The beginning of volcanic activity within Sredinny metamorphic Massif (Sredinny Range,Kamchatka)

For the first time, the age of the beginning of the volcanic activity within Sredinny metamorphic Massif is determined (7–6 Ma). We suppose that this event was caused by the collision of Kamchatka with the Kronotsk arc that started about 7 Ma from accretion of Shipunsky peninsula. We demonstrate that at least two types of rocks were erupted within Sredinny Range of Kamchatka in late Miocene times: typical islandarc rocks were produced in the central and northern parts of the Range, and hybrid type rocks—in its southernmost part.     

Zeolites in volcanic-igneous hydrothermal systems: a case study of Pauzhetka geothermal field (Kamchatka) and Oligocene Smrekovec volcanic complex (Slovenia)

Production from geothermal reservoirs in volcanic-igneous hydrothermal systems may be disturbed owing to the formation of authigenic minerals that reduce primary porosity and infill fissure systems. Crystallization may be induced by natural processes or human activity related to the reservoir exploitation. In volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks, zeolites and related authigenic silicate minerals commonly develop. Two selected study sites—Pauzhetka geothermal field in Russia and Smrekovec volcanic complex in Slovenia are characterized by extensive development of progressive stage medium- and low-temperature propylitization and zeolitization with similar mineral assemblages that reduced original reservoir rock porosity and permeability. Retrograde and overprinting reactions of argillitization commonly enhance porosity and permeability of rocks, but some other reactions, like from prehnite to laumontite, from laumontite to heulandite, and from laumontite to analcime, encountered in the Smrekovec volcanic complex reduced it appreciably. Retrograde reactions recognized in the study sites were not induced by the temperature drop only, but were accompanied by the change in chemical composition of reacting fluids. Chemical composition of interstitial waters produced from exploitation wells in the Pauzhetka geothermal field indicate that propylitic and zeolite facies alteration is related to Na–Cl, slightly alkaline waters, while argillitization involved acidic thermal waters with more complex ion composition.     

Middle-upper Miocene volcanic ashes of the Kerch-Taman region

Results of the detailed study of Miocene volcanic ashes from Kerch and Taman peninsulas are presented. Based on the distribution of pyroclastics in the rocks under consideration, the Sarmatian and late Meotian stages of volcanic activity are distinguished. In close association with other geological data, results of the first microprobe analysis of the volcaniclastic materials are analyzed. It has been revealed that Sarmatian ashes are characterized by rhyolitic composition, whereas upper Meotian ashes correspond to dacites and rhyodacites. Decrease of silicate content and increase of alkalinity in the studied pyroclastic rocks are traced from ancient to younger sediments. The upper Meotian volcanics are noted for higher concentration of potassium. The predominantly vitroclastic Kerch-Taman ashes with a low content of calcium and high contents of potassium and sodium most likely belong to a single magmatic center. Stages of volcanic events and petrochemical similarity of composition of the magmatic products suggest that the studied ash material belongs to volcanic centers of the Lesser Caucasus.     

Zoning and geochemical characterization of volcanic soils on Kamchatka

The paper presents the first data on the zoning of modern volcanic soils on the Kamchatka Peninsula according to the age and composition of volcanic ashes in which the surface organogenic horizons of the soils were formed. The following soil provinces are recognized: Northern, Central, Western, and Southeastern. Parameters of their regional geochemical background (concentrations of trace elements) are determined. The main factor controlling the background concentrations of trace elements in these soils is the composition of the ashes underlying the soils. The geochemical specifics of the surface organogenic horizons of volcanic soils on Kamchatka may be variably affected only by the concentrations of trace elements whose average contents in magmatic rocks are the highest: Cr, Cu, Mn, Sc, Zn, Co, V, and Ag. The maximum concentrations of excess elements were determined in the soils underlain by ashes of basic composition, and the minimum concentrations of these elements occur in the soils formed in silicic ashes. All soil provinces recognized on Kamchatka are characterized by pervasively elevated Cu concentrations. It is proposed to identify volcanic soils formed in the peninsula in ashes of various composition with the application of a multiplicative geochemical coefficient.     

Experimental study on unfrozen water content and soil matric potential of Qinghai-Tibetan silty clay

A new soil moisture content sensor coupled with a new matric potential sensor that can operate in the subfreezing environment was used to measure the moisture content and soil matric potential dynamics of Qinghai-Tibetan silty clay. Combined with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique and thermal resistor temperature probe, the characteristics of unfrozen water content and soil matric potential, and their relationships with temperature were analyzed. The results show that initial water content has an impact on the freezing point and unfrozen water content. The decrease in the initial water content results in a depression in the freezing point. The Qinghai-Tibetan silty clay has more similar unfrozen water content characteristic to clay than to silt. There is approximately 3% of unfrozen water content retained when the soil temperature drops to −15°C. The change of soil matric potential with temperature is similar to that of the unfrozen water content. The matric potential value of the saturated silty clay is approximately −200 kPa when the soil temperature drops to −20°C. The measured matric potentials are significantly lower than the calculated theoretical values based on the freezing point depression. Moisture migration experiment indicates that soil matric potential controls the direction of moisture movement and moisture redistribution (including ice and liquid water) during the soil freezing.     

