Application of CCSEM to heavy mineral deposits: Source of high-Ti ilmenite sand deposits of South Kerala beaches, SW India

For the characterization of sediments, Computer Controlled Scanning Electron Microscopy (CCSEM) is a powerful method in obtaining chemical data on individual mineral grains and modal analysis of the heavy mineral fraction of sediment samples. Here we show how the CCSEM method can be used to evaluate ilmenite ore grade as well as a tool to investigate the source of heavy mineral deposits.The heavy mineral rich deposits in beach sands around the town of Chavara in SW India are characterized by ilmenite with elevated TiO₂ contents, often exceeding 60 wt.%. In order to determine the origin of these high-TiO₂ ilmenite deposits, we collected a series of beach sediment samples (22) from a c. 800 km long stretch of coastline from northern Kerala state to well within the Tamil Nadu state. A set (7) of river sediments was also taken, roughly covering the catchment area to the beach samples. The data show that the sediments in the Chavara high-Ti ilmenite deposit are distinguished by minor elements in ilmenite, garnet chemistry and heavy mineral assemblage: Chavara ilmenite has high MgO and low MnO contents; garnets have low grossular components and the heavy mineral assemblage is dominated by sillimanite–kyanite in addition to ilmenite. These features correlate with basement geology in the hinterland, and with sediments from rivers, draining the basement. Based on these observations we conclude that high-Ti ilmenite from Chavara beaches originates in the khondalite belt of high-grade metasediments. Our study demonstrates rapid mineral analyses in sediments by CCSEM to be efficient in the characterization of mineral compositions and assemblages in sediments, in the identification of possible source regions and thus ultimately in exploration for industrial mineral resources.     

Influence of nearshore sediment dynamics on the distribution of heavy mineral placer deposits in Sri Lanka

Beach sediments in Sri Lanka contain industrial-grade heavy mineral occurrences. Samples of both offshore and onshore sediments were collected to examine the provenance, mineralogy and geochemical compositions of the heavy mineral occurrences. Coastal morphodynamic changes along the coastline of Sri Lanka were analyzed using the time-series satellite images. These coastal morphodynamic changes were used to identify the prominent directions of monsoon-influenced longshore currents, coastal sediment accretion and depositional trends and their relationships to the provenance of the heavy minerals. Results show the concentrations of detrital ilmenite, zircon, garnet, monazite, and rutile vary in the onshore and offshore sediments. The heavy mineral potential of the northeastern coast is high (average contents of about 45–50% in the Verugal deposit, 70–85% in the Pulmoddai deposit, and 3.5–5.0% in offshore samples stretching from Nilaveli to Kokkilai), compared to sediments in southwest (average content about 10% in onshore sediments and 2% in offshore sediments from the mouth of the Gin River). Therefore, no economic-grade heavy mineral placers were identified in the offshore environments. The high concentrations of heavy minerals in beach sediments and low concentrations in offshore sediments suggest operation of a panning system in the surf zone to form enriched placer deposits. Major and trace element compositions of beach sediments show marked enrichments of TiO₂, Fe₂O₃, La, Ce, Zr, Cr, Nb, Th and V compared to average Upper Continental Crust (UCC) values. Analysis of prominent coastal longshore transport patterns identifies bidirectional sediment transport in the northeast coast of Sri Lanka. In the southwestern coast, two transport directions occur with anti-clockwise transport from Galle to Hambantota, and clockwise transport from Hikkaduwa to Wadduwa. The heavy minerals in the placers were mainly derived from Precambrian metamorphic rocks, and transported to the coast through the river systems of Sri Lanka.     

Impact of tsunami on texture and mineralogy of a major placer deposit in southwest coast of India

