Holocene displacement along branch and secondary faults in the San Andreas fault zone, southern California

Detailed geologic mapping of the San Andreas fault zone in Los Angeles County since 1972 has revealed evidence for diverse histories of displacement on branch and secondary faults near Palmdale. The main trace of the San Andreas fault is well defined by a variety of physiographic features. The geologic record supports the concept of many kilometers of lateral displacement on the main trace and on some secondary faults, especially when dealing with pre-Quaternary rocks. However, the distribution of upper Pleistocene rocks along branch and secondary faults suggests a strong vertical component of displacement and, in many locations, Holocene displacement appears to be primarily vertical. The most recent movement on many secondary and some branch faults has been either high-angle (reverse and normal) or thrust. This is in contrast to the abundant evidence for lateral movement seen along the main San Andreas fault. We suggest that this change in the sense of displacement is more common than has been previously recognized.The branch and secondary faults described here have geomorphic features along them that are as fresh as similar features visible along the most recent trace of the San Andreas fault. From this we infer that surface rupture occurred on these faults in 1857, as it did on the main San Andreas fault. Branch faults commonly form “Riedel” and “thrust” shear configurations adjacent to the main San Andreas fault and affect a zone less than a few hundred meters wide. Holocene and upper Pleistocene deposits have been repeatedly offset along faults that also separate contrasting older rocks. Secondary faults are located up to 1500 m on either side of the San Andreas fault and trend subparallel to it. Moreover, our mapping indicates that some portions of these secondary faults appear to have been “inactive” throughout much of Quaternary time, even though Holocene and upper Pleistocene deposits have been repeatedly offset along other parts of these same faults. For example, near 37th Street E. and Barrel Springs Road, a limited stretch of the Nadeau fault has a very fresh normal scarp, in one place as much as 3 m high, which breaks upper Pleistocene or Holocene deposits. This scarp has two bevelled surfaces, the upper surface sloping significantly less than the lower, suggesting at least two periods of recent movement. Other exposures along this fault show undisturbed Quaternary deposits overlying the fault. The Cemetery and Little Rock faults also exhibit selected reactivation of isolated segments separated by “inactive” stretches.Activity on branch and secondary faults, as outlined above, is presumed to be the result of sympathetic movement on limited segments of older faults in response to major movement on the San Andreas fault. The recognition that Holocene activity is possible on faults where much of the evidence suggests prolonged inactivity emphasizes the need for regional, as well as detailed site studies to evaluate adequately the hazard of any fault trace in a major fault zone. Similar problems may be encountered when geodetic or other studies, Which depend on stable sites, are conducted in the vicinity of major faults.     

Hydrothermal alteration and fluid inclusion study of the Lower Cretaceous porphyry Cu–Au deposit of Tiámaro, Michoacán, Mexico

The Tiámaro deposit in Michoacán state has been dated as Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian), though most of the porphyry deposits in central Mexico were dated or have an attributed Eocene–Oligocene age. The host rocks belong to a volcanoplutonic complex overlain by red conglomerates. These rocks were intruded by pre-Valanginian plutonic and hypabissal rocks. Propylitic, phyllic, and argillic alteration assemblages developed, and their superimposition draws the evolution of the deposit. Stage I is represented by propylitic assemblages, stage II contains the main ore forming stockworks and both phyllic and argillic assemblages, and stage III contains late carbonatization assemblages. The obtained temperatures and salinities from inclusion fluids are low for a porphyry-type deposit, but we interpret that the known part of the deposit represents the shallow portion of a bigger deposit. The evolution of mineralizing fluids draws a dilution trend of brines from “porphyry-like” to “epithermal-like” stages. The richest ore zone is roughly located between the 300 and 350 °C isotherms, though unnoticed resources may occur at depth.     

Preliminary evidence of a link between surface soil properties and the arsenic content of shallow groundwater in Bangladesh

The extremely heterogeneous distribution of As in Bangladesh groundwater has hampered efforts to identify with certainty the mechanisms that lead to extensive mobilization of this metalloid in reducing aquifers. We show here on the basis of a high-resolution transect of soil and aquifer properties collected in Araihazar, Bangladesh, that revealing tractable associations between As concentrations in shallow (< 20 m) groundwater with other geological, hydrological, and geochemical features requires a lateral sampling resolution of 10–100 m. Variations in the electromagnetic conductivity of surface soils (5–40 mS/m) within a 500 m × 200 m area are documented with 560 EM31 measurements. The results are compared with a detailed section of groundwater As concentrations (5–150 μg/L) and other aquifer properties obtained with a simple sampling device, “the needle-sampler”, that builds on the local drilling technology. By invoking complementary observations obtained in the same area and in other regions of Bangladesh, we postulate that local groundwater recharge throughout permeable sandy soils plays a major role in regulating the As content of shallow aquifers by diluting the flux of As released from reducing sediments.     

