Metamorphic History of Sapphirine-bearing and Related Magnesian Gneisses from Namaqualand, South Africa

Sapphirine occurs with cordierite, phlogopite, spinel, sillimanite,corundum, orthopyroxene, and gedrite in granulite facies Mg-and Al-rich paragneisses within the low P, high T NamaqualandMetamorphic Complex. The gneisses reveal a three-stage texturalhistory. Sapphirine appeared during a second stage of progrademineral growth which produced nodular structures and intergrowthsinvolving spinel, corundum, and sillimanite, pseudomorphingan earlier generation of coarse, amphibolite facies minerals.A third generation of coarse, cross-cutting, mainly hydrousminerals (gedrite, kornerupine, phlogopite) is sporadicallydeveloped. The wide variety of cofacial mineral assemblages allows thedelineation of the stable mineral associations of sapphirinein the system K₂O-MgO-FeO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂-H₂O under P-T conditionsindependently estimated at about 5 kb, 750–800 °C.The natural assemblages provide constraints which, taken togetherwith existing thermodynamic and experimental data, allow theestimation of P-T slopes of sapphirine equilibria. The mineraltextures thus indicate sapphirine growth under increasing T,decreasing a(H₂O), and constant or slightly increasing P. The preservation of prograde reaction textures during fine-grainedmineral growth probably results from the reduced importanceand/or more CO₂-rich composition of the metamorphic fluid undergranulite facies conditions in these refractory rocks. Aqueousfluids were locally reintroduced after the metamorphic peak.     

Some slope stability problems in soils derived from the Ecca Shales of Natal,South Africa

Shales of the Lower Ecca stage of the Late Palaeozoic Series are actively degrading in the particular topography and climate of Natal. The failure of a large road embankment near Pietermaritzburg and the subsequent failure of the adjacent natural slope were caused by movement along existing shear zones in the underlying colluvium. Other cases of instability in both natural slopes and engineering earthworks are known, in the Pietermaritzburg and Durban areas and elsewhere in Natal. These failures in various types of slope in different parts of Natal suggest an inherent instability in colluvial and residual soil derived from shale of the Lower Ecca stage.     

Partial melting and the formation of granulite facies assemblages in Namaqualand, South Africa

Abstract Dehydration-melting reactions, in which water from a hydrous phase enters the melt, leaving an anhydrous solid assemblage, are the dominant mechanism of partial melting of high-grade rocks in the absence of externally derived vapour. Equilibria involving melt and solid phases are effective buffers of aH₂,o. The element-partitioning observed in natural rocks suggests that dehydration melting occurs over a temperature interval during which, for most cases, aH₂o is driven to lower values. The mass balance of dehydration melting in typical biotite gneiss and metapelite shows that the proportion of melt in the product assemblage at T± 850°C is relatively small (10–20%), and probably insufficient to mobilize a partially melted rock body. Granulite facies metapelite, biotite gneiss and metabasic gneiss in Namaqualand contain coarse-grained, discordant, unfoliated, anhydrous segregations, surrounded by a finer grained, foliated matrix that commonly includes hydrous minerals. The segregations have modes consistent with the hypothesis that they are the solid and liquid products of the dehydration-melting reactions: Bt + Sil + Qtz + PI = Grt ° Crd + Kfs + L (metapelite), Bt + Qtz + Pl = Opx + Kfs + L (biotite gneiss), and Hbl + Qtz = Opx + Cpx + Pl + L (metabasic gneiss). The size, shape, distribution and modes of segregations suggest only limited migration and extraction of melt. Growth of anhydrous poikiloblasts in matrix regions, development of anhydrous haloes around segregations and formation of dehydrated margins on metabasic layers enclosed in migmatitic metapelites all imply local gradients in water activity. Also, they suggest that individual segregations and bodies of partially melted rock acted as sinks for soluble volatiles. The preservation of anhydrous assemblages and the restricted distribution of late hydrous minerals suggest that retrograde reaction between hydrous melt and solids did not occur and that H₂O in the melt was released as vapour on crystallization. This model, combined with the natural observations, suggests that it is possible to form granulite facies assemblages without participation of external fluid and without major extraction of silicate melt.     

