The future of failure: stress or strain?

Strains in rocks can be observed but ancient stresses can only be inferred. We should re-examine the potential of strain geometry as the key to understanding and interpreting common shear structures ranging from faults to plastic shear zones. The concept of failure along zero extension directions can be applied to natural structures in rocks and is predicated on strain compatibility between differently strained volumes. Zero extension directions are considered for two strain configurations, plane strain (k=1) and uniaxial shortening (k=0). The crucial difference between shear fractures, or faults, and plastic yield zones is that the former are preceded by dilatation while the latter are isovolumetric. Volume changes during deformation affect the orientations of zero extension directions and hence of the resulting structures. With isovolumetric strain, yield occurs on planes at 45° to the principal shortening direction in plane strain and at 54.7° to this axis in uniaxial shortening. Uniaxial shortening experiments on rock samples allow estimation of the relative volumetric strains when yield zones initiate. When this volumetric strain is used to estimate the orientation of shear fractures in plane strain, ca 70° dips are predicted for normal faults at high crustal levels, decreasing downwards to 45°.     

M?ssbauer spectroscopy of Pb-bearing minerals from the jarosite group

The minerals of the jarosite group, including the jarosite-beudantite-segnitite and jarosite-beaverite-osarizawaite isomorphic series, were studied with M?ssbauer spectroscopy. All the samples were collected from the oxidation zones of the South Urals sulfide deposits. In contrast to the jarosite containing one Fe³⁺ doublet in the M?ssbauer spectrum, the Pb-bearing members of the jarosite group—beudantite and beaverite—have two doublets in their spectra. Fe³⁺ is distributed at two sites with similar isomer shifts and different quadrupole splitting. The quantitative ratio of those doublets in the structure is roughly equal. The M?ssbauer spectra of the intermediate jarosite-beudantite and beaverite-osarizawaite members are superpositions of the jarosite and beudantite spectrum types with a prevalent jarosite doublet and larger quadrupole splitting. An admixture of antimony increases the Fe³⁺ content in the doublet with smaller quadrupole splitting. The unequal Fe³⁺ distribution in those two sites may be related to the ordering of cations in octahedrons. The appearance of two different Fe³⁺ sites probably resulted from the local coordinating role of Pb rather than from isomorphic replacement in anion groups.     

Characterization of PM2.5 by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectrometer: its relation with different pollution sources

Atmospheric PM_2.5 samples were collected by using Mini-Vol TAS air sampler. Samples were characterized directly on the collecting substrate using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectrometer. From the analysis, it was found that Si dominate over other elements which follows the trend as Si > S > Zn > Cu > Na > Al > K > Ca > P > Fe > Mg > Ti. Based on the measurements of a population of 840 particles, particle morphology was determined by quantitative image analyzer and value of roundness (R) varies from 0.23 to 1.0 (mean 0.75) which suggests that particles vary in shape from nearly irregular to perfectly spherical shape. The mineral particulate matter identified in the atmosphere of Pune was made up of: silicates (52 %), oxides (22 %), sulfates (8 %), phosphates (7 %), carbonates (3 %) and others. A factorial analysis was carried out to determine the main elements related to the emission sources such as soil and building material erosion (~44.6 %); oil combustion (20.6 %) and fuel and biomass burning (18.3 %). Besides these factors, soot particles are abundantly present in all studied samples. Mineral particles such as sulfates aggregated to soot could have produced localized climatic effect in Pune. The emphasis of the present study is to give insight and detailed analysis of morphological and chemical composition of atmospheric particles at discrete level.     

Reassessment of global climate risk: non-compensatory or compensatory?

Natural Hazards - Evidence shows the global climate will continue to change over this century and beyond. A clear understanding of the climate change risk is suggested to be the foundation of the...     

Mechanism of formation of superdeep sedimentary basins: lithospheric stretching or eclogitization?

The superdeep North Caspian, South Caspian, and Barents basins have their sedimentary fill much thicker and the Moho, correspondingly, much deeper than it is required for crustal subsidence by lithospheric stretching. In the absence of large gravity anomalies, this crustal structure indicates the presence under the Moho of a thick layer of eclogite which is denser than mantle peridotite. Crustal subsidence in the basins can be explained by high-grade metamorphism of mafic lower crust. The basins produced by lithospheric stretching normally subside for the first ～100 myr of their history, while at least half of the subsidence in the three basins occurred after that period, which is another evidence against the stretching formation mechanism. According to the seismic reflection profiling data, stretching can be responsible for only a minor part of the subsidence in the Caspian and Barents basins. As for the South Caspian basin, there has been a large recent subsidence event in a setting of compression. Therefore, eclogitization appears to be a realistic mechanism of crustal subsidence in superdeep basins.     