The great Indonesian earth quake (26 December 2004) triggered a tsunami wave across the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean basins and has brought a major havoc in several countries including India. The coastal segment between Thotapalli and Valiazhikal in Kerala state of southwest India, where considerably rich beach placer deposit with ilmenite percentage of more than 70% is concentrated, has been investigated to understand the impact of tsunami on coastal sediments. The grain size analysis flashes out the significant differences between the pre- and post-tsunami littoral environments. While the mineral grains collected during pre-tsunami period show well-sorted nature, the post-tsunami samples represent moderately to poorly sorted nature. Similarly, unimodal and bimodal distributions of the sediments have been recorded for pre- and post-tsunami sediments, respectively. Further, mineral assemblages corresponding to before and after this major wave activity clearly indicate the large-scale redistribution of sediments. The post-tsunami sediments register increasing trends of garnet, sillimanite and rutile. The total heavy mineral percentage of the post-tsunami sediment also shows an improved concentration, perhaps due to the large-scale transport of lighter fraction. Magnetite percentage of post-tsunami samples reflects higher concentration compared to the pre-tsunami samples, indicating the intensity of reworking process. X-ray diffraction patterns of ilmenite grains have confirmed the increased presence of pseduorutile, and pseudobrookite in post-tsunami samples, which could be due to the mixing of more altered grains. SEM examination of grains also confirms the significant alteration patterns on the ubiquitous mineral of placer body, the ilmenite. The reason for these textural, mineralogical and micromorphological changes in heavy minerals particularly in ilmenite, could be due to the churning action on the deeper sediments of onshore region or on the sediments entrapped in the near shelf region of the area, by the ∼ 6 m high tsunami waves.     

Distribution of heavy minerals in Nizampatnam-Lankavanidibba coastal sands,Andhra Pradesh,East Coast of India

Heavy mineral analysis was carried out for the beach and fore dune sediments along 60 transects of Nizampatnam-Lankavanidibba coastal area. The heavy mineral assemblage in this area with decreasing abundance of opaques (Ilmenite + magnetite, 47.67%), pyriboles (20.35%), garnets (3.66%), epidote (3.23%) and with less than 3.0% concentration of sillimanite, zircon, staurolite, kyanite, apatite, spinel, monazite, biotite, topaz, leucoxene and chlorite. The heavy mineral concentrations are high in the finer fractions i.e., +120 and +230 (ASTM) than the coarse fraction (+60) of sand. In the seven sectors, heavy mineral assemblage is same but their concentrations are different. The sectors nearer to the river mouth contain high concentration of high specific gravity heavy minerals (ilmenite and magnetite) than sectors away from the river mouth. The redistribution of heavy minerals is controlled by creek dynamics, longshore currents, size and specific gravity of the heavy minerals.     

Heavy minerals and the characters of ilmenite in the beach placer sands of Chavakkad-Ponnani,Kerala Coast,India

Indian beach placer sand deposits are, in general, ilmenite-rich. However, some concentrations are dominated by pyriboles. The Chavakkad-Ponnani (CP) area along the northern Kerala coast is one such deposit. This paper deals with the general character of the heavy minerals of CP with special emphasis on the characters of ilmenite. Most Indian beach sand ilmenites are of good quality. However, our observations on the ilmenites of CP using Optical Microscope, SEM and EPMA reveals that these are mineralogically very complex. The CP ilmenite varies from pure ilmenite to highly impure variety having intergrowths and inclusions of other oxide and silicate minerals. Ilmenite occurs as mixcrystals and forms intergrowth structure with hematite and Ti-hematite/ulvöspinel; contains inclusions of hematite, quartz, and monazite. On the other hand ilmenite also occurs as inclusions within hematite and garnet. The pyriboles are dominantly amphiboles with hornblende-composition. Interestingly an inclusion of gold has been recorded within amphibole of hornblende composition. Garnets are mostly of almandine and pyrope type. Subordinate heavy minerals are sillimanite, zircon and rutile. Characteristic morphology, mineralogy and chemistry of amphibole, garnet and ilmenite together indicate that the placer sands of CP area are derived from the amphibolites, granite gneisses and basic igneous rocks lying in the hinterland towards the eastern border of Kerala. Though the overall quality of ilmenite is poor, highgrade ilmenite concentrate can be generated (of course with lower yield), by adopting precise mineral processing techniques. The CP deposit can be considered as a second-grade deposit but it has potential for future exploitation.     

