Acid mine drainage and acid rock drainage processes in the environment of Herrerías Mine (Iberian Pyrite Belt, Huelva-Spain) and impact on the Andevalo Dam

The present work describes the process of acid water discharge into the Andévalo Dam (Iberian Pyrite Belt, Huelva-Spain) starting from the interpretation of rainfall data and chemical analyses regarding pH, conductivity, metal and sulphate content in water, from a time series corresponding to the sampling of two confluent channels that discharge water into the referred dam. Statistical data treatment allows us to conclude the existence of acid mine drainage processes in the Chorrito Stream, which are translated into very low pH values and high sulphate and metal concentrations in the water coming from Herrerías Mine. On the other hand, the Higuereta Stream shows, for the same parameters, much lower values that can be interpreted as the channel response to acid rock drainage processes in its drainage basin induced by the rocky outcrops of the Iberian Pyrite Belt.     

Mineralogical and chemical characterization of wastes from the sulfuric acid industry in Falun, Sweden

 Wastes from the sulfuric acid industry are an environmental concern, because of the emission of acids, heavy metals, and sulfate to the environment. The wastes in Falun consist of 70–80% iron oxides, 10–20% silicates, less than 10% residual sulfides, and small amounts of secondary precipitates (iron hydroxides and Fe-, Zn- and Cu-sulfates). Due to the different behavior of sulfides during the roasting process, pyrrhotite and sphalerite are the major sulfide residues associated with lesser amounts of pyrite, chalcopyrite, and galena. The leachates are low-pH and enriched in Zn, Fe, and SO₄. The acid ferric Fe-rich solution promotes the dissolution of sphalerite and favors the formation of Pb-sulfate coatings on galena, providing an armoring effect which slows down the further oxidation of the galena. The residual sulfides are the potential source for acid generation and metal release. During the roasting process, iron oxides retain small amounts of sulfur and sphalerite forms alteration rims containing Zn-oxides. The iron oxides and Zn-oxides are important contributors to SO₄ and Zn in the leachates. The conditions in the waste deposit are favorable for the precipitation of Zn-, Cu-Fe-sulfates (e.g. gunningite, chalcanthite, Zn-copiapite). The highly soluble sulfates play important roles in controlling the concentrations of Cd, Cu, Fe, Zn, and SO₄ in the leachates. The mineralogical and geochemical data help to develop the reclamation strategies of this type of industrial wastes. Received: 26 April 1996 · Accepted: 27 July 1996     

Interaction of acid mine drainage with waters and sediments at the Corona stream, Lousal mine (Iberian Pyrite Belt, Southern Portugal)

This study investigates the geochemical characteristics of the acid mine drainage discharged from the abandoned mine adits and tailing piles in the vicinity of the Lousal mine and evaluates the extent of pollution on water and on the stream sediments of the Corona stream. Atmospheric precipitation interacting with sulphide minerals in exposed tailings produces runoff water with pH values as low as 1.9–2.9 and high concentrations of (9,249–20,700 mg l⁻¹), Fe (959–4,830 mg l⁻¹) and Al (136–624 mg l⁻¹). The acidic effluents and mixed stream water carry elevated Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd and As concentrations that exceed the water quality standards. However, the severity of contamination generally decreases 4 km downstream of the source due to mixing with fresh waters, which causes the dilution of dissolved toxic metals and neutralization of acidity. Some natural attenuation of the contaminants also occurs due to the general reduced solubility of most trace metals, which may be removed from solution, by either co-precipitation or adsorption to the iron and aluminium precipitates.     