Porphyry copper deposits of the CIS and the models of their formation

Deposits of the “porphyry” family (essentially porphyry copper and gold-porphyry copper, gold-bearing porphyry molybdenum-copper, gold-containing porphyry copper-molybdenum and porphyry molybdenum deposits) are associated in time and space with granitoid magmatism mainly in Phaerozoic volcano-plutonic belts. Whatever their age, the deposits belong to two types of belts: basaltic belts, representing axial zones of island arcs, or andesitic belts formed within active continental (Andean-type) margins.The petrochemistry of ore-bearing magmatism related to the nature of the substratum of volcano-plutonic belts, reveals a number of essential characteristics, both in composition and zonation of wallrock alteration and ore mineralization. These characterisics enabled previous researchers to establish four models of porphyry copper deposits based on their lithologic associations, e.g., “diorite”, “granodiorite”, “monzonite” and “granite”.Pophyry copper deposits are thought to be the product of self-generating “two-fluid mixing” ore-magmatic systems. Porphyry intrusions are pathways for energy and metals from deep-seated magma chambers, of which the upper mineralized parts are accessible for observation. The relationship between magmatic fluids and meteoric water participating in the ore-forming processes (dependent on the structural-petrophysical conditions of formation), provide a subdivision for the porphyry copper ore-magmatic systems into three types: “open”, “closed” and “transitional”.Concurrently, a common trend in the evolution of the systems has been established, from a nearly autoclave regime of structural-and ore-forming processes to a gradual increase in the importance of hydrothermal recycling. The completeness of the OMS (ore-magmatic system) development according to this scheme, which determines the existence of various OMS types, depends on many factors, the most important being the depth of formation of porphyry intrusive bodies, the petrophysical peculiarities of the host rocks and the palaeohydrogeological conditions of ore deposition.Although rock fracturing (especially defluidization: second boiling) and contraction are caused by the same mechanisms, the stockwork growth in “open” and “closed” systems, relative to the wall rock, takes place in opposite directions, primarily due to different petrophysical parameters of the near-stock environment.In “open” systems structural and ore metasomatic processes are finalized. Fractures extend progressively from porhyry stocks into the marginal parts of the intrusive framework and extension of large-scale recycling of magmatic and activated meteoric water, in the same direction, result in the formation of ore-bearing stockworks. These are large in all dimensions, cover mainly hanging-wall zones and are characterized by clearly defined concentric mineral zoning and extensive geochemical haloes.In a “closed” OMS with centripetal growing fractures, hydrothermal convection is stunted. The vertical extension of recycling cells is restricted and the volume of meteoric water involved in circulation during the period of ore deposition is relatively small. As a result, relatively small intra-intrusive lenticular stockworks are developed which are characterized by close co-existence of several generations of mineralization with fragmentary preservation of the earliest ones. These are characterized by the elements of “reverse” zoning, increased density of the veinlets and metal content, as well as poorly developed hanging-wall dispersion haloes.     

Comment on “Reinterpretation of Cl data: physical processes, hydraulic interconnections and age estimates in groundwater systems” by E. Mazor

Mazor (1992) has reinterpreted several previous ³⁶Cl studies. The studies he revised used extensive physical hydrogeological data to aid in interpretation of the ³⁶Cl measurements. Major ion chemistry and other isotope tracers were considered in order to evaluate the groundwater geochemistry. The studies then used simple geochemical models to account for Cl behavior in the subsurface. The result of these ³⁶Cl dating studies was in reasonable agreement with both numerical models of the aquifer systems and with independent geochemical studies.Mazor (1992) has reinterpreted these studies based on the assumption that spatial variation in chemical and isotope data should be attributed to unspecified “discontinuities” in the flow regime. The conceptual models of aquifer hydrodynamics resulting from this approach differ radically not only from the previous ³⁶Cl interpretations, but also from the findings of virtually all previous hydrogeological and geochemical investigations. Although Mazor's “reinterpretations” are provocative, he does not show how they explain the data of the numerous previous studies better than the conceptual models presented by the authors of those studies, nor has he demonstrated that his new models are consistent with the fundamental physical laws governing groundwater flow. Until this is satisfactorily accomplished I will continue to prefer the original ³⁶Cl interpretations.     