The chemistry and origin of zincian spinel associated with the Aggeneys Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag deposits,Namaqualand, South Africa

Zincian spinel or gahnite [(Zn,Fe,Mg)Al₂O₄] occurs in metamorphosed sulphide-rich rocks, garnet quartzites, quartz-magnetite rocks, aluminous metasediments, barite-magnetite rocks, quartz veins, and pegmatites associated with the Aggeneys base metal deposits, Namaqualand, South Africa. Zincian spinel in, sulphide-bearing rocks, is considered to have formed predominantly by desulphurization reactions involving a member of the system Fe-S-O and sphalerite with sillimanite or garnet. Gahnite in sulphide-free garnet quartzites, quartz-magnetite rocks and barite-magnetite rocks probably formed from Zn and Al that were hydrothermally derived whereas gahnite in aluminous metasediments was derived from the metamorphism of metalliferous shales, in which Zn may originally have been linked to organic material. Gahnite is Zn-rich in sulphide-bearing rock, but is Fe-rich in sulphide-free garnet quartzites and quartz-magnetite rocks. Although Zn-rich spinels represent guides to ore in the Aggeneys area and elsewhere in the Namaqualand Metamorphic Complex, Fe-rich spinels should not be discounted because Zn-rich and Fe-rich spinels occur within metres of sulphides at Aggeneys.     

Low-P / high-T metamorphism in the Okiep Copper District, western Namaqualand, South Africa

The Okiep Copper District, part of the 1.2–1.0 Ga high-grade terrane in western Namaqualand, is composed of a mid-Proterozoic supracrustal sequence and several pre- to post-orogenic intrusive suites affected by two high-grade events (M2a/M2b, M3) of Kibaran and one low-grade event (M4) of Pan-African age. Peak assemblages in quartz-bearing pelites are characterized either by garnet+cordierite coexisting with sillimanite/biotite, or by biotite+sillimanite±garnet; a difference controlled by bulk composition and variation in water activities (0.1–0.7) during dehydration melting. Maximum P–T conditions were reached during M2a coevally with the major deformational event (D2a) and are estimated at 750–820  °C and 5–6  kbar. A counterclockwise P–T  path is indicated by regionally occurring pseudomorphs of sillimanite after andalusite and by prograde reaction textures preserved as relics in M2a porphyroblasts. Two stages of retrograde metamorphism are distinguished: M2a garnet+cordierite-bearing assemblages were retrogressed to biotite+sillimanite+quartz (M2b) along discontinuous foliation planes and shear zones (D2b). Retrograde M3 corona assemblages formed at similar P–T  conditions (580–660  °C and 5.8±0.5  kbar) to the M2b assemblages but M3 crystallization postdates penetrative D2 deformation, intrusion of 1.06 Ga granitoids and formation of associated W–Mo deposits. It is concluded that: (a) Kibaran high-grade metamorphism in the Okiep Copper District is thermally punctuated and (b) reaction textures documenting apparent isobaric cooling of this low- P high- T  terrane must be interpreted with caution.     

Kornerupine in Mg-Al-rich gneisses from Namaqualand,South Africa: mineralogy and evidence for late-metamorphic fluid activity

Three kornerupine occurrences are reported in distinctive SiO₂-poor, MgO- and Al₂O₃-rich paragneisses from the Namaqualand Metamorphic Complex in South Africa. Kornerupine coexists stably with phlogopite, cordierite, orthopyroxene, gedrite, sapphirine, sillimanite and plagioclase and, in sapphirine-free rocks, with spinel and corundum. Tourmaline of a texturally older generation than kornerupine is commonly present in the same samples.Ten analysed kornerupines show a variation in total Fe as FeO from 1.8 to 10.9 weight per cent. B₂O₃ contents are estimated from x-ray data and a few spectrochemical analyses to range from 0.9 to 3.5 weight per cent. There is a strong inverse correlation between B³⁺ and Al³⁺. Total iron content has a strong and systematic effect on refractive index, colour and dispersion. Fe and Mg are systematically partitioned with the other minerals, and Mg/(Mg+Fe) ratios increase as follows: spinel 相似文献   