Impact of AMD on water quality in critical watershed in the Hudson River drainage basin: Phillips Mine,Hudson Highlands,New York

A sulfur and trace element enriched U–Th-laced tailings pile at the abandoned Phillips Mine in Garrison, New York, releases acid mine drainage (AMD, generally pH < 3, minimum pH 1.78) into the first-order Copper Mine Brook (CMB) that drains into the Hudson River. The pyrrhotite-rich Phillips Mine is located in the Highlands region, a critical water source for the New York metro area. A conceptual model for derivation/dissolution, sequestration, transport and dilution of contaminants is proposed. The acidic water interacts with the tailings, leaching and dissolving the trace metals. AMD evaporation during dry periods concentrates solid phase trace metals and sulfate, forming melanterite (FeSO₄·7H₂O) on sulfide-rich tailings surfaces. Wet periods dissolve these concentrates/precipitates, releasing stored acidity and trace metals into the CMB. Sediments along CMB are enriched in iron hydroxides which act as sinks for metals, indicating progressive sequestration that correlates with dilution and sharp rise in pH when mine water mixes with tributaries. Seasonal variations in metal concentrations were partly attributable to dissolution of the efflorescent salts with their sorbed metals and additional metals from surging acidic seepage induced by precipitation.     

油气藏全空间磁学、地球化学与矿物学结构及意义--检验"烟筒效应"的形成机理

位于松辽盆地南部某油气田边缘一个油气显示井的磁性测量结果表明,岩石具有明显的磁性变异结构特征.以磁化率(κ)为例,在低缓的背景磁性上主要呈现高强度与中等强度的2类异常:大于400×10-5为强磁性,100×10-5～150×10-5为中等强度磁性.结合录井资料与地球化学分析解释可知,强磁性异常主要位于取样间隔的底部干层区,少数样品位于浅部油气显示层;中等强度异常主要位于2 700 m附近的油气显示层.岩石磁性与地球化学成分对应分析表明,油气显示层岩石的C1和C2成分与磁化率 (κ)、饱和磁化强度 (Js) 和饱和等温剩余磁化强度(SIRM)之间呈明显的正相关,与内禀矫顽力(Hc)为逆相关,而干层岩石相关性不明显.矿物成分分析显示,岩石中主要含铁矿物为磁铁矿、磁赤铁矿、赤铁矿、黄铁矿和菱铁矿.其中磁赤铁矿主要分布在具有中等磁性强度的油气显示层,而高含量(最高含量达12.5%)的磁铁矿主要位于底部干层.磁赤铁矿与赤铁矿、黄铁矿及菱铁矿含量之间相关特征初步表明,自生磁赤铁矿可能主要来源于原地赤铁矿与黄铁矿.推测油气显示层岩石中磁性偏软的磁赤铁矿属于烃蚀变的产物,为烃微渗漏效应(或烟筒效应)的全空间形成机理提供了新证据.     

Solid phase characterization and metal deportment in a mussel shell bioreactor for the treatment of AMD,Stockton Coal Mine,New Zealand

The Stockton Coal Mine, located on the West Coast of New Zealand, is evaluating the use of a mussel shell bioreactor (MSB) to treat acidic metalliferous runoff from acid forming overburden. This novel approach is similar in concept to vertical flow wetlands (VFWs) and successive alkalinity producing systems (SAPS). The MSB system is a trapezoidal pit 2 m deep, 35 m long, 3–10 m wide with 60° angle sides. During operation it contained 160 tonnes (240 m³) of mussel shell material and was saturated with a 100–200 mm water cap. Influent flowed through the reactor at a mean rate of 0.3 L s⁻¹ resulting in a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of ≈6 days. The prototype MSB was in operation for a total of 1027 days, from June 2009 through March 2012, and effectively sequestered 99.7% of Al, 99.3% of Fe, 98.8% of Ni, 98.4% Tl and 99.3% of Zn, as determined from a previous evaluation of MSB performance. The MSB also effectively neutralized acidity, which resulted in an increase in influent pH from 2.8 to 6.9 in the effluent. Based on an examination of several excavated pits, five distinct reaction zones developed within the MSB. The reaction zones consisted of an allochthonous sediment layer (0–330 mm), an oxidized iron-rich ocherous layer (at 330–350 mm depth), an aluminum layer (at 350–600 mm depth) with geochemical variations throughout (350–500 mm and 500–600 mm); and a chemically reduced bottom shell layer (at 600–1100 mm). Representative samples were collected from each layer and analyzed using a combination of geochemical and physical methods to assess the stability of the secondary minerals and trace metal deportment within the MSB. Major elements Fe, Al, Ni, Tl, and Zn where preferentially associated with particular layers within the MSB. Elevated concentrations of Fe (110,000 mg kg⁻¹) were observed in the allochthonous sediment and ocherous precipitate layers, while Al (27,816 mg kg⁻¹), Ni (55 mg kg⁻¹), and Zn (655 mg kg⁻¹) were elevated within the aluminum and lower reduced depths within the MSB. Trace Tl (21 mg kg⁻¹) showed varying concentrations throughout the MSB, but was strongly correlated to lower layers of the system. Microbial biofilms were observed within the reduced portions of the shell layers often proximal to bacterial shaped sulfides. The geochemical assessment of the MSB presented in this study is the first of its kind for a MSB, and supports the argument that this system is another viable option for passive treatment of AMD.     

