the nutrients cycle, of particles recycling processes from the watershed to the bottom of a large dam reservoir, at a wet tropical region under high weathering conditions. The study focus on the mineralogical transformations that clay particles undergo from the soils of the drainage basin to their final deposition within the reservoir and their influence in terms of the geochemical characteristics of sediments. We studied the bottom sediments that accumulate in two distinct seasonal periods in Tucuruí reservoir, located in the Amazonian Basin, Brazil, and soils from its drainage basin. The surface layers of sediments in twenty sampling points with variable depths, are representative of the different morphological sections of the reservoir. Nineteen soil samples, representing the main soil classes, were collected near the margins of the reservoir. Sediments and soils were subjected to the same array of physical, mineralogical and geochemical analyses: (1) texture, (2) characterization and semi-quantification of the clay fraction mineralogy and (3) geochemical analysis of the total concentration of major elements, organic compounds (organic C and nitrogen), soluble fractions of nutrients (P and K), exchangeable fractions (cation exchange capacity, exchangeable bases and acidity) and pH(H₂O).There is a remarkable homogeneity in the sedimentary distribution along the reservoir in terms of the texture and mineralogy of the clay fraction and of the chemistry of the total, soluble and exchangeable phases. These observations contrast with the physical, morphological and chemical heterogeneity of the soils and the setting lithology. Most of the sediments has a higher contribution of fine-grained material and the mineralogy of the clay fraction is dominated by kaolinite in soils and kaolinite and illite in sediments, followed by lesser amounts of gibbsite, goethite, and metahaloisite and by small/vestigial contents of chlorite and smectite. The sediments are mainly inherited from the watershed but there exist marked differences between the accumulated sediments and their parent materials. These differences mainly come from the selective erosion of fine-grained particles and the extreme climatic conditions which enhance complex transformations of mineralogical and chemical nature. Compared with the parental soils, the reservoir sediments show the following differences: (1) enrichment in fine-grained and less dense inorganic particles, (2) aggradative mineralogical transformations, including enrichment in clay minerals with higher cationic adsorption and exchange capacity, (3) degradation of the crystalline structure of Fe- and Al-oxides (goethite, gibbsite), (4) increase in easily leached elements (Mg, Ca, P, K, Na) and decrease in chemically less mobile elements (Si, Fe) and (5) higher contents of organic carbon, nitrogen, and soluble forms of P and K, mainly concentrated in the clay fraction. These transformations are extremely important in the nutrients cycle, denoting that sediments represent an efficient sink for nutrients from the over-erosion of soils. Mineral and organic compounds can permanently or temporarily sequester these nutrients, recycling them and enhancing their availability through the slow release of components from relatively loose crystal structures. These processes can easily explain the enrichment in soluble and exchangeable forms of elements such as P, K, Ca or Mg. This study conclude that the particles recycling in a large tropical dam reservoir which receives high fluxes of allochthonous nutrients, has an important role in the good quality of sediments for agricultural use and in the profitable use of this technology to recover depleted soils in remediation projects in regions near large hydroelectric plants.     

Separation of Clay Minerals from Host Sediments Using Cation Exchange Resins

Classic physical and chemical treatments applied to separating clay minerals from the host sediments are often difficult or aggressive for clay minerals. A technique using cation exchange resins (amberlite IRC-50H and amberlite IR-120) is used to separate clay minerals from the host sediments. The technique is based on the exchange of cations in the minerals that may be associated clay minerals in sediments, such as Ca and Mg from dolomite; Ca from calcite, gypsum and francolite with cations carried by resin radicals. The associated minerals such as gypsum, calcite, dolomite and francolite are removed in descending order. Separation of clay minerals using cation exchange resins is less aggressive than that by other classic treatments. The efficiency of amberlite IRC-50H in the removal of associated minerals is greater than that of amberlite IR-120.     

Geochemistry of the accumulation of metals in bottom sediments at the Razdol’naya River-Amur Bay marginal filter: I. Pelite fraction

The composition of clay minerals in the subcolloid fraction from the uppermost layer of bottom sediments in the northern part of Amur Bay was determined by X-ray powder diffraction analysis, and the enrichment of 33 elements in the subcolloid and pelite fractions of the surface deposits from a number of sites at the marginal filter of the Razdol’naya River was studied by ICP-MS.Fe, U, and chalcophile elements are contained in the highest concentrations in sediments from all sampling sites within the filter. The bottom sediments are not enriched in trace, alkali, and alkali-earth elements. The maximum concentrations of chemical elements were found in deposits from the brackish part of the marginal filter, perhaps, because of the formation of Fe and Mn (Al) hydroxides. Bottom sediment at the boundary between the brackish and marine parts of the filter contain the lowest concentrations of the examined elements.     

