Gravity stratification in the Freetown Basic Igneous Layered Complex,Sierra Leone,West Africa

An area of 78 sq. km in the vicinity of Freetown is mapped for the first time. By systematic mapping and study of about 1,500 thin sections, nine macro layered units have been recognized in this lowest exposed part of the intrusion. Each unit grades upward from magnetite or olivine-rich layers, through pyroxene-rich to plagioclase-rich rock. Field data of fine-scale layering, ‘false-bedded’ layers and slumping are given. These and other sedimentary structures and features indicate that the Freetown magma was convective. It is suggested that rhythmic layering in the Freetown basic intrusion originated from slow accumulation of density-sorted crystals which precipitated simultaneously from the magna-pulses.     

A primary platinum occurrence in the Freetown Layered Intrusion, Sierra Leone

The primary source of the alluvial platinum-group minerals (PGM) of the Freetown Layered Intrusion, Sierra Leone, has been unknown since their discovery 70 years ago. This is a report on work in progress to establish a primary occurrence related to the igneous layering. New whole-rock major and minor element analyses and precious metal assays show that at key horizons there is a significant change in the silicate mineral compositions and in Cu, Cr and Ni, as well as in Pt and Pd, comparable to those encountered in other PGM-bearing layered intrusions. Anomalous (0.1 to 0.4 g/t) Pt levels occur in pyroxene troctolites, which maintain these levels along strike. Received: 30 July 1999 / Accepted: 2 December 1999     

Petrochemistry of eclogites from the Koidu Kimberlite Complex,Sierra Leone

Petrography, mineral and bulk chemistry of upper mantle-derived eclogites (garnet and clinopyroxene) from the Koidu Kimberlite Complex, Sierra Leone, are presented in the first comprehensive study of these xenoliths from West Africa. Although peridotite-suite xenoliths are generally more common in kimberlites, the upper mantle sample preserved in Pipe Number 1 at Koidu is exclusively eclogitic, making this the fifth locality in which eclogite is the sole polymineralic xenolith in kimberlite. Over 2000 xenoliths were collected, of which 47 are described in detail that include diamond, graphite, kyanite, corundum, quartz after coesite, and amphibole eclogites. Grossular-pyrope-almandine garnets are chromium-poor (<0.72 wt% Cr₂O₃) and fall into two distinct groups based on magnesium content. High-MgO garnets have an average composition of Pyr₆₇Alm₂₂Gross₁₁, low-MgO garnets are grossular- and almandine-rich with an average composition of Gross₃₄Pyr₃₃Alm₃₃. Clinopyroxenes are omphacitic with a range in jadeite contents from 7.7 to 70.1 mol%. Three eclogites contain zoned and mantled garnets with almandine-rich cores and pyrope-rich rims, and zoned clinopyroxenes with diopside-rich cores and jadeite-rich rims, and are among a very rare group of eclogites reported on a world-wide basis. The bulk compositions of eclogites have ranges comparable to that of basalts. High-MgO eclogites (16–20 wt% MgO) have close chemical affinities to picrites, whereas low-MgO eclogites (6–13 wt% MgO) are similar to alkali basalts. High-MgO eclogites contain high-MgO garnets and jadeiterich clinopyroxenes. Low-MgO eclogites contain low-MgO garnets, diopside and omphacite, and the group of primary accessory phases (diamond, graphite, quartz after coesite, kyanite, and corundum); grospydites are peraluminous. Estimated temperatures and pressures of equilibration of diamond-bearing eclogites, using the diamond-graphite stability curve and the Ellis and Green (1979) geothermometer, are 1031°–1363° C at 45–50 kb.K _D values of Fe-Mg in garnet and clinopyroxene range from 2.3 to 12.2. Diamonds in eclogites are green, yellow, and clear, and range from cube to octahedral morphologies; the entire spectrum in color and morphology is present in a single metasomatized eclogite with zoned garnet and clinopyroxene. Ages estimated from Sm-Nd mineral isochrons range from 92–247 Ma. _Nd values range from +4.05 to 5.23. Values of specific gravity range from 3.06–3.60 g/cc, with calculated seismic Vp of 7.4–8.7 km/s. Petrographie, mineral, and bulk chemical data demonstrate an overall close similarity between the Koidu xenolith suite and upper mantle eclogites from other districts in Africa, Siberia and the United States. At least two origins are implied byP-T, bulk chemistry and mineral compositions: low-MgO eclogites, with diamond and other accessory minerals, are considered to have formed from melts trapped and metamorphically equilibrated in the lithosphere; high-MgO eclogites are picritic and are the products of large degrees of partial melting, with equilibration in the asthenosphere. Fluid or diluted melt metasomatism is pervasive and contributed here and elsewhere to the LIL and refractory silicate incompatible element signature in kimberlites and lamproites, and to secondary diamond growth.     