西藏当惹雍错富钾和富钠碱性火山岩的矿物学研究及其成因指示

对青藏高原西南部当惹雍错地区的中新世超钾质粗面岩及共存的富钠质方沸石(霞石)响岩进行了详细的岩石学、矿物学研究,揭示出两套岩石具有不同的矿物学特征.钠质方沸石(霞石)响岩中橄榄石斑晶的熔体包裹体与钾质火山岩的成分相当,应属于早期残余的钾质岩浆,表明了钠质方沸石(霞石)响岩的形成晚于超钾质粗面岩.两类岩石的全岩化学成分、...     

Hydrothermal alteration and mineralisation of the Glen Eden Mo-W-Sn deposit: a leucogranite-related hydrothermal system,Southern New England Orogen,NSW, Australia

The Glen Eden Mo-Sn-W deposit in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia, is an example of a leucogranite-related, low-grade, large-tonnage hydrothermal system. It occurs in the southern part of the New England Orogen and is hosted within Permian felsic volcanic rocks, intruded at depth by dykes of porphyritic microleucogranite (Glen Eden Granite). The deposit is hosted within a pipe-like quartz-rich greisen breccia body about 500 m in diameter, surrounded by a greisen zone several hundred metres across, zoning out into altered volcanic rocks. The dominant ore minerals, largely hosted as open space fillings and disseminations in quartz and quartz-rich greisen, are molybdenite, wolframite and cassiterite; they are accompanied by minor to trace amounts of muscovite, fluorite, topaz, siderite, pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, bismuth, bismuthinite, joseite A, cosalite, galenobismutite, beryl, anatase and late-stage dickite and kaolinite. Two types of breccia are recognised: (1) greisenised volcanic rock fragments (quartz + muscovite), cemented by hydrothermal quartz ± K-feldspar ± ore minerals, and (2) fragments of hydrothermal quartz ± cassiterite ± wolframite enclosed in quartz ± clay. In both types of breccia and in stockwork veins, there is evidence of early precipitation of Mo-Sn-W phases, followed by Bi minerals and base metal sulfides (± fluorite, siderite).Breccia formation and associated hydrothermal alteration (greisen, potassic, argillic, propylitic) are interpreted to be related to devolatilisation of the highly fractionated Glen Eden Granite of early Triassic age (240±1 Ma based on ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar geochronology of greisen muscovite) as well as to fluid mixing with meteoric waters. The breccia pipe could have formed in part by rock dissolution and collapse, as well as by explosive degassing of boiling fluids. Fluid inclusion evidence is consistent with boiling, with breccia pipe formation and mineralisation having mainly occurred at 250–350 °C from fluids with salinity of 0.4–9 wt% NaCl equivalent in the dilute types and 30–47 wt% NaCl equivalent in the hypersaline types. Stable isotopic evidence (O, D, C, S) indicates a strong magmatic contribution to the hydrothermal fluids and metals in the breccia. The ¹⁸O values of quartz decrease outward from the breccia pipe (10.6–12.3 in the pipe to 3.4–8.7 in the peripheral quartz) indicating that there has been mixing with isotopically light (high latitude) meteoric fluids, mainly after formation of the breccia pipe.     

Mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of hydrothermal alteration of basalt in the Kuroko mine area, Japan: implications for the evolution of a Back Arc Basin hydrothermal system

Basalt in the Furutobe District of the Kuroko mine area in Japan is characterized by abundant chlorite and epidote. Fluid inclusion studies indicate that chlorite is formed at lower temperatures (230–250°C) than epidote (250–280°C). The seawater/basalt mass ratio for the early chlorite-rich alteration was high (max. 40), but that for the later alteration was low (0.1–1.8). The CaO, Na₂O and SiO₂ of the bulk rock correlate negatively with MgO, while FeO and Σ Fe correlate positively with MgO. These changes in the characteristic features of hydrothermal alteration from early to late are generally similar to those for a mid-ocean ridge geothermal system accompanying basalt alteration.The MgO/FeO ratios of chlorite and actinolite and the Fe₂O₃ concentration of epidote from the basalt are greater than those of mid-ocean ridge basalt probably owing to the differences in the Fe₂O₃/FeO and MgO/FeO ratios of the parent rocks. The lower CaO concentration and the higher Na₂O concentration of the bulk rock compared with altered mid-ocean ridge basalt can be interpreted in terms of the difference in original bulk rock compositions.The Furutobe basalt, as well as other submarine back arc basalts, contains more vesicles filled with hydrothermal minerals (epidote, calcite, quartz, chlorite, pyrite) than do the mid-ocean ridge basalts. The abundance of vesicles plays an important role in controlling the secondary mineralogy and geochemistry of hydrothermally altered submarine back arc basin basalts.     

Mineralogical and geochemical evolution of the Bidgol bauxite deposit,Zagros Mountain Belt,Iran: Implications for ore genesis,rare earth elements fractionation and parental affinity

The present study focuses on the Late Cretaceous Bidgol bauxite deposit in the Zagros Simply Fold Belt, SW Iran. The orebody is located in the eroded major NW–SE trending Koh-e-Hosseyn anticline and hosted as discontinuous stratified layers and lenses within the upper member of the Cenomanian–Turonian Sarvak Formation. Detailed mineralogical analysis reveals that diaspore, hematite, goethite, anatase, clinochlore, chamosite, and calcite are the major mineral components accompanied by minor amounts of detrital and REE-bearing minerals such as rutile, zircon and parisite. The ore texture suggest that the bauxite material has an authigenic origin but in some parts it has been transported short distances from a primary in situ environment and redeposited in karstic depressions. The spheroidal pisolites of the Bidgol bauxite formed under conditions of low water activity, favouring the formation of large diaspore cores and a single dry-to-wet climatic fluctuation. The mass change calculations relative to the immobile element Ti show that elements such as Si, Fe, Mg, K, Na and Sr are leached out of the weathered system; Al, Ni, Zr, Ga, Cr and Ba are concentrated in the residual system; and Hf, Ta, Co, Rb, Cs, Be, and U are relatively immobile during the bauxitisation processes. The Nb, Th, Y, V, Sc, Sn and ΣREE are relatively immobile in the initial stage of bauxitisation processes in the bauxite ores, but were slightly mobile at the later stage of bauxitisation. Geochemical data reveal progressive enrichment of the REE and intense LREE/HREE fractionation toward the lower parts of the bauxite profile. Cerium behaves differently from the other REEs (especially LREE) and show positive anomalies in the upper horizons that gradually become negative in the deeper parts of the profile. The distribution and fractionation of trace elements and REEs during the bauxitisation process in the Bidgol deposit are mainly controlled by the presence of REE-bearing minerals, fluctuations in soil solution pH, REE ionization potential and the presence of bicarbonates or organic matter. Geochemical analyses confirm a protolith contribution from the bedrock argillaceous limestone and suggest that the source material for the Bidgol bauxite was provided from a siliciclastic material derived from a continental margin. The mid-Turonian uplift led to the formation of karstic topography, rubbly breccia and a layer of ferruginous–argillaceous debris that was affected by lateritic weathering under humid tropical climate. Subsequently, mobile elements are removed from the profiles, while Al, Fe and Ti are enriched, resulting in the formation of the pristine bauxite materials. When the platform subsided into the water again, the pristine bauxitic materials were partly converted to bauxite. During the exposure of bauxite orebodies on the limbs and crests of anticlines and subsequent eroding and accumulation in the karstic depressions during folding and faulting in Oligocene–Miocene, important factors such as intensity of the weathering, drainage and floating flow may have improved the qualities of the bauxite ores.     