“Normal” and “inverted” metamorphic isograds and their relation to syntectonic proterozoic batholiths in the Wopmay Orogen, Northwest Territories, Canada

Three progressive metamorphic suites are developed in pelitic rocks of the northern Wopmay Orogen. Two suites are related to the Hepburn Batholith and one to the Wentzel Batholith. All three suites are cut by post-metamorphic wrench faults, some of which have significant vertical displacement. The structural relief so provided reveals that medium-and high-grade isograds associated with the Hepburn Batholith dip inward towards the batholith and are thus “hot-side-up”. Isograds associated with the Wentzel Batholith dip away from the batholith and are thus “hot-side-down”. It is concluded that Hepburn Batholith has the form of the flattened funnel fed from depth, and that Wentzel Batholith is the arched roof of an intrusive complex of unknown shape at depth.     

The geologic history of the passive margin off new england and the canadian maritime provinces

The geologic history of the passive continental margin off the east coast of North America from New England to Newfoundland is described using all available geological and geophysical information. “Rift” and “drift” phases of the margin's evolution are recognized, with rifting initiated in Late Triassic and completed by Early Jurassic. The plate decoupling process created a complex block-faulted terrain as a result of uplift and tensional fracturing. The approximate plane of continental separation is marked by a “hinge zone” characterized by a pronounced steepening of basement gradients. Since the Early Jurassic, the margin has undergone continual subsidence in response to cooling and sediment loading. This “drift” sequence attains its maximum thickness in the vicinity of the continental slope and thins both landward and seaward. On the shelf, this unit consists of Mesozoic evaporites, carbonates, and deltaic deposits. Overlying these sediments is a prograding wedge of Cenozoic elastics. On the rise, the Mesozoic sediments are evaporites, hemipelagic limestones and shales and carbonaceous clays. The Cenozoic is dominantly terrigenous material. Separating these two sedimentary provinces is the continental slope, a site of major facies changes and a Mesozoic reef complex.     

A Kaapvaal craton debate: Nucleus of an early small supercontinent or affected by an enhanced accretion event?

Incorporation of the Kaapvaal craton within a speculative Neoarchaean–Palaeoproterozoic supercontinent has long been debated, and this idea provides a potential solution to solving the apparently enigmatic provenance of the huge quantities of gold within the famous Witwatersrand auriferous deposits of Kaapvaal. Within a framework of a postulated Neoarchaean “Kenorland” (“northern”; present-day reference) supercontinent, we examine possible “southern” cratons that may have been contiguous with Kaapvaal: Pilbara, Zimbabwe, Dharwar, São Francisco, Amazon, Congo. Brief reviews of their basic geology and inferred evolution in syn-Witwatersrand basin times (c. 3.1–2.8 Ga) show no obvious support for any such supercontinental amalgamations. An alternative idea to explain a measure of gross similarity amongst several Neoarchaean cratons is through global events, such as a c. 3125–3000 Ma cratonic-scale erosive event interpreted for both Pilbara and Kaapvaal, and a much more widespread magmatic event at c. 2760–2680 Ma. We postulate that a global superplume event at c. 3.0 Ga included a plume beneath the Kaapvaal cratonic nucleus, thus halting any subduction around that terrane due to the thermal anomaly. Such a speculative global magmatic event is assumed to have enhanced production of juvenile oceanic crust at mid-ocean ridges, including those “offshore” of the thermally elevated Kaapvaal nucleus. Intra-oceanic obduction complexes may have built up fairly rapidly under such conditions, globally, and once the plume event had abated, “normal” plate tectonics would have resulted in composite (greenstone-tonalite, possibly also including granite) terranes accreting with nuclei such as Kaapvaal. This enhanced plume-related cratonic growth can be seen as a rapid accretion event. Formation of the envisaged ophiolite complexes possibly encompassed deformation-related first-order concentration of gold, and once accretion occurred around Kaapvaal's nucleus, from north and west (present-day frame of reference), a second-order (deformation-related) gold concentration may have resulted. The third order of gold concentration would logically have occurred once placer systems reworked detritus derived from the orogens along the N and W margins of Kaapvaal. Such conditions and placer gold deposits are known from many Neoarchaean cratons. The initial source of gold was presumably from the much hotter Mesoarchaean mantle and may have been related to major changes in Earth's tectonic regime at c. 3.0 Ga. The unique nature of Kaapvaal is probably its early stabilization, enabling formation of a complex flexural foreland basin system, in which vast quantities of placer sediments and heavy minerals could be deposited, and preserved from younger denudation through a unique post-Witwatersrand history.     