Assessment of clay content from the analysis of K,U, and Th distribution in different grain-size fractions of the productive sediments of the Lovin Field,Western Siberia

During the calculation of the oil and gas resources of Western Siberia, especially in the sediments of the Tyumen Formation, the presence of thin nonreservoir clay intercalations must be accounted for. However, the resolution of standard geophysical methods that are used to identify productive sequences is insufficient, and the clay intercalations are included into the total thickness of reservoir rocks, which leads to considerable errors during resource assessment. The most efficient method for the estimation of clay mineral content in sedimentary rocks is the gamma method or gamma-ray well logging, which is typically used for this purpose. However, its application requires the knowledge of correlations between the abundance of clay minerals in the sediments; the contents of K, U, and Th; and total radioactivity. To solve this problem, four grain-size fractions (sand, coarse silt, fine silt, and clay) were separated from the sediments of the Tyumen Formation at the Lovin Field and were analyzed for naturally radioactive elements (NRE), total radioactivity, and mineral composition. The tendencies found in the distribution of NRE and total radioactivity in different grain-size fractions provided a methodical basis for the determination of clay mineral contents in the productive sediments of the Tyumen Formation at the Lovin Field using gamma-spectrometric data.     

杭州湾潮滩沉积物黏土矿物空间差异与物源指示

通过对杭州湾潮滩沉积物中主要黏土矿物成分及组合类型的研究,分析了杭州湾潮滩沉积物黏土矿物的空间分布特征。借助聚类分析等手段,同时结合杭州湾水动力特征,探讨了研究区黏土矿物的来源和成因。研究结果表明,杭州湾潮滩表层沉积物主要为黏土质粉砂,其余为砂质粉砂。本区沉积物黏土矿物成分复杂,主要为伊利石,其次是高岭石和绿泥石;还有少量蒙皂石和蛭石及1.4 nm过渡矿物。根据其相对含量可分为3种组合类型:Ⅰ型为伊利石-高岭石-绿泥石-蛭石类-蒙皂石型,Ⅱ型为伊利石-绿泥石-高岭石-蒙皂石-蛭石类型,Ⅲ型为伊利石-高岭石-绿泥石-蒙皂石-蛭石类型。在空间上,北岸的蒙皂石和绿泥石平均含量高于南岸,而伊利石、高岭石和蛭石(含1.4 nm过渡矿物)平均含量则低于南岸。高潮滩和中潮滩黏土矿物对比,除了蒙皂石含量高潮滩大于中潮滩外,其他矿物含量均无明显规律。表层沉积物黏土矿物的分布特征与水动力条件和物质来源密切相关,杭州湾北岸乍浦以东潮滩受潮流和长江沿岸流影响明显,沉积物主要为长江和东海源的;南岸由于曹娥江和甬江两条河流的注入,流域物质所占比例明显比北岸高。柱状岩芯样品中各黏土矿物含量自下而上的变化则反映了物源区风化强度的波动特征。     

Clay Minerals in an Active Hydrothermal Field at Iheya‐North‐Knoll,Okinawa Trough

Iheya‐North‐Knoll is one of the small knolls covered with thick sediments in the Okinawa Trough back‐arc basin. At the east slope of Iheya‐North‐Knoll, nine hydrothermal vents with sulfide mounds are present. The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 331 studied Iheya‐North‐Knoll in September 2010. The expedition provided us with the opportunity to study clay minerals in deep sediments in Iheya‐North‐Knoll. To reveal characteristics of clay minerals in the deep sediments, samples from the drilling cores at three sites close to the most active hydrothermal vent were analyzed by X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. The sediments are classified into Layer 0 (shallow), Layer 1 (deep), Layer 2 (deeper) and Layer 3 (deepest) on the basis of the assemblage of clay minerals. Layer 0 contains no clay minerals. Layer 1 contains smectite, kaolinite and illite/smectite mixed‐layer mineral. Layer 2 contains chlorite, corrensite and chlorite/smectite mixed‐layer mineral. Layer 3 is grouped into three sub‐layers, 3A, 3B and 3C; Sub‐layer 3A contains chlorite and illite/smectite mixed‐layer mineral, sub‐layer 3B contains chlorite/smectite and illite/smectite mixed‐layer minerals, and sub‐layer 3C contains chlorite and illite. Large amounts of di‐octahedral clay minerals such as smectite, kaolinite, illite and illite/smectite mixed‐layer mineral are found in Iheya‐North‐Knoll, which is rarely observed in hydrothermal fields in mid‐ocean ridges. Tri‐octahedral clay minerals such as chlorite, corrensite and chlorite/smectite mixed‐layer mineral in Iheya‐North‐Knoll have low Fe/(Fe + Mg) ratios compared with those in mid‐ocean ridges. In conclusion, the characteristics of clay minerals in Iheya‐North‐Knoll differ from those in mid‐ocean ridges; di‐octahedral clay minerals and Fe‐poor tri‐octahedral clay minerals occur in Iheya‐North‐Knoll but not in mid‐ocean ridges.     