Palaeoenvironments and weathering regime of the Neoproterozoic Squantum ‘Tillite’, Boston Basin: no evidence of a snowball Earth

The snowball Earth hypothesis describes episodes of Neoproterozoic global glaciations, when ice sheets reached sea‐level, the ocean froze to great depth and biota were decimated, accompanied by a complete shutdown of the hydrological cycle. Recent studies of sedimentary successions and Earth systems modelling, however, have brought the hypothesis under considerable debate. The Squantum ‘Tillite’ (Boston Basin, USA), is one of the best constrained snowball Earth successions with respect to age and palaeogeography, and it is suitable to test the hypothesis for the Gaskiers glaciation. The approach used here was to assess the palaeoenvironmental conditions at the type locality of the Squantum Member through an analysis of sedimentary facies and weathering regime (chemical index of alteration). The stratigraphic succession with a total thickness of ca 330 m documents both glacial and non‐glacial depositional environments with a cool‐temperate glacial to temperate non‐glacial climate weathering regime. The base of the succession is composed of thin diamictites and mudstones that carry evidence of sedimentation from floating glacial ice, interbedded with inner shelf sandstones and mudstones. Thicker diamictites interbedded with thin sandstones mark the onset of gravity flow activity, followed by graded sandstones documenting channellized mass gravity flow events. An upward decrease in terrigenous supply is evident, culminating in deep‐water mudstones with a non‐glacial chemical weathering signal. Renewed terrigenous supply and iceberg sedimentation is evident at the top of the succession, beyond which exposure is lost. The glacially influenced sedimentary facies at Squantum Head are more consistent with meltwater dominated alpine glaciation or small local ice caps. The chemical index of alteration values of 61 to 75 for the non‐volcanic rocks requires significant exposure of land surfaces to allow chemical weathering. Therefore, extreme snowball Earth conditions with a complete shutdown of the hydrological cycle do not seem to apply to the Gaskiers glaciation.     

Transport and sediment–water partitioning of trace metals in acid mine drainage: an example from the abandoned Kwangyang Au–Ag mine area, South Korea

Transport and sediment–water partitioning of trace metals (Cr, Co, Fe, Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd) in acid mine drainage were studied in two creeks in the Kwangyang Au–Ag mine area, southern part of Korea. Chemical analysis of stream waters and the weak acid (0.1 N HCl) extraction, strong acid (HF–HNO₃–HClO₄) extraction, and sequential extraction of stream sediments were performed. Heavy metal pollution of sediments was higher in Chonam-ri creek than in Sagok-ri creek, because there is a larger source of base metal sulfides in the ores and waste dump upstream of Chonam-ri creek. The sediment–water distribution coefficients (K _d) for metals in both creeks were dependent on the water pH and decreased in the order Pb ≈ Al > Cu > Mn > Zn > Co > Ni ≈ Cd. K _d values for Al, Cu and Zn were very sensitive to changes in pH. The results of sequential extraction indicated that among non-residual fractions, Fe–Mn oxides are most important for retaining trace metals in the sediments. Therefore, the precipitation of Fe(–Mn) oxides due to pH increase in downstream sites plays an important role in regulating the concentrations of dissolved trace metals in both creeks. For Al, Co, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn, the metal concentrations determined by 0.1 N HCl extraction (Korean Standard Method for Soil Pollution) were almost identical to the cumulative concentrations determined for the first three weakly-bound fractions (exchangeable + bound to carbonates + bound to Fe–Mn oxides) in the sequential extraction procedure. This suggests that 0.1 N HCl extraction can be effectively used to assess the environmentally available and/or bioavailable forms of trace metals in natural stream sediments.     