Magnetic–hydrophobic coagulation of paramagnetic minerals: a correlation of theory with experiments

A simple theoretical model of magnetic–hydrophobic coagulation considering the total interaction potential energy between two spheres exposed to an external magnetic field as a sum of the van der Waals, electrostatic, magnetic, and hydrophobic components is proposed. The model was used to interpret experiments on coagulation of fine siderite particles in distilled water and 10⁻² M KCl, hydrophobized by sodium oleate. In the experiments, a relative extent of the coagulation/stability equilibrium of the siderite suspension was evaluated photoelectrically. To estimate the model parameters, the ζ-potential and hydrophobicity of siderite particles were measured.A qualitative agreement was obtained between the model predictions (energy maximum and secondary minimum) and the experimental results (voltage changes after a selected interval of sedimentation) of the siderite suspensions. Moreover, a statistically significant correlation was found between the experimental voltages and the calculated energy maximum (a crucial factor of theories on the fine particle coagulation kinetics), which can be represented by a linear regression equation with the correlation coefficient of 0.979.     

Evidence of Sr mobility in and around the albite–lepidolite–topaz granite of Beauvoir (France): an in-situ ion and electron probe study of secondary Sr-rich phosphates

The Beauvoir albite–lepidolite–topaz granite is a small, highly evolved intrusion, rich in Li, Rb, F, but also paradoxically rich (or enriched) in Sr (up to 755 ppm) and Ca, a provocative chemical contradiction. Goyazite, an Sr-rich phosphate, is ubiquitous as small secondary grains growing exclusively in albite. Ion microprobe spot analyses reveal variable, higher than whole-rock ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios at the crystal scale. These data suggest exchanges between the granite and the surrounding micaschists. A two-stage scenario is proposed: (1) Sr, mainly common, was introduced from the micaschists into the Sr-poor granite at the vanishing time of crystallization, redistributed into zones of preferential permeability and stored in recrystallized P-rich albite, (2) the low-temperature destabilization of albite and lepidolite (host for radiogenic Sr produced by in-situ radioactive ⁸⁷Rb decay), during the Oligocene extensive period, provoked the consequent mixture of both Sr in variable proportions, resulting in the precipitation of goyazite. These results highlight the strong disturbance affecting the Rb–Sr granite system which can be visualized in secondary minerals, such as these low-temperature, micron-size Sr-rich phosphates.Editorial responsibility: J. Touret     

Genesis of fahlore in the Tianbaoshan lead–zinc deposit,Sichuan Province,China: a scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectroscopy study

The Tianbaoshan deposit, located in the southwestern part of the Yangtze Block, is a representative Pb–Zn deposit in the Sichuan–Yunnan–Guizhou Pb–Zn metallogenic province. The Pb–Zn orebodies are hosted in the upper Sinian Dengying Formation dolostone. The predominant minerals are sphalerite, galena, pyrite, chalcopyrite, quartz, and calcite with minor arsenopyrite, fahlore, and dolomite. The deposit is characterized by relatively strong Cu mineralization. However, the relationship between Pb–Zn and Cu mineralization is unknown. We analyzed the mineralogy and composition of fahlore, chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite, sphalerite, and galena using scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectroscopy, with the aim of providing new evidence for the genesis of the Pb–Zn–(Cu) ore. The results show that the Cu ore in the deposit is dominated by chalcopyrite and fahlore, both of which formed before or during the Pb–Zn ore-forming stage. The fahlore showed dramatic compositional variation and was characterized by negative correlations between Ag and Cu, and between As and Sb, suggesting substitution of Ag for Cu, and that As and Sb substitute in the same site in the fahlore lattice. Based on backscattered electron images and composition, the fahlore was divided into two types. Type I fahlore crystallized early and is characterized by enrichment of Cu and depletion in Ag and Sb. Type II fahlore formed after Type I, and is rich in Ag and poor in Cu and As. Moreover, galena and fahlore are the host minerals of Ag. The variation of valence state with As host mineral—from fahlore to arsenopyrite—indicates the metallogenic environment changed from relatively oxidizing to reducing with a high pH. In the light of Gibbs energies of reciprocal reactions and isotherms for cation exchange, the composition of the fahlore implies its ore-forming temperature was lower than 220 °C, corresponding with typical Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) deposits. Based on the geologic character and geochemical data of this deposit, we suggest that the Tianbaoshan deposit belongs to the MVT deposit category.     

