Local mineral equilibrium in metamorphism: development of D. Korzhinskii’s ideas (on 110th anniversary of D.S. Korzhinskii)

In 1950, D. Korzhinskii hypothesized that minerals in metamorphic reactions can be in local equilibrium. Proceeding from this idea, G. Fisher and R. Joesten later developed a realistic model of metamorphism kinetics. The model included diffusive mass transport in intergranular fluid controlled by the concentrations of components and chemical potential gradients, local-equilibrium reactions between minerals and pore fluid, mass balance of components, etc. The Korzhinskii–Fisher–Joesten model can provide clues to the duration of metamorphic events as inferred from mineral chemistry, free energy of phases, and rock textures and structures. The respective modeling of metamorphic reactions, with regard to spatial distribution of mineral grains, has implications for the transport and balance of chemical components. The balance of components (except volatiles) is restricted to domains of hundredth fractions of a cubic millimeter to several cubic meters. This may be the minimum size of an elementary domain in which minerals are in local equilibrium.     

Geographies of identity theft in the U.S.: understanding spatial and demographic patterns, 2002–2006

Identity theft is among the fastest growing white-collar crimes in the United States, although official recognition of it as a criminal act is a relatively recent development. Utilizing theoretical framework established in crime geography, GIS mapping and spatial statistics are employed to conduct a spatial analysis of identity theft in the U.S. from 2002 to 2006. Distinct regional variations, such as high rates in the western and southwestern states, and low rates in New England and the central plains states, are identified for identity theft. Significant spatial patterns of identity theft victims alongside social demographic variables are also revealed in order to better understand the regional patterns that may suggest underlying social causes contributing to identity theft. Potential social variables, such as race/ethnicity and urban–rural populations, are shown to have similar patterns that may be directly associated with U.S. identity theft victims.     

Sm−Nd dating of multiple garnet growth events in an arc-continent collision zone,northwestern U.S. Cordillera

Integrated petrologic and Sm–Nd isotopic studies in garnet amphibolites along the Salmon River suture zone, western Idaho, delineate two periods of amphibolite grade metamorphism separated by at least 16 million years. In one amphibolite,P–T studies indicate a single stage of metamorphism with final equilibration at 600°C and 8–9 kbar. The Sm–Nd isotopic compositions of plagioclase, apatite, hornblende, and garnet define a precise, 8-point isochron of 128±3 Ma (MSWD=1.2) interpreted as mineral growth at the metamorphic peak. A⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age for this hornblende indicates cooling through 525°C at 119±2 Ma. In a nearby amphibolite, garnets with a two-stage growth history consist of inclusion-rich cores surrounded by discontinuous, inclusion-free overgrowths. Temporal constraints for core and overgrowth development were derived from Sm–Nd garnet — whole rock pairs in which the garnet fractions consist of varying proportions of inclusion-free to inclusion-bearing fragments. Three garnet fractions with apparent ages of 144, 141, and 136 Ma are thought to represent mixtures between late Jurassic (pre-144 Ma) inherited radiogenic components preserved within garnet cores and early Cretaceous (128 Ma) garnet overgrowths. These observations confirm the resilience of garnet to diffusive exchange of trace elements during polymetamorphism at amphibolite facies conditions. Our geochronologic results show that metamorphism of arc-derived rocks in western Idaho was episodic and significantly older than in arc rocks along the eastern margin of the Wrangellian Superterrane in British Columbia and Alaska. The pre-144 Ma event may be an expression of the late Jurassic amalgamation of marginal oceanic arc-related terranes (e.g., Olds Ferry, Baker, Wallowa) during the initial phases of their collision with North American rocks. Peak metamorphism at 128 Ma reflects tectonic burial along the leading edge of the Wallowa arc terrane during its final penetration and suturing to cratonic North America.     

Article by G.S. Kurochkin and A.M. Fedorov, “Massifs of mineralized serpentines and pyroxenites in Mansk Belogor'ye,East Sayans”

The authors by their own statement do not intend to make a general criticism of the work but which only to point out these specific errors: 1) There is no justification in assigning all the massifs to the junction zone of East and West Sayans. It is incomprehensible to include such dissimilar massifs as the gabbros of Kazyr and the granitic Kryzhin range, both because of age and form; 2) There are no chromite deposits in the West Sayans; 3) The use of an effusive-schist formation in the Upper Proterozoic is incorrect; it should read series; 4) What do Ordovician faults have to do with the Lysansk massifs? 5) There are serious errors and omissions in the petrography of the Lysansk complex, on which the authors elaborate; 6) The TiO₂ deposits in gabbros were discovered not in 1956, as claimed, but in 1954 by two other geologists; 7) The sequence of the emergence of secondary minerals from a magmatic melt “can only be visualized;” 8) They object to “superimposing” an autometamorphic phase on the mineralization; 9) They object to the concepts of the origin of Lysansk intrusions, as being “in the dogmatic form of an article of faith.” — M.A. Klugman     

Contrasting geochemistry and metamorphism of pillow basalts in metamorphic complexes from Aysén,S. Chile

The geochemistry of pillow basalts from the Chonos Metamorphic Complex (CMC) and the Eastern Andes Metamorphic Complex of Aysén (EAMC) indicates contrasting tectonic environments for these basic lavas. They have E-MORB and continental alkaline affinities, respectively. The MORB-like basalts are metamorphosed in the pumpellyite–actinolite metamorphic facies, with mineral associations indicative of relatively high P/T metamorphism. The continental alkali basalts exhibit pumpellyite–chlorite assemblages developed in a low to intermediate P/T regime. These contrasting eruptive and metamorphic settings agree with recently established age differences between the complexes, and invalidate direct correlation between them.     