REE Mineralization of Weathered Crust and Clay Sediment on Granitic Rocks in the Sanyo Belt,SW Japan and the Southern Jiangxi Province,China

Rare earth element (REE) geochemistry and mineralogy have been studied in the weathered crusts derived from the Early Yanshanian (Jurassic) biotite granites of Dabu and Dingnan, as well as in the Indosinian (Permian) muscovite–biotite granite of Aigao in southern Jiangxi province, China, and the weathered crusts and clay sediments on biotite granites in the Sanyo belt, SW Japan, that is, Okayama, Tanakami, and Naegi areas. In all of the weathered crusts, biotite and plagioclase commonly tend to decrease toward the upper part of the profile, whereas kaolinite and residual quartz and K‐feldspar increase. The weathered crusts of the Dingnan granites and some Naegi granites, which are characterized by the enrichment in light REE (LREE) in C horizons, have higher total REE (ΣREE) content than the parent REE‐enriched granites. Weathering of LREE‐bearing apatite and fluorocarbonates in the Dingnan granites and allanite and apatite in some Naegi granites may account for the leaching of LREE at the B horizons. The leached LREE must result in subsequent enrichment of LREE in the C horizons. The enrichment is probably associated with mainly adsorption onto kaolinite and partly formation of possible secondary LREE‐bearing minerals. In Japan it was found that REE mineralization occurs not in the weathered granitic crusts but in reworked clay sediments, especially kaolinite‐rich layers, derived mainly from the weathering materials of REE‐enriched granitic rocks. The clay sediments are more enriched in LREE, which likely adsorbed onto kaolinite. Concentration of heavy REE within almost all the weathered crusts and clay sediments, however, may reflect mainly residual REE‐bearing minerals such as zircon, which originated in the parent granitic rocks. The findings of the present study support the three processes for fractionation of the REE during weathering: (i) selective leaching of rocks containing both stable and unstable REE‐bearing minerals; (ii) adsorption onto clay minerals; and (iii) presence of possible secondary LREE‐bearing minerals.     

黏土矿物古气候意义研究的现状与展望

系统地分析了利用海洋沉积物、古土壤、湖盆沉积物中黏土矿物进行古气候环境研究的现状、存在问题和发展趋势。海洋沉积物的物源范围广,影响因素复杂,其中的碎屑黏土矿物所指示的古气候参数只能用于解释母源区的气候变化,而只有自生黏土矿物才能指示沉积区的气候;古土壤形成于特定的地质背景条件下,尤其是发育于火山物质母岩之上的风化自生黏土矿物,可以准确地指示该区的古气候条件;湖盆沉积物的物源范围小,沉积物中的黏土矿物可以更有效地运用于古气候环境的分析。对于沉积物中黏土矿物来源的分析,可以借助晶体中cv空位和tv空位的精细结构特征进行判断;在风化改造的红土剖面研究中,因强烈的化学风化、淋滤和迁移,黏土矿物方法具有独特的优势。风化过程中形成的一些亚种或过渡性黏土矿物,以及同生沉积过程中形成的黏土矿物,对气候环境的变化更加敏感,应加强这方面的研究。此外,在造山带的气候环境演化研究中,自生黏土矿物稳定同位素可以更可靠地指示气候环境的变化。     

Geochemistry of phosphate bearing sedimentary rocks in parts of Sonrai block,Lalitpur District,Uttar Pradesh,India

Major, trace and rare earth elements of phosphatic rocks around Sonrai block of Paleo-Mesoproterozoic age having phosphatic breccia, quartzite, shale, sandstone, limestone and ironstone, have been determined to evaluate their correlation, relationship with the phosphorus content, the nature of possible substitution of various elements and regional distribution pattern over the area. The study indicates that the number of elements is substituted in the apatite structures; few of them are associated with phosphate and carbonate minerals. The variable concentration of major, trace and rare earth elements in the phosphatic rocks has been influenced by various physico-chemical processes involved during weathering and leaching of the source rocks. The distribution of the major, trace and rare earth elements is controlled by the environmental variations in the sediment water interface. The majority of trace elements were mainly influenced by the principle adsorbents like the phosphate minerals in addition to clay, iron oxides and silicate minerals. The PAAS normalized REE patterns of Sonrai block of phosphorites are characterized by negative Ce anomalies and Positive Eu anomalies. It is inferred from the distribution and interrelationship of major, trace and rare earth elements that the deposition of phosphate minerals might have occurred in highly oxidizing to slightly reducing conditions in supratidal to intertidal continental margins and shallow marine environment. The deposition was controlled by marine upwelling leading to excess charge of phosphate in certain zones of phosphogenic basins, lithologic facies variations in restricted circulations of basinal waters and electrochemical factors such as negative Eh, pH and other factors, which influenced the deposition of phosphates. The replacement, precipitation in voids and fissures and diagenesis were also important mechanisms of phosphate generation in Sonrai basin. The main source for various elements may be the minerals of cratonic mass of Bundelkhand Granitic Complex, a basement of Bijawar Basin, which also provided land derived phosphorus through weathering of the terrestrial cover.