Assessing the geochemical and tectonic impacts of fluid–rock interaction in mid‐crustal shear zones: a case study from the intracontinental Alice Springs Orogen,central Australia

The Reynolds–Anmatjira Ranges, central Australia, form part of a high‐grade basement terrane dissected by intensely metasomatized transpressional shear zones active during the Ordovician–Carboniferous Alice Springs Orogeny. Unlike typical retrograde structures associated with discrete fluid flow, the mid‐crustal setting and intracontinental nature of these shear systems present significant problems for the source and ingress mechanism of the fluid involved in their rehydration. To address these issues, we describe two detailed traverses across deformed and metasomatized basement rocks in this region, and interrogate their record of fluid–rock interaction from various perspectives. Both traverses combine structural and petrological observations with Zr‐in‐rutile and Ti‐in‐quartz thermobarometry, oxygen and hydrogen stable isotope analysis, and major, trace and rare earth element mobility trends. Each technique is critically evaluated for its utility in this study and its more widespread applicability to alternative field areas, providing a strategic framework for the general investigation of fluid‐affected shear zones. Ultimately, the integrated data sets specify pressure–temperature conditions of ～530 °C and 4–5 kbar, implying average apparent thermal gradients of 29–36 °C km^?1 and depths of 14–18 km. Other characteristic features to emerge include strongly variable element mobilities and pronounced isotopic depletion fronts consistent with the alteration effects of an externally derived, non‐equilibrium fluid. This is confirmed by calculated fluid compositions indicative of contributions from a fluid of meteoric origin, with estimated δ¹⁸O and δD values as low as 2.3‰ and ?59.8‰, respectively. We propose that these surficial fluid signatures are imposed on the mid‐crust by the prograde burial and dehydration of hydrothermally altered fault panels produced during pre‐orogenic basin formation. Progressive fluid release with continued subsidence then leads to the accumulation of increasing fluid volumes in the vicinity of the brittle–ductile transition, promoting extensive hydration, metasomatism and reaction softening at the locus of stress transmission from plate‐boundary sources. The sustained injection of externally derived fluids into refractory crustal material may thus stimulate a critical reduction in the long‐term strength of the lithosphere, providing strong impetus for the initiation and advancement of intracontinental orogenesis.     

Lake George revisited: New evidence for the origin and evolution of a large closed lake,Southern Tablelands,NSW, Australia

Lake George contains the longest continuous sedimentary record of any Australian lake basin, but previous age models are equivocal, particularly for the oldest (pre-Quaternary) part of the record. We have applied a combination of cosmogenic nuclide burial dating, magnetostratigraphy and biostratigraphy to determine the age of the basal (fluvial) unit in the basin, the Gearys Gap Formation. Within the differing resolutions achievable by the three dating techniques, our results show that (i) the Gearys Gap Formation, began accumulating at ca 4 Ma, in the early Pliocene (Zanclean), and (ii) deposition had ceased by ca 3 Ma, in the mid late Pliocene (Piacenzian). Whether the same age control provides an early Pliocene (Zanclean) age for the formation of the lake basin is uncertain. During the Piacenzian, the vegetation at the core site was a wetland community dominated by members of the coral fern family Gleicheniaceae, while the surrounding dryland vegetation was a mix of sclerophyll and temperate rainforest communities, with the latter including trees and shrubs now endemic to New Guinea–New Caledonia and Tasmania. Mean annual rainfall and temperatures are inferred to have been ～2000–3000 mm, although probably not uniformly distributed throughout the year, and within the mesotherm range (>14°C <20°C), respectively. Unresolved issues are: (1) Does the basal gravel unit predate uplift of the Lake George Range and therefore provide evidence that one of the proposed paleo-spillways of Lake George, that above Geary's Gap, has been elevated up to 100–200 m by neotectonic activity over the past 4 million years? (2) Did a shallow to deepwater lake exist elsewhere in the lake basin during the Pliocene?     

