Sound velocity and elastic properties of Fe–Ni and Fe–Ni–C liquids at high pressure

The sound velocity (V _P) of liquid Fe–10 wt% Ni and Fe–10 wt% Ni–4 wt% C up to 6.6 GPa was studied using the ultrasonic pulse-echo method combined with synchrotron X-ray techniques. The obtained V _P of liquid Fe–Ni is insensitive to temperature, whereas that of liquid Fe–Ni–C tends to decrease with increasing temperature. The V _P values of both liquid Fe–Ni and Fe–Ni–C increase with pressure. Alloying with 10 wt% of Ni slightly reduces the V _P of liquid Fe, whereas alloying with C is likely to increase the V _P. However, a difference in V _P between liquid Fe–Ni and Fe–Ni–C becomes to be smaller at higher temperature. By fitting the measured V _P data with the Murnaghan equation of state, the adiabatic bulk modulus (K _S0) and its pressure derivative (K _S ^′ ) were obtained to be K _S0 = 103 GPa and K _S ^′  = 5.7 for liquid Fe–Ni and K _S0 = 110 GPa and K _S ^′  = 7.6 for liquid Fe–Ni–C. The calculated density of liquid Fe–Ni–C using the obtained elastic parameters was consistent with the density values measured directly using the X-ray computed tomography technique. In the relation between the density (ρ) and sound velocity (V _P) at 5 GPa (the lunar core condition), it was found that the effect of alloying Fe with Ni was that ρ increased mildly and V _P decreased, whereas the effect of C dissolution was to decrease ρ but increase V _P. In contrast, alloying with S significantly reduces both ρ and V _P. Therefore, the effects of light elements (C and S) and Ni on the ρ and V _P of liquid Fe are quite different under the lunar core conditions, providing a clue to constrain the light element in the lunar core by comparing with lunar seismic data.     

Stability of methane in reduced C–O–H fluid at 6.3 GPa and 1300–1400°C

The composition of a reduced C–O–H fluid was studied by the method of chromatography–mass spectrometry under the conditions of 6.3 GPa, 1300–1400°C, and fO₂ typical of the base of the subcratonic lithosphere. Fluids containing water (4.4–96.3 rel. %), methane (37.6–0.06 rel. %), and variable concentrations of ethane, propane, and butane were obtained in experiments. With increasing fO₂, the proportion of the CH₄/C₂H₆ peak areas on chromatograms first increases and then decreases, whereas the CH₄/C₃H₈ and CH₄/C₄H₁₀ ratios continually decrease. The new data show that ethane and heavier HCs may be more stable to oxidation, than previously thought. Therefore, when reduced fluids pass the “redox-front,” carbon is not completely released from the fluid and may be involved in diamond formation.     

Transport and Crystallization of Noble Platinum in Supercritical C–O–H Fluid

Experimental data is provided for the transport of platinum in a supercritical C–O–H fluid system. The transfer of platinum in space with its condensation on the surface of native carbon (diamond and amorphous carbon) in the form of micro- and nanocrystals, shapeless particles, and filamentous formations is established for the first time. The dominant participation of platinum in the formation of carbon micro- and nanotubes is demonstrated. The results are important in modeling the formation of noble metal deposits with deep fluid carbon systems.     

Determining the composition of C–H–O liquids following high-pressure and high-temperature diamond-trap experiments

Here, we present the first analytical technique (the quartz tube system technique—QTS) to directly analyze H₂O and CO₂ contents in liquids following high-pressure, high-temperature experiments in capsules containing mantle minerals and a diamond layer serving as a fluid/melt trap. In this technique, the capsule is frozen prior to opening; the diamond trap is cut out of the capsule and placed inside a N₂-filled quartz tube. The diamond trap is heated up to 900 °C to release the gases to an Infrared Gas Analyzer, which determines the CO₂ and H₂O contents. Three sets of experiments containing SiO₂ and CaCO₃ powders were performed at 6 GPa and 1,000 °C in order to calibrate and validate the technique. These experiments demonstrated that when samples are prepared in a N₂ environment, CO₂ and H₂O can be directly measured with an accuracy and precision of 2–3 and 3–4 %, respectively. The QTS technique (for H₂O and CO₂ determination) together with the cryogenic technique (total dissolved solids content) can be applied to diamond-trap capsules following HP–HT experiments in order to provide direct and complete liquid compositions coexisting with mantle material. The principal advantage of the QTS technique of direct analysis of volatile content in liquids over the indirect approach of mass balance calculations is the possibility of studying carbonated and hydrous liquid compositions in equilibrium with mantle material regardless of chemistry and pressure–temperature experimental conditions.     