Identification of diagnostic geochemical alteration in the wallrocks of archean volcanic-exhalative massive sulfide deposits

The present investigation is concerned with the identification of diagnostic lithogeochemical alteration signatures around volcanic-exhalative massive sulfide deposits in the Superior Province, with the overall objective of deriving lithogeochemical criteria, applicable in the search for new deposits of this type.Previous work on these deposits has indicated that, in general, the footwall alteration halo is marked by iron and magnesium enrichment, and calcium and sodium depletion. These features are often only detectable if the over-riding effects of igneous differentiation are compensated. It is apparent that the relative contribution of individual elements to the geochemical alteration varies from deposit to deposit, preventing the recognition of any universal geochemical alteration criterion.The role of discriminant analysis has been examined to establish the possibility of the technique indicating a more reliable expression of geochemical alteration. Discriminant analysis establishes the optimum weighted combination of variables to distinguish two or more populations from each other, in this case mineralized from barren environments. The application of the procedure to the data relating to the composition of wall rock associated with eight volcanic-exhalative massive sulfide deposits has drawn attention to the existence of two distinct types of alteration. The Joutel and Poirier deposits are characterized by Fe₂O₃, MgO, Zn and Ag enrichment, and CaO and Na₂O depletion; this alteration style has been termed the “Joutel” type. At the South Bay, Sturgeon Lake and Mobrun deposits, Na₂O is also strongly depleted, but Fe₂O₃ and MgO are usually depleted and K₂O is strongly enriched; this alteration style has been termed the “South Bay” type. Both of these alteration styles are displayed at the Mattabi and East Waite deposits. “Joutel” type alteration appears to be in close spatial association with discharge vents, while “South Bay” alteration is more laterally widespread and is representative of at least one deposit thought to be formed distally from its associated discharge vent.These geochemical signatures are more strongly expressed in pyroclastic rocks, and andesites, relative to massive rocks, and rhyolites.The geochemical alteration patterns delineated in this way constitute significantly larger exploration targets than the readily observable mineralogical alteration haloes.Results of the current investigations indicate that the mineralizing processes associated with Archean volcanic-exhalative massive sulfide deposits have given rise to more than oversimplification to aim exploration at the detection of a single type of response. The application of discriminant analysis provides a potential means of identifying and comparing as many responses as are present at the deposits studied. In this respect it is superior to any univariate statistical method, and has considerable application in exploration.     

A tentative explanation of the origin of “transform faults” (with a critical remark on the term)

The offsets on the ocean floor, usually called “transform-faults” are not shear faults common in solid Hookian rocks, but reflect the viscous Newtonian properties of laminar flow at the time when the upwelling magma along the spreading center was still in a liquid state. During spreading this liquid is carried away with the walls of the spreading center. This movement creates a pattern of stream lines in the liquid which run parallel to the direction of spreading. “Transform faults” are initiated along zones where a larger rate of shear disturbs the process of solidification. Consequently the strength of the basalt after solidification will be impaired along these zones. These weak zones will fracture under the thermo-elastic stresses during the final stage of cooling.The history of the term “transform fault” is discussed and the name “spreading offset” is proposed.     

Stratiform copper deposits and interactions with co-existing atmospheres, hydrospheres, biospheres and lithospheres

Fundamental evidence from world-class stratiform copper deposits repeatedly indicates that they originated by a two-stage mineralization process: a syn-diagenetic enrichment of the host sediment in iron sulfide, followed by a sub-surface addition of copper during early diagenesis of the sediment. In contrast to the previously favored syngenetic hypothesis, which suggested an open equilibration between atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and upper lithosphere during mineralization, the two-stage model implies that only the initial deposition of iron sulfides should take place with open exchanges between the upper “spheres”. The sub-surface emplacement of copper should occur in relative isolation from surface environments and, therefore, the occurrence and distribution of stratiform copper deposits through time and space should not be used to make direct interpretations of contemporaneous conditions in the upper “spheres”.     