Magmatic-to-hydrothermal crystallization in the W–Sn mineralized Mole Granite (NSW, Australia): Part I: Crystallization of zircon and REE-phosphates over three million years—a geochemical and U–Pb geochronological study

Zircon, monazite and xenotime crystallized over a temperature interval of several hundred degrees at the magmatic to hydrothermal transition of the Sn and W mineralized Mole Granite. Magmatic zircon and monazite, thought to have crystallized from hydrous silicate melt, were dated by conventional U–Pb techniques at an age of 247.6 ± 0.4 and 247.7 ± 0.5 Ma, respectively. Xenotime occurring in hydrothermal quartz is found to be significantly younger at 246.2 ± 0.5 Ma and is interpreted to represent hydrothermal growth. From associated fluid inclusions it is concluded that it precipitated from a hydrothermal brine ≤ 600 °C, which is below the accepted closure temperature for U–Pb in this mineral. These data are compatible with a two-stage crystallization process: precipitation of zircon and monazite as magmatic liquidus phases in deep crustal magma followed by complete crystallization and intimately associated Sn–W mineralization after intrusion of the shallow, sill-like body of the Mole Granite. Later hydrothermal formation of monazite in a biotite–fluorite–topaz reaction rim around a mineralized vein was dated at 244.4 ± 1.4 Ma, which distinctly postdates the Mole Granite and is possibly related to a younger hidden intrusion and its hydrothermal fluid system.

Obtaining precise age data for magmatic and hydrothermal minerals of the Mole Granite is hampered by uncertainties introduced by different corrections required for multiple highly radiogenic minerals crystallising from evolved hydrous granites, including ²³⁰Th disequilibrium due to Th/U fractionation during monazite and possibly xenotime crystallization, variable Th/U ratios of the fluids from which xenotime was precipitating, elevated contents of common lead, and post-crystallization lead loss in zircon, enhanced by the fluid-saturated environment. The data imply that monazite can also survive as a liquidus phase in protracted magmatic systems over periods of 10⁶ years. The outlined model is in agreement with prominent chemical core-rim variation of the zircon.     

Lake George revisited: new evidence for the origin and evolution of a large closed lake,Southern Tablelands,NSW, Australia. 2: earliest Pleistocene (Gelasian) environments

The three sedimentary units infilling Lake George provide the longest quasi-continuous sedimentary record of any Australian lake basin. A combination of cosmogenic nuclide burial, magnetostratigraphy and biostratigraphic dating techniques previously has shown that the basal (fluvial) unit, the Gearys Gap Formation, began accumulating at ca 4 Ma, in the early Pliocene (Zanclean), and (ii) deposition had ceased by ca 3 Ma, in the mid-late Pliocene (Piacenzian). The same techniques confirm the middle unit, the (fluvio-lacustrine) Ondyong Point Formation began accumulating in the late Pliocene and deposition continued into the earliest Pleistocene (Gelasian) when a shallow but probably laterally extensive freshwater lake extended across the drillhole site. Our data provide a minimum Gelasian age for tectonic blockage of former spillway(s) and formation of paleo-Lake George. Whether this was the earliest lake to form within the basin is unknown, since the dated intervals are separated by a ferric hardpan, interpreted as representing a prolonged period of erosion or non-deposition. Temperate rainforest angiosperms including Nothofagus growing during the late Pliocene had been extirpated or become extinct during this interval, although a number of gymnosperms, now endemic to New Caledonia, New Guinea, New Zealand and Tasmania still survived in the otherwise sclerophyll-dominated vegetation. The succession of plant communities is considered to be due to effectively drier local conditions, which in turn reflect regional aridification during the Plio-Pleistocene transition, despite the formation of a freshwater lake across the basin. The sequence provides a reliable framework for recognising and correlating Plio-Pleistocene deposits elsewhere on the Southern Highlands.     

Evolution of a crustal-scale transpressive shear zone in the Albany–Fraser Orogen, SW Australia: 2. Tectonic history of the Coramup Gneiss and a kinematic framework for Mesoproterozoic collision of the West Australian and Mawson cratons