Lead isotope ratios in Spanish coals of different characteristics and origin

Lead isotope ratios in coals of different rank from several Spanish basins were estimated and related with their characteristics. The isotope ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratio values of the coals studied range between 1.13 and 1.21, with the exception of some coal samples from the Cretaceous which are more radiogenic. Coals were classified into groups according to their lead isotope ratios. These in turn were related to the isotope ratios of the minerals galena, pyrite, chalcopyrite, and carbonates. Some of the low-rank coals, in which lead might be expected to be associated with the organic matter, were not found to be related with the isotope ratios of minerals. The isotope ratios of the individual densimetric fractions separated from a bituminous coal are different to those of the raw coal. The differences between these isotope ratios may not only be due to the diverse origin of lead in different coals, but also with the possible presence of several lead species incorporated from various sources in a particular coal. The results of this work represent an important contribution to the lead isotope ratio database essential for the accurate interpretation of data regarding pollution sources.     

Petrogenesis of the Fe-Ti intrusive complexes in the Sierra Leone region, Central Atlantic

The study of melt inclusions in Cr-spinels from melanocratic troctolites provided the first direct information on the physicochemical parameters of enriched magmatic systems that produced high-Fe and high-Ti intrusive complexes in the Sierra-Leone region (Central Atlantic, 6°N). These complexes are made up of predominating hornblende Fe-Ti oxide gabbronorites and gabbrodiorites with subordinate amount of ultramafics, diorites, quartz diorites, and trondhjemites. The study of melt inclusions and rocks showed that the majority of gabbroids of the Central Atlantic (Sierra Leone area and 15°20′ Fracture Zone) were derived from N-MORB-type melts, whereas differentiated Fe-Ti-oxide rocks were crystallized from other melts, which were preserved as inclusions in the Cr-spinels from the melanocratic troctolites of the Sierra Leone region. The ion-microprobe study of these inclusions yield direct evidence on the elevated water content (up to 1.24–1.77 wt %) in the parental melts of Fe-Ti oxide rocks. Data on trace and rare-earth element distribution together with high (La/Sm)_N and (Ce/Yb)_N ratios in the inclusions indicate the possible influence of deep plume source on the generation of these magmas. Simulation based on melt inclusion data testifies that high-Fe intrusions of the Sierra Leone area were crystallized from the water-saturated magmas at relatively low temperatures (1020–1240°C). It was shown that the geochemically enriched Fe-Ti melts were presumably formed regardless of N-MORB-type magmatism predominant in Central Atlantic, under the influence of new mantle plume that caused melting of hydrated oceanic lithosphere.     