Effect of sulfur concentration on diamond crystallization in the Fe–C–S system at 5.3–5.5 GPa and 1300–1370°C

The paper presents results of experiments aimed at diamond synthesis in the Fe–C–S system at 5.3–5.5 GPa and temperatures of 1300–1370°C and detailed data on the microtextures of the experimental samples and the composition of the accompanying phases (Fe₃C and Fe₇C₃ carbides, graphite, and FeS). It is demonstrated that diamond can be synthesized after temperatures at which carbides are formed are overcome and can crystallize within the temperature range of 1300°C (temperature of the peritectic reaction melt + diamond = Fe₇C₃) to 1370°C (of thermodynamically stable graphite) under the appearance experimental pressure. The possible involvement of natural metal- and sulfur-bearing compounds in the origin of natural diamond is discussed.     

Oxygen isotope exchange and disequilibrium between calcite and tremolite in the absence and presence of an experimental C–O–H fluid

Oxygen isotope exchange between minerals during metamorphism can occur in either the presence or the absence of aqueous fluids. Oxygen isotope partitioning among minerals and fluid is governed by both chemical and isotopic equilibria during these processes, which progress by intragranular and intergranular diffusion as well as by surface reactions. We have carried out isotope exchange experiments in two- and three-phase systems, respectively, between calcite and tremolite at high temperatures and pressures. The two-phase system experiments were conducted without fluid either at 1 GPa and 680 °C for 7 days or at 500 MPa and 560 °C for 20 days. Extrapolated equilibrium fractionations between calcite and tremolite are significantly lower than existing empirical estimates and experimental determinations in the presence of small amounts of fluid, but closely match calculated fractionations by means of the increment method for framework oxygen in tremolite. The small fractionations measured in the direct calcite–tremolite exchange experiments are interpreted by different rates of oxygen isotope exchange between hydroxyl oxygen, framework oxygen and calcite during the solid–solid reactions where significant recrystallization occurs. The three-phase system experiments were accomplished in the presence of a large amount of fluid (CO₂+H₂O) at 500 MPa and 560 °C under conditions of phase equilibrium for 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 120, 160, and 200 days. The results show that oxygen isotope exchange between minerals and fluid proceeds in two stages: first, through a mechanism of dissolution-recrystallization and very rapidly; second, through a mechanism of diffusion and very slowly. Synthetic calcite shows a greater rate of isotopic exchange with fluid than natural calcite in the first stage. The rate of oxygen diffusion in calcite is approximately equal to or slightly greater than that in tremolite in the second stage. A calculation using available diffusion coefficients for calcite suggests that grain boundary diffusion, rather than volume diffusion, has been the dominant mechanism of oxygen transport between the fluid and the mineral grains in the later stage.Editorial responsibility: T.L. Grove     

Kinetics of feldspar and quartz dissolution at 70–80°C and near-neutral pH: effects of organic acids and NaCl