Within the Albany–Fraser Orogen of southwestern Australia, the Coramup Gneiss is a NE–SW trending zone of high‐strain rocks that preserves a detailed record of orogenesis related to Mesoproterozoic convergence of the West Australian and Mawson cratons. New structural, metamorphic and U–Pb SHRIMP zircon age data establish that the Coramup Gneiss underwent high‐grade tectonism during both Stage I (c. 1290 Ma) and Stage II (c. 1170 Ma) of the Albany–Fraser Orogeny. Stage I commenced with c. 1300 Ma high‐T, low‐P M1a metamorphism during extension, and the formation of small‐scale ptygmatic folds within a subhorizontal S1a gneissosity. High‐P M1b metamorphism at c. 1290 Ma was accompanied by the transposition and shearing of S1a into a composite, shallow SE‐dipping S1b foliation, and the development of tight recumbent F1b folds with S1‐parallel axial surfaces and asymmetries indicating NW‐directed thrusting. The preservation of a similar P–T–time record in the Fraser Complex (NE of the Coramup Gneiss) is consistent with large‐scale, NW‐directed Stage I thrusting of the Mawson Craton margin over the south‐eastern edge of the West Australian Craton. Stage II tectonism in the western Coramup Gneiss involved high‐T, low‐P M2a metamorphism and the formation of subvertical SE‐dipping D2 shear zones, shallow SW‐plunging L2 mineral stretching lineations, and NW‐verging F2 folds with S2‐parallel axial surfaces. A synkinematic pegmatite dyke emplaced into a D2 shear zone yielded a U–Pb SHRIMP zircon age of 1168 ± 12 Ma. Kinematic indicators suggest a combination of pure shear flattening perpendicular to S2, and dextral simple shear. However, contemporaneous structures elsewhere in the Albany–Fraser Orogen are consistent with continued NW–SE convergence at craton‐scale during Stage II, and oblique compression in the Coramup Gneiss is attributed to the arcuate geometry of the orogen‐scale deformation front.     

地下河系统水动态监测网络优化对比分析:以桂林海洋-寨底地下河系统为例

基于我国南方地区岩溶发育极不均匀、水位水质动态变化快的特点,通过对信息熵法和防污性能法所得结果的对比,分析在缺少系列监测资料条件下,利用岩溶水系统防污性能评价结果快速布设地下河系统水动态监测网的可行性及其布设原则。根据防污性能评价结果,结合水循环特征,桂林海洋-寨底地下河系统水动态监测网需由17个监测站组成;采用信息熵法对现有35个监测站进行优化后,认为只需要12个监测站就可组成最优监测网,但这12个监测站点与采用防污性能评价法得到的点位完全重合,且均位于防污性能差的地区。对比分析认为,以地下水系统防污性能评价结果布设地下水动态监测网是可行性的,因为岩溶发育区既是防污性能差的地区,也是地下水动态变化快的地区,能充分反映地下河系统水质水量变化。采用防污性能评价法布设地下水动态监测网时,需要充分认识和了解地下河系统水文地质条件和地下河管道结构特征,且需要遵循以下原则:(1)在岩溶发育相对较弱的系统中部(基本上不存在防污性能差的地区)不设置监测站点;(2)在距离地下河出口较近的岩溶发育区内(即防污性能差的地区)监测站点可由地下河出口替代;(3)对于多支管道系统,岩溶发育相对较弱且距离较短的小型支管道上可以不布设监测站,由支管道与主管道交汇处的监测站代替。     

Use of electrical resistivity methods for detecting subsurface fresh and saline water and delineating their interfacial configuration: a case study of the eastern Dead Sea coastal aquifers, Jordan

The alluvial aquifer is the primary source of groundwater along the eastern Dead Sea shoreline, Jordan. Over the last 20 years, salinity has risen in some existing wells and several new wells have encountered brackish water in areas thought to contain fresh water. A good linear correlation exists between the water resistivity and the chloride concentration of groundwater and shows that the salinity is the most important factor controlling resistivity. Two-dimensional electrical tomography (ET) integrated with geoelectrical soundings were employed to delineate different water-bearing formations and the configuration of the interface between them. The present hydrological system and the related brines and interfaces are controlled by the Dead Sea base level, presently at 410 m b.s.l. Resistivity measurements show a dominant trend of decreasing resistivity (thus increasing salinity) with depth and westward towards the Dead Sea. Accordingly, three zones with different resistivity values were detected, corresponding to three different water-bearing formations: (1) strata saturated with fresh to slightly brackish groundwater; (2) a transition zone of brine mixed with fresh to brackish groundwater; (3) a water-bearing formation containing Dead Sea brine. In addition, a low resistivity unit containing brine was detected above the 1955 Dead Sea base level, which was interpreted as having remained unflushed by infiltrating rain.