Mineral distribution and provenance of heavy mineral sands (zircon,ilmenite, rutile) deposits from the NW Murray Basin,far western NSW,Australia

Abstract

There is significant economic interest in the Murray Basin of southeastern Australia as it is proving to be a major heavy mineral sands (HMS) province that will be one of Australia’s major source for production of rutile, zircon and ilmenite. The distribution and provenance of HMS resources in the Murray Basin is poorly understood because of its huge size, limited exploration and the complex depositional, structural and weathering mechanisms in their development. In this paper, we focus on the Copi North and Magic deposits some 130–180?km south of Broken Hill, NSW. The heavy mineral assemblages of the Copi North and Magic deposits are very similar, with the main economic minerals being ilmenite, leucoxene, pseudorutile, rutile and zircon. Intensive fracturing and brecciation are identified in many samples and are inferred to have been initially caused by multi-stage deformational processes associated with metamorphism and then further developed through alluvial and eolian transportation. Both deposits are classified as ‘medium sands, symmetrical, mesokurtic and moderately well-sorted’. The majority of economic minerals are of low to medium sphericity and subrounded, along with abundant polished eolian quartz grains. The Copi North deposit has coarser and more poorly sorted sediments with higher HMS grades and magnetics content than the Magic deposit, reflecting a higher energy depositional environment. The main source for the HMS for the Copi North and Magic deposits is largely ascribed to the Broken Hill Block. Previous studies have shown that the Broken Hill orebody underwent substantial sub-aerial weathering over hundreds of millions of years. In addition, the complex metamorphic events experienced by the Broken Hill Block were capable of forming the broad series of minerals identified within the Copi North and Magic deposits. The HMS were believed to have been transported through paleovalleys near the Mulculca Fault in a southeast direction representing a feeder system into the NW Murray Basin. Both deposits feature a relatively linear geometry (roughly parallel to the strike of the paleoshoreline), with high HMS grades, modest tonnages, and coarser sediments when compared to WIM-style offshore deposits. Compared to other strandline HMS deposits of the Murray Basin, they are smaller in size although have similar high grades of 3.7–6.9% THM and similar proportions of the HMS assemblage of ilmenite, leucoxene, rutile and zircon. Deposits of similar size and grade are likely to occur throughout the northern part of the Murray Basin.

1. KEY POINTS

2. Both the Copi North and Magic deposits contain similar mineral assemblages with the provenance of the heavy minerals ascribed to the Broken Hill Block.

3. A relatively high energy inshore environment is inferred for the Copi North deposit while a lower energy environment associated with either a foreshore or backshore environment is inferred for the Magic deposit.

4. Deposits of similar mineralogy, grades and size are likely to occur elsewhere throughout the northern Murray Basin.

     

Geological characteristics of 2011 Japan tsunami sediments deposited along the coast of southwestern Mexico

The tsunami of 11th March 2011 was originated at the east coast of Japan and deposited ca.1 cm thick sediment layer along the coast of southwestern Mexico up to a maximum distance of 320 m from the beach. The sedimentological, mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of the sediments deposited during the tsunami (JT) are compared with the pre-tsunami sediments (PRT). JT sediments consist of dominant coarser fractions (>54% of medium to coarse sand), whereas PRT deposits comprise abundant finer fractions (>58% of fine sand). Assemblage of mafic and heavy minerals suggests similar provenance for both. The higher abundance and variation of heavy minerals along with higher concentrations of bromine (Br) and sodium (Na) in the JT deposits reveal the influence of high energy sea waves in transportation of heavy mineral rich coarse sediments onto the coastal lowlands.     

The behavior of heavy minerals in lithostream

This study is concerned with the eolian deposits on the Baikal shore. It has been established that (1) the eolian sands are distinctly divided into two sequences: Khuzhir (Late Pleistocene) and Peschanka (Holocene); (2) the ilmenite enrichment of the sands is due to the removal of sand grains (containing mainly light minerals) by strong winds up the shore, first, from a dewatered beach zone, and then, from zones of psammitic-material transition. This leads to the concentration of ilmenite and other heavy minerals, first, within the beach zone, and then, within the zones of prevailing eolian-sand transition. The accumulation-transition zones are most enriched in heavy minerals, including ilmenite; (3) the ilmenite content in the study Ti-ore placer deposit shows a high correlation (R = 0.89) with the total content of heavy minerals.     