A method for avoiding artifacts in the migration of deep seismic reflection data

Conventional wave-equation-based migration of deep seismic reflection data can produce severe artifacts, which appear as broad circular arcs or “smiles”, due to the existence of apparent truncations of reflections on the stack section arising from poor signal penetration, changes in orientation of the acquisition profile, and the existence of strong overlying lateral velocity variations. These artifacts limit the interpretation of deep seismic profiles, because they obscure weak reflections and reflection truncations that may, e.g., indicate the presence of subsurface faults. Here I present a new migration algorithm, in which each sample of the stack is migrated to a short linear segment whose position and dip are determined by its original position on the stack, an estimate of the local apparent dip at that point, and a user-specified migration velocity. No subjective interpretation of reflections on the stack section is required, and the algorithm produces no arc-like migration artifacts. The degree of lateral smearing can be easily controlled, allowing reflection truncations to be revealed. In practice, the algorithm is most effectively applied to data that have been coherency-filtered to remove low amplitude noise, which would otherwise be preserved.     

Hydrothermal deposition on the East Pacific rise at 21°N

In the spring of 1979, 350°C springs precipitating hydrothermal sulphides and sulphates directly on to the sea-floor were discovered on the crest of the East Pacific Rise (EPR) at 21°N by the astonished scientific party of the RISE submersible expedition. These hot springs are within a linear field of active and inactive hydrothermal vents extending 6 km along the rise axis. Typically the mineral deposits at EPR, 21°N consist of basal sulphide mounds surmounted by mineralized sulphide-sulphate edifices, or “chimneys”, reaching heights up to 13 m above the sea floor. The mounds rest directly on fresh basalt and cover areas up to 450 m². Chimneys atop mounds may be active or dead. The hottest active chimneys (350°C) spew forth fluids blackened by fine-grained sulphide precipitates, dominantly hexagonal pyrrhotite and iron-rich sphalerite. These “black smokers” are distinguished from cooler “white smoker” chimneys which are encrusted by worm tubes and emit milky fluids bearing amorphous silica, barite, and pyrite.     

Long base line tilt and strain measurement

Two types of noise afflict strain and tilt measurement. They may be categorized as “active” noise, which is due to atmospheric pressure variations, temperature variations, water-table variations and so forth; and “passive” or signal-generated noise which is a consequence of the interaction of the strain field of interest with inhomogeneities of material properties local to the measurement site.The reason why both types of noise are normally reduced by the use of long base line instruments is explained and a simple, practical long base line tiltmeter is described.     

Variability of East Asian Winter Monsoon in Quaternary Climatic Extremes in North China

In order to examine high-frequency variations of East Asian winter monsoon in Quaternary climatic extremes, two typical loess–paleosol sequences in the Chinese Loess Plateau were investigated. Sandy layers in the loess deposits, the “Upper sand” and “Lower sand” (layers L9 and L15, respectively), which represent a high-resolution record of paleomonsoon changes, have been sampled at intervals of 5–6 cm from sections at Luochuan and Xifeng. The grain size and magnetic susceptibility was measured for all samples. The grain-size results (a proxy of winter monsoon strength) indicate that the winter monsoon strength fluctuated on a millennial timescale during cold climatic extremes, with climatic events of a few hundred to a few thousand years. However, the winter monsoon was relatively stable during warm periods. The magnetic susceptibility signal (a proxy of summer monsoon intensity) is practically constant over the same period. This is tentatively explained by the assumption that the summer monsoon intensity was too low to be recorded in the magnetic susceptibility signal. The intensified winter monsoon events show periodicities in a range of 1000 to 2770 yr, with a dominant cycle of approximately 1450 yr. The detection of this oscillation in older glacial stages strongly suggests that it may be a pervasive cycle of the cold climatic phases of the Quaternary. Millennial-scale variations of the winter monsoon may be caused by instability of the westerly jet, which is determined by temperature differences between the polar and the equatorial regions.     