The Yungul carbonatite dykes associated with the epithermal fluorite deposit at Speewah, Kimberley, Australia: carbon and oxygen isotope constraints on their origin

The Yungul carbonatite dykes at Speewah in the Kimberley region of Western Australia were emplaced along a north-trending splay from the northeast-trending Greenvale Fault located at the western boundary of the Halls Creek Orogen. The Yungul carbonatite dykes intrude a thick composite sill of the Palaeoproterozoic Hart Dolerite (~1,790 Ma), consisting of tholeiitic dolerite and gabbro with its felsic differentiates that form the Yilingbun granophyres and associated granites. The carbonatite dykes consist of massive, calcite carbonatite that host very coarse, pegmatitic veins and pods of calcite, and have largely replaced (carbonatitized) and fenitized the country rock Hart Dolerite suite in a zone up to 150 m wide. Dykes of red-brown siliceous fluidized-breccia and epithermal-textured veins consisting of bladed quartz, adularia and fluorite are closely associated with the carbonatite dykes. The Yungul carbonatites are closely associated with fluorite occurrences with resources currently reported as 6.7 Mt at 24.6% CaF₂. The precise age of the Yungul carbonatite is not known, although it is believed to be post early Cambrian. The total REE content of the Yungul carbonatite is low (174.0–492.8 ppm; La/Yb 2.28–10.74) and thus atypical for calciocarbonatite. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns for the carbonatite are relatively flat compared to average calciocarbonatite, and show small negative Eu anomalies. These unusual geochemical features may have been acquired from the Hart Dolerite suite during emplacement of the carbonatite, a process that involved extensive replacement and fenitization of country rocks. Carbon and oxygen isotope compositions of massive calcite carbonatite and the coarse calcite veins and pods from the carbonatite suggest a deep-seated origin. The C and O isotope compositions show an overall positive correlation that can be attributed to both magmatic and magmatic-hydrothermal processes in their evolution. The magmatic δ¹³C-δ¹⁸O trend is also indicative of crustal contamination and/or low-temperature water/rock exchange. The carbon isotopic compositions have δ¹³C values that range from about ?5.2‰ to ?6.3‰ that support a mantle-derived origin for the Yungul carbonatites and are consistent with earlier conclusions based on whole-rock geochemistry and radiogenic isotopes studies.     

Bone isotope ratios and their bearing on elite privilege among the Classic Maya

This article discusses dietary patterns among the Classic Maya as they are revealed by stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios preserved in human bone. Skeletal samples are drawn from seven sites: Uaxactun, Holmul, Baking Pot, Barton Ramie, Siebal, Altar de Sacrificios, and Copán. The isotopic results indicate that Maya nutrition was not so much socially dictated as it was spatially determined; i.e., neither class nor gender nor chronological context are significant factors of isotopic variation when compared to geographic location. These data specifically challenge the notion that Maya elites had quantitative dietary privileges; they do, however, allow for the existence of qualitative privileges. Micro-environmental factors might account for the regional groupings defined, but ultimately, settlement density is considered a more significant variable. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Petrology and geochemistry of metamorphosed komatiites and basalts from the Sula Mountains greenstone belt, Sierra Leone

The Sula Mountains greenstone belt is the largest of the late-Archaean greenstone belts in the West African Craton. It comprises a thick (5 km) lower volcanic formation and a thinner (2 km) upper metasedimentary formation. Komatiites and basalts dominate the volcanic formation and komatiites form almost half of the succession. All the volcanic rocks are metamorphosed to amphibolite grade and have been significantly chemically altered. Two stages of alteration are recognised and are tentatively ascribed to hydrothermal alteration and later regional amphibolite facies metamorphism. Ratios of immobile trace elements and REE patterns preserve, for the most part, original igneous signatures and these are used to identify five magma types. These are: low-Ti komatiites – depleted in light REE; low-Ti komatiites – with flat REE patterns; high-Ti komatiitic basalts – with flat REE; low-Ti basalts – depleted in light REE; high-Ti basalts – with flat REE patterns. Much of the variation between the magma types can be explained in terms of different melt fractions of the mantle source, although there were two separate mantle sources one light REE depleted, the other not. The interleaving of the basalts and komatiites produced by this melting indicates that the two mantle sources were melted simultaneously. The simplest model with which to explain these complex melting processes is during melting within a rising mantle plume in which there were two different mantle compositions. The very high proportion of komatiites in the Sula Mountains relative to other greenstone belts suggests either extensive deep melting and/or the absence of a thick pre-existing crust which would have acted as a “filter” to komatiite eruption. Received: 10 February 1998 / Accepted: 28 July 1998     