Effects of the organic acid (OA) anions, oxalate and citrate, on the solubility and dissolution kinetics of feldspars (labradorite, orthoclase, and albite) at 80°C and of quartz at 70°C were investigated at pH 6 in separate batch experiments and in media with different ionic strength (0.02–2.2 M NaCl). Although it has been shown that OAs can increase rates of feldspar dissolution, prior experiments have focused primarily on dilute, highly undersaturated and acidic conditions where feldspar dissolution kinetics are dominated by H⁺ adsorption and exchange reactions. Many natural waters, however, are only weakly acidic and have variable ionic strength and composition which would be expected to influence mineral surface properties and mechanisms of organic ligand-promoted reactions.Oxalate and citrate (2–20 mM) increased the rate of quartz dissolution by up to a factor of 2.5. Quartz solubility, however, was not increased appreciably by these OAs, suggesting that Si–OA complexation is not significant under these conditions. The lack of significant OA–SiO₂ interaction is important to understanding the effects of OAs on the release of both Si and Al from feldspars. In contrast to quartz, both the rates of dissolution and amounts of Si and Al released from the three feldspars studied increased regularly with increasing OA concentration. Feldspar dissolution was congruent at all but the lowest OA concentrations. Total dissolved Al concentrations increased by 1–2 orders of magnitude in the presence of oxalate and citrate, and reached values as high as 43 mg/l (1.6 mM). Si concentrations reached values up to 65 mg/l (2.3 mM) in feldspar–OA experiments. Precipitation of authigenic clays was observed only in experiments without or at very low concentrations of OAs. The high concentrations of dissolved Si attained during dissolution of feldspars in OA solutions, relative to Si concentrations in quartz–OA experiments, is attributed to concomitant release of Si driven by strong Al–OA interactions.Modeling of the dependence of feldspar dissolution rates on OA concentration in natural diagenetic environments is complicated by the competing effects of overall solution chemistry and ionic strength on the dissolution mechanism. Results of experiments using labradorite (An₇₀) indicate that in OA-free solutions, dissolution is progressively slower at increasing NaCl concentrations (up to 2.2 M), in agreement with prior experiments on the effects of alkali metals on feldspar dissolution. The combined effects of oxalate and NaCl on labradorite dissolution rates are such that the rate increase due to oxalate is suppressed by the addition of NaCl. Thus, feldspar dissolution kinetics should be most significantly affected by a given concentration of OAs in low ionic strength solutions.     

Solubility of minerals of metamorphic and metasomatic rocks in hydrothermal solutions of varying acidity: Thermodynamic modeling at 400–800°C and 1–5 kbar

The character of solubility of 61 metamorphic and metasomatic minerals in an aqueous fluid was analyzed as a function of temperature, pressure, and fluid acidity by means of computer simulation of mineralfluid equilibria. Depending on the behavior of minerals in solutions of varying acidity, six main types of solubility diagrams were distinguished. The solubility of the majority of minerals is controlled mainly by fluid acidity rather than by P–T conditions. The analysis of model results provided insight into the mobility of chemical elements composing the minerals. The highest mobility in solutions of any acidity was established for Si, K, and Na. Ca and Mg are mobile in acidic solutions and inert in neutral and alkaline solutions. Fe(II) and Mn(II) are mobile in acidic and alkaline solutions but inert in neutral solutions. Fe(III) is mobile only in strongly acidic solutions and practically immobile in solutions of other compositions, which suggests that ferrous iron species must prevail in solutions. Al is mobile in alkaline and ultra-acidic solutions but inert in neutral and slightly acidic solutions. Correspondingly, a change in acidity must lead to the migration of some component into the solution and precipitation of other components. These conclusions are in agreement with the sequences of element mobility deduced from the experimental investigation of metasomatism. Most metamorphic fluids must be rich in silica and alkalis, which may result in the appearance of aggressive silica-alkali fluids responsible for regional metasomatism and granitization. In general, the solubility of Fe-, Mg-, Mn-, and Ca-bearing minerals in alkaline solutions is low compared with acidic solutions. Therefore, only acidic initial solutions could produce fluids enriched in these elements at the expense of leaching from metamorphic rocks during fluid migration. Fluids enriched mainly in Fe could initially be both acidic and alkaline.     

P–V–T equations of state of MgO and thermodynamics

A simplest equation within the framework of the Mie-Grüneisen–Einstein approach is considered. Pressure estimation values are presented that are derived by conventional arithmetic and algebraic calculations as a function of temperature and volume. The equation under consideration complies with the Mie-Grüneisen–Debye model at high temperature. Different versions of an equation of state (EoS) of MgO proposed by Speziale et al. (J Geophys Res 106B:515–528, 2001) as a pressure standard at high temperatures are subject to analyses. In the literature, at least four versions of Speziale et al. EoS of MgO are discussed; the discrepancy between them reaching a few GPa at T > 2,000 K and P > 100 GPa. Our analyses of these equations suggest that the volume dependence of the Debye temperature is accepted arbitrarily and does not agree with the definition of the Grüneisen parameter, γ = −(∂lnΘ/∂lnV) _T . Pressure as a function of temperature and volume in the Mie-Grüneisen–Einstein approach or the Gao pressure calculator can be used to estimate true pressure at compression x = V/V ₀ < 1 with the Speziale et al. EoS of MgO.     