Stress fields about strike-slip faults inferred from stylolites and tension gashes

In general, the long axis of the tension gashes and stylolitic columns developed in limestones during a single phase of compressional deformation occur parallel to the direction of the maximum compressive stress (σ₁). This is the case in the Languedoc for structures developed in the Jurassic limestones during the N-S Pyrenean compression. Exceptionnally, however, these microstructures turn in direction and become oblique (even orthogonal) one to the other, probably as a consequence of a variation in intensity and direction of the stress field at the end of a microfault. This mechanism also occurs in a larger scale structure involving segments of pre-tectonic joints that act as “en échelon” microfaults in a brittle “kink-band” equivalent to a peculiar type of potential wrench-fault.     

Soil-structure interaction in shield tunnelling in soft soil

The development and extension of large cities creates a need for multiple shallow tunnels in the soft ground of building areas. Prediction of the ground settlement caused by the tunnel excavation is a major engineering challenge. A numerical simulation using a finite element method was implemented in the aim of developing a procedure to predict the movement induced by shield tunnelling in soft soil. This study describes a two-dimensional modelling and compares two procedures. The first procedure is done in a simple way (called “deconfinement modelling”) simulating the excavation using a stress decrease vector exerted on the excavation boundary (inside the tunnel) described by a stress release scalar parameter λ (named the “deconfinement factor”). The second procedure is composed of a complete stage of modelling (called “phase modelling”) taking into account different phases which simulate the different kinds of interactions between the tunnel and the soil (deconfinement, lining installation, pore pressure applied on the lining, and weight of the lining). Using a shallow lined tunnel with homogeneous soil conditions, the two procedures are analysed and compared. Then, the second modelling procedure is applied to the case of the metro of Lyon where field data have been obtained. Observations of the results and comparison with the experimental data demonstrate that the proposed modelling is adequate for the analyses of settlement induced by tunnelling in soft soil.     

Formation of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits: The Kuroko perspective

The main objective of this paper is to identify the geochemical, hydrological, igneous and tectonic processes that led to the variations in the physical (size, geometry) and chemical (mineralogy, metal ratios and zoning) characteristics of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits with respect to space (from a scale of mining district size area to a global scale) and time (from a < 10 000 year time scale to a geologic time scale).All volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits (VMSDs) appear to have formed in extensional tectonic settings, such as at mid ocean spreading centers, backarc spreading centers, and intracontinental rifts (and failed rifts). All VMSDs appear to have formed in submarine depressions by seawater that became ore-forming fluids through interactions with the heated upper crustal rocks. Submarine depressions, especially those created by submarine caldera formation and/or by large-scale tectonic activities (e.g., rifting), become most favorable sites for the formation of large VMSDs because of hydrological, physical and chemical reasons.The fundamental processes leading to the formation of VMSDs include the following six processes:

1. (1) Intrusion of a heat source (typically a 10³ km size pluton) into an oceanic crust or a submarine continental crust causes deep convective circulation of seawater around the pluton. The radius of a circulation cell is typically 5 km. The temperature of fluids that discharge on the seafloor increases with time from the ambient temperature to a typical maximum of 350°C, and then decreases gradually to the ambient temperatures in a time scale of 100 to 10 000 years. The majority of sulfide and sulfate mineralization occurs during the waxing stage of hydrothermal activity.

2. (2) Reactions between low temperature (T < 150°C) country rocks with downward percolating seawater cause to precipitate seawater SO²⁻₄ as disseminated gypsum and anhydrite in the country rocks.

3. (3) Reactions of the “modified” seawater with higher-temperature rocks at depths during the waxing stage cause the transformation of the “seawater” to metal- and H₂S-rich ore-forming fluids. The metals and sulfide sulfur are leached from the county rocks; the previously formed gypsum and anhydrite are reduced by Fe²⁺-bearing minerals and organic matter, providing additional H₂S. The mass of high temperature rocks that provide the metals and reduced sulfur is typically 10¹¹ tons ( 40 km³ in volume). The roles of magmatic fluids or gases are minor in most massive sulfide systems, except for SO₂ to produce acid-type alteration in some systems.

4. (4) Reactions between the ore-forming fluids and cooler rocks in the discharge zone cause alteration of rocks and precipitation of some ore minerals in the stockwork ores.

5. (5) Mixing of the ore-forming fluids with local seawater within unconsolidated sediments and/or on the seafloor causes precipitation of “primitive ores” with the black ore mineralogy (sphalerite + galena + pyrite + barite + anhydrite).