Mafic magmatic enclaves and mafic rocks associated with some granitoids of the central Sierra Nevada batholith, California: nature, origin, and relations with the hosts

The calc-alkaline granitoids of the central Sierra Nevada batholith are associated with abundant mafic rocks. These include both country-rock xenoliths and mafic magmatic enclaves (MME) that commonly have fine-grained and, less commonly, cumulate textures. Scarce composite enclaves consist of either xenoliths enclosed in MME, or of MME enclosed in other MME with different grain size and texture. Enclaves are often enclosed in mafic aggregates and form meter-size polygenic swarms, mostly in the margins of normally zoned plutons. Enclaves may locally divert schlieren layering. Mafic dikes, which also occur in swarms, are undisturbed, composite, or largely hybridized. In central Sierra Nevada, with the exception of xenoliths that completely differ from the other rocks, host granitoids, mafic aggregates, MME, and some composite dikes exhibit a bulk compositional diversity and, at the same time, important mineralogical and geochemical (including isotopic) similarities. MME and host granitoids display distinct major and trace element compositions. However, strong correlations between MME–host granitoid pairs indicate interactions and parallel evolution of MME and enclosing granitoid in each pluton. Identical mafic mineral compositions and isotopic features are the result of these interactions and parallel evolution. Mafic dikes have broadly the same major and trace element compositions as the MME although variations are large between the different dikes that are at distinctly different stages of hybridization and digestion by the host granitoids. The composition of the granitoids and various mafic rocks reflects three distinct stages of hybridization that occurred, respectively, at depth, during ascent and emplacement, and after emplacement. The occurrence and succession of hybridization processes were tightly controlled by the physical properties of the magmas. The sequential thorough or partial mixing and mingling were commonly followed by differentiation and segregation processes. Unusual MME that contain abundant large crystals of hornblende resulted from disruption of early cumulates at depth, whereas those richer in large crystals of biotite were formed by disruption of late mafic aggregates or schlieren layerings at the level of emplacement. MME and host granitoids are considered cogenetic, because both are hybrid rocks that were produced by the mixing of the same two components in different proportions. The felsic component was produced by partial melting of preexisting crustal materials, whereas the dominant mafic component was probably derived from the upper mantle. However, in the lack of a clear mantle signature, the origin of the mafic component remains questionable.     

塞拉利昂中部马卡利地区金矿特征及成矿远景

塞拉利昂中部马卡利地区出露有大片的太古界花岗-绿岩带地质体,其金矿资源丰富。通过矿产勘查和成矿规律研究表明,金的来源与太古界花岗-绿岩带地体密切相关。岩金矿床类型为含铁建造金矿床,主要赋存于绿岩带的绿片岩中及含铁建造的片岩中,受褶皱和断裂构造控制;砂金矿的类型为河流冲积型砂金矿,主要分布在花岗-绿岩带内及其周边河流中的全新统冲积层中下部砂砾石层中。重砂异常和地球化学异常区内具备良好的岩金、砂金成矿地质背景和找矿前景,实施砂金-岩金综合找矿方法,找矿潜力巨大。     

The nature and location of the suture zone in the Rokelide orogen, Sierra Leone: Geochemical evidence

The boundaries of the West African Craton mark the location of a continuous suture zone that records Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian oceanic closure. The western part of the circum-West African suture zone extends through the line of outcrop of the Mauritanide, Bassaride and Rokelide mountain belts. Our geochemical analyses are consistent with the idea that igneous and metamorphic rocks of the Rokelide and Southern Mauritanide mountain belts of West Africa occupy a suture zone that records the closing of a Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian ocean basin during the Pan-African orogeny and final assembly of Gondwana. The closing of that basin was marked by the collision between Archean rocks of the Leo massif of the West African Craton and reactivated Archean and Paleoproterozoic rocks that now outcrop nearer to the coast of Africa in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Within the Rokelides, the geochemistry of the Kasewe Hills volcanic rocks and Marampa amphibolite indicate that remnants of an arc system are caught up in the suture zone. The geochemistry of Guingan schists that outcrop along strike of the Rokelides is compatible with the idea that the metamorphosed equivalents of the Marampa and Kasewe Hills arc volcanic rocks extend through the Bassarides and into the Southern Mauritanides.     