物源—河流过程—化学风化对松花江水系沉积物重矿物组成的影响

松花江水系作为我国七大水系之一,对其沉积物组成的深入探究对揭示源区控制因素和沉积物的搬运—沉积过程具有重要意义。重矿物蕴含着源岩母岩的重要信息,是解开由源到汇过程和物源示踪的重要工具。为了评估物源、河流过程和化学风化对重矿物组成的影响,我们从松花江水系干流和支流的边滩以及阶地共取32个样品,进行分粒级(<63μm、63~125μm和125~250μm)的重矿物分析。结果表明,松花江水系源区母岩信息在嫩江各支流(诺敏河最为典型)的重矿物组成中得到很好的反映,但在嫩江干流中没有得到反映,这表明物源对重矿物组成的控制受到河流过程的影响。松花江水系的重矿物组成以角闪石、绿帘石、钛铁矿和榍石为主。河流沉积物的重矿物组成主要富集在63~125μm组分,同一河流的不同河段的重矿物组成存在显著差异(巴兰河尤为典型),表明了河流搬运—沉积过程对重矿物组成起到重要控制。哈尔滨松花江T2阶地沉积物(弱风化)的重矿物组成基本保留了现代河流砂特征,讷谟尔河T1阶地沉积物(中等风化)的重矿物受到一定程度的改造,而受到严重化学风化影响的通河松花江T3阶地的重矿物组成已遭受严重破坏,不稳定矿物(角闪石和辉石)以及蕴含的母岩信息已完全消失,表明了重矿物组成明显受到沉积物化学风化程度的影响。由于源—汇过程中重矿物的混合和由此导致的稀释作用,使得沉积物携带的物源信息经过长距离搬运之后逐渐变得模糊。因此,我们认为,在进行河流重矿物源—汇过程研究中,宽粒度分析窗口和足够多的样品数量需要考虑以充分获取源区完整的重矿物组成信息。同时,在利用河流阶地重矿物组成进行源—汇联系和古水系演化研究时,需要首先评估阶地沉积物的化学风化程度。     

Ilmenite, Magnetite and Chromite Beach Placers from South Maharashtra, Central West Coast of India

The heavy mineral placer deposits of the coastal sediments in south Maharashtra stretch for 12.5 km from Pirwadi in the north to Talashil in the south. The area is a sand bar represented by a narrow submergent coastal plain lying between the Achara and Gad Rivers. The sediments in the area are mainly sands which are moderately well sorted to well sorted. The heavy mineral concentration in the surficial sediments ranges between 0.69 and 98.32 wt % (28.73 wt % in average). The heavy mineral concentration shows an increasing trend from north to south. The heavy mineral suite consists predominantly of opaque minerals (ilmenite, magnetite and chromite), garnet, pyroxene, amphibole, zircon, tourmaline, rutile, staurolite, etc. Ilmenite grains are fresh whereas magnetite grains show the effect of weathering and alteration. The chromite grains are rounded to sub-rounded with alteration at the margin of the grains. The surficial textures of the opaque minerals show mechanical breaking that indicates limited distance of transportation. Ilmenite has TiO₂ in the range between 40.04 and 46.6 wt %. Based on ore microscopy studies, the magnetite grains appear to be of two types: pure magnetite and titano-magnetite. Compositionally, the total magnetite fractions have Fe₂O₃ between 32 and 46 wt %, FeO between 19.0 and 25 wt % and TiO₂ between 14.3 and 23.9 wt %. The chromite grains are an admixture of two varieties, ferro-chromite and magnesio-chromite. The chromite grains have 32.06–47.5 wt % of Cr₂O₃ with total iron between 23.86 wt % (4.73% Fe₂O₃ and 19.13% FeO) and 27.89 wt % (4.36% Fe₂O₃ and 23.53% FeO) and MgO between 12 and 40 wt %. The observed variations in the distribution of heavy minerals in the area are due to differences in the sediment supply, their specific gravity and oceanographic processes all of which result in a selective sorting of the sediments. The observed mineral assemblages of transparent heavy minerals (pyroxene, amphibole, tourmaline, kyanite, garnet, zircon and olivine) are suggestive of their derivation from a heterogeneous provenance comprising of igneous rocks, high grade metamorphic rocks and reworked Kaladgi sediments. The chromite grains appear to have been derived from ultrabasic rocks present in the upper reaches of the Gad River. The inferred reserves of ilmenite, magnetite and chromite are 0.175, 0.395 and 0.032 million tons, respectively.     