Weathering of Fruchtschiefer building stones: mineral dissolution or rock disaggregation?

Building stones manufactured from contact metamorphic slates (Fruchtschiefer slate) from Theuma (Sachsen, Germany) were investigated for mineralogical alterations as well as for changes in porosity and surface roughness due to weathering. After weathering periods of several years to decades, the originally dark gray-colored slates show pale spots of several centimeters in size at the surface of building stones. The dark-colored and light-colored sections of the slate show no differences in mineralogy. Surface weathering did not result in newly precipitated minerals. It was also found that the observed differences in color are not caused by variations in sedimentary organic carbon concentration or in sulfide/sulfate concentrations. Obtained results instead indicate that dark surface sections may show a thin cover of recent organic matter (OM), e.g., living OM, soot, dirt, etc. Microscopic investigations suggested that this cover was exfoliated at light-colored surface sections. The observed disaggregation of the upper 2 mm of the building block material results in an increase in porosity. Porosity of black (unweathered) slate is <2 vol.%. Due to weathering, the slate’s pores with diameters >1 μm show a significant increase in frequency compared to the original pore size distribution. Porosity of weathered rock volumes increased to approx. 8 vol.%. Discolored surface sections show a higher surface roughness (root-mean-square roughness, Rq ~ 1 μm) compared to dark-colored slate surfaces (Rq ~ 200 nm), both data are for cleavage planes. Preferentially, the discolored surface sections are located close to the edges of cut stones. This and the alteration in porosity, pore size, and surface roughness indicate that color changes of the slate are largely influenced by rock disaggregation proceeding from the edges into the center rather than by mineral dissolution/precipitation processes.     

Minerals in nature and “on Paper”: History of the commissions on new minerals in Russia and IMA and principles of classification and nomenclature of minerals

This paper reviews the history of the foundation of the Commission on New Minerals in Russia (1956) and the same Commission of the International Mineral Association (IMA). The terms mineral species, subspecies, and variety are considered. The nomenclature of mineral groups of lovozerite, eudialyte, and apatite is given as examples of using a root name and its suffixes.     

The qualitative zoning record of minerals. A method for determining the duration of metamorphic events?

Summary The efficacy of ion exchange in petrological systems, for example the Fe-Mg exchange between garnet and biotite, is a function of grainsize, temperature, rates of temperature change and diffusion parameters. The combination of these variables determines the final zoning profile of minerals. Therefore, zoning profiles may be used to derive one of these variables if the others are known. For example, a mineral grain that experienced a short thermal event may still preserve a zoning profile characteristic of the heating path. In contrast, if that grain experienced a long thermal event it may develop a zoning profile typical of the cooling path. Conversely, for the same temperature-time cycle, large grains may not completely equilibrate at the metamorphic peak, and in smaller grains any previous record may have been erased. This is commonly observed in natural rocks where different grains within one thin section preserve often qualitatively different zoning profiles. Thus, a critical grainsize,l _crit, may exist that separates grains with qualitatively different zoning profiles so that grains of sizel > l _crit still retain zoning information about the heating path and grains of sizel <l _crit contain only information about the cooling path. If the critical grainsize can be measured and an independent estimate for the peak metamorphic temperature exists, the duration of the thermal event may, in principle, be estimated.The applicability of this method to natural garnets is hampered by a range of uncertainties. However, a parameterisation of the critical grain size may be used to illustrate the relative importance of grain size, temperature and event duration to the equilibration of minerals. In this paper, the critical grainsize is parameterized for various temperature-time cycles and its dependence on diffusion parameters is discussed. It is shown that, for Barrovian conditions,l _crit between 0.1 and 1 mm separates garnets retaining prograde information from garnets retaining cooling path information. For illustration, we compare the results with the critical grainsize of garnets from two metamorphic terranes, the Prydz Bay region (Antarctica) and the Koralm complex (Eastern Alps). Despite the large range of uncertainties attached to the method, it is shown that the critical grainsize of garnets in both terranes is consistent with a very short duration of the last thermal event that affected the two regions.

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Die qualitative Form von Zonierungsprofilen in Mineralen. Information über die Dauer metamorpher Ereignisse?