Geochronological and Petrogenetic Studies of High-Grade Metamorphic Rocks and Intrusives in Namaqualand, South Africa

The metamorphic sequence in the Nababeep district of Namaqualandis considered in terms of major recumbent folding accompaniedby hornblende granulite subfacies metamorphism. Rb-Sr isotopicdata are presented for thirty-one whole-rock samples of metamorphicrocks and associated intrusives, together with U-Pb isotopicdata for nineteen fractions of the constituent zircon and apatite.The metamorphic suite has yielded a Rb-Sr whole-rock isochronage of 1213?22 m.y., with an initial Sr⁸⁷/Sr⁸⁸ ratio (R_o) of0?7191?0?0021 suggesting reworking of pre-existing crustal rocks;data from certain distinctive rock-types indicate that Sr-isotopichomogenization was incomplete during this event. Cross-cuttinggranites and related rocks give a Rb-Sr isochron age of 1166?26m.y. (R_o, 0?708?0?001). These events were post-dated by theintrusion of largely dioritic bodies of the cupriferous NoritoidSuite; zircon recrystallization 1070 m.y. ago is interpretedas the age of emplacement of these bodies. On Sr-isotopic andchemical grounds, a source-bed model is tentatively suggestedfor the Noritoid Suite, involving derivation from gneisses andgranulites of intermediate-basic composition within the metamorphicsuccession. Isotopic events at 1000 and 900 m.y. ago, recordedby zircon and apatite, are believed to reflect the imprint ofregional pegmatite emplacement.     

Platinum-group elements in Cu-sulphide ores at Carolusberg and East Okiep, Namaqualand, South Africa

Cu-sulphide ores at Carolusberg and East Okiep have Cu/Ni ratios of up to 80, an order of magnitude higher than most magmatic sulphide ores elsewhere. In contrast, Se/S ratios (500–1700 × 10⁻⁶) and PGE tenors (up to 5 ppm) of the sulphides are in the range of more typical magmatic sulphide ores. The observed metal patterns may be explained by a process of monosulphide solid solution (mss) fractionation of a magmatic sulphide melt at depth, but this model is currently considered unlikely, due to the paucity of refractory ores in the district. Assimilation of Cu-rich country rocks during ascent of the Koperberg magmas proved difficult to test with the available data, but this provides no explanation for the common high-grade metamorphic setting of similar ores elsewhere. A restitic origin of the pyroxenites appears to explain many of the observed ore features and is presently favoured here. Desulphidization of a primary magmatic sulphide ore could not have yielded the observed metal patterns and is therefore considered to be of relatively minor importance in ore genesis. Received: 12 April 1999 / Accepted: 27 November 1999     

Phlogopite in the generation of olivine-melilitites from Namaqualand, South Africa and implications for element fractionation processes in the upper mantle

Major and trace element and Sr, Nd and Pb isotope analyses are presented for thirteen olivine-melilitites from Namaqualand, South Africa. Major element variations are consistent with derivation from carbonated garnet-peridotite at depths of at least 100 km and trace element abundances indicate melt fractions of 4%. Ubiquitous negative K anomalies and low, buffered K₂O concentrations are interpreted to reflect the effect of residual phlogopite during melting. It is suggested that phlogopite stability and low melt potassium saturation concentrations are enhanced by high CO₂/(CO₂ + H₂O) conditions. Residual phlogopite can also account for low measured Rb/Sr, Ba/Sr and Th/U ratios in the melilitites. REE abundances are controlled by residual garnet and hence Sm/Nd ratios are low (0.13–0.18). U/Pb ratios vary from 0.05 to 5 and are a function of Pb concentration which is in turn controlled by residual Pb-rich phase (probably sulphide). Nd and Sr isotopes are comparable with OIB from St. Helena, although two samples extend to higher ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios. Present day Pb isotopes are much more variable and partly reflect radiogenic growth since emplacement as a result of the highly variable U/Pb ratios.

Many of the trace element characteristics of the melilitites are distinct from those of within-plate potassic magmas despite both being derived from phlogopite-bearing, enriched mantle source regions. This can be attributed to the depth at which source enrichment occurred and the subsequent control exerted by phlogopite and carbonate during melting. In contrast to melilitites, potassic magmas are derived from shallower depths under low CO₂/(CO₂ + H₂O) conditions and at higher temperatures at which phlogopite melts more readily.