Metallogenesis and ore-forming time of the Changtuxili Mn–Ag–Pb–Zn deposit in Inner Mongolia: Evidence from C–O–S isotopes and U–Pb geochronology

This paper reports new geochronological (U–Pb) and isotope (C, O, and S) data to investigate the timing of mineralization and mode of ore genesis for the recently discovered Changtuxili Mn–Ag–Pb–Zn deposit, located on the western slopes of the southern Great Hinggan Range in NE China. The mineralization is hosted by intermediate–acidic lavas and pyroclastic rocks of the Baiyingaolao Formation. Three stages of mineralization are identified: quartz–pyrite (Stage I), galena–sphalerite–tetrahedrite–rhodochrosite (Stage II), and quartz–pyrite (Stage III). δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values for carbonate from the ore vary from −8.51‰ to −4.96‰ and 3.97‰ to 15.90‰, respectively, which are indicative of a low-temperature alteration environment. δ³⁴S_V-CDT values of sulfides range from −1.77‰ to 4.16‰ and show a trend of equilibrium fractionation (δ³⁴S_Py ​> ​δ³⁴S_Sp ​> ​δ³⁴S_Gn). These features indicate that pyrite, sphalerite, and galena precipitated during the period of mineralization. The alteration mineral assemblage and isotope data indicate that the weakly acidic to weakly alkaline ore-forming fluid was derived largely from meteoric water and the ore-forming elements C and S originated from magma. During the mineralization, a geochemical barrier was formed by changes in the pH of the ore-forming fluid, leading to the precipitation of rhodochrosite. On the basis of the mineralization characteristics, new isotope data, and comparison with adjacent deposits, we propose that the Changtuxili Mn–Ag–Pb–Zn deposit is an intermediate-to low-sulfidation epithermal deposit whose formation was controlled by fractures and variability in the pH of the ore-forming fluid. The surrounding volcanic rocks yield zircon U–Pb ages of 160−146 ​Ma (Late Jurassic), indicating that the mineralization is younger than 146 ​Ma.     

Cyclic and Dynamic Behavior of Sand–Rubber and Clay–Rubber Mixtures

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - In this paper, the possibility of using fine scrap tyre&nbsp;rubber to improve the mechanical properties of soil subjected to cyclic loading is...     

The Fe–C–O–H–N system at 6.3–7.8 GPa and 1200–1400 °C: implications for deep carbon and nitrogen cycles

Interactions in a Fe–C–O–H–N system that controls the mobility of siderophile nitrogen and carbon in the Fe⁰-saturated upper mantle are investigated in experiments at 6.3–7.8 GPa and 1200–1400 °C. The results show that the γ-Fe and metal melt phases equilibrated with the fluid in a system unsaturated with carbon and nitrogen are stable at 1300 °C. The interactions of Fe₃C with an N-rich fluid in a graphite-saturated system produce the ε-Fe₃N phase (space group P6₃/mmc or P6₃22) at subsolidus conditions of 1200–1300 °C, while N-rich melts form at 1400 °C. At IW- and MMO-buffered hydrogen fugacity (fH₂), fluids vary from NH₃- to H₂O-rich compositions (NH₃/N₂?>?1 in all cases) with relatively high contents of alkanes. The fluid derived from N-poor samples contains less H₂O and more carbon which mainly reside in oxygenated hydrocarbons, i.e., alcohols and esters at MMO-buffered fH₂ and carboxylic acids at unbuffered fH₂ conditions. In unbuffered conditions, N₂ is the principal nitrogen host (NH₃/N₂?≤?0.1) in the fluid equilibrated with the metal phase. Relatively C- and N-rich fluids in equilibrium with the metal phase (γ-Fe, melt, or Fe₃N) are stable at the upper mantle pressures and temperatures. According to our estimates, the metal/fluid partition coefficient of nitrogen is higher than that of carbon. Thus, nitrogen has a greater affinity for iron than carbon. The general inference is that reduced fluids can successfully transport volatiles from the metal-saturated mantle to metal-free shallow mantle domains. However, nitrogen has a higher affinity for iron and selectively accumulates in the metal phase, while highly mobile carbon resides in the fluid phase. This may be a controlling mechanism of the deep carbon and nitrogen cycles.     