The nature and location of the suture zone in the Rokelide orogen,Sierra Leone: Geochemical evidence

The boundaries of the West African Craton mark the location of a continuous suture zone that records Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian oceanic closure. The western part of the circum-West African suture zone extends through the line of outcrop of the Mauritanide, Bassaride and Rokelide mountain belts. Our geochemical analyses are consistent with the idea that igneous and metamorphic rocks of the Rokelide and Southern Mauritanide mountain belts of West Africa occupy a suture zone that records the closing of a Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian ocean basin during the Pan-African orogeny and final assembly of Gondwana. The closing of that basin was marked by the collision between Archean rocks of the Leo massif of the West African Craton and reactivated Archean and Paleoproterozoic rocks that now outcrop nearer to the coast of Africa in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Within the Rokelides, the geochemistry of the Kasewe Hills volcanic rocks and Marampa amphibolite indicate that remnants of an arc system are caught up in the suture zone. The geochemistry of Guingan schists that outcrop along strike of the Rokelides is compatible with the idea that the metamorphosed equivalents of the Marampa and Kasewe Hills arc volcanic rocks extend through the Bassarides and into the Southern Mauritanides.     

Geochemistry and mineralogy of laterites in the Sula Mountains greenstone belt, Lake Sonfon gold district, Sierra Leone

Geochemical and mineralogical investigations have been carried out on laterite profiles developed in the Lake Sonfon Au district of northern Sierra Leone. The area is underlain by Archean metavolcanics and constitutes part of the Sula Mountains greenstone belt, which is mineralized in Au. Extensive lateritization has affected the rocks of this region, resulting in a profile which from bottom to top consists typically of a decomposed bedrock zone, a pisolitic laterite layer and a duricrust layer. Both the pisolitic and duricrust layers of the laterite are sometimes punctuated by lenses of ironstones containing high amounts of Cu, Zn, Ni, Co and Ce. Gold occurs as small grains within the heavy mineral fraction recovered from the decomposed rock zones and pisolitic layers of the profiles and also in gravels of streams draining the area. The mineralogy of the duricrust and pisolitic layers is dominated by goethite, gibbsite and quartz, with minor amounts (<5% by volume) of ilmenite, magnetite, haematite, rutile and kaolinite. The kaolinite content increases towards the decomposed rock zone, where talc, vermiculite and other layer lattice silicates become abundant. The heavy-mineral fraction of stream sediments is composed essentially of ilmenite, magnetite, haematite, and traces of rutile, zircon, tourmaline and Au. The Au grains are often characterized by a 10–200-μm-wide rim having a much lower content of Ag (0.3 wt.% or lower) than the grain interior (about 5 wt.% on average). Dissolution effects are also observed on the grain surfaces. It is considered that Au derived from the amphibolite parent rock is dissolved, transported, and redeposited during laterization.The duricrust cover of the laterite profiles is characterized by high contents of Fe₂O₃ (ca. 60 wt.%) and Al₂O₃ (ca. 32wt.%) and low content of SiO₂ (ca. 9 wt.%). In comparison, the pisolitic layer is higher in SiO₂ (ca. 18 wt.%) as well as a slightly higher in Al₂O₃ (ca. 34 wt.%). Lateritic weathering has resulted in the removal of CaO, Na₂O, MgO and SiO₂, with relative enrichment of Fe₂O₃ and Al₂O₃. The geochemical distribution of the trace elements in the laterite profiles can be related to the occurrence of the auriferous mineralization. The significance of these observations is discussed in relation to the origin of the lateritic Au and the role of the associated trace elements as indicators of the mineralization.     