Middle to late Pleistocene record of explosive volcanic eruptions in marine sediments offshore Kamchatka (Meiji Rise,NW Pacific)

This paper presents the first detailed study of a late Pleistocene marine tephra sequence from the NW Pacific, downwind from the Kamchatka volcanic arc. Sediment core SO201-2-40, located on the Meiji Rise ~400 km offshore the peninsula, includes 25 tephras deposited within the last 215 ka. Volcanic glass from the tephras was characterized using single-shard electron microprobe analysis and laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry. The age of tephras was derived from a new age model based on paleomagnetic and paleoclimate studies. Geochemical correlation of distal tephras to Kamchatkan pyroclastic deposits allowed the identification of tephras from the Karymsky, Gorely, Opala and Shiveluch eruptive centers. Three of these tephras were also correlated to other marine and terrestrial sites and hence are identified as the best markers for the north-west Pacific region. These are an early Holocene tephra from the Karymsky caldera (~8.7 ka) and two tephras falling into the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6 glacial time: an MIS 6.4 tephra from Shiveluch (~141 ka) and the MIS 6.5 Rauchua tephra (~175 ka) from Karymsky. The data presented in this study can be used in paleovolcanological and paleoceanographic reconstructions.     

Redistribution of Au in volcanic ashes in the course of their postsedimentary alterations

The redistribution of Au in Late Precambrian volcanic ashes from the Vendian section of the East European Platform and the Sinian section of the South China Platform is characterized by high Au concentration (up to >20 ng/g) in Fe³⁺-rich samples. The Au content decreases to ～2 ng/g in Fe²⁺-rich volcanic ashes from the Vendian section of the East European Platform. This distribution pattern suggests the mobility of Au-bearing compounds in postsedimentary processes.     

煤系火山灰蚀变黏土岩:矿物学和地球化学研究进展

含煤地层中广泛分布的火山灰蚀变成因的高岭石黏土岩被称为Tonstein。少数情况下,煤系蚀变火山灰层的黏土矿物以蒙脱石和伊蒙混层矿物为主,则分别称为斑脱岩和钾质斑脱岩。尽管中外学者对煤系火山灰蚀变黏土岩已有大量研究,然而,迄今为止这几个术语在定义和使用上在国内外科学界仍然存在争议。煤中火山灰的淋滤作用会对煤的地球化学组成产生重要影响。含煤地层中这类岩石因为分布广泛可以被用作等时标志层,提供地层对比的依据,其中的原生矿物还可以提供绝对年龄信息。有的碱性火山灰层具有找矿指示意义。煤中火山灰蚀变黏土岩夹矸中化学性质相对稳定的元素可以用来推断原始火山灰的组成,提供原始岩浆的成分以及区域地质历史演化方面的信息。     

冻土未冻水含量的低场核磁共振试验研究

采用低场核磁共振技术测试了冻融循环过程中不同土质、不同NaCl离子浓度饱和试样的未冻水含量,结合T2分布曲线从微细观角度分析了冻融过程中未冻水在孔隙赋存分布情况。试验结果表明：冻结过程可分为过冷度段、快速下降段、稳定段3个阶段,而融化过程仅存在稳定段、快速融化段,并不存在与过冷现象对应的过热现象。冻结时大孔隙的水首先冻结,而融化时孔隙水的增加却是从小孔隙开始的,这是由水分热动力学势能的差异导致孔隙水冻结和融化在时间上的有序性。并且分析了冻融循环中土质类型、离子浓度对未冻水含量的影响,以及探讨了冻融过程出现的滞后现象的原因。     

First data on composition of the volcanic rocks of the IVS 50th anniversary Fissure Tolbachik eruption (Kamchatka)

First data on major, minor and trace element (XRF. 1CP-MS) concentrations in the volcanic rocks of the IVS 50th anniversary Fissure Tolbachik eruption are reported for the period from 27.11.2012 to 25.01.2013; scheme of lava flows distribution by March 2013 is made. The volcanic rocks of the new eruption are substantially different from the other studied volcanic rocks of Tolbachinsky Dol by their higher alkalis and incompatible elements content. The rocks of the first three days of eruption (Menyailov Vent) have higher silica and alkalis content than all previously reported volcanic rocks of Tolbachinsky Dol. Volcanic rocks of the Naboko Vent, at silica content similar to high-Al basalts of Tolbachinsky Dol, have different concentrations of trace elements and some major elements (K₂O, CaO, TiO₂, P₂O₅). REE and other incompatible element concentrations in the rocks of the Menyailov Vent are higher than in the rocks of the Naboko Vent at the same element ratios. The differences of the volcanic rocks of the two vents of the new eruption may be caused by the fact that the erupted lavas came from the different levels of the same magma chamber.     