陆相盆地滩坝砂体沉积特征及其形成与保存条件 ——以青海湖现代沉积为例

滩坝砂体由于经历了湖浪作用的反复淘洗物性良好,成为近年来石油勘探界关注的热点。通过对我国最大的内陆湖泊（青海湖）现代沉积特征的实地考察,从沉积环境、水动力及沉积特征等诸多方面建立了滨岸滩坝沉积的综合鉴别特征,指出低角度冲洗交错层理、反粒序（滩）、正粒序（坝）以及不含泥质等特征是识别滩坝砂体的典型标志。分析结果表明:物源—水动力—湖盆底形—湖岸线—湖平面（基准面）是决定青海湖滩坝是否发育（形成+保存）的主控因素,其中物源为滩坝形成提供了物质基础,水动力为沉积物改造及滩坝形成提供了源动力,湖盆底形与湖岸线决定了滩坝形成的平面位置与规模范围,湖平面（基准面）的升降变化决定了已形成滩坝沉积保存与否的地质命运。陆源滩坝砂体的形成较为容易,但保存较难,只要具备物源、湖盆底形及水动力等基本条件,低位域、高位域及湖侵域都可能形成滩坝砂体,但只有位于长期基准面旋回早期或三级层序湖侵期的滩坝沉积才能得到较好的保存。这对我国陆相盆地岩性油气藏勘探开发具有一定借鉴意义。     

江汉平原主要河流沉积物重矿物特征与物源区岩性的响应

通过对江汉平原主要河流沉积物的重矿物组合、特征矿物以及能够反映沉积物稳定状况、物源及成熟度的重矿物特征指数(ATi,GZi和ZTR)进行对比分析,发现在江汉平原范围内,长江和汉江及其长江主要支流的沉积物中重矿物特征具有显著的差异。长江的重矿物组合模型为：  锆石+绿帘石+辉石+绿泥石+金属矿物,特征矿物是锆石和辉石;   汉江的重矿物组合模型为：  绿帘石+角闪石+石榴石+绿泥石+金属矿物,特征矿物是角闪石、石榴石;   另外,清江、漳河、沮水和玛瑙河的重矿物组合及特征矿物也都完全不同。而且各水系的沉积物的重矿物特征与其源区的岩性分布显示出极好的相关性。研究表明在江汉平原利用重矿物特征及组合模型来进行物源示踪的方法开展水系演化研究是可行的。     

Gold in the beach placer sands of Chavakkad-Ponnani,Kerala Coast,India

Although sporadic mining of placer gold from river beds is not uncommon in India, there is no documented literature on the occurrence of gold in the beach placer sand deposits of the country. While characterizing the heavy minerals of the Chavakkad-Ponnani (CP) beach placer sands along the North Kerala coast, the association of gold with the pyriboles in these sands has been observed. A native gold grain of about 25 μm was seen to occur as an inclusion within an amphibole of hornblendic composition. The pyriboles of the CP deposit are angular to sub-angular indicating a nearby provenance that may be in the upstream reaches of the Ponnani River in the districts of Malappuram and Palakkad or further north in the auriferous tracts of the Wynad-Nilambur or Attapadi regions. It is argued that the occurrence of native gold in CP deposit is not a freak occurrence and that it warrants thorough investigation of all the pyribole-ilmenite-rich placers to examine the possible presence of gold and its abundance in the beach placers of northern Kerala coast.     

Sources of monazite sand in southern Orissa beach placer,eastern India

This paper intends to explore whether there is an important source for monazite beach placer of the Gopalpur-Chhatrapur-Rushikulya coast, Orissa, in the adjacent Eastern Ghat Mobile Belt (EGMB). Petrographic and mineralogical studies were conducted on all the rock types constituting the EGMB exposed over a stretch extended up to ∼20 km landward from the estuary of the River Rushikulya that is believed to transport the major bulk of sand to the Gopalpur-Chhatrapur-Rushikulya beach. Heavy mineral population was concentrated using bromoform and percentages of each heavy mineral constituting the population were estimated for all the potential source rock types. Isodynamic separation and XRD techniques were deployed for precision identification of every heavy mineral present. The study identified the granitoid (or migmatite) basement rock as by far the major contributor of monazite to the Chhatrapur beach sand. The study also reveals that charnockite is an important contributor of orthopyroxene as well as garnet, although the sillimanite-garnet-quartz schist (khondalites) is also an important source for the latter. On the other hand, garnet-quartz schist and garnet-biotite-quartz schist may also contribute substantial quantity of pyroxene and garnet. The high grade metasedimentary rocks, in general, could be the major sources for rutile, while ilmenite, magnetite and zircon in the beach sand have their sources perhaps in all the varieties of rocks constituting the EGMB.     