Raft-like Metabasaltic Inclusions in the Fongen-Hyllingen Layered Intrusive Complex, Norway, and their Implications for Magma Chamber Evolution

The Hyllingen Series comprises the southern part of the Caledoniansynorogenic Fongen- Hyllingen layered mafic intrusion, whichoccupies an area of 160 km², southeast of Trondheim, Norway.Large, raft-like inclusions form an important part of the HyllingenScries. Most of these are of fine-grained, equigranular rocksof basaltic composition with lithologies matching those of theadjacent country rocks. The rafts, which compose up to 22% ofthe lower part of the Hyllingen Series, are broadly concordantwith modal layering in the host gabbroic rocks. Individual bodiescan be up to 1500 m long and over 100 m thick. Some of the raftsare branching, and appear locally to form a threedimensionalnetwork. Impact structures are associated with small metabasicinclusions but not with the large rafts. The Hyllingen magma chamber is believed to have developed asa southerly expanding, thin wedge, forming the upper part ofthe Fongen chamber. The magma was compositionally zoned andcrystallized along the inclined floor of the wedge-shaped chamber.The wedge expanded as a result of the influx of dense, primitivemagma in the northern part of the chamber. The highly evolvedmagma at the top of the chamber penetrated along fractures inthe roof and spread laterally to form sill-like bodies. Theroof zone consisted of a network of veins and sills penetratingan interconnected framework of metabasic hornfels. Continuedcrystallization at the floor, while the magma chamber expanded,finally resulted in the interconnected rafts being engulfedby the crystallization front. Fragments detached from the roofsank to the floor to cause the observed impact structures. Thelarge, raft-like, fine-grained, granular, gabbroic bodies areconsidered to be in situ country rock inclusions. Reprints available from J. R. Wilson     

Variations of U and Sr isotope ratios in Alsace and Luxembourg rain waters: origin and hydrogeochemical implications

Major and trace element concentrations, as well as Sr and U isotope ratios, were measured in rainwater samples collected in three different locations in Alsace (East of France) and Luxembourg: a mid-altitude mountain site (Aubure Environment HydroGeochemical Observatory), an urban site (Strasbourg) and a peri-urban site located in an area of well developed industrial activity (Esch-sur-Alzette in Luxembourg). Results highlight the quite high spatial and temporal variability of the chemical and isotopic characteristics of rainwater at the regional scale. They also suggest a quite systematic contribution of a local component in the chemical composition of rainwater. In urban and peri-urban sites, the local component is certainly linked to human activities, as it is well illustrated in this study with the Esch-sur-Alzette samples. On the other hand, for the Aubure site, i.e. a small forested watershed of mid-altitude mountain, data presented in this study demonstrate the influence of the vegetation on the chemical composition of rainwater for alkali and calc-alkali elements, as well as for the Sr isotope ratios. Such a result questions the reliability of the method classically used to estimate the rainwater contribution on the river chemical budget. In addition, data of the present study confirm the very low content of uranium in rainwater and demonstrate, especially through the U isotope analysis of Aubure rainwater, the negligible effect of rainwater on U budget of river waters. This work thus outlines the property of U to be a geochemical tracer specific of weathering fluxes carried by rivers. To cite this article: F. Chabaux et al., C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).     

Fluid inclusion studies of gold-bearing quartz veins from the Yirisen deposit,Sula Mountains greenstone belt,Masumbiri, Sierra Leone