Prediction of salt influence on unfrozen water content in frozen soils

The influence of salts in the pore water in freezing soils is examined from the experimental viewpoint, using the differential scanning calorimetry technique for generation of multiple endotherms of the frozen test samples. The experimental values obtained for montmorillonite, kaolinite and grundite, are evaluated in terms of unfrozen water contents for the respective soils at various subfreezing temperatures for various concentrations of NaCl. Comparison of experimental values with theoretical predictions using a combined salt exclusion and diffuse double-layer model shows excellent quantitative agreement for the montmorillonite soil samples, but only qualitative agreement for the kaolinite and grundite soils. The reasons for this lie in the theoretical model requirement for interlamellar migration of water in soil freezing for suitable application of the diffuse double-layer part of the model.     

Cenozoic volcanic rocks of North Kamchatka: In search of subduction zones

Two belts of subaerial volcanic rocks—the Eocene Kinkil belt and the Neogene belt of the Sredinny Range—extend along the Kamchatka Isthmus. It is suggested that their formation is related to subduction of the oceanic lithosphere beneath the continental margin of North Kamchatka. The oceanic lithosphere consumed in the subduction zones could have been formed as a result of active spreading in the Komandorsky Basin. In the simplest case, both spreading and subduction reflect the northwestward motion of the lithosphere of the Komandorsky Plate relative to Kamchatka, the Shirshov Ridge, and the Aleutian Basin combined into one relatively immobile plate conventionally called the North American Plate. The authors perform a simulation of conjugate spreading and subduction. The most important parameter determining the regional geodynamics—the velocity of the Komandorsky Plate moving relative to the North American Plate—is taken as 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 cm/yr. The calculated ages of the onset and end of volcanic activity in the aforementioned belts are compared with the dates obtained with the isotopic and paleontological methods. For the Eocene Kinkil belt, where volcanism started 44 Ma ago, the model age of the onset of subduction depends on the accepted velocity of the motion of the Komandorsky Plate and varies from 54 Ma at the velocity of 2.5 cm/yr to 47.5 Ma at the velocity of 7.5 cm/yr. It can be assumed that the model of fast subduction in this age interval is most consistent with the geological data. For the Miocene-Pliocene belt of the Sredinny Range, assuming the velocity of the motion of the Komandorsky Plate at 5.0 and 7.5 cm/yr, multiple rifting at the boundary with the Shirshov Ridge should be assumed. Therefore, for the end of the Neogene, a model with low velocity (2.5–5.0 cm/yr, i.e., about 4.0 cm/yr) is preferable.     

The Paleogene in the southern part of Karagin Island (Eastern Kamchatka)

On the basis of foraminifers In the section through the Cenozoic deposits of Karagin Island, we distinguish the Eocene (the Cape Tons and Mt. Peresheyek suites), Oligocene (the Il'khatun suite and the Laternula sandstones), and Miocene deposits and describe their paleontological characteristics. We identify 18 assemblages of foraminifera, correlating the Paleogene deposits on Karagin Island with the synchronous deposits to Japan and California. The Cape Tons and Mt. Peresbeyek suites are correlated with the Sakasegawa and Poronai formations in Japan and with deposits of the Narizian and Refugian stages to California. —Authors.     

Formation of a third volcanic chain in Kamchatka: generation of unusual subduction-related magmas

The unusual development of three volcanic chains, all parallel to the trend of the subduction trench, is observed in Kamchatka at the northern edge of the Kurile arc. Elsewhere on the Earth volcanic arcs dominantly consist of only two such chains. In the Kurile arc, magmatism in the third volcanic chain, which is farthest from the trench, is also unusual in that lavas show concentrations of incompatible elements intermediate between those of the two trenchward chains. This observation can be explained by relatively shallow segregation of primary magmas and high degrees of partial melting of magmas in the third chain, compared to the conditions of magma separation expected from a simple application of the general acrossarc variation. Initial magmas in such an atypical third chain may be produced by melting of K-amphibolebearing peridotite in the down-dragged layer at the base of the mantle wedge under anomalously hightemperature conditions. Such an unusual melting event may be associated with the particular tectonic setting of the Kamchatka region, i.e. the presence of subductiontransform boundary. Such a mechanism is consistent with the across-arc variation in Rb/K ratios in the Kamchatka lavas: lowest in the third chain rocks and highest in the second chain rocks.     

基于未冻水含量的冻土热参数计算分析

为提升冻土温度场预测精度和减少热参数测试工作量,根据饱和冻土的土、水、冰三相组成,对基于导热系数的冻土未冻水含量反演公式进行了推导。根依据干土和饱和土体的二相构成,推导了适用于土体矿物导热系数预估的计算公式。实测了粉质黏土在不同负温下的比热和导热系数值,分别结合比热确定未冻水含量的递推方法和基于导热系数建立的冻土未冻水含量反演公式,计算得到了粉质黏土在不同负温下的未冻水含量。基于实测和反演获取的未冻水含量,确定了随不同负温变化的冻土导热系数、比热和潜热。将基于冻土未冻水含量确定的热参数代入数值计算软件ABAQUS,获取不同计算热参数下的冻土瞬态温度场计算值。分别将各温度场计算值与模型试验实测值进行了比较,结果表明,从未冻水含量角度出发对冻土温度场计算用热参数的测试工作量进行缩减是可行的;基于Johansen法反演获取未冻水含量,进而确定的热参数能够较好地预测冻土温度场。