The incompatible element ratios of the melilitites are also similar to those both observed in HIMU ocean island basalts (OIB) and inferred for HIMU OIB source regions from isotope variations (viz, low Sm/Nd, Rb/Sr, K/Nb, Th/U and high U/Pb and Ce/Pb). It is suggested that HIMU OIB's may be derived from sources that have been subject to enrichment by a melt generated in the presence of residual phlogopite.     

金川铜镍矿山尾矿砂酸溶性实验研究

为研究金川铜镍矿山酸性废水溶解尾矿砂实现综合治理废液与废固的可能性,进行了尾矿砂在硫酸中的溶解实验。结果表明,尾矿砂在硫酸浓度大于3mol/L、温度保持90℃以上并在液固比6.0下强力搅拌,能够较好地溶解于硫酸中,生成无定形二氧化硅;300℃的马弗炉焙烧4h有助于尾矿砂中绿泥石的溶解,对透闪石的溶解影响不大。尾矿砂中橄榄石、蛇纹石和透辉石较容易被硫酸溶解,透闪石、斜长石则比较难溶解,这与尾矿砂中矿物性质有密切关系。     

Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd Mineral Isochron Ages of the Metamorphic Rocks in the Namaqualand Metamorphic Complex, South Africa

Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotopic studies were carried out for metamorphic rocks in the Namaqualand Metamorphic Complex, South Africa. The metamorphic rocks give the Rb-Sr mineral isochron ages (whole-rock - biotite - felsic fractions) of 844±85 Ma and 811.6±6.6 Ma for the lower granulite zone and of 776.5±5.4 Ma for the upper granulite zone. The rocks yield the Sm-Nd mineral isochron ages of 1071±18 Ma (whole-rock - garnet - felsic fractions) and 1067±158 Ma (whole-rock - hornblende - biotite rich fraction - felsic fractions) for the lower granulite zone and of 1052.0±3.6 Ma and 1002.5±1.4 Ma (whole-rock - garnet - felsic fractions) for the upper granulite zone. These age data suggest that the granulite facies metamorphism took place at 1060-1000 Ma, and that the rocks cooled down at 850-780 Ma. The Sr and Nd isotopic compositions of metamorphic rocks are different between the lower and upper granulite zones.     

Petrogenesis of the Concordia Granite Gneiss and its relation to WMo mineralization in western Namaqualand, South Africa

The 1.1 Ga Concordia Granite Gneiss (CGG) is part of the late to postorogenic Spektakel Suite in the western Namaqualand Metamorphic Complex, South Africa. It intruded synkinematically, with respect to the main (D2) deformation event, into lower to middle crustal rocks and granite emplacement was more or less coeval with the peak of granulite-facies metamorphism ( > 800°C, 5 kbar). Several genetically related rock types, megacrystic garnet-bearing granite, minor aplitic leucogranites and pegmatites are distinguished. All varieties are SiO₂-rich (69–79 wt.%) peraluminous granites and show subalkaline-monzonitic magma characteristics. Geochemical differences in whole-rock chemistry between megacrystic granite and aplitic leucogranites (e.g., lower Al₂O₃, MgO, CaO, Ba, Zr; higher K₂O, Rb, Nb, W, Rb/Sr, Ga/Al) and the decrease of e.g., CaO, MgO, Fe₂O₃, Ba, Zr, Th/U with increasing SiO₂ in the megacrystic granites as well as the variation in Fe/Mn of magmatic garnets are best explained with crystal fractionation processes. Fractional crystallization of plagioclase produced potassium- and silica-rich residual melts characterised by very high Rb/Sr, Rb/Ba, U/Th, Mn/Fe ratios and higher concentration of W, Cu and Zn. Crystal fractionation processes also resulted in a relative LREE depletion and HREE enrichment (megacrystic granite: La/Lu)_cn = 8.87−31.67; aplitic leucogranite and pegmatites: La/Lu)_cn = 0.71−1.44) and evolution of pronounced negative Eu-anomalies. The crystallization sequence (near-solidus crystallization of biotite prior to alkali feldspar) suggests that the CGG magmas were H₂O-undersaturated over a long period of their evolution. Water saturation during late-stage crystallization is, however, indicated by coarse late-stage eutectic mineral textures, pegmatites and WMo-bearing siliceous rocks. Furthermore the economic potential of the CGG is supported by its geochemical signature (e.g., high U, Th contents) which is similar to evolved high heat production (HHP) granites. The granitic magmas are attributed to partial melting of peraluminous crustal source rocks and are tentatively interpreted as fractionated S-type granites. The WMo deposits represent vein-type and pegmatitic deposits genetically related to a deep-seated granitic system.     