The auriferous veins at Yirisen, Masumbiri, Sierra Leone, occurring mainly in the form of sericitic quartz-sulphide lodes and stringers, are hosted in metamorphosed volcano-sedimentary assemblages invaded by at least two generations of granitic intrusions. Detailed microthermometric studies of fluid inclusions from the veins coupled with laser Raman spectroscopic analysis show that the inclusions contain aqueous fluids of variable salinity (5 to 60 wt.% NaCl equivalent) and dense carbonic fluids (pure CO₂: 1.08>d>0.88 g/cm³). Optical observations and analysis on opened inclusions by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveal that some of the aqueous inclusions contain a number of daughter minerals: halite, sylvite, Ca-, Fe-, Mg- and possibly Li-bearing chlorides, and anhydrite; nahcolite occurs also in some of the CO₂ inclusions. The SEM runs also detected a small amount of electrum, suggesting that silver might be a bi-product of the mineralisation. The aqueous and carbonic fluids remained immiscible throughout the formation and evolution of the hydrothermal veins. A few mixed (H₂O+CO₂) inclusions apparently resulted from accidental trapping of both fluids in the same cavity. The wide range of salinities observed in the aqueous inclusions is attributed to the mixing of relatively hot, low-salinity aqueous fluids and colder, high-salinity brines. The CO₂-rich and low-salinity H₂O inclusions are considered to be derived from the metamorphic decarbonation/dehydration of the greenstone pile whilst the high-salinity brines are believed to be basinal in origin. Pressure–temperature (P–T) conditions of entrapment, inferred from the intersection of representative isochores of the immiscible fluids, indicate that the formation of the veins started at T=400°C and P about 4 kbar, in the presence of the high-density CO₂ and low-salinity H₂O fluids. At about 200°C, pressure fluctuations (incremental opening of the vein) correspond to the trapping of the lower-density CO₂ inclusions and high-salinity brines. It is proposed that the decarbonation/dehydration processes (possibly aided by later magmatic processes) expelled and mobilised the gold from the greenstone pile and concentrated it in the CO₂-bearing hydrothermal fluid in the form of Au–chloride complexes. High thermal gradients are believed to have caused the upward migration of this fluid from the bottom of the greenstone pile through structurally controlled conduits. We contend that phase separation of the H₂O–CO₂ metamorphic fluid, aided possibly by some wall–rock alteration, most probably triggered a decrease in ligand activity and thus, precipitation of the gold into lodes. Percolation of the basinal brines is thought to have remobilised some of the gold together with some silver.     

Osmium,ruthenium, iridium and uranium in silicates and chromite from the eastern Bushveld Complex,South Africa

Osmium, ruthenium, iridium and uranium contents were determined in eight ortho pyroxene, seven plagioclase, and three chromite mineral separates from the eastern Bushveld Complex. Neutron activation analysis was used to measure the platinum metals, and uranium was determined by a fission track technique. The platinum metals were found to be present within each minéral in the proportions Os:Ru:Ir = 1:7:1, while the concentrations of these metals in the minerals are in the ratios orthopyroxene:plagioclase:chromite = 1:16:700. The concentration of uranium was found to range from 11 to 66 ppb (parts per billion) and not to vary significantly from mineral to mineral. The data for the platinum metals are consistent with a model in which the eastern Bushveld Complex was formed by the fractional crystallization of two separately injected magmas. A computer fit of this model to these data indicates that the initial concentrations of Os, Ru and Ir in the first magma were 0.24, 2.0 and 0.21 ppb and in the second magma were 0.16, 1.1 and 0.18 ppb, respectively. The fit also yields the distribution coefficients for the partitioning between the liquid and cumulus orthopyroxene, cumulus plagioclase and cumulus chromite. These coefficients (mineral/liquid) for osmium are 4.5, 66 and 2700; for ruthenium, they are 5, 65 and 2700; and for iridium, they are 4, 60 and 1600. To make this fit, it was necessary to hypothesize the existence of two types of chromite: one type with a large distribution coefficient, presumably formed as a cumulus phase at high temperature, and another, more prevalent type with a smaller distribution coefficient, which may have been formed by postcumulus growth at a lower temperature. This hypothesis is supported by data for coexisting chromite-silicate pairs, which indicate that the chromite grains expelled these platinum metals as they cooled.     

Oxygen and silicon isotope ratios of the Luna 20 soil

The δ O¹⁸ and δ Si³⁰ analyses of the Luna 20 soil sample are +6.18 and +0.22, respectively, relative to the SMOW and Rose Quartz standards. However, an anomalous δ O¹⁸ value of +8.13 was obtained on one aliquot of the Luna 20 sample. Possible reasons for this apparently erroneous result are discussed.