Zusammenfassung Zonierungsprofile von Paragenesen im Ionenaustausch, zum Beispiel das Fe-Mg Austauschsgleichgewicht zwischen Granat und Biotit, sind eine Funktion von (i) Korngröße, (ii) Temperatur, (iii) Kühl- und Heizgeschwindigkeit sowie (iv) den Diffusionskonstanen. Es sollte daher möglich sein, Zonierungsprofile dazu zu verwenden, einen dieser Parameter zu bestimmen, wenn die anderen bekannt sind. Zonierungsprofile von Kristallen die ein kurzes thermisches Ereignis erfahren haben, mögen daher prograde Information beinhalten, wogegen derselbe Kristall ein retrogrades Profil aufweisen mag, wenn er einem langlebigen thermischen Ereignis unterlag (prograd und retrograd ist hier als: bei ansteigender Temperatur und bei abfallender Temperatur definiert). In Kristallen die dem gleichen Temperatur-Zeitpfad unterworfen waren, könnten kleine Körner nur die Kühlgeschichte dokumentieren, wogegen große noch Zonierungsinformation vom Heizpfad aufweisen. In natürlichen Gesteinen wird das oft dadurch beobachtet, daß verschiedene Körner auseinem Dünnschliff qualitativ verschiedene Zonierungsprofile aufweisen. Es ist daher möglich eine kritische Korngöße,l _crit, zu definieren, die Korngrößen mit qualitativ verschiedenen Zonierungsprofilen voneinander trennt. Körner mit einem Durchmesserl > l _crit haben, zumindest teilweise, noch prograde Profile, wogegen Körner mitl <l _crit nur retrograde Information dokumentieren. Wenn man diese kritische Korngröße messen kann, sollte sie dazu benutzt werden können, etwas über die Dauer des thermischen Ereignisses auszusagen.Die Anwendbarkeit dieser Methode ist durch eine Reihe von Fehlern limitiert. Nichtsdestotrotz, ist eine Parameterisierung der kritischen Korngröße nützlich um die relative Wichtigkeit von Korngröße, Temperatur und Zeit, für die Entwicklung von Zonierungsprofilen, zu illustrieren. Unser Modell kann dazu benutzt werden, um die Größenordnung von Granaten abzuschätzen, die noch prograde Information dokumentieren können. Die Abhängigkeit der kritischen Korngröße von Diffusionsparametern und der Form des Temperatur-Zeit Pfades wird ebenfalls diskutiert. Es wird gezeigt, daß für Metamorphose in der mittleren Grünschiefer und Amphibolit fazies,l _crit zwischen 0.1 and 1 mm prograd zonierte von retrograd zonierten Granaten trennt. Um das Modell zu illustrieren, werden die Ergebnisse auf die Prydz Bay Region (Antarktis) und den Koralm Komplex (Ostalpen) angewendet. Trotz der großen Fehlergrenzen der Methode glauben wir zeigen zu können, daß die kritische Korngröße beider Terrains andeutet, daß das letzte thermische Ereignis in beiden Gebieten kurzlebig war.

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With 5 Figures     

Electron microprobe analyses of ore minerals and H–O,S isotope geochemistry of the Yuerya gold deposit,eastern Hebei,China: Implications for ore genesis and mineralization

The Yuerya gold deposit in eastern Hebei Province, China, is located on the eastern margin of the North China Craton and is hosted by Mesozoic Yanshanian granitoid rocks and adjacent Mesoproterozoic Gaoyuzhuang Formation carbonates. The auriferous quartz veins in this deposit are dominated by pyrite, with subordinate sphalerite, chalcopyrite, and galena in a quartz-dominated gangue that also contains calcite, dolomite, barite, apatite, and fluorite. Gold is present as native gold and electrum, which are generally present as micron-size infillings in microfissures within pyrite and less commonly as tiny inclusions within pyrite, quartz, and tellurobismuthite. The pyrite in this deposit has high Co/Ni ratios and contains elevated concentrations of both of these elements, suggesting that the Yuerya gold deposit has a magmato-hydrothermal origin and that the ore-forming fluids that formed the deposit leached trace elements such as Co, Ni, As, and Au during passage through Archean metamorphic rocks, Mesoproterozoic carbonates, and the Yanshanian Yuerya granitoid. Pyrite in the study area has S/Se ratios and S isotopic compositions that suggest that the sulfur (and by inference the gold) within the deposit was sourced from magmato-hydrothermal fluids that were probably originally derived from Archean metamorphic rocks and Yanshanian granitoids. Tellurobismuthite in the study area is closely intergrown with gold and was the single telluride phase identified during this study. The fineness of gold associated with tellurobismuthite is greater than the fineness of gold associated with pyrite, although the fine particle size of the gold surrounded by tellurobismuthite means that the recovery of this gold is difficult, in turn meaning that the tellurobismuthite has little significance to the economics of the Yuerya gold deposit. Only trace amounts of sulfides are associated with the tellurobismuthite within the Yuerya gold deposit, suggesting that this mineral was deposited under conditions of low fS₂ and/or high fTe₂. In addition, the presence of tellurides within the Yuerya gold deposit reflects a genetic relationship between the deposit and magmatism. Quartz from mineralized veins in the study area has δ¹⁸O values of 11.2‰–12.9‰ and the fluids that formed these veins have δD values of − 78.3‰ to − 72.1‰. The δ³⁴S values of pyrite within the deposit are rather restricted (2.3‰–3.5‰). These data, combined with the trace element geochemistry of sulfides within the deposit, suggest that the formation of the Yuerya gold deposit was closely related to both Archean metamorphic rocks and the Yanshanian Yuerya granitoid.     