Seasonal impact on beach morphology and the status of heavy mineral deposition – central Tamil Nadu coast,India

The aim of the present research was to investigate the seasonal impact on nearshore beach dynamics and the status of heavy mineral distribution along central Tamil Nadu coast, India. Beach profile measurements were made in 10 profiling sites between Thirukadaiyur and Velankanni on monthly and seasonal basis from January 2011 to July 2012. Using beach profile data, variation in beach width, slope and volumetric changes have been calculated. Beach slope and nearshore wave parameters were used to quantify the longshore sediment transport rate. Beaches between Thirukadaiyur and Karaikkal attained predominant transport rate in northern direction whereas, the rest of the beaches are in southern direction. The seasonal action of wind and wave currents create nearshore bar during northeast (NE) monsoon and frequent berms at tidal zone during southwest (SW) monsoon. Surface sediment samples were collected in each location for quantifying the heavy mineral weight percentage during the period of pre- and post-Thane cyclone. Sediments were also studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) to evaluate the changes and occurrence of heavy minerals in beach sands. The XRD results show that sediments in the study area have enriched heavy mineral distribution even after strong cyclonic event. It confirms the redistribution of heavy mineral deposits present in the coast. The results suggested that monsoonal action has influenced the seasonal changes in beach morphology and it does not affect the heavy mineral distribution.     

Granularity and textural analysis as a proxy for extreme wave events in southeast coast of India

Extreme wave events of 1000 and 1500 years (radiocarbon ages) have been recently reported in Mahabalipuram region, southeast coast of India. Subsequently, we carried out extensive sedimenttological analysis in regions covering a total lateral coverage of 12 km with a new archeological site as the central portion of the study area. Twelve trenches in shore normal profiles exhibit landward thinning sequences as well as upward fining sequences confirming with the global signatures of extreme wave events. The sediment size ranges from fine-to-medium and moderately well sorted-to-well sorted, and exhibit positive skewness with platykurtic-to-leptokurtic nature. We now propose the abrupt winnowing or back and forth motion including unidirectional transport of these deposited sediments, which results in positive skewness. Textural analyses derived from scanning electron microscope studies (SEM) demonstrate the alteration produced, in the ilmenite mineral with vivid presence of pits and crescents with deformation observed on the surface due to extreme wave activities. This is further confirmed with the predominance of high-density mineral such as magnetite (5.2) and other heavy minerals in these deposits inferred the high-intensity of the reworking process of the beach shelf sediments.     

Heavy mineral studies on late quaternary red sediments of Bhimunipatnam,Andhra Pradesh,East coast of India

Thirty one sediment samples from different varieties viz. yellow, reddish brown, brick red and light yellow sands from red sediments of Bhimunipatnam, Andhra Pradesh were studied to understand the heavy mineral assemblage, their fractionwise distribution and concentration. The heavy mineral assemblage in red sediments is ilmenite, magnetite, sillimanite, garnet, zircon, rutile, kyanite, monazite etc. Total heavy minerals (THM) wt. % varies from 16.67 to 23.99% and their concentration is not uniform in all the sedimentary samples. The higher THM wt% in brick red sands (23.99%) followed by reddish brown sands (20.24%), light yellow sands (17.10%) and yellow sands (16.67%). The finer fractions have more concentration of THM wt% than coarse fraction. The vertical distribution of heavy minerals in each sedimentary unit indicates that these units are not formed in single phase of deposition. Less concentration of garnets in yellow and light yellow sedimentary units indicates that the garnets might be chemically altered into iron hydroxide–limonite which gives yellow colour to the sediments under slightly oxidizing environment. Low concentration of garnets in brick red and reddish brown sediments indicates that garnets might have been undergone chemical decomposition under acidic conditions leads to produce iron oxides (Hematite) causes for red colorization of these units. The heavy mineral assemblage in different sand units indicates that they are derived from Eastern Ghat Group of rocks (khondalites and charnockites).     