The influence of low aluminum concentrations on the composition and conditions of crystallization of majorite–knorringite garnets: Experiment at 7.0 GPa and 1500–1700°C

Crystallization of garnet in high-chromium restite formed under the conditions of partial melting in the spinel facies and subsequently subducted into the garnet depth facies was studied experimentally in the MgO–Al₂O₃–Cr₂O₃–SiO₂ system. The crystallization of garnet and the dependence of its composition on the temperature and bulk composition of the system with low Al concentration were studied as well. Experiments in the knorringite–majorite–pyrope system with 5, 10, and 20 mol % Prp were carried out at 7 GPa. The phase associations for the starting composition of pure knorringite Mg₃Cr₂Si₃O₁₂ included chromiumbearing enstatite MgSiO₃ (up to 3.2 wt % Cr₂O₃) and eskolaite Cr₂O₃. Addition of Al resulted in crystallization of high-chromium majoritic garnet. The portion of garnet in the samples always exceeded the concentration of pyrope in the starting composition owing to the formation of the complex majorite–knorringite–pyrope series of solid solutions. With increasing content of pyrope (from 5 to 20 mol %) and increasing temperature, the modal concentration of garnet increased significantly (from 6–12 to 22–37%). The garnet was characterized by high concentrations of the pyrope (23–80 mol %) and knorringite (22–70 mol %) components. The excess of Si (>3 f.u.) with decreasing Cr concentration provided evidence for the contribution of the majorite–knorringite trend to the variation in garnet composition. On the basis of the natural data, most of the garnets composing xenoliths of ultrabasic rocks in kimberlites and occurring as inclusions in diamonds are low-chromium; i.e., their protolith was not subjected to partial melting, at least in the spinel depth facies.     

The solubility of calcite in water at 6–16 kbar and 500–800 °C

The solubility of calcite in H₂O was measured at 6–16 kbar, 500–800 °C, using a piston-cylinder apparatus. The solubility was determined by the weight loss of a single crystal and by direct analysis of the quench fluid. Calcite dissolves congruently in the pressure (P) and temperature (T) range of this study. At 10 kbar, calcite solubility increases with increasing temperature from 0.016±0.005 molal at 500 °C to 0.057±0.022 molal at 750 °C. The experiments reveal evidence for hydrous melting of calcite between 750 and 800 °C. Solubilities show only a slight increase with increasing P over the range investigated. Comparison with work at low P demonstrates that the P dependence of calcite solubility is large between 1 and 6 kbar, increasing at 500 °C from 1.8×10^–5 molal at 1 kbar to 6.4×10^–3 molal at 6 kbar. The experimental results are described by:

Critical Phenomena and Garnetization of Hydrous Eclogite at P = 3.7–4.0 GPa and T = 1000–1300°C

Doklady Earth Sciences - The phase relations upon eclogitization of basalt and melting of H2O-bearing eclogite were studied experimentally for basalt–H2O in the range of P = 3.7–4.0 GPa...     

Human perturbations on the global biogeochemical cycles of coupled Si–C and responses of terrestrial processes and the coastal ocean

We present a model of the global biogeochemical cycle of silicon (Si) that emphasizes its linkages to the carbon cycle and temperature. The Si cycle is a crucial part of global nutrient biogeochemistry regulating long-term atmospheric CO₂ concentrations due to silicate mineral weathering reactions involving the uptake of atmospheric CO₂ and production of riverine dissolved silica, cations and bicarbonate. In addition and importantly, the Si cycle is strongly coupled to the other nutrient cycles of N, P, and Fe; hence siliceous organisms represent a significant fraction of global primary productivity and biomass. Human perturbations involving land-use changes, burning of fossil fuel, and inorganic N and P fertilization have greatly altered the terrestrial Si cycle, changing the river discharge of Si and consequently impacting marine primary productivity primarily in coastal ocean waters.     