Dehydration melting and the granulite transition in metapelites from southern Namaqualand,S. Africa

In a prograde amphibolite-granulite transition zone in the Namaqualand Metamorphic Complex, metapelites show an interbanding of the amphibolite facies association biotite+sillimanite+quartz with the granulite facies association garnet+cordierite+K-feldspar. Relict graded bedding shows that compositional banding is of sedimentary origin. The garnet-cordierite-K-feldspar gneisses contain quartzofeldspathic segregations surrounding garnets, and have more Fe-rich bulk compositions than the biotite-sillimanite schists.The contrasting asemblages could have formed at the same pressure and temperature provided that a(H₂O) was systematically lower in the garnet-cordierite-K-feldspar layers. The a(H₂O) reduction resulted from the production of silicate melt by a vapour-absent continuous Fe-Mg reaction such as biotite+sillimanite+quartz=garnet+K-feldspar+liquid which affects Fe-rich compositions before vapour-absent melting occurs in more Mg-rich rocks. The segregations represent the solid and liquid products of the reaction.Such processes imply local control of a(H₂O), and indicate that this granulite transition did not result from a regional influx of metasomatising fluids.     

The role of evaporation on the formation of secondary Cu-hydroxy minerals in the arid Namaqualand soil system of South Africa

The soils surrounding the Spektakel mine in the arid Okiep copper district of the Northern Cape Province, South Africa have been exposed to Cu containing acid mine drainage (AMD) for well over a century. This has led to acute soil contamination with Cu concentrations present as high as 10 wt%. Despite the sulphate-rich environment, associated with AMD, the Cu-hydroxy chloride mineral, atacamite [Cu₂(OH)₃Cl] is the exclusive secondary Cu mineral identified in the soils. Brochantite [Cu₄(OH)₆SO₄], the sulphate equivalent was not detected. Evaporation is a major hydrologic process in the arid soil system, thus the chemical evolution of the saline, metal containing brine was determined both experimentally and using PHREEQC modelling in the presence and absence of calcite. In samples that evaporated in the absence of calcite, the pH of the evaporating solution progressively decreased to below 3.5, whereas the solution in contact with calcite retained a circumneutral pH throughout the evaporation process. Thus in the absence of calcite, evaporation alone will not favour the formation of Cu-hydroxy minerals. Chemical activities of the evaporating solutions were modelled using the SIT.dat database of PHREEQC. This allowed the inclusion of aqueous complexes into the activity calculations of the evaporating solutions. Contrary to the conservative molality evolution of sulphate, the evolution of the sulphate activity was substantially suppressed due to the formation of MgSO₄⁰ aqueous complexes. We propose that these MgSO₄⁰ aqueous complexes are responsible for the absence of brochantite whereas the conservative chloride ion is more available for secondary Cu mineral formation. This suggests that ion pairs and aqueous complexes play an important role in determining the speciation of evaporite minerals and should be included in the modelling of such systems.     