莺歌海盆地东北部邻区7条主要入海河流重砂矿物特征及其地质意义

海南岛西部（琼西）是莺歌海盆地东北部的主要物质来源之一。本文对琼西7条主要河流入海口的现代河砂进行了重矿物含量、重矿物组合以及相关特征指数等分析,发现其重矿物含量、磨圆度、组合以及相关重矿物指数从北到南明显不同,反映出碎屑物质搬运距离和源区岩性也明显不同。北部珠碧江重矿物以钛铁矿、电气石、锆石、绿帘石和透闪石为主,磨圆度较差,反映物源主要为近距离的酸性至基性-超基性岩浆岩和变质岩;昌化江重矿物以钛铁矿、磁铁矿、锆石和榍石为主,磨圆比较好,物源可能主要为远距离的酸性和基性岩浆岩;中部北黎河和通天河重矿物以钛铁矿、电气石、锆石、石榴石和透闪石为主,基本没有磨圆,物源主要来自近源区,为未经远距离搬运的变质岩、酸性岩浆岩和基性火山岩;感恩河重矿物以磨圆度差的锆石、钛铁矿、榍石、电气石和褐铁矿等稳定-极稳定重矿物为主,反映源区主要为近距离搬运的岩浆岩;南部望楼河和宁远河重矿物以钛铁矿、磁铁矿、褐铁矿和绿帘石等稳定-不稳定矿物为主,反映的母岩主要为酸性岩浆岩、变质岩和中-基性岩浆岩。这些主要河流入海口的重矿物特征存在明显差异,这与其发源地、流经区域以及流经区域所发育的岩石类型相一致。通过研究琼西地区从北到南不同流域的重矿物组合体系,有助于开展莺歌海盆地源汇对比分析,建立不同区域油气储层碎屑物质来源的识别标志,对该盆地天然气储层物源识别具有重要的地质意义。     

Heavy mineral characteristics of the Neogene–Quaternary sediments from the southern part of the Blagoevgrad Basin, SW Bulgaria

The Blagoevgrad Basin, a graben filled with Neogene–Quaternary continental sedimentary successions, is one of the most prospective placer-gold bearing regions in southwestern Bulgaria. The Quaternary sediments have been well explored and economically prospective areas have been identified. Previous studies indicated very limited occurrences of placer gold in the Neogene sediments, the genesis of which is connected with resedimentation of Paleogene sediments from the adjacent Bobov dol Basin to the north. From these previous studies, a detailed allo- and lithostratigraphic scheme, and paleogeographic models were developed.The present study aimed to evaluate the plausibility of the existing stratigraphic schemes and paleogeographic models for the area, through detailed study of the heavy mineral fraction of the Neogene and part of the Quaternary sediments from the southern part of the Blagoevgrad Basin. Additional objectives were to determine the mode of occurrence and the stratigraphic position of the placer gold in the Neogene sediments, and to investigate possible source areas. Special attention was paid to the mineral composition and the structure of the opaque detrital Fe–Ti oxide minerals, and the typologic features of the zircons. The results obtained could be used as a provenance indicator and for determination of the nature of the source area and the processes that operated therein.A very important finding is the discovery of placer gold in an additional three Neogene units. The morphologic features of the gold grains indicate short transport or proximity to the primary source. This interpretation is inconsistent with existing hypotheses on the origin and presence of the gold in the sediments of the basin. The characteristics of the magnetic heavy mineral fraction, and the morphologic features of zircon grains in auriferous samples, indicate the diorites and gabbro-diorites from the Strouma Diorite Group, which outcrop along the eastern edge of the graben, as a possible source.The stratigraphic distribution of the heavy minerals fully supports the plausibility of the existing detailed allo- and lithostratigraphic subdivision, and the paleogeographic model for the development of the southern part of the basin. Also, the results provide support for the soundness of an allostratigraphic approach for the study and exploration of placer deposits in basins similar to the Blagoevgrad.