Limits to the age of the Lapstone monocline,N.S.W.—a palaeomagnetic study

The age of formation of the Lapstone Monocline has been long considered to be late Pliocene/early Pleistocene (the Kosciusko Uplift) but it is now generally thought to be much older. Palaeomagnetic data from haematite‐rich beds within the Hawkesbury Sandstone on and about the monocline indicate that it formed before the oldest haematite was introduced to these beds. The age of this oldest haematite is 15 ± 7 Ma. On the basis of these data, the age of the monocline is unlikely to be less than 8 Ma, probably exceeds 15 Ma, and could be older than 22 Ma.     

Subbottom acoustic and sedimentary records of past surface water–groundwater exchange through sinkhole lakes in south Georgia,U.S.A

Lake Balboa is a deep sinkhole lake in south Georgia. Subbottom acoustic profiling and long sediment cores reveal four stratigraphic units within >20 m of lacustrine fill above acoustically stratified and faulted Miocene/Pliocene overburden and basement Eocene limestone which hosts the Floridan Aquifer system (FAS). Fill consists of thin, rhythmically bedded, peaty sediments (Unit I), indicative of slow sedimentation in a shallow swamp until 13,110–12,680 cal BP, a mix of desiccated and over-consolidated clay and silty sand (Unit II) implying periodic subaerial exposure of the lake bed until 9470–9025 cal BP, and gyttja associated with a rapid 8 m rise in water level by 9120–9020 cal BP (Unit III), as well as an additional rise of 10 m to modern lake levels (Unit IV). Accumulation of nearly 4.5 m of low permeability gyttja, and higher lake levels have fundamentally changed exchange between surface water and groundwater, reducing by 40% or more the rate of vertical leakage to the FAS and increasing shallow aquifer discharge to the lake.     

矿物学研究进展纵横谈——S.S.Hafner教授来筑报告

国际矿物协会秘书长、联邦德国马尔堡大学矿物学与结晶学研究所S.S.Hafner教授应中国科学院地球化学研究所邀请,于1987年9月19—22日再次访问贵阳,并应邀在全国第二届矿物物理、矿物材料和宝石学会议上做了题为“近年来矿物物理研究的某些进展”的报告。在回顾了矿物学发展历史的基础上,Hafner教授主要讲了以下四方面的研究工作:     

Mesoproterozoic (1.47–1.44 Ga) orogenic magmatism in Fennoscandia; Baddeleyite U–Pb dating of a suite of massif-type anorthosite in S. Sweden

The Jönköping Anorthositic Suite (JAS) in S. Sweden has characteristics typical for (Proterozoic) massif-type anorthosites. The interstitial liquid of these plagioclase-porphyritic rocks solidified at 1,455 ± 6 Ma, as determined by U–Pb isotope analysis of baddeleyite. The JAS developed during a regional 1.47–1.44 event in Fennoscandia that generated widespread mafic magmatism (basalts, and diabase dykes and sills) in the north and emplacement of felsic plutons in the south. The event of 1.47–1.44 Ga magmatism in Fennoscandia largely coincides in age with dynamic high-grade metamorphism in SW Sweden and was probably related to convergent active-margin processes during the Danopolonian orogeny.     

Progress in low-frequency radio astronomy and I.S. Shklovskii’s contribution to its development

Radio astronomy at decameter wavelengths is currently undergoing very active development. Large-scale, new generation low-frequency radio telescopes are being constructed and already used in many countries around the world. As before, the largest, most sensitive, and most versatile telescope at decameter wavelengths is the Ukrainian UTR-2 radio telescope operating at 8–32 MHz, which has an effective area of more than 10⁵ m² and an angular resolution of about 0.5?, as well as the URAN interferometric system based on the UTF-2. Many studies that have been carried out on these facilities have been based on important results and far-sighted predictions of Shklovskii. These include, in particular, studies of dynamical spectra and the brightness distributions of the sporadic and quiescent decameter radio emission of the hot solar corona, complex, broadband radio spectroscopy of the interstellar medium, and multi-frequency monitoring of secular decreases in the flux densities of supernova remnants. The coordinated use of highly effective existing and newly constructed radio telescopes joined into ground networks, as well as specialized space missions, are opening new prospects for low-frequency radio astronomy.     

Analysis and Forecast of U.S. Steel Scrap Price Trends Based on the Linear Model

Please?refer?to?the?attachment(s)?for?more?details.     