Mantle hydrocarbons: abiotic or biotic?

Analyses of 227 rocks from fifty localities throughout the world showed that mantle derived rocks such as tectonized peridotites in ophiolite sequences (tectonites) arid peridotite xenoliths in alkali basalts contain heavier hydrocarbons (n-alkanes), whereas igneous rocks produced by magmas such as gabbro arid granite lack them. The occurrence of hydrocarbons indicates that they were not derived either from laboratory contamination or from held contamination; these compounds found in the mantle-derived rocks are called here "mantle hydrocarbons." The existence of hydrocarbons correlates with petrogenesis. For example, peridotite cumulates produced by magmatic differentiation lack hydrocarbons whereas peridotite xenoliths derived from the mantle contain them. Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric records of the mantle hydrocarbons resemble those of aliphatics in meteorites and in petroleum. Features of the hydrocarbons are that (a) the mantle hydrocarbons reside mainly along grain boundaries and in fluid inclusions of minerals; (b) heavier isoprenoids such as pristane and phytane are present; and (c) delta 13C of the mantle hydrocarbons is uniform (about -27%). Possible origins for the mantle hydrocarbons are as follows. (1) They were in organically synthesized by Fischer-Tropsch type reaction in the mantle. (2) They were delivered by meteorites and comets to the early Earth. (3) They were recycled by subduction. The mantle hydrocarbons in the cases of (1) and (2) are abiogenic and those in (3) are mainly biogenic. It appears that hydrocarbons may survive high pressures and temperatures in the mantle, but they are decomposed into lighter hydrocarbon gases such as CH4 at lower pressures when magmas intrude into the crust; consequently, peridotite cumulates do not contain heavier hydrocarbons but possess hydrocarbon gases up to C4H10.     

The Last Global Transgression of the World Ocean: Glacio-Eustasy or Tectonics?

Geotectonics - The article substantiates the conclusion about the tectonic nature of the last global transgression of the World Ocean. It is based on the results of marine studies in which complete...     

An overview of US state drought plans: crisis or risk management?

Natural Hazards - Recent severe drought events across the nation have raised our concerns over society’s changing and increasing vulnerability to droughts. All levels of governments have...     

Geochemistry of large river suspended sediments: silicate weathering or recycling tracer?

This study focuses on the major and trace element composition of suspended sediments transported by the world’s largest rivers. Its main purpose is to answer the following question: is the degree of weathering of modern river-borne particles consistent with the estimated river dissolved loads derived from silicate weathering?In agreement with the well known mobility of elements during weathering of continental rocks, we confirm that river sediments are systematically depleted in Na, K, Ba with respect to the Upper Continental Crust. For each of these mobile elements, a systematics of weathering indexes of river-borne solids is attempted. A global consistency is found between all these indexes. Important variations in weathering intensities exist. A clear dependence of weathering intensities with climate is observed for the rivers draining mostly lowlands. However, no global correlation exists between weathering intensities and climatic or relief parameters because the trend observed for lowlands is obscured by rivers draining orogenic zones. An inverse correlation between weathering intensities and suspended sediment concentrations is observed showing that the regions having the highest rates of physical denudation produce the least weathered sediments. Finally, chemical and physical weathering are compared through the use of a simple steady state model. We show that the weathering intensities of large river suspended sediments can only be reconciled with the (silicate-derived) dissolved load of rivers, by admitting that most of the continental rocks submitted to weathering in large river basins have already suffered previous weathering cycles. A simple graphical method is proposed for calculating the proportion of sedimentary recycling in large river basins. Finally, even if orogenic zones produce weakly weathered sediments, we emphasize the fact that silicate chemical weathering rates (and hence CO₂ consumption rates by silicate weathering) are greatly enhanced in mountains simply because the sediment yields in orogenic drainage basins are higher. Hence, the parameters that control chemical weathering rates would be those that control physical denudation rates.