Constraints of C–O–S–Pb isotope compositions and Rb–Sr isotopic age on the origin of the Tianqiao carbonate-hosted Pb–Zn deposit,SW China

The Tianqiao Pb–Zn deposit in the western Yangtze Block, southwest China, is part of the Sichuan–Yunnan–Guizhou (SYG) Pb–Zn metallogenic province. Ore bodies are hosted in Devonian and Carboniferous carbonate rocks, structurally controlled by a thrust fault and anticline, and carried about 0.38 million tons Pb and Zn metals grading > 15% Pb + Zn. Both massive and disseminated Pb–Zn ores occur either as veinlets or disseminations in dolomitic rocks. They are composed of ore minerals, pyrite, sphalerite and galena, and gangue minerals, calcite and dolomite. δ³⁴S values of sulfide minerals range from + 8.4 to + 14.4‰ and display a decreasing trend from pyrite, sphalerite to galena (δ³⁴S_pyrite > δ³⁴S_sphalerite > δ³⁴S_galena). We interpret that reduced sulfur derived from sedimentary sulfate (gypsum and barite) of the host Devonian to Carboniferous carbonate rocks by thermal–chemical sulfate reduction (TSR). δ¹³C_PDB and δ¹⁸O_SMOW values of hydrothermal calcite range from –5.3 to –3.4‰ and + 14.9 to + 19.6‰, respectively, and fall in the field between mantle and marine carbonate rocks. They display a negative correlation, suggesting that CO₂ in the hydrothermal fluid was a mixture origin of mantle, marine carbonate rocks and sedimentary organic matter. Sulfide minerals have homogeneous and low radiogenic Pb isotope compositions (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb = 18.378 to 18.601, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb = 15.519 to 15.811 and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb = 38.666 to 39.571) that are plotted in the upper crust Pb evolution curve and overlap with that of Devonian to Carboniferous carbonate rocks and Proterozoic basement rocks in the SYG province. Pb isotope compositions suggest derivation of Pb metal from mixed sources. Sulfide minerals have ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios ranging from 0.7125 to 0.7167, higher than Sinian to Permian sedimentary rocks and Permian Emeishan flood basalts, but lower than basement rocks. Again, Sr isotope compositions are supportive of a mixture origin of Sr. They have an Rb–Sr isotopic age of 191.9 ± 6.9Ma, possibly reflecting the timing of Pb–Zn mineralization. C–O–S–Pb–Sr isotope compositions of the Tianqiao Pb–Zn deposit indicate a mixed origin of ore-forming fluids, which have Pb–Sr isotope homogenized before the mineralization. The Permian flood basalts acted as an impermeable layer for the Pb–Zn mineralization hosted in the Devonian–Carboniferous carbonate rocks.     

Experimental modeling of Au and Pt coupled transport by chloride hydrothermal fluids at 350–450°C and 500–1000 bar

The coupled solubility of Au_(cr) and Pt_(cr) has been measured in acidic chloride solutions at 350–450°С and 0.5 and 1 kb using the autoclave technique with determination of dissolved metal contents after quenching. The constants of the reaction combining the dominant species of Au and Pt in high-temperature hydrothermal fluids (K_(Au–Pt)) have been determined: 2 Au_(cr) + PtCl₄^2- = Pt_(cr) + 2AuCl₂^-; log K_(Au–Pt) =–1.02 ± 0.25 (450°С, 1 kb), 0.09 ± 0.15 (450°С, 0.5 kb), and –1.31 ± 0.20 (350°С, 1 kb). It has been established that the factors affecting the Au/Pt concentration ratio in hydrothermal fluids and precipitated ores are temperature, pressure, redox potential, and sulfur fugacity. An increase in temperature results in an increase in the Au/Pt concentration ratio (up to ~550°С at P = 1 kb). A decrease in pressure and redox potential leads to enrichment of fluid in Au. An increase in sulfur fugacity in the stability field of Pt sulfides results in increase in the Au/Pt concentration ratio. Native platinum is replaced by sulfide mineral in low-temperature systems enriched in Pt (relative to Au).