6. (6) Reactions between the “primitive ores” with later and hotter hydrothermal fluids cause transformation of “primitive ores” to “matured ores” that are enriched in chalcopyrite and pyrite.

Variations in the mineralogical and elemental characteristics, the geometry, and the size of submarine hydrothermal deposits are controlled by the following four parameters:

1. (A) The chemical and physical characteristics of seawater (composition, temperature, density), which depend largely on the geographical settings (e.g., equatorial evaporating basins),

2. (B) The chemical and physical characteristics of the plumbing system (lithology, fractures),

3. (C) The thermal structure of the plumbing system, which is determined largely by the ambient geothermal gradient, and the size and temperature of the intrusive, and

4. (D) The physical characteristics of the seafloor (depth, basin topography).

For example, the submarine hydrothermal deposits developed in basaltic plumbing systems are generally poor in Pb and Ba compared to those developed in felsic plumbing systems. The lower temperature systems are generally poorer in sulfides, but richer in iron oxides and sulfates. The higher temperature and larger hydrothermal systems tend to produce chalcopyrite and pyrite rich ores. Contrasts in the metal ratios between the Noranda-type Archean VMSDs and the younger VMSDs reflect the differences in the geothermal gradient of the plumbing systems. The submarine hydrothermal deposits developed in the near equatorial regions tend to form large continuous bedded type ores because of the likeliness of creating large stratified basins.The basic processes of submarine hydrothermal mineralization have remained essentially the same throughout the geologic history, from at least 3.5 billion year ago to the present.     

A pulsed extension model for the Neogene–Recent E–W-trending Alaşehir Graben and the NE–SW-trending Selendi and Gördes Basins, western Turkey

We have developed a significant body of new field-based evidence relating to the history of crustal extension in western Turkey. We establish that two of the NE–SW-trending basins in this region, the Gördes and Selendi Basins, whose sedimentary successions begin in the early Miocene, are unlikely to relate to late-stage Alpine compressional orogeny or to E–W extension of Tibetan-type grabens as previously suggested. We argue instead that these basins are the result of earlier (?) late Oligocene, low-angle normal faulting that created approximately N–S “scoop-shaped” depressions in which clastic to lacustine and later tuffaceous sediments accumulated during early–mid-Miocene time, separated by elongate structural highs. These basins were later cut by E–W-trending (?) Plio–Quaternary normal faults that post-date accumulation of the Neogene deposits. In addition, we interpret the Alaşehir (Gediz) Graben in terms of two phases of extension, an early phase lasting from the early Miocene to the (?) late Miocene and a young Plio–Quaternary phase that is still active. Taking into account our inferred earlier phase of regional extension, we thus propose a new three-phase “pulsed extension” model for western Turkey. We relate the first two phases to “roll-back” of the south Aegean subduction zone and the third phase to the westward “tectonic escape” of Anatolia.     

Surface carbonate and land-derived clastic marine sediments from southern Chile: mineralogical and geochemical investigation

Surface carbonate and land-derived deposits in the sea off southern Chile were investigated for their mineralogical and geochemical composition. The data were related to environmental features and compared with those of similar temperate and polar carbonate deposits from Tasmania, New Zealand, Arctica, and Antarctica. The mineralogy of the siliciclastic fraction is typical of cold areas and is mainly composed of chlorite, mica, quartz, feldspars and amphibole. The CaCO₃ content varies from 30 to 90%; carbonate mineralogy is made up of low-Mg calcite, high-Mg calcite and minor amounts of aragonite. The Ca, Mg, Sr, Fe, and Mn contents of bulk carbonates and some selected skeletal hard parts are comparable to those of carbonates from Tasmania. The elemental composition is mainly related to carbonate mineralogy, skeletal components, and seawater conditions. The δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values of carbonates are positive, and their field falls between the “seafloor diagenesis” and “upwelling water” trend lines, because the sediments are likely to be in equilibrium with waters of Antarctic origin. The mineralogical, elemental, and isotopic compositions of carbonates from southern Chile show better similarities with the “temperate” carbonates from Tasmania and New Zealand than with the “polar” carbonates from Arctica and Antarctica. Carbonate deposition is allowed by the low terrigenous input, the low SPM concentration and, probably, the upwelling of seawater from Antarctica.