Sorption kinetics of naphthalene and phenanthrene in loess soils

A laboratory study was executed to investigate the effect of surfactants to enhance sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contaminants in loess soil. Phenanthrene and naphthalene were chosen as organic contaminant indicators in loess soil modified by the cation surfactant hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA) bromide. The kinetic behavior of sorption during transport in natural and modified loess soil was studied. The results indicated that sorption rate in the cation surfactant modified loess soils was at least 3 times faster than that of the natural soil. A first-order kinetics model fitted the sorption data well for both soils. The sorption rates of the two organic compounds were related to their primary residual quantity on the soils. The experiments showed that sorption amounts approached constant values approximately within 30 and 90 min for naphthalene and phenanthrene at 298–318 K, respectively. The rate constants, however, displayed negative correlation with increasing temperature. With changing temperature, the activation energy was calculated at –6.196–1.172 kJ/mol for naphthalene and –28.86–15.70 kJ/mol for phenanthrene at 298–318 K. The results can be used to predict the sorption kinetics of phenanthrene and naphthalene in loess soils, and in a wider perspective, be used to better understand the transport of petroleum contaminants in the soil environment.     

Effects of reaction kinetics and fluid drainage on the development of pore pressure excess in a dehydrating system

Fluid is released by dehydration reactions during prograde metamorphism. If the Claperyron slope for the dehydrating reaction is positive, then there is a net decrease in the total solid volume, which implies an irreversible increase in porosity. If the dilation of the pore space is insufficient to provide storage for all the released fluid, then pore pressure excess is generated, and if it becomes sufficiently high, it may lead to brittle fracturing. The time scale for pressure generation and the pore pressure excess can be maintained over long duration hinge on the interplay of reaction kinetics and fluid drainage. Motivated by experimental and microstructural observations, a hydrological model is developed that incorporates dehydration kinetics and its pressure dependence. Analytic solutions were derived for the undrained development of pore pressure. Whether lithostatic pressure may be exceeded hinges on magnitude of the overstep in temperature and corresponding equilibrium pressure. The time scale for development of pore pressure depends on the trade-off between poroelasticity and the pressure sensitivity of reaction rate. A finite difference model was also developed to simulate the progressive development of pore pressure excess, dehydration and porosity development. The model captures the experimental observation in gypsum of a reaction front that progressively propagates from the drained end toward the undrained end of a laboratory sample. It is also in reasonable agreement with experimental data on fluid drainage and porosity production.     

Correlations between U, Th Content and Metamorphic Grade in the Western Namaqualand Belt, South Africa, with Implications for Radioactive Heating of the Crust

The digital image of airborne radiometric data across SouthAfrica reveals that the largest anomaly, 100 nGy/h, is causedby the granulite-facies rocks of the Namaquan metamorphic complex,whereas most of the country is <60 nGy/h. This observationis consistent with geochemical data that show that the 1900± 100 Ma greenschist-facies Richtersveld Terrane nearNamibia (max. U = 3·4 ppm; Th = 20·1 ppm) andthe adjacent, 1100 ± 100 Ma, amphibolite-facies Aggeneys/SteinkopfTerranes (max. U 10 ppm; Th 52 ppm) are the least enrichedin U, Th and K. In contrast, the lower-T granulite-facies OkiepTerrane near Springbok hosts more enriched granites (max. U 17 ppm; Th 66 ppm) and noritic intrusions (max. U = 14 ppm;Th = 83 ppm). The most enriched rocks are found in the 1030Ma higher-T granulite-facies core of the Namaquan belt and includequartzo-feldspathic gneisses (max. U = 46 ppm; Th = 90 ppm)and charnockites (max. U = 52 ppm; Th = 400 ppm). Our findingscontradict the notion that granulite-facies terrains are characteristicallydepleted in U and Th. In this study we modeled the heat productionin the core of the Namaquan complex, where the granulites havehad a very unusual metamorphic history, and show that ultra-high-T(1000°C, P 10 kbar) metamorphic conditions could have beenachieved by radiogenic heating without invoking external heatsources. However, monazite-rich veins of charnockite and patchesof granulites mark the passage of CO₂-dominated melts and fluidsderived from fractionated noritic intrusions. KEY WORDS: charnockite; granulite; Namaqualand; thorium; uranium; radioactive heating; metamorphism     

Geochemical characterization of karst groundwater in the cradle of humankind world heritage site,South Africa