Carboxylic acid anions in formation waters,San Joaquin Basin and Louisiana Gulf Coast,U.S.A.—Implications for clastic diagenesis. Reply to discussion by P.D. Lundegard and L.S. Land

MacGowan and Surdam (1990a) suggested some modifications to the model of Lundegard and Land (1989) to make it more geologically and geochemically reasonable. The predictive power of such a geochemical model is wholly dependent on the species modeled and the constants used; any model that excludes important species or important thermodynamic data, or one that couples certain reactions in an unrealistic way, may produce results which are not geologically or geochemically reasonable (W. K. Harrison, pers. commun., 1988; Y. K. Kharaka, pers. commun., 1991). We have long recognized that, under early-burial diagenetic conditions, aluminosilicate hydrolysis generally controls formation water pH (Surdam and Eugster, 1976; Mariner and Surdam, 1970; Taylor and Surdam, 1981) and that, during intermediate burial, either aqueous CO₂ or CAA species (in the absence of aqueous S species or other weak conjugate acid-base pairs) will dominate formation water alkalinity and control pH (Surdam et al., 1989c). We reassert that the model of Lundegard and Land (1989) does not take into account the relative importance of PCO₂ and of concentrations of both Ca²⁺ and CAA and their relative organic metal complexes to carbonate mineral stability in sandstones in the zone of intermediate burial clastic diagenesis (cf. the models of Surdam et al., 1984 and Surdam and Crossey, 1985). The usefulness of such models is predicted on the completeness of the model and the use of the best, most accurate thermodynamic data. Also, geologically realistic concentrations of critical species are required for reasonable modeling to be done. Although their model is vigorously defended in the discussion of Lundegard and Land, 1989, Lundegard and Land, 1993, we continue to disagree that their analysis of their model conditions are either geologically or geochemically satisfying.We agree with the fundamental approach and philosophy of Lundegard and Land, 1989, Lundegard and Land, 1993. It is of the utmost importance to determine from experimental, geochemical, petrographic, and geological data what the controls on pH and alkalinity in formation waters are, as well as the exact thermodynamic speciation of aqueous moieties and the stability of detrital and authigenic minerals. Lundegard and Land (1993) raise an additional point about CAA reaction with carbonate minerals in shales, although Fisher and Lewan (1989), Lewan (1989) and MacGowan and Surdam (1990b) have demonstrated that CAA generated in shale likely migrate in the oil phase along incipient shale microfractures to the sandstone reservoir, and thus are likely to not react much with the shale. Finally, we agree with Lundegard and Land that these areas require much additional experimental and field analysis, and petrographic study.     

Pre-Cenozoic geology of the Latrobe Valley Area—onshore Gippsland Basin,S.E. Australia

In 2010–2011, a well on the uplifted northern edge of the Latrobe Valley (Yallourn North-1A) cored a 550 m section of mostly arenaceous sediments from the Lower Cretaceous Tyers River Subgroup. A follow-up core-hole (Yallourn Power-1) aimed at extending the Tyers River Subgroup section some 5 km south into the Latrobe Valley instead encountered Paleozoic basement rocks immediately below Cenozoic coal measures. From a re-examination of earlier coal and groundwater bore results, and new interpretations from gravity, seismic and magneto-telluric (MT) surveys, there is a significant area of Paleozoic basement rock that may underlie the whole northern Latrobe Valley area. The uplifted Yallourn North Lower Cretaceous sediments are a separate basin entity herein named the Monash trough. It appears they are separate from the main Lower Cretaceous Strzelecki Group Basin sediments on the southern side of the Latrobe Valley. Attributes of the Monash trough may underlie the main Strzelecki Basin, but this remains to be substantiated by further drilling. The intervening subcrop of Paleozoic basement rocks is herein named the Glengarry basement block. It shows characteristic gravity, MT and seismic features covering some 200 km² of the northern Latrobe Valley area. The boundary between the Glengarry basement block and Strzelecki Basin approximates to the Princes Highway. It is uncertain whether structural separation of the Monash trough from the main Strzelecki Basin always existed, or whether uplift and stripping of Cretaceous rocks over the Glengarry basement block occurred in post-Cretaceous but pre-Cenozoic times. Comparative rank and maturity indices indicate a greater depth of burial of the Glengarry basement block than what exists today, whereas less stripping and loss of section have occurred to the Monash trough. Cretaceous sediments of the Tyers River Subgroup (Rintouls Creek Formation, Tyers Conglomerate) in the Monash trough are dominated by mudstones, siltstones with lesser quartzose sandstones, conglomerates and thin coals. The sediments are over 300 m thick and are conformably overlain by 100 m of volcaniclastic sediments typical of the main Strzelecki Group, in turn overlain by nearly 100 m of Cenozoic coal measures. New detailed spore–pollen dating of Yallourn North-1A cores indicates that all Cretaceous sediments in the Monash trough are Barremian in age. This revises the traditional Neocomian age assigned to the formation. High total organic carbon levels in the 100 m-thick mudstones of the Locmany Member in the Rintouls Creek Formation constitute a mature petroleum source rock worthy of future hydrocarbon exploration.