The karst of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site plays a major role in the assimilation or carrying of acid mine drainage, sewage effluent return flow and agricultural run-off. Infiltration of contaminated water has altered the chemical composition of the natural waters of the karst system. A multivariate statistical method in combination with conventional geochemical and spatial analysis was applied on groundwater and surface water quality samples to determine the spatial extent of hydrochemical impacts from different anthropogenic sources. The application of hierarchical cluster analysis of the major ions (148 samples) recognised three distinct hydrochemical regimes. Cluster 1 is moderately mineralized, especially with regard to chloride, nitrate and sulphate, cluster 2 has a low mineralization with all elements well within the recommended drinking water limits of South Africa and cluster 3 represents highly mineralized samples taken in the vicinity of decanting mineshafts. The cluster solution is confirmed by a simple mixing model, indicating varying contributions of three identified end members (acid mine drainage, treated sewage effluents and pristine dolomitic groundwater) to the groundwater quality in the catchment. The combination of statistical, geochemical and spatial methods in conjunction with end-member mixing analysis provides a reliable method to understand the processes responsible for the groundwater quality variations and to assist in the identification of anthropogenic impacts.     

Factors affecting the dissolution kinetics of volcanic ash soils: dependencies on pH,CO2, and oxalate

Laboratory experiments were conducted with volcanic ash soils from Mammoth Mountain, California to examine the dependence of soil dissolution rates on pH and CO₂ (in batch experiments) and on oxalate (in flow-through experiments). In all experiments, an initial period of rapid dissolution was observed followed by steady-state dissolution. A decrease in the specific surface area of the soil samples, ranging from 50% to 80%, was observed; this decrease occurred during the period of rapid, initial dissolution. Steady-state dissolution rates, normalized to specific surface areas determined at the conclusion of the batch experiments, ranged from 0.03 μmol Si m⁻² h⁻¹ at pH 2.78 in the batch experiments to 0.009 μmol Si m⁻² h⁻¹ at pH 4 in the flow-through experiments. Over the pH range of 2.78–4.0, the dissolution rates exhibited a fractional order dependence on pH of 0.47 for rates determined from H⁺ consumption data and 0.27 for rates determined from Si release data. Experiments at ambient and 1 atm CO₂ demonstrated that dissolution rates were independent of CO₂ within experimental error at both pH 2.78 and 4.0. Dissolution at pH 4.0 was enhanced by addition of 1 mM oxalate. These observations provide insight into how the rates of soil weathering may be changing in areas on the flanks of Mammoth Mountain where concentrations of soil CO₂ have been elevated over the last decade. This release of magmatic CO₂ has depressed the soil pH and killed all vegetation (thus possibly changing the organic acid composition). These indirect effects of CO₂ may be enhancing the weathering of these volcanic ash soils but a strong direct effect of CO₂ can be excluded.     

Chemical interrelationships in a low-pressure granulite terrain in Namaqualand. South Africa,and their bearing on granite genesis and the composition of the lower crust

The results of a chemical study of a suite of low-pressure granulite facies rocks in Namaqualand, South Africa, are reported. The area is underlain by augen gneisses and quartzites, which contain interlayered granular quartz-feldspar rocks (termed ‘granulites’) derived by extensive partial melting of the gneiss. The K/Rb ratio of the gneiss increases from 140 to 250 over a melting interval of 70%: the rate of increase being influenced by the presence of biotite. Simultaneously K/Ba and Rb/Sr decrease from 80 to 25 and from 4 to 0.3, respectively. The partial melts (granulites), which reflect, in part, a cumulate character, have similar K/Rb ratios to the parent gneiss (175) but larger K/Ba (238) and Rb/Sr (5) ratios, due to the retention of Ba and Sr in the residue.Three granites intrude the gneisses. One of these was produced by very advanced partial melting of the gneiss. Continuity of chemical composition suggests that the remaining two granites, although spatially separate, are comagmatic, and evolved by feldspar fractionation during ascent. Lower Sr⁸⁷/Sr⁸⁶ ratio coupled with enrichment of Ba, Sr and Rb in the parent magma of these granites relative to the country rocks precludes local derivation and indicates a lower crustal source rock of intermediate composition.The progressive increase in cafemic character of the gneisses, which is similar to that observed in world granulite terrains as a whole, coupled with intrusive granite which reflects reworking of the lower crust in the area studied, supports a partial melting model for the development of a lower crust of progressively more cafemic composition.